IA: Blood Drinkers

[Bix]

Ok so this is something I've been working on for a while over in my thread on the Blood Angels forum. Encouraged by the feedback received there and because it’s taking up room in what should be a painting thread; I've decided to bare my soul and post here. The Blood Drinkers are a Chapter very dear to me as I have played them since the days of Rogue Trader; I've always thought GW has given them a raw deal despite them being one of the original Chapters listed in the rule books. They've always been there but aside from a paragraph or two, the odd picture and one White Dwarf cover (oh and a set of transfers on the original Rhino *in your face 1st founding*) ;) They have been pretty much left out in the cold as far as fluff is concerned.

 

And then to add insult to injury Matt Ward has just retconned them out of the 2nd founding in 5th Ed. :P

 

Still all those blanks have left me a fair bit of room for fluff. I’m aware that Jux2p0ze has already posited his take on the Chapter and as I have said before I hope he won’t mind a 'New Way' alternate view.

 

So be gentle and be patient, it’s my first time ;)

[Bix]

Ok so first sticking point and a sign that I am such a noob. I've got lots of (hopefully) great stuff to post but I want to present it formally with all the fine boxes and pictures that others have managed. Im sure there is some simple code Im overlooking. Anyone help a Brother out? :pinch:

[StGene]

No problem. Librarium BB Codes Article

[RagingGriffon]

I was doing a quick read on what you have on your sig... Great stuff!!! I will definitely keep up with this thread.

[Bix]

Many thanks StGene ;)

 

RG cheers :D , I got your PM and I'll try to take a look over the next few days.

[Argon]

Blood Drinkers? Awesome.

 

These were one of the first chapters to catch my eye when I was first learning about 40k. I almost painted a few Terminators, but never got beyond basecoating.

 

What's this about no longer being 2nd Founding? Matt Ward, you've truly ruined everything.

 

I look forward to seeing your IA.

[Bix]

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Blood is Life

Index Astartes: Blood Drinkers

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F

or nigh on eight millennia the Astartes of the Chapter Blood Drinkers have fought to hold back the endless tide of humanities enemies; selling their lives dearly in service to the beloved Emperor, in conflicts throughout his vast Imperium. For they, like their Progenitors the legendary Blood Angels believe every Imperial World to be their ward and they will shed their very last drop of blood to see them protected.

“Blood is Life” – Ancient Guisugan proverb.

Chapter Symbol © GamesWorkshop 2000-2010

“Fiery the Angels rose and as they rose deep thunder rolled around the shores.” First Imperator Vladarius, Revelations - Writings of Ancient Terra. Vol XII

The exact details of the formation of the Blood Drinkers have been lost to all but the Chapter itself. Through the passing of millennia, the initial records so scrupulously gathered by the Administratum; transcribed and revised countless times. Have been incorrectly edited, purposely censored; misplaced, buried and forgotten. Even the Chapters ancient chronicles owe more to myth and legend rather than hard facts. The Apocrypha of Davio written in M33 mistakenly records them as a Chapter of the 2nd founding an error which neither the Administratum, nor the Blood Drinkers seem inclined to rectify. To many scholars of the 41st millennium they are considered an unknown founding. Although this has led some to speculate that their origin may lie with the lost records of the 13th ‘Dark Founding’.


What is known; is that some time during or prior to M33 the High Lords of Terra commissioned the formation of a successor Chapter from the gene seed stocks of the legendary Blood Angels. That this was done despite the known risks of the Flaw would suggest some dire need for new marines and lends weight to the claims of the Dark Founding theorists.

The Blood Drinkers own chronicles ‘The Liber Potoris ’ recount the Chapters founding as being undertaken by an Astarte named Julius Vladarius; a Chaplain of the Blood Angels. It is a stirring tale of an epic vision quest instigated by the spirit of Sanguinius himself, full of mortal danger and valiant battles. It charts Vladarius’s discovery of the Death World of San Guisuga and his defeating of an ancient evil dwelling there.

After his victory he goes on to unify the planets various human tribes and begins recruiting the first of the Chapters aspirants from their warrior clans; their ferocious martial prowess and blood drinking rituals truly befitting a chapter born of Sanguinius. Vladarius structures the Chapter around the tenants and teachings of the Sanguinary Reclusiam and implements rigid Codex structure. The texts then go on to detail the establishment of a fortress monastery on the planet.

Vladarius became the Blood Drinkers first Chapter Master; commanding it through its infancy. Upon his death some three hundred years later, his body and precious gene seed was returned with reverence to Baal. The Blood Angels granted their new brethren leave to establish a shrine at Vladarius’s tomb and a small honour guard is maintained there. All Blood Drinkers visit the shrine at least once in their long lives during their pilgrimage to the tomb of Sanguinius.

Homeworld

San Guisuga, Homeworld of the Blood Drinkers

“I believe the name derives from a now long dead Terran dialect, it means literally to suck blood; never was a name more apt for such a ghastly place.” Lord Inquisitor Claustine Narcissus.

San Guisuga is classified as a Death World by the Imperium. It is situated in the Binary Star System of Helios in the Scatha Sub. This in turn is part of the Draco Sector of the Segmentum Tempestus; close to the border of The Veiled Region. It is an almost barren world of blasted bare rock and desolate desert wastes. Save for a continent sized enclave of habitable terrain, roughly nine million square miles in size; located across the equator and southern hemisphere. Surveys conducted by Artisans of the Chapter suggest that this was not always so. That San Guisuga was once a verdant and bountiful world before some great cataclysm befell it countless millennia before. They have also uncovered evidence of an advanced ‘amphibian’ Xeno culture in existence during this period.

The human inhabitants today are most certainly descents of a settlement during the Dark Age of Technology. Their tribal legends tell of an immense Ark carrying the tribes of Terra; forced to make landfall on San Guisuga. The tribes were stranded and many thousands perished from a plague called ‘The Rot’. (Much of the planets plant life release spores that are fatal to the majority of humans causing this incurable, lingering and painful death). Four brothers Sarumat, Dushara, Mauru and Elabus were somehow immune to The Rot; they shared their blood with their peoples and in doing so saved them from certain death. This now long forgotten immunisation process is echoed in the Blood Oath rituals of the tribes today, despite all Guisugans now being genetically immune to the deadly spores.

The four brothers and their followers founded four tribes known together as ‘The Children of the San’ they spread out across the enclave and lived in peace for many years. But the island peoples of Elabus found tunnels into ancient ruins and delved deep into the secrets they discovered. They practiced dark arts and the tribe descended into madness; becoming depraved beasts who craved the flesh others of their kind. They fell upon the other tribes; reaping death and destruction. The three other tribes lived in fear of the raiding parties of the Elabus until one day from the heavens a great warrior clad in ebon armour arrived; leading a war host proclaiming their master to be the lord of ancient Terra.

To the tribes, Terra was a near mythical realm, an Eden and home of their venerated Ancestors. They flocked to his banner and the warrior led them against the Elabus, finally putting an end to their evil. The warrior then set about raising the worthy into his ranks to remain guardians of ‘The Children of the San’ and do the Emperor’s bidding for ever more.

Today the land of the enclave is almost entirely covered in dense jungle and tropical rain forest, laced with countless rivers. It is alive with beasts and dangers too numerous to count. Within its depths are the fortified tree settlements of the jungle tribe the Sarumat. Great hunters of the beasts of the forest and skilled watermen, the Sarumat are completely at one with the planets lethal nature. To the south east the green zone is bounded by a range of mountains, the Montes Tonitrus ‘Thunder Mountains’. So called as the upper atmosphere within the enclave is constantly in turmoil and violent electrical storms are frequent. Here among the peaks rising up to five miles in height dwell the Dushara tribe, their terraced cities of stone clinging to the vast mountain sides; home to the fabled Griffon riders, who hunt the vast herds that graze the lush valley slopes.

In the north west of the enclave a thousand mile wide delta feeds a sea in which are dotted numerous pyramid islands with their many hidden ruins of the extinct Xeno civilisation. The former domain of the Elabus tribe; these islands are considered cursed and forbidden to all the tribes. It is here that the Blood Drinkers conduct much of their initial training. Surrounding the enclave are the border dunes of the Magnus Solitudo ‘Great Desert’; home to the hardy dark skinned nomadic peoples of the Mauru. These wanderers scour the harsh wastes, searching the sands for treasures of the past and precious raw materials, which they then trade with the other tribes. Beyond their domain lies the Lapis Balteus ‘Stone Belt’ the bones of the planet laid bare by the ancient cataclysm. Where the atmosphere becomes thin and during the hours of daylight the radiation levels from the systems twin suns turns flesh to ash in moments. It is out in this vast inhospitable waste that the Blood Drinkers fortress monastery known as ‘The Maw’ is located.

Fortress Monastery

“Honour the Emperor! We are His Shield. Obey the Emperor! We are His Sword.” Blood Drinker Vow of Undertaking.

Located in the north western hemisphere of San Guisuga is the Krake Rift; a former oceanic canyon running north to south for about ten thousand miles, reaching down almost four miles in its deepest sections. Hidden from the murderous heat and radiation of the surface; in the cool darkness of the depths is the great and ancient fortress monastery of The Maw. It is built into both sides of the rift with gun emplacements, landing platforms, crenellated towers and gothic spires jutting out from the sheer walls like the teeth of a titanic beast; giving the fortress its name. An immense bridge the Pons Angelus lined with statues of former Chapter Masters spans the expanse joining the two sections of the monastery. Much more of the fortress is buried deep into the rock face, catacombs, shrines, forges and vast armouries creating a labyrinth that even a marine with his unnaturally long life may never fully explore.

High above The Maw in a loose orbit about San Guisuga, hangs its formidable outer defences; the Acheron asteroid field. Remnants of the planets moons torn apart during the cataclysm; they are now heavily mined and the few clear approaches to the planet are controlled by forts built into the larger rocks. Their vast arsenals of servitor gun batteries and garrisons of vigilant Auxiliaries are ever watchful.

Between Acheron and the surface, geostationary above the Krake Rift, is The Flame of Helios; a Ramilies Class Star Fort which operates as port for the Chapters fleet. At its center is a high tower atop which burns an eternal beacon. Added to the completed fort in 280.M34 by the then Praefectus Fabrum Sostratus; Chapter legend has it that the skilled Artisan managed to capture an ember of Helios Major itself to feed the flames.

The Creation of a Blood Drinker

“Blood and Sand! Blood and Sand! They call for you.” Veteran Sergeant Proximo, 10th Company.

Every ninety years the comet Mjolnjr ‘The Hammer’; enters the Helios system and passes close to the Blood Drinker’s home world. On San Guisuga , the restless skies above the enclave cease their constant disquiet and clear; leaving the jade green smear of the passing comet’s tail to cast a haunting light across the surface during nightfall. This period, called ‘The Ascension’ lasts for one hundred and fifty days and is a time of great celebration and feasting among the tribes; for this is the time when the Warriors of the Emperor will walk amongst them.

Young male warriors from every clan of the three tribes journey to the great merchant city of Nabatari in the Auster Valley; an ancient crossroads between the territories of the three tribes. There to compete in a series of grueling games and brutal gladiatorial contests which test their skill, strength and courage to its limits and cost many their lives. Supporters and spectators throng in their many thousands to witness these events known as ‘The Trials of Ascension’ and a vast tented encampment springs up around the walls of the city. Fortunes can be made betting on the outcomes also great honour, respect and of course power goes to the clans of the victors. Throughout the trials, Comitatus from the Chapter mingle amongst the clan camps and the massed crowds of the arenas. Assessing the competing warriors potential, highlighting those of most promise and passing that information back to the Master of Recruits and his staff.

The final day of the trials begins with the marines themselves arriving to oversee the last hundred or so warriors compete for the hallowed titles of Aspirant. Roaring from the heavens, a Thunderhawk sets down atop a colossal stone pedestal raised above the arena in the shape of an armoured fist clenching a raised chalice. The giant Astartes, clad in their blood red armour descend to the baying of war horns, the thundering of drums and the roar of the amassed thousands their voices raised as one, in praise. At the end of the day, the Master of Recruits selects usually fifty of the bloodied but unbowed warriors. Calling them in turn by name, to approach and kneel before him. There he crowns them with a laurel and presents them with a bag of gold for their clan and a Rudis ‘a wooden training sword’ inscribed with their name. He touches them on the shoulder and the crowd roars their approval as the Aspirants rise.

The Comitatus

Even after the trials and transformation some Aspirants will still fail in their quest to become fully fledged Astartes; the path is long and full of many perils with mistakes often proving instantly fatal. A very few will however survive their fall, often maimed or scarred by their error. Of this number some will plead for the Emperors mercy through intolerable pain or a feeling of broken honour; they are granted release by one of the Chapters Chaplains. But for others such is the burning desire to serve the Chapter and the Emperor that the limbo world of the Comitatus awaits. No longer mere men but not quite the super human Astartes; the Comitatus form a fanatical cadre; given command positions in the Auxilia or serving as personal retainers in the companies.

The Aspirants are then carried away on a tide of their supporters to be feted like kings and enjoy one final night of revelry before their new life begins. This final night is known as ‘The Feast of the Red Dawn’. For as Mjolnjr pulls away from the system its calming effects on the planet wane. Roiling clouds start to fill the sky once more and a hot wind begins to blow out of the Magnus Solitudo. As the twin suns rise the next morning, the air is stained with dust from the desert; casting a red pall over the valley. If rain should fall it falls in heavy droplets of blood red.

The Aspirants make their way to the Campus Gladius a great flattened expanse to the north of the city bounded on all sides by statues of legendary Blood Drinker heroes. They are escorted by those warriors that failed the trials, for though their hearts are heavy with defeat. There is still honour to be found in having faced the trials and the Blood Drinkers do not turn their backs on such bravery. Entering through a triumphal arch carved with great deeds of the Chapter; the Aspirants are met by the Master of Recruits and a group of veteran Sergeants of the Chapters 10th Company –Venati ‘The Hunters’. After a ceremony of welcome they are led away to a small temple set at the far end of the field to the cheers of the escorting warriors. Here they are met by members of the Sanguinary Priesthood who asses them physically and spiritually; when the process is over the Aspirants are ushered to waiting Thunderhawks for transport to The Maw. The warriors left behind are then given the choice of returning to their clans or serving in the Chapters Auxilia; a force devoted to the security and protection of the Chapters holdings and fleet.

The journey to The Maw is one of revelation for the Aspirants. For most it will be the first time they have ever taken to the air and for all it is the first time they have travelled beyond the Enclave. Within the bays of the Thunderhawks the Blood Drinkers finally remove their helmets and the Aspirants gaze upon the strong battle worn faces of these great warriors. Puzzling that despite traces of their former tribal heritage; the marines all share a noble countenance and skin pallor not found in the Children of the San. They also note with awe the enlarged canine fangs of each marine, a sign of the truly blessed.

Upon arrival the Aspirants are taken directly to the Grand Temple of Sanguinius passing many wonders along their route. Here they observe vigil , gazing up at the golden statue of the Primarch, arms out stretched clasping a chalice and sword and great wings unfurled; suspended by gravity fields high above the temples marble floor.

The next day a service of initiation is held, the Sanguinary High Priest presents the Cruor Calix ‘The Blood Chalice’ and the Aspirants drink of the sacred blood of the Primarch. Very soon a dark oblivion overwhelms them; scribes and servo skulls hurry to record their unconscious utterances as visions of past present and future assail them. Many prophecies are said to come from the lips of the newly initiated. They are borne away to the Sanguinary Crypts and there the process of transforming them into mighty Astartes begins. Their heads are shaved and metal shunts are surgically inserted throughout their bodies; the vital and precious gene seed is implanted and reacts almost immediately to the key signatures of the ingested blood from the Calix. They are then placed in upright sarcophagi made of intricately carved platinum. The shunts are connected to the interior of the sarcophagi with a nest of snaking tubes. These serve as feed lines, life function monitors, Hypnomat probes and a multitude of other strange devices whose mysteries are known only to the priesthood.

Once the Aspirants are connected and securely nestled within the sarcophagi, they are sealed in and the interior filled with a suspension fluid. Here they will remain in fitful slumber for a full year as their bodies grow and transform both internally and externally. Some will die in the process, although the Blood Drinker Sanguinary Priest’s skills in the transformation process have reduced the average mortality to a level that other Sons of Sanguinius would greatly envy.

When the Aspirants emerge they are fast on the road to becoming a physically mature marine. They have increased considerably in size, their muscle mass has grown exponentially and many of the new internal organs germinated by the geneseed are fully functioning. The Aspirants canines have grown into wicked looking fangs and their faces now carry echoes of their Primarch's noble features. But they do not yet share the pallor of the older Battle Brothers; a side effect of the maturation of the Progenoid glands coupled with the Blood Drinkers blood purification processes.

The Aspirants are now ready to join the ranks of the Venati to train as scouts for the Chapter.

Organisation

Chapter Order of Battle Circa 404.M41

“We will do what is ordered and at every command we shall be ready!” Blood Drinker Oath of Moment.

The Blood Drinkers like all Blood Angel Successors; structure their Chapter as closely in form to Guilliman’s Codex Astartes as the Flaw will allow. They have however taken this discipline a step further than their brethren, eschewing the heraldic ancestry of the Blood Angels in favour of strict adherence to those laid down by the Codex. Some suggest that Vladarius instigated this divergence as a further layer of discipline to bind the Flaw, others that he merely wanted his newly founded Chapter to stand apart in some way from the previous Successors. What is without doubt is that this discipline suits the pragmatic nature of the Blood Drinkers who strive for order and efficiency in all things.

Ultimate rule of the Chapter rests with the Chapter Master, a mighty warrior selected by the co-consulship of the Sanguinary High Priest and High Chaplain; having proved his worthiness to lead with countless heroic deeds and centuries of faultless service to the Chapter. It falls to him to continue the legacy of the Blood Drinkers as fearless guardians of humanity.

He does not walk this path alone however and is supported and counseled by the ‘Senatus’ consisting of all the high ranking officers vital to the running of the Chapter. The High Priest, High Chaplain and Magister of the Librarium. Also the five Tribunes, the Commander of the Forge, First Ship Master commanding the Fleet. The Lord of Acheron, commanding the defensive forces of the Auxilia. The Warden of the Vaults, in charge of the Logisticiam and the Harbinger, commander of the Sanguinary Guard.

Finally each company has a voice in the Senatus represented by their Centurions each bearing titles relevant to their duties above and beyond the command of their companies. Some are as old as the Codex itself, others are unique to the Blood Drinkers. Such as First Spear, responsible for the Chapters ancient Tactical Dreadnought Armour and leader of the elite Terminators who wear it. Or Flame of Helios commanding the watch on the Star Fort.

As the codex demands, the Chapters nominal fighting strength is a thousand Battle Brothers divided into ten companies of around one hundred marines each.

At the head of the host, the Chapter maintains a Sanguinary Guard. The Guard hark directly back to the Chapters Progenitors the Blood Angels, held up as examples of all that is great and glorious in the scions of Sanguinius. Selected from the cream of the 1st Company’s Terminators, armored and equipped with ancient relics from the heady days of the original Legion, each warrior is the epitome of lethal nobility.

1st Company named ‘Primigenia’ (First Born) an honorific for the company being the first founded by Vladarius. Its ranks are made up of the Chapters most experienced veterans, warriors who have mastered the craft of death through centuries of warfare. It is also home to the Chapters most venerable and ancient Immortals, the Furioso’s. The 1st hold the honour of being sent on the most testing undertakings and are always deployed where a battle is at its most ferocious.

2nd Company ‘Cruentus’ ( The Bloodthirsty) 3rd ‘Fidelis’ (The Faithful) 4th ‘Invictus’ (The Unconquered) and 5th ‘Metui’ (The Dreaded) are the Battle Companies, if the 1st are the Chapters fangs then these are its razor sharp claws. Always at the core of any strike force and each capable of fielding six Tactical, two Assault and two Devastator squads plus their support elements; these versatile formations can turn their hand to any campaign and bear the brunt of the Chapters undertakings. Their names are uttered in reverence by awe struck neophytes eager to earn a place in their legendary ranks.

6th Company ‘Callidus’ (The Cunning) and 7th ‘Interritus’ (The Fearless) are line Tactical Companies who act as reserve for the Battle Companies and can also reinforce a strike force during large scale deployments. These stoic marines have already proved themselves in both the Assault and Devastator squads of the Battle Companies and now await selection to their Tactical Squads.

8th Company ‘Talus’ (Talons) are a specialist Assault Company; they are aerial masters and bring the fury of ‘Lightning Warfare’ to the battlefield. Unlike the other companies whose marines represent a fairly even mixture of the tribal backgrounds from San Guisuga; the majority of the 8th are formally Dushara. Their natural affinity with the air and impetuous spirit making them perfect for training with the Chapters Land Speeders and Stormraven Gunships of which the company has custodianship. They rarely take the field as a whole (but when they do, it is a sight of awesome and terrible beauty), instead being divided as support elements amongst the other companies.

9th Company ‘Ferrata’ (Ironclads) are the Chapters siege experts, the specialist Devastator Company. Again rarely fielded as a whole; this company’s skills are employed to crack the toughest of defences. Accomplished engineers (most of the Forge’s Artisans have long service in the 9th) deft at finding and exploiting any defensive weakness. Its squads mobile arsenals are capable of leveling bastions and turning armoured columns to super heated scrap.

10th Company ‘Venati’ (The Hunters) the Chapters Scout Company where it’s Aspirants truly begin their service to the Chapter and the Emperor; getting their first real taste of combat as an Astarte. Once selected to one of the ten squads, each commanded by the Chapters most senior veteran sergeants. They serve as reconnaissance elements to the other companies; rarely if ever will the Chapter risk its future by fielding the 10th as a whole.

The War Griffons

The Chapters long association and close ties with the Legio Gryphonicus (War Griffons) the Titan Legion of the Forge World Gryphonne IV. Has resulted in surprisingly cordial relations with the Adeptus Mechanicus and is oft sighted as the reason the Chapter has such an abundance of rare armour. Although the marines are not blind to the possible ulterior motives of the Tech Priests in attempting to acquire the templates of the Baal Predator.

As already stated, the Chapter’s 2nd to 5th companies often fight as a whole; however the most common formation is a strike force. Made up of various elements drawn from several companies tailor made for a specific undertaking; it is traditional for the force to be unified under one name for the duration of that undertaking. This is chosen from the pages of the Liber Potoris by the Magister of the Librarium; often recalling a legendary hero, a celebrated victory or even one of the many virtues required of a Blood Drinker as laid down by Vladarius.

All companies (apart from the 8th see above) maintain their own motor transport section consisting of Damocles Rhinos, Rhinos, Razorbacks and Black Shadow Bikes. In addition to this the Forge possesses an impressive number of specialist vehicles with which to support any undertaking requiring them; Predators, Whirlwinds, Vindicators and the mighty Land Raiders.
The Chapter also maintains a substantial fleet due to its Imperium wide commitments, with two ancient Battle Barges as its flagships the Red Dawn and Crimson Tide. One barge and its supporting fleet will always remain within the Draco Sector as part of a defence pact with the Lord Sector.

Combat Doctrine

Blood Drinker © GamesWorkshop 2000-2010

“Unleash the Blood Drinkers? Throne! I may as well sign an Exterminatus Order.” Lord Governor Sub Sector Henricus Grado.

The Blood Drinkers have combined The Angel’s ferocious lust for close combat with the hard disciplined strictures of the Codex and forged an alloy of ruthless efficiency in their combat doctrine. They are a double edged sword of heavy long ranged bombardment and swift brutal assaults.

A classic example of this combination is a tactic known as the ‘Tarasque’ devised by Centurion, later Imperator, Pansa Calvus during the Harrowing of Zurma Nova in 850.M35. The Tarasque (Named after a fearsome armored beast from the forests of San Guisuga) is a Phalanx advance under a creeping barrage of heavy ordinance.

The beast’s scorpion like tail is represented by a curtain of sustained overwatch fire from Devastator and Armored elements directed onto the enemy positions. Pinning and blinding them as the massed assault wave moves forward on foot. The interlocked storm shields of a number of Testudo’s of Vanguard Squads form the head and fangs, bracketed in sections by rapid bolter fire from Tactical Squads, ; its projectile poison. On their flanks are the skirmish lines of the Assault Squads, with Jump Packs or Bikes, the creatures flashing iron claws.
As the barrage rolls beyond the enemy front lines the Vanguard carve into any mauled survivors, their storm shields forming a crackling wall which any enemy counter attack must hurl itself against only to be met by the eviscerating thrusts of power swords. Once the enemy is fully committed to the fore, the barrage swiftly lifts to their rear to reveal the final part of the Tarasque, its snapping jaw. As a host of Speeders sweep in encircling the enemy and crushing them against the fatal bite of the fangs.

The Blood Drinkers are fastidious planners and tacticians, their combat engagements a study in coordinated and focused destruction. They are exponents of the doctrine of Total War; once unleashed they will give no quarter or mercy, for they believe enemies of the Imperium deserve none; their relentless advance will systematically annihilate all those before them. This single minded and calculated brutality has earned the Chapter a fearsome reputation with friend and foe alike. But some allies balk at the methodical carnage wrought by the Blood Drinkers and many commanders are wary to call on their aid except in the direst circumstances.

“You think me heartless? My friend as you know I have two and neither will mark a beat of pity at the fate of these traitors.” Centurion Vorenus, letters from Bradur IV.

Beliefs

“We cheat death from his rightful victory. No one can defeat us; we are glad to plunge feet first into hell, in the knowledge that we will rise again.” Blood Drinker Incantation of Descent.

The Cult of Sanguinius lies at very core of the Blood Drinkers, venerating the Emperor as the savior and master of mankind and their Primarch as the paragon of humanities most noble qualities. As with all things in the Chapter, its belief system is riven by the duality of feral fury and rigid discipline. The Sanguinary Priesthood and Chaplaincy share equal roles with differing aspects within the Cult; while the Chaplains preach the key tenants of Vladarius, restraint, order and control. The Priesthood extols the virtues of harnessing the Red Thirst and bending it to the Astartes will to achieve great deeds in the Emperor and Sanguinius’s names. The two sides complement each other and maintain balance within the Chapter.

The Blood Drinkers also maintain a balance between the present and the past. For example the Blood Oath, the drinking of another's blood, an ancient custom adopted from the inhabitants of their home world. They believe that sharing their blood with their brothers before battle, serves to unify and strengthen them. A Sanguinary Priest visits each squad in turn with every squad member donating a small portion of his blood to the Blood Chalice carried by the priest. The Chalice is then passed from brother to brother and the contents imbued.

This ritual has two very important effects. Firstly the marines Omophagea processes the blood and allows them to be instinctively linked to the other battle brothers in the squad; knowing their minds like they know their own. Repeated exposure to this ritual has meant that the Blood Drinkers fight as one lethal machine; almost a collective mind. Secondly the blood lust that triggers the Red Thirst is somewhat stemmed by the offering; although the Drinkers like the other son’s of Sanguinius can manipulate and call on its savagery when required. The ritual ends when as one, all the warriors committing to battle roar out their Oath of Moment.

For the present, the Sanguinala, a holy day celebrated by those of the Imperial Cult to honor the saintly Sanguinius is observed by the Chapter though not for its religious connotations. Instead the Brothers feast and Librarians regale them with heroic tales of The Angels adventures and accomplishments.
Despite their brutal combat doctrine, the Blood Drinkers are not like the firey zealots of the Ecclesiarchy. Their impassioned fury is reserved purely for the battle field and its bloody results often mask the fact that the Chapter is seen as a moderating voice amongst the Son’s of Sanguinius. Away from the field, the Battle Brothers are men of quiet contemplation, thoughtful insight and diplomacy. Such are the stark contrasts of Sanguinius’s legacy.

Gene-seed

“We are the dead, we go into battle to reclaim our lives!” Mortifier Samael’s invocation to the Evocati.

Proud inheritors of the genetic heritage of Sanguinius though they are, the Blood Drinkers pride is tinged by a great sadness; for to be of The Angels bloodline is to be part of a doomed brotherhood. During their founding, despite all efforts, the gene seed for the new Chapter remained tainted and the Flaw was passed on. The Blood Drinkers do hold to a glimmer of hope as the blood drinking rituals ‘The Blood Oath’ adopted from the tribes of San Guisuga have a sating effect on the Red Thirst. This coupled with the wise teachings of Vladarius ; has meant that the Chapter seems to have achieved an unprecedented level of control over the Flaw.

King of the Groves

The title Rex Nemorensis (King of the Groves) has been adopted by the Chapter from an ancient position within the tribes which has its roots in the very early days of settlement and the plague of deaths caused by the Rot. These solitary wardens performed the death rites and ended the suffering of untold thousands in forest groves chosen for the purpose. With the forming of the tribes they became the guardians of these now scared places, where people could come to give libation, honour and seek guidance from their ancestors.

However this is no cure, due to their unique resilience to the Flaw, the Blood Drinkers only appear to fall to its curse after succumbing to mortal wounds; as though at the moment of death the iron discipline caging it is finally torn open. Each fallen marine is placed in stasis to await transport back to The Maw. There they lie in state in a Reclusiam chapel known as The Grove. Here the High Chaplain the Rex Nemorensis ‘King of the Groves’ maintains vigil over the bodies. Most will never stir and are eventually removed for entombment in the Elysian Crypt.
But a few brothers do rise again as fury filled monsters, the stuff of nightmares. Overcome with madness and blood lust, they are lost to the Black Rage. The High Chaplain wielding the mighty axe Calvaria Morsus engages each in combat, chanting the Moripatris ‘Mass of Doom’. Attempting to reach into the brother’s tempest wracked mind and grant him salvation. Most are beyond saving and are quickly consumed by the Red Thirst. The High Chaplain must grant them release by his hand, decapitation being the only way to end their onslaught.
Some hear the words of the Chaplain and pin the fragments of their sanity to them, chaining the rage on a fragile leash; these are the Evocati, the Chapters Death Company, their minds haunted by shadows of Sanguinius’s memories and final moments ten millennia ago.

The Chapter keeps these tormented souls in the grip of cryo sleep; awaiting the opportunity to unleash them in battle so that they may reclaim their honour in death. This is no easy feat, the Evocati are an almost unstoppable force, shrugging off injuries that would fell the strongest of their marine brothers and tearing the enemy to pieces in their desperate attempt to find a foe capable of besting them. For those that do not die on the field, the long cold embrace of the stasis vaults awaits until another conflict and another chance of redemption.

Battle Cry

"With thunder in our hearts!" Specific to the Chapter.
"For the Emperor and Sanguinius!" Generic to all the sons of Sanguinius.

[Bix]

Ok so here's my 1st draft, plenty more to go on, including some more entrys, pictures , quotes etc.. One question that did arise, I have a piece of artwork of the latest BD colour scheme from GW's site, is it ok if I post that instead of using the Painter as long as I quote the source and copyright?

[RagingGriffon]

Kudos. I am going to go over this with a fine-tooth comb later only because I think this is close to being complete.

[Bix]

Cheers RG but sadly I have hit a big snag for some reason I can't edit what I've done to complete it :P I loose the title, the opening paragraph and the entire orign story due to corrupted code if I try and edit :lol: and I can't figure out why. Several hours down the pan so it seems.

[RagingGriffon]

Yeah, I ran into this as well. I have a Word document now and I don't use the Carlson Headers. If I recall, it only corrupts the top part. You just have to go through and cut out the carlson header codes and replace them with standard headers. Worst case scenario is you copy and paste the meat of the article into a Word document and replace with normal headers.

[Bix]

RG you are the man :lol: That seems to have done it, right on and ever onwards.

[RagingGriffon]

Rock on, Bix! I am loving your work. I am have all my afternoons off this week so I am going to paint my Skull Champion and try and help.

[Bix]

Ok so a few bits added, the rest of the combat doctrine and a complete belief section.

 

And a fare bit of editing, mainly I've change Vladarius from a Sang Priest to a Chaplain as his doctrines of order and restraint are far more in keeping with their teachings rather than the Preisthood. I've also modified the Children of the San's religious outlook. Having gods just didn't sit right with me when it came to them becoming Marines. So I've made them venerate their ancestors instead, which is still in keeping with the overall Roman feel to the IA.

 

I've corrected the Order of Battle pic removing Harskals and replacing them with the more fittingly titled Comitatus.

 

So just the geneseed and obviously the flaw to cover now.

[Bix]

So it is done, over two decades in the making and several days worth of blood sweat and tears to assemble it here. I dedicate this to my long suffering wife for all her patience and understanding. The veterans of the Death Jesters, keeping my gaming spark alive. Special Nods to Kalsir for a couple of great names and Vel'Conna for the push and a big thanks to everyone else for their help and encouragement.

 

And with that I submit it to the floor C&C of course and the big question, is it good enough for the Librarium?

[Walter Payton]

First off, give it a snazzy title. GW IA's are not simply called 'Index Astartes: Wiggly Worms' (for example), they have a snappy title. For instance, in the IA books, we have:

 

Bitter and Twisted: Index Astartes: Iron Warriors

Promethean Warriors: Index Astartes: Salamanders

Masters of Forbidden Knowledge: Index Astartes: Thousand Sons

Warriors of Ultramar: I won't insult your intelligence.

 

 

Why not have something like 'Crusaders of Sanguinius: Index Astartes: Blood Drinkers' (just a thought) or put the 'Blood is Life' proverb as the title.

 

I will give more feedback later, but this looks mighty impressive.

[RagingGriffon]

Looks fantastic! It is great, now time to get nit-picky (and of course it is all my opinion)

 

For nigh on eight millennia the Astartes of the Chapter Blood Drinkers have fought to hold back the endless tide of humanities enemies; selling their lives dearly in service to the beloved Emperor, in conflicts throughout his vast Imperium. For they, like their Progenitors the legendary Blood Angels believe every Imperial World to be their ward and they will shed their very last drop of blood to see them protected.

- I am not a fan of bolded items. "Nigh" just doesn't flow. I don't think Astartes "sell" their lives. You can find a better word choice. I know you mean BA's when you say "Progenitors" but I think maybe "Primarch" would work better.

 

To many scholars of the 41st millennium

- Change "Too"

 

What is known; is that some time during or prior to M33 the High Lords of Terra commissioned the formation of a successor Chapter from the gene seed stocks of the legendary Blood Angels. That this was done despite the known risks of the Flaw would suggest some dire need for new marines and lends weight to the claims of the Dark Founding theorists.

- I don't know how I feel about this paragraph. I think you can the first sentence and move it to the next paragraph and chop the rest. It is a two sentence paragraph and the second sentence is just filler. Everyone knows about the Flaw, and you already mentioned "Dark Founding." No need to beat us over the head about that one.

 

It is a stirring tale of an epic vision quest instigated by the spirit of Sanguinius himself, full of mortal danger and valiant battles ;charting Vladarius’s discovery of the Death World of San Guisuga and his defeating of an ancient evil dwelling there and subsequent unification of the planets various human tribes.

- If he was a Chaplain then wouldn't he be "ebon" clad and not "bllod red armor"? You have an extraneous space after "battles." The sentence also needs to be broken up.

 

Whose ferocious martial prowess and blood drinking rituals befitted a chapter born of Sanguinius. Vladarius’s structuring of the Chapter around the tenants and teachings of the Sanguinary Reclusiam and also his implementation of rigid Codex structure.

- Very choppy. Rework. The first sentence is a fragment.

 

To the tribes Terra was a near mythical realm an Eden where their venerated Ancestors dwelt so they flocked to his banner. The warrior led the three tribes against the Elabus, finally putting an end to their evil.

- Change to "Terra was a near mythical realm to the tribes, and it was venerated by their ancestors. They flocked to his banner. It was then the warrior led the tribes to put an end to the evil wrought by the Elabus."

 

One thing about the Homeworld section: Do they still deal with the spores that kill people? You mentioned it once previously, but if it is that serious I think it should be mentioned again in such a fashion as how they deal with it or do they accept it.

 

 

Well, that is my first whack at the first couple sections. I gotta rack out for the night. Remember, these are my suggestions. Feel free to use or nto use them. Your work is great, though.

[Vel'Cona]

Glad to see you finally made an article submission, Bix! It really comes together well with the formatting and all your hard work on the charts and maps. Definitely take some of these revision suggestions with an open mind, though what you have here is great thus far. Hopefully one of the Librarium will pick this up soon and give it its proper home! :)

[Bix]

Thanks for the feedback so far guys. Brother-Captain Alecto I see what you're saying about the title, I was working under the impression that Librarium IA's all bore that formal title. But I'll certainly consider putting the Blood is Life quote in there. - Index Astartes: Blood Drinkers

"Blood is Life"

 

RagingGriffon Phew. Thanks for the proof read so far ;)

 

I'll take some of your feedback under advisement, but a few bits are going up for editing immediately. The spot on the armour color, my bad and very sloppy.

 

Whose ferocious martial prowess and blood drinking rituals befitted a chapter born of Sanguinius. Vladarius’s structuring of the Chapter around the tenants and teachings of the Sanguinary Reclusiam and also his implementation of rigid Codex structure.

 

- Very choppy. Rework. The first sentence is a fragment

 

I'll Try and sort that out.

 

To the tribes Terra was a near mythical realm an Eden where their venerated Ancestors dwelt so they flocked to his banner. The warrior led the three tribes against the Elabus, finally putting an end to their evil.

- Change to "Terra was a near mythical realm to the tribes, and it was venerated by their ancestors. They flocked to his banner. It was then the warrior led the tribes to put an end to the evil wrought by the Elabus."

 

That does sound better, it was a quick re work once I realised I wanted to ditch any religious ideas for the home world.

 

The spores are still there, they are intrinsic to the planets flora, but no longer kill the inhabitants of San Guisguga, as the tribes were inoculated by the four brothers who were immune, that immunity was passed on through the blood line. The Blood Drinking rituals echo the inoculation but they serve no other purpose. Perhaps I should be clearer on that matter, I'll take another look.

 

Obviously if someone else came to the planet they would have to wear suitable protection i.e. rebreathers. Or they would die.

 

:) Again guys.

[Bix]

Glad to see you finally made an article submission, Bix! It really comes together well with the formatting and all your hard work on the charts and maps. Definitely take some of these revision suggestions with an open mind, though what you have here is great thus far. Hopefully one of the Librarium will pick this up soon and give it its proper home! :tu:

 

 

Many thx Vel'Cona Yes I hope not to be changing too much, I’m fairly satisfied with it and really want to get back to my painting. I’m off up to Nottingham GW central end of this week for a big clash and my marines are looking fairly lack luster. :( I've vowed this will be the first and last time I field such and under painted force.

 

Once I’m sure it’s ready, do I have to submit it to a Mod or do they browse and select those they deem worthy?

 

Also on a side note does anyone know if you can print the IA off as it appears on the forum? Be nice to have a hard copy, otherwise I'll have to do it all again in a separate app. :rolleyes:

[RagingGriffon]

As far as submitting you will have to go to this link: Submission

 

Just copy your text, give it the Article Titile, Article Description, and the drop down box category is "Index Astartes, then Liber Astartes".

 

As far as printing goes, You can try print preview on the web page and see how it looks. I was thinking the same thing when I was walking back to my desk. "Am I going to have to a .PDF file for my guys sometime? I want to make a book for them when I go to games." We are truly on the same wavelength, Bix.

[Octavulg]

Go for the eyes, Octavulg! Go for the eyes!

 

For nigh on eight millennia the Astartes of the Chapter Blood Drinkers have fought to hold back the endless tide of humanities enemies; selling their lives dearly in service to the beloved Emperor, in conflicts throughout his vast Imperium. For they, like their Progenitors the legendary Blood Angels believe every Imperial World to be their ward and they will shed their very last drop of blood to see them protected.

"Blood is Life"- Ancient Guisugan proverb.

 

That's not a proverb, it's a speech.

 

And proverbs are little moralisms. That's not providing an exciting and teachable lesson. It's just...saying what's happening.

 

The exact details of the formation of the Blood Drinkers have been lost to all but the Chapter itself. Through the passing of millennia, the initial records so scrupulously gathered by the Administratum; transcribed and revised countless times. Have been incorrectly edited, purposely censored; misplaced, buried and forgotten. Even the Chapters ancient chronicles owe more to myth and legend rather than hard facts. The Apocrypha of Davio written in M33 mistakenly records them as a Chapter of the 2nd founding an error which neither the Administratum, nor the Blood Drinkers seem inclined to rectify. To many scholars of the 41st millennium they are considered an unknown founding. Although this has led some to speculate that their origin may lie with the lost records of the 13th 'Dark Founding'.

 

The second and third sentences should be one and Chapters should be Chapter's.

 

"I believe the name derives from a now long dead Terran dialect, it means literally to suck blood; never was a name more apt for such a ghastly place." Lord Inquisitor Claustine Narcissus.

 

A weak quote, sadly. It explains the joke, isn't particularly funny or chilling, and is punctuated oddly.

 

The four brothers and their followers founded four tribes known together as 'The Children of the San' they spread out across the enclave and lived in peace for many years. But the island peoples of Elabus found tunnels into ancient ruins and delved deep into the secrets they discovered. They practiced dark arts and the tribe descended into madness; becoming depraved beasts who craved the flesh others of their kind. They fell upon the other tribes; reaping death and destruction. The three other tribes lived in fear of the raiding parties of the Elabus until one day from the heavens a great warrior clad in ebon armour arrived; leading a war host proclaiming their master to be the lord of ancient Terra.

 

So they were liberated by the Iron Hands, the Raven Guard, or possibly the Night Lords?

 

The final day of the trials begins with the marines themselves arriving to oversee the last hundred or so warriors compete for the hallowed titles of Aspirant. Roaring from the heavens, a Thunderhawk sets down atop a colossal stone pedestal raised above the arena in the shape of an armoured fist clenching a raised chalice. The giant Astartes, clad in their blood red armour descend to the baying of war horns, the thundering of drums and the roar of the amassed thousands their voices raised as one, in praise. At the end of the day, the Master of Recruits selects usually fifty of the bloodied but unbowed warriors. Calling them in turn by name, to approach and kneel before him. There he crowns them with a laurel and presents them with a bag of gold for their clan and a Rudis 'a wooden training sword' inscribed with their name. He touches them on the shoulder and the crowd roars their approval as the Aspirants rise.

 

You don't have to make up funny names for everything. Just call it a wooden training sword.

 

Finally each company has a voice in the Senatus represented by their Centurions each bearing titles relevant to their duties above and beyond the command of their companies. Some are as old as the Codex itself, others are unique to the Blood Drinkers. Such as First Spear, responsible for the Chapters ancient Tactical Dreadnought Armour and leader of the elite Terminators who wear it. Or Flame of Helios commanding the watch on the Star Fort.

 

You could stop Organization right here, and it would be interesting and effective. Carrying on is just taking it too far.

 

Also - you change the names of so many things to Latinate equivalents, and there's really not much reason to do so. Just call them Captains and such. It's more Codex in any case.

 

"Unleash the Blood Drinkers? Throne! I may as well sign an Exterminatus Order." Lord Governor Sub Sector Henricus Grado.

 

I'd take out "Throne!". It's characterful, but it disrupts the flow of the sentence a little.

 

A classic example of this combination is a tactic known as the 'Tarasque' devised by Centurion, later Imperator, Pansa Calvus during the Harrowing of Zurma Nova in 850.M35. The Tarasque (Named after a fearsome armored beast from the forests of San Guisuga) is a Phalanx advance under a creeping barrage of heavy ordinance.

 

I love a good reference as much as the next man, but you're pushing things a little too far. You've got Latin terms all over the place, have named a comet after Thor's hammer, and now a monster after, well, a famous D&D monster.

 

Tone it down a little.

 

The beast's scorpion like tail is represented by a curtain of sustained overwatch fire from Devastator and Armored elements directed onto the enemy positions. Pinning and blinding them as the massed assault wave moves forward on foot. The interlocked storm shields of a number of Testudo's of Vanguard Squads form the head and fangs, bracketed in sections by rapid bolter fire from Tactical Squads; its projectile poison. On their flanks are the skirmish lines of the Assault Squads, with Jump Packs or Bikes, the creatures flashing iron claws.

 

Storm shields are rather small to form a testudo with, it's a blatant reference to legionary practice, and IIRC since they work by repulsor energy fields you couldn't do that anyway...

 

* * *

 

This is pretty damn good. Well-written (though with some copy-editing flaws), coherent, and appears to have been the subject of both much effort and much thought.

 

However:

 

This is really, really long. A good length for a long DIY IA is about 3500-4500 words. You're at 5800. I'd recommend that you trim some of it down. Go through, take out some redundancies and things-that-are-longer-than-they-need-to-be. The Fortress Monastery, Creation of a Blood Drinker and Organization sections are rather larger than is strictly necessary, and might be good places for some trimming.

 

You're over-fond of using Latin. It's OK to put some things in English, you know. :) Ancient Rome is cool. We get that. Tone it down.

 

You should spend more time on the chapter's character and less on quirks of organization and doctrine - especially since the BD are notorious for being the Codex-adherent BA successor. Tell us about how they think and who they are.

 

In short: More character. Less unimportant information (and less words). Less giving things funny names for the sake of giving them funny names/blatant references to Roman legions. You're Codex adherent, remember?

[Argon]

I have one little nitpick here.

 

This is your quote:

 

"Unleash the Blood Drinkers? Throne! I may as well sign an Exterminatus Order." Lord Governor Sub Sector Henricus Grado.

 

This is a quote from the Third War for Armageddon website:

 

Unleash the Krourk? I might as well order Exterminatus!

- Captain Hobart-Gibbling, Pyran Dragoons

 

 

As you can see, they're really similar. You might want to consider changing them.

[Bix]

Thanks for the read through and feedback Octavulg. Phew what can I say I appreciate the effort and I accept some of the C&C but I sunk a whole lot of hours into that work and I’m just not sure I can go back, rip it apart and toil for another age to get it to 'fit' an IA entry; especially with the grief it causes re editing the code. I've lost too much painting time as it is already.

 

Your opening C&C was a bit misdirected; the proverb is only the "Blood is Life" quote not the whole opening paragraph. I believe this does fit the definition of a proverb.

 

'A condensed but memorable saying embodying some important fact of experience that is taken as true by many people.'

 

For the people of San Guisuga this was quite literally true, the blood did save their lives. It is also true of the Blood Drinkers in that their Gene Seed is dependent on the blood of Sanguinius to activate the process.

 

I'll agree that the quote from Narcissus may not be funny or chilling, but then he's neither. He's an arrogant Inquisitor with a vehement distaste for the Chapter; it was said with a haughty upper-class snide showing his superior education by knowing the origins of the name but at the same time using it to be derogatory. I don't think the name of the planet is so much a joke, it’s a death world for which as he says it is fitting.

 

 

I agree I should be clearer on the arrival of Vladrius, he's dressed in Ebon because he is a Chaplain. I just assumed that as Vladarius had already been identified as such and been clearly stated as a Blood Angel the reader would appreciate that the host was made up of Blood Angels.

 

The Rudis isn't a 'made up funny name' it is Latin for wooden training sword. But ok I accept that as a whole I have gone OTT on the Roman theme, its extra detail fat that in most cases isn't needed for an IA and could be trimmed without damaging the feel of the Chapter and would lend its loss to a more Codex feel.

 

I also accept that the organisation entry is overly long, I got carried away with the entry styling it obviously on the BA codex 'Ordering of the Host' I thought that those interested in playing BD's would want to see company structure etc.. In relation to them choosing what elements they may like to play. But I see I could leave that out of the actual IA submission and use it as extra fluff on the boards.

 

I see what you're saying about 'Throne' disrupting the flow, but I do like the expression and if it’s good enough for Abnett its good enough for me. <_<

 

Oh and Argon, never seen that site or read the quote but I guess great minds and all that :lol: I’m keeping it, after all the Universe is a very big place.

 

My use of the 'Tarasque' was actually based on a mythical creature from French legend Tarasque with obvious use of the beasts turtle shell as the Testudo and its other features; but yes I know a Tarrasque is also in D&D.

 

I think storm shields can be of various sizes obviously bigger than a combat shield. And as far as I was aware they are fitted with Conversion Fields which deflect the energy of a blow I didn't think they used repulsor technology and thus won't push apart from other shields which is what I think you were hinting at when you said that a Testudo wouldn't work.

Also yes it’s a blatant reference to Legionary practice, but that’s the theme of the Chapter like the Black Templars being Teutonic knights or the space wolves being mighty Norse heroes. To use Abnett (yes I’m a big fan) as a reference again, his Iron Snakes were obviously based on the cultures of the Ancient Greek era Med they fought in a Hoplite formation.

 

So in short, if I do go back, and this is still not certain. I'll cut down on the Latin and strip some chunks of organisation and doctrine, trying in the process to add a little more character.

 

Thanks again for your time and your thoughts, I hope I've explained and justified at least some of the work I'd like to keep in there.

[RagingGriffon]

Don't be discouraged, Bix. I think Octavulg's initial quote is a joke meaning he is going to get very nit-picky. I think your work is amazing, and I think I speak for everyone when I say that we are just trying to get the final touches tweaked. I think we all want to see this published. I am working on my Masters in writing, and I can tell you a writer's workshop is painful most of the time. This is pretty much what this is right here. It is a roundtable of "peers" who are being critical. Keep going! You can do eeeeeet!