Liberalia Martiale 2017 - A mirror, darkly...

[Olis]

Hail brothers and sisters of the Blood Angels subforum! As some of you may remember, in 2015 we had a fun little thought exercise involving looking at your chapter through the lens of another codex. Last year was more of a damp squib, but some valiant efforts, nonetheless! Doing things differently led to some very interesting concepts.

So, this year what can I do to keep it fresh? Well, that's the question. Let's move away from Chapter creation and delve into the realms of thought experiment. I would like for you, brothers and sisters, to try your hand at alternate versions of your chosen BA character and create an interesting background for them. Do you want to base them in a different universe, such as the Dornian or Guilliman Heresies? Go right ahead. Want to make them a weird concoction of astartes and vampiric beast? Have at it.

Hell, if you want to take it further and make your own alternate universe? Sure, why not? Just remember that this is supposed to be some light, creative fun so a paragraph or two is just as valid as multiple pages worth.

For example:

Alternate Character: Nassir Amit, the Reborn (GH universe)

During the Maze of Blood Incident, Amit, who had already succumbed spectacularly to the predations of the foul powers at Signus, led a vanguard to cut a bloody swathe into the trapped Twelfth Legion. In response, Angron butchered the vanguard. However, Amit still lived and through the use barely known foul powers, was gifted flesh anew to replace his lost flesh and limbs. Nassir Amit, known as 'The Reborn', became the scourge of the Imperium long after the Heresy had ended. His other self, the one controlling the birthmark-esque replacement flesh, became a personality of it's own, making The Reborn a duality of insanity and contained bloodlust. There may betimes when Nassir is at war with himself, cutting and slicing off his own limbs only for them to grow back later. Other times, he barely registers going into battle, his mind elsewhere while his other self moves his limbs and slays his foes.

[Filius]

Zero Replies … that's too sad for such a nice Idea.

 

Before I jump into Characters, one "formal" Question: Is there any time-schedule / frame for this exercise?

[Jolemai]

There's no deadline for it but I tend to unpin them towards the end of the year. Basically, we're not very good at this :(

[Olis]

While it is indeed a shame no-one participated, it has prompted a re-evaluation on how the event is handled. It'll do no-one any good to dwell on this further. 

[Filius]

While it is indeed a shame no-one participated, it has prompted a re-evaluation on how the event is handled. It'll do no-one any good to dwell on this further.

Oh … already made notes for … (*counts*) … six Characters …

[Olis]

While it is indeed a shame no-one participated, it has prompted a re-evaluation on how the event is handled. It'll do no-one any good to dwell on this further.

Oh … already made notes for … (*counts*) … six Characters …

By all means, post what you have brother.

[Filius]

No. 1 - Brother Pheistio 

 

(Sorry for the uninspired choice of name, as I more or less hasten through the Ideas, I currently don't spend too much time on finding more creative Names …)

 

Brother Pheistio was a Techmarine and served the chapter well. He was especially good at repairing Vehicles or larger Weapons even during the hardest Battle. But he never showed any talent for the artisanry of his brothers. Then he fell to the Black Rage and was given to the Death Company. In between Battles he still kept working on Weapons and Armour and almost immediately showed not only a breathtaking artisanry but also improved and invented new Weapons. At first, he alone was allowed to use his own Creations. Although they didn't always worked and even failed spectaculary, he somehow managed not to kill himself with his creations. And so he lived one, worked on, created and killed in his Rage and in the Name of the Emperor and Sanguinius. During an Attack on a Traitor Stronghold he was on Board of a Land Raider, when the Blood Angels Advance was halted by a mighty Demon Engine that obliterate all attacks of the Assault Marines and Death Company. Pheistios Land Raider was hit and could move on. He started repairing the mighty Tank and overcharged its engine, racing toward the Demon Engine in order to ram it and fix it in place. During the collision and the following explosions Pheistio and everyone in the Tank died, but the Demon Engine was stopped and was brought down soon after. When the Land Raider was recovered after the Battle Pheistios Armour, which was still connected with the Land Raider, was empty except for a thin layer of Ash and Blood. The Techpriests and Techmarines that have maintained and used the Tank eversince report of a raging Machine Spirit, and not few of them fell to the Black Rage themselves after working with Pheistios Land Raider. But as is seems to repair itself on numours Occaisions the Chapter Command has decided to keep it in Service.

[Filius]

No. 2 - Brother Francio

 

Brother Francio was a promising Librarian of the Blood Angels. But from his Childhood on he feared to misuse his Gifts. This grew even worse when he joined the Blood Angels and learned about the Red Thirst and the Black Rage. He focused on keeping his powers, and the Curse of the Blood Angels under his controll and was even encouraged to do so by his mentors. He learned soon, that he had stronger Controll of himself, when he stayed away from Battle and even from his brothers. And so he spent much time outside of the Blood Angels Fortress Monastery and actively avoided Battle Missions. It was during that time, that he realised, that he was able to communicat with wild Animals on a rudamentary level. He could sense their emotions and make them feel his emotions. This gave him great comfort and even better controll over himself. And so he was in the company of some Birds or small Mamals like Mice most of the time, even within the Fortess Monastery or even within Spaceships. One Day he couldn't avoid beeing sent on a Mission on a Maiden World, which was invaded by a Demon Army. When he arrived there, he immediately felt the strength of the World and it's Animals and Plants around him. His Anger grew as he saw the Demons spoilt and destroy the place and he almost instantly fell to the Red Thirst and the Black Rage at once, and with him all the Animals and even some of the Plants of the Planet and around him was a Hurricane of raging Beasts that tear down the Demons until non was left. But it  is the sad nature of the Black Rage, that it rages on, even after all foes are dead and so the Beasts killed themselves. As Francio saw this, he went even deeper into the Madness and the Birds and Animals close to him rushed towards him and tore him to pieces until only his clean picked bones were left. The self destruction of the Maiden World went on, even after Francios Death and the surviving Blood Angels left the World, but not without his Bones, which are now venerated as a holy relic.

[Filius]

No. 3 – The merciful Sergeant

 

Once there was a Sergeant who regulary accompanied the Chaplains to Baal Primus and Baal Secundus, when they were looking for new Recruits. The harsh life of the people there awoke his compassion and so he started bringing goods to the tribes of the Planet, without notice of the Chaplains. Medicine, Tools and even Guns and Ammunition. When he was promoted to Captain, he encouraged other Astartes in his Company, to follow his Example. One day he even spared the Lifes of Mutants, but this time the Chaplains noticed it. And so he was put to trial before Dante and the Chapter Command. During the whole Trial he said not a single Word to his own defence, not even when he was and sentenced to Death. He was quartered and the remains of his body were brought to the Tribes of Baal Primus and Baal Secundus, with the Message of his Death. His name was deleted from the Chapter Archives and no one but very few and old Astartes remember him. But the Tribes of Baal Primus and Baal Secundus, still tell of a Blood Angels Space Marine with the Black Shoulder Pads of a Sergeant, but no other Markings, who brings goods for those that live by the rules of Sanguinius, and even those who don't. Among the Reclusiam it is suspected that the Rite lives on among Sergeants of the Blood Angels. But no proof of this has ever been found. Among the Tribes of Baal, he is still known as Brother Samario.

[Filius]

No. 4 Brother Bragio

 

Brother Bragio was the Company Champion of a now unkown Company. Even among Blood Angels he had reached a very high Age. And the time had made him humble, silent and a great counselor for his Captain. But he still was the best Fighter of the Company although the Red Thirst had been less strong since he spent more time in the Company Command than on the Battlefield. His Captain Claudio was even older then he himself and was the Mentor or Bragio eversince he had joined the Ranks of the Angels. They both carried a Axe with a long Shaft as their weapon, but they weren't the only ones: Bragio himself had found a protégé among the ranks of the Neophyts: Aldiran, a highly gifted and ambitious Axe-Fighter. He wore an Axe of the same Design as Bragio and Claudio. But while Claudio and Bragio were still as close as Battle Brother can be, the bond between Bragio and Aldiran had broken, when Aldiran nearly died and was heavily mutilated  during a Battle against the Tyranids. After that he gave Bragio the fault for his fate and the two never fought side by side since then.

 

The whole Company was sent on a Mission under the Command of – by now unknown – Ultramarines Successor-Chapter against a Demon-Horde. The Blood Angels were put on the Frontline and the Battle didn't look well for them as a Bloodthirster of Khorne appeared and killed Squad by Squad. On the hight of the Battle Captain Claudio fell to the Black Rage and turned against his own Company. It was Bragio how stopped him by placing the Axe that bound them into his Chest. During his last Moments Claudio realised what had happend and thanked Bragio. But the Battle still went on and it happend that Bragio found himself fighting side by side with his old Protégé Aldiran, who gave in to the Red Thirst and slaughterd the Demon Hordes with Joy. His Laughter only stopped, when a Demon cut away his right Hand. Bragio helped him kill the Demon but the wound was already infested. Bragio immediatly shot away Aldirans Arm with his Plasmapistol, hoping that the Plasma would cleanse the Wound and the Infection wouldn't go further. Aldiran lost his consciousness during that an Bragio was forced to leave him behind on the Battlefield, there was still a Bloodthirster rampaging through his Company.

As he confronted the Blood Thirster, the Commander of the Strike Force, a Captain of the Ultramarines Successor Chapter appeared behind the Blood Thirster and spoke Words in a strange and unnaturally loud Language, Bragio had not heard before. And in the Moment, the Bloodthirster stood still, bowing his head and now all the Ultramarines-Successors turned against the Blood Angels an whiped out the Rest of Bragios the Company. Bragio had lost his Mentor, his Protégé, his Company and was betrayed by a Chapter he had always looked up to – all that in a few Minutes. He was the last survivor. He wanted to raise his long Axe and assault the Traitor Captain. But he didn't. He couldn't bare anymore and he turned away with a smile as he felt the presence of the Sanguinor behind him.

 

When a Strike Force of the Blood Angels reached the Planet, they found Bragio, wandering the empty wastes, talking to he Ghosts of Claudio and Aldiran in his Mind. He was brought back to Baal and was never sent to combat again. His mind was broken. But it is said, that when the Tyranids came to the Tower of Amareo, Bragio awaited them, one Ax in each hand and the third long Axe hanging on his side.

[Filius]

Thanks for all the likes! I have at least two further Ideas and Notes and keep adding them here, but as my mind is wrapped around building my own Blood Angels Force, I might come up with even more. So thanks again to Otis, that he keeps coming up with these creativity exercises and thanks to whoever pinned the post, I probably wouldn't have noticed it otherwise.

[Jolemai]

No no, thanks for posting!

 

As mentioned the thread will be left up for a while yet. Maybe until September or so for when I need to make more room...

[Damon Nightman]

Awesome stuff! I'll be looking forward to the next two!

[Filius]

No no, thanks for posting!

 

As mentioned the thread will be left up for a while yet. Maybe until September or so for when I need to make more room...

 

Thanks! If I stick with the Blood Angels, I'll probably come up with an own Thread for my Strike Force and it's Characters. So untill Septemer is great for me. Maybe someone even get's inspired and also writes a few things.

 

 

Awesome stuff! I'll be looking forward to the next two!

 

Thank you so much for the kind words!

No. 5 - Brother Viktorian

 

Brother Viktorian had shown very early in his carreer a talent for healing and an interest in the human body and so it was no wonder, that he was chosen by the Sanguinary Priest as a Novitiate. But he somehow never had the Charisma and the Ambition to become a full Priest but neither preferred the scientific aspects of this role. That became know to the Ordos Xenos and so he was called to the Deathwatch for several Decades where he learned beyond other things a lot about Xenos. And he grew fascinated by the Flaws of his Chapter, the Work of the Emperor in Creating Space Marines, and self improving, self repairing and self organising Organisms of the Tyranids. He never grew tiered of making an autopsy on newly killed Tyranids. When he came back to the Chapter the Blood Angels made good use of his skills and he was sent on several missions within Space Hulks or against Tyranid Invasions.

 

On one such occasion his Strike Force stranded on a Planet the Tyranids had just left, in search of an Artefact. Their Battle Barge was destroyed by a few rear guard Bioships and they could make contact with the Chapter Command or any other Part of the Imperium because of the Shadow in the Warp of the still nearby Hive Fleet Splinter. The Planet was not as empty as one would assume and his Strike Force had a rough time staying alive against the last Genestealers and Lictors on the Planet. For Viktorian this was the Chance of a Lifetime. Within their small improvised Stronghold, he build up some improvised Laboratory and started researching on everything he could get his hands on, even the slime from the digestion pools, but also the flesh of his fallen Brothers. And after a few Months he invented something, he called "living blood" – a substance that looked like raw muscles, but it could be arranged to different sorts of Bodies, using Bones from Astartes and Chitin Plates from Tyrandis. He started with creating small Creatures, not bigger than a mouse. And it worked. It was alive and Viktorian was able to communicate with it by exchanging tiny drops of Blood. His first living blood mouse did some valuable scouting for the lost Strike Force and so the Captain allowed Viktorian to create more Beast of living Blood. His doubts and disgust against the Creatures was overruled by Viktorians Authority as a highly decorated Apothecary of the Ordos Xenos and the practical need to stay alive on this Tyranid infested rock. So Viktorian created further Beasts of living Blood, which were a gruesome sight … the Sphinx, the Medusa, the Gryphon, the Minotaur … and every time one of his creations was injured in Battle, he could just repair it with new living Blood and soon the Blood Angels were outnumbered by Viktorians Creations and his Battle Brothers grew accustomed to them.

 

Then the Captains died and Viktorian became the first in Command. And so he decided to bring the Captain back to live, using the Living Blood. And it worked. But he couldn't speak anymore and was as much a slave to Viktorians Orders as his Beasts. And so it went on and every dead Astartes of his Stikeforce was turned into a Creature of Living Blood by Viktorian. And so they found him … alone among his Creatures, parts of his own Body also replaced by living Blood. He was killed on sight, but it is said that his extensive research archives and even some of his creatures have been brought to Baal and kept shut away. None of his creatures of Living Blood ever showed a sign of the Red Thirst, nor the Black Rage.

[Filius]

No. 6 – Homarion

 

Homarion was a common Astartes of the Blood Angels who fought during the Great Crusade and even the Defence of Terra on Earth. And although he never made gained any higher ranks he had the chance to fight alongside Sanguinius on several occasions. He admired and venerated the Primarch as most of the Astartes did, but Homarion always had a special interest in the Primarch. Every time some Battle Brother came back from a combat or a mission alongside the Primarch, the asked them to tell him the story of these events. He collected many stories of Sanguinius and during the Battle of Terra his comrads came to him when they were exhausted and said, "Tell us a Story of Sanguinius" and he told one and every ones heart was filled with love and inspiration, thirst for blood and a dark rage again.

 

But … Homarion fell into the Hands of the Traitors during an Assault and they took him as a Prisoner of the Amusement of the Chaos Marines. And when Sanguinius died a few days later, Homarion befell the Red Thirst and he raged in his Cage but there was nothing he could do and he even felt the nearing of the Black Rage. To calm himself, he whispered the Stories of the Primarch he had collected.

 

When the Traitors fled the System, they took Homarion with him, as a Toy. He had to compete in cruel pit fights, kill Champions of Chaos, Demons or Xenos Creatures and even other loyalist Space Marines that were captured. And he survived. To keep the Black Rage at bay he formed the stories he new into an epic poem he memorized by whispering it to himself over and over and over again.

 

Centuries later, he was freed from his Prison by Sons of Dorn and send back to Baal with greatest Honours. There were not many Survivors of the Battle of Terra and he was welcomed on Baal and a Ceremony was held at his return. During that he recited his whole Poem on the Deeds and Grace of Sanduinius. When he finished after nearly a day of speaking, his mind at once was flooded with the distant memories of Sanguinius Death and he fell to the Black Rage, his Epic Poem lost forever.

[Filius]

Ahm … uhm … I just realised that I somehow missed the point of the exercise in creating something "alternative". My Characters are more or less "normal" Blood Angels. Sorry, Brother Otis, somehow I got carried away … but … it's even better this way … now I can either "rewrite" the Characters I already worte about, or come up with additional Characters.

Sorry again!

[Olis]

Don't worry about it. We can just hand wave it so that they're from a slightly-different-but-not-too-different reality. I'm more concerned that you keep calling me "Otis".

[Filius]

Don't worry about it. We can just hand wave it so that they're from a slightly-different-but-not-too-different reality. I'm more concerned that you keep calling me "Otis".

Ouh, ah, sorry … "My eyes are old and bent, my ears are grizzled …" … won't happen again!

[Filius]

No. 7 – Scylla - First Daughter of Sanguinius

Scylla was Born on Baal Secundus before the Emperor had first reached Baal and while Sanguinius was still leading war against the Mutants of this Moon. Like her Father, she grew up quickly and she grew to admire her Father, who brought death and annihilation to the foul. And soon she joined him in his ambition and in his rage. Her red Hair and her bright red Wings soon became well-known harbingers of destruction and doom across Baal Secundus. Most who knew her said, that she had the color of blood. But now, looking back, this seems to have been an error: Her hair and wings were much brighter than blood. They had the colour of fire. And she was burning indeed. Burning with a desire to accompany and please her father, burning with a lust for destruction and blood. Her extreme fury was soothed for a while, when the Emperor reached Baal. Just like her Father, she immediately recognised her Grandfather for whom he was and was inspired by his example. But the Great Crusade that soon followed was just too tempting for her: Command of thousands of the finest Warriors. Laying waste to Planets and whole Systems. Literally bathing in Blood. This was, was she was made for and her Astartes admired and aspired to her. They grew ever more loyal to her and pushed her even further. During Battles she not only drank the Blood of those she had killed, she even drank the blood of her own Astartes, of those that were beyond hope of survival. And among the Blood Angels under her command is became the highest honour to die in this was. She was a Thunderstorm of Blood. And then her Sister was born …

No.8 - Charybda - Second Daughter of Sanguinius

Charybda, the second Daughter of Sanguinius was born during the Great Cursade on board one of the Battleships. She also grew quick, her black hair and black wings becoming an impressive sight, but it seemed that she was a bit slower than Scylla in her development. But that might be a wrong impression, for her nature and her appearance were totally the opposite of her Sister Scylla. Where Scylla had the Grace and Beauty of her Father, Charybda was tall and bold; when she stopped growing, she had become two inches taller than her father, and was much more muscular. Where Scylla had a thirst for Combat and was a raging Angel during Battles, Charybda had a talent for Strategies and Coordination. Where Scylla earned the respect of her Astartes by Example, Charybda earned respect by effective Leadership. Where Scylla was loud and lustful, Charybda was silent and humble. Needless to say that they didn't like each other very much. Actually the only thing they had incommon was their Father and their competition for his attention and approval. Sanguinius loved both of them equally and was sad that they were always fighting. Then the Horus Heresy happend and the whole Legion went to the Defence of Terra, Scylla and Charybda having peace for a while. As it happens so often, a common enemy unites former foes. And while the Blood Angels prepared on Terra for the Attack of the Traitor Legions, Sanguinius third child was born, his Son Telemachio …

No. 9 – Telemachio - Third Child and first Son of Sanguinius

Telemachio, the third child and first Son of Sanguinius was born, while the Blood Angels prepared for the Defence of Terra. Sanguinius – who was already tormented by visions of his own death – was very happy about the birth of his son, as he judged it as a sign of hope. Just like Sanguinius, the By had blonde Hair and white Wings. But is eyes were much darker than those of his father. And although Sanguinius love his three children equally, Telemachio never experienced as much of this love as his Sisters had done, for his Father was occupied with the prepartions for the comming Battle. But unlike his older Sisters, Telemachio never yearned for this Fathers' Attention. Where his Sisters were – as different as they were – born Warriors, Telemachio was a Thinker, an Artisan and a Politician. He grew up on Terra, the Heart of the Imperium of Man. And he learned faster than any Child or Grandchild of the Emperor before. He nearly constantly read, studied and had conversation with the wisest and most experience Men and Women he could find. And where, if not in the Imperial Palace could the wisest and mist experienced be found? And so Telemachio grew to become one of the most brilliant minds of his era.

And then his Father died, when he tried to stop the Arch-Traitor Horus. Telemachio had feared such an outcome of the events. Not because of his love to his father, but because of his love towards his Legion. He had seen the Blood Angels fight during the Siege of Terra and had even participated in the Battles, although he was a mediocre Fighter among the scions of the Primarchs. But he was scion of a Primarch and thus a formidable fighting Force. And he had seen his Sisters fight side by side, for the first time. The common Enemy made them support each other, the one lending the other strength and inspiration, where it lacked, they truely complemented each other and the whole the formed was much more than sum of it's parts. But Telemachio knew his Sisters well enough to know, that without their Father, they would soon fight against each other. And so it came. Without Sanuinius the Legion was headless. Scylla demanded the right of the first born. But most of the Officers were loyal to Charybda, and so the Legion was threatend to be split up. Telemachio knew that the Legion would be split up anyway, as he had actually helped Roboute Guilliman to write the Codex Astartes, but that wouldn't have solved the problem: Scylla would have claimed the right of the Chapter Master of the Chapter named the Blood Angels and Charybda would have also. Even if there would have been some kind of compromise, the daugthers and sons of Sanguinis would still be divided and probably never again united. And Telemachio wouldn't let that happen.

And so he killed both of his sisters. He could have done this by conspiracy, or with the use of assasins, or similar means. By that time he had more than enough means for such an endeavour. But he decided against it. He wanted the Legion to be united before Roboute Guilliman would split it into Chapters. And he knew, the Astartes would only follow strength. And so he - the mediocre Warrior – challenged his sister to fight against him to the Death in Order to determine who shall lead the Legion. And he killed them both in a fair fight. Today no one can tell how he did this. Some assume that he gave in to the Black Rage, but we can't be sure about this, as he fell on his own sword, shortly after the Codex Astartes was established and the Blood Angels were split up in the Chapters we know today.

P.S.: The setup is inspired by the Scions Project over at Deviant Art, especially by the Portraits of Children of Primarchs by Blazbaros. (Didn't set links here because of NSFW / NSFF …)

P.P.S.: Olis: I guess this is more the "alternative" you meant, right …

P.P.P.S: I put all three Characters in one Post. I hope that's okay.

[Olis]

An interesting premise brother.

P.P.S.: Olis: I guess this is more the "alternative" you meant, right …

Correct. :)

[Filius]

Thank you so much. Although Blazbaros and the People doing the ScionsProject are the ones to praise. I would have probably never come up with the Idea of the Primarchs having Children and even Daughters. If you haven't seen them yet: Blazbaros Daughters of Primarchs are really really cool stuff. I love all of them, I would even play Ultramarines if there were a Minerva in the official Fluff.

It sadly shows how much the Fluff actually lacks the The Second Sex … at least for Astartes …

[Olis]

Oh, I'm aware of Blazbaros.

[Filius]

Ah … hihi … right, I saw those once, but forgot about it. Carrying Owls to Athens as we say here …

[Nomus Sardauk]

I've actual been working on a character story for this thread on-and-off again for the last week or so, I just didn't announce it because I'm a slow as hell writer and didn't want to keep people waiting. :p

[Dont-Be-Haten]

I'm up for trying something out. Daibos the 27th Captain of the Blood Angels (Dornian Heresy)

 

Daibos the Red Lotus:

 

The resonating echo of wet stone glided across beautifully crafted steal. It reverberated from the empty dueler's arena save for two astartes.

 

The insignia pauldron of the former Legionare, ritually destroyed by it's owner, moves in unison with the sooth scraping stone.

 

Daibos's eyes are a stern yet soft gray. They narrowly follow the red gauntlet of his left fist, which chokes the sharpening tool as it glides up the shaft of his bla. His beautiful golden locks have begun to stick to his forehead, as perspiration beads about his temple. He could not believe the betrayal of his Father.

 

It had taken two World Eater battle brothers to subdue his rage. He would kill every last one of them.

 

The gutter speak of a son of Agron broke him from his concentration, "Do you plan to sharpen that for the duration of the War..?"

 

Daibos, spat a furious reply, " And what it World Eater...?"

 

TBC