Candleshoes Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 Hello All, Just wanted to pop my head in and mention that one of the Blood Angel Advent Calendar shorts released this week was actually a hidden Knights of Blood story in disuise. "Reflection in Blood" by James Swallow features a meeting between Blood Angels and Knights of Blood under a banner of truce, and made for a great $2 read for anyone looking for a little more information or meat on the bone for them. Though only like 200-500 words long, it was very enjoyable, especially in the little details it revealed about the Knights, including their use of the title 'Ser' instead of Brother or Battle-Brother. Also interesting, was just how normal, collected and sane the Knights are in a non-military setting. They make no excuses for their actions and savagery in war, but it was cool to see that they are much more like their Father outside it... not drooling or mustache twizzling as some portray them as. Actually eerily inteligent, cunning, and aware, with a menace that is hidden behind pure and beautiful features. I'll leave you with my favorite line from the short - ‘We are renegades,’ he said coldly. ‘Not traitors. An important difference.' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantomzero17 Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 Thanks wouldn't have known. Gonna have go through this after Child of Night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElectricPaladin Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 The story really played up an interesting aspect of the Knights - they know that they are berserkers, and they try to avoid deploying near anyone who they might accidentally harm. It kind of enhances the tragic nature of the Flaw, I think... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jolemai Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 Damn those Inquisitorial cowards who called our brothers traitors! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElectricPaladin Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 The other entertaining implication of the story is that maybe the Knights of Blood aren't crazed berserkers at all. They were reasonable and polite in person, even when provoked. They may have referenced "our excesses" but that doesn't mean they have it any worse than any other Blood Angel successor. They referred to disinformation by the Inquisition Wouldn't it be interesting if the Knights of Blood are actually quite average for a Blood Angel successor, or even in better control of themselves than most, but they pissed off the Inquisition, and after the chapter's excommunication, the Inquisition started to spread rumors about them being crazed berserkers, knowing that those lies would land harder when told about a Blood Angel successor than if told about anyone else. And, heh... if that off-handed comment at the end, about going back to pursuing the Archenemy, referred to a chapter specialty for hunting Chaos... that would explain how the Knights of Blood ended up stepping on those Inquisitorial toes... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candleshoes Posted December 10, 2014 Author Share Posted December 10, 2014 I agree Electric - I got a very 'Celestial Lions' feel from the encounter - like they pissed off the wrong people at the wrong time, and now the inquisition has made them the monster under everyone's bed - the example to be made. It really showed a depth to them, with lots of room now for directions to be taken, as well like you said, a very unique personality among the successors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sockwithaticket Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 You've persuaded me to buy it Electric Paladin, KoB are increasingly sounding like the anti-heroes of the Blood Angels gene-pool (which is already pretty anti-heroish as it is). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simison Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 I'll have to read this in due time. Though, I hope that all of these short stories are eventually pulled together into a BA anthology. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toomanyprojects Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 Just downloaded it, and now I want to start a Knights of Blood Army. Thank you :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElectricPaladin Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 I agree Electric - I got a very 'Celestial Lions' feel from the encounter - like they pissed off the wrong people at the wrong time, and now the inquisition has made them the monster under everyone's bed - the example to be made. It really showed a depth to them, with lots of room now for directions to be taken, as well like you said, a very unique personality among the successors. I just read up on the Celestial Lions, and I can totally see it... Knights of Blood are an extremely disciplined and focused Blood Angels successor. As a result of their noble character, they make extreme efforts to pit themselves against the only enemy against which their difficulties with restraint are not a problem - Daemons, Chaos Marines, and other irredeemable traitors. They gradually come to specialize in such opponents. Of course, they don't ignore other calls for aid, so they develop at least as bad a reputation as any other Blood Angels successor for occasionally losing their , though they are (arguably) in better control than some because they try to pick opponents to match their deficiencies. At some point, they piss off an Inquisitor. It doesn't take much to sully their reputation. A campaign of false flag attacks and some subtle rewiring of survivors' memories so that they remember being massacred by Knights of Blood. Plus political pressure on the High Lords... The Knights of Blood are excommunicated. Because their consciences are clear, they continue to give no s and go about their business... I like it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candleshoes Posted December 10, 2014 Author Share Posted December 10, 2014 It would be interesting to see if perhaps they took the blame and fall for many of their fellow Sons of Sanguinius' lapses. There is a running theme in the Blood Angels fiction that every successor embodies a different aspect of Sanguinius, perhaps the Knights were the only ones whose shoulders were wide enough to bear the weight of the accusations, falsehoods, and atrocities that their brother Chapters commited over the millenia, and to still know they are loyal servants of mankind. They are sound and strong enough to be the gargoyle on the cathedral, to have the outward facade of evil to protect the good inside. Flesh Tearers simply are what they are, and don't appologize for it. Perhaps the Knights have a longer view and see that they have the strength and foresight to not only fight the Archenemy, but to protect the blood of Sanguinius by being the villain for mankind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElectricPaladin Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 It would be interesting to see if perhaps they took the blame and fall for many of their fellow Sons of Sanguinius' lapses. There is a running theme in the Blood Angels fiction that every successor embodies a different aspect of Sanguinius, perhaps the Knights were the only ones whose shoulders were wide enough to bear the weight of the accusations, falsehoods, and atrocities that their brother Chapters commited over the millenia, and to still know they are loyal servants of mankind. They are sound and strong enough to be the gargoyle on the cathedral, to have the outward facade of evil to protect the good inside. Flesh Tearers simply are what they are, and don't appologize for it. Perhaps the Knights have a longer view and see that they have the strength and foresight to not only fight the Archenemy, but to protect the blood of Sanguinius by being the villain for mankind. Very compelling... very interesting. I can only hope we get to see more from Black Library! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spinsanity Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 Damn, this thread has me wanting to play the KoB now... yet another to add to the lot of compelling chapters/Legions uh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inquisitor Eisenhorn Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 I love the Knights of Blood. I actually wrote a background for their home world a while ago (that I didn't post anywhere), but I'm happy to see that their demeanor is portrayed much as I expected; quite "knightly". I was going to make a while force of them a while ago but I sorta ran out of steam, but I have about 8 of them that are excellent counts-as death company. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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