Horace

Biodata

Background / History

Rule in Jungle Hive City

Horace belongs to the entrenched nobility of Jungle Hive City on Dawn III. He appears in the palace within the Crystal Firmament, the Upper Hive’s noble district, while Imperial forces fight the Orks below. His family’s wealth includes a private spaceport, where he recently celebrated the inauguration of a luxury shuttle 28.

During a council confrontation, Horace blames General Bernardo and the Imperial Army for the invasion’s progress. He accuses them of betraying the Emperor’s trust and credits the nobles’ distress signal with attracting Astartes aid. Bernardo counters by publicly demanding answers about missing military resources 28 29.

Horace denies the charges and urges his fellow nobles to treat Bernardo as a defeated commander seeking scapegoats. When their support begins to falter, he summons eight household guards and orders Bernardo seized and executed on the spot. Ork Stormboyz breach the chamber’s stained-glass window before the order can be carried out 29.

Ork Attack on the Palace

Horace hides beneath a heavy conference table as the palace is overrun. When twenty or thirty household soldiers establish a firing line and temporarily hold the entrance, he begins crawling out and straightening his silk clothing, hoping reinforcements will arrive. An Ork Warboss then crashes through the ceiling, destroying the chandelier and crushing more than a dozen of his soldiers 30.

Bernardo subsequently rallies the survivors and kills the Warboss. Horace survives the attack and emerges again when Captain Wilson arrives with the Word Bearers 31 32.

Arrest and Execution

Horace crawls to Wilson’s feet, praises him extravagantly, and identifies himself as the hereditary baron temporarily coordinating the city’s affairs. Wilson instead demands a report within one Terra-standard hour explaining the defenses’ rapid collapse and why Horace’s well-equipped soldiers remained in the palace rather than defending the perimeter 32.

Bernardo exposes the nobles’ embezzlement, inferior military provisioning, and protection of their private troops. Wilson orders two nearby guards to restrain Horace; they pin their own lord to the floor despite his protests. A lockdown prevents nobles and privately owned vessels from leaving without Legion authorization 32 33.

After the Orks are expelled, the Legiones Astartes try House Horace for abuse of authority and dereliction of duty. The household confesses under a Chaplain’s torture, and all its members are sentenced to burn. Less than two hours separate sentencing from the execution platform. Most of the private soldiers, credited with fighting the Orks, receive ten years of Penal Legion service instead 35.

Appearance

• Build: Fat, with thick fingers and a face that visibly quivers when he becomes agitated 28 29.
• Clothing: Rare imported silk formalwear decorated with glittering ornaments 28.
• Jewelry: Numerous gemstone rings crowd his fingers 28.

Personality

Horace is class-conscious and vindictive. He treats military failure as grounds to condemn Bernardo while refusing responsibility for diverted supplies. When challenged, he attempts to turn the council against the general, then uses accusations of treachery to justify an immediate execution 28 29.

His confidence depends heavily on protection and status. He hides during the Ork assault, briefly regains his superiority when his soldiers stabilize the entrance, and becomes obsequious before Wilson. The prospect of Astartes scrutiny leaves him speechless and sweating; even after arrest, he insists that Bernardo is framing him 30 32 33.

Assets and Retainers

• Private spaceport and luxury shuttle — Displays of Horace’s wealth before the siege 28.
• Household soldiers — Wear scarlet, gold-trimmed uniforms, superior armor, and carry new Lasguns; their equipment contrasts sharply with the frontline troops’ worn weapons 29.
• Trained palace defenders — A surviving squad briefly stalls the Ork assault with coordinated Lasgun fire, but cannot withstand the Warboss 30.

Relationships

• General Bernardo — Accuser and intended execution victim. His testimony exposes Horace’s corruption to Wilson 29 32.
• Captain Wilson — Word Bearers captain who rejects Horace’s flattery, demands accountability, and orders his arrest 32 33.
• House Horace — Noble household whose members share his death sentence after the siege 35.
• Private guards — Armed retainers who initially obey his execution order against Bernardo; two later restrain him at Wilson’s command 29 33.