# +Open Minds+



## The Psyker (Jun 29, 2010)

(For now I am going to concentrate on the main characters aspect. Second cycle of posts I'll introduce our opponents the insidious Dark Eldar! Also posting order is first post. And when everyone posts that will be the established order.)

_Mere hours had passed and already Father Librarian Josephus had convened with the other Father Librarians of his Ordo. A swift decision was made and Josephus was given full autonomy over his squad. It wasn't rare for the Ordo to operate without consent from the chapter master. But out of respect Chapter Master Kyras was alerted of the action. Blessings and wishes for swift victory were exchanged before the same codicer that had found him in his psychic stupor was called to assemble the six epistolaries that were going to accompany him on this most important of undertakings._

_The codicier had done as he was instructed, alerting each Epistolary and instructing them to assemble in the main antechamber of the Sanctorium Arcanum. Braziers filled with incense burned slowly, releasing its sweet scents into the hazy air. Banners chronicling the achievements of the Ordo and the Blood Ravens as a whole hung emblazoned in gold and precious jewels. In the further chambers rested all the knowledge collected by the Blood Ravens during its inception. Even further in the very core of the batlte barge Litany of Fury, stood the Beacon Psykana. Josephus stood at the center of the antechamber, his mind mingling with the Psykana in ways only a primary psyker such as himself could. It was if he could almost hear the very will of the God Emperor pulsing from the beacon. His reverie was broken only when the codicier humbly stepped forth and cleared his throat. Josephus looked at the astartes and nodded his head, the codicier stepped forward and spoke in a clear and confident tone._

The epistolaries that you have requested are assembled. Shall I formally introduce...

No need, I have studied them already. Codicier Yarnon, I thank you for your service. You may mediate in your cell or visit the hypnocell for a lesson in the emperors works. Glory to Him on Terra. Glory to the Great Father.

Glory to Him. Glory to the Great Father.

_Codicier Yarnon walked past the assembled Epistolary with his head bowed. Once the younger astartes was gone Josephus began to pace infront of the assembled squad, stopping in front of each one and speaking in a clear verbose tone. His words were meant to inspire them, for the mission they were about to undertake could very well be the end for each and every one of them._

Each of you have been selected from the librarium of our illustrious chapter. Do not get too inflated with this decision by the collective Father Librarians, it is an honor to be included in the Ordo Psykana. But it is also certain death in the face of our enemy. Yet to die in the emperors service is our ultimate goal...

_He continued his stride past each marine, stopping at the end of the line and glancing up at Lucius. The mans aether blue eyes told Josephus everything he needed to know about the man, his perceptive tendrils gleaning Lucius' very biography if you would._

Lucius Ol'thaka. Your very presence here is a boon to our Ordo. Even under the sickness of Nurgle you continued to battle on the fields of Kartos. You are a stalwart codex abiding marine and have earned the right to be here. I would have no other Epistolary follow me into the jaws of chaos.

_Josephus then took a few steps to the next marine. He came eye level with the biggest astartes in the squad. He looked up at the man and his pure white eyes. He felt Aurio reaching out with his perception and deftly avoided the astartes perception, speaking out as he did so._

Aurio. The biggest member of our squad. His accolades are few but he aim to change that in these coming days. Do not discount this marine, I have seen him in battle. His litanies and devotions to the emperor are an inspiration to every one within earshot.

_The next marine was an athletic and patrician, the pretty boy of the squad. He took a short look in this marines eyes and nodded his head. He felt the potential that Pericles housed inside his unassuming frame._

Pericles Orate. Always meditating, always searching for knowledge in the litanies and librarium. One day this epistolary will be a Father Librarian, as dedicated to the chapter is he.

_He took another few steps and came to face with an astartes who was both man and machine. Thantos was an amazing specimen, having survived a Mawloc attack and still have what it takes to serve._

Thantos. The most vicious fighter in our squad. Let us go back to Aldria Prime. And let us revisit the tradgedy at Truvia VI. Through both of those hard fought battles we find Thantos as the inspiration behind both victories. A fine astartes in the eyes of The Emperor.

_The next astartes he faced was one Epistolary Mirakia. The man was a native of the Kaurava system, a survivor and a potential librarian. Although his psyker powers were of primary classification, his control was of a secondaries._

Mirakia. I know little of you my friend, but Librarian Triskon has told me good things of you... I expect a great many more. Devotion to the emperor being chief among them. I will be keeping an eye on you.

_Josephus turned and faced the last of the epistolaries, his lips drawing into a smile. Here stood Epistolary Aaron, the first member picked from the pool of codicers. He held special promise in Josephus mind, a stout and studious member of the librarium._

Epistolary Aaron. Your potential is great and I have seen you in the Librarium many a cycle. Your knowledge of the forces of chaos rival even brother Orate and that is an achievement among one so young. Brothers, this will be Epistolary Aarons first time in battle against our traitor genus... We must be mindful to let him slay as many of these taitors as possible. He has many accolades to earn.

_With his appraisal of the squad complete he walked back towards the center of the line and turned to face them. His eyes were shadowed under the shadows cast by his psychic hood. He looked like a grim master of death sent by the Great Father himself to destroy his enemies. The precious crimson jewel began to pulse as he spoke._

We are to undertake a mission on a Ordo Hereticus battle barge. A band of Thousand Sons traitors eliminated the Sisters of Battle on board. We do not know if they have slain the inquisitor on board, so we must find him. The ship was carrying a page from the cursed Book of Magnus to an Ordo Hereticus disposal facility. Our mission is thus... We are to find the page from the Book of Magnus, destroy it and dispose of the Sorcerers guiding the ship twoards Kaurava system. We leave in one standard hour. Prepare yourselves mentally and go through your rituals of equipment. We will assemble in docking bay theta. Dismissed my brothers.

_Josephus turned and started back towards the depths of the Sanctorium Aracanum. As he walked the rays of light from the luminus lamps made the strands of his adamantium mantle gleam with each step. Moments later he had disappeared into the Sanctorium. A short walk brought him to his cell, a waiting lexicanum and two servitors flanking him bowed as he entered. He made the sign of the aquila and bade the Lexicanum stand. He had relinquished his ancient suit of artificers armor to the ministrations of the servitors and he was pleased with the lustre his armor had taken on. He unclasped his mantle and shed it into the waiting arms of the Lexicanum who had anticipated his very movments and acted accordingly. As the young astartes hung Josephus' mantle the servitors began the task assigned to them. Every neural plug was lubricated and applied with a scented salve that would harden as the neural plugs were inserted. Fragrant oils were applied to his head before the servitor began the slow process of shaving the Father librarians scalp. The other servitor began a generous application of the scented oil among Josephus arms, legs and abdomen. The lexicanum had produced a box from underneath Josephus' armor stand, bringing it infront of Josephus and bowing with the box extended upwards as if the astartes was offering a sacrafice._

You may...

_The Lexicanum nodded and used his thumbs to crack the ancient wormwood box, opening it all the way to reveal the blood drop shaped stone of the deepest carmine. It was pulsing as it sensed Josephus' psychic signature, reaching out to him in a desperate plea to reconnect with the man. This was a stone that had been crafted from a very rare and robust shell of diamond. It was filled with the blood of the Great Father Azariah Vidya, one of two. The second was held by the Chapter Master Azariah Kyras. The Lexicanum sat where he was, unwavering as the servitors began the slow process of building Josephus' blessed armor peice by blessed peice. Once he was fully armored he stood up and reached down, lifting the Great Fathers essence with both hands. Gently he placed the relic in the center of the chapter symbol. Two servo clamps on each side of the symbol extended to clasp the relic tightly in place. Immediately Josephus sensed the psychic energies mingling his own, boosting them in a sense. He waved the servitors out of his cell, and with a perceptive command the Lexicanum wrapped Josephus in the adamantine mantle._

My weapons...

_The Lexicanum again nodded and turned, crouching down and wrapping his hands around two archaic iron rungs and pulled with a grunt of strength. A seemingly solid block of granite detached from the wall and slid back a ways before the Lexicanum stopped and then lifted on the rungs the heavy stone lid comming up and a final push from the Lexicanum revealed a moulded case for an ornate and finely crafted bolter and a chainsword that looked to be of eldar craft. Pnuematic arms lifted the weapons from the specially crafted moulds, both the Lexicanum and Josephus feeling the chainswords psychic eminations. The father librarian reached down and look the bolter in his left hand and the scorpion chainsword in his right. A prayer was offered up to the Emperor, a humble request that his weapons would function correctly in order to dispense his holy fury. With his preparations done he brushed his mantle to the side and attached his bolter to the magnetic pad at his left thigh. The chainblade was placed at his right using the same device, giving Josephus the look of an avatar of death. Josephus then bade the lexicanum to replace the weapons locker and return to his meditation. The Father Librarian would then make his way to the departure bay Theta, making sure that the thunderhawk was correctly configured for the boarding action._


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## Captain Stillios (Mar 8, 2009)

Aurio winced as the Father Librarian evaded his curious probe and staggered back as his eyes began to burn as they usually did when great power was used nearby.

When Josephas left Aurio retreated slightly to the back of the room then knelt and drew Siloe and Ilea placing both before him.
Drawing on a sliver of his power Aurio slowly levitated Ilea into the air before his eyes then let the image of his mothers dead face enter his mind while at the same time stripping the weapon down to its componants and lowering them to the floor, next he grasped Siloe's hilt and let the image of his Father, one of his killers throats still held in a death grip, enter his mind and the blade shattered in two.

Laying the pieces on the floor, Aurio opened his mind fully to his memorys as he did before each battle.

_He rushed through the low roofed corridor with only rage and hatered in his kind, a dark figure stepped out into the hallway then collapsed as Aurio hurled his knife over-handed through his throat_

At the memory of his first kill he opened himself completly to his power and lifted both his weapons into the air...

_Alerted by the first mans death the other four jerked to their feet as Aurio stood siloueted in the door way, hands moved to holsters but then Aurio was among them, ducking a right hook from the closest Guard Aurio swung his hammer around two-handed crashing it into the mans left leg sending him screaming to the floor._

As the memory continued Ilea's components slowly started to reasemble.

_Aurio turned quickly and took a straight right to his left shoulder sending him back slightly, then he did the unexpected thing and instead of moving back as the Guard expected Aurio stepped forwards and headbutted him as hard as he could, the Third man slumped forwards his head resting on Aurio's shoulder. The Fourth man however had his pistol out now, spinning, Aurio hurled the Thrid body onto the Fourth causing both to fall to the ground_

Ilea now became whole except the barrel which hovered an inch away from the rest of the gun.

_Looking around Aurio saw that the first man had his knife in his throat and had already bled to death, the others however were still alive, two were still concious. Aurio went over to the Fourth man and smashed down his hammer on the Guards wrists disarming him then dragged all three still living men into a row on the floor_

_"For my Mother" he hissed as he brought the hammer smashing down six times onto six legs shattering all of them._

_"For my Father" he said then shattered six arms._

_Standing over the Fourth man Aurio sneered "Tell me where your employer is and I might let you live" the man desperatley glanced over to an antique lasgun, "Thank You" Aurio retched then spat in the mans face before smashing the hammer down onto all three heads smashing them all to pulp.

"For Me"_

The barrel slid home and Ilea hung in front of him glowing faintly as Siloe'e shards glided closer together.

_Stepping over to the lasgun Aurio saw that it was actually some form of pannel, placing his right hand onto the trigger and pushing Aurio felt the wall swing open slightly revealing an old decrepid man with long brown hair standing in front of him

"Brave boy, but if death is all you have for me then I am afraid I am un impressed" the Old Man wheezed

Reaching forwards and grabbing the Mans hair Aurio held him at eye level and forced him to look into his eyes.

"Oh I will kill you, but not before you learn somthing, you will learn the meaning of fear" Aurio hissed menacingly then he did somthing that shocked even him, he looked into the mans mind and found the spark of fear that dwelled there, then he multiplied it, building it and building it untill eveything in the Man's maind was eclipsed by terrible fear of everything, slowly his hair became as white as Aurio's eyes and he fell to his knees
"Please....please just kill me..." were the last words of the old man
"Oh not yet" Aurio smiled and kept the man alive for over an hour before both of them collapsed to the ground_

Siloe's shards slapped together and reformed instantley.

_Before passing out from exhaustion Aurio had one last thought.
'Father, Mother, you are avenged...'_

Both weapons fell into his hands as he rose to his feet ready to face whatever was thrown at him, only then did he relise that he had not sheilded and some of the others may have seen flashes of his memories, quickly he raised his sheilds again and sheathed his weapons.


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## emporershand89 (Jun 11, 2010)

The Father Librarian walked off to go take care of business that was none of Mirakia’s concern. Mirakia had felt the mind probe from the Librarian and had welcomed it. Mirakia held no secrets, being a loyal servant of the Emperor, and a zealous fighter in battle. However, he was sure the Librarian had seen his unchecked hatred hidden deep within Mirakia’s mind.

Mirakia had returned to his chamber after the meeting to await further orders and to practice his swordsmanship. Although a Librarian, Mirakia was also an warrior, and as such was a follower of the ways of the blade. He practiced his own form Kashindo, the “one strike kill” method. Mirakia preferred to kill the enemy with one strike to save himself the effort and to increase his deadly accuracy.

Mirakia drew his treasured sword Narsil te Emperor, “Light of the Emperor.” It had been given to him by the Father Librarian after Mirakia proved himself in battle, and was probably Mirakia’s most treasured possession.

Mirakia went through the movements, drawing slice, upper cut, double twirl with a down cut, sudden strike, and return to the scabbard. As he flowed like a river of deadly force, 

Mirakia fell into a battle trance when he often went to dwell upon life. In this private sanctum even the Father Librarian couldn’t reach him, a place of his own. Mirakia started thinking about the upcoming mission and his duty to the Emperor.


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## The Psyker (Jun 29, 2010)

(Thats the ticket. Stillios nailed it with a description of what drives his character...)


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## deathbringer (Feb 19, 2009)

The hood shrouded the Father Librarian's face yet even the dim view of his new mentor could not shroud the bubbles of pride that were welling within him. He had been chosen, of all the epistolaries he had been chosen for this mission, he had been chosen to see the stars. Enemies of the emperor beware, he was on a mission, armed with knowledge, he went out to protect it.

His hand curled around the eldar relic at his hip feeling the warmth flow through his fingers and he closed his eyes, the long slender bony fingers curling easily around its hilt. He had not named it yet, choosing to wait, to name it by deeds and not meaningless hopes, and now he had the chance to earn titles for blade and body. 

The libraries were no place to gain prestige, yet already his talents had begun to show,whispers of praise followed him through the alcoves and amongst the shelves. He suppressed a small satisfied smirk, indeed he had potential, his greatest love, a beauty beyond compare had told him so, had lit a flame that could not be doused.

The father moved along, wishing to speak words to each of them, wishing to bring new confidence into there minds, yet he avoided the groping tendrils of their minds with deft ease and Aaron's eyes narrowed, what secrets was he witholding, what horrors was he keeping behind those solemn grey eyes.

Then he stood before him and the eyes washed over him, to pin pricks of calm in the sea of gloom that masked his face.

_Epistolary Aaron. Your potential is great and I have seen you in the Librarium many a cycle. Your knowledge of the forces of chaos rival even brother Orate and that is an achievement among one so young. Brothers, this will be Epistolary Aarons first time in battle against our traitor genus... We must be mindful to let him slay as many of these taitors as possible. He has many accolades to earn._

He bowed his head in respect and to hide the grim smile at the father's words. This was high praise indeed from one so respected, yet it was honest and deserved, if he did say so himself. He felt as if he knew so much yet so little, the whole maelstrom of the stars was soon to be laid bare before him every sight, every scent a new experience, more knowledge gained.

New possibilites mingled with the words as he realised, he would be given a free reign, for indeed he had many trophies to earn, a first kill to gain, powers to unleash and new secrets to gain. Yet which amongst the tainted brethren would he face

_We are to undertake a mission on a Ordo Hereticus battle barge. A band of Thousand Sons traitors eliminated the Sisters of Battle on board. We do not know if they have slain the inquisitor on board, so we must find him. The ship was carrying a page from the cursed Book of Magnus to an Ordo Hereticus disposal facility. Our mission is thus... We are to find the page from the Book of Magnus, destroy it and dispose of the Sorcerers guiding the ship twoards Kaurava system. We leave in one standard hour. Prepare yourselves mentally and go through your rituals of equipment. We will assemble in docking bay theta. Dismissed my brothers._

His breath caught, sorcerors of the thousand sons, astartes with millennia of experience, untold and forbidden sorceries plied there minds. Indeed such acolades could be won here, his potential reached and exceeded by watching the delicate twists of the warp the sorceror's and his loyal brethren used. He did not doubt his ability, no sir, he could destroy a traitor for his mind was strong, fresh and young, supple. Yet indeed one could say his skills were rough, unhoned, untempered by the first clang of war, the first scream of death, the first howl of agony, the first taste of true pain, the chance of his own death overwhelming.

Yet in truth his humanity had died once only to be reborn through love and devotion, his spirit had soared from the ashes of captivity to burn strongly with self belief once more.

For it was she, the love of his life, love born through admiration, a love he would never see again, but a love that had given him the strength to become what he was, that still gave him the strength to draw further upon the warp, to challenge his mind to new heights.

He snapped from his reverie as the father walked away, striding purposefully into the darkness, the dim lights causing the jewels and strands of metal to glint and glimmer, flickering like candles in the wind.

His armour was already ready, upon his person, still new and fresh, its weight comforting and familiar amongst the excitement of new possibilities.

He slipped to his knees twisting into a position of meditation, his thoughts slipping away the blankness of his mind growing as he pressed emotions away from him.

A single thought erupted as he repeated the words of his mantra, the rythmic beat of the complex curls of tongue and lips forcing him to slide into emptiness. A single thought burst to the fore

"If knowledge is to be guarded, why are we destroying this page"

The startling blue eyes closed, lids sliding slowly shut and his brow furrowed a little before the thought slipped away leaving nothing but his own mind, a sea of tranquillity, an ocean of calm.


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## heartslayer (Oct 17, 2009)

"Lucius Ol'thaka. Your very presence here is a boon to our Ordo. Even under the sickness of Nurgle you continued to battle on the fields of Kartos. You are a stalwart codex abiding marine and have earned the right to be here. I would have no other Epistolary follow me into the jaws of chaos."

the words of the Father Librarian should have brought a smile to Lucius' face but instead he stayed totally Emotionless, and thought about the battle that was soon to ensue, just as these thoughts crossed his mind the Father Librarian addressed the six of them 

"We are to undertake a mission on a Ordo Hereticus battle barge. A band of Thousand Sons traitors eliminated the Sisters of Battle on board. We do not know if they have slain the inquisitor on board, so we must find him. The ship was carrying a page from the cursed Book of Magnus to an Ordo Hereticus disposal facility. Our mission is thus... We are to find the page from the Book of Magnus, destroy it and dispose of the Sorcerers guiding the ship twoards Kaurava system. We leave in one standard hour. Prepare yourselves mentally and go through your rituals of equipment. We will assemble in docking bay theta. Dismissed my brothers."

Lucius walked back to his chambers and began his pre battle rituals he first removed his Mirrorsword and Triskele from their resting places high up on his wall in ornately manufactured moulds that held them in place with voice activated servo clasps he then proceded in his ritualistic blessings over his weapons which began with him ordering a servitor to bring him his sealed goblet of the blood of the Howling Banshee exarch he had taken the Triskele from and dipping his weapons into the blood, and reciting prayers to the emperor and to the spirit of the exarch, these prayers consisted of him asking for the blessings of the emperor and that the weapons would work to the utmost capability in battle. After doing this he placed the triskele in its specially made holster, and attached the Mirrorsword to his right hip.

He then began to prepare himself mentally by Meditating and focusing his mind, he closed his eyes and sat cross legged on the floor, pushing himself between the enumerations to prepare himself, and after going through all of the enumerations he opened his eyes and began to practice with his psychic powers moving the items in his chamber around with the flick of his wrist or the movement of his eye, he then focused his mind on himself and began to levitate. 

Now having completed his Rituals he recited one last Rite of Battle and left his chambers and headed off to Departure bay theta, walking in silence the whole time.


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## Deus Mortis (Jun 20, 2009)

Thantos and his fellow Epistolaries had been gathered in their Father's chamber, to be prepped for what their mission was to be, or Thantos assumed. As a standard battle brother, he had been present at many battle briefings. But this was different, he was different. But for better or worse he was here, and he had a duty to fulfill. Thantos listened to the quiet whining if servos and gears in his lower body, even at he rolled his jaw. The man-machine, that's what he was. Well for the most part. There was still a part of him that was nothing and everything, there and not, good and evil, and all these things without being paradoxical. Even when he was wearing full battle armour, the scar on his chest seemed to burn through to the surface. But here, in nothing but his standard robes, Thantos felt nervous. Honestly, frighteningly and powerfully worried about what the Father Librarian would make of him. Then he entered, and Thantos bowed his head, in a mixture of shame and reverence. Josephus spoke to each of them in turn, and Thantos listened with his head bowed, absorbing his words of encouragement to each of them, and taking not of how he viewed each of them. Then Father Librarian spoke to him "Thantos." he said, and his head snapped up and looked into his hazy grey eyes. The seemed to make Josephus' true thoughts or intentions, and Thantos was suddenly aware of how bare his emotions and feeling were to the Librarian. "The most vicious fighter in our squad. Let us go back to Aldria Prime. And let us revisit the tradgedy at Truvia VI. Through both of those hard fought battles we find Thantos as the inspiration behind both victories.* A fine astartes in the eyes of The Emperor.*" Thantos was shocked b the Father's last statement. Ever since Truvia he hadn't really though of himself like that, and most reinforced that view by treating him with distrust. To have a veteran and a librarian, one who could know the hearts and minds of men say such a thing was and honour to him, and he breathed quietly "Thankyou sire" If Josephus heard him, he took no notice, as he continued his praise of the marine gathered here. 

Once he was done he addressed them as a whole. "We are to undertake a mission on a Ordo Hereticus battle barge. A band of Thousand Sons traitors eliminated the Sisters of Battle on board. We do not know if they have slain the inquisitor on board, so we must find him. The ship was carrying a page from the cursed Book of Magnus to an Ordo Hereticus disposal facility." Thantos gritted his teeth. He had fought against aliens and heretics alike, but none made his blood burn with the fires of rage like the traitor Astartes. These were marines that had been given the gift of fighting side by side with the Grand Father, the Emperor, and still had turned from his light. Of all of the traitor scum, they were the worst. "Our mission is thus; We are to find the page from the Book of Magnus, destroy it and dispose of the Sorcerers guiding the ship twoards Kaurava system. We leave in one standard hour. Prepare yourselves mentally and go through your rituals of equipment. We will assemble in docking bay theta. Dismissed my brothers." Thantos bowed politely to the Father Librarian and turned and walked in silence down the corridors of the battle barge. Everyone else was going back to their chambers to prepare, and he would to. But first, he had been requested to see Chaplin Palmarius for yet another purity screening. At first it had offended Thantos to be insinuated as being a traitor, but he was becoming accustomed to them now.

The Reclusiam doors were open and there were a dozen or so battle brothers already in there, dotted in the rows. At the head of what could only be described as a shrine, Palmarius stood, vigilant as ever. Thantos walked straight to The front, and Palmarius ushered him through a door, and he followed, and the Chaplin closed the doors behind them. The room was dimly lit by candles which burnt sacred incense. As he inhaled the fumes, Thantos could feel his chest burn in purity. It was a soothing pain, similar to the alcohols he had occasionally consumed as a mere mortal. "Fresh torrments for me today Brother Chaplin?" Thantos asked equally in jest as in resentment. "No Brother, merely test which you shall overcome." Palmarius responded calmly. Palmarius walked over to and ebony table and picked up a vial of purple liquid. He also took an ornate chalice and poured the liquid into it. He then passed it to Thantos "Drink Brother, and let the fires cleanse you" Palmarius said solemnly. Thantos did as he was commanded, and drank. A fire of pain over-took his senses, and Thantos gasped. He dropped to the floor his back hunched and his hands digging into the floor. A fresh wave of pain struck him, and his back arched at an unnatural angle, and he howled towards the ceiling in pain. "Brother, step through the blinding pain, and into the Emperor's light!" Palmarius commanded. Thantos screamed again, and fell to the floor. "It hurts so much!" He gasped between cries of pain. "Do it!" Palmarius said indifferently. Thantos gritted his teeth, and put his hands on either side of his body, and lifted it a foot of the floor. Even though the pain was blistering, Thantos brought his knees into his chest so his feet were flat on the floor.. Then, with every ounce of energy n his body, Thantos stood up slowly, and even as he did so, the pain subsided. He was still gasping for air, but he was now at eye level to the Chaplin. "What has that taught you?" Palmarius asked calmly, satisfied that Thantos had passed the test. He swallowed and then spoke "Control. With enough force of will, all obstacles can be over-come."
"Well done. You are dismissed Brother Thantos. Knowledge is power"
"Guard it well!" Thantos finished the war cry of the Blood Ravens. "Blessings of the Immortal Emperor on you mission, and let his light keep you from the darkness" Palmarius finished, and with that he opened the doors, and Thantos walked out of the Reclusiam and to his quarters. 

In his quarters, Thantos started to don his full battle armour, and as he did so recited a lithergy he had heard once in the Reclusiam as a scout. 
"Without the Dark, there can be no Light,
We have purpose"
Thantos stepped into his creaves, and locked them in place. The horned skull present on the knee cap, and almost glowing with an eerie light. On the right thigh was a winged droplet of blood, symbol of the Blood Ravens.
"Without the Lie, there can be no Truth,
We have purpose"
Thantos fastened his belt around his waist protector. The buckle was another skull with the rams horns, but was dissected by a lightning bolt and had red gems for eyes.
"Without the War, there can be no Victory,
We have purpose
Without the Death, there can be no sacrifice,
We have purpose"
Finally locking his chest plate in place, Thantos glanced down at the aquilla on his chest, covered by chains that a normal man would regard as heavy, but Thantos barely registered their weight. They were covered with symbols and icons of warding, as if to bind the mark on his chest to him.
"Without the Hope there can be no Future,
We have purpose
Without the Loyalty there can be no one chapter,
We have purpose"
Thantos slid on his final gauntlet, and set to work locking his shoulder guards in place. On had a large book chained to it, covered with scribble and almost illegible writings on the pages. It was the Book of Osendari, an ancient tome Thantos had found in ab deserted Ecclesiarchy shrine on Truvia. The pages had been scorched by the heretics fire, b Thantos had rescued it and given it to the Librarium as it contained what he pervieved at the time to be incantations. And now it was given back to him. And the other had the chapter symbol, the Blood raven. 
"Without the Emperor, there is nothing,...
And we would have no purpose"
And with that, the probes from Thantos' psychic hood plunged into his skull, and the Wraithbone core relived the constant pressure of the predators of the warp. Thantos walked over to his weapons on their stands. Ignis, his flamer, and Devoveo, his force rod. Ignis was ready, but Devoveo needed some minor preparations. Thantos laid Devoveo down on the floor and sat in a meditative position. He allowed the power of the warp to flow through him, and he passed it into his force rod, which acted like psychic battery. Slowly the staff levitated off of the floor and spun around in concentric circles as Thantos poured powerful magics into it, ready to face the foul sorcerers of the Thousand Sons. He was going to need every advantage against the millennium old warlocks...


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## Lord Ramo (Apr 12, 2009)

Pericles walked into the librarium behind his other squad mates. Or so he assumed, they would be part of a new squad. The Venerable Father Librarian had requested their immediate presence, and the need for six brothers must mean that the need was great indeed. Pericles stood along with his brothers arrayed in front of Father Librarian Josephus. He told them why they had been summoned and reviewed each of the brethren arrayed in front of him. 

_"Pericles Orate. Always meditating, always searching for knowledge in the litanies and librarium. One day this epistolary will be a Father Librarian, as dedicated to the chapter is he."_

Pericles merely nodded to the father librarian. It was true that he spent a large proportion of his time dedicated to the search for knowledge and his meditation. He did however spend the rest of the time honing his combat abilities whether that was with his mace Tacet or the holy bolter he used to blast his opponents into the void. He felt a moment of pride as Josephus said that one day he would be a father librarian. It would be an honour if he could join their exalted ranks one day.

He felt the psychic presence from the rest of his brethren, consuming all that was around them. He could feel his own psychic potential inside of him. These were the things that Pericles felt, waiting whilst Josephus praised the other marines. He knew that he would get to the crux of the matter soon enough. 

_"We are to undertake a mission on a Ordo Hereticus battle barge. A band of Thousand Sons traitors eliminated the Sisters of Battle on board. We do not know if they have slain the inquisitor on board, so we must find him. The ship was carrying a page from the cursed Book of Magnus to an Ordo Hereticus disposal facility. Our mission is thus... We are to find the page from the Book of Magnus, destroy it and dispose of the Sorcerers guiding the ship twoards Kaurava system. We leave in one standard hour. Prepare yourselves mentally and go through your rituals of equipment. We will assemble in docking bay theta. Dismissed my brothers."" 
_
Pericles gritted his teeth together. He had fought the Thousand Sons before, and considered himself adept to fighting them. The Sorcerer's on board of the battle barge would be truly formidable, like all Thousand Son Sorcerers. However it wouldn't be a problem, he was confident that the squad could handle them. However the real fight would be trying to reach them. The automaton like bodyguards that protected them could take a lot of punishment, the most effective way was to destroy them utterly.

He bowed to the Josephus before he left the room, heading for his quarters. As he entered he immediately set about his preparation. He meditated for a short period of time before donning his holy armour. He felt at home in his immense artificer armour, engraved and ornate. It had served him well and he knew that it would save his life more than once in this upcoming mission. He pulled up his psychic hood, to enhance his power and to help block out the whispers of chaos. They were ever constant, trying to lure powerful psykers to their cause.

He picked up his holy weapons next. First his bolt pistol that he placed in a holster on his side. He hoped he wouldn't have to use it, but then again how many mission had he have to use it? Too many for his count. Next he pulled his Holy Bolter out of its container, blessing the weapon. He lifted it psychically in the air while he retrieved its scope. He attached the scope and placed his bolter on a sling, finally placing it on his shoulder. Finally he turned to Tacet, his powerful and deadly force weapon. He lifted it in the air and marvelled at its beauty. He held out his hand, and the weapon sung through the air. He smiled and placed it on his belt. Silence he thought, aptly named. He looked to the engraving on his left gauntlet, A moment of Laxity Spawns a Lifetime of Heresy.


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## The Psyker (Jun 29, 2010)

_Exactly one hour later the entire squad was summoned and assembled in a three man pillar formation. The embarkation deck Theta was aflame with action, servitor crews ferried supplies to various ships. The squad was led towards a strange looking Thunderhawk Gunship. It had fewer weapons, but what remained looked ferocious none the less. The inside had been modified to carry the squad and a medicae bay. All extra space was taken up by compact teleportation generators, seven in all. This ship was designed for insertion only, painted a dull gray for limited visibility in the black of space._

_Father Librarian Josephus stood at the front middle of the formation, marching them in perfect step twoards the craft. Standing amongst three of the senior Father Librarians was Chapter Master Azariah Vidya, holding in his hands a tall golden standard. Wrapped in a fine golden woven twine was a standard. They all stood stock straight, like statues carved from the deepest carmine stone inside the Reclusiam. As soon as Josephus halted the squad he made the sign of the aquila to the Chapter Master. The gesture was returned and then two of the father librarians stepped forward and even with hands encased in ceramite they took hold of the small tassles and gently pulled them. The three Father Librarians spoke in unison, sounding as one as the banner gently began come down from its rolling._

_The banner unfurled, showing the symbol of the Ordo Pyskana. An ancient tome was spread wide on a plinth of blood red rock, the pages told of the Great Father Azariah Vidyas exploits and the beginnings of the Ordo Psykana. Above was the chapter symbol, encrusted in obsidian jewels that shone with a gleam. In the center was a large carmine tear drop woven from the most striking of red silks. Azariah Kyras stepped forward and presented Josephus with the standard, bowing his head as he did so. Josephus stepped forward and repeated the gesture. Once the standard switched hands the three Father Librarians stepped to one side. Chapter Master Kyras again made the sign of the Aquila and spoke in a booming voice._

We present to you the standard of The Ordo Psykana. Guard it well Father Librarian Josephus, for it will serve as an inspiration to the entire squad when things look most dire. Your squad is a fine group from the Librarium. The Chosen is what the Father Librarian would like this squad to be named. I agree! For you are picked among the librarium for your potential. You who are about to embark on this undertaking I and the entire Blood Ravens Chapter salute you!

_Chapter Master Kyras and the Father Librarians gave the squad a respectful namaste. After this was done Kyras and the Father Librarians turned and made way twoards the battle barges Librarium. Father Josephus stepped turned on a heel, facing the squad. The look on his face was one of pride, HIS chosen were to go into battle and serve The Emperor on a most daring of tasks. He nodded and turned back around, giving the sharp order for them to march up the ramp. The standard was handed to a servitor drone that stood to the left of the entrance. The order to secure was given and Father Librarian Josephus watched as his squad complied with haste. Once all the Astartes were secured the Father Librarian would stop infront of each one, checking to see if weapons were stowed correctly and grav harnesses were fastened tight. As he did this he decided to go over the boarding plan with the crew._

_We have much honor riding on our shoulders this day my brothers. For today the Chapter Master has entrusted us with the Ordo Psykanas' banner. We are its honor guard, should I fall in battle against this insidious foe Brother Pericles will take the standard of the squad. Brother Thantos, as senior you will take leadership until the mission is completed. The warp stirs, but shows me little of the future reguarding this undertaking... But that will not happen... We are all comming back to a heroes welcome aboard the Litany! Am I correct brothers? When we are close to the rogue ship we will activate the teleporation beacons that have been issued to you prior to entering the embarkation deck. I will percept the exact location of insertion and we will teleport. Its that simple my brothers, although we can expect HEAVY resistance once aboard. I want to hear everyone dispensing the Emperors justice once we are on the ship. Let us depart my brothers. Victory Awaits!_

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*Aboard the Ordo Hereticus Battle Barge Rictus...​*
Lord Magnus will be pleased with your efforts Aspiring Sorcerer Heotep... Bring the page to specified location and once there we will concert our efforts into bringing a Prince of Tzeentch into this mortal coil. The sacrafice will be the inquisitior. His mind is ripe with power...

_The Sorcerer on the other end howled a rasped laugh that sounded almost like the gurgling of some foul liquid. Heotep turned away from the flect' that had been projected through a puddle of imperial blood. Among him stood his retinue of twenty Rubric Marines. Heotep was a gifted sorcerer, through his will along controlling the entire retinue without the assistance of any other Aspiring Sorcerers. They stood stock still in their sealed suits of armor, reanimated ash destined to battle in the name of Tzeentch for the rest of their miserable existance. Ornate killing machines with no will of their own, created when Ahriman cast the Rubric of Ahriman. Yet this small force managed to take over an imperial battle barge, destroy the entire Adeptus Sororitas force aboard and take the Inquisitor alive. Heotep was going to have fun flaying the Imperial alive, slowly milking the man of all his secrets before offering what was left to Tzeentch._

My Lord...

_Heotep turned to face a much smaller, mutated imperial cultist. He was dressed as a maintainence worker, well what was left of his imperial uniform told as much. The cultists' hair was sparse among his skull, the flesh of his face had began to sag in a most ghoulish way. His eyes now glowed with the ruinious powers, having fully embraced The Changer of Ways. The mutant bowed and took a step back, his voice low as not to disrespect his patron._

We have finished the rites of sacrafice. The Inquisitor is being prepared as I speak.

_Heotep nodded his head, obviously pleased with how fast things were progressing. With a quick sweep of his hand he sent the cultist back to his endevours. It seemed as if the visions he had were merely illusions, nobody would stop him once they summoned the Daemonic Prince of Tzeentch. He sat down on the main control throne of the battle barge, looking over his Rubric squad. In the center of the bridge sat a containment field, inside was a page of untold age that depicted the rituals and procedures related to summoning a Daemonic Prince. Four especially ornate Thousand Sons stood guard over the field, sickly looking weapons and cursed bolters clutched in each hand. Heotep rested his gauntleted hands on both knees, a dry laughter escaping his lips._

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*Aboard the Thunderhawk Gunship six hours later...​*
_What the Thousand Sons had failed to realize is that they were playing right into the Blood Ravens plans. Father Librarian Josephus sat in the gravity couch, restrained by his grav harness as the Thunderhawk continued towards the Battle Barge. Stealth systems were still keeping them below the barges scanners and auspex units. Built to elude even the most complicated of scanner technology the steath generator was, and so far it was working perfectly. Six minutes had ticked by since the ready rune began to chime in each marines comm unit, the coresponding symbol flashing in each marines visor. Josephus palmed the grav harnesses release pad, pulling himself from the grav throne. His steps were sure and practiced as he went about priming all six teleportation generators. The steady thrum of the generators assured Josephus that they would work, they had to work._

We are moments away brothers. On my mark release from the gravity thrones. Activate your beacons and stand infront of your teleportation generator. Once your teleportation generators rune glows your are to press the panel and teleport. Once this is done we will teleport onto the battle barge and proceed as planned. I wish you luck brothers, strike hard and strike fast. There are no loyalists on this barge, anything moves we are to eliminate it. Ready? MARK!

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*Now aboard the Battle Barge Rictus...​*
_Josephus waited for the squad to rise and do as instructed before activating the safe guards on each generator. The runes began to flash one by one, Josephus pressed his rune panel as soon as it lit up. The world seemed to warp around him, the lights began to stream about him and solid objects began to blur. Through the immaterium he and his men drifted, using his perception to guide them aboard the battle barge Rictus. For what seemed like hours on end they would drift through the primordial realm, although it was mere seconds in actuallity. Suddenly the scenery would change from the green and black swirl of the warp into the pitted metal walls and utilitarian layout of a launch deck. Nausea followed and was suppressed quickly by his post human metabolism. Josephus drew his bolter and quickly scanned the area, supprised to see that they had teleported right into the middle of a group of cultists gathered around a makeshift altar dedicated to Tzeentch. Sisters of Battle that had been slain were mutilated and hung in a macabre around the crude shrine, each one of the cultists were chanting and raising autoguns in crys of exaltation._

SLAVES OF CHAOS! PREPARE YOURSELVES TO RECEIVE THE EMPERORS JUDGMENT! SQUAD OPEN FIRE!

_The Father Librarians bolter began to spit out death at the first cultist to turn and raise his weapon in defense. The first round hit the man square in the chest, the sickening smack of wet flesh followed by the satisfying sucking sound of the cultist trying to take in air. Two more bolter rounds slammed into the man, exploding into his stomach and sending him sliding to the feet of his fellow chaos servants. The cultists seemed to turn as one, each of them induvidually mutated. Some now sported the heads of lizard like beasts, claws resembling a bird of preys as well as many other distinct mutations. The ones that were armed with autoguns began to open fire, sending a wall of rounds twoards Josephus and his squad. The ones that did not possess an autogun took up anything around them to use as weapons and charged blindly twoards the group._

FORM UP AND FIRE MY BROTHERS! AURIO I WANT YOUR MELTA GUN UP FRONT! THANTOS, FLAMER UP AS WELL! I want to smell cooked cultist NOW!

_Rounds pinged and bounched off his armor, runes flashing in his visor as the cultists continued to lay down a steady stream of fire. The volume of projectiles was beginning to become more than an annoyance. Josephus took a few steps back, firing his bolter all the while. He located a stack of plasteel crates and gave the order to take cover using his auto senses. The corresponding rune would flash across the entire squads visors. Josephus crouched behind the edge of a crate and continued to lay down covering fire for his brothers._


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## The Psyker (Jun 29, 2010)

Sorry for the delay gentlemen. My girlfriend came over to spend a few nights so I am posting when I can. You know how it is!


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## emporershand89 (Jun 11, 2010)

(OCC: so do we fight now??)


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## The Psyker (Jun 29, 2010)

(Yeah. The squad has been transported aboard the battle barge. We're currently in the process of clearing the embarkation deck of cultists. I am figuring about one hundred heretics were in worship when the squad transported onto the barge. Pretty much post what your character does once he transports, this cultist slaughter is just us dipping our toes into the water. We're diving head first once the second cycle of posts are up.)


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## Lord Ramo (Apr 12, 2009)

Pericles marched behind Father Josephus, mace rattling at his hip. They walked into a hanger bay where the Chapter Master stood with two other father librarians. He was impressed by the sight, who wouldn't be. However he had spoken to most Father Librarians before, and had even met the chapter master in person. He stood still as stone as the standard of the Order Psykana changed hands. 

Soon they marched onto the awaiting transport, a heavily modified steed to hold teleport bays and the such. As Pericles took his seat Father Librarian Josephus began to talk. We have much honor riding on our shoulders this day my brothers. For today the Chapter Master has entrusted us with the Ordo Psykanas' banner. We are its honor guard, should I fall in battle against this insidious foe Brother Pericles will take the standard and leadership of the squad. But that will not happen... We are all comming back to a heroes welcome aboard the Litany! Am I correct brothers? When we are close to the rogue ship we will activate the teleporation beacons that have been issued to you prior to entering the embarkation deck. I will percept the exact location of insertion and we will teleport. Its that simple my brothers, although we can expect HEAVY resistance once aboard. I want to hear everyone dispensing the Emperors justice once we are on the ship. Let us depart my brothers. Victory Awaits!

Pericles was honoured to be chosen as the venerable Father Librarians chosen one, to take command of the squad if Josephus fell in battle. However he knew that he wouldn't fall. None of the Blood Ravens would fall, yet there was some disturbance in the warp. Maybe I will fall, if so then I will die for the Emperor.

We are moments away brothers. On my mark release from the gravity thrones. Activate your beacons and stand infront of your teleportation generator. Once your teleportation generators rune glows your are to press the panel and teleport. Once this is done we will teleport onto the battle barge and proceed as planned. I wish you luck brothers, strike hard and strike fast. There are no loyalists on this barge, anything moves we are to eliminate it. Ready? MARK!

Pericles abandoned his grav throne and gently floated over to his teleport. He waited until the generators runes glowed before hitting the activation button. He closed his eyes for the briefest of seconds, before he came crashing down onto the deck. Behind him Josephus bellowed at the chaos scum that surrounded them. Josephus gave the order to fire and Pericles raised his bolter. He opened fire rounds shredding through so many cultists, their measily return fire pinging gently off his armour. He kept up his field of fire, mowing down any who neared him or the squad. 

Soon the amount of fire would start to penetrate his suit of blessed armour, so with this in mind he found some cover in the form of crates, next to Josephus. He fired, still taking down targets.


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## heartslayer (Oct 17, 2009)

We are moments away brothers. On my mark release from the gravity thrones. Activate your beacons and stand infront of your teleportation generator. Once your teleportation generators rune glows your are to press the panel and teleport. Once this is done we will teleport onto the battle barge and proceed as planned. I wish you luck brothers, strike hard and strike fast. There are no loyalists on this barge, anything moves we are to eliminate it. Ready? MARK!

As he teleported Lucius felt the presence of many beings surrounding them in the warp, then they appeared in the Embarkation deck of the battle barge to find himself surrounded by a hundred or so cultists, the very sight of these worshippers of chaos sickened Lucius to the stomach and with an upwards flick of his right arm he used his psychic abilities to activate the gauntlet mounted launcher for his triskele and watched the deadly blade decapitate three cultists in one great arc before returning to the resting spot on Lucius' Gauntlet. 

Lucius Drew his mirrorsword and awaited the father Librarians orders and firing his triskele repetitively not wanting to break the line. He watched as one cultist after the other fell at the hands oh his blessed Triskele and smirked at the ease with which these cultists fell, he let out a scream of hate 'Where are your beloved gods now, you traitorous scum'


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## Captain Stillios (Mar 8, 2009)

Aurio felt the familiar feeling of warp transition for what seemed like eternity and a second at the same time untill he appeared aboard the Traitors ship on the far right side of the line, rising he saw that the squad was faced with almost one hundred cultists.

Even before the Father Librarian ordered the squad to fire, Aurio drew Ilea from behind him and opened fire into the mass of heretics before him reducing them to piles of molten slag.
Suddenly a group of what looked like a dozon cultists appeared to Aurio's right and crashed into him causing him to take a step back and knocking Ilea from his grasp, this allowed more cultists to swarm him and force him off balance and to his knees.

Blows crashed onto his chest, shoulders and helmet threatening to knock him to the floor, he new if that happened then he was as good as dead, Aurio grabbed one cultists head and dragged him in the way of an incoming crowbar all the while trying to think of a way to get out if his situation and get enough room to draw Siloe.

And then it came to him....

An idea that he had only seen used once before by a Librarian of the Sable Swords chapter, as he used his body to try to hold off the cultists his mind was hard at work slowly opening himself to the warp and letting power surge through him.

_"Where there is uncertainty, I shall bring light"_ Aurio murmured

He sent trails of energy out into the room gathering a little heat from many source's such as the air, the cultists, his brothers and many others.

_"Where there is doubt, I shall sow faith"_ Aurio grunted with the effort, he had not realised the effort this would take.

He recalled the questing trails back into himself and began to bind them together.

_"Where there is shame, I shall point atonement!"_ Aurio said loudly the strain evident in his voice as the power surged within him and the cultists beat on his mighty form.

He bound all of the threads of power together into a cacoon of power.

_"Where there is rage, I shall show its course!"_ Aurio yelled over the roar of weapons fire and the cultists chanting.

He sent the cacoon cascading over his armour untill it fit like a glove.

_"My word in the soul shall be as my bolter in the field!"_ Aurio roared over the din being heard clearly by all in the room
_"FOR THE EMPEROR AND THE UNKNOWN PRIMARCH!!"_

And he ignited the energy.


Fire many times hotter than Ilea's fire enveloped him, dozens of cultists were burned and more drew back in fear as Aurio strode forwards finally drawing Siloe and diving into combat as fire streaked up his blades surface, sweeping his burning sword left and right cutting and cleaving many cultists Aurio realised that he had held his part of the line and better, he had forced them back and now had ample room to fight without the fire.

But somthing was wrong, when he tried to smother the flames they burned brighter, when he tried to reduce the energy they blazed hotter, panic hit him, why would they not go out, the fire now started to burn through the shield he had placed around himself and he could feel the heat as warning signs lit up on his HUD.
Aurio looked over at the Father Librarian for guidance but he was to busy fighting the Heretics to help, using a monumental effort Aurio managed to reduce the fires intensity but agony still coursed through him.

He felt himself rising slightly from the ground as wild energys lashed out around him, somhow Ilea found its way back into his hand.
'The alter...destroy it' he thought desperatly, pulling Ilea up to his shoulder and aiming carefully down the sights Aurio calmed himself, waited for the brief moment in between his duel heartbeats and pulled the trigger as he fell to his knees, the fires sputtered and died as the melta blast hit the shrine and melted it to ash, seeing his work was done Aurio dragged himself behind the crates which the Father Librarian fad indicated and wearily provided supporting fire to tired and drained to do much more.
'I hope one of the others an heal me'


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## emporershand89 (Jun 11, 2010)

Mirakia’s world rematerialized in a flash of light and before him kneeled hundreds of cultists in the middle of worship to their fowl gods. Rage started to fill Mirakia, and the Father’s command to open fire didn’t help quell it either. Mirakia tuend his plasma pistol on whole groups of cultists that came streaming towards them as water falls from the skies of Terra. Each cultist he killed gave a sense of satisfaction to his tortured soul, allowing him peace in the work of the Emporer. He advanced as he saw Pericles and Lucius dive into combat, slaughtering cultists in droves for the Emporer, and the father librarian began smiting the unholy with the psalms of the Emporer on his lips.

Mirakia attached his pistol to his mag belt and drew Narsil te Emporer, activating the rune as he cut a particularly well armored cultists in half. Moving along he cut, stabbed, swiped, backhanded, and skewered the unholy enemy; chanting his favorite verse. “A spiritu dominatus, Domine, libra nos, from the lighting and the tempest, Our Emperor, deliver us. From plague, temptation and war, Our Emperor, deliver us, from the scourge of the Kraken, Our Emperor, deliver us.”

It was then he saw Aurio go to his knee. He had blasted the unholy shrine of the Chaos god Khorne to pieces, but it seemed to have drained him. He slunk against some crates(makeshift bleachers) where he was slowly being surrounded by cultists. If help didn’t get to him soon, things would go badly for him and the rest of the squad. Mirakia dug deep within himself, finding the power he needed, and sent it reeling towards Aurio. Aurio didn’t even flinch(which surprised even Mirakia) as the lightning formed a barrier around him, protecting him from the advancing cultists.

“Now face me, you cowards who would kill a wounded lamb, but not fight a wolf. Fight me now, in the Emporers name!!” Hearing this, the cultists charged as one at Mirakia, intent on gutting him in the name of their foul gods. _Just what I needed_, Mirakia thought as he let the barrier drop. Summoning all the power he had he created a wall of blue, crackling power and hurled it at the cultists. 

Most didn’t even have time to react as the wall picked them up and smash scores of them into the opposing wall. The bay became empty, the wall opposite Mirakia covered in so much flesh and sinew that it dripped into a small pond at the bottom. Mirakia ran over to Aurio, putting his hand on his armor and slowly letting what remaining power he could spare flow into him and help him heal.


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## deathbringer (Feb 19, 2009)

(Just protocol in the rp forums is for OOC posts to be editted into a post of placed in the recruitment thread)

3 gods stood before him, pillars of knowledge, immense power lay within those 6 eyes, power he would one day emulate, pillars he hoped to one day cast in the shadow of his magnificance. Yet the day was far away centuries of learning, of trials and tribulations were to come before he could reach such magesty.

They spoke in unison these 3 sires of old the chapter master loudest of all his voice clear, the commanding strike a hammer upon steel, his words clashing upon his ears boring into his very soul. The banner rippled slightly as he swelled at the thought of fighting along side it, nay he would not let the banner fall, for to do so would be an insult upon his honor. 

He half wanted to reach out to touch the fine twine that comprised it, to trace fingers along the intricate weave that ran together like strands of fate. He wanted to touch them, to feel the weight of the hands that made this symbol of strength and power. Yet the banner was clamped in the father librarians hand, straight in his iron grip and Aaron knew that none would touch it friend or foe, whilst it remained in the fathers charge.

His eyes remained resolutely forward his hands frozen at his side yet his mind swelled with lust, lust to touch that sacred relic, lust to bask in its glory, lust to exceed and superceed his forebears. The newest page of his life's saga flickered before his eyes, unspoilt white parchment, the smell of youth,freshness wafted across his mind. Yet above it all a drop of blood red ink lingered, poignant, read to fall at his slightest touch.

____________________________________________________________

His hands new the workings of the generator and he waited for the rune to flash, his beacon activated, he was ready. Mounting excitement pounding adrenaline seeping through his mind heightening his sense. A bead of sweat rolled down the his temple glistening translucent over the pale skin snaking down towards the flushed skin of his cheeks bones, red with anticipation falling from the delicate point of his chin to spatter upon the floor.

The rune flashed inviting and he felt the thump of a fist as the father hammered upon it.

His own hands moved, slowly, pale ghostly fingers rising
His chest heaved inside the armour, anticipation a dog desperate to be set loose

With ceremonial slowness he raised the psychic hood over his head, the edge blocking his peripheral vision. He was in a tunnel, and the tunnel lead to the flickering light of the button

His hand snaked out faster, eager a greyhound that has started the chase it flashed towards the button, then stopped halted by the weight of hopes and dreams.

Was he ready for this?

His finger stabbed outwards, a knee jerk reaction, a personal impulse

Yes...
_________________________________________________________

He arrived last screams, the bark of bolters and blood spattered the floor, glistening red liquid seeping from the open chest of a cultist.

He froze his eyes fixed upon the torn lifeless heart, another soul culled in the name of the imperium. He was held motionless for a moment by the intensity the sudden furious assualt of sights and sounds, the tang of pain and violence that rippled through the air underlined by the sour sweetness of eternal oblivion.

He stared in horror at the beaked form of a cultist the toppled forward bloodgushing from between its eyes its corpse twitching the spasm of its foot knocking the dismembered limb of a valiant sister whose face was stretched in horror her lips torn away to leave a gaping maw.

He swayed slightly as an autogun round crashed into his chest, mbedding itself within his power armour and his head twitched jerking towards a cultist whose eyes were fixed upon him, his hands frantically working to slam another magazine into the weapon. Aaron's piercing blue eyes were ice, beautiful freezing cold pools of emotionless void.

The bastard had shot him. For the first time he realised his bolt pistol was in his hand and he raised it aiming carefully at the cultist whose hands had stopped working, his eyes frozen in horror intoxicated by the intensity of his gaze. The pistol cracked as it fired, the recoil a live puppy wriggling in his hand yet his arm was strong and the shot whipped past the cultists left ear.

Confusion seeped through him, he had missed, yet instinctively his aim was recalibrating his arm moving almost of its own accord and he pulled the trigger his eyes fixed upon the cultists widening eyes.as the bullet lanced through the air towards him.

The left eye of the cultist, a murky dark brown seemed to buckle the round dissappearing in a spatter of blood and the cultist dropped, toppled out of sight, the autogun clattering upon the floor, the sounds swept away in the vengeful howls of the accursed and the righteous screams of his brethren.

the first kill.... it was done, that single left eye blooted the purity of his saga and a new beginning was written.

_____________________

A voice rang breaking the stillness, over rding the clamour and the loud blast aspistol bucked again the shot tearing into the mdirff of a culitst as he pushed forwards to join the mass of his brothers


FORM UP AND FIRE MY BROTHERS! AURIO I WANT YOUR MELTA GUN UP FRONT! THANTOS, FLAMER UP AS WELL! I want to smell cooked cultist NOW!

Aaron turned staring, his pistol laying down round after round into the seething mass of mismatched parts, mutations and torsos blast after blast wrenching at his should as he stared around at the carnage which suddenly blossomed in a wreath of fire and he turned to see brother Aurio lost in a mass of flame which seemed to build and build and he felt his panic, his sensing dread as he lost control of the mass momenarily.

"Dickhead" thought aaron, his thoughts crystal "using sorcery beyond ones powers was a sign of incompetence, a sign of stupidity"

His little "act" had left the father's plan compromised, their progress initially hatened by the lancing flame that had enveloped there flows slowed by a wounder brother and now relying soully upon the might of the brothers flamer. His hand sprung to the melta at his side his bolt pistol sliding back onto his belt and he sprung forwards into the gap left by their brother his own melta gripped firmly in two hands he felt its familar weight as he aimed into the throng

"Eat this" he grunted as he pressed down the trigger send a lance of white flame into there midst


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## The Psyker (Jun 29, 2010)

(Since Deus isnt posting until August 9th his character is going to be left in the embarkation deck as a rearguard until he is able to post once more... And another note is some of you guys are unleashing some powerful attacks. You know who you are. Keep in mind that you are only epistolaries so it'd be very difficult to unleash those kinds of attacks, and the abillity for a psyker to heal someone is unheard of. So keep those points in mind.)

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*- Embarkation Deck/Central Corridor -*​
_It had all happened so fast... All of his fellows that had been sent to the embarkation deck to worship. Having been instructed to build mutilate and build a foul altar to Tzeentch and chant a foul sounding supplication until summoned once more. They were beginning the ceremony of offering the flesh of the dead to his new patron god. Already Paulus could feel the creeping change that had began to manifest in a few of his fellow worshipers. They were amalgations of reptillian and bird like parts. A grosteque menagerie of half human creatures all dedicated to The God of Ruinous Change. The ceremony was in its mid stages, the chants becoming faster and the palapable evil in the air growing ever stronger. That is until the whip crack of energized air and the smell of ozone powerful enough to mask the stench of blood and corrupting flesh. The cultist turned around and could'nt believe his eyes, Astartes appearing from nowhere right before his eyes. In the next few seconds Paulus could feel his pulse pounding inside of his skull. Immediately he could feel beads of sweat begin to form on his face and forehead. It had gotten considerably hotter since the astartes began to appear. He slowly picked his way through the back row of worshipers until the distinct sound of a bolter opening up interupted the ritualistic chanting. Now he broke out in a full run twoards the small emergency hatch that led to a corridor that would lead them to his masters. Ducking through, a mass of bolter shells followed him and pinged off the bulkhead as he passed into the relative safety of the huge corridor. He started off in a frenzied run, his mind set on alerting the Thousand Sons of the intruders. All the while he ran he continued to scream out warnings to the hidden masters that concealed themselves in sorcerous shadow._

THE CURSED EMPERORS ASTARTES HAVE COME! DOOM WILL VISIT UNGH...

_Paulus looked down at his stomach and through the haze that started to fill his eyes he picked out distinct features of a bolter. A sickly looking bayonett extended a few inches from his lower back, vital fluids dripping from the chaos marines blade. His face contorted in a look of painful disbelief, why did his masters turn on him? He groaned once more as the blade was shoved forward and wrenched the other way in two quick motions. He fell forward onto his knees, the vitae beginning to flow up his throat and pool in his mouth. He could mutter no words as he bled out, finally falling forward onto the boot of a Thousand Son. The bolter weilding sentry had found a cultist running from battle and decided to offer his cowardly spirit to the warp. The Rubric Marine slowly marched forward twoards the sound of battle, the Aspiring Sorcerer controlling the number of marines in the area seeing everything that his squad saw through the psychic manipulation used to control the cursed suit of sealed ash. As he walked the Rubric Marine was flanked by three other astartes like himself. Cursed to do the Aspiring Sorcerers bidding without question they continue to walk on, their disembodied voices sound even more eerie through the suit vox. All of them began to chant supplication to Magnus and yell out sorcerous curses as they continued to make their way to the embarkation deck..._

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*- Embarkation Deck -*​
_Josephus continued to lace the line of defending cultists with practiced bursts of fire. Every bolter round found its mark, mass reactive shells sending bits of cultist about the immediate area of the embarkation deck. The return fire was brutal and whittled away at the stack of crates that Pericles and himself had taken cover behind. He had not expected these cultists to be there, but then again the sorcerers of the Thousand Sons was throwing up perceptive barriers against him. He could'nt get a psychic read from the cultists, relying on his auto senses to tally the enemies number for him. He heard the sharp whistle of Lucius' Triskele blaze through the air and the sickening thump of the blade dismembering and decapitating all cultists in his way. He watched the young astartes draw his mirrorsword and look to Josephus. The Father Librarian merely held up his left fist as to tell Lucius to hold his position, yelling over the deafening clap of autorifle and bolter fire._

Steady Brother Lucius! There will be plenty of time for your blade to taste blood! Keep your triskele whistling my brother, you are slaying our foe thrice over with each throw!

_He turned to Pericles and used Astartes battle sign to signal for him to throw a grenade... That is until he heard Aurio began to chant a verse that had once spilled from The Emperors holy lips himself. It was too late for Josephus to percive the Epistolaries actions until Aurio threw himself out into the line of fire. He stood up and yelled for the battle brothers in cover to lay down even more fire against the cultists. He heard the grenade the Pericles threw explode near the back line of cultists throwing chunks of flesh and limbs all around. He patted Pericles on his ceramite shoulder plate in congratulations and then an intense heat that sent a psychic imprint in his minds eye. He was about to dive into the fire and pull the brash young astartes from his foolish errand when he saw Mirakia step forward and perform an equally foolish display of his minds pent up power. He felt the other sorcerers aboard the ship rejoice in the sheer power of the warp that the Blood Ravens exuded. At this rate they would be able to turn half of Josephus' squad easilly. He read Brother Aarons mind clearly as day, noting that the young one had a bearing of leadership. He chastised Aaron through thought, his voice ringing harshly in the young mans head._

Brother Aaron. I will see some discipline! Even though two of our fellow battle brothers decide on cavalier tactics does not mean you can give them rebuke. Although I do agree with some of your words... We will speak like that no more. Understood?

_The Father Librarian waited until Mirakia and Aaron eliminated the last of the cultists. The stink was evident even though the oxygen recycling filter was working as hard as it could to filter outside contaminants. He stepped out of cover and walked towards Aaron, patting him on the shoulder plate as well. He seemed pleased with the members of his squad that decided NOT to break battle discipline. On the other hand there was Mirakia and Aurio, the firebrands of his squad. He motioned for Pericles and Thanatos forward, the latter had arrived a few moments after the battle started and took cover expertly picking off cultists with disciplined fire._

Brother Pericles and Brother Thanatos... Pick through the dead and kill any survivors. Once finished, Pericles will form up with the rest of the squad and Brother Thanatos will stay behind as a rear guard. No complaints Thanatos, you're the one that is going to make sure we all get out of here alive. Brother Aaron, you have made your first kill. I commend you on the nature of your first victim in the battle against chaos. I hope this is one of millions that fall beneath your bolters divine fire! But for now I need you and Brother Lucius to cover the entrance, anything that comes through the door is dead. Do you two understand? Brother Aurio... Brother Mirakia. I will have words with you NOW.

_Josephus stepped to the side, a good ways away from the group before turning to face the two epistolaries that had followed him and stood shoulder to shoulder in a relaxed stance of attention. Josephus narrowed his eyes while he looked at the two. Pacing back and forth while speaking in a most annoyed tone of voice. His presence was magnified tenfold by his ancient suit of power armor and the chapter banner now afixed between his shoulder blades by a magnetic slot for just such an occasion. He had holstered his bolter on the mag pad located just below his waist, crossing both arms whilst he paced back and forth._

Never in all my five hundred years serving the chapter have I seen such a foolhardy use of your abillity. You've taken everything you have learned and spat on it. Never again will I even so much as hear a rumor that you've used the Divination of Flame. Otherwise you will be censured and stripped of your rank in the librarium. I am talking to you Brother Aurio! And Brother Mirakia... I know you were defending a fellow battle brother. But I eschewed the use of psychic energies for a reason. We are fighting a sinister foe that will bend your powers against you, turn you to chaos and turn you against your brothers. I've seen it happen to even the best of librarians. As punishment I SHOULD make you stay here as rear guard. But I... NO we need you two to follow orders to the T and unleash your pent up energies only when I give you leave to do so. We are Blood Ravens, not a sorcerous rabble like our foes... Now get back in formation, and do not try any stunts like that again.

_By the time Josephus had finished his lecture both Pericles and Thanatos had finished with the mercy killings. He signed for the squad to form up in a staggered pillar pattern, falling in the front next to Pericles. Lucius and Aaron stood next in the collumn postion. Mirakia and Aurio next. Josephus gave the order to commence and started to walk forward. He drew his ancient Scorpion Chainsword and compressed the rune where his index finger rested. The blade gave an eerie whirring noise as he primed the weapon for battle. Moments later the squad would come into the corridor via the gaping bulkhead that was malfunctioned and unable to close. He halted the squad a few moments later, feeling a ripple in the psyche that permeated the battle barge. As he forced himself through the psychic fog he realized a chilling revelation. The Rubric marines had been obscured by shadow, and thus luring the squad into a perfect spiders web. The Father Librarian turned to tell the rest of the squad to be carefull when the angry coughing roar of a chainsword crushed the uneasy quiet that had fallen over them. It was only through luck raw and pure did Josephus lift his blade to deflect the deformed teeth of the chaos chainblade with his own eldar chainsword. He was thrown of balance at the prodigious strength the Rubric Marine possesed. He roared in anger as he gained his footing and pushed off meeting the Rubric Marines blade with his. Sparks flew and motivators hissed as both blades fought to overpower one another. Behind the rest of the squad four more shadows melted away from the wall and the rubric squad fell onto The Chosen for some brutal melee._


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## Lord Ramo (Apr 12, 2009)

Pericles whipped around the corner of one the crates offering protection for him and Josephus and fired his holy bolter, watching as more and more cultists were reduced to gore and gristle. He nodded his head approvingly and moved back into cover as the measly return fire increased in tempo. He looked over at Josephus who signalled for him to lob a grenade. He tore one of the krak grenades from his belt before standing and priming it. "MEET THY DOOM TRAITORS!" He bellowed throwing the grenade past the damaged form of his brother Aurio. He felt a pat on his shoulder and turned to look towards Josephus. He had impressed the Father Librarian with his following of orders.

He watched as the last of the cultists fled from the mighty Astartes. Pericles stood, slinging his weapon of death and awaited his superiors orders. As soon as he received orders to go and kill all the injured cultists. He moved forth nodding his head to Josephus as he passed him. When he chanced upon any injured he would simply stamp on their heads, crushing them underneath his foot. He moved through them, stamping upon each and every head. He was glad that Josephus had placed the honour of taking over, if anything should happen to his superior, though Pericles would make sure that nothing happened to him. He would rather die then allow his commander to die.

After he finished this he moved over to the rest of the squad awaiting at the door. They passed through it, leaving Thanatos behind to guard their rear. He passed through, keeping an eye out for anything suspicious. It was difficult for him to use his powers to help though, feeling the raw power of the chaos that was at work here. He slipped his mace into his hand, just as Josephus was attacked by a rubric marine. Four more attacked from the rear cutting off any line off retreat. Pericles immediately charged straight towards one a prayer to the Emperor on his lips. He swung his mace in an ark straight towards it, just to have it blocked by a long cruel looking dagger. Pericles leapt to the left, his mace flying straight downwards trying to find a weakness he could employ.


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## emporershand89 (Jun 11, 2010)

Never in all my five hundred years serving the chapter have I seen such a foolhardy use of your abillity. You've taken everything you have learned and spat on it. Never again will I even so much as hear a rumor that you've used the Divination of Flame. Otherwise you will be censured and stripped of your rank in the librarium. I am talking to you Brother Aurio! And Brother Mirakia... I know you were defending a fellow battle brother. But I eschewed the use of psychic energies for a reason. We are fighting a sinister foe that will bend your powers against you, turn you to chaos and turn you against your brothers. I've seen it happen to even the best of librarians. As punishment I SHOULD make you stay here as rear guard. But I... NO we need you two to follow orders to the T and unleash your pent up energies only when I give you leave to do so. We are Blood Ravens, not a sorcerous rabble like our foes... Now get back in formation, and do not try any stunts like that again.

Mirakia felt the punishing embrace of the Father Librarians psychic and knew we was going to be punished later for his choice to go against orders. _Still, I am a loyal servant of the Emporer, and will do what’s necessary to defeat my enemy_, he thought hoping he wouldn’t have to cross the line again. He fell in as the squad moved out of the embarkation deck and into the hallway, following the lead of the Father Librarian.

Mirakia was thinking of why exactly the Father needed to restrict his curse even though it could be used against the foes of the Emporer. Then he felt a slight ting in the psychic weave of the ship. He was just about to prod when a wicked serrated chain sword descended on the Father Librarian, who barely deflected it with his eldaric weapon. Suddenly four shadows detached themselves away from the wall behind Mirakia, he pulled his plasma pistol and put some shots into the closest one. The shot went right through the figure as he was made of nothing but darkness.

“Have at thee, scum,” Mirakia roared as he pulled his blessed Narsil te Emporer and ran into the fray at the figure, intent on finding a way to kill this new foe.


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## deathbringer (Feb 19, 2009)

_Brother Aaron. I will see some discipline! Even though two of our fellow battle brothers decide on cavalier tactics does not mean you can give them rebuke. Although I do agree with some of your words... We will speak like that no more. Understood?_

Aaron grimaced at the harsh rebuke.... even his thoughts were not his own, he could have understood had he voiced them allowed, made to dominate his brothers yet he had merely thought it, not meant to proclaim it allowed.

Maybe the language was unnacceptable but Aaron had always spoken straight, if he talked at all, always spoken his mind and stuck to his guns. However he let it pass, the father agreed with his rebuke in principle but not in practice and he could feel beneath the icy chill of his voice he could feel a small warmth within the father, was it pride, he could not tell.

The cultists flesh melted away, bone and sinew bored through by his melta, there screams horrifying him, haunting him yet he carried on allowing his body to run on auto pilot desperately trying to detatch himself from the slaughter, to remember these were enemies of the imperium, inhuman deranged maniacs.

Yet they were people, mutated and engorged by the glory of an evil deity yet he could not accept that this was real, he was indeed killing people.. slaying them with the mearest twitch of his hands.

Then it was over, the screams still echoing from the wounded, yet no more stood before the wroth of the emperors astartes, they howled agonised prayers for salvation that was ended with the bark of a bolt pistol.

Maybe th father sensed something for he patted him upon the shoulder, the clap of his gauntlet upon metal resounding warmly through him, a ringing note of appraisal

_Brother Pericles and Brother Thanatos... Pick through the dead and kill any survivors. Once finished, Pericles will form up with the rest of the squad and Brother Thanatos will stay behind as a rear guard. No complaints Thanatos, you're the one that is going to make sure we all get out of here alive. Brother Aaron, you have made your first kill. I commend you on the nature of your first victim in the battle against chaos. I hope this is one of millions that fall beneath your bolters divine fire! But for now I need you and Brother Lucius to cover the entrance, anything that comes through the door is dead. Do you two understand? Brother Aurio... Brother Mirakia. I will have words with you NOW_

He bowed his head a smile spreading across his face as he moved towards the entrance eyes flitting down the deserted corridor, his melta aimed halfway down as his mind wandered over the father's words.

Indeed it seemed he had made a good first impression even if his thoughts had met with chastisement, he had passed the first test his first combat, new challenges awaited
________________________________________________________________
He formed up behind Periles, second in rank heart bubbling with pride though it seemed the noble eldar was to be the most trusted in the father's company. He fell into step with the others his melta raised in one hand, the weight straining at his bicep his left hand curled around the hilt of his sword. 

Fog curled around them and Aaron felt worry concern unease boiling in the pit of his stomach, yet still they pressed on, the father happy to move deeper into the mist

Then the trap sprung

Blades clashed and sparks flew and Aaron spun as he heard one of his brothers give a loud shout drawing his sword and he spun to find four more rubrics moving dlowly towards them, there arms and legs controlled in a disjointed clunky way as they pushed relentlessly towards them. Aaron raised the melta determined to burn them limb from limb yet Pericles bundled past him and he let out a cry of frustration as his shot was blocked by the backs of his charging brothers. Clipping the melta onto his belt he drew the long eldar sword, feeling the warmth in his hand as it embraced his touch. his fingers slipping easily into the grove. 

A rubric moved towards him its chainblade roaring a mass of teeth lashing towards him and Aaron thrust his blade forward thrusting towards the rubric's chest. The blade moved faster and knocked his blade aside with strength that made him stronger and Aaron was forced to jump to the side to avoid the flashing counter stroke.

His pale blue eyes were wide his chest already heaving as the marine advanced once more, the blue and gold armour glinting earily, the relelntless purpose mirrored in the eyeless slits of his helm. 

He had not been prepared for this, an enemy faster and stronger than he, cultists he could deal with but this....

A second slash whistled past him as he stepped aside and his clumsy counterstroke was flicked away once more.

He wasn't up to this

_"Your so talented" the girls raven hair shone in the light of the room. Green eyes pierced his and he felt a rush of emotion, a rush of feeling new and fresh, unheard of and it seeped over him. Her voice echoed once more, soft as lavender honeyed soothing
"You can do anything you set your mind to"_

He could do this, he coulddo anything, strength roared through his limbs and he raised the sword once more, he was ready


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## Captain Stillios (Mar 8, 2009)

Aurio gasped as a measure of his power was restored by Brother Mirakia, getting to his feet and looking around Aurio observed the destruction that he and his Brothers had caused then noticed that he and Mirakia had each caused many more deaths than the others, he could quite clearly see the way that he had charged into the fray as dozens of corpses were burnt or reduced to ash.

When the Father Librarian called him Aurio staggered over.
Never in all my five hundred years serving the chapter have I seen such a foolhardy use of your abillity. You've taken everything you have learned and spat on it. Never again will I even so much as hear a rumor that you've used the Divination of Flame. Otherwise you will be censured and stripped of your rank in the librarium. I am talking to you Brother Aurio! And Brother Mirakia... I know you were defending a fellow battle brother. But I eschewed the use of psychic energies for a reason. We are fighting a sinister foe that will bend your powers against you, turn you to chaos and turn you against your brothers. I've seen it happen to even the best of librarians. As punishment I SHOULD make you stay here as rear guard. But I... NO we need you two to follow orders to the T and unleash your pent up energies only when I give you leave to do so. We are Blood Ravens, not a sorcerous rabble like our foes... Now get back in formation, and do not try any stunts like that again.

"You need not worry Father Librarian, even without your council I would not do that again unless in the most dire circumstance's" Aurio replied as he pondered on the name of the technique, it was a divination indeed as he had glimpsed the minds of the Heretics.
One was devoid of all emotion, one was charged with hatred and blood lust, but worst of all was when he saw a burning giant who emitted terrible fear and depair, it took him several moments to realise that he had been looking at himself through the eyes of a Cultist.
_________________________________________________________________



Aurio unslung Ilea and fell in at the rear with a departing nod to Thanatos.
All was quiet for some time untill the Rubric marines appeared, turning Aurio tried to swing up Ilea but the Marine backhanded it out of Aurio's hands then drove his chainblade forwards.
Aurio swayed backwards and drew Siloe, as the chainblade descended Aurio brought his own blade up and parryed easlily then hammered his left fist against the Rubric marines helmet.

The Heretic did not even stagger but grabbed Aurio's left arm in a crushing grip before lunging with the chainblade, Aurio twisted to the side and brought Siloe down on the ancient blade with all the force he could muster as the grip on his arm increased presure.

The Chainblade shattered into several pieces, Aurio reversed Siloe and sliced through the Heretic's arm severing it at the shoulder and releasing Aurio's arm, grabing the Marine's helmeted head in his hands Aurio looked deep into the eye slits and unlocked the door in his mind that had been with him his whole life.

But somthing was wrong, this was a being of no emotion, Aurio had nothing to build on, it felt like he had tried to lean on a wall that was not really there, there was a lancing pain in his mind as his power found nothing to influence and backlashed momentarliy paralyzing him.
The Rubric Marine hammered his remaining arm into Aurio's stomach doubling him over with his unnatural strength then brought a knee up to meet Aurio's face sending him crashing backwards into the wall.

The Marine drew a combat blade from his hip and swung it down towards Aurio, Aurio desperatly threw Siloe in the way and stopped the Marine's knife dead, looking around Aurio saw that his brothers were all engaged with their own opponents.

Realising that he was not going to get aid any time soon and that he would probably be long dead by the time aid did arrive Aurio gathered himself for one final effort, "IN THE NAME OF THE EMPEROR AND TERRA, I CURSE YOU HERETIC!" Aurio roared his defiance, the words however seemed to have an effect on the Heretic who seemed to shrink slightly and Aurio found that the pressure on his blade was lessened, with his limbs feeling like they again blazed with fire Aurio rose back to his feet.

"FATHER TO US ALL, STRENGTHEN AND GUIDE ME!" Aurio prayed aloud then hammered Siloe into the Rubric Mairine's blade shattering it and driving onwards to penetrate the Heretics chestplate about where the primary heart should have been.
"FATHER TO US ALL, IN YOUR NAME!" He roared and withdrew his blade then hacked off the Marine's other arm before kicking him to the ground.
"FIGHT THEM IN HIS NAME BROTHERS, SLAY THEM IN HIS NAME" Aurio cried then raised Siloe above his head.


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## The Psyker (Jun 29, 2010)

_Josephus' blade continued to grind against the Rubric Marines, showering the general area with sparks. A greasy metallic smell began to rise as both blades lubricating unguents began to evaporate from the strain. Suddenly an explosion of light flared up from the small engine of the Rubric Marines chainblade, the mundane weapon although cursed by chaos was no match for the craftsmanship and strength of his Scorpion Chainblade. The resulting snap of the chainswords blade links sent serrated edges all about the hall, Josephus took the brunt of the explosion in an attempt to save his squad the distraction of these projectiles. His bolter was uncoupled and thrown down the hallway, landing in a clatter near Lucius' feet. Runes flashed all about his visor as multiple puncture wounds resulted. Luckily none of the projectiles made it past Josephus' ceramite carapace. The Rubric Marines arm had been shorn off at the elbow by the explosion, a sickly red mist seeping from the wound. The cursed marine laughed heartily and drew his own stylized combat blade, looking more like a ritualistic dagger then an effective combat weapon. He charged as if his limbs had regained the vigour of living, as a matter of fact the rest of the squad would notice an increased difference in the mobility and fighting prowess of the enemy. Josephus met his charge with an cry of rage, releasing swift strokes of his chainsword, every thrust and slash parried and returned with inhuman skill by the Rubric Marine._

Brothers FEAR NOT THESE HERETICAL COWARDS! Whilst we stand, we fight! Whilst we fight, we prevail! Nothing shall stay our wrath!

_As if to add further weight to his words he let loose a brutal slash to the chest of the Rubric Marine. The whirring teeth ground into the ancient ceramite, into the chaotic icons and filigree inlaid into the marines armor. The squelch of admantine teeth ripping through armor sounded out. The Rubric Marine stumbled back and laughed in its disembodied chuckle. His voice was eerie and hellish sounding comming from the vox projector. This was not the voice of the marine itself, but the Aspiring Sorcerer that controlled them._

Foolish librarian! YOU THINK YOU CAN DEFEAT THE MIGHT OF MAGNUS! ALREADY WE ARE BEGINNING THE RITE OF SUMMONING! ONCE WE REACH THE KAURAVA SYSTEM ONE WORD WILL UNLEASH A HELL YOU COULD NOT EVEN BEGIN TO IMAGINE!

_Josephus had heard enough of the traitors rambling, drawing a krak grenade from his belt dispenser. The egg like object felt small in his palm, a quick flick of his thumb primed the bomb for four seconds. As the Rubric Marine came forth with his blade lifted to strike Josephus would meet the traitors blow with a block. He activated the priming stud and shoved the grenade right down the hollow entrance to the Rubric Marines cursed armor. The krak grenade clunked and clanked down the hollow space of the ceramite armor. Josephus kicked away, incidentally plowing shoulder first into the Rubric Marine assaulting brother Aaron. He rolled off easilly and removed himself from Aarons enemy, assured that the epistolary would want to take his first cultist without any direct intervention from Josephus. The krak grenade finally detonated after what seemed more like minutes then seconds. The resulting explosion sent charred astartes battle plate flying about the room, motivators and bundles of servo muscle fibres followed. The primary power generator, after centuries without charge merely created a phosporus flash. The Rubric Marine was finished, all that was left of his armor a pair of smoking ceramite boots anchored to the deck by the molten ceramite from its greaves. Josephus had been thrown from his feet and slid to a halt mere feet away from Pericles. He watched as the Epistolarys mace whistled through the air, Josephus reached out and tripped up the rubric marine, wincing at the sound of Pericles mace crunching down into the Rubrics helmet. This wasn't a death blow, not by far but it should have given the astartes enough time to employ other means of destroying it. He rolled over onto his back, barely missing having his head smashed by a Rubric Marines cursed foot._

STRIKE WITH YOUR EXPLOSIVES BROTHERS! YOU MUST DESTROY THESE ACCURSED SUITS OF TRAITORUS CERAMITE! USE YOUR MINDS IF YOUR MUST!

(Ok. I'd like everyone to finish off your opponents. Heavy plot twist comming your way next cycle of posts.)


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## Lord Ramo (Apr 12, 2009)

Pericles heard an explosion behind him, but continued with his fight. He brought his mace down again and watched this time in satisfaction as it smashed through the helmet of the rubic marine. He saw Josephus on the floor, obviously knocked away by the blast, holding onto its leg. Pericles nodded his thanks before turning his attention back to the job at hand. The cruel dagger was headed for his heart, though his Holy Blessed suit of Artificer armour saved him from certain death. He heard Josephus mention something about explosives and Pericles reached for his belt.

He grabbed another Krak grenade from his belt as he continued to swing his mace one handed, trying to distract the marine long enough for him to plant the grenade in its helm. Each time he moved his wrist containing the explosive the marine attacked with a sudden frenzy as if it knew what was happening. With a snarl his patience snapped, and Pericles dived forwards knocking both marines off their feet. Pericles brought down his mace again and again while he primed the grenade. Soon the hole in its helm was large enough and with a mighty roar he shoved the grenade through and dived to the side. The explosion continued his momentum so that he landed a few feet away from the rest of the fighting.


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## deathbringer (Feb 19, 2009)

They clashed, Aaron's power sword ringing of the ancient chainblade, blow and riposte falling with the ringing clang of duelling, a new belief filled him with flames that seemed to ripple along the ancient blade. Yet the scorpion steel was hard forged in the treachery had bathed in the blood of loyal brethren long dead.

Yet now his sword matched it stroke for stroke, scratches were gorged in the armour, a slash across his shoulder guard replied by a scratch across the traitors breast plate. They stepped apart and circled, Aaron's breath tight a slight mist before his eyes, the traitors red eyes seemed to flash and he glided in once more. 

A hacking cut was easily evaded and the counter stroke caused the traitor to step aside as Aaron rose attempting to press his advantage closing the gap, yet something clattered into the traitor, the suit of blood red armour bringing a cry of indignation to his lips.

"Mine" he hissed yet the father rolled aside and now the traitor was exposed, his fingerless gauntlet reaching for the sword that his sergeant had lost aside. Though the honour of the kill was gone he took his opportunity, planting his sword through the chest plate he pinned the marine to the ground, the sword sinking into the floor, holding the writhing marine as it twitched and convulsed beneath him

STRIKE WITH YOUR EXPLOSIVES BROTHERS! YOU MUST DESTROY THESE ACCURSED SUITS OF TRAITORUS CERAMITE! USE YOUR MINDS IF YOUR MUST!

He pulled the krak grenade from his belt and set the timer, withdrawing his sword with a flourish he pushed the grenade into the crevice and jumped back, covering his face as the suit dissapeared in a flash, shrapnel rained down upon him yet he was left unharmed his foe vanquished.

Yet the kill left him hollow and he sheathed the sword drawing his melta, he blasted the cratered remains desperate to cleanse the barren husk of armour from this earth.

Cleanse this honourless kill from his memory


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## Captain Stillios (Mar 8, 2009)

Aurio roared in anger when he realised that the Rubric Marine's arms were starting to reattach, grasping the hilt of his blade in two hands Aurio swept the blade down towards the Heretic's neck. Then an explosion hurled him from his feet and face first into the corridor wall, as Aurio extracted himself from the Aurio sized imprint in the wall the Heretic rose to his feet, disorientated Aurio swung Siloe one handed and missed terribly, The Rubric took the opertunity and grabbed Aurio by the throat then reinserted him into the crater.

Aurio raised his left hand to grab the heretic's arm while his right pounded on the Rubric's chestplate.
"Come on then you filth, I curse you in the name of the Emperor!" Aurio gasped as he desperatley tried to get air into his lungs.

As blackness threatened to take him, a voice reached him through the fog.
STRIKE WITH YOUR EXPLOSIVES BROTHERS! YOU MUST DESTROY THESE ACCURSED SUITS OF TRAITORUS CERAMITE! USE YOUR MINDS IF YOUR MUST!
Hearing that he now had the Father Librarian's permission Aurio opened himself to the ether, strength flooded through him and he easliy pryed the Marine's hand away and swatted away an ill aimed left hook then grabbed and crushed the arm.

Falling out of the crator to his feet Aurio felt power revitalise him, Aurio conjured a fire ball in each hand and hurled them at his foe causing further catastrophic damage to the ancient suit of armour.
"Cleanse and Burn!!" Aurio roared as he again grasped the Marines head between his hands then fired flames between them melting the armour to a puddle of burning liquid. The Marine exploded.
Aurio fell to his knees as a shockwave errupted through the fighting, retreiving his weapons Aurio looked up to see what his brothers had done.


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## emporershand89 (Jun 11, 2010)

(OOC: sorry I was late, my girl kept me busy "if ya know what I mean")

“……..USE YOUR MINDS IF YOU MUST!.” Mirakia didn’t need to be told, for he already had an idea he wanted to try out. All around him his brothers and the Father Librarian were engaged in vicious hand to hand combat, and Mirakia had been stuck in the middle when Aurio had stepped in front of him and taken his kill. Mirakia saw a Rubric Marine stomped down and barely miss the father Librarians head.

“Now I will smite you heathen,” he roared and focused on the evil creature, creating a picture of a bubble in his mind. He placed the bubble in the Marines chest and began to expand it from the inside out. The ash creature suddenly fell to the floor, grabbing at its chest as clumps of ash fell out and onto the floor. With a last chocked cry, it fell hard, its rotten heart and chest cavity blown open from an invisible force from the inside. Mirakia marched over to the spasm thing as crushed its rotten heart, stomping the thing back into ash.

“From ash you were born, and to ash your return, filth!” Mirakia walked over to the Father Librarian and extended a helping hand. “Not too much trouble I hope?...........................


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## Deus Mortis (Jun 20, 2009)

(OCC. Sorry, this is the first time I've had any reall access to the internet other than on my phone, which doesn't really work fo updates. So, this might be quite long and cover a few events that you guys have since moved on from. My re involvement in the RP is only temporary, as after the 28th of July, I will be in a field until the 9th of August, camping. Until them, I'll try and post as regularly as I can. Ok with that out of the way *cracks knuckles* let me begin...)

On the Father's mark, Thantos stepped into the teleporter and hit the activation rune. As he did so he knelt, as the waves of energy crashed over him. The searing pain flowed over his body, and when Thantos felt it had reached it's peak, he whispered to himself "Glory to the Emperor..." With a thunderclap of noise, and a wrenching pain, Thantos and the other librarians were thrust into the embankment decks, and Thantos' cold eyes looked upon the traitor scum. In one fluid motion, he grabbed his flamer in both hands, stood up and yelled "DEATH TO HIS FOES!!!" as a rolling wave of blisteringly hot prometheum rolled over a dozen cultists infront of him. More than half of the cultist stumbled back, their robes charred and on fire, however the fron few weren't so lucky and thier bodies burnt themselves out and fell to the floor, breaking into a hundred black pieces. Even as Thantos unleashed his own devistation upon the heretic scum, his brothers were doing the same. Within a few moments it was all over, nearly a hundred cultist lay dead or dying and the embankment deck was awash with blood. "Brother Pericles and Brother Thanatos... Pick through the dead and kill any survivors. Once finished, Pericles will form up with the rest of the squad and Brother Thanatos will stay behind as a rear guard. No complaints Thanatos, you're the one that is going to make sure we all get out of here alive. Brother Aaron, you have made your first kill. I commend you on the nature of your first victim in the battle against chaos. I hope this is one of millions that fall beneath your bolters divine fire! But for now I need you and Brother Lucius to cover the entrance, anything that comes through the door is dead. Do you two understand? Brother Aurio... Brother Mirakia. I will have words with you NOW." Thantos wasn't happy about having to be a rear guard, but he knew how to be a good soldier, and a good soldier never questioned orders. He lefted through the dead cultists with his foot, burning and who showed even a hint of life left in them. This massicre had been brutal, but such was the fate that awaited the foes of the Emperor.

As the others decended down into the darkness of the corridor, Thantos was left alone with his thoughts. And yet he didn't feel alone. Something else was here. It made no sound and had no physical body, and yet it was present. Something ancient, cataclysmic, and evil. Thantos tried to focus his mind away from such things, but each train of thought lead him back to the same place he had just been. Suddenly, whisper from the darkness pervaded the room. Whether it was real or not Thantos was not sure, but what was undenyable was that it was speaking to him. "Thantos, Thantos..." it whispered in it's honeyed tone. "Reveil your self, traitor" Thantos yelled at the hollow room. "Oh no, not yet. But soon, very soon I will. My power will be visited, and all will know my name. Even as your brothers fight and die, preperations are being made to bring about my arrival. They will burn in the fires of my birth. But you Thantos, you need not share their fate. You already know the touch of Chaos don't you Thantos? That mark you bear, the source of your power and of your strife, that is a mark of the chosen. You need not fight us, we can be allies. Serve us, and we can grant you a power you can't even dream of." The words were laced in dread and temptation, drawn out of the well of human emotion and the arrogance that lay at the heart of all men. Thantos remained quite for an instant, and then repeled such thoughts and notions as heretical. "I serve only the Emperor" Thantos spoke clearly as the gun shots echoed down the hall to confirm what the voice had already told him, his brothers were in trouble. Without a second thought, Thantos ran down the hall, his footsteps echoing. "Such a waste of potential" the invisible figure said as he watched Thantos run to meet his fellow Astartes. 

The hallway was a scene of mayhem. The clang of metal was audible, and the battle cries of the librarians was defening. Each brother was embroyaled in a swirl of viscious melee, and none able to help the other. A rubic marine threatened to crush the Father Librarians skull under his heel, until he rolled out of the way. Then Brother Mirakia stepped in to assit the Father. Even as he exteded his hand to help the senior librarian up, another marine moved in to strike at Mirakia while he was occupied else where. "Burn heretic scum!" Thantos shouted as he charged into the ancient marine, his flamer held out infront of him. When he was within range, he unleashed more burning prometheum into the hollow suit of armour, forcing the rubic marine to back away. Thantos growled audible and slung his flamer onto his back and drew his force rod with both hands. The rubic marine drew it's chainsword, and the two clashed in mid air. Sparks flew as the whirring teeth of the chainsword met the obsidian black metal of the force rod. The two of them, thantos and the traitor marine, were held there momentarily, until the two were forced apart by one another. Thantos recovered first, and his force rod swung around his head, aimed straight at the traitor's skull. The cold suit of armour brought it's swrd up to block the blow, and swung for Thantos' left arm. Thantos swung his force rod clock-wise around his head to meet the traitors blade. Then, using the counter-force, he spun on his heel and delivered a kick into the traitors chest plate. The force sent the rubic marine backwards, and Thantos held his force rod level with the marine. Half closing his eyes, Thantos released the tap on his psychic battery, and a thousand worms of lightning sprung forth and crawled as one over the corrupted marines armour. Then, as one, they all delved into it's heart and exploded outwards, shattering the hollow suit of armour into fragments. Thantos sealed the rest of the energy in his force rod once again, and hit the floor with it's tip. Sparks flew as the last remaining dregs of energy disapated harmlessly into the floor, and Thantos turned his head to Mirakia. "Watch your ass next time, I might not always be here to save it." Thantos watches as his brothers seemed to finish off their opponents in displays of power of matial ability and awaited Josepheus' next orders...


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## heartslayer (Oct 17, 2009)

'Brother Aaron, you have made your first kill. I commend you on the nature of your first victim in the battle against chaos. I hope this is one of millions that fall beneath your bolters divine fire! But for now I need you and Brother Lucius to cover the entrance, anything that comes through the door is dead. Do you two understand?'

Lucius followed orders and within seconds him and Brother Aaron were standing guard at the door, waiting for the inevitable arrival of the traitorous sons of Magnus. him and his brothers were signed to form up in a staggered pillar formation as they did so, multiple 'shadows' melted away from the walls. 'Rubric marines' snarled Lucius as one of the traitors brought his chainsword in a sweeping motion towards the father librarians head. Lucius turned around to see a shadow cloaked being charging straight at him he drew his blessed mirrorsword and launched his triskele into the creature, his triskele didnt appear to phase the 'Shadow', he could only hope his blood blessed mirrorsword would have more luck, as the being came within striking distance it swung a crude looking chainsword at Lucius, Lucius parried this strike with ease and returned the blow with a swift thrust into the beings chest, Lucius felt the resistance from the marines armour but knew he had the foul traitor now,he thrust with all of his astartes strength into the marines chest driving his blade all the way to its hilt through the marine, the cloak of shadow aroung the rubric marine dissapated and Lucius knew the marine was dead, but just be sure he fired a close range shot of his triskele at the marine sending its head rolling along the floor. 'Where is your traitorous bastard of a primarch now' Lucius roared he turned to see his brothers and the father librarian dispatching of their enemies. 

Father Josephus gave them one more order as they were all ending the lives of their individual opponents 'STRIKE WITH YOUR EXPLOSIVES BROTHERS! YOU MUST DESTROY THESE ACCURSED SUITS OF TRAITORUS CERAMITE! USE YOUR MINDS IF YOUR MUST!'
Lucius turned to what remained of his opponent and sheathed his blade, he was just about to draw a grenade when he realised this would be a waste on the corpse of what was once his foe, so he held out an open palm towards the headless corpse, building as much psychic energy as he could, he formed an orb luminescent purple energy in his hand and with a slight flick of his wrist the orb launched itself into the chest of the corpse, with a small pop the orb imploded, causing the equivalent of a mini black hole inside the corpse within a billionth of a second the body was gone, lost in the void forever, he stared at the black hole and blinked, just that simple blink of an eyelid closing the small hole in the fabric of reality.


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## The Psyker (Jun 29, 2010)

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*Bridge, Battle Barge Rictus​*--------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Aspiring Sorcerer Ausar began to perspire as the psychic mastery over the Rubric Marines diminished one by one, leaving the accursed souls trapped within were lost. Finally he was forced to his knees by the backlash of warp energies assailed his mind. He began to sweat profusely now, his minds eye threatening to be overwhelmed in a moment that would damn his mind to the warp. But he would not bow to the anathema, his mind would remain intact save for the sharp pain now pulsing through his temples. But now a new danger gripped his very soul. The danger of failure in front of the High Sorcerer was punishable by having ones soul ripped from his body and used as a sacrifice to the Changer of Ways. He pulled himself to his feet, his body boiling over with pain. Suddenly he felt a much larger presence behind him, a shadow of the darkest night enveloping him._

*Master... I... Have failed you.*

_The High Sorcerer looked down at the Aspiring Sorcerer through his accursed eyes. All he saw was failure. Failure to eliminate a small retinue of Blood Ravens who posed a small threat to his plans, but a small threat could turn into a very large problem. He had no room in his cabal of sorcerers for failure in any measure. Both of them knew what must be done, the Aspiring Sorcerer falling to his knees and bowing his head. The High Sorcerer placed his ceramite encased hand atop the astartes skull and began to pull at the very fabric entwining soul with body. Slowly the threads began to unravel and the Aspiring Sorcerer gave a moan as the vapor of his soul began to drift through his nose and mouth. It was surprising how easily the High Sorcerer was able to perform this feat of sorcery, as a matter of fact there were many failed Aspiring Sorcerers. Each failure was to be harvested and offered up to Tzeentch in an offering of the most unforgiving manner. Ausar, now missing his essence slumped over against the High Sorcerers feet. The soul was collected inside of the High Sorcerers accursed powerfist amongst many anguished and screaming souls to be offered in the next macabre ritual held in supplication their patron. High Sorcerer Maloch turned and beckoned for a being that hid in the shadows to step forth._

*Inquisitor... So good to see that you have came to your senses. Now I would like you to eliminate these Blood Ravens. I was Josephus alive... I wish to see an old friends face before I flagellate it from his skull. Do this and Tzeentch will reward you.*

_The inquisitor stepped forward into the sparse light of the bridge. His face had been mutated well beyond its original shape. Eyeballs littered his left and right cheek, his tongue was now forked and flicked out to lick both cheeks of the seeping puss that oozed from the eyeballs. On his forhead he bore the mark of the Changer of Ways. His robes and iconography, once regal was now twisted into a mockery of the Inquisition. Spiked ridges of bone had began to force themselves up from his scalp, leaving him to look like a serpentine amalgamation of blistering puss weeping eyes and serpentine skin. Flanking him were four Aspiring Sorcerers, each one clad in armor thousands of years old and inlaid with motifs depicting various events of importance to the Thousand Sons and golden filigree inlay bordered with precious jewels. All four held bolt pistols and different close combat weapons ranging from a chainsword to a powerspear. The inquisitor nodded and with a rasping voice he spoke in a hiss of words._

*Yessss masssstttteerrr...*

_The Inquisitor turned and began to make his way past the twisted remnants of what was once a proud imperial vessels bridge. Now its entire span was reduced to one giant shrine to Tzeentch, all the surviving crew turned to cultists and ordered to propagate the iconography of the Changer of Ways. Both of his bionic hands flexed with anticipation, a green seeping goo began to exude from his boinics. This stuff of mutation began to harden into a carapace that would provide him with protection from the weapons of the space marines. This was considered a good omen among the worshipers of the Changer, the blessed armor of mutation had began to sweep over the inquisitor._

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*Central Corridor, Battle Barge Rictus​*--------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Josephus took a deep breath as he lay there on the ground, surrounded by his battle brothers. He looked to see that Brother Thantos had felt the daemonic presence and rushed to help his brethren eliminate these accursed suits of sealed ash. He felt the mind of the aspiring sorcerer and then an anguish reserved only for those that have failed in controlling an aspect of the warp born sorcery that the Thousand Sons employed. He saw Mirakia offering a helping hand which he slapped away like a man who had shown just how vulnerable even the ancient astartes was. He sat up and with the help of his servo musculature he was upright before you could blink. He appraised each of his warriors for damage and ordered them back into formation with a pulse of his perception. He waited until all passed, save for brother Aaron that seemed displeased with his performance. He patted the young astartes on the shoulder plate and spoke in a low tone._

*I sense dissatisfaction at the destruction of the traitor. I believe you think it to be a loss of honor? Well I'll tell you this youngster. Be careful not confuse true glory for the vainglorious stories that are sometimes told by the battle brothers of our chapter. You have given this Rubric Marine the emperors peace. Be glad you are able to still serve the emperor after coming face to face with the servants of chaos. Step lively, there are more of Magnus' accursed sons about.*

_Josephus watched as the squad reformed back into a perfect staggered column and walked over a few paces to where his bolter lay on the ground. He bent down and with his free hand he scooped up the weapon and clipped it at the magnetic coupling pad on his right thigh. He kept his Scorpion Chainsword drawn and moving between the space in the middle of the formation he would punch the blade into the air and give them the order to continue marching. It was not much sooner then the distinct cries of a female echoed through the corridor, suddenly from one of the side passages a woman burst from the vault styled doorway and tripped over her own feet. Lumbering behind her was a Thousand Sons Terminator, pitted and damaged from previous engagments. Inexorably it reached the woman and bent down grabbing her by the ankle and beginning to drag her back into the entrance from which they both came. Nobody in the squad would know the woman except AURIO who would immediately recognize his own mother. From another hallway burst a man, this time the sound of an accursed bolter barking out bolts laced with psychic energy would rip through his body as the second Thousand Sons Terminator tired of chasing its prey. The shape gave them a target for a millisecond before lumbering back into the darkness of the side passage. Hollow laughter resounded throughout the corridor as a strange plum hued mist began ro roil about the Blood Ravens feet. Shapes would begin to formulate from the mist that rose to obscure the vision of the astartes in thick whisps that seemed to wrap around their armor and leave a sickly sheen where it touched. The inquisitor and his four sorcerers had made good time and met their foe head on. The aspiring sorcerers began to unleash a torrent of Hellfire bolts against the squad, laughing the entire time they fired. Josephus raised his arms and crossed them in an X shape as he roared with fury. A frost began to form upon the crystaline hood that protected his mind from the warp daemons that loved to prey on the minds of the psyker. The hellfire bolts met with a resistance that rendered them mostly harmless. Although the bolts themselves were rendered null by the barrier the psychic energies still ripped through and struck the walls and ground near and around Josephus._

*BROTHERS STRIKE BACK AT THESE SORCEROUS TRAITORS! THEY HAVE TURNED THE INQUISITOR TO THE CAUSE OF CHAOS! SHOW THESE ACCURSED BASTARDS WHAT WE DO TO THE FORCES OF CHAOS!*

_The inquisitor lept forward and unleashed a psychic torrent that parted the mist and slammed into Josephus' psychic barrier. A few more of the hellfire rounds slammed into his barrier as well and sent the Father Librarian reeling under the combined force. The Inquisitor Ramiel wasted no time in asserting his attack by sending another wave of psychic force to knock Josephus into the air. Again another force blast slammed him into the grated floor, the crash was great and Inquistor Ramiels laughter served as a side note to gifts bestowed to him upon defecting to chaos. Ramiel stepped forward, his retinue following him in perfect unison laying down a withering hail of bolter rounds at the members of The Chosen. They took care not to aim at Josephus, the High Sorcerer was clear in his orders and to disobey meant banishment to the warp. The only time they stopped was to reload, but their ammunition although powerful was limited and soon they would have to start using raw psychic energy and melee weapons. All the while the inquisitor continued to rant and rave, his voice taking on a more warped tone now that his change was almost complete._

*HAHAHA DIE IMPERAL LAPDOGS! YOUR EMPEROR IS A MAGGOT RIDDEN SHAM ON A GOLDEN THRONE BUILT ON THE BLOOD OF THE ASTARTES LOYALIST SLAVES! MUAHAHAHA!*

_Josephus had been taken off guard for a moment while trying to protect his brethren from the psychic laced bolts known to rip through even the hardiest of armors. Thrown into the air and then forcefully slammed down onto the deck left him seeing stars as he pulled himself to his feet and took a few drunken steps forward before equaling himself out. He saw the inquisitor start for his brothers and did so himself, placing himself at the vanguard of the squad. He again began to pool his psychic energies borrowed from the warp and again the air around his immediate vicinity grew ice cold. Just as the inquisitor looked to unleash another torrent of force Josephus swept his hand forward and met the Inquisitors energies with his own. The struggle was titanic as each struggled to force each other into submission. On one side was an ancient librarian with centuries of experience and on the other a powerful Inquisitor gifted with the favor of Tzeentch. Both forces continued to push against each other, the focal point of the energies starting to send ripples of psychic lighting jetting out to lash at both sides. Josephus managed to yell out an order to his squad whilst he continued to struggle, the frost on his hood now creeping over his skull and brow._

*GO FORTH BROTHERS DESTROY THEM IN THE NAME OF THE EMPEROR! THE INQUISITOR IS MINE TO BATTLE ALONE!*

(Ok. Aurio this is a special little plot twist you can decide the outcome of. Do you chase after the woman that looks exactly like your mother? What do you find it to be? Is it an ambush by the terminator or something more sinister? Take caution though, your character is just an epistolary and you should post accordingly. Everyone else is to react to the Aspiring Sorcerers and have fun tearing these guys up, but again take heed you are only epistolaries and should you use psychic powers use them accordingly.)


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## deathbringer (Feb 19, 2009)

"I sense dissatisfaction at the destruction of the traitor. I believe you think it to be a loss of honor? Well I'll tell you this youngster. Be careful not confuse true glory for the vainglorious stories that are sometimes told by the battle brothers of our chapter. You have given this Rubric Marine the emperors peace. Be glad you are able to still serve the emperor after coming face to face with the servants of chaos. Step lively, there are more of Magnus' accursed sons about."

Aaron nodded his head dourly yet he submerged swiftly back to the darkness and gloom of his own thoughts

To need aid shows weakness, to show weakness is unnacceptable, one must be strong amidst the true glory, for he had no desire to be the weak link amongst the squad. Fresh he may be, yet he had the portents of greatness and he wished to excel, to achieve his potential.

He was walking head bowed, and his eyes were bathed in a pink mist and he started as figures emerged from the gloom once more. A form, twisted and mutated by chaos, his once noble face ruined and racked by the glories of the changer and Aaron staggered as he felt the burst of psychic energy rack through him and he felt Josephus stagger. Bolts seered through the darkness and one caught him in the shoulder, the charge exploding to leave a crevace in the ceramite and send shards of agony rippling through his body.

Yet Aaron knew of these bolts, hellfire should have rendered his life incomplete, some energy rendered them null. He raised his own melta and sent a return burst of flame through the darkness though the sorceror stepped aside at the last moment, some portent of the future allowing him to anticipate his attack and evade it. He abandoned the ranged method of attack and drew the power sword once again seeing the flames ripple across the blade as his choler rose.

His legs worked to push forward yet a surge of energy rippled across him and he was knocked backwards spinning into the wall, hearing the hollow laugh of his foe as he turned drunkenly, struggling to rise once more.

The aether beckoned to him, yet he was wary of using his talents within this place, this home of mutation and change. He was wary indeed yet the force knocked him backwards once more and he hollored in frustration.

He was on his knees the force holding him down, this was indeed a last resort, he had to....

_______________________________________________________________
(I'm switching to first, partly because I'm using ravenor style and partially because using he for the sorceror and Aaron would just be confusing. Note I might have overdone it with the sorcerous talents, i accept the repercussions if i have just tell me and ill tone it down in future)

I embraced the aether feeling my corporeal form fly free, warmth seeping into hmy bones power gracing his soul with new energies. The sorcerors mind glowed bright, a shining star and I lashed out, a spear of thought probing at the beast that held his form down. Crudely formed it smashed into a hurridly formed shield yet the pressure on my body lessened as he diverted his attentions to my young mind, leaving his body to come after this new prize

"Such youth" he sneered, his mockery tinged with an undertone of wariness "Let us see what this baby knows"

Knowledge was in my hands, I had tested myself aganst the minds of other psykers, knew of the sorcerors of chaos and their potent ways, yet now I faced a servant of the one eyed master of sorcerors. Who knew what horrors lay in those eyes.

"For knowledge" I whispered and the twisted mouth leered

"How apt"

His own spear of though lanced out and I twisted away, yet for good measure I span a hasty shield yet his lance of though tore through it as if it were paper and he sneered as my mind took a subtle blow

He changed twisting his sorcerous form becoming a great eye seeped with power, rolling in madness, sorcerous energys twisting across his pupil, and he rushed towards me and I fled away from the rolling mass of turmoil, spinning a mind trap and leaving it in his wake, he dissolved it in seconds yet now i turned to face him spinning another more complex weave, he returned the favour and i laughed now as i merely broke through it, seeing the eye widen a little at my knowledge. 

It narrowed once more and he changed throwing mind daggers as he became himself once more his form mocking as he spun more and more mind traps for me, my ripostes barely challenging him, hurried as i was. I dissolved several and broke those i had not seen carefully noting there weaves, determined to form and break them later. Yet as i broke one more I paused and changed as a mental lance lashed at me catching me off guard. I became a hurricane, lashing towards him lightening fast and he dropped away his eyes wide as he spun yet another trap which i barely avoided. The pressure was off my body now, his mind totally focused upon capturing and enslaving my mind and as he dropped beneath me i fled, becoming a minnow, small i rushed away from him and he chased me becoming a shark, huge glittering fangs in his open maw we fled through the aether.

Now i threw his own mind traps against him, the weaves memorized he sneered in recollection, snapping the weak points like twigs his laughter growing as he neared me, yet now as he grew more confident, speeding through my flimsy barriers I threw my own, one a father had taught, a powerful trap and he broke through it filled with confidence, only for the jaws of the trap to close upon his sharks tail. He howled and writhed, his mind lashing out to dissolve the trap with a surge of power that terrified me. Now my limp body neared and the sorceror was far behind and now he turned for his own body, my plan suddenly evident

______________________________________________________________
(Switching back, leaving the post open ended doubt you want the sorcerors finished this early)

Aarons eyes jerked open and he sprung to his feet the eldar sword in his hand as he rushed towards the limp form of the sorceror. His astartes muscles surged with power as desperation flooded him his chance becoming clear. A hastily shot hellfire bolt caused him to duck low and it streaked over his head as he pushed forwards. The aspiring sorceror lay limp and he rushed towards him thrusting the sword downwards to sever open his throat, to rip the life from his body.

The eyes flashed open mirroring the ripples of flame in there opaque pools as the sword descended....


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## emporershand89 (Jun 11, 2010)

Mirakia’s hand was slapped away from the Father librarian, who got up quiet rapidly for an aging Marine, and ordered them back into formation. Mirakia felt a sting, especially when the Father Librarian gave him a not to subtle look of annoyance. All Mirakia had done offer a helping hand and had been spat in the face. Though he didn’t hold it against his command, Mirakia felt a little sad at what had transpired.
In any case, he didn’t have much time to dwell on it as a scream filled the hallway. 

Suddenly, a door was broken open, and a woman came flying out, slamming against the hallway wall. I large hulking figure came out and grabbed the women by the ankle, dragging her back into the room. He heard Brother Aurio murmur “Mother?”, but Mirakia didn’t have time to see what would transpired as a bolt of energy rammed him in the back, hurling him head first into the floor.

He felt his head ring, as he got up, curins, “Damnation, that hurt you sons of whores, who did that?” As he quickly jumped onto his feet, he saw four shadowy figures coming at them, hurling bolts of evil eldritch energies that sapped hungrily, looking for targets. Mirkaia heard the Father Librarian curse and yell, “BROTHERS STRIKE BACK AT THESE SORCEROUS TRAITORS! THEY HAVE TURNED THE INQUISITOR TO THE CAUSE OF CHAOS! SHOW THESE ACCURSED BASTARDS WHAT WE DO TO THE FORCES OF CHAOS!” 
Mirakia drew both of his weapons and advanced at a steady pace, mindful to avoid the bolts of energies. As he closed the range, he noticed that his bolt pistol was having no effect, the accursed enemy having a wall of some type of green slim.

“Disgusting, I will purge you of that,” he roared and stepped into battle with the first creature. He noticed Brothers Pericles and Lucius moving to engage the following enemies, so he concentrated his focus on this abomination in front of him. Truly, though, what a horrible sight stood in front of him, for the creature had once been human, however, its face had been contorted, and its body seemed to be made of the same glowing green slime that protected it as it duel with him.

Over and over they went, his blade clashing into the green slime which had formed into some kind of sickly spear that the creature wielded with brutal efficiency. The spear seemed to hum with power, blocking his every attack as if it had a home beacon inside of it. So, Mirakia did something that went against all his teachings. He stepped back and knelt on the floor, putting his sword back into its scabbard and moving into the battle trance meditation form. He heard rather than saw the creature smirk, thinking he was surrendering, and preparing for death. 

All time slow around him, even the call from the Father Librarian, “Mirakia, what are you doing you fool,” seemed distant as the creature went to execute him. Down came the spear, going for his vulnerable neck joint, slowly approaching.

STEP. SLICE, VVVVVING. The creature stumbled back, its green goo seeping out from a wound near its neck, its head just barely held onto its body. Mirakia was two steps past it; his sword held out, his eyes still closed. It was then the creature finally spoke, “Noooooooooooo.” It toppled to the floor, its head fallen off, its green slime gushing out in a river. Miraskia smiled to himself, hoping the Father Librarian had seen his skill in the way of the blade.

Suddenly, searing pain in his left hand, and he felt rather than saw it fall off. He stepped back behind Lucius, and looked at where his hand had been. The blood had quickly clotted, preventing him from bleeding out, but all that remain was a stump. The pain continued, throbbing into his head, and reaching for his soul. He realized, too late, that the green slime was more than it appeared to be. He stepped back a couple of steps and black out as he fell backwards.


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## Captain Stillios (Mar 8, 2009)

Aurio blanched as he saw the woman...
"Mother?" He gasped as memories rose unbidden to his mind, of a time before he could kill, before he had his life ripped apart.

"MOTHER!!" Aurio cried and charged towards the doorway that they had come from, a fist appeared from the shadows and impacted Aurio's head sending him sprawling.

"Foolish boy, you would charge blindly after a woman just because she looks like your mother" The Terminator laughed, Aurio rolled to his feet and drew Siloe.
"Is She my Mother?!"

"Oh yesss, I found her in cryo stasis on this ship, I believe she was here because the inquisition charged her with giving birth to a monster"
Aurio screamed and hurled himself forwards swinging Siloe downwards, the blade passed through the terminator like a shadow.

"Then why did they not kill me?!" Aurio raged as he swung around searching for some sign of his mother.

"Isn't it obvious, they wanted to use your power for themselves so they staged your familys murder so you would avenge them and have nowhere to go but the astartes" These words were acompanied by a hammer blow to Aurio's back then another to his face and yet another to the back of his legs.

Aurio crashed to his knees, sounds of his brothers struggle reached him and he realised that he had as good as abandoned them, then a slim hand reached out from the darkness, then his mother appeared after it.

"Aurio, you came for me..."

"Always Mother, always" Aurio gasped, "What about Fathe-" He was interrupted when suddenly he was grabbed and hurled into the air then pounded with a fist of pure psychic power.

"You should not become distracted" A new voice hissed, as Aurio looked up three figures came into what little light there was, two Aspiring Sorcerors and the terminator.

"And you should not underestimate me!" Aurio roared and hammered a fire ball into the chest of one of the sorcerors sending him flying backwards out of sight as Aurio rose to his feet and gripped Siloe in both hands, "Come on then you bastards, I'll kill you all!" He bellowed then charged forwards as the might of ancients flooded through his limbs. Aurio swung Siloe towards the Terminator and was met by the blade of a lightning claw, Siloe glided through the air as the remaning sorceror tried to gut him, the blade caught the Heretic in the chest and Aurio's enhanced strength forced the blade through and sliced the traitor in half.

"Is this all?!" Aurio roared as he swept Siloe around in a flurry of lightning fast blows, "Is this all!" He roared again as he spun behind the remaining son of Magnus, for all the extra protection the Tactical Dreadnought armour was giving him it was slowing him so that Aurio could easily avoid his blows while Aurio's own strikes could easily land where he wanted them to.
Avoidng a clumsy swipe from the claws Aurio swept Siloe down in a glistening arc and severed the claws from the Terminators arms, drawing back Aurio sheathed Siloe.

"Well boy, to afraid to finish me?" The Terminator hissed

"Oh I have somthing much better for you" Aurio replied as he opened himself to the power, lifting the Terminator into the air Aurio increased the pressure on one part of the Traitors armour at a time slowly crushing him inside his armour, the last thing that Aurio heard from the Heretic was a faint laughter.

"Mother, are you here?" Aurio asked into the room

"Yes Aurio, and thank you, thank you so much" She answered when she reapeared off to his left.

"What of Father, is he on this ship too?" Aurio desperatly asked

"I think I saw him in cryo, but he looked different, he was bigger for one thing, almost as big as you..." Ilea replied

"We will find him Mother, I promise you, but first we must get back to my brothers" Aurio motioned for her to follow him and headed for the doorway.

"You fool" Came a forced voice from the shadows on the opposite side of the room "I shall tell my master of this, but for now...." Aurio was hit by a sudden force and blasted through the wall back into the room where his brothers were as two red eyes from where the voice had come from dissapeared.
Aurio got slowly to his feet with Ilea beside him as he looked around at the carnage.


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## Deus Mortis (Jun 20, 2009)

Thantos formed up at the front of the column formation that the rest of the squad seemed to form into automatically. Thantos could only assume that this was Father Josepheus' previous order. They walked a little further and Thantos became cautious, side-stepping with his flamer held out infront. "Somethings not right..." Thantos muttered. Suddenly, a door burst open and a woman was clearly visable being chased by a a Thousand sons terminator. This great hulking sorcerer grabbed the womans ankle and grabbed her back. To Thantos, she was just another woman, a casualty of war, and sadly, nothing more. He heard Aurio whisper "Mother?" "Aurio, stay focused!" Thantos hissed, already seeing Aurio's weight shift to follow the woman, but Thantos went unheard, and Aurio chased after the woman, and the terminator. "Damn you Aurio!" Thantos whispered, as his brother charged into the unknown. Thantos would have gone after him, to protect him, but there was more problems here. Aurio would have to face these daemons alone. The sorcerers were here.

Hellfire bolts streamed towards the group, and a phychic sheild sprung up infront of the epilstories. Thantos's eyes blazed with righteous fury, and green flames danced up and down his force rod. "HERETICS!!! BURN WITH HOLY FIRE!!!" Thantos shouted as he dived through the smouldering bolts. One of the sorcerers came to meet him and force rod met an ancient heretic blade. "Such promise, squandered on a false belief" The sorcerer hissed through his vox grill. As the two blades sparked off one another, Thantos growled "You forget, traitor, you used to believe the same things as I do" This remark seemed to anger the sorcerer as he then pushed Thantos back and sent blades of lightning shooting from his finger tips. The bolts danced across Thantos's chest, but disapated harmlessly. "What?" The sorcere managed in stunned bemusement. Thantos glared up in amusement. The small aquilla on his right brest glowed white hot and a smile creaped across Thantos' face. "Not such a false belief now?" Thantos asked mockingly. Another spell formed in the sorcerers hands, but Thantos charged at the sorcerer with his force rod raised high. Inches from the sorcerers head, his arcane sword met Thantos' force rod, and more sparks flew. Thantos pressed the attack, and struck for the sorcerers side. Bringing the sword parrellel to his body, the sorcerer blocked another blow, and pushed Thantos away. The force spun Thantos so his back was facing his opponent. 

"Where is your false Emperor now, lapdog?" the sorcerer mocked, pulling his sword back to stab Thantos in the back. Even as he lunged, Thantos spun at an unnatural pace, and turned the blow aside with a sidewards blow from his force rod. He then lashed out with his gauntlet. The blow sturck the sorcerer and sent him reeling back. His vision became blurry, and when it returned, Thantos' force rod was too close to his shoulder to do anything about it. Dispite it's edges being rounded as a perfect cylinder, it sheared through the sorcerers power armour with ease, as if it were the sharpest of blades. The anceint Astartes hissed in pain and Thantos severed the other arm at the shoulder. The heretic fell to his knees in pain as Thantos leaned over him. "How?" The sorcerer frantically tried to understand how this marine out-manouvered him, when he was helpless, or should have been. Thantos knew how he had done it, how he always did it. The mark on his chest, ever since Truvia he could outmanouver even Astartes. But he daren't announce it publicly, especially to this heretic! No, instead he placed his foot on the sorcerer's chest and forced him to the ground. Even as the battle raged around him, Thantos lent down and whispered "The Emperor protects". "Your Emperor is dead worm!" the sorcerer spat. Thantos removed his foot but placed the end of his force rod on the heretic's chest. "We'll see about that" he replied coldly. A rolling flame of psychic energy splilled out from Thantos' force rod and engulfed the sorcerer's body. The flames feed on the organic matter and gored themselves on his flesh, and once that was all used up, it burnt through the sorcerer tainted soul. All the while, long after his lungs had turned to ash and his throat had been consumed by fire, the sorcerer screamed in an unimaginable agony. Only once the fire had died did the earspliting noise stop, and Thantos struck the smoldering corpse with his force rod and is crumbles. "Such is the fate of heretics" he remarked before turning to see if any of his brothers needed aid...


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## Lord Ramo (Apr 12, 2009)

Pericles waited as the father librarian talked to the rest of the squad. Suddenly the calm that had ensured after the battle erupted into fire. 4 Sorcerers and the very Inquisitor that they were sent here to rescue leaped out of the shadows sending hellfire towards the squad. Pericles roared in anger when he saw the Inquisitor broken and reformed on the chaos side. 

GO FORTH BROTHERS DESTROY THEM IN THE NAME OF THE EMPEROR! THE INQUISITOR IS MINE TO BATTLE ALONE!

Pericles acknowledged his orders and headed towards one of the aspiring sorcerer. He felt the warp all around him, beckoning him to join the dark ones. He would not heed it however and fired his bolter as he charged. The sorcerer laughed and formed a barrier in front of him, the bolts bouncing harmlessly off the barrier. Pericles snarled and pulled his sword forth. He swept it down towards the sorcerer who blocked it with his own axe. He watched as the sorcerers eyes lit up with fire, and Pericles only had just enough time to summon his own energy to protect him before a fireball was launched at his chest.

Pericles felt the fire burning through his barrier but fought back with his mind. He summoned a mist around him, dousing the fire. He felt weaker having to use his power but so be it. He leapt through the mist, wiping the laughter from the air. The sorcerer dived to the right, not quick enough. He managed to lop off the left hand. Pericles laughed himself. _"How about that Sorcerer, not quick enough even with your millennia of experience."_ Pericles ducked underneath a vicious axe sweep aimed at his head.

Pericles summoned his own powers now, intent upon defeating the sorcerer with his power. He summoned lightning forth which poured from his fingers. His eyes lit up and the lightning hit the sorcerer. It screamed and writhed in pain, and Pericles push harder and harder. He felt the energy leaving his body quicker then ever before and he doubled over, the power halting as suddenly as it started. He coughed blood and looked as the sorcerer, now lying on the floor tilted his head up. 

With huge effort it summoned the last of its energy and blasted it into Pericles. Pericles bellowed as he fell back, his chest being hit by the full force. It burned through his armour and he could smell and feel the pain shooting through him. He hit the deck hard, and grabbed at his bolter. He looked at the sorcerer who was laughing back at him. Pericles raised his bolter a little higher, so it was pointed at the heretics head. He smiled and pulled the trigger, watching as the head exploded. He pulled himself over to the nearest wall, out of the way of all the fights going on.


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## The Psyker (Jun 29, 2010)

_Josephus felt himself being pushed back by the inquisitors dark energies, slowly but surely the power of chaos was overcoming his abilities. Sweat began to bead on his brow only to be frozen into small droplets of ice, his breaths began to become painful and labored. Yet in his heart he knew that to fail now would be to fail his brothers. Time was running out, he knew this simply because the High Sorcerer was sending out the big guns in his retinue instead of wasting Rubric Marines that could be employed elsewhere with a guarantee of success. Bolts of psychic power continued to play up and down his ceramite carapace, a rising smoke wafting from where the soft armor began to fray and melt in some places. Josephus' thoughts were finally shattered when he heard Mirakia fall back, a green fluid seeping into the wound as if it had a mind of its own. He felt his anger rise, giving way to a huge burst of force that ran from his mind, through his arms and out his fingertips to tip the balance of the psychic battle._

ACCURSED TRAITOR YOU SHALL NOT PREVAIL!

_Inquisitor Ramiel was taken aback by the sudden show of force, his stream of putrid green psychic lightning was dissipated and he was thrown back a few steps. He recovered and smiled, opening his lips to inhale the air around him to expand his lungs to the point where they threatened to explode and send his entrails all over the place. He then released the air and gave roar of fury that was amplified by his favor of Tzeentch. Josephus and the entire retinue of Blood Ravens were thrown back different ways, the aspiring sorcerers that were not dead yet being forced onto the ground as well. Such was the force of the yell that Josephus was forced into blackness. During the confusion the Inquisitor ordered the remaining two to take Josephus back to the bridge and present him to the High Sorcerer. He then turned around and used his forked tongue to lick another sheen of puss from his eye ridden cheek. It was time for him to dispose of the rest of these Astartes, he would wait for them to recover so as to give him more of a challenge and bring even more glory in the name of Tzeentch. All the while the aspiring sorcerers dragged Josephus by his feet towards the bridge._

Wake up little blood birdies. I am going to execute each and every one of you in the name of Tzeentch.

(This inquisitor is powerful, having taken down a senior librarian with little effort. Its you guys vs him and only with EVERYONES combined effort will he fall. Deathbringer I'd like for you to post last and have your character do the death blow. We're almost to the Kaurava system and thats when things are going to start getting heavy.)


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## heartslayer (Oct 17, 2009)

Having been drained by the use of his abilities Lucius had been nearly taken unconscious, so when another group of enemies surrounded him and his brothers he ducked behind cover and provided his brothers with cover in the form of the whirring death that was his triskele, while he regained his energy. 

After a grueling stand off between the Father Librarian and the treacherous Inquisitor, it appeared as if the Inquisitor would win, suddenly the Father let out a huge burst of psychic force knocking the Inquisitor back, the Inquisitor followed this by letting out a Psychic scream that even the likes of primarchs wouldnt be able to stand, knocking Josephus outcold, Lucius saw to sorcerors move to josephuis and carry him off, Lucius became filled with fury and adrenaline like he had never experienced before, he vaulted over the cover he was standing behind with ease, and landed perfectly, as soon as hios fit touched the ground again he ran straight at Ramiel,, screaming Lithanies of hate at the top his lungs, the scar on his face beginning to glow with psychic energies that lay dormant from the blow of the Manreaper that had nearly killed him he lifted his hands and pointed towards the traitor Ramiel and let out a bolt of psychic energy of the most putrid green, that impacted the traitor square in the chest knocking him back...


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## CommissarMihailov (Jul 28, 2010)

Lord Fleischer silently sat upon the battle barges command throne, his eyes closed, and sensing everything that was going around him through his psyker presence. Even though his eyes were closed, he was practically able to watch the preparations took place for summoning a great unclean one in front of him. He was practically able to watch what was happening around him in this section of the battle barge, and was able to watch several of his underlings as they dragged a prisoner towards the bridge. 

Fleischer suddenly licked his lips hungrily, the two aspiring sorcerers' find delicious, but not just because he was a father Librarian. Fleischer stopped concentrating so much on what was going around him and instead concentrated on Josephus, homing in on his mind, and promptly invading it with his psyker power. The fact that Josephus was unconscious only made it all the easier. The warped, snake-like voice of Fleischer echoed through Joseph's mind, seeming oddly familiar, yet utterly foreign to him. Josephus was suspended in darkness for what seemed like forever, feeling like he was falling forever, before he suddenly awoke on an orbital defense platform. Looking around, he realized he was in his quarters, on... the word Argus was hissed into his mind, causing him to look around stunned, expecting someone to be there. He was surprised to see he was alone, and oddly, he felt lonely for once. Felt more alone then he'd ever felt in his life. Like all his "friends" were just waiting for their chance to replace him as Father Librarian. Suddenly, the hissing voice came back *"You need to get stronger... they'll try and break you down. Kill you. Take your title, strip you of your medals, strip you of your history... but you can be stronger then they ever can be. You have the potential."*

Josephus again looked around, and was surprised that no one was there, although it felt as though someone was breathing over his shoulder, and whispering directly into his ear. Something wasn't right about this. Suddenly, the whole station shook, and he heard gunfire erupting in the corridor outside of his. Terrified, agonizing screams greeted him as he stepped out of his quarters, ready for a fight, and a torrent of blood nipped at his ankles flooding the corridor. Wounded, dying space marines lied brutalized all around him, many torn limb from limb and dead, most barely alive, with limbs missing, long, gnashing scars carved into their faces like tattoos, or chaos symbols of the various gods carved into their stomachs where something had found the strength to rip their chest pieces off and toss them to the other side of the corridor. Suddenly, a librarian amongst the space marines spoke up, his voice barely above a croak, seeming to be choking on his own blood and bile *"Josephus... where... where were you? Didn't save us... from..."*

The brother librarian finally choked out before he could finish speaking, but somehow managed to continue make gurgling noises as Josephus remembered he was standing right where a fight had obviously occurred, and needed to get away immediately, in case whatever did these men in tried to ambush him. As soon as the thought occurred, suddenly he saw a blur turn the corner around the far end of the corridor and dart straight towards him, slamming into him, and pushing him all the way down towards the end of the hallway before he could bat an eyelash. Whatever the blur threw him against the wall, giving him a split second to see that it seemed like a space marine librarian, and then immediately lunged forward, reaching for his throat. Josephus for the first time found himself utterly helpless, his arms hanging limply at his sides as the helmet-less librarian's hands somehow seemed to phase right through his armor and get right at his throat, strangling it with depressingly human hands

Now that the blur had stopped moving, he was able to see what his attacker was. It took Josephus a second, but he quickly recognized who it was. Father Librarian Fleischer!? Before Josephus could think another thought, Fleischer's face started to change, warp, and rot. His teeth grew sharper, and more monstrous, seeming like those of a tyranid ripper. His skin started falling off, exposing his cheek bones, his jaw, and his skull as he howled* "YOU DID THIS TO ME! YOU DO THIS! JOSEPHUS! YOU LET THEM DO THIS! ITS YOUR FAULT THAT THIS HAPPENED TO MEAN!"* Josephus could only gargle, Fleischers hold on his throat suppressing his defiant, screaming denial, his mind refusing to take credit for the monster before him for some reason. For some reason, he didn't at first feel any guilt, but as Fleischer continued to scream and howl, warp, corrupt, _change_ right in front of him, he started to feel guilty, although oddly, for some reason a part of him wondered _why_ he felt guilty. "*YOU LET THEM GET ME! YOU FAILED ME! YOU NEVER LIVED UP TO YOUR POTENTIAL! I BELIEVED IN YOU JOSEPHUS! I BELIEVED IN YOU!" *Suddenly Fleischer's human like hands started to change as well, warping into claws, and the skin on his face started to be replaced with scales. His armor itself seemed to start to warp as well, taking on the tone of a thousand sons chaos space marine. 

Josephus awoke with a jump, short of breath, feeling like he just genuinely woke up after being strangled unconscious. The screams of dead friends from Josephus' past, and the howls of Fleischer continued to echo in his mind. *"You failed me... you let them do this to me..." *


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## Captain Stillios (Mar 8, 2009)

Aurio pushed Ilea behind a bulkhead; then turned to face the Inquisitor.
"Die Heretic!" He bellowed and jumped into the gap between the former Inquisitor and Lucious.

_Siloe_ swept down and glanced off a psychic shield sending him off balance, a monstrously strong hand grabbed his throat and his sword arm was pinned against his body, as he looked at the abomination that had turned from the Emperors light, a strange light emitted from his crux terminatus where the traitor was touching it and the smell of cooking meat reached his senses. The Inquisitor screamed in pain and smashed Aurio against the wall again and again untill he lost contact with the crux.
Aurio roared in pain and called on his power, encasing his left fist in fire he smashed a blow that would have shattered ceremite armour like paper.

Ramiel barely flinched and Aurios fist shattered.
Aurio finally realised the peril he and his brothers now in, and that he would probabley not survive.

Aurio opened up a telepathic link with all of his brothers, Lucious, Aaron, Pericles, Thantos, Mirakai and even Josephus' tortured mind.
_'Brothers..protect Ilea'_ he begged as he gathered his power _'If I do not survive my father is somewhere aboard this ship, if you can, please help my family'_ Aurio opened his eyes as wide as they could go as etereal light played over him.

_'Fear is naught, for my faith is strong'_ Aurio began as he looked into the Inquisitor and into the traitors power.

_'Holy Emperor deliver me from the darkness of the void, guide my power in your service'_ Aurio battered down the Inquisitors weakened defences and started to draw the heretics power into himself.

_With all my strength, with all my will, with every fibre of my soul, I pledge my soul and my faith to the Immortal Emperor, Shepherd of humanity'_ So much power had he absorbed that Aurio felt he would explode from the pressure yet there was still more than his brothers had together and so he drew more into himself.
As he felt his life force fading from the chaotic powers raging within him, lightning sparked along his armour, and he began one last litany.

_'Mighty Emperor, spread your divine light to protect my brothers from the darkness'_ Aurio finally closed his eyes and cut the flow of power.
Ramiel growled in fury and hurled Aurio across the room into the bulkhead which Ilea was hiding behind.
With the last of his strength he lifted his head and looked to his Mother who was moving towards him, as darkness took him Ilea neared as a ghostly white light played over her hands....


(OOC: Aurio is not dead but he does appear to be, Ilea is kneeling at his side and he has absorbed some of the Inquisitors power, also everything in Itallic you will hear in your minds))


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## Lord Ramo (Apr 12, 2009)

Pericles roared in anger as they took Father- Librarian Josephus away. How dare the chaos take the leader of this squad. Pericles pulled himself up, ignoring the pain that swept from his chest, he looked down and saw the holy armour he was wearing. Part of the chest armour had been breached by the sorcerers unholy power, and the skin underneath was burned like ash. Pericles looked up at Ramiel, a once loyal member of the Inquisition. How could one so strong fall? Did this mean that Josephus would fall to? Pericles immediately pushed these thoughts out of his mind.

Pericles would be in charge now, as Josephus had ordered. He drew his holy weapon and watched as Lucius knocked him back with some form of putrid green energy, then how Aurio was knocked flying by Ramiel. He had begged his brothers that if he had died then they would protect his mother. Pericles felt power began to surge through him. "_Brothers we must batter this foe into submission, and then go to the bridge and retrieve Josephus."_ He summoned his energy to him, lightning playing across his body. His eyes changed to the darkest blue and he raised his left hand, the other held the weight of his holy sword in. _"DIE HERETIC!"_ He bellowed as he unleashed bolts of deadly lightning once more. Ramiel looked surprised for half a second as the lightning hit him, before he laughed, a field of power forming around him that protected him from the rest of Pericles power, though he had done some damage. Pericles smiled as he saw the heretics arm had blackened, weakening him. He grabbed his bolter and let loose a trio of shots at him, breaking Ramiel shield but that was it. In return Ramiel fired a fireball at Pericles. Pericles had little energy so he summoned upon his holy weapon. He brought it in front of him and braced as the fireball slammed into it. He was knocked back and off his feet, though he soon stood again watching as his other brothers duelled with the traitor.


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## emporershand89 (Jun 11, 2010)

Mirakia watched with a mix of horror and fascination as Aurio was flung aside like a child’s play toy. The woman he had dragged along with him was by his side weeping, oblivious to the danger that was less than a foot from her. Pericles ran at the inquisitor, bringing his sword and his mind to bear upon the evil man, but the inquisitor blocked it just as easily. Mirakia new they’d have to work together to stop the sorcerer, less they all perish from his horrendously mighty strength.

It was then that Mirakia noticed something, which the sorcerer kept doing repeatedly during his battle with Pericles. He kept summoning power from the warp through his body to give himself more power. Lightbulb!! Mirakia focused his mind on the sorcerer, widening the channel through which the inquisitor was summoning power. Suddenly the inquisitor's smile vanished, and he started to spasm alittle, his legs began shaking, and he started screaming. "What is happening too me." He looked directed at Mirakia, who even though his eyes were shut could sense his stare. "You, I will wipe you from the face of the earth."

Another spasm shook the inquisitor, and beams of light bean to penetrate from under the horrendous goo that covered him. "Strike now brother," Mirakia cried," while I have him weakened."


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## Deus Mortis (Jun 20, 2009)

Thantos watched in awe as his brothers fought. He didn't want to interfere, each one was a capably epilstory and he had no desire to get in the way and damage them. But each was battered aside by this twisted Inquisitor. But each fell in turn and Thantos was powerless to do anything until he found his opening. The inquisitor had focused on bringing his energies to batter Pericles about with a fire ball, and Mirakia had clogged up the the holes where the green goo was seeping in and out. Their combined effort was slowly bringing this heretic down, for he could no longer be refereed to by his previous rank. Thantos slung his flamer on his back, and charged with his force rod. "Die heretic!" Thantos shouted, and the inquisitor turned his deformed head to face him. The inquisitor's sword met Thantos' and then quicker than an Astartes could react to, the Tzeentch champion swung at Thantos' ribs. It would have been a fatal wound, eve if it was a mortal weapon, but Thantos' force rod met the sword inches before his bit into his ceremite plating. The inquisitor's face moulded into a face that might have once confusion. But this was dismissed in a moment, and with equal speed the twisted man launched a sideward slash for Thantos' throat. Everyone viewing this fight would have counted Thantos no longer amongst the living, but once again, his force rod met the blade of the Inquisitor and stopped the death blow. "Another son of Chaos?" The traitor hissed in Thantos' face. Thantos gritted his teeth. *How could this man know?* He thought. Thantos snarled and lashed out with viscous kick to the inquisitor's knee. The limb buckled, but this didn't seem to phase the inquisitor. In a moment of panic, Thantos lashed out again, but this time he struck the inquisitor's face with the length of his force rod. His face crumpled and the inquisitor took a few stepped back, and Thantos did the same, thankful for the space to breath. The inquisitor cocked it's head to one side. "They don't know do they?" He asked mockingly. Thantos froze in fear. *Don't* he silently wished. "Should I tell them? Tell them about that mark of yours? Tell them how you are faster than them? Tell them..." "Shut-up. Shut-up! SHUT-UP!" Thantos shouted. His anger boiled inside of him, and a rolling cascade of lightning sprung forth from his palms and rampaged towards the inquisitor. Where as Thantos' lightning was a pure white, the lightning that the inquisitor brought up to meet him was a sickly green. The two clashed in mid-air, and violent sparks were thrown around the room. Thantos was furious, if even a shred of the inquisitors words were believed by the others, he would be treated with superstition. Every ounce of his energy was being poured into his psychic assault, but even still it wasn't enough. The putrid green lightning was creeping closer and closer to him. "Come on Thantos, you're better than this!" The inquisitor shouted mockingly. "What do you know of me, heretic?" Was the only words his mouth would surrender. "Embrace chaos, and me more than you already are" The inquisitor's voice had changed now. As apposed to a violent battle rage, this was a sweet honeyed whisper, begging him to join the side of power. It took all of Thantos' strength to mutter "Never." The inquisitor howled in rage, and his lightning broke through and struck Thantos square in the chest. The force of the blast sent Thantos careering in to wall behind him. As his armour fissled and hissed from the heat, Thantos watched the rest of the battle, and the death of the inquisitor through blurry eyes...


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## deathbringer (Feb 19, 2009)

The blade descended, flashing through the air, piercing the expsed skin of the sorceror with ease. Ruby red blood flowed over, welling onto the floor and the sorceror convulsed, his arms lashing out wildly as his eyes bulged in there sockets. Then the light faded and the thrashing stopped.

Dead, pride welled within him. A dangerous threat to the imperium had been eliminated by his guile, by his talent and mastery of the powers of the warp. He gave a slight shiver as the realisation washed over him, a cold wave of reality, tinged by golden flecks of happiness.

Yet it died, the laughter curdling in his throat as he turned upon the rest of the battle. His brothers battered at the inquisitor and Aaron's eyes fixed upon Josephus, out cold, his arms sweeping the blood around him forward as two shadowy figure towed him away.

The epistolary leapt forward sword raising ready to go to the aid of his fallen leader yet his eyes fell upon his brethren as Aurio, was tossed backwards, falling like a rag doll. Pericles too took a ball of fire to the chest, spiralling backwards whilst Miriaka trembled,his words hushed as he attempted to hold the fallen Inquisitor back. 

Aaron's mind switched quickly and he changed direction as Thantos came in towards the inquisitor and they battled in a flurry of movement, almost beyond belief, the force rod moving with a guile that he struggled to trace.

Yet the words shocked him... the howling of the inquisitor, the accusations the allegations held him back, the words echoing mingling with Thantos's feeble denials and pleading. A traitor amongst there midst, it was impossible, how when why, how had he not been picked up. Nay it was impossible. Yet Thantos's pleading was so feeble, pathetic cries for secrecy.

Yet now he too was blasted away, lightening striking him in the chest as Aaron stepped forward. No this was not a time to meet the inquisitor head on, he was far to powerful. His sword was in his hand and he strode forth, watching as the inquisitor's eyes narrowed and the lightening died away and he turned his attention towards Miriaka.

He wanted to say something something witty, some sneering remark yet the inquistor could move like lightening his senses heightened by the malicous stream of chaos that ran through him. He swung, aim for the pustule laden neck, his sword whistled as it scythed through the air and the inquisitor began to turn. His pustular bulk twisting, his eye met Aarons as the blade bit and his mouth opened wide in a scream as the eldar weapon tore through the flesh, searing it away as it shore throw bone and sinew. The head toppled, the corpse beheaded clattered to the floor yet Aaron paid it no heed.

His bolt pistol was in his hand and he strode to where Thantos lay struggling to rise

Carefully he pointed it directly at the man he had once called brother

His single word was laced with venom his eyes sombre and merciless

"Explain"


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## emporershand89 (Jun 11, 2010)

Mirakia looked at his battle brother, who had just killed the Inquisitor, feeling relief wash over him as he let his power go. They had killed a dangerous threat and traitor to humanity, and surely they would be commended later for it. 

He looked around, and saw Aaron point his bolt pistol at Thantos who was recovering from his wounds. "Explain," he said.

"Aaron," Mirakia asked, puzzled by his actions, "what in Emporers name are you doing???"


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## The Psyker (Jun 29, 2010)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bridge - Battle Barge Rictus​--------------------------------------------------------------------------
_Josephus watched in horror as the events of centuries past played out in some macabre theater style that drudged up ancient feelings of despair and self loathing. Old scars began to burn with such intensity as the corpses of his fallen brothers spoke. With every syllable uttered the intensity grew, the shame upon his brow grew heavier as they each appeared before him. Their bodies were marked with all manner of runes dedicated to the lord of change, immolated and defiled of all that made them space marines. These were his battle brothers, his psyker kin that understood the pain of being such a misunderstood creature in this mixed up universe. Then suddenly the apparition of his most trusted aide, Librarian Fleischer... The traitor space marine gripped his throat with such intensity that had it not been a psychic dream meant to break him of mind and spirit it would have crushed his windpipe. He could feel the taint of chaos within Fleischer, the whisperings of change about his form. His words burnt the most and caused him to begin to weep for the most trusted of his brothers. The one that fell so far that not even Josephus could save him._

NO YOU FOOL! YOU TOOK THE TOME! I WARNED YOU FLEISCHER BUT IT WAS YOU WHO WANTED TO STRIP ME OF MY RANK AND TAKE MY MANTLE FOR YOUR OWN! FOOL OF AN ASTARTES!

_Josephus wept no more, instead it was replaced with a white hot anger. Anger at himself for letting Fleischer fall so far. Anger at his apprentice who had coveted power above all else. But he felt the most anger towards Tzeentch. The god of horrific change, the herald of sorcery. Suddenly Fleischer's chains would be no more upon him. Josephus had the will and strength to resist such psychic parlor tricks. He now towered over Fleischer able to manipulate himself as he please. His voice was now a roar of psychic power that intensified every word._

You may have power over these weak sorcerous fools of the Thousand Sons. But you WILL NOT have control over The Chosen. We are the will of the emperor. Your lord will see to your soul soon enough my apprentice.

_As he called Fleischer "his apprentice" the psychic spell broke and the physical realm melted into shape and Josephus stood tall. He lifted his hand and with a great psychic effort he ripped an auxiliary control station from the right of him and slung it towards the High Sorcerer. With this minor distraction in place he reached out and grabbed both of the astartes by the face. With a psychic exertion he gripped as hard as he could, crushing their skulls with a titanic effort. As one of them fell he reached out and gripped the hilt of a power sword strapped at the sorcerers side and thumbed the activation rune. The accursed weapon sprung to live with the thrum of a thousand locusts chewing upon a never ending feast of flesh. The blade resisted Josephus at first, until the evil presence inside felt the power of his purity through faith. The blade would soon burst into flames as the black scum that coated the once proud weapon cracked and peeled away. Soon the flames would die out and show the true face of the weapon. A shimmering electricity wreathed blade. Josephus now pointed the purified weapon at the High Sorcerer.-_

It is time for you to atone for the blood of our brothers. Come and receive The Emperors justice.

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Central Corridor - Battle Barge Rictus​--------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Just as Brother Aaron delivered the death strike to the Inquisitor two very curious things happened. One being that the inquisitors soul was gripped no more by chaos, and the other is that he found himself drawn by some inexplicable force towards the space marine that had slain his corrupted physical form. He remembered dancing along the blade of his slayer and up his arm down his side and into the auspex device at his hip. This happened faster then even the post human eyes of the astartes could register. There he would lay in a dreamless state, able to see and hear all that went on around him._

_And so the Inquisitor was slain, laying there in a pool of his own visceral blood. Once the squad regains their senses they would look around and finde Josephus's weapons, the Blood Ravens Standard laying haphazardly upon the ground and a trail of blood leading futher down the corridor. Yet the Chosen find themselves in another situation. It seemed as if the Inquisitor had revealed a hidden secret about Brother Thanatos that could be his undoing. Brother Aaron stands over his battle brother with the muzzle pressed to Thanatos' forehead. It is up to the rest of the squad to pick a side and argue to either execute Brother Thanatos as a spy of chaos or will they explore the other many options involving Brother Thanatos's fate._

(Okay guys time to pick a side. On one hand there is Thanatos, a long lived and well respected Blood Raven. He has saved at least two of you here more than once. Then there is Brother Aaron, the golden boy of the group. He is following the edicts set down by Josephus before the mission. If any of them are tainted by chaos they must be given the emperors peace. This argument will be settled with words. Nobody is to shoot anyone unless I give them specific instructions. Also after the argument does the Squad decide to look for Father Librarian Josephus? Or do you continue on with the mission. We've just came out of warp and my next update we are going to make planet fall.)


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## Lord Ramo (Apr 12, 2009)

Pericles stepped forward to Aarons side. He rested his hand on his brothers pauldron, trying to draw his attention for the moment. He knew how his brother felt, the fact that one of the chosen, one of the few could be a traitor burned within him. However Thanatos deserved the right to speak. He was still a battle brother, and he had saved two lives of the chosen today.

With a heavy heart Pericles spoke up, praying that they would listen to his words. _"Brother Aaron, put that thing away. We are all brothers here, and he has saved two of our lives today. He deserves a chance to talk. If you wish to keep you weapon trained upon him then do so, but do not fire before we are all in agreement, or you could invite damnation. You have proved yourself today for all of us to see. Josephus would be proud of you."_ He patted him once more and moved away to Thanatos form. He extended his hand, helping his brother to his feet. 

He moved away, still feeling the burning in his chest before he spoke again._ "Brothers we must make this quick. Josephus will need our help so we must make all haste to go rescue him. As you know, Josephus left me in charge of the standard if he should be captured or slain, so I say our top priority is get back our Farther Librarian. However this little incident must be settled if we are to continue onwards with the mission."
_
His words sunk into each of his brethren and he stood back to allow Thanatos to explain himself. He hoped to the God-Emperor that there was a good explanation for everything that had happened so far, and that Thanatos could prove that he would not fall to chaos like the Inquisitor did. He also prayed for the soul of Josephus, almost begging the Emperor to keep Josephus safe and alive.


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## Deus Mortis (Jun 20, 2009)

Thantos tried to stand up on his legs own strength, but the pain in his chest flared and his legs buckled under the weight of his own armour. He managed to get onto his knee's, but even that was effort. He placed both his hands about shoulder width in front of him, and tried to use them as levers to push himself up. Even as he did this he hear a cold metallic click not inches from his face. Raising his head he stared into the barrel of Aaron's bolt pistol, and a single envenomed word passed from his mouth "Explain". As Thantos weighed up his options in his head, Pericles cut in "Brother Aaron, put that thing away. We are all brothers here, and he has saved two of our lives today. He deserves a chance to talk. If you wish to keep you weapon trained upon him then do so, but do not fire before we are all in agreement, or you could invite damnation. You have proved yourself today for all of us to see. Josephus would be proud of you." Thantos lowered his head again and sighed. He took Pericles outstretched hand and continued to raise until he was stood at full height, all the while Aaron's bolt pistol followed him. "Aaron, what in Emporer's name are you doing???" Was the plee from Marikia, but still Aaron remained cold, and his steely eyes were set fast on Thantos. In his head he had always know they would find out. Most people he fought alongside did eventually. But not this soon, not like this. Thantos had a million words milling about aimlessly in his head, but none of them would come together to form an explanation. He could lie, but a half-assed explanation in his dazed state would be uncovered easily, and when it was it would only convince Aaron further of his treachery. No, now was a time for honesty, whatever the cost. Thantos sighed again. How did it come to this? "Really Aaron, really? I have faithfully served the Emperor and our chapter for over four hundred and fifty years, and what have you done! I have sacrificed most of my body for the endurance of this chapter. Almost half of my body has be sacrificed to the machine in the pursuit of service. I orchestrated the the downfall of Truvia VI and slew heretics in their dozens! And you would believe a corrupt inquisitor over me, your brother in arms and blood!" Thantos' arms were wide open, and his voice was slowly climbing through acceding notes, as Thantos himself found the insanity of Aaron's demand of an explanation based on the words of a heretic. 

"But let me guess, that doesn't satisfy you with Aaron, does it? Fine!" Thantos' left hand reached under his right arm and found the clips that kept each of the Astartes breast-plates in place. there was a quite hiss as the servo's released the clips. A few more hisses later, and Thantos' breast-plate was loose on the right side. Thantos let the plate fall open, and the mark on his chest was open to view. "This is what the heretic meant. How he know I don't know, but here it is! This is a mark I got from being hit by a blissgiver on Truvia. I shouldn't even be here! That weapon is supposed to kill anyone, instantly. How I survived I don't know, but it was the most unendurable agony I have ever experienced! I don't know why, but once I recovered, I developed psychic potential and had the reactions almost the same as the same Astartes, corrupted by Slaanesh that I was fighting." Aaron's face was one of awe, as if he was unable to comprehend what Thantos was saying, but his bolt pistol wasn't faltering, it stayed perfectly level. Thantos took a moment to re-attach his breast-plate, before speaking again. He looked around, everyone seemed shocked at this revelation to some degree. "Don't look so surprised. Do you think you are the first to discover this fact. After Truvia, I faced a board of our most senior leader to decide my fate. The only reason I was granted a chance to prove my loyalty was because of my steadfast faith in the Emperor. And still, I was found to be in his service. Father Josephus knew, Chaplin Palmarius knows, several high ranking members of both the Reclusiam and the Librarium know. I have been under constant supervision, and never once to be found lacking in my faith in the Emperor. Do you presume, you of less than 60 cycles, to know better than they?" Thantos had lost his read on Aaron, and couldn't tell what he was thinking. He wondered whether this gave the young marine hope that he could be trusted, or worried him because he felt that there was a form of conspiracy that Thantos was part of that ran through the chapter. "Finally, if I was a traitor, why would I kill several powerful sorcerers of "my side"?..." Thantos made comers with his fingers, to make sure that his words weren't confused as a a declaration as of his treachery. "...And why would I have saved Mirakia from being killed? I could have let him die and weakened this group? And furthermore, you've seen how fast I can move, I could disarm you before you even registered my movements. I have over four hundred years battle experience, and you can't have more than fifty? I could kill you where you stand, and you would be powerless to do anything about it! But no, instead I stand before you, openly declaring my steadfast allegiance to the Emperor. If none of you believe me, then kill me. But you will have the blood of an loyal servant of the Emperor on your hands." Thantos adjusted his body posture so it was clear he was standing down, if this was to be his fate, he would accept it with the same dedication he had received everything from his chapter. It might even be a blessing after suffering with this "curse" for this long...


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## emporershand89 (Jun 11, 2010)

Mirakia looked at Aaron as he reminded them what the Father Librarian had said earlier and those words put Mirakia in a difficult decision. Thanatos had been brushed by the warp energies, and could potentially be infected, already being taken over by Chaos. On the other hand Thanatos was a steadfast and loyal fighter, and to loose him at this stage would put the missions success in jeopardy. Mirakia new what he had to do.

Walking over to Aaron, he put his hand on his pistol slowly lowering it. “Brother,” he said,” your words wring with truth, but Thanatos shows no sign of corruption as of now. In addition, if we are to save the Father Librarian then we will need every last man; especially against enemies such as the inquisitor that you just killed.” Putting himself between Thanatos and Aaron, he looked him in the eye.

"I will bring up the rear and watch him closely, you know you can trust me. If he shows even a hint of tratorism, I will run him through. Please, put away your weapon and let us proceed, we need everyone to save the Father Librarian as Pericles mentioned”


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## deathbringer (Feb 19, 2009)

Aaron laughed long and hard, a laugh of frustrated anguish

'Dont try and make me look like a prick here."

He snorted frustrated by Miriaka's comforting hands upon him

"Get out of my way Miriaka, I'm not insane, if I was going to shoot he would been dead already. Now step aside brother or someone will get hurt."

Gently he pushed his brother aside to stand to to toe with Thantos his sea green eyes meeting his brothers gaze.

"See it from my side. A man moves faster than any astartes, I have ever seen in my life, holds a foe that defeated a father librarian almost single handedly. He is merely an epistolary, however experienced or prestiged yet when the inquisitor accuses him of being tainted he doesn't deny it, merely pleads for silence"

He threw his arms in the air, the bolt pistol limp at his side, waving frantically in indignation

"If you see nothing suspicious then 450 years of combat has evidently not translated into common sense. We are upon a ship writhing with corrupted energy, our father librarian warned us of the possibility of taint and I am meant to believe you on mere prestige alone?"

He looked hard into Thantos's eyes

"Do you believe any of those heinous primarch's desired to fall from the light of the emperor. Do you believe Magnus, thrice accursed, yet still one of the most powerful psykers to ever grace the imperium, desired to fall. I do not believe it for a second brother. I have read much of chaos, studied much of its machinations though it is but a drop in the ocean. The thousand sons are under the throe of Tzeentch, the lord of change, and he is not thus called for nothing. Is it impossible that he may have changed a perfectly loyal marine into one of his servents. You were alone upon the embarkation deck, who knows what could of happened to you in that time?"

He turned to each one his brothers stood around him 

"This mission will test not only our skills but our faith and our conviction in the imperial creed. 5 fresh sorcerors have just walked into Tzeentch's lair, do you believe the twisted puppet master wishes to murder us, no chance... he will look to convert us, before he even considers murdering us "

Now he turned back to Thantos

"Was i really so harsh? In truth the inquisitor didn't lie... you are tainted, by no fault of your own. I didn't shoot, I allowed you the chance to explain and that is all if the places were exchanged I could ask of you. I have much I wish to achieve many awards i wish to win yet I would rather end my life dead by your hand then become that which I strive to fight against."

He held his brothers gaze holstering his bolt pistol

"The only reason I dont shoot you in the head right now, is because i traced no lie in your voice. I believe you told the truth but I make this clear now, if any of you succumb to the taint i will put a bolt round through your skull. I expect that you will do the same to me."

He shook his head, the subject closed to his mind and stooped to pick up the standard of the chapter that had fallen from Josephus's hand, and currently lay discarded.

He held it tight, feeling warmth flood through his fingers as he held it upright. He wanted to hold onto it forever yet it was not his right to bear. It was the squad leaders. Slowly he extended it to Pericles, struggling to keep his face blank though he swore in his mind he would bear it himself by right one day.

One day he would hold the banner that symbolised his hopes and dreams aloft

"Brother this is your charge. Josephus would notforgive us if we left it,"

He cleared his throat looking around once more

"Josephus, would never forgive us for abandoning a mission. That trail of blood is to easy to follow, it leads to a trap, of that I'm sure. The mission is most important, hopefully we will be able to save the father on the way, but brothers a world is at stake. I believe we must press on"

Still side by side with thantos he grinned and murmered into the marines ear

"And incidentally brother. I'm an overambitious youngster with lots to prove, an unquenchable desire to spill treacherous blood in the name of the emperor and a naturally itchy trigger finger. Still quick enough?"


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## Captain Stillios (Mar 8, 2009)

Aurio felt himself dieing, slowly the chaos energy surging inside him were destroying him bit by bit, memorys floated past his vision all of them seemed at once to be real then not, the assault on Kronus and the faces of the many Imperial Guardsmen he had killed when they had refused to stand down, a heroic commisar throwing himself forwards into combat with Aurio only to be cut down in moments.

As he tried to focus on one memory it slipped away and another took its place, a memory of Kaurava where Aurio had slaughtered dozens of guardsmen and many sisters of battle all of them servants of the Emperor...

He felt one of his hearts give out and stop, he made his peace with the Emperor and waited for death.

But suddenly light reentered his vision and Ileas face hovered over him, white light played over his body, his heart restarted and he felt the chaos leave his body. Staggering to his feet and groggily looking around Aurio saw Aaron hand the banner over to Pericles and then Ilea reached up to his face with more of the white light generating from her hand.

"What did you do?" Aurio gasped

"Oh my son, I tried to protect you, your Father and I both carry the power within us" Ilea answered with tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Both of you?!"

"Yes, both of us, I can heal people but your father...your father can destroy things" Ilea stumbled then fell and Aurio caught her in his arms "Ive never healed somthing like that before"

"Thank you, I have to get you back to a healer, sleep now" Aurio gentley used hs power to send Ilea to sleep.

Aurio walked over to his brothers with Ilea in his arms, huge rents covered his armour and most of the skin on his face was either burnt or bleeding.
"Brothers, my mother needs help, I will not loose her again, I will have to take her back to an apothecary" He said


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## emporershand89 (Jun 11, 2010)

"Now that you mention it, your the one who is troubling me upon this quest, Aurio." Mirakia looked over to where Aurio was standing with a women in his arms; claiming this to be his mother and that she needed help. Mirakia had a hard time believing that, seeing as any women could claim to be anyones mother. Mirakia wanted to pursue further.

"You were severly injured a second ago, and now you up and running about like a giddy school novice. You also claim this women is your mother, and it seems she gives off a power of here own indicating to us she has psyker abilities." Mirakia slapped his hands to his head and the other to his kinfe.

"Ugh, are you an idiot, your the one I don't trust. Thanatos is slowly dying, but its understandable and he's honest. Your claim on the other hand is so random. Now explain yourself before I kill that women who, from my point of view, is corrupting you soul:angry:!!!"


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## Deus Mortis (Jun 20, 2009)

Aaron was laughing, and this only served to make Thantos angry. Such a naive marine dared to make a laughing matter out of this. If there was any justice, he would pay for his insolence, later, in the hands of someone who's authority is was to give that out. _"See it from my side. A man moves faster than any astartes, I have ever seen in my life, holds a foe that defeated a father librarian almost single handedly. He is merely an epistolary, however experienced or prestiged yet when the inquisitor accuses him of being tainted he doesn't deny it, merely pleads for silence"_

"I am not more tainted than you are Aaron! You presume to judge matters which you have no understanding of! Just because you spend every waking moment squirreling away in book does not mean you have any right to judge matter which have always been out of your jurisdiction!" Thantos was furious that Aaron presumed to know anything of him or his situation. For at least a dozen cycles, he had been under the scrutiny of the Reclusiam and the Librarium,and now this insolent whelp called him into judgement as if it was his divine right.

_"If you see nothing suspicious then 450 years of combat has evidently not translated into common sense. We are upon a ship writhing with corrupted energy, our father librarian warned us of the possibility of taint and I am meant to believe you on mere prestige alone?"
_

"Clearly your studies have not translated into common sense either. We are all Librarians, we all draw our powers from the warp, and all are equally likely of corruption. But simply because some heretic makes some wild claims, I'm now the one under the most suspicion?" Thantos made this claim almost politically draw attention away from himself, but also to remind everyone, that each of them was just as much of a liability as he was.

_"Do you believe any of those heinous primarch's desired to fall from the light of the emperor. Do you believe Magnus, thrice accursed, yet still one of the most powerful psykers to ever grace the imperium, desired to fall. I do not believe it for a second brother. I have read much of chaos, studied much of its machinations though it is but a drop in the ocean. The thousand sons are under the throe of Tzeentch, the lord of change, and he is not thus called for nothing. Is it impossible that he may have changed a perfectly loyal marine into one of his servents. You were alone upon the embarkation deck, who knows what could of happened to you in that time?"_

Thantos had no real answer to that. He was not there, and so could not presume to know the motives behind the traitor primarchs, or what caused them to fall. But by the same token, it was the height of arrogance for Aaron to presume he had a greater knowledge of the time than anyone here. 

_"This mission will test not only our skills but our faith and our conviction in the imperial creed. 5 fresh sorcerors have just walked into Tzeentch's lair, do you believe the twisted puppet master wishes to murder us, no chance... he will look to convert us, before he even considers murdering us "
_

"And I have showed faith and conviction in measure to each of you to our lord and Father. Can anyone find a fault in my faith or show me where I lacked the conviction to carry on in the name of the Emperor? If so, I will willingly listen to him!" Thantos burst through after Aaron had stopped speaking. He had not faltered, and yet based on a few words, all his faith had been undone in Aaron's eyes. With that the young marine turned back to him

_"Was i really so harsh? In truth the inquisitor didn't lie... you are tainted, by no fault of your own. I didn't shoot, I allowed you the chance to explain and that is all if the places were exchanged I could ask of you. I have much I wish to achieve many awards i wish to win yet I would rather end my life dead by your hand then become that which I strive to fight against."_

"I am not tainted." Was all the respond Thantos could growl through gritted teeth, for he feared if he said much more he would explode into a rage, which wasn't going to help his case.

_"The only reason I dont shoot you in the head right now, is because i traced no lie in your voice. I believe you told the truth but I make this clear now, if any of you succumb to the taint i will put a bolt round through your skull. I expect that you will do the same to me."_

"The reason you traced no lie in my voice is because there was none. I am as loyal to the Emperor as any of you. If I was unfit, I would not have been permitted to live. Do not presume you are the first, or the last, to pass your self-righteous scrutiny over me. The masters of our order have deemed me still within the Emperor's good graces, and you should trust their decision." And with that, Thantos' rage seemed to subside.Aaron seemed satisfied with his answers, and there would be no need to execute him. Not now, and not ever. The Emperor was his guiding light, and he would not fall away.

_"Josephus, would never forgive us for abandoning a mission. That trail of blood is to easy to follow, it leads to a trap, of that I'm sure. The mission is most important, hopefully we will be able to save the father on the way, but brothers a world is at stake. I believe we must press on"_

"Finally, something you and I agree on Aaron. We should continue on our mission. Unfortunately, the fate of the planet, and the securing of the page of th Book of Magnus, must take priority. We must press on, and pray the Emperor forgives us, or brings us to the Joshepus."

Aaron stood once more at Thantos' side as other events unfolded, and murmured some in his ear "_And incidentally brother. I'm an overambitious youngster with lots to prove, an unquenchable desire to spill treacherous blood in the name of the emperor and a naturally itchy trigger finger. Still quick enough?"_

Thantos laughed at Aaron's quiet threat. "Ah Brother, your arrogance is greater than I had assumed. Even not tainted by Chaos, I could still beat you, and kill you before you could even try to react. Imagine what I could do if Chaos was empowering me" Thantos let the image settle in Aaron's mind, before adding "Rest assured brother there will be no need for you to deliver me from Chaos, even if you could"...


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## emporershand89 (Jun 11, 2010)

Mirakia turned to his brothers, who seemed to still be locked in arguement over Thantos's incident. 

"GGrrrrrr, Aaron, Thantos, hello, over here, we've got a situation here. Aurio has this woemn who claims to be his mother, and is in need of immediate help. I don't trust him however, so stop your petty arguements and get over here!!!"


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## deathbringer (Feb 19, 2009)

Aaron smiled, the urge to laugh again rearing like a horrendous beast inside him as Thantos exploded in anger,

"I am not more tainted than you are Aaron!"

Yet the smile slipped away and his face furrowed in confusion as Thantos continued to rant

_"You presume to judge matters which you have no understanding of! Just because you spend every waking moment squirreling away in book does not mean you have any right to judge matter which have always been out of your jurisdiction!"_

He stuttered unable to understound how his brother had managed to miss his point

"Yet that is my point brother. I knew nothing of your situation, thus when the events occured I was clueless, how else could i react but with suspicion? I do not understand your rage brother the point was perfectly logical. Without prior knowledge of your situation how could anyone not suspect."

Yet Thantos continued

_Clearly your studies have not translated into common sense either. We are all Librarians, we all draw our powers from the warp, and all are equally likely of corruption. But simply because some heretic makes some wild claims, I'm now the one under the most suspicion?"
_

"DAMN STRAIGHT. Your an anamoly, you bear a chaotic mark, survived the touch of an infernal weapon that left you with psychic powers. Its impossible to predict whether you will be more susceptible or less susceptible to mutation and change, to the over excess of warp energies. I have repeated that we are all susceptible, i do not know what you want you want me to say brother?"

_"The reason you traced no lie in my voice is because there was none. I am as loyal to the Emperor as any of you. If I was unfit, I would not have been permitted to live. Do not presume you are the first, or the last, to pass your self-righteous scrutiny over me. The masters of our order have deemed me still within the Emperor's good graces, and you should trust their decision." _

"Yet how could I know this?"

He threw his hands in exasperation his face imploring his brother

"You accuse you me of assuming yet you expect me to know your situation and accept it. You expect me to suspect everyone and trust you. Your mind is not logical Thantos, you expect me to trust you based on your prestige alone. You expected me to accept your snivelling to that chaotic fiend without question."

_"Ah Brother, your arrogance is greater than I had assumed. Even not tainted by Chaos, I could still beat you, and kill you before you could even try to react. Imagine what I could do if Chaos was empowering me" _

Aaron laughed truly now his laugh high and cold

"So quick to anger brother, what fires that rage, are you scared Thantos. Threatened by the new coming, by my ambition. You have achieved much in 450 years but in under a century i am already hunting down your achievements. Is it jealousy brother or is there a more sinister explanation?"

His eyes met Thantos's and he met him face to face, his bolt pistol holstered his deep blue eyes staring. He was sure he could overpower his brother in the warp yet to do so was to sign his own execution note, if Thantos wished to rise to his challenge he could, then Aaron would quite happily watch as Pericles put a bolt round through the tainted marines skull.

"Rest assured brother there will be no need for you to deliver me from Chaos, even if you could"

Aaron's eyebrows rose

"Surely as a loyal subject of the emperor if such a tragedy were to occur, i would not have to try. You would end your own life before harming the imperium."

He lowered one eyebrow

"Perhaps you are not as loyal as you believe"

Turning away he turned to Pericles ignoring Miriaka's pitiful command

"what is the squad leaders decision, where do we go from here?"

He turned back to Thantos quickly hissing

"Watch me carefully Thantos, because I'll be watching you. I'd rather we both got out of here to settle this argument in the practice cages than upon this accursed vessel."

If they watched eachother, they might get through this alive and untainted.


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## Captain Stillios (Mar 8, 2009)

As Mirakai began to berate him Aurio gently set Ilea down and stood back up to his full height, as Mirakai's hand went to his knife rage filled him.

"GGrrrrrr, Aaron, Thantos, hello, over here, we've got a situation here. Aurio has this women who claims to be his mother, and is in need of immediate help. I don't trust him however, so stop your petty arguements and get over here!!!" As Mirakai yelled to the others Aurio drew back his fist and hammered a right hook into Mirakai's face then grabbed his throat and forced him against the wall.

"I have looked into her soul and it is her, I am taking her back to the ship but I will return soon, I myself need attention from an apothecary but I WILL NOT LOSE HER AGAIN!" He bellowed then threw Mirakai to the side.

Before his brothers could react Aurio erected a barrier of pure energy between him and them.
"I am sorry brothers, I will use the gate of infinity but I will return soo-aaaarrrgghhh" Agony shot through his mind as thoughts not his own invaded his mind.

Rage, sorrow, hatred, confusion, all raged unchecked as memorys not his own flashed before his eyes.

_A room full of pitiful humans rose before him, normally he would be filled with pity but now there was only bloodlust as his new masters looked on, he advanced and drew a blunt edged mace.
The first man saw him and tried to flee but the press of bodies pevented him, his hands came up in a pleading motion.
The killer showed no mercy and hammered the mace through the mans chin splattering those nearby with brain matter._

Aurio reared up with his hands covering his eyes as they burned like quicksilver, his wounds reopened blinding him further with a torrent of blood.

_A brave few men now attacked him, one leaped at him and grabbed at the mace as it crushed his ribs tearing it from the butchers hand, the killer reached over and pulled another into a savage headbutt before unsheathing a monstrous battle-axe, with long swings he hacked through the crowds killing dozens as they tried to get away through the way he had come, those that tried were gunned down by the autocannons outside.

Eventually only three people were left standing, one jumped forwards to have his ribs smashed open sending arterial fluid everywhere, now the butcher fel to his knees as some of the horror of what he had done reached him throuh the fog, for a moment he was himself again...Siloe._

"Father!" Aurio screamed as his powers went wild, lightning sparked eveywhere and fire shot from his fingers.

_Siloe felt the bloodlust fog closing in again and fought with everything he had to ovecome it but felt himself failing "Ilea my wife, forgive me, Aurio my son, avenge me" he gasped desperatly as he felt the last of his min giv way and then the bloodlust returned.

"Come on you whoresons, come and die!" He roared so loud that the mens ears popped and they fell to their knees, one died as Siloe punched his fist through his head, the other struggled to his feet.
Siloe swung his axe in an uppercut and the axe took off most of the mans head as a darkness filled him..."BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!" He roared...but in the last recesess of his mind that remained his...Siloe wept as the faces of people he had known and loved littered the floor around him_

Aurio collapsed to the floor knowing that his Father was not far and also knowing that they would fight. Aurio shakingly got to his feet and observed the destruction, thankfully the barrier had held so his brothers were not affected and Ilea also unhurt.
The corridor was almost destroyed.


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## CommissarMihailov (Jul 28, 2010)

Lord Fleischer slowly got to his feet, picking up the storm bolter and accursed crozius at his sides. The hulking chaos lord high sorcerer seemed even larger and more imposing from the fact he was still in his terminator armor. A devilish smirk crossed his scaly face as Josephus started to resistant, shout and ranting towards him as he attacked his assistants, and then started prying at a command console, trying to pick it up. The smirk seemed almost like that of a man who was both amused, annoyed, and condescending towards a toddlers infantile gibberish and fidgeting. *"Fool. We fought to a stale mate last time, but since last time, one of us became great. Tzeentch is the lord of change, not your pathetic crippled emperor of man. I will open your eyes, lapdog!" * He effortlessly swung his Crozius to knock the console aside, the telekinetic warp energy augmenting the Crozius making it all the easier.

Lord Fleischer started to wave the Crozius around in the air in front of him, concentrating his focus and whipping up the energies of the warp. The room started to vibrate as Fleischer showed off, gathering a big, big, can of psyker "F U", and he was about to release it when Josephus's sword suddenly started crackling, making electrical hissing noises as it morphed, and bathed the room in the emperors light for a split second. The psyker energy Fleischer had been conjuring up exploded as the sword's aura not only broke, but hurt Fleischer's concentration. The energy burst outward all around the room like a hurricane for a short moment, strong enough to shove Fleischer back a few steps. The energy all seemed to divert away from Josephus thanks to the emperors light, and luckily, the energy evaporated at the same time the emperors light settled down after its temporary flare. As soon as Fleischer recovered he scowled hatefully towards Josephus, his smirk gone, and his face filled with nothing but menace. Instead of one big, psyker haymaker, Fleischer just threw a quick "jab" of warp energy at him, swing his crozius at him and firing a fierce blast of telekinetic energy at him, his voice seeming even less like a man now and more like that of a bird-like screech as he yelled another taunt at Josephus *"I NEED NO BLADE TO SMITE YOU! I ONLY LIFT MY FINGER OUT OF PITY FOR YOUR MISPLACED PRIDE!"*


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## emporershand89 (Jun 11, 2010)

"Holy Shit," was all Mirakia coul say as he got to his feet, having been slammed up against the wall by the explosion when Aurio's infinity shield had collapsed. He could still feel the punch from earlier and wondered as to wwhether he should help his borther out. _What a stupid question_, he thought, and quickly ran over and help Aurio up.

"Brother, I may not trust you, but for Emporers sake don't destroy us." Aurio pushed him off, balling his fists again and preparing to attack. Thantos and aaron just looked on. Mirakia new he had to diffuse the situation and quickly.

"Brother it is not you I worry about," he said throwing his hands down to his sides to show he wouldn't fight his fellow warriors. "I'm worried this isn't your mother. What if Chaos is affecting your mind somehow and confusing you. Prove to me this is your mother and I will accept it. Till then I'm worried for you brother, thats all." Aurio still had his fists balled, but didn't seem to make any move yet.

Throwing his hands into the air, he looked around at all of them. "You two need to stop your damn bickering. The Father is captured and for all he know is dead now." the thougt made his blood run cold as ice. "Look, Aaron, you can take the rear if you really don't trust him, but let us move on to more pressing matters, otherwise the man who we all called mentor may be dead because we stood here and argued amoungst ourselves. Aurio!!" 

Mirakia turned and faced his brother, "I will accept your story for now but only becuase we have more pressing matters at hand. Keep that women with you or call our venerable brother to take her to the hanger, I don't care. Lets stop this bickering and move on to kill more enemies."

Mirakia crossed his hands across his chest and looked as mean as he could to get his message across.


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## Deus Mortis (Jun 20, 2009)

_"Yet that is my point brother. I knew nothing of your situation, thus when the events occured I was clueless, how else could I react but with suspicion? I do not understand your rage brother the point was perfectly logical. Without prior knowledge of your situation how could anyone not suspect."_

Thantos wanted to continue to be angry, to draw from a deep well of rage for Aaron's insolence, but reached it to find there was none. Either it was because his bolt pistol was now safely holstered, or because some semblance of rationality was breaking through, Thantos could see his point. To most people who found out it was a shock, but usually it took longer than this, and he had a well of evidence to convince them that he was not tainted. But this was the first time he had fought with this marine, and thus his suspicions could be some-what understood. Yet, everyone else had heard the Inquisitor, but only Aaron had raised arms against him.

_"DAMN STRAIGHT. Your an anamoly, you bear a chaotic mark, survived the touch of an infernal weapon that left you with psychic powers. Its impossible to predict whether you will be more susceptible or less susceptible to mutation and change, to the over excess of warp energies. I have repeated that we are all susceptible, i do not know what you want you want me to say brother?"_

Thantos's voice levelled out, and for once in this argument he spoke calmly for once. "I am not the only anomaly here. Lucius has survived the touch of a plague reaper, and you did not level a bolt pistol at his head? and on the embankment deck, you did not raise arms against Aurio's flippant use of uncontrollable psychic powers." He stopped briefly, making sure his words would be right. They seemed to be getting somewhere at least, and Thantos had no desire to go back to having a bolt pistol aimed at his head again. "Perhaps it was wrong of this information to not have reached you prior to this mission, but that was not of my doing. But simply because you are only learning this now, you are treating me with more suspicion than I believe I merit. But, if it helps you to watch me closer than any other, then do so, and I will show you the proof of my words by my actions."

_"Yet how could I know this?"_

Thantos wanted to say that Aaron should have trusted him, but it was apparent at this point that he didn't. Besides, anyone could claim that fact, and Thantos was suspicious that if the positions were reversed, that he would demand more than simply the word of Aaron to prove his point. So, he chose to remain silent as Aaron continued.

_"You accuse you me of assuming yet you expect me to know your situation and accept it. You expect me to suspect everyone and trust you. Your mind is not logical Thantos, you expect me to trust you based on your prestige alone. You expected me to accept your snivelling to that chaotic fiend without question."_

At this point Thantos had to admit that his logic was flawed. His argument had been basically the same every time he had been questioned on this subject, but that was usually by marines he had a long history with, or he had served with for long enough to show his dedication. But this was different, Aaron knew nothing of Thantos, and so had every right to suspect him. He could have defused this situation very quickly if he had only denied the Inquisitor fervently, but he hadn't and now had to answer for it. Once again, Aaron had forced his silence with a valid point. The only way he was going to regain even a sliver of Aaron's trust was to either come up with an argument that was valid, or prove as time went on that he was still loyal.

_"So quick to anger brother, what fires that rage, are you scared Thantos? Threatened by the new coming, by my ambition. You have achieved much in 450 years but in under a century I am already hunting down your achievements. Is it jealousy brother or is there a more sinister explanation?"_

"Do not mistake my anger for jealousy. My anger came from you denying my steadfast belief in the Emperor. I'm sure if the situations were reversed, and I claimed you were a heretic, you would react the same. We all would, because we all believe that we are strong in our faith and dedication to the Great Father. Do you think I care about my achievements? The only reason I use them as a base for my arguments is to show my faith has been unwavering for 450 years. All I wish for now is to serve the Imperium, and die in the name of the Emperor and the Unknown Primarch. If you want to become the next Father Librarian, then go ahead. I won't stop you. Emperor knows you've got the ambition and potential. But I won't resent you for it, because I don't care. What I care about is being called a heretic and a deserter of the faith!" 

_"Surely as a loyal subject of the emperor if such a tragedy were to occur, i would not have to try. You would end your own life before harming the imperium."_

Thantos almost cringed at the blatant mistake he had made. He had chosen his words rashly, and so had made a dire mistake. Of course a loyal servant of the Emperor would do that, and Thantos had acted as if he wouldn't. *Foolish mistake* He thought to himself.

_"Perhaps you are not as loyal as you believe"_

Thantos felt a final burst of flare inside of him, but he suppressed it. He tried to think of something to say, all the while the flare of anger cried out to be let out before it extinguished, but Thantos ignored it. "Perhaps it is not me you should be watching? Maybe I am merely a diversion so a real traitor amongst us may remain unseen. I make no judgements, nor do I deny that we would all be fools not to watch each other closely, but it is possible."

Thantos thought the conversation over as Aaron turned to Perciles and Mirkia pleaded for them to help him accuse Aurio, or the woman he claimed to be his mother. Thantos was just about to respond when Aaron turned back to him. _"Watch me carefully Thantos, because I'll be watching you. I'd rather we both got out of here to settle this argument in the practice cages than upon this accursed vessel."_

"Fair enough Brother. Now is not the time or place for a prolonged dispute. When we get back, I will get you to talk to Chaplin Palmarius and the other senior members of our Ordo who have overseen my continued existence, and you can learn from them of my faith in the Emperor." And with that he turned to see Aurio cast Mirikai aside and erect a barrier of energy, sealing him off from his Brothers. "Aurio, what are you doing?" Thantos yelled in confusion. _"I am sorry brothers, I will use the gate of infinity but I will return soo-aaaarrrgghhh"_ Aurio said as his psychic powers collapsed around him. "Oh shit!" Was all Thantos could muster before lighting spilled forth from Aurio's shield. Thantos swept his force rod up and summoned a shield similar to that of Aurio's, but his was a flat plane that protected both him and Aaron, and was the colour of the deep blue sea's of his home world. Lightning deflected harmlessly into the roof of the corridor, and some refracted again and struck the wall behind them, bathing their backs in electricity. As the torrent stopped, Thantos lowered the shield and saw Mirikai and Aurio getting back to their feet. He turned his head slightly towards Aaron and remarked quietly "Like I said, maybe it's not me you should be watching!" Before turning back in time to hear Mirikai rebuke them as if he were the squad leader. Thantos wanted to respond and argue, but he had spent enough time doing that, and if he was really so out of line that it was worth a rebuke, Perciles would be the one to distribute that...


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## Lord Ramo (Apr 12, 2009)

Pericles allowed his brother to argue it out with each other, he hoped that once they got it out of their systems it would help them forge tighter bonds, It had with him in the past. However all of his brothers were accusing each other, it was ridiculous. The final straw was that of Aurio, allowing his emotions to get the better of him. He attacked Mirikai then tried to use his powers to get him back to the Apothecarion. Lightning arched all over for him, and he watched as his brothers summoned their own shields to protect themselves. Pericles summoned a dark red shield, covering his entire being as the lightning smashed into him. He grunted under the impact, but soon his brother had it under control. Pericles looked down at his brother, who was trying to recover from what had just happened.

Pericles stepped forward now and spoke out. _"ENOUGH! Brothers we are Astartes of the God-Emperor. Enough of this petty arguing. Aurio, we do not have the manpower to spare for you to go running back to the Apothecarion, just to protect a women who may or may not be your mother. The Emperor is our father, the chapter our mother. We all cast aside those we once loved to protect the realm of the Father. You risk this very mission, countless lives just for one? We complete the mission, your mother can follow us at her own risk but we can't have any-more losses." _He looked over the forms of his fellow astartes, battered, bickering. He unfurled the banner of the order and held it aloft for his brothers to see. _"Brothers, we came here to help protect the Imperium, we are here for the order. We will finish this once and for all. Brothers stop ordering each other around."_


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## emporershand89 (Jun 11, 2010)

(OOC: Hey Psyker, we could us an update so that we have more enemies to kill, hehehe)

Mirakia looked over at Pericles and wanted to hug him; either because he was becoming a fine leader or the fact that he was actually making sense. Mirakia dropped his arms and looked Aurio in the eye. 

"Just bring her along with us, I promise to protect her as a servant of the Imperium. Does that satisfy you." He waited for Aurio to finish his reply and then turned to Pericles.

"It seems that you have more the heart to lead brother. Keep that skill you will need it soon enough."


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## The Psyker (Jun 29, 2010)

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Battle Barge Rictus - Bridge​----------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Fool. We fought to a stale mate last time, but since last time, one of us became great. Tzeentch is the lord of change, not your pathetic crippled emperor of man. I will open your eyes, lapdog!"

_Josephus wasted no time in listening to Fleischer and his insane ramblings, it seemed Tzeentch had warped his mind beyond even his help. The console was knocked aside easily but it was all the time Josephus needed to break the short distance between them. His strides were filled with renewed vigor and purpose as the Light of the Emperor filled his heart with a duality of feeling. On one side he felt sorrow and pity towards his former Lexicanum, yet on the other he felt an inconsolable rage and an unquenchable thirst for vengeance. But these were musings for a poet and not for a tale of battle, evident in the great maelstrom of noise ripping throughout the bridge. Seconds into his rush the tip of his blade bit into Fleischers armor but before he could press the attack he was thrown back by a crafty "Jab" of psychic energy. Flames of pain surged up his brain as he stumbled back in the same fashion as his enemy. The Chaos Lord swept his Accursed Crozius before Josephus and sent him flying in a mid air pirouette where he would come crashing down against the ruined form of an auxiliary navigation console that had been converted into a shrine._

Blast you Fleischer! The Emperor protects but he never forgives those that turn from his light...

_Josephus watched as Fleischer turned and started forth towards a pair of traitorus crew members. The Father Librarian attempted to sit up, shifting a few peices of plate metal and the various blood candles and accursed statuettes. Fleischer turned and smirked at the struggling Father Librarian, another casual wave and he was slammed even harder into the shrine. Josephus felt his grasp with consciousness and then finally darkness... The navigators laughed at the Father Librarians misfortune, disgusting visages of their former selves. Their uniforms were parodies of official imperial navy dress and their faces were mutated into lizard like conglomerations of scales and spiny ridges. Each one bowed low as the High Sorcerer approached, taking little time to begin their reports on the current situation._

Teleportation Homers have been launched and have made contact at the exact coordinates you have provided. Your retinue is ready for teleportation at your command. Also we have a drop pod contingency should the homers fail at any point.

_Fleischer looked at the second cultist who nodded his head and began his assessment about the state of the battle barge. Fleischer ordered for the cultist to speed up the repairs no matter what the cost. When this was done they bowed low once more and returned to the duties they had been tasked with. The Chaos Lord let a booming laugh that seemed to echo in every hall and corridor about the entire battle barge. Once his revelry was complete he gave the order for his retinue to assemble and begin teleportation. The Rubric marines in his retinue, twenty in all had been fitted with special harnesses of stripped down terminator teleportation modules. Within minutes the entire retinue had teleported down to the planet of Kaurava III, namely the Cape of Despair._

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Battle Barge Rictus - Main Corridor/Bridge​--------------------------------------------------------------------------

_After all the bickering and in-fighting The Chosen finally put aside their petty arguments and decided to press on without Josephus. Little did they know that their paths were intertwined with the Father Librarians in a most insane weave of fate that from an observers perspective would drive a mortal man insane. Finally the ragged band of brothers would reach the end of the main corridor and step upon the repulsor lift that would take them to the bridge. Once they arrived the scene would look something out of a bad horror movie, shrines and defiled victims strewn out about the massive room. But one scene would catch the eyes of The Chosen. Slumped up against a chaos shrine seemingly unconcious was Josephus. His armor streaked with melted blood candle wax and detritus lay all about him. The two cultists that had been dismissed were standing before him, each one speaking in low hushed tones. Once they caught notice of the squad of astartes they quickly turned and began to run. Suddenly the Father Librarians hand shot out from under a plate of steel and grasped the cultist by his ankle. The astartes squeezed hard and soon the human gave out an intense cry of pain as his bone gave way as if a child were snapping a thin, dry twig._

PLEASE! I AM JUST FOLLOWING ORDERS MY LORD! THE EMPERORS MERCY UPON ME!

_Josephus rose from the shattered shrine and stood up his full height whilst shrugging off the various peices of metal and detritus still clinging to his armor. He seemed like a phoenix risen from the ashes, but his face told another story. He looked like a man that had been haunted by some unseen ghost all of his life only to finally meet his tormentor and have words with it. Yet with all the things wrong with him he still carried himself like a true astartes, proud and regal even in defeat. He lifted the cultist by the leg to eye level and spoke in a clear and concise tone, he knew his young Epistolaries were watching but now was not the time for greetings._

Where did Fleischer and those accursed sorcerers go? ANSWER ME!

_The quivering cultist flinched and began to wet himself as he uttered three words. "Cape...of....Despair." And with that Josephus took up the purified gladius that had been stuck in the side panel of the console he had lain up against and with a flourish of his blade he beheaded the terrified man. He turned to his group of warriors and looked to each and every one of them, dropping the still bleeding corpse to his side as he looked at what had befell his brethren. They all stood there, bruised and battered a few even bathed in the foul fluid that most slaves to change bled. The sight filled his heart with joy and anger. Joy at the fact that he took a squad of younger epistolaries and turned them into librarian material, anger at the vibrations that his perception picked up from the group. It was almost as if he could see the arguments that had hindered them from reaching him in time to destroy the Chaos Lord and the Page before they could make planetfall._

Look at you... You all look beaten and torn. In the eyes of a normal man you would look defeated. But I see triumph! The fact that you have gotten past these trials makes my soul soar with pride... But I see what had befallen you during these past few hours. Brothers... You will explain yourselves later when we are back aboard the Litany Of Fury. An explanation that will follow with each of you reciting the Litanies of Knowledge, in high gothic a thousand times.

_Josephus nodded and walked to his brothers, the gladius still clutched in his right hand. He reached out and placed his hand upon the heavy metal pole of the standard, nodding his head as Brother Pericles relinquished his hold on the holy relic and stepped back. He hefted the standard a few times, getting used to its weight once more as he turned and looked at the terminal used to direct the teleportation signals. A few minutes of him reading the read outs and programming commands back into the console and he would turn, nodding to the astartes as he spoke._

Brothers... We make way to the planet of Kaurava III. Once we make translation planetside I will answer any questions you may have and listen to Brother Pericles report during my absence.

_Anyone that did not have a teleportation terminal was left behind as they suddenly made translation from the bridge of the Rictus to the planet of Kaurava III. The jump took only a short while and went without incident but during that time Fleischer and his cadre had more then enough time to make a hasty escape into the complex pattern of cliffs and jagged rock formations._


(Okay... Where do I even start. Aurio, your parents in reality are just illusions created by Fleischer to tempt you into chaos. This next post Ilea or whatever her name is going to turn on you. Its going to be up to Brother Aaron and Thanatos to put her down as she attempts to stab you in the back with a dagger of chaos. Also Aurios pyschic hood is now broken so you'd better watch what you use concerning psychic powers. Mirakia is also going to start to notice his hood acting up. You guys used a lot of warp energy and now you're paying for it, so be careful with your characters. Also everyone is supposed to post making planet fall and addressing Josephus if you need to do so. So if you want to ask my character questions and converse with one another now is the time to do it.)


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## emporershand89 (Jun 11, 2010)

Mirakia stood there, watching as the Father Librarian interrogated the poor damned soul. Mirakia was too overjoyed to care about why the Father Librarian was doing this, only that he knew he was safe. It was the feeling a child has when a parent goes missing and is returned home after a great ordeal. After checking to make sure no booby traps were set to surprise them, he holstered his weapon and approached the Father Librarian.

“Father,” with a crisp salute, “it’s good to see you alive and well. I must ask though the page from the book of Mangus, I cannot feel its presence here. I also, couldn’t help but overhearing your interrogation of the damned soul there.” He pointed to the cultist that was trying to crawl despite his lower body being completely broken.

“I wish to know what these people are exactly that we are up against. Marines made of ash, a fallen inquisitor that has goo protecting him. These are all strange enemies, even for Chaos. I ask that you please tell us, who exactly are we up against here???”


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## Deus Mortis (Jun 20, 2009)

Thantos was bemused and thrilled at the sight of Father Librarian Josephus. If he was honest, he had assumed that Jospehus was dead, but to see him here filled his heart with joy. Thantos watched as he interrogated the two cultists, Some small glimmer of him wanted to reach out and end their suffering, but he knew what Josephus was doing was necessary but it gave him no joy to watch. He caught a few words _"Cape of Despair"_ and _"Fleischer"_. Neither meant anything to him. He assumed that the "Cape of Despair" was where their next destination. But this..."Fleischer", who was this man, person, thing? "Look at you..." Josephus had now turned his attention to them, and Thantos stiffened and was ready for another interrogation "You all look beaten and torn. In the eyes of a normal man you would look defeated. But I see triumph! The fact that you have gotten past these trials makes my soul soar with pride... But I see what had befallen you during these past few hours. Brothers... You will explain yourselves later when we are back aboard the Litany Of Fury. An explanation that will follow with each of you reciting the Litanies of Knowledge, in high gothic a thousand times."

Josephus took the standard from Perciles, and Thantos spent the gulf of the silent seconds pondering the events. What would Josephus make of Aaron? He already knew of his 'predicament', so his judgement would not be skewed by the thought of Thantos hiding something from him. But, with such a precarious group dynamic, what would happen. Would he be removed from the Chosen unit? These questions were bombarding Thantos until Josephus spoke again. "Brothers... We make way to the planet of Kaurava III. Once we make translation planetside I will answer any questions you may have and listen to Brother Pericles report during my absence." As Thantos stepped into his teleporter chamber. He got down on one knee and waited for the thunderclap of being teleported. Not only did a smaller surface area make the sensation of teleporting less unpleasant, thus giving him a quicker reaction time, but also, if he had known of a teleport happening near him, he would train his gun at eye level, thus hopefully killing them instantly. But if he was crouched, if an enemy did try to do that, he was safe. Thantos closed his eyes, and when he opened them, he was surrounded by swirling clouds and jagged mountain sides. The rock faces sprung up like teeth of a great monster, and Thantos stood to his full height and let the wind whistle around his holy form. The rest of the team had teleported, and Thantos walked over to Father Josephus. "Father Librarian, I heard you talk of a Fleischer. Who is he, or she, or it?" Thantos saw Josephus bristle at the mention of the name, but he sincerely hoped the Father would answer his nagging suspicion...


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## deathbringer (Feb 19, 2009)

(OOC: when do we put aurio's mother down ?)

The bridge was havoc, chaos, a slumped figure, stripped of valour and consciousness lay bedraggled against the consoles. Two cultists stood before the figure, whispering in hushed tonesm when a lughening hand snapped out to take one down.

The father librarian ascended, his form uncoiling and straightening terrible as the dawn and wrathful to behold. 3 words were enough to sate his curiosity before he turned upon them.

Emotions flickered over his face, melding and coiling like a basket of snakes, like the seas of an unknown world. Sparks flew and a voice like thunder crashed down upon him, the tinted thundering over him like the seas of an unknown world.

Yet Aaron rode through the tide in a wave of self assurance, he had done nothing wrong. Surely anyone in their right mind would have suspected.

Suspicion it crept upon him again

It seemed so convenient, that Josephus stolen away by the thousand sons, seen dragged away unconcious, helpless and defeated was now standing before them, even as they chose to proceed.

It was too convenient but after Thantos, should he speak up again.

Yes of course, he was convinced he was wrong, something innately told him this was the real Josephus, no warp image, no sorcerous incantation yet.... surely he must check.

What if he were leading them into a trap, it was indeed what Aaron would have done had he been the evil mastermind behind this scheme.

He was struggling...the words bursting from him and he spurted them out

"Father Librarian... forgive me, yet i am suspicious. Brother Thantos will probably roll his eyes at me paranoia and rightly so. Yet it is to convenient, we move to the objective and find you unconcious already there. I am paranoid and though i know that a father of our order would never succumb to the taint, that your mind is guarded and your intentions pure. If i were the great enemy, i would have killed you and left a decoy in your place to lead us unquestioning into a trap from which we would not escape."

His eyes burned as they fixed upon the father and he continued, his confidence building as he spoke on

"Thus i must ask you this, when you selected me for this strike force. Whose knowledge of the force of chaos did you compare mine too?"

He paused his eyes closing for a moment

"Answer that and my doubts will be sated. If this is indeed a liberty then I will stand trial for it, but my doubts burn strongly despite the dousing waves of my trust"


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## Lord Ramo (Apr 12, 2009)

Pericles moved his brethren onto the bridge, carefully cautiously. He was overjoyed at the sight that caught his eyes. Father Josephus stood before him, like a vengeful angel as he interrogated the cultists that had been on the bridge, finding out the location of something important. He turned simply and quickly evaluated all that stood before him. Pericles could feel his fathers eyes move over him, he spoke highly of the chosen, and extended his hand towards the standard. There was nothing that Pericles could do except hand it over to the Father Librarian. He felt a small pang of regret but quickly suppressed it. He would have his chance one day to lead the finest of the Emperors sons into battle. 

He heard the father address him, asking for a status report. _"My Lord, in your absence we dealt with the remaining sorcerers that attacked us. The Inquisitor fell to Brother Aaron's blade, striking as true as the Emperor did to Horus. The Inquisitor before he died revealed a frightening truth about Thanatos, however I believe that he is free from taint. We then agreed that it would be best to move onto the bridge, to look for you and the objective."_ Finished he awaited his Lords command.


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## Captain Stillios (Mar 8, 2009)

(OOC: Soz for the wait)

Aurio limped along behind the rest of the squad with Ilea at his side, they did not speak but Aurio watched as Josephus interrogated the cultist and waited as Pericles gave his report..he noticed that Ilea had not even flinched at the interrogation.

Aurio flinched as a spark errupted from his psychic hood, 'Damn' he thought as he realised that he was now defenceless against enemy psykers, he would just have to make sure that they were dead before they could use their power.

He grabbed Ilea just before the jump and errected a psykic shield around her to protect her from the warp, as they traveled Aurio noticed that Ilea's form was wavoring.
"Mother?" He asked as they emerged from the warp, "Mother are you al-" He finished as he realised that what had been his Mother a moment ago was now a horrific daemon.

"Fool slave of the corpse-god, all I do is alow her to live for a few moments and she traps you into my grasp, now" With that she back-handed him to the ground and drew a flickering blade.

"Brothers, stop her, let me see her eyes!"


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## deathbringer (Feb 19, 2009)

Aaron was closest his mind already shrivelling from the force of his accusations yet now he reacted twisting supply upon the balls of his feet. The womans nails were lengthening into claws, a flickering knife balled in her mutating fist.

It engorged, discoloured and transmogrified, the knife of blue flame flashing down. He lashed out, clasping the distended flesh of the creatures wrist he felt his bicep buckle under the force. He grimaced, bracing himself as stimulants in his armour flooded his flagging muscles and he pushed the arm away with a snarl to match the creatures own.

They fought muscle to muscle, face to face, a stalemate of brute strength. Then the battle changed as Aaron tightened his grip and the knife clattered to the ground as bones crunched and goo poured from sudden crevices in the creatures skin, biting at his fingers.

The other claw scythed round and he met it with his other harm as his gauntlet sizzled, hissing in rage.

As if from a great distance he heard Aurio yell

"Brothers, stop her, let me see her eyes!"

Exasperation flooded him as the beast forced him to take a step backwards with a flick of sinuous leg

"Emperor blind her bloody eyes, just kill the bastard"


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## Deus Mortis (Jun 20, 2009)

_"Fool slave of the corpse-god, all I do is alow her to live for a few moments and she traps you into my grasp, now"_ The shear venom in the voice draw Thantos' immediate attention, and if Father Josephus had responded, Thantos didn't hear him. In the blur of a moment, Thantos saw Aurio fall to the ground and Aaron engage the daemon-thing that was Aurio's 'mother'. Thantos had never really believed that the woman had been Aurio's mother, but he would never have been able to convince his brother of that. And now, if he didn't help Aaron end this, they would always suffer for Aurio's incompetence. There was a flurry of blade and sinewy limbs, and Aaron and the daemon thing were evenly matched, but he couldn't best it. Not without help. _"Brothers, stop her, let me see her eyes!"_ Aurio cried from the floor, and Thantos bit back a violent remark. Now was not the time to put the fool in his place. _"Emperor blind her bloody eyes, just kill the bastard"_ Aaron retorted before reeling from a sharp kick to the side. Thantos unslung his flamer and called out "Burn foul Daemon!" as a gout of flames erupted from the barrel. The flames struck the daemon with the force of a murderous wave and it staggered back. Not waisting any time, Thantos dived forward with his force rod level across his face. The daemon thing hissed and brought it's arms in an X-shape infront of it's face, and Thantos' force rod met it. 

The two struggled, the force rod straying further to the creature and then further away, only to come back again. "Child of my master, why do you fight me?" The daemon hissed seductively. When he had faced the inquisitor, he had shown weakness, now all eyes were upon him. This was his chance to redeem himself to the rest of the squad, and to Aaron, whom Thantos suspected still had his doubts. The two spun away and Thantos bellowed from a pit of endless wrath for chaos. "I am no son of you daemon!..." A sinewy limb lashed out and Thantos severed it at the joint. A warp spawned goo rushed out in a river and the daemon recoiled. Thantos pressed his assault as words poured forth "I serve only the Immortal Emperor of Mankind!..." One of the warp creatures arms transformed into a tentacle and wrapped itself around Thantos' force rod. With a blinding speed, he kicked the thing in the chest with a force that would obliterate a regular mans chest, and forced the tentacle to release. And then in another fluid motion, Thantos cut a deep gauge in the things chest, as the rage continued to flow "I am his sword and his hammer, I am Adeptus Astartes!..." The daemon Ilea stumbled back once more and Thantos drove his force rod through it's chest and spoke his last words with every ounce of conviction and faith he had in his body. "In the name of the Emperor, I drive you back the the warp foul daemon!" Even as he spoke these words, psychic energy stored in his force rod flowed into the daemon and tore apart it's physical form until all that remained were ashes that tumbled to the floor like a flurry of dark snow. Thantos turned with deliberate slowness and stared into Aaron's eyes. "Do you still doubt me brother?" he asked. A mixture of feelings came over Thantos, pride for killing the daemon, assurance that most of the brothers of this squad were capable and he could trust his life to them, and a nagging irritation at Aurio for his blind stupidity. But, what happened next was Josephus' call and so Thantos stood there and waited for the Fathers words. As he did so, a slight breeze picked up and carried the ashes that up until recently had been a daemon of chaos' disguise, as if the very world itself knew that even the remains of such a heinous creature could not be in proximity the holiness of the Emperor's Astartes...


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## The Psyker (Jun 29, 2010)

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Bridge - Battle Barge Rictus​--------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Josephus listened to Pericles report intently, taking in ever nuance and facial expression. He knew Pericles had omitted a few details from him, but that was information left for him to dig out in private. He brushed away a few pieces of blood wax and a few shards of metal from the soft armor underneath the ceramite plates of his knees. Once the astartes finished his report he nodded his head and clasped Thanatos on the shoulder._

I praise you for keeping our band of brothers a cohesive unit. I feel the presence of the inquisitors evil amongst us even now... An echo of a dying soul. Brothers, again I praise you for the resolve you have shown. The Emperor be praised for gifting me with stalwart astartes such as yourselves.

_Once more Josephus felt Brother Aarons eyes upon him, doubt worming in his mind. The Father Librarian could not help but feel his feelings with his perception. He knew the gist of what had happened just by probing this young astartes mind for the merest fraction of a second. There was doubt in this young marines heart, for Josephus felt the splinter of doubt that would soon fester if the spiritual irritant was not taken care of. He listened to Aaron pose his questions, leaving it hanging in the air for a few moments as he turned and came before his battle brother._

Brother Aaron. The doubt in your heart is well placed. For if this were a trap you would be correct in your assumption. Indeed that is what I would do if I were the High Sorcerer of this cabal. I felt that this was a trap the second we embarked for this battle barge. All I can tell you is to watch me with eyes... And your mind. I feel the perception in your Aaron. You may not know it yet but I can feel you unintentionally searching for the chaos that would infest a doppelganger. Brother Orate... I compared your knowledge of chaos to our Great Father Azariah's own lexicanum.

I survived because the leader of this band of Tzeentchian worshipers was my Lexicanum many years ago and lacked the strength and conviction to kill me. And here I shall stand until the deed is done... Only then are we allowed to lick our wounds and return in glory...

_Josephus felt the weight of the next two questions sink into his chest. He did not know how to break it to these young astartes. They were up against an evil that was hard pressed to be defeated, an evil that could consume entire planets in its quest to become a god itself. He shook his head and waited for a few moments while he chose the correct words..._

We go up against an evil that has no definable name. It is a higher daemon of Tzeentch that these parlor sorcerers are trying to bring into our realm of existence. And this Lord Fleischer... Lord? There is nothing noble or right left in that failed astartes.

_The Father Librarian spat upon the metallic deck and gripped his hands in rage. The subject of his old lexicanum, still to this day would bring out a seldom seen anger in Josephus._

Fleischer was a great mind in our order. The Ordo Psykana does not take from the astartes as they will. We have all been groomed and trained to take on the responsibility of the mantle of "Psyker." Fleischer became inflated and lauded his position over his fellow battle brothers. He was too prideful to make the right choice when the time came. We were on an orbital defense platform and the battle was all but won. We came upon the same accursed page from the Book of Magnus we pursue this day. Fleischer was seduced by its dark whisperings... He killed our entire squad and tried to defeat me. I struck him down and took the page back. But I was wrong in not slaying that corrupt bastard, I cast him out in the darkness. He survived and has came to take revenge on us all... We will slay him when the time comes, the mistake will not be repeated. That is all I have to say about Fleischer...

Indeed the page from the Book of Magnus is not here, they have already made translation atop the planet. We are going to use the teleportation terminals that they have already rigged. To the Cape of Despair, that is the only place soaked with enough blood to coax the greater daemon free. Once we make translation they will have left forces on the ground to distract us. Kill these accursed astartes fast. Good luck brothers.

_Suddenly he felt a great presence of Chaos near them. It had slipped Josephus notice that there was a human with them. A survivor perhaps? Nay. He would have felt the fear and anxiety in the females mind, all he felt was insane ramblings. Yet it was too late when Josephus finally deciphered what the creature was really speaking until it attacked. Josephus stepped back and prepared to obliterate this wretch with a violent display of telekinetic prowess when he saw his battle brothers spring into action. He kept his hands ready as he watched them wrestle with the fell creature and finally dispatch Aurios mother. Once the body had fallen he let his hands down and looked at Aurio with a fire in his eyes that none in The Chosen had seen before._

Brother Aurio... You. I can not begin to express the amount of anger I am radiating right now. To bring an agent of chaos into our fold because of old memories of your already long dead family... You saw them DIE with your own eyes and yet you believe the facade that Fleischer drew up before your eyes? DAMN YOU FOOL!

_Josephus slammed his fist against a nearby panel, crushing it as if it were a tin can in an adults fist. He took a few seconds to look at the body, indeed it did look like Aurio had described her, but there was something tainted and sickening radiating from the body. Like some sort of evil had filled her corpse and willed her to live in thrall to its power._

Thanatos... Burn this body. Its existence offends me. Brother Aurio, again I will have words with you when this mission is completed. Until then prove to me... The Emperor and most of all your brothers that you are not the agent of chaos this act accuses you of being.

_Josephus walked over to the teleporters control panel and began to stroke the keys quickly. To his amazement Fleischer left the co-ordinates untouched and with a few more quick keys he had them locked onto the exact position that they would have landed not twenty minutes ago. Once this was complete he walked over to one of the fallen rubric marines he had killed and bent down. He quickly scooped up the fallen astartes bolter and hefted it up to eye level. Once more he felt the taint of chaos flee from the weapon as soon as it was discovered. He pulled back the slide and refreshed the cycle of rounds. Once he did this he made his way back to the teleporter and stood on the left most position. Josephus nodded with instruction for the brothers to stand in their respective platforms. With gladius and bolter in hand he would await the countdown to complete and send them planetside. He was afraid... Not for himself but for the "boys" under his wing. Josephus quickly reigned in his fear and spoke loudly between clenched teeth._

FOR THE EMPEROR AND THE GREAT FATHER VIDYA!

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Planetside Kaurava III​--------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Fleischer had stationed Rubric Marines in ambush in preparation for the foolish Blood Ravens to make planetfall. He had intentionally left the proper co-ordinates for them to follow. He knew Josephus was so thirsty for revenge that even though he was walking right into a trap he would do so willingly. This coaxed a chuckle from the High Sorcerer as they continued the trek towards the Cape of Despair. Thick jungle foliage hindered the journey in the slightest bit, the choking humidity and now blood red sky set the scene in perfect tandem with his intentions._

They are going to be here soon... Siloe are you ready to prove you worth to me?

_From the small rank of soldiers stepped forth a brute of a man. Well if you could call this amalgamation of a being a man. As tall as an ork cheiftain and wide to boot, scars still fresh from the alchemy that had created him ran about his face and neck. Garbed in a ramshackle yet effective suit of power armor he stood, clutched in his hand were two long chainswords no doubt made just for this killing machine. His face was striking to Aurios save for the taint of chaos. He spoke in a booming voice filled with foreboding._

My master... I am willing and able to do thy bidding. Shall I go and take care of those pests?

_Fleischer looked his creation up and down, obviously pleased with his work. It took him a few moments to break from his reverie and nod his head at Siloe's interpretation of his orders. He created this being for the singular reason of wiping out The Chosen once and for all. To this task he was confident that his creation was capable of completing. Before the rest of the retinue turned and continued Fleischer spoke in a commanding tone._

Kill them all... If Josephus has indeed survived you will bring him to me so I can end his suffering myself.

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Ok guys time to finally make planetfall. Once you hit the ground we are fighting against a squad of ten rubric marines while Fleischer and his retinue get closer and closer to the Cape of Despair. Remember guys a few of you have broken your psychic hoods and are prone to being corrupted if you make to much use of your pysker powers. Lets see some gore! I want you gets to get your characters ragged and worn before we get to the conclusion. Makes it more dramatic. Siloe is going to be put into action next update so keep that in mind. This guy is going to give us a run for our money.


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## Deus Mortis (Jun 20, 2009)

_"Brother Aurio..."_ The anger was radiating off Father Josephus now. Even without psychic potential Thantos could have told that, but right now his anger was bleeding into the psychic realm, and Thantos was content to bask in it. Although he would never admit this out loud, he was glad of Josephus' anger. Aurio had been reckless, and Thantos was please that someone was finally doing something to curb this young marine's foolishness. _"You. I can not begin to express the amount of anger I am radiating right now. To bring an agent of chaos into our fold because of old memories of your already long dead family... You saw them DIE with your own eyes and yet you believe the facade that Fleischer drew up before your eyes? DAMN YOU FOOL!"_

Josephus slammed his fist against a nearby panel, crushing it as if it were a tin can in an adults fist. The force of Josephus' anger surprised Thantos, but he was still a little jittery from the fight with the daemon. Even so, Thantos knew he didn't want to be in Aurio's position. _"Thanatos..."_ Thantos suddenly stood at attention at the mention of his name._ "Burn this body. Its existence offends me."_ Father Josephus said more to Aurio, but Thantos ignored it and turned his flamer to the body. The flames leapt out and engulfed the body. Flesh began to char and bones became black charcoal. Even after Josephus would have been content, Thantos kept burning until it was nothing more than an ashen outline on the ground, more out of a last gesture of contempt than because he was ordered to. Once he had finished his appointed task, he stepped into his teleport homer, crouched, and let the mild discomfort overtake his senses. He felt his stomach convulse and and his nerve become on fire. 

This only lasted and instant and Thantos and his brothers were on the planet below. The fire in his nerves stopped as infernal sorcerous bolts rained over his head. Once again, his technique had worked. Had he not been in the middle of a conflict, Thantos might well have remarked this world as beautiful. The luscious forests and rolling mountain sides were something Thantos hadn't seen in a while. Sadly, the Imperium's demand was not limited to it's populace but also to the planet itself and thus most of planets in the service to the Imperium were tarnished, and such beauty and greenery was a rare sight indeed. However, now was not the time that Thantos could remark and marvel at such sights, as the rubic marines were already pressing him and his squad mates. Using his low center of gravity, Thantos leapt forwards and tackled the closest Rubic marine. The force of a full grown Astartes coupled with the Automaton's slow reactions sent the two careering to the floor. The two landed with a loud thud and a small cloud of dust kicked up. Both opponents swung fists and tried to kick one another. Both landed blows on the other, but neither significant enough to cause any damage. Thantos noticed out of the corner of his eye that the cursed marine's bolter had fallen to the floor in the scramble. Thinking quickly Thantos pushed away and the two rolled in opposite directions. Thantos rode the momentum, until he felt himself roll over the bolter. However, in this time the rubic marine had time to draw it's combat knife. A single cold metallic syllable pased the creature's vox grid "Die". And with that, the cursed marine lunged at him with the point of the knife aimed at Thantos' throat. Drawing the bolter to eye level, Thantos let a thundering hail of bolter fire crash into the marine's neck and upper torso. The force of over a dozen bolts impacting slowed the marine down, but it wasn't enough to kill it. Then, a fraction of a second later, the explosive centers of the bolts let their deadly payload loss, and the entire front of the rubic marine's face disappeared. A purple gas hissed out as a hollow suit fell to the ground as Thantos rolled out from where it was falling. 

Thantos got up to one knee as another rubic marine came at him with his bolter trained on him. Thantos drew his force rod in a flash, just as quickly as his opponent pulled the trigger on his bolter. In a moment, Thantos had summoned a shield, but a few shells still impacted on his chest plate. Infused with sorcerous energy, the small explosions left craters to the last few levels of his ornate artificer armour. A cold metal laugh passed from the ghost of a marine in front of him, and Thantos growled in response. The marine quickly reloaded and Thantos seized his opportunity to press an assault. Dashing before the magazine clicked in place, Thantos swung his force rod over his head downwards. The rubic marine did the same thing he would have done in life, held his bolter above his head. The kinetic force of Thantos' attack connected with the ancient bolter. The two struggled for a moment, before the bolter gave was and Thantos' force rod clove into the ammunition clip. The sorcerous bolts connected with the psychic energy stored in Thantos' force rod and exploded, spraying shrapnel into the two foes, and forcing them to back away, but not doing any real damage. Thantos recovered first and wasted no time in sending another hit into the side of the marines face. The side of his helmet crumpled and Thantos used the reverse motion to send another blow to the side of the marines face. This time, the eye piece shattered under the impact, and the ancient foe was forced to his knee's. Finally, Thantos ended it's pain by sending a strong downward strike to his head, obliterating it's helmet and freeing another spirit from captivity. Looking around Thantos could see that the other members of the squad had or were dispatching the last of their foes. This was a poor attack force for such an elite unit, and Thantos wondered what was next for them to face as the hollow suit of armour fell face down at his feet and the ashen remains of a once great marine scattered at his feet...

(OCC. You can't have much gore with rubic marines as they are hollow suits of armour, but I hope this is satisfactory!)


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## Captain Stillios (Mar 8, 2009)

Joesephus's words cut through Aurio like phsical blow.
"Father Librarian, for a moment or so that was my mother...I am only an Astartes because of what I lost, I shall fight as any other but I would do almost anything to get them back, I would not use the forces of chaos though" Aurio said as he stepped onto a teleport pad. The warp swirled around him and when he reemerged the first thing he heard was the click of a bolter trigger being pulled back.
Before the bolt could fire Aurio threw up a psychic sheild and drew Siloe.

Leaping forwards Aurio smashed a left hook into one rubric marine and used Siloe to destroy the others bolter, he span and parried the firsts combat knife.
Aurio ducked under a swipe from a knife then placed his had on the second marine's chestplate, fire erupted from his hand consuming the rubric. The first swung up his bolter and unloaded three shells into Aurio's back.
The first was deflected by his armour while a psychic barrier stopped the second however the first dug into his shoulder, at point blank range the shell didnt have enough time to prime and so did not detonate.

He grunted in pain then spun and decapitated the heretic, slowly and with great care Aurio used his mind to remove the shell from his shoulder sending it away into the distance. He then charged back into the fight.


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