The Lightbringers, formerly Knights of Blood

[Azaghal]

For quite some time I wanted to write some IA, but I could not find the idea that would keep me for long enough to flesh it out. I think that for the long last I may have found it.

 

I can't deny it, I have a thing for space marines in silver armour. That's the reason why Knights of Blood seemed interesting to me, but - the established fluff strongly suggests some Khornish tendencies, which seems bland to me. After I read the Dornian Heresy, I began to take some interest in Nurgle, and decided that I could use him as a base for the traitor chapter.

 

Knights of Blood with some Nurgle spices then. Okay, so what can we do with that... Obvious things first.

 

 

 

I. Why would they turn to Nurgle?

Nurgle is a god of despair, and Knights are of Sanguinius geneseed? Well, seems easy enough, after the increasing problems with Red Thirst they are 'abandoned' by Imperium (Excomunnicate Traitoris) and then their brothers seem to think them traitors as well (they do not try to contact them during Siege of Baal).

 

Problems:

1. This establishes the Knights as a chapter that turned to Chaos VERY recently (like, 10 years ago at most). Which makes it hard for me to include Plague Marines in army lists (yes, I intend to play them as my second army).

2. Thay still need some kind of spark to get them going in Nurgle-direction. The librarian hearing voices seems cheesy...

 

 

II. Why didn't they turn Khorne before, as the evidence in present fluff suggests?

I think they have had some part of the chapter going "BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD" quite early after its founding, and therefore they are very careful about that. Maybe they established some kind of Executioner office for one of the Librarians to seek taint between the Battle Brothers?

The "I don't want to get blood crazy" thing might have also been one of the reasons they chose Nurgle - to protect them from the Red Thirst.

 

 

III. Why did they change the name to Lightbringers?

Because the author wanted to have a reason for changing their symbol to easier to paint one ;). Honestly - this is a problem only if they are really young Nurglites, otherwise - most of the Warbands change their names. And, as they will obviously think Empire is wrong and whatnot, given their knightly nature thay will want to enlighten ordinary citizens.

 

 

 

I want them to be originally knightly defenders with a knack for vengeance that really want to keep their honour. They would be a 'sentry' chapter, answering to distress calls, but not engaging the enemy just for the sake of it, like the crusading ones do. Preferred style of battle would be head-on assault, but a valiant, not a crazy one.

 

 

 

Additional details like founding, precise combat tactics and so on I will add later, but I have some ideas on them already. What really is needed most right now is coming up with a believable process of turning to Nurgle, so if you have any ideas, I would be grateful if you'd share them. That's why it's called brainstorming :)

[Arkangilos]

I don't think you should make them from the Knights of Blood. There is no absolute evidence that the Knights of Blood. They have just been declared renegade for their actions. They still claim to be fighting for the Imperium. (Codex: BA 54)

 

Also, the Knights of Blood were declared renegade centuries ago, not a decade ago. (Codex: BA 17)

 

And, they DID show up to the siege of Baal, they just take great care to not fight next to chapters that would shoot them. (Codex: BA 17)

 

Also, you can just as easily (with the amount of fluff on them) make up your OWN blood angel successor that turned to Nurgle.

[Azaghal]

OK, so my rambling wasn't as clear as I thought it would be. Quite understandable really, as I am not a native speaker.

 

I don't think you should make them from the Knights of Blood.

It's not whether I should, but whether I want ;) - and I do.

 

 

They have just been declared renegade for their actions.

Which does not mean that they did not turn to chaos. In fact, my idea is that they turn to Chaos because (and after) they're branded renegades, not the other way around.

 

 

They still claim to be fighting for the Imperium. (Codex: BA 54)

Wrong, they claim to be fighting for the Emperor, and that is completely different from fighting for the Imperium. Maybe for them Father (Nurgle) = Emperor? Also, they claimed fighting for the Emperor. My fluff is actually 42k right now (if they turned to Chaos after Siege of Baal), so some things might have changed.

 

 

Also, the Knights of Blood were declared renegade centuries ago, not a decade ago. (Codex: BA 17)

True and I never claimed anything different, though I might have not been perfectly clear. My version goes like that: they have big problems with Red Thirst, which results in 'centuries of carnage'. Then they're branded Excommunicate Traitoris, because the Imperium sees this as a betrayal. Nevertheless, they keep fightinf for the Emperor and several centuries later, in despair of extinction because of the flaw and being abandoned by their brothers, they turn to Nurgle.

 

 

And, they DID show up to the siege of Baal, they just take great care to not fight next to chapters that would shoot them. (Codex: BA 17)

History is written by the good guys. The KoB view is that even though they helped to defend Baal, their brothers abandoned them. (I know they have shown on Baal, once again - I wasn't clear. I'll have to tidy up the previous post).

 

 

Also, you can just as easily (with the amount of fluff on them) make up your OWN blood angel successor that turned to Nurgle.

I know, but since Knights are so underdeveloped and have cool name and color scheme, I can just as well use them ;).

[Arkangilos]

Actually, it says the Imperium AND the Emperor. Look at the passage on that page.