Dark Heresy Podcast - The Characters: Conrad Wensleydale

Post number two in a short series on the characters in our Dark Heresy campaign, written by the players. Today's story is that of Corporal Conrad Wensleydale, played by Jack Sandwich.

Cpl Conrad Wensleydale
By Jack Sandwich

Conrad Wensleydale was born into an average Cadian family, or as average as a Cadian family can get. From as early as he can remember he dreamed of serving the Emperor. He keenly learnt all he could from his Cadian guardsman of a father, and all the while his faith in the God-Emperor went from strength to strength. As soon as he came of age he was conscripted into the first open Cadian regiment; The Ironhearts.

Although Conrad's skills as a marksman or strategist never stood out amongst the millions of his fellow guardsman, his undying faith and sense of duty easily compensated. He soon earned his promotion to Corporal and was proud of his posting to a new squad before the drop on hive planet Tarserus. But this was only the beginning of the chain of events that would shape the rest of his life.

Soon after his arrival in his new squad, a new commissar was also assigned to the Ironhearts. After Conrad's squad failed a dangerous and near impossible mission (by no fault of his own), the commissar sentenced the entire squad to death by firing squad. It was a show of force in order to make his mark in his newly appointed position. As his squad sergeant had been killed in the massacre, Conrad's sense of honour and duty convinced him to step forward and accept full responsibility and punishment, saving the lives of the remains of his squad.

He was rescued from the fate of martyrdom by the officer who promoted him to corporal, in recognition of his pious nature. Instead he was sent to join the ranks of the penal legions, where it was hoped his natural instincts and love for the God-Emperor would have a positive effect on his fellow convicts. It was not much of a trade, but it is a time of war after all. He never made it to the legion. Instead, during penal processing in Hive Secundus, he attracted the interest of Inquisitor Thrass Orland. After seeing his spotless record and subjecting Conrad to an intrusive and thorough psychic mind scan, Inquisitor Orland took him for his own.

The rest of his story starts with the game...