IA: Exsanguinators

[fivepointedstar]

-Disclosure: This is a non-canon attempt to create the story of the Exsanguinators. A chapter of the Blood Angels having been labeled as fatally flawed", this is their story. Please understand that this is purely for creative purposes and to be taken into consideration that this is non- canon material and would be in the realm of "what if GW actually had their act together to create some kind of fluff on a chapter they list in their own codex" universe - Thanks
 

 

Chapter Name:Exsanguinators
Founding: 3rd
Chapter World/Deployment: Arterius
Fortress Monastery: Capulus
Gene-seed (Predecessor): Blood Angels
Known Descendants: None

Thought of the day: Our blood flows with the last sacrifice of our father. We will use his blessing to make our enemies bleed.

Created in the wake of the Horus Heresy the Exsanguinators were created in the third founding when the rage and thirst was not yet heard of. They were created as a vanguard force to push back advancing Dark Eldar aliens in the Segmentum Pacificus sector. Their goal was to create a offensive line for the planetary system Arterius. This planet is an industrial hive world in the shipping lane known as the life line of the sector. Arteriuss main aspect was churning out mining goods use to create the weapons, and armor of the Imperium. This sectors constant strife of living would only worsen when the black web ways would open up and the foul xenos would pour forth onto humanity to reap its harvest.

Origins of the Exsanguinators

Created on the morning of the M32 a chapter created from the legendary Blood Angels legion. A chapter created to strike back at the pirates, and rogues that raid the shipping lanes of the industrial moons, and planets. Recruits were pulled from the hive cities that littered the planet. The Astartes began taking from the planets penal population,and gangers to use as inducted recruits. Sanguinary Priests would give these potential marines the chalice of Sanguinius to drink from; transforming the bodies into their super human forms. While under deep slumber Sanguinary Priest would begin to surgical alter the marines adding in vital organs to assist in their warrior prowess. During the battle of Drexel it was discovered that marines of the new chapter suffered unexplained losses.

Sanguinary Priests found out due to a dying marine stuck with fragment grenade the bleeding would not stop. Not able to cease the bleeding they traced this back to the Larramans organ. A vital blessing that if not properly working would surely make the marine bleed out due to the secondary heart, and Haemastamen organs working together to increase blood flow. Every attempt to re grow the flawed organ failed. Priests worked frantically to fix an issue that could not be fixed. The chapter took on the name Exsanguinators taking the flawed organ as a badge of pride. Their honor is to fight on when death is quicker should the marine not carry out his duties correctly. Marines of the Exsanguinators are also not the most accommodating ally on the battle field as they care not for human life. Their mentality is that they must kill or be killed, and only the mission is important. Marines of the chapter harbor their flaw with pride, and with a doomed attitude. Knowing full well a simple mistake could forever eradicate this fragile chapter. Imperial commanders often refuse to fight alongside this blood thirsty chapter. Often Imperial scholars talking about the chapter are words spoken of pending excommunication and other common words heard are blood taker

Organization

The chapter strength of the Exsanguinators is diminished from what it was in its founding days. Having marines die quicker than normal has increased their recruiting process to replenish their companies. Each company stands at half strength and battle brothers would be selected out of each company to fight in a battle. The chapters scout companies are increased due to the rapid deployment of the Exsanguinators. This over stock of recruits keeps plenty of marine in power armor available should a large war break out. Scouts transition into the larger battle companies if they survive their initial training. The Exsanguinators have three scout companies in their organization. This is needed due to the rapid deployment of scout into their main companies to replenish initiate marines. The use of so many scouts does have its advantage as the scouts are constantly being used in enemy engagements. The scout gain valuable battle knowledge in the short time they are in that company. This knowledge they carry on into the battle brother companies. Thou having a high mortality rate this process somewhat keeps the chapter active in the theater of war.

Command of the Exsanguinators is lead by the High Chaplains. As the current chapter master Ivan is only let out of statis during greater times of need. Most battles are lead via the company Captains, or honored by one of the Reclusiams Chaplains. All battles are controlled from the battle counsel of the high Chaplain, the chief Librarian, and High Sanguinary priest; along with the six company Captains. When war begins, this counsel mandates what companies will attend this battle and what resources to use. Only in direst of needs, or when the counsel of their chapter master is necessary do they wake Ivan. Having Ivan awoken means the marines of the Exsanguinators are treading on the end of their existence. Without a cure to their flaw their gene-seed curse will surely consume them. Driven insane from black rage, and doomed to die a bloody death. Marines of the Exsanguinators have but one thing to look for... and that is combat.

Death companies in the Exsanguinators force exceed over 100 marines inflicted with the black rage. Transported via the use of statis fields these marines are constantly being utilized for line breaker unit. Once the scout units take out the enemies squad leaders, and supply lines. Death company transports drive forward ready to unleash death upon the enemy. If the death company succeeds then they are locked in statis for the next battle. In a chapter with so few, and less and less every day, killing an inflicted brother is not necessary as they are still a resource to be used until they meet their end the only way Exsanguinators meet their end; bloody with a pile or enemy corpses around them.

 

a. Tac Marine b. Death Co.

Homeworld

The battle brothers of the Exsanguinators have home base operations on the planet Arterius. Arterius is found in the Segmentum Pacificus sector of the galaxy. Having rich deposits of minerals and location make this planet prime for strife. The large hive cities serve the planets a labor force. The Exsanguinators primarily recruit subjects from the penal camps from the three major hive cities.  Capulus is a large underground fortress in a valley far to the south of the planet. From here the training grounds exist in dense tunnels. Marines recruited are not permitted to see the light of day until their training is over, this process is known as the rising. Once a recruit has been trained into the scout company then are they allow seeing the light of day. Emplacement into the standard companies requires the marines to fulfill their duties and be inducted into the initiate ranks.

The Exsanguinators do not interact with the population of Arterius. Only in time of dire need to they show their existence. But none so far has dared attack the hive world of Arterius, yet...

Combat Doctrine

Marines of the Exsanguinators utilize assault strikes just in the similar fashion of their primogenitors the Blood Angels. They employ one tactic not usually used by scions of Sanguinius and that is stealth. The Exsanguinators are notorious for guerrilla ambush fighting and the use of stealth to get into grips with their enemies. Using the darkness to conceal their movements Exsanguinators utilize in sabotage tactics to cripple their enemy. Then their assault warriors embark on blitzkrieg style warfare decimating everyone in their wake. Enemies of the Exsanguinators fear the warriors in the shadows and they are infamous for using their guile to knife an enemy in the back whilst their not looking.

Having a multitude of war machines due to the gifts granted to them from their primogenitors. The Exsanguinators utilize in all types of ground assault tactics, relying on Land Raider tanks to bring forth their warriors in walls of Adamantium, and Ceremite. Columns of mechanized vehicles dredge forward once the enemy supply lines are destroyed via the use of scouts. Ready to unleash the blood seeking warriors bend on destruction or death for their chapter and Sanguinius.
They wear black cloaks to aid in their stealth-like tactics only leaving their heraldry visible to their enemy. Death Companies paint their armor pure white and marked with great red satires. In the end their armor ends up looking more like their primogenitors. The Exsanguinators rely on the shadows to hunt forward to positions worthy of a surprise attack. Their heavy use of scouts helps shut down enemy supply trains, and ammo depots. Without the supply network to help the opposition the Exsanguinators quickly swoop in to execute the enemy.

Chapter Master Lord Ivan Vladimir

Ivan was made lord of the Exsanguinators around M32.3. He is infamous for his unorthodox approach to warfare. Ivan has been known to fight with unconstrained fury creating massive diversions whilst directing his marines to ambush and attack from unknown positions. Ivan carries with him the ideals of the chapter heavily upon his shoulders. Great wounds inflicted from past battle still pour copious amount of blood. With each battle Ivan is ushered in with chapter servitors each soaking up the bloody wounds and tending to his lesions. He still is a stern warrior capable of quick thinking tactics. He will use any means to annihilate his enemies caring not for collateral damage. Never has a leader been so brutal in his attacks, his eternal wounds dripping of blood. Went not in battle his body stands still in the shiver of his statis field. Only when the mad-counsel of Lord Ivan is required does the statis field dissipate. Requiring vast amount of blood to rejuvenate the immortal warrior, knowing well this ancient warrior counsel come at a price. But none can recount for Ivans tactical knowledge. Until Ivan is killed in combat will the counsel of captains choose another to become their chapter master. No enemy yet has been so lucky to create a wound to grievous for Ivan not to sustain.

Geneseed

Astartes of the Exsanguinator's were doomed from the start since the gene implants came with a defective Larramans organ. The Larraman's organ does not clot the wound site like other Astartes. The secondary heart and Haemastamen simultaneously affect the wounded marine by rushing the blood to the injury site only to not get the clotting power of the Larraman's organ to back it up. Battle field triage would only subdue the bleeding, but without proper wound care the marine would depending on severity of inflicted injury; would bleed out. The flaw is more part of who they are now, and are too stubborn to try to replace the organ all together. Apothecaries have attempted to correct this severe case of hemophilia, but all attempts have been unsuccessful.

Pale in comparison even to the other scion of Sanguinius, They have all have gaunt demeanor and stern looks. Later after implantation something occurs within the failed Larramans organ creating marines with larger pronounced incisor teeth very similar to those Astartes on Fenris. Subjects become over whelmed with the hunger for blood. The red thirst takes over at any point of injury, marines will kill, and drain an enemies blood in attempt to replenish his own lost vital fluids. Black rage is constant strife within the chapter, marines fall to the curse more often because of the constant strain on their will power to sustain mental fortitude. Mortally wounded marines often succumb to the black rage at the peak of their onslaught creating a raging beast hell bend on going down in a bloody whirlwind of destruction. Marines of the Exsanguinators live out their existence in one vicious cycle of either falling to the black rage, or dying due to loss of blood. At the rate from which the marines are dying there wont be enough battle brothers to keep the chapter alive. Even with the over stock of recruits, and with the scouts coming in the issue is once the initiate companies fall there would be no one to train the aspirants into power armored roles within the chapter.

Blood loss was the damned nature of the Exsanguinators each marine fully aware of his nature to die a bloody death. Marines of the Exsanguinator's know their dying out, and their chances to repair the flawed Larramens organ are coming to an end. The brutal acts of a dying brother echo in the minds of every marine. Doomed to die they would chant the rights of mortis every battle knowing full well this could be there last act as marines. Battle attrition caused the marines to seek blood more so than any other son of Sanguinius. The blood they take only quells their thirst, it stops the loss, and it damns them with a greater urge. The doomed marines often fall victim to the black rage, the mental wear cracking his mental fortitude and releasing internal monster.

Battle cry

LET THE BLOOD FLOW!

* Special thanks goes to Midnight Runner on helping with the creation of this Index Astartes. Without his assistance I may have never succeeded. Thanks

** C&C welcome. Edited December 23, 2015 by fivepointedstar

[Erasmus of Baal]

I don't understand why the Larraman's Organ makes them so completely doomed. Yes, it dramatically decreases chances of any given Marine to survive a battle, but it doesn't seem to be that big of an issue, as these wounds can still be stitched up. The Marines do still have typical human platelets and such, and if they don't at that time know how to suture things, I imagine that they would learn rather quickly. Heck, a Space Marine could probably stand having the wound just glued shut. There have been so many different ways to seal wounds over the course of history (one of the originals was to sear it shut with hot metal) that I sincerely doubt that Marines would fail to find a way. Honestly, I think that that would make for a very interesting Chapter, one that has had to improvise in that particular way.

 

Also, I have a hard time understanding how servitors are able to supply the Chapter Master with blood while he's fighting the enemy in this extremely aggressive way. He seems more likely to be using the machinery sustaining him as an additional weapon in combat!

[AGPO]

A couple of points:

 

1. There is already a Blood Angels successor called the Exsanguinators, who died out due to a fatal flaw in their gene-seed. (Codex Blood Angels 5th ed, p.54) Your chapter could have taken on the name, but it would not then have been a third founding chapter. Alternatively you could base your chapter on the now extinct chapter. This would be a pretty interesting take, with the added tragedy of knowing that the chapter is entirely doomed. If you go with this, you could expand on the flaw in the Larraman's Organ to explain how they died out. Maybe the malfuntioning organ causes a form of Haemophilia. This would pretty quickly do for any soldier.

 

2. Your chapter master being born in early M32 is too far fetched in my opinion. This would mean he was born shortly after the Heresy and is around 9,000 years old. Bearing in mind Dante is supposedly the oldest living space marine at just over 1,000 your guy's age combined with the injuries only makes sense if he's stuck in a Dreadnought. Also, the adjectives you use to describe him seem a little bit of a mish-mash.

[Erasmus of Baal]

2. Your chapter master being born in early M32 is too far fetched in my opinion. This would mean he was born shortly after the Heresy and is around 9,000 years old. Bearing in mind Dante is supposedly the oldest living space marine at just over 1,000 your guy's age combined with the injuries only makes sense if he's stuck in a Dreadnought. Also, the adjectives you use to describe him seem a little bit of a mish-mash.

Stasis field. No one claims Guilliman is older than Dante.

[fivepointedstar]

@Erasmus of Baal: Due the the secondary heart, and Haemastamen organs working properly this increases blood flow to heal the wound, but because the Larraman's organ isn't working properly this causes the marine to bleed faster as the body attempts to clot the wounds.

 

@AGPO: This is that same chapter. This is my attempt as the possible reason they were fatally flawed. It was an attempt by Midnight Runner and myself to flesh out the two known " fatally flawed" chapters. And with Ivan.. yes he is that old. But he is in statis most of the time. Dante is still the longest active living marine. Bjorn is the longest entombed marine, and Lysander is another long lived marine due to warp exposure. Ivan is more of a fiqure head in the chapter, ( you just wouldn't want to say that in his face). With your thoughts on Haemophilia; that's what would happen with a secondary heart, and Haemastamen organs his natural blood platelettes would be overloaded with blood flow, there wouldn't be anyway to clot quickly. Yes, you could just field stitch the wound, but as the wound still bleeds this causes large stimata like blood gashes. And the marine is still at risk for death due to blood loss.

[fivepointedstar]

I've put a discloser note at the top explaining the non-canon attempt to create fluff for the Exsanguinators.

[Erasmus of Baal]

If I recall correctly, the secondary heart acts more like a fail-safe than additional power, only being active when there's more bodily demand than the primary heart can handle. If it's working properly, then I think it would stop when the Marine is bleeding out like that. As far as the Haemastamen, I don't understand how that factors in at all. I'd appreciate it if you could explain that a bit further, since my understanding of the Haemastamen (I still have to triple-check the spelling on that) is that it just improves the amount of oxygen, adrenaline, and so on that the same amount of blood can carry at a time, which isn't the same issue as simply bleeding out more quickly.

 

Regardless of my issues about these details, I think that this is a great way to move the Exsanguinators slowly towards extinction. Even if I'm right about the way a Marine's body functions, they'll still have a dramatically elevated mortality rate from lack of a properly functioning Larraman's. I like the concept a lot, I'm just in a mood to be nitpicky about details.

[fivepointedstar]

If I recall correctly, the secondary heart acts more like a fail-safe than additional power, only being active when there's more bodily demand than the primary heart can handle. If it's working properly, then I think it would stop when the Marine is bleeding out like that. As far as the Haemastamen, I don't understand how that factors in at all. I'd appreciate it if you could explain that a bit further, since my understanding of the Haemastamen (I still have to triple-check the spelling on that) is that it just improves the amount of oxygen, adrenaline, and so on that the same amount of blood can carry at a time, which isn't the same issue as simply bleeding out more quickly.

 

Regardless of my issues about these details, I think that this is a great way to move the Exsanguinators slowly towards extinction. Even if I'm right about the way a Marine's body functions, they'll still have a dramatically elevated mortality rate from lack of a properly functioning Larraman's. I like the concept a lot, I'm just in a mood to be nitpicky about details.

to quote from Space Marine codex;

This simplest and most self-sufficient of implants allows a Space Marine to survive his other heart being damaged or destroyed, and to survive in low oxygen environments. Not just a back-up, the secondary heart can boost the blood-flow around the Space Marine's body.

So the secondary does boost blood flow in adrenaline type situation like getting shot or seriouly wounded. The Haemastamen organ does increase the oxygen flow to the wounded site, but without the Larraman's organ working to seal up the wound the blood flows more freely. Since this is 40k gun shot wounds we are taking about its not that easy for the marine's natural blood platelettes to seal the injury site.

 

I tried to keep and major battle info, or how they got extinct. I left that to the imagination of the reader. There's lots of way they literally " kicked the bucket". My thoughts are they exist but are so few they are rarely seen. ( but I didn't want to include my own speculation in my own IA) . :angry:

 

C&C wise is there anything else story wise that needs to be re-did. I'll try to re write the organ issue to make more sence.

[Erasmus of Baal]

As far as I'm concerned, you're good as long as you clarify their defect and its issues better, as that was the only thing that I just got stuck on.

[fivepointedstar]

As far as I'm concerned, you're good as long as you clarify their defect and its issues better, as that was the only thing that I just got stuck on.

I can do that. I'll work on that today. Thanks Erasmus

[fivepointedstar]

I re worded some of the organ infliction info in their geenseed section.

[Midnightmare]

Excellent read Death Knight, you have really brought them to life; although not for long lol I do like how you have expanded on Codex statement on how they have been undone by their geneseed, and left it quite generic. I would perhaps mention why that they rely on heavy use of scouts due to the Chapter attempting to stave off the inevitable, by replacing their loses? Also do they have high amounts of Black Rage occurances due to their additional flaws or just normal? As this would almost certainly add to their doomed chapter status greatly. I could just see the columns of black painted armour with a few white Landraiders at the head, ready to unleash the full fury of Sanguinius’ sons.

 

Good stuff ;)

[fivepointedstar]

Excellent read Death Knight, you have really brought them to life; although not for long lol I do like how you have expanded on Codex statement on how they have been undone by their geneseed, and left it quite generic. I would perhaps mention why that they rely on heavy use of scouts due to the Chapter attempting to stave off the inevitable, by replacing their loses? Also do they have high amounts of Black Rage occurances due to their additional flaws or just normal? As this would almost certainly add to their doomed chapter status greatly. I could just see the columns of black painted armour with a few white Land raiders at the head, ready to unleash the full fury of Sanguinius’ sons.

 

Good stuff ;)

white land raiders with red satires... hmmm...

 

traitor guard- " look sir the field medics are coming to save us."

traitor Sgt. " finally those loyalist dogs have been destroying us, let them thru"

guardsmen- " sir they've park in our main lot and have been sitting their. do we advance to greet them"

Sgt- " yes, at once get the med supplies!. and be quick about it"

guardsman- *walks to land raider door and yells* " hey are you here to help triage these men'

*inside the raider comes a low but audible growl.. door drops*. * from the darkness inside flashes of white armored marine surge forth.

Sgt- arrgh! * silenced by a sniper bullet as the Death Company take out camp gamma.

 

I will add that info in as soon as i can. thanks Midnight.

[Midnightmare]

lol would be interesting to see the special kind of 'help' only the Death Company can bring :cuss

[fivepointedstar]

I've added some more info to help clarify things.

[fivepointedstar]

I've added the chapter symbol.

To explain my choice of the symbol was difficult. I wanted something simple , yet effective in their heraldry. I thought long about their name, and what it means to exsanguinate. I took the red cross as their symbol. Since everyone know that the red cross is a medical symbol used by hospitals all over. And since the American Red Cross foundation also work with blood donation center's to take blood used to save lives. Even thou I've taken something benevolent and have 40K twisted it. Instead of being blood donators they are the one taking it. I wanted something to definitely show they aren't Blood Templar's or Templar's of Blood, etc. I wanted to add in a fanged skull. So this is the story behind the Exsanguinators chapter symbol.

[fivepointedstar]

Here's my plan for the armor colors. First is the basic marine look.

I wanted them to looked like they are very stealthy, using the darkness to get into grips with their foe. I also incorporated the helmet stripe similar to the Flesh Eaters since they both share the same founding. And just had to have slight traces of red to co notate their blood line to Sanguinius I added it into their armor trims.

Up next is the DC co color scheme. I got help with this from Midnight Runner, so this is his color choice for the DC. He said it would be cool for a pure white marine with red trims, and blood spatter everywhere. (He had me convinced with the blood spatter) So I came up with this...

Sorry as I do not have a photo editing program to add in the chapter symbol. But this it as good as I can get with my work computer.

[The_Chaplain]

Hey Deathknight2000, I gave your summary a read over in the Clever Girl... contest in the hall of honor and a thought occured to me: have you given any thought to the idea that the exsanguinators could use barrel heating like from a flamer/melta nozzle to to combat triage and cauterize their wounds from bleeding out?

[fivepointedstar]

Hey Deathknight2000, I gave your summary a read over in the Clever Girl... contest in the hall of honor and a thought occured to me: have you given any thought to the idea that the exsanguinators could use barrel heating like from a flamer/melta nozzle to to combat triage and cauterize their wounds from bleeding out?

Actually no, I never thought of that.  It would make sense for them to do that if the wound was to grievous to simply stitch. I will have to try to incorporate that scorch method into the IA. Thanks The_ Chaplain.

Edited February 8, 2013 by DeathKnight2000

[fivepointedstar]

recently added in the chapter symbol, and the armor colors.