Exsanguinators - Fatally undone by their geneseed?

[Valkyrion]

Right. I'm gonna do it. No, honest. This time I really mean it. I'm going to start and finish a DIY chapter...............honest....

 

Rather than clutter up Liber for Blood Angel related DIY questions, I reckon this is the best place to ask.

 

Following on from the Red Thirst vs Black Rage thread I want to start The Exsanguinators, specifically the 'fatally undone by their geneseed' part and the logistics of it.

In my mind, a BA being undone by his geneseed is a Death Company dude, so a whole chapter going that way seems obvious, but difficult to explain away, particularly the why and how of it.

So what about the Red Thirst bit? Something like - they can keep control during non battlefield situations and are as placid (?!) as any other marine chapter, but as soon as they spill blood they go doolally. Maybe they don't suffer from Black Rage per se (perhaps they are long enough removed from the BA Legion to as to not really bother so much about Sanguinius?) but sooner or later the Red Thirst takes over completely, but shares a greater correlation with number of battles fought rather than any visions - so you are more likely to see Veterans succumb simply because they are likely to have seen more action.

 

Obviously the end result is the same - Death Company.

 

Point being - I don't know how to make the geneseed suitably different from the Blood Angels or Flesh Tearers (who are nuts) to explain how they were 'fatally undone by their geneseed'.

 

[Olis]

Rather than clutter up Liber for Blood Angel related DIY questions, I reckon this is the best place to ask.

I'm offended, brother.

Nah just joking, you might be right. But, and this is a big 'but', I think I might have an idea: Perhaps, as a variant of the Red Thirst, the chapter experiences Malaria-like symptoms (fever, headaches, comas, death) due to a gene-seed mutation. To stave it off they must have fresh intakes of blood which is usually administered by an apothecary. In extreme circumstances (ie. on the battlefield) marines would have to resort to drinking fresh blood, rather than have transfusions. Thing is - when there is a shortage of apothecaries, the chapter is in crisis. First to go are the serfs and then the servitors. Last of all are other marines.

Not exactly a refined idea but it could be a start.

[fivepointedstar]

I choose to explain that the Exsanguinators were fatally undone from within their own creation. Since the Black Curse is so rampant in BA chapters is seems mundane a choice for explaining the loss of marines in ones chapter.

[Tabgoi]

It all depends on which editions fluff you want to use.  Back when the graphic novels included in the book of blood came out falling to the black rage meant an actual physical transformation.  In third edition those who fell were taken to the tower of Amero and their fates  not spoken of, though likely they were held in stasis and thrown in black armor when something really hairy showed up.  Now Astorath just shows up and pops off their heads so there is no time to find out what would happen.  But at all times the Sanguinary Priests for all the chapters descending from the Ninth Legion Astartes are looking for ways to halt or reverse the degredation of their legion.  It could be they were attempting to modify their geneseed prior to implantation into new recruits and since they did not have the benefit of being the Emperor screwed something up.  It could be that there were uncontroled genetic mutations or it could be the changes eliminated their abilities to grow progenetor glands.  Since they like to change the fluff every edition you would be pretty justified with what ever path you take, just tell anyone who is not a BA fanatic you are going off old fluff.