Liberalia Martiale 2016 - Blackshield Generator

[Olis]

Hail, loyalists and rebels, welcome to one of this year's Liberalia Martiale threads. What with being the 17th of March, it is once again Liber Day. Now, some of you may already know the 17th for an entirely different reason - that is fine and dandy - but today is the day of the Liber. A day of creation. It's also a day thanking Kurgan the Lurker for making the Liber Astartes what it is and celebrate the imagination, the ingenuity and the sometimes downright bizarreness that is the Liber Astartes.

As you may already be aware Grand Master Belial has already begun his own foray with his Brotherhood of the Angels threads in conjunction with Liber Day (a collaboration that we hope will become a regular occurrance).

So, I hear you ask, what do you want oh flamey-headed one? Fun. Fun, I say. It is to you, Age of Darkness forum, that I bring a neat little character creator - reposted from Maximvs's own generation table down in the Liber (all credit goes to him for the table) - for you to mess around with and get those creative juices flowing that we all know the AoD has an abundance of. We are going to have some fun with the flavour of the month seeing as Retribution is still all too fresh in everyone's minds.


That's right. Blackshields.


What this character creation table is, is a Blackshield generator. Roll some dice, make up a character, expand on the background if you think they're interesting. Pretty simple stuff.

Have at it brothers and sisters. Go nuts. Does it strictly have to follow fluff? That's up to you. Be as inventive as you like.

Here's my own example for you to follow:

Hidden Content

I have a... (20) Alpha Legion (3) Sergeant who (11) was separated from his Legion for a long time and so, at the advent of the Heresy, chose to leave his legion and operate alone as a Blackshield. He was (3+3) well known in his chapter. Despite the horrors he had seen in his years of service, his resolve stayed strong and could only be described as (4) sane. Reputed as a (1) brave man, he fought every battle (2) at range with his prized Snipe Rifle.

I'm going to assume, as a little bit of backstory, that this Sergeant is a decorated recon veteran. An assassin of sorts. Known to be capable and brave during missions, he was sent, alone, to the northern marches of the Ultima Segmentum to "tidy up" the bureaucratic problems with the recent manpower tithes. After years of operation, he learned of the burgeoning rebellion and tales that the Alpha Legion had turned. Putting little stock in such news, but not content with ignoring them, the Sergeant blackened his armour to remain as unidentifiable as possible and chose to operate independently until his death on Rudyard's World. Four astartes commanders, of varying loyalties, have been retroactively attributed to this "Blackshield Sniper" and the destruction of the high anchor plate at the rebel-aligned forge world Universalice was claimed, explicitly in writing, by him.

Former Legion

Legion or Chapter of origin.

Roll 1D20

01 Dark Angels
02 Unknown
03 Emperor's Children
04 Iron Warriors
05 White Scars
06 Space Wolves
07 Imperial Fists
08 Night Lords
09 Blood Angels
10 Iron Hands
11 Unknown
12 World Eaters
13 Ultramarines
14 Death Guard
15 Thousand Sons
16 Sons of Horus
17 Word Bearers
18 Salamanders
19 Raven Guard
20 Alpha Legion

Former Rank

Rank within his Legion of origin.

Roll 1D6

01 Initiate
02 Battle Brother
03 Sergeant
04 Veteran
05 Centurion/Consul
06 Praetor

Agent of Change

Event that motivated him to abandon his Legion.

Roll 1D12

01 Killed a battle brother
02 Envy
03 Deceit
04 Befriended xenos
05 Accused of treason
06 Pride
07 Vanity
08 Zealousness
09 Conflict with a Staff Member
10 Disagreement with Legion/Imperial policy
11 Separated long time from the former Legion
12 Unknown

Fame within former Legion

How well known the character was in his parent Legion.

Roll 1D3+Rank

02 Unknown
03 Known only by his Sergeant
04 Known only by his squad members
05 Known in his Company
06 Well known in his Chapter
07 Known by most of his Legion
08 A Champion of Renown
09 Known by other Legiones and the Militia

Sanity

Current sanity rating, after the Agent of Change events, war and Crusades.

Roll 1D4

01 Insane
02 Unstable
03 Troubled
04 Sane

Reputation

Current reputation.

Roll 1D8

01 Brave
02 Coward
03 Cruel
04 Honest
05 Reckless
06 Trickster
07 Evil Incarnate
08 Good hearted

Speciality

Combat specialization.

Roll 1D3

01 Close Combat
02 Ranged Combat
03 All rounder

Again, credit goes to Maximvs for the table. I thought I'd just remind you, seeing as you're down here. :P

[God-Potato of Mankind]

Heh. Awesome.

 

A black-clad Legionary who came from the depths of the void, alone, in a small craft bearing no known Legion Livery. He is granted access to land, after broadcasting a century old but valid Imperial cipher. As he descends the borading ramp, his trappings indicate he is of rank within the standard Principa Bellicosa articles equivalent to that of a seargeant. Legion auto-logs from their recently seized ship cannot verify his identity, it is as if he never existed. His bearing and wargear, clearly artificer crafted to the highest standard, suggest that he is a warrior of great renown - although only within his own Legion. A long hafted blade weapon and customised bolt-pattern weapon of such size and complexity mark him as an experienced warrior. He appears calm, collected but there is the sharp cut of betrayal set deep within his eyes. A look the Legionaries escorting him to the bridge know all too well. Perhaps he is one of them? Perhaps he has returned from the void to fight - but for whom? The Warmaster? The Emperor? Himself? All these things will be decided by their new Lord, enclosed within their new bridge. Clearly this Legionary, though unknown, has shown a degree of recklessness by announcing himself in range of a strike-cruisers arsenal, but such recklessness has only piqued their Lords curiosity. For now, the bridge awaits.

 

I got the most mysterios goddamn dice rolls you could want.

[Hydriatus]

OK let's give it a go ^_^

 

I got a...(6) Space Wolves (5) Consul, who left his Legion due to (8) zealousness. He was (3+5) a champion of some renown in the Legion, (3) troubled after his experiences. Well known for his blunt (4) honesty, and utter lethality in (1) close combat.

 

So at a glance, we have a Black Shield who is continuing his Legion's mission to exterminate the Thousand Sons, deeply unnerved by the sorcery they displayed on Prospero. He probably duelled one of the now-renegade captains, succumbing to the Wulfen gene and the instincts to track down and finish the hunt that was started. Now he has abandoned the Legion, seeking out the prey that eluded them.

 

Huh, a real Lone Wolf. How stereotypical!

[Soldier of Dorn]

My results:

Former Legion: Unknown (11)

Rank: Battle Brother (2)

Conflict: Conflict with a Staff Member (09)

Fame within former Legion: Known in his Company (3)+2

Sanity: Insane (01)

Reputation: Brave (01)

Speciality: Close Combat (01)

 

My thoughts so far:

So, when I got the last three results, somehow my brain combined Insane, Brave, and Close Combat and got Don Quixote... IN SPESS. His black plate is bare of iconography, save for several honors indicating that he was somewhat honored in his Company. Not greatly well known among the Legions, but well known among his detachment. At his side he carries a burnt and broken Sergeant's helm, its crest shorn and shaven, perhaps an indicator of his origins as a Black Shield. He often rides to war upon a jetbike with the legend "Rocinante" emblazoned upon its side, wielding a ancient Terran broadsword of dubious origin. He aligns himself with no side in the War, but hunts down and eliminates the armor assets of both sides, or as he puts it, "slaying the giants."

 

That's all I got right now. Hopefully I'll come up with some more ideas, but that's off the top of my head.

[drakarth]

Ha my roles suit my current lord of my army really well

So a sane Night Lord veteran who was accused of treason was well know in his chapter but is a trickster and very good at close combat.

 

A warrior cast out for by his lord, a beacon of sanity in a legion devolving into madness. Known by those who served with him they followed him into the darkness of the void striking out only to disappear having spread chaos and confusion in his wake. Of those to have faced him none have returned whole as he uses the tactics of his progenitor to cause his opponents pain and terror. His allegiance to himself and the black he now wears. Now his objectives unknown to his foes until it is too late... 

 

[Xin Ceithan]

I got a Salamander Praetor of some renown who left due to his vanity and was evil incarnate...

This is going to take some thinking...

[helterskelter]

I rolled for: An Emperors Children consul, deceit, known by most of his legion, unstable, good hearted and an all rounder.

 

So post fall, didn't like where then legion was headed, but was away for istvaan 3, makes it in time for 5, sees what's going on, steals something lies about where he's going with it, makes it to another legion but warring with an internal conflict over perfection and revenge, aspiring to be the warrior the Emperor intended but wanting to literally destroy his former brothers to the point of madness.

Pretty handy with a phoenix spear, keeps his trusted inferno pistol for "emergency"

[Ion]

I got

Former Legion: Death Guard (14)

Rank: Praetor (6)

Agent of Change:  Disagreement with Legion/Imperial policy (10)

Fame within former Legion: Known by other Legiones and the Militia (3) +6

Sanity: Troubled (3)

Reputation: Reckless (5)

Speciality: Ranged Combat (2)

 

So probably someone who either was loyal to the Emperor or had a distaste for rebellion, or alternatively perhaps someone of the old Terran stock who felt angered that their traditions were being destroyed post-Mortarion as more and more non-Terrans joined the legion. Reckless + Ranged is an interesting combo for a Death Guard, and I'm kinda picturing someone who was originally a Grave Warden and likes to use their wargear for himself.

[Xin Ceithan]

Quick question for clarification:

Are we entering a sort of keyword/ abstract summary of concept here or a more detailed fluff/ Short story thingy ?

[Olis]

Quick question for clarification:

Are we entering a sort of keyword/ abstract summary of concept here or a more detailed fluff/ Short story thingy ?

 

If you look at the example I've provided, you could do both (although the abstract bit was not quite so abstract when I wrote it). Preferably though, as this is a thought exercise, crafting it into a small background blurb would be good. You're not beholden to do it, however. :)

[IronDrake28]

Artilion Siraen served in the (20) Alpha Legion, his former rank was that of (1) Initiate, though as XX Legion units need to show dedication as a squad to be promoted, he was far more experienced than most Intitiates of other Legions.

 

In fact, the only reason he and his squad remained this rank was due to his overwhelming (7) Vanity. Never willing to share glory, the (5) Reckless nature of his approach to a battle served him extremely well, or terribly, on countless occasions. Nevertheless, (5) older Legion Commanders have noted the stark similarities to Alpharius Omegon’s initial style of warfare upon taking command of the 20th Legion.

 

Eventually, all contact was lost with the young firebrand’s unit however, and a few short years into the Heresy, whispered rumours of so-called ‘Scions of the Hydra’ had surfaced. All is known is the single sentence left as his final report (3), ‘The Enemy is Everywhere’.

 

 

This has given me some inspiration to make an awesome Headhunter Kill team, I also rolled a (3) for his combat specialisation, which fits them well. :D

 

(Time to roll a character for all my legions…)

[Xenith]

This is awesome, will have a go later.

[Runefyre]

My results:

 

Former Legion: Sons of Horus (16)

Rank: Praetor (6)

Conflict: accused of treason (5)

Fame within former Legion: Champion of Renown (2+6)

Sanity: sane (4)

Reputation: honest (4)

Speciality: Close Combat (1)

 

I'm a terrible writer, so I won't bother you with my scribbles, but this looks like the makings of a pretty neat character.

[Xenith]

My results:

 

Former Legion: Sons of Horus (16)

Rank: Praetor (6)

Conflict: accused of treason (5)

Fame within former Legion: Champion of Renown (2+6)

Sanity: sane (4)

Reputation: honest (4)

Speciality: Close Combat (1)

 

I'm a terrible writer, so I won't bother you with my scribbles, but this looks like the makings of a pretty neat character.

 

So you rolled Loken?

[Runefyre]

My results:

Former Legion: Sons of Horus (16)

Rank: Praetor (6)

Conflict: accused of treason (5)

Fame within former Legion: Champion of Renown (2+6)

Sanity: sane (4)

Reputation: honest (4)

Speciality: Close Combat (1)

I'm a terrible writer, so I won't bother you with my scribbles, but this looks like the makings of a pretty neat character.

So you rolled Loken?

I guess I did, didn't think of that actually

[Spinsanity]

Alright, fate twisted my hand and I had to find a suitable way to pull this through so here goes...

 

 

The faceless ghost

 

 

I cradled his helmet, my thoughts broken and my sanity heaving with the cruel fate I had just lived through.

 

Horus's betrayal had already shaken me, to be further betrayed by the brothers I'd been fighting alongside had stolen my resolve. I fought on, but desperation started clawing in the corners of my thoughts, and when the Raven gave the signal, I ordered the retreat, hoping against all odds I could save some of my brothers, that I could help keep my father safe.

 

The flight had been a grueling ordeal. We'd all been broken, shattered by the atrocities the traitors had inflicted upon us. The few of the tenth that managed to survive were the worst, for they'd seen their sire fall. At least Corax still walked, still fought alongside us.

 

And then I fell.

 

I was left behind.

 

Left for dead.

 

Abandoned.

 

Bastards found me, barely holding onto life. Treacherous snakes wearing the skin of legionaries. They ripped my face off my skull and left me to rot, to suffocate in my own blood.

 

It seems fate had a darker turn in store for me, for it didn't take my breath that day. I rose, later, bereft of my armor, surrounded by desolation. The twentieth was long gone. I must have remained unconscious for days, I can't say...

 

...

 

He was the first I'd met since that fateful day, my ticket off that rock. I donned his armour, took his weapons, and made him suffer an agonizingly slow and painful death. A dozen more met a similar fate before I managed to find a ship off the place.

 

That first one, however, was when I shed my skin. When I was born anew. I no longer was a Raven Guard, I was on my own.

 

That day, I left myself on Istvaan.

 

That day, Solaro An finaly died.

 

 

-------

 

I rolled :

Unknown origin (11) - I thus had to find a way to disassociate him from any legion

Praetor (6) and Champion of renown (+2) - Coupled with the first roll, that severely complicated things!

Deceit (3), Insane (1), Cruel (3) and All-rounder (3)

[Xin Ceithan]

Once, he had been XVIIIth Legion. Before they were "Salamanders". Before Vulkan. Before Isstvan. Before the Black.

But even back then, he stood apart. He had always loved the fire, the inferno. Not as a sacred thing, not the benign guide in the dark, the aegis of light and warmth the but as a primal thing, a predator to worship and to emulate. Humanity did not " master" the fire. It could cage it, beat it, release it on it it's enemies. But one careless moment and turned on it's captors, biting, burning. He loved it's fury. It's passion He strove to embody it and to feed it. Thus, when he joined the legion in the great crusade, he embraced it and reveled in it when the superstitious mortals called them "the Devils in the Dark". As the changes the Emperor's gene smiths had wrought in him took shaped, he was thrilled by it. He sacrificed his enemies to the flames and strove to become akin to a primordial devil of pre-unity, raining alchemical fire and radiation's blaze into the hells into the XVIIIth was sent. Were most of his brothers saw a regrettable necessarity, he urged to unleash the primal forces of the universe. He rivaled the fury of the War Hounds and the wickedness of the VIIIth. He rose among the legion's small destroyer cadre, grudgingly respected for his skill in using the weapons of Old Night, as disgusting their use was to the mainstay of his Legion even before the coming of their primarch. He crafted, he refined them and shaped them into forms where the beauty of their physical forms praised their danger and destructiveness as befitting their status of apex predators. He made an art of destruction, refined it, reveled in it. When the the closeness to these forces or the perils or the battlefield damaged his brothers, he crafted them replacements, reformed them. Reformed them. He took pride in reforming them. Only those who had worked through the fire and had been burned by it understood it, were recast and stronger from it. He was changed himself from the geneseed but never from the fire. No, he loved the fire and it loved him back. His eyes blazed. But where his brothers grew darker in skin, especially after the union with the primarch, his own skin turned increasingly light. It was not the lightless ivory pale of the XIX or the VIII but the ashen complexion of those buried in the ancient kingdom of Vesuvium, which legend held were sometimes still found in the deeps of the hives of the Mediterranean mountain hives. Ashwalker, they called him. And we wore the moniker with pride. And when his mentor was interned in the sarcophagus of his iron shell, which he himself had crafted, he took the mantle of praetor from his hydraulic grasp and stood tall.

Then Vulkan came. And he dissolved the destroyers. He called their arts evil and benighted and unworthy of the Legiones Astartes. And he locked away the truest, finest, purest form of fire known to mankind. He maimed his legion. He wounded him.

The Ashenwalker was no more. He chose to stay on Nocturne on this early days, intrigued by the creed of the Prometheans. Maybe here was a way to reconnect to the fire, to ease the burning that sang in his mind. Maybe here he could find a way to still serve the legion. But they were fools. First, he listened to them. Then, he argued with them. And finally, he laughed at them. He laughed at their childish praise and awe of the fire. Of their belief that it was " benevolent". They did not understand the fire. Maybe no one did. Not like him. Quietly, he began to reconnect to his brothers, his former destroyers, now spread and dispersed among the Legion. He would craft his own vision, shape it and present it to Vulkan, only a primarch could see and understand the fire. Vulkan would see his errors and raise the Ashwalker again.

When word came of Horus' revolt and the legion gathered, he felt vindicated. Here was the need for the Inferno, the cleansing fire of the Phosphex and the Atomantic. Here was the blaze that would weed the strong from weak, cull those unable to adapt, to transform through the blaze. But Vulkan refused. He refused him. He called him troubled and destructive. Vulkan would not use the sharpest, purest weapon in his arsenal. Would not use him! Vulkan wanted to appeal to his brothers, wanted to REASON with them. They argued. They shouted. He was forced to retreat from the Primarch. He would remain on Nocturne while the Legion went to war.

He was hurt. He was bitter. He felt his pride burning in him. The Legion would burn. The Legion should burn. They did not deserve to be forged in the fire. Only to be melted like the weaklings they were. So, when rumors told of the massacre at Isstvan and of Vulkan's demise, he smiled. He sabotaged the forgefane of his garrison, his prison, and let the fire burn away the green of the Salamanders, leaving only scorched black. The fire would be his master. His only master.

[Olis]

Glad to the Blackshield Generator works, brothers. Maximvs hasn't done badly at all. ^_^

[Spinsanity]

It indeed does generate interesting results and encourages interesting storytelling. I enjoyed having to work with my results, although I could go with a few adjustments to what I wrote here...

+ Edit : And now I'm tempted to build Solaro as a BS ReaverLord...

[Kelborn]

Alrighty then,

the dices have fallen and thus it shall be told:

Former Legion: Imperial Fists (7)

Former Rank: Veteran (4)

Agent of Change: Separated long time from the former Legion (11)

Fame within former Legion: Known only by his Sergeant (3)

Sanity: Unstable (2)

Reputation: Cruel (3)

Speciality: All rounder (3)

Sounds like a survivor of Phall who was captured by the Iron Warriors.

+-+-+-+-+

"I fought at Phall. I had fought on Perturabo's cursed flagship. I had fought amidst my brothers, killing dozens of Iron Warriors. Their warcry is "Iron within, Iron without". We showed them that even iron can be broken. We are the sons of Dorn, the Imperium's finest warriors. But even the finest can fail. We were overwhelmed. We were captured. But we survived. Now we are here, in the depths of one of their ships. It's leader is a merciless and bloodthirsty bastard. He lets us fight against other prisoners, be it human or xenos. Seems like he really enjoys to inflict pain. But we are better than he had fought. We will prevail. We will wait. And when the time comes, we will strike."

--------

Thoughts of captured Legionnaire Elik Wolfhard, VII Legiones Astartes, aboard the Iron Warrior's battle barge Ironhammer prior to his first fight against other members of the VII Legion

Tortured and forced to fight his own brothers to satisfy the growing cruelty and blood thirst of some Iron Warrior leaders, his mind was shattered. In killing his own brothers with his bare hands, covered in blood, the former veteran Elik Wolfhard was no more. A new warrior rose from the depths of horrors and nightmares, only known as Bloodfist. During a fight against loyal servants of the Imperium, Bloodfist managed to escape. In doing so, he was able to kill one of his former enslavers. Furthermore he found a chamber with the remnants of his former brother's armor plates. When he was clad for war, he used his new power fist to bring havoc among the Iron Warriors. Unable to return to his former Legion for the crimes he had committed against his own blood, he traveled far away, searching for the next prey he could bring down.

Leaving all restrains of his former life behind him, Bloodfist finally found his new target: an outpost of the XVII Legion, which was reshaped into a prison. As he entered orbit to charge against it's defenders, the prison was already under attack. Another unknown force, clad in black armor, carrying the badge of a winged skull was already engaging the prison's defenders. That was the time, when Bloodfist met the band of brothers which will later call themselves Black Angels.

+-+-+-+-+

At first, I was a bit skeptic but after writing this, I really like the table, etc.

Thanks, Maximvs! Will integrate Bloodfist into my Black Angels project.

[alfred_the_great]

Death Guard

Veteran

Accused of treason

Known by most of Legion

Troubled

Trickster

All-round

 

I'm looking after the kids right now whilst my wife does stuff; I'll update later.  I have thoughts....

[DuskRaider]

You could go even further with this and determine what kind of armour they're wearing. I tried doing that, makes it pretty interesting.

 

D6

1-3: Power Armour

4-6: Terminator Armour

 

and break it down even more...

 

D4

Power Armour -

 1-2: Pariah Armour

 3-4: Artificer Armour

Terminator Armour -

 1-2: Cataphractii Armour

 3-4: Tartaros Armour

 

I tried rolling for my HQ / Veterans / Sergeants just to see what I got... the results are pretty interesting.

 

HQ:

14 Death Guard
06 Praetor
09 Conflict with a Staff Member
09 Known by other Legiones and the Militia
02 Unstable
03 Cruel
01 Close Combat
06 Terminator Armour
02 Cataphractii

 

05 White Scars
05 Centurion/Consul
05 Accused of treason
06 Well known in his Chapter
01 Insane
02 Coward
01 Close Combat
01 Power Armour
03 Artificer Armour

 

17 Word Bearers
05 Centurion/Consul
08 Zealousness
04 Known only by his squad members
03 Troubled
01 Brave
01 Close Combat
06 Terminator Armour
03 Tartaros

 

Veterans:

12 World Eaters
04 Veteran
12 Unknown
07 Known by most of his Legion
02 Unstable
05 Reckless
03 All rounder
 

16 Sons of Horus
04 Veteran
02 Envy
07 Known by most of his Legion
03 Troubled
01 Brave
02 Ranged Combat

 

Sergeant:

04 Iron Warriors
03 Sergeant
12 Unknown
04 Known only by his squad members
04 Sane
07 Evil Incarnate
02 Ranged Combat

 

I may actually do something with these now... so far it's turning out to be a pretty unique assortment of individuals.

[hummus]

This is awesome

My results:

Former Legion: EC(3)

Rank: Praetor (6)

Conflict: unknown (12)

Fame within former Legion: 09 Known by other Legiones and the Militia

Sanity: troubled (03)

Reputation: coward (02)

Speciality: Ranged (02)

 

So I'm thinking at the moment as maybe well known as a marksman of some ill repute both in and out of the third, but need to give it some thought

ADB if you are out there you should give it a go

[depthcharge12]

I need to write mine up but I got:

 

Former Legion: Blood Angel

Rank: Centurion

Conflict: Zealousness

Fame within former Legion: A champion of renowned

Sanity: Sane

Reputation: Evil Incarnate

Speciality: All Rounder

 

 

I'm thinking he gets carried away after Signus Prime with blood thirst - he begins to massacre entire cities and planets held under control by Heretic forces, washing his cohort's armor anew with fresh blood of oath breakers.

 

He is excommunicated by Raldoron and the legion for his zealotry and wild abandon by which he lays waste to planets...

[depthcharge12]

Baptism.

 

That was what this occurrence felt like. Baptism. That ancient, occultic and possibly heretical word washed over the Caporegime like an absolution.

 

He was once Signore Rafe Titian, Senior boarding captain of the IXth Legion. Now, he was known colloquially by his followers as "Caporegime," or the family leader, in an ancient tongue of Baal. His men of the Vermillion Reapers - which was what they named themselves now - would have followed him into the depths of hell at his whim. And it appeared they indeed had. 563 able bodied marines had accepted his fate; they stepped out of formation when he was called to accept punishment from First Captain Raldoron. Though it infuriated the Captain, he reluctantly banished all of them to find peace in death - they would no longer be accepted in the IXth legion for their zealotry and prosecution of combat in retaliation of the Heresy.

 

"My children!" Caporegime cried out, "today you shall rejoice, for the enemies of the Emperor lay broken at your feet! Our estranged Lord Sanguinius should be proud of this, though his ideals float too high upon the clouds as he does."

 

Though such speak would have him court martialed in the old Legion, the Caporegime's words harmonized with the thoughts and minds of his men. Their Primarch was naïve in the human spirit and its wonts.

 

"Come here my loyal sons," he beckoned to his lieutenants like a doting father.

 

They stepped forward through the morass of bodies at their black armored feet. Though they had been stripped of their legion colors, they would once again proudly display their allegiance. The Caporegime bent down to collect pools of blood in his hands - the blood of men, women, and children who had thrown their lot in with Horus. He anointed each lieutenant with the blood, bathing them in the vermillion of lifeblood over their ebony, cracked armor plates. The bloody palette was a grisly reminder to the Vermillion Reaper's past heraldry in an eerie fashion. Billions of the doomed heretic planet's populace had died in frenzied week of slaughter at the hands of the cohort...none were spared. The Caporegime turned to face the rest of his silent, transhuman specters as his Lieutenants dispersed into the ranks of Astartes to wash them anew with the fresh blood.

 

"My children, today we find new purpose, for idle hands make idle work. We have no legion, no Primarch, nor brothers save for our own. May the black armor that adorns you always remind you of your sin - and may you find purity again by ritually painting your armor in the blood of sinners, heretics, and the weak of will. Tarry little, for the vermillion lifeblood that colors your armor will fade, and your failures and broken oaths will show through again to punish you. May you find respite by the blood of the Emperor's foes, may you find absolution from your previous life, and may you find peace of mind in purpose again."

 

"Baptizati Sumus Sanguinem my sons!!!"