Owlcat Games has revealed Lord Captain Aspyce Chorda, a Rogue Trader who joins the Inquisition to cure her boredom, as the latest companion in Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy. According to Owlcat, Chorda has a fearsome reputation and ‘a penchant for relieving her boredom in unusual and brutal ways’. She becomes involved in an Inquisitorial investigation, and the developer said she sees it as a chance to find some excitement.
In Dark Heresy, players take on the role of inquisitors (agents of the Inquisition who investigate threats and heresy in the Warhammer 40,000 universe). Companions like Chorda are characters players can recruit to join them on that journey. The Cyprus-based developer also released a companion trailer for Chorda alongside the announcement.
Rogue Traders are wealthy, ship-commanding explorers in the Warhammer 40,000 setting. According to the release, Chorda's status and her lineage, which traces back to a noble Scintillan dynasty, give her access to luxuries that ‘mere commoners could only dream of’. Even so, she has grown bored. Cut off from her domain in the Koronus Expanse, she joins the Inquisition in search of entertainment.
Chorda's role in and out of combat
Owlcat said Chorda's confidence and social skills make her useful in conversations, where she can help players charm and persuade other characters. She also has knowledge of Xenos (alien) lore, which the release noted some of her critics might consider heretical.
In combat, Chorda fills the Officer role. According to the release, this allows her to raise the morale of her allies and make enemies cower. She can also fight directly using melee and ranged weapons, and is able to dual-wield them.
Chorda can already be recruited in the Dark Heresy beta. Access to the beta is limited to players who have bought one of the game's Founder's Packs from the official website. Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy will launch on Windows PC via Steam, GOG and Epic Games Store, as well as on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. The release did not include a launch date.
