Element 1: Chaos Renegades

Brother Tyler · May 14, 2011

First off, apologies for the delay. Real life got a bit interesting over the week.

Linked below are each of the entries I received for the first element. Note that if you don't see your entry here, please contact me immediately so that I can add it to the submissions. I've assigned each entry a tag line that (hopefully) summarizes the basic concept and differentiates it from the others. These titles are not official and if we decide to assign titles in the finished product, we don't have to use these. I've presented them in a completely random order - actually, it's not that random (I used the first letter of the eighteenth word in reverse alphabetical order, going to the nineteenth, twentieth, etc. words in case of "ties"). Please read all of the entries before voting.

Note that a few have continuity issues that we can resolve in editing. Please don't let those issues be too much of a factor (if any) in your voting as they're easily corrected.

Voting: Members will submit their votes to me via PM. Members will have 6 points to assign in the voting, and they may assign those 6 points in any way that they like. There's only one caveat: members may only assign 1 point to their own submission. Members do not have to use all 6 points.

Voting ends Friday 20 May at 6:30 am Eastern Standard Time, at which point we'll announce the winner. Shortly thereafter (hopefully Saturday) I'll announce Challenge 2. I expect that the outcome of Challenge 1 will drive some of the direction we take with Challenge 2, so I'll need time to incorporate things appropriately.

Our submissions:

Brother Tyler · May 14, 2011

(True Freedom)

The first day I realised that the Imperium was doomed to failure, was when I saw the threats it faced first hand. It was on the battlefield of Crioth, that I and so many others were nearly overwhelmed. But we endured, bitterly holding back the enemy, seemingly without hope. In the aftermath of that battle and others like it, I could see the terrible toll on out Chapter. To see our Brethren lying unremembered and unsung in the mud was a sight too much for my eyes. Our sacrifice, I was later told, whilst great, allowed the Imperium to continue, and that it was the will of Him on Earth. I mused to myself that the sacrifice was too great, that the growing demands on us and our Successors was too much to bear. Always defending, never attacking. And never regaining the ground that we have lost. Never showing the Xenos who the true masters of the Galaxy are. Despite my best efforts, my superiors did not share my opinions, and for some time I tried to accept that things could not be changed and that we should never resort to such base tactics. For our Father was the creator of the greatest document in the Imperium! The basis for all strategy! We should cleave to it and never deviate from it! But the more battles I returned from, the more I could see that it was flawed, out of date, just as the Imperium is. Just as our Father was.

I decided that the Dogma of the Ultramarines, that of our Father and that of Him on Earth was too narrow, too blinkered. For Humanity to truly win against all odds, we must learn to accept that which is Verboten, Heretical even. Indeed, what one man finds to be pious, another finds anathema. I kept my doubts hidden, for in those times even the slightest hint of insurrection was swiftly dealt with, the time of Horus’ Heretical acts still relatively fresh in people’s minds. I chose my men carefully, slowly nurturing seeds in their minds about true freedom, whilst making ourselves appear willing slaves in bondage to an ideal that should have died Millennia ago. On a return to Macragge, I was one of a small group allowed to see the revered Primarch Himself. It should have brought joy to my hearts to be in His presence, but I felt empty and hollow. I spent hours, days in prayer, seeking answers for questions I barely had comprehension of. What is the true path of a Space Marine? What should a Space Marine be capable of? Should he be a sheep following the Sheppard willingly to extinction? Or dare he think that he should guide to flock. To mold destiny as he sees fit?

My prayers were given no answers. My doubts were given no peace. The more I saw, both on and off the battlefield reinforced my own thoughts that it was up to me to make a difference. We must free ourselves from the shackles of our indoctrination. But how? It was on the battlefield of a planet, so insignificant that it had no name, just a designation, that I finally had the solution. A small world, with no real worth, save for the mineral deposits used for powercores for various machines, it had become disenfranchised with its lot and allowed a small band of traitorous Space Marines to make berth in return for protection from invaders. How ironic that such a force should be that Orb’s saviour! The initial bombardment had taken the fight out of the Natives’ spirit, but the Traitors were the Old Kind, the true traitors and were not so easily to dismiss. In an abandoned Manufactorum, I led my troops against the leader, a bitter creature whom had led his followers there to replenish their ammunition. All for naught, as to a man, they were slaughtered. The leader, who to this day I know not the name of fought with an almost suicidal abandon, no thought for anything except to either kill me, or to accept his fate. But in the end, his desire to see me dead was not as strong as his own self loathing and he let his guard down, so it seemed. Before he died however, he managed to remark that I was no different than he. That was I was just not aware of it. Chuckling to himself, he muttered that I was not satisfied with my lot, that I thirsted for freedom, and that he could show me how to slake it. Faltering, I allowed him to continue, allowing that Jackal to speak. He told me of other beings far more powerful than anything imaginable, and even more terrible.

“True freedom,” he remarked, “Is the most horrifying truth of all. Can you bear that truth? Could you allow yourself to be an instrument of that truth? To make all whom are deaf to its call listen?”

Sensing that he would not say any more, I thrust my Power sword into his neck, all sense of doubt gone.

Upon my return to Ultramar, I knew my path. I would become the Sheppard, guiding the bleating masses of the Imperium to the truth. I will fashion the Epoch of Mankinds’ freedom.

And I will not fail!

Brother Tyler · May 14, 2011

(Pride)

"It should have been me! I was the one who fought of the Tyrants of Llerd. I stood in the Hives of Snarr when the Orks broke through the walls. I was the one who hunted down the Traitors of Kunk when they disappeared into the jungles. ‘An impossible task’ they said, ‘one fraught with danger and destruction’. I cleared that damn woodland in two days and fed the earth with the cold blood of the infidel.

I am the Champion Exemplar of the Ultramarines! The chosen warrior of our number who stands for all that we stand for. I was the trusted advisor of our late Master, I was his closest brother amongst those he considered friends. I should be the one to lead our great chapter; it is my right to inherit the throne of Guilliman. That pretender, that son of a whore Ovidius, he fled from the fields of Basalt. He commanded the great disaster that was what to become of Helai. That coward could not lead a squad of recruits to the Temple of Correction never mind the greatest of all Astartes chapters.

The Gauntlets should have been mine, I should wear them to battle not that snake! I should be the one they call Master, I should follow in the footsteps of the greats. I’ll show them, I’ll show them all. They’ll see, they’ll all see!"

The fall of Brother-Captain Aquilinus is one of envy, of greed, of want. An Astartes who had earned himself great fame within the Ultramarines as a true warrior; bold with tactics, heroic to his men, courageous to all. On the battlefield he could lead a hundred men to complete the last of a thousand. He could inspire a citizen of Ultramar to become a saint of the Imperium. Unfortunately, he held a fatal character flaw that would eventually damn him and his company; forcing his once brothers to remove his name from history.

When a Master of a Chapter is slain in battle, the following months and years can be one of turmoil for the chapter. Whilst some may have a strict code of succession, others will lose themselves in ritual combat until one man remains standing. It was in this whirlpool of politics, handshakes in the shadows and quiet, whispered conversations, that Aquilinus was lost to the Imperium. As Captain of the Second Company, he had brought more victories to the Ultramarines than any other captain. He held the ear of the Master, his tactical advice sought after by his brothers. He was a strong contender for the throne of Ultramar when the savage Orks butchered the previous Master, but he was to be deceived.

The four captains that carried the tomb of their fallen Master to rest were brothers-in-arms, but also they were rivals, for this quartet would be those who would challenge for the Gauntlets. The Captain of the First Company, Scavadius Longbone, was an ancient warrior; noble, slow to anger and chivalrous. Many had discounted him as a true successor; the council would want a new Master who would lead the chapter for centuries not decades. Captain Promthius of the Fifth was the opposite, youthful, vibrant, and impetuous. Whilst a great leader of the men, he had neither the experience nor the level-head to deal with the politics of leading a Space Marine chapter.

No, it was the Captain of the Fourth Company, Ovidius, that was Aquilinus greatest threat. Though he paled in comparison to Aquilinus in both victory counts, experience and battle prowress, Ovidius was a master of the boardroom. His silver tongue could persuade a man to turn a gun to his own head; convince a battalion of bloody-thirsty warriors to step down and retreat; align many of the council to his side when the ballet for Chapter Master came. It was here were Aquilinus lost his war, lost his innocence to politics, lost his soul some would say.

Whilst Aquilinus expected to conduct an honour-bound campaign, one where the best candidate to lead the chapter would be selected; he was, for his own damnation, wrong. Whilst he led the Second in glorious battles against the Orks of Jokial, the ship-to-ship combat in the Poawl Stars, Ovidius was on Maccragge meeting with the many council members. Under the guise of personal visits, he promised what was needed to be promised, shook hands on deals that needed by made, and said the words that needed to be said. Even before the first debates took place, the ayes were strongly in favour of Ovidius.

Aquilinus was unable to handle the loss of to what he believed to be an inferior captain; he lost himself in self-pity and despair. Though the Astartes body was quick to rid itself of the poison of alcohol, he drank vast quantities of Maccraggian wine. His aura became dark and murky, his mood grumpy and violent – a shadow of his former self. He no longer led his company from the front, instead commanding from behind the lines whilst his men risked their lives for the chapter, for him. It is unknown what caused his sudden break from apparent self-imposed damnation, but in the cities of Talkok, he took to the skies with a Jump Pack and tore through countless citizens. Purging himself in blood, he vowed he would seek redemption against those who had stood against. He would become an angel, one of revenge, one of righteousness. He would forever be lost to the Imperium.

Brother Tyler · May 14, 2011

(Loyalty Unto Damnation)

Harken to me Brothers! Again I tell the tale of our Lord that it may ever be in the forefront of our minds, to sharpen our hatred as we would our blades; the tale of the man that was Maro Aquilinus, great among the slaves of the Emperor.

Through centuries of misguided loyalty and fruitless self-sacrifice, Aquilinus rose to power among the false emperor’s favored lapdogs, the Ultramarines. Appointed Captain of the 2nd Company, he slaved for decades to defend the kingdom ruled by a corpse. Have a care: to call him a fool is invite your own death! He was merely… unenlightened, as you were once, as we all were. In time, he came to learn that the greatest pain is caused by the ones we trust the most.

While pursuing a Chaos warband across the jungle-world of el-Jasad, Captain Aquilinus and his men (I among them) ran our quarry to ground, forcing the survivors in to the grotesque shell of a fortress. Lacking the munitions to destroy the structure from without, Aquilinus ordered his men to secure the perimeter while he led a hand-picked team to deal with the servants of the Dark Gods. What followed only Aquilinus truly knows, and even now he is reluctant to speak of it. Still, I hear the whispers well enough to put the pieces back together. Aquilinus and his team entered the fortress, a labyrinthine series of tunnels branching endlessly, winding ever further downwards. The mind that had constructed this place must have been as twisted as its halls, and what it protected was equally unfathomable. Finally, they came upon the warband in a large chamber, droning and gibbering, enacting unholy rites. Eager to halt any daemonic rituals before they bore their dark fruits, Aquilinus ordered his men to open fire, drowning the chanting with bolter fire.

From the perimeter around the fortress, we could only watch in horror as the structure shuddered to life: no true stronghold but a long-dead daemon, given new life by his servants’ blood sacrifice. And Aquilinus was still inside.

We fought, and died, and fell back, and fought – Gods, it must have been hours. The only reason we survived so long is that the daemon would pause over every fallen Brother, inhaling deeply as a red mist would rise from the body, leaving nothing behind of our Brothers but their wargear. This ritual the daemon repeated dozens of times, each desecration strengthening it. Soon, we were out of ammunition and places to run. We steeled ourselves and turned to face the daemon with our blades. The daemon paused and laughed with a voice like a thousand stars dying. It was still laughing when its heart exploded from its chest, showering us with gore. Among the ruin lay Aquilinus, unconscious and grievously wounded, yet living. We gathered him and what remaining gear we could and made our way to our forward encampment, a full four days away through dense jungle.

It soon became clear that the daemon’s awakening had lager consequences throughout the world. All manner of lesser daemons crawled through the shadows, taunting us, whispering to us… We arrived at our outpost only to discover a ruin. Our worst fears were being realized: trapped in the heart of a growing daemon infestation with few supplies and no hope of communication. We argued about how best to proceed, and determined that, once again, we would make our final stand. Aquilinus, still burning with fever, emerged from his coma, urging us not to despair – if we had survived these horrors, surely the Emperor would not wish us to throw our lives away so freely. He ordered us to the nearest fortified settlement, nearly two weeks away at a forced march. There, we could make an organized stand, giving our off-world Brothers time to carry out a search and rescue operation, as well as making ourselves easier to find.

And so we marched. The settlement had had a few encounters with daemonspawn, but its walls and local militia proved their match. The civilians welcomed us with open arms. And so we waited for our Brothers. We repaired the settlement’s communications array, only to be met with silence. Psychic distortion from the growing daemon infestation foiled all our attempts to communicate. Still we waited. We cobbled together one space-worthy transport from the settlement’s derelicts, but Aquilinus would not abandon those helpless civilians when help was surely on its way. And so we waited.

We waited until the daemonhost broke upon the settlement’s walls like a flood, swarming over our makeshift fortifications, the lives of the settlers snuffed out like candles in a hurricane. We had no choice then but to flee, to watch those who trusted us to defend them be cut down as we ran. Aquilinus, ever hopeful, kept searching the skies, even as the hatch closed in front of him. After escaping the hells of el-Jasad, we limped our way to an Imperial trade route and were picked up by a transport bound for Ultramar. There we were hailed by the Brothers we had waited for those months and years, suspicion and joy clearly mingled on every face. Search teams had been sent, yes, but upon seeing the wreckage of Aquilinus’ forward outpost and the area teeming with daemons, little hope remained of finding survivors. Even that hope evaporated when the search parties discovered the empty suits of power armor yet no bodies of the Ultramarines. Now, instead of merely being dead, the missing Brothers may have suffered a worse fate: madness. After receiving the search party’s report, the Chapter council notified the Ordo Malleus of the swelling infestation on el-Jasad, and mourned their fallen Brothers. Now that we had fought our way home however, there was the question of what should be done with us. Rather than receive a hero’s welcome, we were searched, questioned and scoured for any trace of taint or daemonic influence. A few of us were found… wanting, and were locked deep within the chambers of the Argent Consul, our own strike cruiser. Aquilinus, for his part, was found to be without flaw, yet the Chapter council still remained uncomfortable to restoring his Captaincy, offering him instead a position within the Ultramarines’ administration (where they could no doubt . Acquiescing, Captain Aquilinus asked only that he be allowed to address the reformed 2nd company and whatever elements that were formally under his command one final time from the bridge of his beloved flagship, that his men could see him willingly transfer command to his successor in person.

Aquilinus was ever charismatic, and his men would charge in to the Abyss if he commanded it. And so, when he addressed his men for the last time, and he spoke of duty, and honor and loyalty, his men hung on his every word. And when he spoke of the Chapter abandoning their Brothers, of weary warriors returning home to find only scorn, of a Council so inept that an entire world would burn for their laxity, the hearts of his men were swayed. We took control of the ship with ease, and removed those former Brothers who were too blind to see the truth of our cause. Knowing that the retribution of those we once trusted would be swift and final, we slipped into the vast Night. Our choices had made us hunted men, but we knew we were finally among those who would not betray us.

So, Brothers, let us dictate our own duty, let us remain loyal to our Lord and to each other, and let us honor him by shedding the blood of all traitors wherever we find them!

-High Scrivener Lucius Adax, the Voice of Aquilinus

Brother Tyler · May 14, 2011

(Bonds of Brotherhood)

"Listen Recruits as I recall the tale of Captain Maro Aquilinus turned from his chapter and the imperium in 983.M35. Master of the Watch and bearer of the Eternium Ultra and the Crux Argentum, Aquilinus' treachery cost the Chapter the strike cruiser Argent Consul, most of the 2nd Company, and several squads attached from other companies and specialists attached from various orders within the Ultramarines Chapter. Though some members of Aquilinus' detachment are known to have resisted the conspiracy, Aquilinus' charisma and esteem won the majority of the detachment over. Listen now Recruits as I recall the tale that almost destroyed our Chapter." The voice belonged to a skull faced Chaplain by the name of Nero. He stood in one of the many PT fields, on the training world of Parmenio. "Listen up and let the tale begin....... Captiain Maro Aquilinus was a born on the Agri world of Masali to a humble beginnings. His parents were farmers and when his mother became pregnant it was a greatly celebrated time. It wasn't until the moment of birth that his mother and father found out that she wasn't pregnant with one child, but with two. That is right Captain Maro Aquilinus had a brother and his name was SGT Lindus Aquilinus. Captain Maro was the first born followed 5 minutes later by his brother SGT Lindus. Captain Maro was the first born and pretty much this carried over into every aspect of their life. Captain Maro was stronger than Lindus, faster than Lindus, more agile than Lindus and smarter than Lindus. Lindus himself was no sloutch however, and when it came time for the people of Masali to send recruits for the Ultramarines both Maro and Lindus where chosen. Maro and Lindus both were selected to become Ultramarines and both completed their training as neophytes. They both where selected to serve in the 6th and later where both selected to the 2nd, Maro as the Captain and Lindus as a Sgt. The bond between Maro and Lindus was very strong and some had whispered how it was in fact stronger than the oaths the two had sworn to the chapter. The two brothers fought admirably and their many victories silenced these critics. Captain Maro and Sgt Lindus were exemplary Ultramarines up to this point and their had been talk of Maro taking lead of a successor chapter to the Ultramarines and Lindus becoming Captain of his own company. It wasn't until the incident on the Agri world of Rorex Minor that the brothers loyalty might have been called into question. Rorex Minor was a small planet of no great significance and when it was attacked by the forces of Chaos and a small unit of The World Eaters Legion. The 2nd Company and the Strike Cruiser Argent Consel was sent to deal with this insult. On the planet the population of Rorex Minor was being slaughtered by the World Eaters and there crys of "Blood for the Blood God." The Ultramarines arrived on the scene and assessed the situation. It was decided that half the 2nd would make planetfall outside of the capital city and the other half would stay in the Strike Cruiser. The fighting was gruesome and the PDF forces had been depleted early on. The Ultramarines making a drop-pod assault where led by Lindus and Maro was to stay on the ship until the reserves where called in. As soon as Maros brother and half the 2nd company had begun their assault an inquisator ship arrived at the planet. The Inquisator in charge name was Shere Pau. The inquisition was fairly new at this time and the Ultramarines where not used to taking orders from common men or women. When the Inquisator arrrived, She ordered the planet to be Exterminatus. Captain Maro begain to prep thunderhawks to gather his troops when the Inquisator instructed Maro that she meant immediatly and that his troops where an acceptable loss. Now Maro had to make a choice either fire on the planet killing his men, or fire on the inquisition and deal with the outcome. He chose the later. The inquasition ship was much smaller than the Strike Cruiser and was positioned where all broadside guns could bear on it. The inquisator never had a chance. Maro destroyed the Inquisator's vessel and went on to put down the World Eaters Legion on Rorex Minor. He gathered his troops including his brother and briefed them on the situation on their way back to Macragge. When they emerged from the warp the Inquisition and their battle brothers where waiting for them. The Ultramarines didn't like the Inquisition meddling in their affairs and certainly didn't like it when the order to destory the Strike Cruiser Argent Consul was given and the whole conversation between Inquistion and the other Ultramarines was rebroadcast to Captain Maro via a sympathetic Captain of another Ultramarines vessel. When Maro heard this he knew he didnt have much time he entered the Warp immediately and became a renegade. Now Maro and his brother Lindus where very popular within the Chapter and many battle brothers after this incident went out, found and joined up with his band rather than face what they viewed as the leadership of lesser individuals in the inquisition. The Ultramarine Chapter as a whole was nearly marked excommunicate, but this is the beginning and the story of Captain Maro and Sgt Lindus doesn't end here......

Brother Tyler · May 14, 2011

(Conspiracy)

Captain Maro Aquilinus was a true warrior, a man of action who could always be depended on in battle. Honor after honor was lain before him, and he rose quickly through the ranks to command the 2nd Company of the Ultramarines. He was Master of the Watch, bearer of the Eternium and the Crux Argentum and his marines loved him.

Yet for Aquilinus, it wasn't enough. Battle after battle he excelled, yet others seemed to take the glory and receive his rightful praise. He watched as his old rival Agemman was given command of the coveted Veteran 1st Company and something inside of him finally snapped.

In his eyes, he was the better man and the 1st Company should have been his. He asked himself, how could they give the veterans to one he saw as inferior. The only answer he could find was one of corruption by Chaos. That must have been the cause, the forces of Chaos must be conspiring to deny him his rightful place, holding him back from leading the Ultramarines to ultimate glory.

And so he watched, hoping to discover a way to expose the evil that was holding him back. Every word of praise given to another only fueled his jealousy. In his mind the conspiracy grew every day, every victory of his Chapter a mere show, put on to feed their plans and not his.

It was during the Alsanta Rebellion that things finally came to a head. Rebels had taken control of the planetary government and declared their independence from the Imperium. The 2nd Company was dispatched to quell the rebellion. During a decisive battle, Aquilinus was struck. He'd been cut off from his marines and surrounded by rebels.

He was of course victorious, but saw it as his enemy's attempt to remove him from power. Somehow he must have revealed the fact that he'd been watching them. To Aquilinus it was a clear attempt at assassination. He could not longer just wait, they'd forced his hand.

Rather then return to base following the conflict, he took the Strike Cruiser Argent Consul, his Company and support marines and fled. He explained to his marines about the conspiracy and because they had such great respect for him, almost to the man they vowed to follow him and fight this new enemy within their own Chapter. The few that did speak against his madness, including the company's Chaplain, were seen as part of the evil conspiracy and slain.

Attempts to contact them by the Chapter were met with only silence at first, but the madness could not remain silent for long. The Obsidian Skulls were the first to discover the lost company. What was first seen as a joyous occasion soon turned ugly whey Aquilinus began to relate his fears of Ultramarine conspiracy. The Skulls response was to fire on the Ardent Consul.

Again fleeing for his life, Aquilinus' fear of conspiracy had now grown to include the Obsidian Skulls. How many chapters had the evil within the Ultramarines touched? And so the jealous madness festered and grew.

Brother Tyler · May 14, 2011

(Ambition)

Captain Aquilinus’s treachery is thought to have its roots much farther back in the Ultramarine's history than anyone first suspected, and can accurately be described as one man’s personal battle against those who he perceived slighted him. It is recorded as fact that in 983.M35 then Captain Aquilinus of the Ultramarine’s second company defected from the Emperor’s light in the most heinous manner possible. What has been pieced together by historians, his fellow marines, and Aquilinus’s own recovered journal entries reveal a cause that many would deem to be minor, perhaps even insignificant. In the latter years of 770.M35, more than two hundred years before his carefully orchestrated rebellion, then Brother-Marine Aquilinus was one of several brothers considered up for promotion to Sergeant. While Aquilinus’s service had been exemplary, many felt that at barely a century old, he was too young to take the mantle, and an older brother named Trenor was selected instead. To a man of such deadly pride as Aquilinus’s, the insult was insufferable. To be passed over for his age alone was a slap in the face to the marine who had worked so hard to achieve his goals. It therefore came as no surprise to Aquilinus when word was received that Sergeant Trenor had been killed in the line of duty; a sign Aquilinus took as validation of the Masters of the Chapter’s, namely Chapter Master Killint’s, inability to recognize his own talents by selecting a clearly inferior choice.

While there is no evidence to suggest Aquilinus had anything to do with Trenor’s death, having been stationed in another system; everyone maintains their own beliefs on the subject. Regardless, Trenor’s passing opened the way for Aquilinus’s ascension, and in doing so, sealed the fates of many a glorious Ultramarine. While on the outside, Aquilinus was a perfect example of the Ultramarine’s ideals, his heart was beyond repair. Deciding that those who passed him over were unfit for command, Aquilinus dedicated the rest of his time as an Ultramarine building a power base from which to strike at the heart of the Chapter’s high command. Recognizing that he would need authority, Aquilinus showed remarkable restraint and foresight, performing his duties exceptionally well, and rising rapidly through the ranks. Eventually he was given command of the second company, and from there, he quickly selected those in whom he saw the similar vein of wounded pride. A skilled orator, Aquilinus bided his time, slowly and patiently recruiting and turning his company away from the ideals of its masters and towards his own twisted agenda. While he was able to convert many, some he approached were completely unwilling to accept his ideas, and so a series of ‘accidents’ befell his company, the fallen men replaced with those more easily swayed.

While Aquilinus was content to bide his time and strike from hiding in one swift blow, fate and the Almighty Emperor conspired to bring his treachery to light. After being ordered by the Chapter Master to secure the rebellious world of Hui VI, Aquilinus departed with his entire company, wholly intent on bringing the traitorous world to heel, and thus advancing his plans at the expense of traitors too bold and foolish to live. It is also thought that Aquilinus himself was not against the Imperium, merely his immediate masters in the chapter. After a successful campaign, Master Killint himself took to space to personally congratulate his greatest commander, arriving with minimal guard and only a lightly crewed strike cruiser. Aquilinus thought himself blessed beyond measure at the opportunity and made his plans to ambush and destroy the ship, only to be overheard by a loyalist member that he had yet to convert fully. When his loyalist subordinate tried to communicate Aquilinus’s treachery, the Captain had him permanently silenced, preventing the loyalist from raising any effective warning. Fearing further delays would only raise more complications, Aquilinus launched his assault. Catching his former battle-brothers completely unprepared, Aquilinus’s ambush would have no doubt been successful, killing the Chapter Master and all onboard. The Emperor himself intervened however, as in the mere seconds following his ambush, a pair Strike Cruisers of the Sons of Orar chapter arrived on scene. Unbeknownst to Aquilinus, they had just finished a campaign of their own in the neighboring system, and were arriving to meet Master Killint, who was intent on introducing them to his most valuable Captain and his own heir-apparent, a mighty Ultramarine named Maro Aquilinus.

As the twin strike cruisers of the Sons of Orar emerged from the warp, they found themselves amid a blaze of torpedoes and lance strikes. Immediately hailing both vessels, the new arrivals quickly came to terms with the situation and opened fire on the Argent Consul, Aquilinus’s own cruiser. Cursing the arrival of their former brothers-in-arms, Aquilinus was forced to retreat, but not before venting his rage on the few loyalists he had discovered left onboard his vessel. In a barbaric display, Aquilinus killed them, and tore their progenoid glands out; desecrating the sacred geneseed as he publicly broke any remaining ties with his former Chapter. Jettisoning his former comrades in the void of space sans their armor, his last act blackened the last corner of what was once a noble heart, and he fled to the far reaches of space, planning his vengeance against those who wronged him. He would go on to plague the Ultramarines and their heirs, leading his traitorous company against them at every opportunity.

Brother Tyler · May 16, 2011

I just noticed that the placement of Ambition, while a complete accident due to my own oversight, just happened to be exactly correct as the eighteenth word starts with "a". Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good, I suppose. :D

My real reason for posting this reply, though, is to gauge everyone's feelings on the amount of time I've given for voting. I gave a week because I figured that we'd need time for everyone to read all of the entries, consider which ones they thought were best, and distribute their points accordingly. I especially wanted to ensure that those members that submitted entries had time, but I also wanted to be sure that those that didn't have the time/inclination to write anything could also vote.

So far I've received "votes" from three members, only one of which submitted anything, so I'm inclined to think that the week was a good period of time to give. I want to keep the project rolling (understanding that I have real life concerns that might slow things down at times, as we found out last week). If there is a consensus that we need less time in order to vote on things and keep the ball rolling, let me know and I'll try to speed things up a bit. Everyone will still have the full week I gave for this element's "voting", but future elements will allow for less time to vote (perhaps three or four days in order to give a long enough window to give as many people as possible a chance to vote while being short enough to keep things rolling).

Ecritter · May 16, 2011

Personally I think 3 or 4 days is enough. I vote when I haven't submitted ... just don't think it right to vote for myself. :P

Brother Tyler · May 16, 2011

I vote when I haven't submitted ... just don't think it right to vote for myself. :P

Well, that's why I limit entrants in the points they can assign to their own submissions. If you honestly think that yours is best, though, I think it's entirely ethical to assign the max allowed points to your own entry. On the other hand, if you think other submissions are worthy, you have other points to give to them. I'm not saying that you have to vote if you entered - I certainly understand the reasoning for not voting. I'm just saying that I take that concept into account when determining any voting methodologies so you shouldn't feel guilty about voting in any manner that you see fit. ;)

The only person that isn't allowed to vote is me. Every other member of the site is entitled to vote per the guidelines set forth for each challenge (if they so desire, that is). B)

voi shet magir · May 16, 2011

just don't think it right to vote for myself. :P

What if all of the other options are horrible? Do you trust everyone else to have good taste?

Vote with the insistence on heavy editing. I do not mean editing for style, I do not even mean the re-writes which turned dirty dancing 2: havana nights from political commentary into what it is today. Vote for something that you can edit heavily enough that you can turn the synopsis from what it is into the actual script for dirty dancing two.

Ecritter · May 17, 2011

Everyone must do as they feel right, for me its not voting for or against myself. I expect no one else to follow my lead.

Aqui · May 17, 2011

Everyone must do as they feel right, for me its not voting for or against myself. I expect no one else to follow my lead.

I wouldn't vote for myself either. When I enter something in a competition, the entry itself is my vote. If it epic fails then I at least learn something from it :P

Ace Debonair · May 17, 2011

Everyone must do as they feel right, for me its not voting for or against myself. I expect no one else to follow my lead.

I wouldn't vote for myself either. When I enter something in a competition, the entry itself is my vote. If it epic fails then I at least learn something from it :P

Unlike me. I shamelessly and cheerfully vote for my own work if given the chance*. If it's not as good as I think it is, it doesn't win. :HQ:

* Exceptions in case I see something that makes me go 'damn, I whould've done that', which happened more than once last time. :P

EDIT: I didn't enter this round, though, so I didn't vote for my own stuff.

BackSplash · May 20, 2011

I vote when I haven't submitted ... just don't think it right to vote for myself. :lol:

I agree totally with you. I submitted and cannot vote with a clear conscience. I would suggest a repost of this subject in the Ultramarines section as I think more members would be apt to vote in there since it is about their chapter they play. I wish I would've posted this earlier as it is only hours before the deadline. I am also curious if I took the guidelines out of content. I was under the impression that Chaos warping the mind of our dear brother was not allowed. :P I still think that all the submissions are great and whomever wins I congradulate.

elohimalpha · May 21, 2011

Aaaaaaaaaaaand I just realize I forgot to vote. /sigh

Brother Tyler · May 21, 2011

And our winner is Loyalty Unto Damnation