The Emperor's Business Partner

By Nick Morris
The bridge of the Battle Barge Dominus Astra was an immense enclosure the size of a stadium. It was dominated by a massive window, which could be covered by armored plates but was now open. On a catwalk next to the immense window, gazing into the starry void of space sat two unlikely friends. One was a giant of a man an armored hero of the Imperium of Mankind. The other was small and dressed in the garish fashion of a merchant. Your friend Fulgrim cost me and your emperor quite a bit of scratch Roboute. Those Eldar trinkets would make your empire grow like nothing else and the secrets of how they travel from world to world, the secrets of their webway, those would have come in time, Nico Constantine's bright blue eyes flashed as the perpetual smirk that sat on his face softened. Few would dare speak to Roboute Gulliman of the Emperor of Mankind in any way but the most guarded reverence but Nico had called the Primarch friend for many years. There was a risk in such irreverence, but it was a measured chance, and Nico liked his odds. The Emperor of Mankind is your Emperor as well, and the Imperium is the only hope for the survival of the human race in this universe, the Primarch said as he raised to his massive height. Please do not speak so casually of Him it makes me low when you are so irreverent Nico, His voiced raised with each word and then suddenly lowered as his friend's name crossed his lips. The Primarch sat and even doing so he was still taller than the man he called friend. Though he was older than the Primarch Nico had been Roboute's friend since his boyhood on Macragge. He had been a merchant there and a great friend of the Primarch's adopted father. Though they only saw each other every few years they were close. When Roboute had taken leadership of the world Nico had been at the forefront of Macragge's trade with the nearby star systems. Wherever the prosperity of Roboute Gulliman and his Ultramarines spread there would be found the goods of Nico Constantine. Nico had been the first man given a warrant of trade by the Emperor. His friend Roboute had said that Nico was the prosperity of Ultramar to his father. The warrant had been written and signed within an hour by the Emperor of Mankind. When the Emperor sent for Nico and presented him the document Nico had said Great we'll be partners then, Roboute had swallowed hard and stood stone faced. The Emperor smiled enigmatically and walked away. Your mirth will be the death of you Nico, Roboute said calmly stirring Nico from his reverie on the past.

And your friends like Fulgrim will be yours Roboute. They do not all share your dreams you know? Nico said growing passionate. How is Annelise? said the Primarch changing the subject. Nico smiled with delight at the mention of his daughter. His sons had joined Roboute's Ultramarines but his daughter was his heir and the apple of his eye. She's managing the Estates on Terra, last I saw her. She'll have bought half of Luna for me by this time next year, That's why you have so little respect for The Name of the Emperor Nico. You never let anyone but a woman outsmart you, The two old friends laughed together. An Astropath, robed and with his blinded eyes covered by cloth entered. A message from Warmaster Horus my lord, he said to Roboute. You are to lead an expeditionary force to the Calth system, he finished. I must go to my orders Nico. Love the Emperor as he loves you, the Primarch said as he rose. I love his image as I love all things, Nico said smiling. He flipped a golden hundred thousand throne coin to his friend. It bore the Emperor's image. The two laughed, Nico was Roboute Gulliman's only solace from the terrible weight of his responsibilities his only source of mirth in the trying times of the great crusade. It would be the last time they laughed together. I'll come with you, Nico said smiling. You can always use another ship, I'll be glad of the company, Roboute said. A rare smile crossed his features. When the Ultramarine's space fleet arrived at the Calth system they were betrayed. Their supposed brothers, the traitorous Word Bearers opened fire on them. Roboute Gulliman gallantly led his forces to a narrow victory. Nico Constantine's command ship Licentia Absolvo was crippled in the first volley from the Word Bearers fleet. Though the Ultramarines were victorious against the Word Bearers the Primarch could only watch in horror as his friend's crippled vessel was towed into the warp behind the retreating traitors.

Like Father Like Daughter

Annelise had grown up almost entirely without her father. The news of his death at Calth had saddened her but it was nowhere near crushing. She didn't even learn of his death until well after the siege of Holy Terra. Annelise Urilla Constantine had formed her household guard into a fighting company and gone to the defense of the Imperial Palace. Her own estates were ravaged by the Emperor's Children who had turned traitor like the other legions who sided with Horus. Her unit had fought gallantly but never reached the Emperor's defense. They battled hive to hive but never got within a thousand kilometers of the palace. It was only long after the battle was won that it was realized that thanks to her campaign thousands of Chaos marines had been kept away as well. Dozens of hives had been spared the deprivations of the tainted forces of Chaos. The loss of the Terran and Lunar estates financially devastated the Constantine family. When the news of her father's fleet and the loss of the Licentia Absolvo reached her Annelise knew that the family was utterly destitute. She led her men in the rebuilding of Holy Terra in the knowledge that the honor of her two brothers service to the Ultramarines would be the great accomplishment of her life. When the rebuilding was finished she would retire quietly to the family estates on Macragge. Roboute Gulliman had heard all of this as he set about securing the Imperium for future generations. He lamented the loss of his friend Nico. When Annelise came to Macragge he summoned her to the massive Fortress of Hera that dominated the North Pole of Macragge. As Annelise entered the massive columned hall she was flanked on either side by the honor guard of Ultramarines which Gulliman had sent to bring her. She was an impressive young woman, a head taller than her father, raven haired to Nico's golden curls and yet still she resembled him closely. Roboute though that it was mostly in her bright blue eyes and the look of perpetual mirth on her mouth. She approached the dais on which rested the Primarch's throne. My lord, she said. It is good to be home, You know well that your father was my great friend, the Primarch said his deep voice soft and yet still it resonated through the massive extent of the great hall. And that your brothers have done the Emperor and myself great service. Your brother Decimus fell on Calth assisting in capture of the planetary defense guns which saved my fleet and your brother Nicodemus is the captain of my fourth company, he continued. Why is it that you do not ask for my aid in rebuilding the great trading house of Constantine that has armed and armoured my forces since before I knew the name of the Emperor, I have nothing to give in return my lord. With the losses of the house of Constantine you have lost greatly in material of war. I can not bring myself to cost you more, she replied. Roboute Gulliman's heart was warmed by the loyalty of a woman he thought of as the daughter he could never have. Nico had been the man he could never be.

I will give you a ship. I will give you estates. I will give you a company of Space Marines, Ultramarines, the truest of the Emperor's servants. You shall have estates on all the thirteen worlds of Ultramar. You will have all that you need that the house of Constantine shall forever remain the noble fountain which waters the gardens of Ultramar, Roboute Gulliman pronounced his voice echoing through the halls of the Fortress of Hera. And what can I give in return my lord? asked Annelise. For favors freely given give lead to debt which can never be repaid, How true still is the wisdom of your father, Gulliman's eyes bored through her. In her he saw strength and intelligence. She was much like her father. His Ultramarines would always need such strength. Your sons, he replied. If they be worthy of the Ultramarines, Annelise thought for long enough to take a single breath. If they are not so worthy than they are no sons of mine, she said. Then it is done, the sons of Constantine shall serve the Ultramarines and the daughters shall gain great wealth for Ultramar and their partner, Gulliman said as he laughed softly to himself. Partner? Annelise asked confused. Yes your business partner, Gulliman said. From a compartment in the armrest of his throne he took a jeweled medallion. He stood and walked down to Annelise and placed it around her neck. It was a rosarius like those worn by space marine chaplains but the holy image of the Aquilla had been replaced. In it's place was a hundred thousand throne coin. That is his picture, so you can recognize him, Roboute Gulliman laughed as he had not laughed since before he had known of the great crusade. His echoing laughter filled the halls of the Fortress of Hera. His space marines made no mention of the oddity of it. Only the eldest of them had ever heard him laugh.

History of the Constantine Dynasty Part I

The Dynasty of Constantine hold the first true warrant of trade ever issued by The Emperor of Mankind. They are an ancient institution in the rogue trader community. For ten thousand years the phrase Constantine smirk, was synonymous with knowing what no one else did, and being victorious when everyone else thought you would lose. Nico Constantine was a long time friend of Roboute Gulliman and accompanied him on a number of his crusades. He was perhaps the greatest trader of the great crusade and brought hundreds of worlds into the trade network of the Imperium. After his death he was succeeded by his daughter Annelise Furia Constantine because both of his sons had joined the Ultramarines as initiates and became full brother marines of the legion. Annelise established the tradition that the women on the Constantines would inherit the Dynasty. Their sons would join the Ultramarines or be turned out as unworthy and forbidden to use the family name on pain of death. These customs would continue for thousands of years. Annelise explored, charted, and exploited the furthest reaches of the Ultima Segmentum. The single ship which Roboute Gulliman gave her became her home. The third company of the Ultramarines became her family. The spoils of a hundred worlds became her living. Half of every throne she made went directly to the Imperial coffers on Holy Terra. After all He was her business partner. Annelise's most famous action by far is remembered as the four way smirk in rogue trader circles. Four other rogue trader Dynasties had become enemies of the Constantine Dynasty. The Lady Constantine fought them only through business and peaceful means until one of the four attacked her young children with an assassin. Annelise convinced two of the Dynasties that the other two meant to divide them and destroy them, forcing them into a partnership. The other two formed a partnership on seeing the alliance between their fellows. Annelise sold armaments to both sides of the trade war until she was ready to convince both alliances that their partners were betraying them to their rivals. The four way, heavily armed, and bloodthirsty trade war devastated all four Dynasties. Annelise swept in and bought up their properties and left them all bankrupt. She had three sons. All of her sons became Ultramarines. Her two daughters were made to compete for the right to rule house Constantine. Her daughter Camillia Julia Constantine succeeded her while her other daughter Lobelia was married to the governor of the newly colonized Prandium. Annelise died while exploring the jungles of Catachan. She was very old at the time. Her great grandson recorded that she had shown no fear when their camp was attacked by a Catachan devil. She cataloged numerous of the planets species and useful resources. The day after fighting off the great beast that had ravaged her camp she was found dead in her shelter. The Ultramarine who found her was recorded as saying She was smiling like she'd had one last joke on us all, The friendship between house Constantine and the Ultramarines lasted for generations. Quintilla Regia Constantine was the thirty-fourth Lady Constantine. She was a powerful

Psyker as was her mother. Her gifts were in the area of healing. She was widely sought when the powerful in the Imperium were diseased or gravely injured. When she became the captain of the family flagship Dominus Ultramar the family had slipped into hard times. A trade war had erupted with the Dynasty of Melahan. House Melahan was involved with every aspect of unsavory business. They traded in slaves, human beings kidnapped from long lost worlds and sold to the cult mechanicus for mind wiping and cybernetic reconstruction as servitors or to industries for slave labor. They dealt drugs carefully avoiding worlds where legal restrictions would interfere with them. They used the vilest methods to attack their rivals. The lord of the Melahan Dynasty Lotharius Melahan was said to be a sadistic tyrant who killed his own men for the slightest failure or personal disloyalty. He gained his warrant of trade the old fashioned way, by blackmailing one of the High Lords of Terra. The rumors of the dark pleasures he pursued were spoken only in hushed whispers. Quintilla's mother had been accused of heresy to the Inquisition. Irrefutable proof of demon worship and human sacrifice had been supplied to the Inquisitor Darran Malth by House Melahan. She had been burned to expunge the demons from this plane and her name was erased from all Imperial record. Though she was tortured for weeks Quintilla's mother never admitted to any heresy. The family was only spared because Quintilla was the great-greatgreat-great niece of Meridius Constantine, the seventeenth, and current, chapter master of the Ultramarines. Meridius became quite a thorn in the Inquisition's side as he complained about their every activity to the High Lords of Terra. Each and every time he learned of an Inquisitorial operation he deployed his Ultramarines to the planet involved and dealt with the situation himself. Though he was always helpful in this way it made the involved inquisitors appear inept. Meanwhile Quintilla retreated deeper into the Ultima Segmentum. She traded with ancient Imperium outposts founded by the first rogue traders of her family and she established a power base outside the influence of her enemies. Again the Ultramarines sent a company to assist the house Constantine. The alliance which had lasted so long would not be destroyed by lies and subterfuge. At the edge of the Halo Zone, the furthest reaches of space where the light of the Astronomicon grows dim and fails Quintilla met Inquisitor Callidon of the Ordo Hereticus. Callidon was investigating the actions of Inquisitor Darran Malth. Malth had pronounced the judgment of death on a number of prominent imperial citizens. All of them had been enemies of House Melahan. Quintilla disguised her flagship as a common cargo ship and put her ship and crew at the disposal of Inquisitor Callidon for his investigation. She accompanied Callidon throughout his investigation which culminated in a clandestine search of of Darran Malth's stronghold. They uncovered evidence of a plot which would have made Malth the Inquisitorial representative to the High Lords of Terra and put him in a position to rule the Imperium by using House Melahan to dominate all interstellar trade and threatening the Navis Nobilite with assassination and accusations of heresy effectively turning the inquisition into a secret police force he would use to maintain his power.

They reached Holy Terra just in time to learn that Malth had been elected the Inquisitorial representative to the High Lords of Terra. Quintilla and Callidon gathered a group of Inquisitors and Adeptus Arbites shock troops who they could convince of the truth and with the assistance of the fifth Ultramarine company Quintilla had been loaned stormed the Terran estates of House Melahan where Malth was residing. The attack on the fortified estate was stalled at first by the Feral Ogryn bodyguards of the Melahan. These Ogryn were addicted to chems by their masters and fought like fanatics in their defense. The day was won by Quintilla's Psyker powers as she simply commanded the Ogryn's bodies to die with her healing powers. Callidon gave Quintilla the honor of executing Darran Malth in front of his House Melahan hosts. She burned him to ashes with a flamer and then set the estate itself ablaze. The last thing the renegade Inquisitor ever saw was the Constantine smirk. Inquisitor Lord Darran Malth was reported to have died of sudden complications due to being a psyker to avoid heretical rumors. Sanctions were placed on House Melahan preventing them from trading with the Segmentum Solar, financially crippling them. Within a year Quintilla and Callidon were married. Quintilla established a lasting legacy within the Inquisition. To this day many Inquisitors seek aid from the Constantines. Almost any member of the family who has the appropriate skills can find a place in an Inquisitor's retinue, even if it's just because the Inquisitor knows he will have the aid of the rest of the family. Sons born with psyker powers are also recruited by the Ordo Malleus to join the Gray Knights if they are strong enough and are allowed to forgo the traditional mind wiping due to the family's long history of absolute loyalty to the Imperium. Some whisper that the family's occasional psyker mutations are a sign of corruption but they are few and far between. For five millennium House Constantine continued it's trade dominance in the Ultima Segmentum. With connections to the Inquisition they were almost untouchable. Now not only were their sons recruited into the Ultramarines but the Gray Knights as well. Their daughters were welcomed into the Adepta Sororitas. All of the Constantines were recruited by the inquisition and married into the noble families of Ultramar. House Melahan prospered as well. They had gone into the furthest reaches of the Segmentum Pacificus. In those days the Segmentum Pacificus was wild and untamed and the Melahan lived as much as pirates as traders. It was rumored they traded with every manner of Xeno and heretic in order to gain wealth with which to attack their hated rivals the Constantines. For five thousand years the trade war raged on opposite sides of the Imperium. Heads of both houses were mysteriously killed. Ships never reached their destinations. Entire colonies occasionally just disappeared. In the thirty-seventh millennium the last heiress of the Constantine family was killed. The Melahan believed they had finally defeated their enemies.

Brother Captain Sagarius Constantine of the Ultramarines tenth (scout) company was a veteran of the Deathwatch. He frequently and loudly accused various high ranking members of the ministorum and the ecclesiastacy of outright incompetence in defending imperial citizens from Eldar and Ork incursions. He had even accused them of allowing the Ork empire of Gorkamorka to flourish just to have an excuse to raise more imperial guard regiments from Ultramar and deplete its PDAs. It wouldn't have been such a problem if he hadn't been supported in his every statement by the former chapter master Meridius Constantine who was now encased in the metallic shell of a Dreadnaught. When the last heir of the Constantines died the High Lords saw it as a way to relive themselves of Sagarius and Meridius in one fell swoop. They asked the Ultramarines to assign the two of them to lead house Constantine. Of course if they weren't available Ultramar would lose the valuable rogue trader fleet as it's charter required an heir. The High Lords expected a space marine to do poorly as a rogue trader. They underestimated the intellect of a man who had been selected by the finest warriors in the Imperium to train their recruits and his adviser who had fought over five thousand battles and ruled the Empire of Ultramar for over two hundred years. The new rogue traders quickly went about establish their trade routes with bolter fire and strategic outposts. They used what they new and sold defensive installations and war gear to systems near Gorkamorka. The Lord of Macragge gave them two companies of Ultramarines to use for the benefit of Ultramar. They outfitted merchant ships for war and directly attacked the House Melahan's holdings on the far side of the Imperium. The House Constantine was restored to glories it had not seen since the days Annelise Urilla Constantine. Sagarius's war was the most profitable military undertaking in the history of the Dynasty. Rather than destroy enemy vessels Sagarius developed tactic to board them and take them as prizes. Through Sagarius's efforts the fleet of the Constantines tripled in size. Lord Sagarius was the one and only Lord of the Constantine Family. He had a profound respect for tradition and ceremony and did not want to change the ways of such ancient and hallowed vassals of the Emperor. He is well remembered and respected within the family. Within the family itself he is remembered as Lord Regent Sagarius as tradition holds that only a daughter may inherit the true mastery of the Dynasty. When Sagarius disappeared onto the Tears of Hell he was wearing the rosarius which was given to Lady Annelise by Roboute Gulliman.

The Last Words of Lord Regent Sagarius

A weathered and ancient warrior sat on the bridge of the Dominus Ultramar. He was Sagarius, formerly a battle brother or the Ultramarines, now a rogue trader who had plied the warp and the depths of unexplored space for over three hundred years. He missed the life of space marine. Has it been prepared Uncle? He asked. Behind him stood the four meter shell of a dreadnaught, his great ancestor Meridius who had once led the Ultramarines. It has, the mechanical voice of the ancient sarcophagus, war machine, and battle brother said. An heir to the Constantines has been located. Her children are being educated to rule this fleet and I shall remain with the family to guide it, Sometimes I think uncle that the space marine miss a lot, never having family, Sagarius said his face downcast. We have our battle brothers, Was Meridius tinny, mechanical reply, You have been away for far too long, I go uncle. To my battle brothers. A look of resolution filled Sagarius's craggy features as he stood. Courage and Honour battle brother, said the ancient man machine. Courage and Honor! Sagarius exclaimed and he strode from the bridge. As he left the Constantine smirk was on his lips. Sagarius said goodbye as he passed members of the ships crew on his way to the landing bay. The ships crew seemed confused that he had painted his armor black but he did not explain. An Arvus class lighter awaited him there. Outside of it stood three black armored space marines of the deathwatch. He approached and crossed his fist over his chest in salute. Battle Brother, I am Brother Captain Tor of the Deathwatch, said the largest of them. By his shoulder plate Sagarius could see that he belonged to the Space Wolves when not serving with the Deathwatch. His voice was gravelly and he spoke every word as if it were a challenge. We are told you know these Xenos who make mockeries of men and steal their forms and who subvert The Emperor's righteous rule, The smirk left Sagarius's face. I have seen them, Sagarius said gravely. I have lost whole colonies to them had to kill entire families who I had put in their path to stop them, They infest a space hulk and we must purge them, said Tor.

Then let us go. For the Emperor of Mankind, said Sagarius. By the way Brother Captain, what are we doing after lunch? he asked as the Constantine smirk returned. These were the last words his crew ever heard him speak. Weeks later Sagarius boarded the space hulk called The Tears of Hell with the Deathwatch kill team. A few hours later the hulk disappeared into the warp. He was never seen again.

History of the Constantine Dynasty Part II

Sagarius's heir was named Urilla Regia Constantine. She was taken from her parents (who were not named Constantine, they being distant relations) who were chapter serfs of the Ultramarines and distant relations of the Constantine Dynasty. She was educated in the Schola Progenium. She was raised with no knowledge that she would one day be a Rogue Trader and to be a loyal servant of the Emperor. Shortly after her graduation she was assigned to Commissariate training for the Ultramarine Battle fleets. It turned many heads when an ancient and revered Dreadnaught attended her graduation from the Commissar academy. It was Meridius himself who told her of her legacy and the power she was to wield in the Imperium. This would become the tradition of House Constantine. Two daughters, if available, from every generation were given to the Schola Progenium to be raised. From them the next heir of the house would be chosen. Any other children were assisted in joining any of the numerous other Imperial organizations to which the family had ties or married into the noble families of Ultramar. The Schola Progenium raised child who was not chosen was never told of their origin, creating a secret storehouse of heirs from which the family could draw if they were ever again wiped out. In the days after Sagarius service to the Emperor, Ultramar, and the Dynasty of Constantine became far more important than any individual accomplishment. Lady Urilla Regia Constantine built on the trade routes established by Sagarius. She was a cautious and careful business woman who maintained the family's holdings and set rules in place that assured monetary reserves and secret heirs to preserve the family from any form of destruction. Lady Urilla's legacy was the massive reserves and conservative financial practices which allowed the family to survive it's hardest times. The financial reserve she established allowed the family to survive major wars and even the destruction of their entire fleet at the claws of the Tyranids. The daughter and heir of Lady Urilla was Julia Robouta Constantine. She was called the Little Queen by her contemporaries. She stood less than five feet tall but was known for being able to dominate any room she was in. It was said that she once stared down a veteran space marine after an argument about the fate of a Xeno world. Lady Julia was the first of the Constantines to trade with the Eldar of the Iyanden craftworld. Though the word heresy was occasionally whispered behind her back her warrant of trade gave her a clear right to trade with Xenos in the Emperor's name. The trade relations established by Lady Julia would be one of the family's most powerful tools in the future. In lady Julia's lifetime most of the goods they traded for were seized by the Inquisition's Ordo Xenos for study and never returned. Lady Julia's flagship was often accompanied by a band of Eldar Harlequins. Lady Julia believed that allowing citizens of the Imperium to see their performances strengthened the Imperium against chaos.

She was investigated and even questioned by the Inquisition for this practice. When Lady Julia found a major chaos cult growing amongst the farmers of Iax and the Harlequins aided her in destroying the cult before they could spread the plague of unbelief the inquisition relented and allowed the practice to continue under her warrant of trade as long as the Inquisition was kept well informed of their movements and an Ordo Xenos Inquisitor could accompany the ship the Eldar were on whenever they wanted. House Melahan struck only once during Lady Julia's life. After they raided her storehouse satellite in orbit of Prandium the head of the household received a visit from one of Lady Julia's friends. The Solitaire left Lord Melahan with just enough sanity that he never stopped screaming. Julia was well known in court circles from Holy Terra to the furthest reaches of the Ultima Segmentum. She was admired chiefly for her wit which lent itself well to a mastery of veiled insults. It was a well known fact that more than one noble fled in tears from the estates of Holy Terra after earning the wrath of Lady Julia's tongue. Lady Julia married Warmaster Elias Wolfe. Warmaster Wolfe had led a successful crusade against an Ork Waagh! That had spread across the northeastern end of the Ultima Segmentum. He took the Constantine name when he married Lady Julia as was the tradition of the Dynasty. Warmaster Constantine was a head taller than most men and Lady Julia was a tiny woman. The Ogryn and the Ratling as they were often called by their friends were a well known sight in the palaces of Ultramar and Holy Terra. Elias Constantine eventually became the Lord Commander Militant of the Imperial Guard and sat on the High Lords of Terra for many years. Lady Julia survived her husband by decades and when she died was one of the most powerful women in the history of the Imperium. Lady Julia's legacy was a diplomatic relationship with the craftworld Iyanden Eldar which would thwart a burgeoning Black Crusade as well as bring substantial wealth to the family. The political connections established by Lord Commander Militant Elias and Lady Julia would create ties through arranged marriages of their children and relatives which would serve the Dynasty to the present day. The Dynasty of Constantine thrived. It's fleets plied the space lanes of the whole Imperium and beyond. They had a sole monopoly on the Eldar goods of the Iyanden Craftworld. They were the allies of space marine and inquisitor alike. In the thirty-eighth millennium disaster would strike again. While the Constantines were expanding their holdings the Melahans were preparing for war. The Melahans had been breeding an army of Ogryn for generations. They had bought the services of huge sections of the cult mechanicus with stolen technological lore. They had prepared a battle fleet by scouring every space hulk they could find for ships they could repair in secret. The Dynasty of Melahan struck suddenly across fifty star systems simultaneously. Entire trade fleets were reduced to scrap as helpless colony worlds were swarmed with bloodthirsty feral Ogryn. The devastation across the Constantine holdings was terrible.

Lady Cassia Myrdred Constantine barely escaped the destruction of her palace on Macragge as drop pods filled with feral Ogryn followed an orbital bombardment. The Ultramarines Chapter of the Space Marines was filled with rage and immediately swore oaths to see House Melahan destroyed. House Melahan was prepared however. For generations they had been supplying war gear and various other goods to the Space Wolves. It was only too easy to convince the Space Wolves that the Ultramarines were manipulating a misunderstanding as an excuse to force the Space Wolves to comply with Codex Astartes when the Ultramarines attacked Melahan trade houses on Fenris without warning (Ultramarine messengers sent to inform the Space Wolves had been killed and Astropaths receiving the message bribed). The Ultramarines believed it a surprise attack when Space Wolves vessels attacked their planetary defenses and Space Wolves landed on Parmenio. Soon a full scale war erupted between the two chapters. Lady Cassia fled to Holy Terra where she used the family's secret financial reserves to refit her badly damaged flagship Dominus Ultramar and to find aid. The administratum refused to intervene in what they said was clearly an affair of the adeptus astartes that we had best stay out of, As the war between space marines raged the Dynasty of Melahan took every opportunity to seize Constantine holdings. Word of horrible atrocities reached the ear of Lady Cassia on Holy Terra but she was powerless to save any of the colonies her family had founded in it's eight thousand year history. She had only one ship and the Melahans had dozens, possibly more than a hundred by the reports she was receiving. When Lady Cassia returned to Macragge to recruit soldiers she learned the terrible truth. While in orbit of Macragge her ship was boarded by Noise Marines, members of the Emperor's Children, the traitor legion whose master had slain Roboute Gulliman and servant of the Chaos God Slaanesh. Lady Cassia was only saved by the awakening of Meridius Constantine, her ancient ancestor and the adviser of her family, former chapter master of the Ultramarines and now one of the eldest dreadnaughts in the service of the Emperor. The ancient warrior in his armored tomb dispatched the forces of chaos quickly. It was Meridius who understood the true depths of what was happening. He realized immediately that to destroy their rivals the Dynasty of Melahan had made a pact with the forces of Chaos. He realized that the destruction of two of the greatest chapters of space marines would be a boon to the forces of chaos and that the Melahan had spent centuries arranging just that to destroy their hated rivals the Dynasty of Constantine. Lady Cassia smiled the famous smirk of the Constantines and said to Meridius Well then, time to fight heresy with heresy, Gathering what Planetary Defense Force forces and Ultramarines they could from Macragge Lady Cassia traveled to Iyanden the home of her great grandmother's allies the Eldar. She treated with the Eldar and convinced them of the danger of a rogue trader dynasty with contacts throughout space which was serving their ancient enemy Slaanesh.

The Eldar allowed the rogue trader and her ship passage through their webway gates to the Ulthwe craft world where they could outflank the chaos tainted fleets of the Melahan. The fleet of the Iyanden craftworld accompanied them commanded by High Admiral Yriel. At Ulthwe they were joined by yet more Eldar ships as well as an assemblage of Lady Julia's old friends the Harlequins who had traveled from across the universe when they had learned of the alliance. As the Eldar began to attack the Melahan fleets Lady Cassia traveled to the war zone of Fenris where the Ultramarines and Space Wolves were embattled. She and the ancient Dreadnaught Meridius landing between the opposing forces under a flag of truce and convinced both forces of the truth. The combined fleets of the Ultramarines and Space Wolves joined the assault on the Dynasty of Melahan. The Melahan were joined by chaos battle cruisers of every description. The allies had found themselves witnessing the preliminary stages of a black crusade. The battles between fleets lasted for weeks. In the end the Imperium ans it's temporary Eldar allies stood victorious. The space marines allowed the Eldar to return to their craftworlds unmolested. The final few remaining ships of house Melahan were seen fleeing into the Eye of Terror. Lady Cassia's legacy is one of heroism. She wasn't the greatest trader the family had produced nor it's shrewdest politician. She is the one nameless millions of Imperial Guardsmen toast when they are reminded of the Black Crusade which never was. Hive Fleet Behemoth ravaged the empire of Ultramar more than two millennium later. The Dynasty of Constantine had risen like a phoenix from their near destruction at the hands of House Melahan but they were to suffer the worst of their setbacks at the hands of the Tyranids. Lady Marca Lucia Constantine had led the Dynasty for fifty years when the Tyranids arrived in Ultramar. She personally led dozens of convoys to reinforce Macragge as the Tyranids approached. Her navigators braved the shadow across the warp numerous times to bring needed supplies to the Ultramarines and the Planetary Defense Forces. Her final passage across the shadow was a heroic end run to bring a titan legion from Mars itself. Her ships were intercepted by the Hive Fleet and slaughtered. The flagship Dominus Ultramar, which had served the Constantine Dynasty for ten thousand years was rammed by hive ships and it's occupants torn apart b Tyranid claws. As a last ditch escape attempt it's navigators engaged it's warp engines. Ten thousand years of Dynasty and the ancient dreadnaught Meridius were lost in an instant. Lady Marca was immediately succeeded on the battlefield below by her daughter Furia Aurelia Constantine who had been raised in the Schola Progenium and was fighting as a Commissar with the Planetary Defense Force below. Lady Furia immediately set to work arming what could be located of the family fleet with cyclonic warheads and using them as fire ships, evacuating them at the last moment as they were rammed into the Tyranid hive fleet.

Lady Furia was Lauded as a hero but that did not restore the vast financial losses of the Constantine Dynasty. What was left of the house's once great treasuries were used for a modest rebuilding. The family estates on Holy Terra, held since the time of the Emperor, were sold to more prominent Dynasties. The first Dynasty of the rogue traders was now amongst the lowest. Lady Furia was able to purchase a new flagship from the cult mechanicus. It was little more than a cargo freighter but Lady Furia outfitted it with weapons and various improvements to make a serviceable, if spartan, rogue trader flagship. She christened the ship Secundus Abeo. A small trade fleet was able to be established with the remainder of the money. By the standards of the typical imperial citizen the Constantines are wealthy beyond belief. By the standards of the rogue trader dynasties The Emperor's business partner, are little better than hive world undersiders. The remaining members of the family cling to old traditions and ancient alliances as if they were a religion. Though the Ultramarines are still their allies they cannot afford to aid the Constantines while rebuilding their own worlds. The Eldar of Iyanden bear a heavy grudge against the Constantines. They feel betrayed that their allies did not come when Hive Fleet Kraken ravaged their craftworld. They have broken off trade with the Imperium in any form and have fired on Constantine vessels when they see them. The Dominus Ultramar was lost to the warp but it has been seen. It was last seen more than a decade ago embedded in the Genestealer and Ork infested space hulk called the Tears of Hell. The more optimistic members of the family say that pieces may be salvageable or that even Meridius may be alive aboard the space hulk. Most of the family have lost hope of any such miracle. The hundreds of noble relations spread throughout the Segmentum Solar and the Ultima Segmentum mostly think of the Constantines as poor unfortunates who have fallen on bad times. Though they do not speak ill of their relatives publically they are often off the planet when the Constantines call on them. The only thing the great Dynasty of Constantine have not lost is their honor and tradition. Their sons still train for their whole childhood in hope of joining the Ultramarines or the Inquisition. The family will still travel across the universe to aid an Inquisitor whether asked or not. They still give half of any profit they garner, no matter how meager, to The Emperor of Mankind, their business partner. They still smirk even when they can't afford to. Recently rumors have been circulating of traders in the area around the Eye of Terror. Traders in thousands of years old ships who call themselves the Dynasty of Constantine. They claim to led by the famous Ultramarine turned rogue trader Sagarius Constantine who was lost in the warp. They give gifts of food and supplies to beleaguered populations that have been attacked by chaos. They travel with a multitude of performers that give decadent shows. The missionaries who travel with them preach a strange version of the imperial cult that claims the emperor is the source of great carnal pleasures. They travel with space marines which no chapter will claim to supply.

The family has no knowledge of these mysterious traders. The Ordo Malleus has been asking about them. It seems the great Dynasty of Constantine may well be destroyed by the Imperium they have served for ten thousand years and for actions they have no knowledge of. For ten thousand years the phrase Constantine smirk, was synonymous with knowing what no one else did, and being victorious when everyone else thought you would lose. Now it means something else. The Constantine smirk is smiling when you know the end is coming, a fatalistic acceptance that you will lose. The current head of the Constantine Dynasty is Ambrosia Nautia Constantine. She is one of the youngest ever to be the Lady Constantine. After her education at the Schola Progenium she entered the Adepta Sororitas as an adept but was taken away to be a rogue trader when the previous lady was killed by Dark Eldar raiders on a distant colony world. Lady Ambrosia is pious and self sacrificing. She truly desires to make the Imperium of Man a better place. She is skilled in personal combat and a natural diplomat if a bit of a zealot when it comes to the Imperial cult. Unlike any head of the dynasty in memory she is not known to smile. She is also a bit naive and unworldly which is perhaps the most dangerous disadvantage to be found in the head of a dynasty. The old space hands say that she just has to learn how to smirk.

Adventure Seeds
The following adventure seeds are based on the many legacies of the once powerful Constantine Dynasty. Each allows players to interact with an element of the Constantine's history or political ties. These connections to the past and the agencies of the Imperium could be the only things which can restore the Constantine Dynasty to it's rightful place as the first house of rogue traders. These seeds assume the players will be acting as members or retainers of the Constantine Dynasty. They could work well for allied Inquisitors or Space Marines as well. If the players have their own house they could be allies or even rivals of the Constantine Dynasty. Exploring these same situations would strengthen their alliance or give them a new insight into their rivals. With some adjustment the Constantine Dynasty could have been subverted by the Melahan Dynasty and become servants of Chaos. A stalwart team of Inquisitorial agents or other heroes would have to follow some of these same trails in order to learn the truth. The 4709th Terran Imperial Guard Regiment: The famous unit which Lady Annelise formed to fight Chaos in the hives of Holy Terra still exists. They have fought in almost every major campaign the Imperium has ever waged. It's current commander is desperate for recruits and seeks to conscript valuable retainers of the traders. His commissars arrive and start seizing ship's crew members with much needed skills. Colonel Wrathbonne, the current commander, claims that he has the right under the unit's original charter. The unit's original charter was aboard the Dominus Ultramar when it was lost. Only by finding the charter can the traders prove that their valuable crew does not belong to the Imperial guard. The traders could also settle the matter diplomatically by finding other recruits for the Colonel. Truly devious traders might try political maneuverings. After all the regiment belongs to the Dynasty doesn't it? The services of an elite Terran unit of the Imperial Guard might be just the thing to start getting the family back on it's feet. Friends of the Ultramarines: The Constantine Dynasty have been allied with the Ultramarines chapter of Adeptus Astartes since the Emperor was on his great crusade. They can hardly refuse a request for assistance. While rebuilding their forces from Tyranic ruin the Ultramarines would like the Constantine Dynasty to bring them some potential recruits from the outer reaches of the Ultima Segmentum where their ancient trade routes lie. The traders must travel to distant planets and deal with the feral natives of backwater worlds to bring back their finest youths. This adventure can combine investigation, subterfuge, infiltration of a primitive society and plenty of ritual combat. Time to see how the civilized rogue traders do when they have to fight Uboo with a sharpened stick in the stone circle or joust Sir Vendrick from the back of a Raptoid. Traders who successfully bring the Ultramarines worthy initiates will gain their respect and perhaps a favor in the future. This might also be a good time to get some relatives inducted into the chapter depending on how much family politics is a part of the action.

The Magnificent Traders: The Dynasty's ships arrive at the ancient colony of Dimephron which was founded by Lady Annelise in the early days of the house. The colony has been out of contact for almost two thousand years and has developed into a potent, though sparsely populated, forge world. The reason for the underpopulation is simple. Every few years the Orks of Gorkamorka stage a Waaagh! and depopulate the planet. Shortly after the traders arrive the Orks ships arrive. The traders must first defend the planet against the Ork fleet. If they are successful in destroying or driving off the Ork fleet then they must defend Dimephron's last remaining hab-spire from the onslaught of the Orks who managed to make planet fall. Inquisition Joyride: Inquisitor Darian Raxx is a young newly appointed Inquisitor and a distant relative who has heard of the piousness of the Constantine Dynasty and asked for transportation aboard their flagship. The young Inquisitor begins to take horrible advantage of the ship, crew, and rogue traders. He is not so much corrupt as just a little bit of a thrill seeker. He begins to ask the crew to take him all manner of foolhardy missions to prove himself to his superiors. In addition to trying to convince the ship's navigator that a direct attack on the Eye of Terror is within their capabilities he also tries to convince the crew that their best weapons and equipment should be donated to his personal crusade. He considers himself a lady's man and will throw himself at any female crew member who so much as speaks to him. He is basically a royal pain with unlimited legal power. How will the traders rid themselves of this nightmare? If Darian attains fame and perhaps a little wisdom through his interactions with the traders he could be a very powerful ally. Note: Darian may be a bit reckless but he will not use his Inquisitorial powers out of spite or for personal gain, but he will certainly give people the impression he might. He really could be made into a useful ally. War Gear: The Dynasty's Ultramarine allies are short of the Space Marine's trademark power armour. The chapter master himself asks for aid from the traders. The traders must travel to the once lush and now airless and dead world of Prandium and recover the armour from a long forgotten storehouse. When the traders arrive at underground installation they find that it has already been raided. The signs point to Orks from Gorkamorka. The traders must either turn back empty handed, find another source for the rare war gear, or race to Gorkamorka before the Orks can destroy the armour by trying to make it even more shooty, What we do for family: Calo Vestrix is a cousin of the Lady Constantine and a Gray Knight Space Marine. He is also dead. He died a month ago fighting Chaos on Cadia. Will the traders have what it takes to travel to Cadia through chaos infested stars to recover his body from the battlefield and carry it to the secret fortress of his battle brothers to rest. When the traders find the body they find that he was killed cleanly by an assassin's needler. The weapon matches ancient records of a Xeno weapon employed by the assassin of the Melahan Dynasty. As soon as the traders recognize their family's ancient enemies an entire team of skilled Melahan assassins begins tracking them through the battlefields of Cadia while another team is preparing to attack the planetary governor to decapitate the leadership of the crucial world. The traders will have to evade their own assassins while carrying the body of their dead relative and trying to save the governor of Cadia. If the traders brave these hazards they might be able to establish a trade route to the besieged Cadia and/or make allies among the Gray Knights.

Iyanden Craftworld: The Eldar of Iyanden feel betrayed by the Constantine Dynasty. They called for help when their world was dieing and none came. Enterprising traders may wish to prove to the Eldar that their family was incapable of aiding them or try to do some service to the craftworld to cleanse the bad blood. One thing is certain, until House Constantine makes amends they had best not turn their back on any Eldar. The Fate of Sagarius: Did Sagarius die or is he alive on the Tears of hell? Did he fall to Chaos and his he leading the False Constantines? The fate of Sagarius is one of several mysteries surrounding the Constantine Dynasty. The family Rosarius could turn up and lead to clues about his fate. The Rosarius could also be used to identify the Sagarius if someone were falsely using his name. An investigation into his fate could easily lead the traders to the False Constantines or to the space hulk called the Tears of Hell. Lady Julia's Connections: The Constantine Dynasty is related to almost every noble family in the Imperium it would seem. While most of these relations avoid their poor cousins occasionally they ask for help. In this case the Lesterex family of Dantia IV has a problem. Their citizens are disappearing at an alarming rate. These disappearance are the work of Dark Eldar slavers who are kidnapping the citizens to feed on. The traders will need to locate the Webway gates and close them. Especially enterprising traders may want to venture into the webway gates and free the hostages. It would be a daring feat, the sort of thing to be remembered with the great exploits of the family ancestors. Hidden Reserves: The traders learn of an ancient family cache established by lady Urilla. It has wealth enough to help restore the family's status. There are a number of problems. The cache is hidden on the notorious death world Catachan. Another rogue trader Dynasty has learned of the cache and is already traversing the jungles looking for it. The other rogue traders have attacked a number of Catachan natives and the Catachan jungle fighters are hunting for offworlders. It's breeding season for Catachan Devils and they are hungry. Finally Lady Urilla was famously a bit paranoid and the cache is no doubt hidden quite well and defended with traps and automated defenses. But nobody thinks Lady Urilla was paranoid enough to establish a Catachan colony which had a deep seated religious belief that the cache is an important religious shrine and should be protected from anyone who didn't come to the planet aboard the Dominus Ultramar. No One could be that paranoid... Traders who successfully reach the cache could receive anything from vast wealth to trade goods which were valuable in Urilla's time but are next to worthless now. The Harlequins: Standing apart from even the strange Eldar society the Harlequins are an enigmatic lot. None but they understand the full depth of their relationship with Lady Julia. The truth of the matter was that Lady Julia was an Illuminati, someone who had been possessed by a Daemon and cast it out through their own will. As such she was utterly immune to possession and trusted by the Solitaires to see the Black Library of Chaos. In their endless was against Chaos the Harlequins need their allies. If only they could arrange for the current Lady Constantine or one of her close relatives to be possessed by a Daemon and cast it out. Luckily, there are quite a few Constantines if one of them should fail. Hive Fleet: Another Tyranid fleet is headed for the Ultima Segmentum. Traders could help in the defense in any number of ways. They could join the Ultramarine fleet in space battles against the Hive Ships. They could carry supplies to beleaguered worlds. They could fight in small strike teams, perhaps accompanied by Ultramarines, the Death Watch, or even Inquisitors making crucial attacks within the fleet itself.

The False Constantines: The false Constantines are ruining the good name of the Constantine Dynasty. While many rogue traders care little for their reputation it is all the once proud Constantines have left. The false Constantines are in fact the Chaos tainted remnants of the Melahan family. They wish to see the Constantines destroyed mind, body and soul to the last living relation and will stop at nothing. They are led by their founder Lotharius Melahan. Lotharius had always been a chaos worshipper and retreated into the Eye of Terror after faking his death of old age. He has become a Daemon Prince of Slaanesh. His form has twisted into a shape exemplifying his gluttony and perversion. From the eye of Terror he spreads the tendrils of Chaos deep into the Imperium of Man through seemingly legitimate trade. The new rogue trader Dynasty called the Melou, formed by a recent act of the High Lords of Terra and headed by the well known Cadian soldier and philanthropist Urskar Treize is his squeaky clean legitimate front while the false Constantine Dynasty led by an imposter Sagarius spreads the seed of Chaos more directly on vulnerable worlds. The Tears of Hell: The space hulk called the Tears of Hell has been inexorably linked to the Constantine Dynasty for thousands of years. There are a number of possibilities for adventures aboard the space hulk. The destiny of Constantine family has led back to the hulk for ten thousand years. The darkness which awaits there could determine their fate for the next ten thousand years. The outer layers of the Tears of hell could be explored by novice traders while it's true secrets would be a challenge for a fully restored Constantine Dynasty with Space Marine and Inquisition allies. Dominus Ultramar: The Dominus Ultramar is on the surface of the space hulk. Though heavily damaged it is reparable. Traders who wish to restore the ship to it's former glory will need to get a crew aboard with a lot of support from the Cult Mechanicus. If they can hold the ship from Orks, Genestealers, and any forces of Chaos the Warp has coughed up long enough for the engineseers to do their job they will have roused the most powerful ship a rogue trader has ever held. The Dominus Ultramar is a heavily converted Adeptus Astartes Battle Barge and is one of the most powerful ships ever constructed. There are no signs of the Dreadnaught Meridius aboard the vessel and the crew seems to have abandoned the ship after it's life support began to fail. The Fate of Sagarius: Sagarius was never seen again after boarding the Tears of Hell with the Deathwatch kill team. He could have been murdered by Orks or Genestealers but the truth is far darker. He was found by the Dynasty of Melahan. He was captured and tortured mercilessly by agents of the Chaos warped rogue traders. He his the family Rosarius in a secret place on the Space Hulk. On the walls of his holding cell aboard the Space Hulk he transcribed notes in the secret battle language of the Ultramarines. These notes tell of Melahan explorator teams scouring the space hulk, capturing genestealers, and breeding hybrid genestealers from slaves. There are also cryptic clues to the location of the Contantine Dynasty's heirloom rosarius. The Core of the Hulk: The Licentia Absolvo, Nico Constantine's flagship, is at the core of the Space Hulk buried beneath miles of warp lost ships and debris. When the crew of the Dominus Ultramar abandoned ship the dreadnaught Meridius led them here. His sensors had detected a power source. When they arrived they found the life support systems of the Licentia Absolvo still in working order and turned the center of the hulk into a fortress against the darker denizens of the hulk. They have been trying to find a way to contact help for

generations. Meridius is in need of repairs and is only able to act as an advisor to the lost crewmen at this point. There could be any number of wonders from the great crusade tucked away in the Licentia Absolvo. It was the first rogue trader ship and had exploited an untouched universe. The True Purpose of the Melahan: The Chaos twisted forces of the Melahan Dynasty have a sinister purpose aboard the Tears of Hell. Lothario Melahan has decided to become a Chaos God. His plan is as simple as it is terrible. He is seeking to convert a Genestealer Cult of his own creation to the worship of Chaos and of him in particular. He is infecting the Genestealers with a derivative of the hyper-evolutionary DNA which was used to poison Hive Fleet Behemoth. The derivative will cause the Hive Mind to absorb the racial memory of the Genestealers and overwrite that of the Hive Fleet. When his twisted goal is completed he will be the God of a Chaos worshiping engine of consumption. He will be the eater of worlds. He will be the most powerful force in the known galaxy if he is successful. The Family Rosarius: Sagarius hid the Rosarius in a place he would return to if he could. He hid it in the missile bays of the ancient Inquisition vessel Crux Terminatus which was lost in the warp thousands of years ago and drifted into the Tears of Hell. He hid the Rosarius here because he knew his family would eventually seek it. In the Reactor room are enough cyclonic warheads to destroy a dozen hulks the size of the Tears of Hell. Sagarius final message should be clear if the traders have learned enough of the space hulk.

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