Warhammer 40K: Constantin Valdor – The Emperor’s Spear
Learn of the First of the Ten Thousand, the Emperor’s Spear – Constantin Valdor, the first Chief Custodian of the Emperor of Mankind.
Constantin Valdor (‘Emperor’s Spear’), the First of the Ten Thousand, was the Chief Custodian to the Emperor of Mankind as Captain-General of the Adeptus Custodes at the time of the Unification Wars, Great Crusade, and the Horus Heresy. He was the first of the Emperor of Mankind‘s Custodians, stoic and observant.
A warrior of superlative skill, it was said that Valdor could match even a Primarch in single combat.
Unification War
The origins of Constantin Valdor are mysterious. According to Amar Astarte, his original parents were killed by the Emperor, who moved entire armies across continents to locate and retrieve him. Valdor himself knows very little of his past before becoming the Emperor’s servant. While commonly accepted as the first Custodes, Valdor does not recall if he was truly the first Custodian, or simply the first successfully produced one. He served during the Unification Wars at the Battle of Maulland Sen. A handful of years later, he assassinated Koja Zu, the Minister of the Anuatan Steppes, and claimed her son, Ra Endymion, for the Legio Custodes. During the Battle of Maulland Sen, Valdor witnessed the savagery of the Thunder Warriors and became worried about their future.
Valdor’s Custodes culled the Thunder Warriors at the conclusion of the Unification War.
By the end of the Unification Wars, Valdor had emerged as part of the ruling “triumvirate” of Terra alongside the Emperor and Malcador. He had become suspicious of Grand Provost Marshal Uwoma Kandawire, dispatching Samonas to unravel her conspiracy before it could begin. However, the conspirators still struck in the Palace Coup, during which Valdor was confronted by Kandawire, as well as Ushotan and his surviving Thunder Warriors. Valdor urged the conspirators to surrender, but when they refused, he deployed the proto-Legiones Astartes in their first battle. During the battle, the rebels were crushed, and Valdor slew Ushotan, an act he took no gratification in as he had admired the General. Surprisingly, Valdor spared Kandawire and let her leave the Palace to retire in peace.
Later Valdor expressed his surprise when Malcador stated that the Primarchs were still alive and that the Emperor was attempting to find them. Valdor couldn’t understand why the Arch-Enemy had decided to spare them, and believed that if they were alive, then they would be corrupted. Valdor instead wished to raise armies of mortals to be led by his Custodians.
Prior to the Horus Heresy, Valdor had earned 1932 names. By the 41st Millennium, a book that apparently had his whole name written down took up an entire volume.
Horus Heresy
Battle of Prospero
Just prior to the Horus Heresy, Constantin Valdor was charged by the Emperor to accompany Leman Russ of the Space Wolves in bringing Magnus the Red to account for breaking promises made during the Council of Nikaea at which the Emperor strictly forbade the use of sorcery and psychic powers.
Valdor, with a contingent of elite Custodian Guard, fought alongside Russ and the Space Wolves on Prospero. He and his forces were responsible for killing at least three of the greatest psykers of the Thousand Sons and routing a force much more numerous than their own, however, little else is known after this. According to one account, he was also responsible for saving Bjorn when his arm was corrupted by the sorcerous powers of a Thousand Sons psyker. Valdor sliced Bjorn’s arm off to prevent the corruption from overrunning his body. The other account states that Bjorn’s arm was cut off by a Skjald of the Space Wolves, Kasper Hawser.
When Amon Tauromachian returned from his extended Blood Game, Valdor informed his fellow Custodian of how Horus Lupercal had declared rebellion against the Emperor. When Tauromachian asked how this could happen, Valdor, speaking as someone who knew the Warmaster, rejected theories that it was pride or resentment, instead voicing his belief that something had driven Horus and his closest advisers mad. Valdor then assigned Tauromachian with the task of investigating Pherom Sichar, Lord of Hy Brasil, for evidence of treason.
After Horus declared his rebellion, Constantin Valdor then oversaw the mission and deployment of the first-ever execution team. Invited by the Master of Assassins, one of the High Lords of Terra whose secret identity was Malcador The Sigillite, Valdor oversaw the council of Assassins. Each clade- Venenum, Eversor, Culexus, Vanus, Callidus, and led by Vindicare selected a single alpha-dan operative for the mission. The target was Horus Lupercal. Rogal Dorn learned of such events and challenged Valdor, claiming that Horus being alive was a boon because he was predictable, and killing the head of the rebellion would not stop it, someone more predictable would simply take over.
Valdor argued that the actions of the Officio Assassinorum were not necessarily cowardly, but expedient. Valdor says to Dorn that they all want the same thing; to preserve the Emperor. Dorn, however, claimed that Valdor’s role is to safeguard the life of the Emperor, whilst Dorn himself, and all the Astartes role is to safeguard the Imperium. The mission to kill Horus failed. Dorn and Valdor continued to argue, Dorn citing that to preserve the Imperium, we must have a moral code, Valdor citing that to match Horus’ evil, we must not stop at underhanded tactics. The Emperor settled the argument with the final statement, “No more shadows. No more veils”
Siege of Terra
Valdor fought in defence of Mankind’s homeworld during the Siege of Terra. During the Siege, he deployed Amon Tauromachian to investigate apparent Daemonic activity in the Imperial Palace. When Amon asked what should be done to Euphrati Keeler and her proto-Imperial Cultists, Valdor ordered that they remain unharmed as part of Malcador’s plan to use them in the fight against Chaos. After the fall of the Lion’s Gate Spaceport he helped lead the defense of the Colossi Gate alongside Jaghatai Khan and Raldoron, fighting against swathes of Daemons. After the escape of Basilio Fo from Blackstone Prison Valdor saw the mad scientist as a threat big enough to warrant his own personal attention, and he hunted the prisoner throughout the Palace. He eventually saved Fo from a roaming Night Lord and decided that the human’s supposed anti-Astartes bio-weapon could be of service to the Emperor.
Later during the battle loyalist marines who witnessed the Captain-General in combat, saw Constantin Valdor reave through traitor marines as easily as they would against ordinary humans and weaker xenos. After the Siege of Terra, Valdor met with the newly arrived Leman Russ. While Russ was distraught and pessimistic about what had befallen the Imperium and Emperor, Valdor expressed confidence that the Master of Mankind had foreseen all that had transpired and planned accordingly. Secretly, however, Valdor was unsure if this was true.
Disappearance
Sometime after the Heresy, around the same time as the disappearance of Leman Russ, Valdor also disappeared without a trace. During the dead of night, Valdor simply slipped out of the Imperial Palace, turning back once to look upon the Palace and whisper “Only in Death” (the first part of the Imperial quote Only in death does duty end) before vanishing. His fate is unknown even by the Custodes themselves. He is one of three Captain-Generals to have gone missing without even the Adeptus Custodes being aware of the details.
A book recovered and translated by Gideon Ravenor and Alizebeth Bequin identified the enigmatic King in Yellow in the 40th Millennia as apparently being Constantin Valdor.
Constantin Valdor – Wargear
Valdor went into battle equipped with a Guardian Spear known as the Apollonian Spear, crafted by The Emperor’s own hand, and an ornate suit of Custodian Armour.
~Constantin Valdor may one day return.
Now enjoy the grandeur of the initial Adeptus Custodes rollout!
