The Lady Adriana is a woman of unearthly beauty … until she chooses to reveal her true nature to her prey.

Lady Adriana is the stunningly beautiful—and uncomfortably seductive—consort of Count Johaan Feracci.

Adriana also is a daemon, a malevolent entity of the Warp, who coalesced into being with the “birth” of Slannesh, the Chaos God of Pleasure, in M30.

For most of her existence, Adriana—whose daemon name is recorded in the Black Library of the Eldar—was little more than a writhing ripple of raw emotion in the Immaterium.

That changed in 438.M37 when the Imperial cargo vessel, Weary Traveler, suffered a massive power failure while in Warpspace. With the collapse of its Geller Field, the ship was immediately overwhelmed by numerous Warp entities, including Adriana, who possessed, slaughtered, and consumed the souls of everyone aboard.

This evocative artwork, titled “Demon,” is courtesy of artist Esteban Campos. Known as “stickerb” on the DeviantArt website, you can see more of his work by clicking on the link at the end of this article.

It was exposure to the memories and powerful emotions of her victims that brought Adriana to full sentience and inspired her insatiable desire to explore the material universe and the infinite possibilities to indulge in the hedonistic excesses of humanity.

The barrier between the Warp and Realspace is neigh insurmountable for a daemon, but Adriana succeeded twice in her quest to cross into the Material Universe. The first entry into the Material Universe ended quickly, but, in 734.M41, with the assistance of a Chaos cult led by Vardis Forbin on Belliose III, the second crossover ended more to Adriana’s satisfaction.

Notable events of her existence:

BIRTH OF SLANNESH (circa M30)—The Chaos god of Slannesh was a cataclysmic event that shattered the barriers between Warpspace and the material universe. Out of the swirling eddies of the Warp that followed the creation of the Eye of Terror coalesced a small and indistinct form of lust, desire, and malice—the entity that would one day become Adriana.

SLOW AWAKENING (M30 to M37)—A whisper of sentience slowly forms within Adriana, who develops an instinctive fascination with the spacefaring vessels traversing the Warp.

WEARY TRAVELER (7 111 438.M37)—The Imperial merchant ship, Weary Traveler, suffers a catastrophic power failure while traveling through the Warp. The ship is quickly infested with daemons, including Adriana, whose first contact with humans exposes her to memories and emotions that are the genesis of her full sentience and a powerful desire to enter the material universe.

THE FORETELLING (495.M37)—Macha, a Farseer of the Eldar Craftworld of BielTan, foresees the day when Adriana breaks through to the material universe and wrecks havoc upon what humans call the Eastern Fringe.

Macha’s predictions—along with Adriana’s “True Name”—are enshrined in her seminal work, The Tome of Lesser Daemon of the Third Circle, which now resides in the Black Library of Chaos, the Eldar’s secret repository of forbidden lore concerning the Ruinous Powers.

FIRST FORAY (7 838 938.M40)—Adriana enters Real Space on the Imperial world of Advocor after an unrecognized psyker participates in a cult ceremony that cracks open the wall that separates the Immaterium and physical universe.

The psyker is horribly disfigured by the energies released by the dimensional rift—and his soul is consumed as Adriana turns his body into her deamonhost. Several cultists nearby also are killed, but those that survive fall to their knees in worship of this avatar of their god.

Although unable to walk openly due to her daemonhost’s disfigurement—a source of great frustration for Adriana—she finds great delight in the material universe. Her experience in Realspace experience is short, however, as the planet is invaded by orks only three weeks after Adriana’s arrival. The human population is wiped out in the planet’s defense—with Adriana’s daemonhost destroyed by a ork warboss wth a power klaw.

WHISPERED DREAMS (695-734.M41)—Seeking to return to Realspace, Adriana seeks out the faint chanting of a Slannesh cult on Belliose III. The cultists’ prayers open a faint link to the Warp, which Adriana uses to appear in their dreams, subconsciously guiding them into weaving a powerful spell that will allow her to return to the Material Universe.

ADRIANA’S SUCCESS (7 847 734.M41)—Adriana finally achieves her goal when cultists perform a human sacrifice—and Adriana possesses the body of the sacrificial victim, an innocent young girl selected for her beauty. Within months, this daemonhost grows to full maturity and transforms into a woman of unearthly beauty and charm.

HUNTING PREY (734-735.M41)—With the cult firmly under her control, Adriana commands its leader, Vardis Forbin, to identify likely noblemen who might fall under her influence. She finally sets her sights on Count Johaan Feracci, patriarch of a powerful trading house, whose depraved activities at the House of Subtle Delights marks him as a man susceptible to Adriana’s seductive charms.

FALL OF COUNT FERACCI (3 144 735.M41)—Adriana is introduced to Count Feracci at the House of Subtle Delights. In less than 30 minutes, the nobleman agrees to accept Adriana as his new consort.

CLEANING HOUSE (3 144-200 735.M41)—Adriana’s brooks no competition to her hold over Count Feracci. His stable of mistresses and consorts is quickly replaced with women compliant to Adriana’s control. Others are cast out on the streets—or simply disappear, as Adriana encourages Feracci to surrender to some of his more depraved fantasies. No one will contest Adriana for the attention and loyalty of her “master.”

AMBUSH ON MORKAI (5 255 735.M41)—On the world of Morkai, Adriana joins Count Feracci in an adventure to thwart the plans of Rogue Trader Adeon Drake.

At one point, Adriana and Drake engage in a desperate duel of blades, with Drake eventually felling her with a sword butt to the head, but their personal battle is interrupted when an Arbites’ enforcer squad arrives and arrests them. Both are eventually released, and Adriana actually is pleased that Drake survives because the Rogue Trader is, as she explains, an “amusing diversion.”

To be continued …..

—

Click here to visit the DeviantArt website of Esteban Campos (or stickerb).

—

The Corvus Cluster is a hobby blog that focuses on the wargaming adventures of the Wednesday Night Gamers of Alexandria in the Warhammer 40K universe.