space wolf Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 "The Emperor was weak in his hypocrisy; Horus was weak in his arrogance; and those that embrace the obvious corruptions of Chaos are the weakest of all. For they voluntarily surrender their will. My brothers, hold on to your hatred. Hate makes you strong. Use it as a fire is used to forge a weapon. Hate is our purpose, and revenge is the weapon we wield to carry it out. Revenge against the living corpse who has betrayed us. Revenge against the other Legions, who in their weakness: either lacked the courage to see the truth with their own eyes; or allowed themselves to be blinded by the false promises of other gods. Our hate is our conviction. And only we few, have the strength of will to live by our convictions." Kador Vakarion ~The Hatebringer, Leader of the VIIIth So my vision is this. The warband (Like most Chaos warbands do) centers around the cult of personality of Kador Vakarion. In short. before the Heresy, he was a well respected veteran of the elite, 1st company, with a reputation of inspiring those around him. He would eventually have been promoted to captain of one of the many companies, had he not chosen a different path. After the Council of Nikaea, Kador volunteered to become one of these new chaplains. He was assigned to the 8th Company. During the heresy, he was one of the few non-wordbearer chaplains, who chose to side with Horus. (He felt just as betrayed, by the Emperor, as the rest of his legion). In the aftermath of Tsuglasa, he and the remnants of the 8th fled into the warp. Over the years, Kador grew restless. It seemed to him the years of fighting each other could have been better spent fighting the "real" enemy. Kador, became more and more vocal on the subject. As the decades passed, Kador could not longer stomach his legion's lack of focus. With the help of those loyal to him within 8th Co. and his ability to inspire even the most jaded into fiery action. He has formed a very sizable warband. Simply called the VIIIth. It pays homage to the "true purpose" of their legion, and from what company they originally come from. Kador prefers negotiation when it comes to his fellow Night Lord war leaders. Despite their apparent lack of vision, it would still be better for them to fight the enemy, then each other. Instead of stealing from his own brothers. He prefers to simply attract his followers with fiery word and strength of deed. But just as he inspires others, he himself is looking for inspiration. He never wished to be the leader of men, and does so out of necessity. However, he is not blind to the irony, or to the advantages that holds. Well, that is what I've come up with. Plausible? Is this "original enough." Or am I channeling something that, off the top of my head, I hadn't noticed. Too cliche? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yogi Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 Smells like Talos as a chaplian.. (Night Lords had chaplians???) The Night Lords focus is terror, pain and preying on the weak, they seem pretty well set to purpose there. The pure hate no impurity thing is also quite popular IMO. ADB made it the new sexy. But if you like it good enough. But you don't have to be a word bearer about chaos. You don't have to have your guys worship like zealots. Chaos to me is power and self destruction in equal measure. And you damn sure don't have to worship to be corrupted. Like say 8 company of NightLords flees to the Eye with the rest of the legion, following Curze's assassination. As they enter the Eye they discover the Legion fleet is not with them; they appear to be the only ship as far as scanners can determine. Moments later another ship translates to real space. It is practically a wreck, it bears Night Lord colours. The 8th leader Kador attempts to hail this new arrival. The response is lance fire, the void battle is short Kador cripples the ship with little damage to his own vessel. He prepares to board it with his company. A bridge serf informs him the enemy is overloading its reactor. As Kador orders evasive maneuvers and the vox which has remained open erupts with malicious laughter. Kador is stunned, shocked and frozen with indecision because behind the madness he recognizes his own voice laughing back at him. Kador's ship survives the reactor explosion with significant damage. Disgusted and furious that he could be so pathetic as to fall to madness, he murders every soul on the bridge, all who heard the laughter. No one can know the truth. But surely he was mistaken, it must of been another Night Lord. And so it goes Kador is ever haunted by the event. Vacillating between denial, fury and disgust. Every day of the Long war, every raid and every translation into the warp Kador comes closer to the fate he in his weaker moments he believes will happen. Welcome to the Eye of Terror, you puritan bastard. Chaos up in this motherfether. Don't get me wrong, my story can be called lame cliche crap. My cynicism is so well developed should I desire I can insult and demean any story. Canon too. Hell there is a chapter called Space Wolves and no one bats an eye lid. EDit lol your name is space wolf, sorry didnt notice. But yeah if it was me the background I would have would be related to the warp madness, lack of time, lack of physics and you know the great filthy clouds of emotions called the Chaos gods. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aglǽca Darkwind Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 Sounds like an interesting concept. Never seen a night lord chaplain, could be a great modelling oppertunety. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
incinerator950 Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 I honestly expected a more weaponized, professional/Mercenary look. Who cares, good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother Ambroz Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 Wow, really Incinerator? What did that comment bring to the table? @Space wolf- I like the concept and it can work I think but I agree with Yogi. In my opinion what it needs is to differentiate from ADB's Talos. The first bit about hate and prefering diplomacy with fellow Night Lords is great. The last bit, mostly about looking for inspiration and not wanting to be a leader of men just screams Talos. I'd take that last bit a different route, otherwise most people will think its just another copy of the aforementioned author. Not that is a bad thing, just probably not at all what you were going for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
incinerator950 Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 Wow, really Incinerator? What did that comment bring to the table? @Space wolf- I like the concept and it can work I think but I agree with Yogi. In my opinion what it needs is to differentiate from ADB's Talos. The first bit about hate and prefering diplomacy with fellow Night Lords is great. The last bit, mostly about looking for inspiration and not wanting to be a leader of men just screams Talos. I'd take that last bit a different route, otherwise most people will think its just another copy of the aforementioned author. Not that is a bad thing, just probably not at all what you were going for. I was saying who cares about what I thought, good luck with what they did. It was fine without your interpretation. Edit: Now I just remembered. Does Kador still believe in Fear through focus? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
space wolf Posted August 21, 2012 Author Share Posted August 21, 2012 Thank you for the comments gentlemen. As for the Talos thing, I was afraid of that. I've only read the first book, so I wasn't sure if that is where the story went...but apparently that's where it goes. Yogi- Good concept, I will use part of this. Oh and I'm THE space wolf...so awesome, I don't even need to capitalize my name! Darkwind- He's not a chaplain anymore. That's just what he was. Helps explain some of his demeanor, but I suppose he doesn't necessarily have to have a reason for why his personality is that way. Lets try this on for size: "The Emperor was weak in his hypocrisy; Horus was weak in his arrogance; the Primarchs were weak in their ignorance; and those that embrace the obvious corruptions of Chaos are the weakest of all. For they voluntarily surrender their will. My brothers, hold on to your hatred. Hate makes you strong. Use it as a fire is used to forge a weapon. Hate is our purpose, and revenge is the weapon we wield to carry it out. Revenge against the living corpse who has betrayed us. Revenge against the other Legions, who in their weakness: either lacked the courage to see the truth with their own eyes; or allowed themselves to be blinded by the false promises of other gods. Our hate is our conviction. And only we few, have the strength of will to live by our convictions." Kador Vakarion ~The Hatebringer, Leader of the VIIIth So my vision is this. The warband (Like most Chaos warbands do) centers around the cult of personality of Kador Vakarion. Before the Heresy, he was a well respected veteran of the elite, 1st company. In the aftermath of Tsuglasa, in the mad scramble to escape the imperial fleet, he and a few dozen Astartes, mainly from the 8th company fled into the warp. After their translation into the warp the sensor serfs realized the other ships were nowhere to be found. When it was deemed safe they translated back into real space to ascertain the situation. The sensor readings indicated they were much farther out on the eastern fringe than expected. To make matters worse, there were three unknown vessels inbound. Even more peculiar they were being hailed by them. Long story short, the warp had displaced them thousands of years into the future, and they were now in what is known as Tau space. They fought their way out and made for the Great Eye. Once there, Kador, was truly disillusioned by what he saw. What was left of his brothers had completely degenerated in their depravity. A temptation he understood all too well. He believed it was because his legion had lost their purpose. Their many years in the warp had blunted the hard edge their hatred, and the sting of betrayal. The wounds were still fresh for Kador and his men however and with his ability to inspire even the most jaded into fiery action. He has formed a very sizable warband. Simply called the VIIIth. It pays homage to the "true purpose" of their legion, and from what company they originally come from. Kador prefers negotiation when it comes to his fellow Night Lord war leaders. Despite their apparent lack of vision, it would still be better for them to fight the enemy, then each other. Instead of stealing from his own brothers. He prefers to simply attract his followers with fiery word and strength of deed. His hatred is all he has. It is his purpose, it provides the focus he needs to wage an unending war. With an iron will he resists the very powers that seduced Horus. But hate is a double edged sword, and only time will tell who will be cut deeper, the Imperium, or himself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother Ambroz Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 @incinerator - That's not how it sounded but whatever guy. @space wolf - That is much better I think. Will you be doing any short stories on your warband? I think they really help define it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
space wolf Posted August 21, 2012 Author Share Posted August 21, 2012 I may, should the mood strike me. I think I might be on to something with this one.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GooseDaMoose Posted August 22, 2012 Share Posted August 22, 2012 It's not really Talos. Everyone hates him because of his assumed superiority. He's a bumhole. I think this Kador fella sounded more like Malcharion the War-Sage (dun dun duuun). Anywho, I liked it either way, but I don't think Night Lords would have Chaplains, doesn't really schwung with their modus operandi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Heremes Posted August 22, 2012 Share Posted August 22, 2012 i disagree, in the audio book Dark king, it specificaly states that the night lords did have chaplains, they were in charge of dealing with prisoners and survivors. i dont see them as being the noble inspiring presence that you usualy see in other legions. i see them as terror experts, constantly leading by example and knowing how to best demoralize the enemy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother Ambroz Posted August 22, 2012 Share Posted August 22, 2012 I agree with Heremes, chaplains in the Night Lords legion could definitely work, they'd just fulfill a different role to the traditional one. Instead of driving others to the glory of the corpse god, they could lead their brothers in sowing terror and discord. Perhaps even going so far as to punish those weaker souls that show mercy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyaenidae Posted August 22, 2012 Share Posted August 22, 2012 Exactly. A Chaplain is a transhuman who embodies the very essence of their specific Legion's soul. They are who their fellow brothers look up to, a being of singular presence and focus who are distilled with the very characteristics that make that Legion unique. The question you have to ask yourself is this: Amongst a brotherhood of thieves, rapists, murderers, and violent souls, whose father is clinically insane, what makes a Night Lord Chaplain a spiritual leader of a Legion of spiritually broken souls? What trait makes him not just a Night Lord, but "the" Night Lord, his Legion's soul wrapped in flesh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother Ambroz Posted August 22, 2012 Share Posted August 22, 2012 That's deep heathens, too deep for my blood. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yogi Posted August 22, 2012 Share Posted August 22, 2012 I'm gonna sound like a :cuss but I think the original is better. Obviously never listen to my ramblings in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyaenidae Posted August 22, 2012 Share Posted August 22, 2012 IF (a big, fat If here, mind you) I was going to make a Night Lords Chaplain, this would be how I'd go about the fluff: The one thing that seperates a son of the sunless world from the unwashed masses, is his lack of humanity. Both from his life on Nostramo (or some gutter trash underhive on Terra) and his psychological conditioning upon his ascension to a demi-god of the VIII, a Night Lord is utterly divorced from the atrocities he commits, jaded since infancy and emotionally neutered by the Legion Apothecarians in his teens. How do you take such a hardened killer, and make him an icon of the Legion? Break him. Take a volunteer, a monster of the VIII whose centuries of murders and fear mongering have made him a champion of the Night Lords. Offer him a chance to become even greater, a living icon of terror and fear. Then, force-expose his very soul (either through psychic mind-altering or reverse psychological conditioning) to reveal the one thing every Astartes buries within themselves; their humanity. As this career psychopath is finally given back the one thing he never wanted returned, force his soul to face up to every, I repeat, EVERY atrocity he has commited. Every moment of torture, every murder, every genocide, all seen anew with the door of his mind open to the human being he once was. Then, when he's about to lose his mind to sorrow and horror, slam that door shut. What you are left with is an Astartes who is capable of understanding fear, not just as a reaction to violence, but as a transhuman who has experienced it firsthand, and understands it's impact on the human mind. His guantlets would voluntarily be Sinner's Red, the very action of feeling true fear a dishonourable shame and a remarkable honour in the same action, a sacrifice in the name of understanding terror. He'd be morose, and slightly divided from his brothers due to his experiences, but would be capable of being sympathetic to his victims while remaining emotionally detatched to the horrors he commits due to his reasserted conditioning. A living icon of fear and terror, embodied in sable black struck with lightning; wearing no helm, only a hood, so that his horror ravaged eyes can be seen...a man who finally saw too much, and radiates an aura of terror from those black orbs; a soft-spoken master of horror and dread, quiet apologizes on his lips as he crucifies his victims and pours incinderary gel across their bare skin outside the walls of an enemy battlement; a shade of thier father, walking amongst his heartless sons. After all, one cannot be a master of fear, if they have never experienced it themselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azekai Posted August 22, 2012 Share Posted August 22, 2012 amazing stuff by 1000heathens *Slow clap* Now I want a Night Lord army, led by this Chaplain from hell . . . Seriously, Heathens, please do some serious writing, either for the Librarium, or better yet, the Black Library. I would pay money for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
space wolf Posted August 22, 2012 Author Share Posted August 22, 2012 What you are left with is an Astartes who is capable of understanding fear, not just as a reaction to violence, but as a transhuman who has experienced it firsthand, and understands it's impact on the human mind. His guantlets would voluntarily be Sinner's Red, the very action of feeling true fear a dishonourable shame and a remarkable honour in the same action, a sacrifice in the name of understanding terror. After all, one cannot be a master of fear, if they have never experienced it themselves. Wow! You kind of got where I wanted to go with my original idea, but gave it much more detail! My whole point, is that wholesale slaughter for its own sake is pointless. Nighthaunter had a reason for doing everything. And it was THAT reason, that made such "slaughter" necessary. Kador is one of the few NL who still understand this. He uses that understanding to "inspire" and "guide" the Astartes that follow him, into a more efficient war machine. How do you take such a hardened killer, and make him an icon of the Legion? Break him. Take a volunteer, a monster of the VIII whose centuries of murders and fear mongering have made him a champion of the Night Lords. Offer him a chance to become even greater, a living icon of terror and fear. Then, force-expose his very soul (either through psychic mind-altering or reverse psychological conditioning) to reveal the one thing every Astartes buries within themselves; their humanity. As this career psychopath is finally given back the one thing he never wanted returned, force his soul to face up to every, I repeat, EVERY atrocity he has commited. Every moment of torture, every murder, every genocide, all seen anew with the door of his mind open to the human being he once was. Then, when he's about to lose his mind to sorrow and horror, slam that door shut. I'm definitely using this, if you don't mind? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyaenidae Posted August 22, 2012 Share Posted August 22, 2012 Please do, man. It's why I typed it up. :cuss Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
incinerator950 Posted August 22, 2012 Share Posted August 22, 2012 Heathens, do you mind giving me a jumpstart on my Warband later? I've got a presentation and a few papers to slam in before today and next week, so I haven't been able to conjure my mind together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
space wolf Posted August 22, 2012 Author Share Posted August 22, 2012 Ok, so here is a little something to round out the concept. (I'm doing all my brainstorming on this thread, so expect things like this.) Kl'reth Ar'tus awoke with a start. Her arms hurt. The taught chains slightly clinked as she attempted to move her arms into a different position. She realized she was chained, her lithe body, naked and spread eagled to a wall. Dazed and disoriented, she tried to get her bearings. It reminded her of the Humonculus den she had once visited. The only light to be seen were too pools of sharp red light, beaming down upon her. Outside a meter from her position was complete darkness. She could feel the cold radiate from the wall that was mere inches away from her back. A slow, quiet, hum could be heard behind that wall. She must be on her abductor's ship. That could be the only explanation. A smile broke on her face. So it was to be torture, she thought. Let them try. She heard a giggle escape her taught lips. These Mon'Kliegh fools, don't know what torture really is. She was of Cormmoragh, a mighty Archon. They may be large, but they know nothing of what true pain is. Her laughter gaining volume, she felt the need to taunt her captors. "You seek to torture me?" She screamed into the darkness. "...to wring me of information? You will get nothing from me. I am the Archon of the Bloodied Heart! Do you think you lowly scum can even begin to fathom who you are dealing with? What you would call pain, I would call a pleasure!" A second passed as she heard the dying echo of her voice careen off the walls. Suddenly, the low hum became much louder as the wall whose proximity she could feel reached out and put a cold, massive hand on her shoulder. A low sigh was emitted from the lights above her. Loud thuds of massive boots accompanied the moving of the lights as they moved from slightly behind, to in front of her. Then she realized, these were not lights, but eyes! Again a mechanical sigh was emitted somewhere near the "eyes." A low growl of a voice momentarily shocked her out of her arrogance. Loud to her ears, she could however tell, that to the emitter of the voice, it was almost a whisper. "I want you to know that what I am about to do, will give me no pleasure. I admit, it used to, but I have since lost my taste for it. I tell you this, because I want you to understand just what kind of hell you have entered." She felt a small fear start to creep within her as she listened to the cold sincerity of the voice. To combat it, an arrogant rage rose up within her. "You don't know what fear is! You have no idea how to truly cause pain! Do you think by saying these things, I will just quiver in my skin?" she exclaimed almost as if she was trying to convince herself. In her rage or perhaps desperation, she spat in the general direction of the eyes. In response, she heard a low, booming chuckle. "Yes," said the voice calmly. "I can already smell the dull fear, growing inside of you. Soon you will be reeking of terror, and that is when the true pain begins." Kl'reth felt a sharp pain beside her ribs as she felt the skin split by a razor sharp implement. She had been cut before, this was nothing. But instead of the dull sting that usually followed the sharp pain of a wound; the pain continued to get sharper, and sharper, and sharper. It grew more and more intense. She couldn't understand how this was happening. This was clearly the work of no ordinary torture instrument. Her fear continued to rise, and with it came the pain. She felt the need to scream, but held it in check, as she listened to the calm voice. "What you feel now is only the beginning. I know because I have endured it. It has helped make me what I am. I have mastered fear. I am the Hatebringer of the VIII and you will know my pain. What I torture isn't just your body, but your soul. What you feel is all the pain you have inflicted on others. Your soul will drown in the sins that have sustained it, through your wretched life. But you will tell me everything before it does, and you will know the pain of centuries of terror." And with that last statement, she could stand it no longer. The terror had completely overcome her, and she screamed... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyaenidae Posted August 22, 2012 Share Posted August 22, 2012 Heathens, do you mind giving me a jumpstart on my Warband later? I've got a presentation and a few papers to slam in before today and next week, so I haven't been able to conjure my mind together. Post what you got, and I'd be happy to help as much as I can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noctus Cornix Posted August 22, 2012 Share Posted August 22, 2012 Get in line, Incinerator... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dark Mechanicum Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 There were chaplains that were not Word Bearers, it was unheard of but it did happen (Dark Angels for one). Honestly a chaplain would be a very good focus for the fear aspect of the Night Lords. They are already an image of fear, just to keep it worthwhile dont use sorcerors or something like that. But can't wait to see more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ale0x Posted August 27, 2012 Share Posted August 27, 2012 There's (kinda crappy) artwork of a Night Lords chaplain in one of the Heresy artbooks. ;D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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