# ...the Damned



## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

_They had fought for so much already, but still it was not enough. These brave warriors, these children of the Immortal Emperor of Mankind had come together once more to fight in His name. Not for them the rest of the grave, never would they see the peaceful tranquillity of death. Theirs was an eternity of war and suffering, but for their sins they shall walk that path with relish..._

On a world shrouded in darkness, peace was sparse and battles were frequent. The darkness had come here only recently, carried by warp currents to a land rich in the energy it required. 

It is often said that the Emperor sees all, though how could he act in a world where none of his servants dwelt? 

From the flames of a recent battle, the answer arose. 


--- --- --- 

Voras, Matthias, Skarhn, Konrad: The three of you are flowing through the warp when a landscape resolves before you. You crawl, stride or simply rise from the flames like the spirits of vengeance that you are. You do not and cannot know why you are here. Describe your memories. Who were you? Do you remember dying? Did you see anything prior to coming here? Do you speak with the other two here? Almost immediately as you emerge, you come under attack from creatures of shadow. They are vaguely humanoid, some have vicious claws, some have wings, all seek your demise. Defend yourself. The enemy comes in their hundreds, but they are weak. You may slay any up to a dozen of them in short order.

Darnath, Thorn, Ares, Garviel: The four of you emerge like above into a flame and rubble strewn battlescape. Hakis and Demus also appear close by. As above, describe your memories. You may also converse with one another if you wish. After a minute, you hear bolter fire nearby and move to investigate. As you do, you come under attack from shadowy creature emerging from the dense jungle around you. Description as above, you will each kill a dozen quite easily before you reach the other three marines.

ooc: Damned generally aren`t known to speak, but I`ll let it slide for character development.


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## Bane_of_Kings (Oct 28, 2009)

Voras, the Third Captain of the Ultramarines, awoke, and blinked. Where was he? One thing was for sure, the Ultramarine was no longer on Armaggeddon, no longer fighting the greenskin hordes. 

Then, he remembered something more, the spear peircing his ribcage, blood coughing from his stomach as he had hit the ground. Then, the final echoes of life had rushed from him. 

_'God-Emperor, no!'_ Voras thought with a cry, realising that this was where he must be. _Dead_.

"If I am dead," Voras remarked aloud, questioning the very heavens themselves. "Then, where am I? How can I still live?"

He looked up, and realised that he was in a flaming landscape, not knowing where he was. Maybe, this was the Hel that the blasphemeres had spoken of. Maybe, this was what awaited all men when they died. 

No. It couldn't be. If he was dead, he would know. He may have been speared in a battle with greenskins, but he was not dead. Voras, was not gone from the Emperor's light just yet. He could still feel it, flowing through him, like the fire. The fire that seeped around him ran through his flesh, yet he could feel nothing of what should have burnt him to ashes by now. 

"Courage and Honour," Voras uttured, using the warcry of the Chapter. He still had his armour, although the colour was no longer a fine, dark blue of the Ultramarines. It was dark black, and he could see that just by glancing at it. Turning around, he found a Heavy Flamer lying next to him. That was not his original weapon, as that was his Power Sword, which was no longer with him, neither was his old, trusted bolt-pistol.

But seeing as there was nothing else in sight, the Captain reached for his new weapon, picking it up with a smile on his grim face. The Emperor had brought him back, and he was now in his debt.

With another glance around, Voras spotted two other astartes, also in the same black armour that he boasted, with weapons lying next to them. They had ovbiously not heard his warcry, so were either oblivious to his presence or just ignoring him.

Suddenly, there was another warcry, echoing from the space around them. Voras instinctivley checked that his heavy-flamer was still working, and gripped it firmly to meet the vaguley humaniod creatures that descended from the burning skies above, and some from below.

"Courage and Honour!" Voras bellowed again, and unleashed his heavy flamer, spitting death into the oncoming xenos, with all the fury that he could muster. Two were brought down, screeching as they collapsed to the floor, the Ultramarine claiming the first kills of the day.


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## Jackinator (Nov 18, 2008)

Matthias woke screaming, the final echoes of his rage fading. Where was he? He remembered only the white blast of his demise. He was dead? But he couldn't be. He looked around, rising from flames as he snatched a plasma gun from the ground.

"Courage and Honour"

He glanced around, seeing for the first time the thousands of half-imagined, shadowy creatures around them, twisted and malformed. In their midst he could see the figure of another astartes, black armoured and aflame as he was, but this was further enhanced by the sea of flame washing out from the heavy flamer he carried in his gauntleted hands. The shadows twisted and burned as they were immolated by the Space Marine.

"This must be some kind of hell, perhaps I did not make sufficent payment for my crimes", he paused, thinking back to those fateful years. then he snapped himself out of it, "well damn this hell, I intend to earn my repentance in this dark place, or forever be damned."

Raising his plasma gun he sent a searing beam into the enemy swarm, incinerating creatures with each blast, then taking advantage of the confusion he drew his knife and waded into the crowd, still firing the plasma gun in one hand, cutting his way towards the second marine. "Brother, you do not fight alone!"


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## Deus Mortis (Jun 20, 2009)

The rubble grew hot as if set on fire, and ashes were coughed up from the earth. Suddenly, tongues of fire leapt up. First one at a time, but quickly dozens jumped here and there. They knotted together and took a humanoid shape. Abruptly, parts started to die back, leaving a solid mass of black coal. The coal took the shape of armour clad around a figure. Outlines appeared in the armour. An ancient aquilla, a claw attached to a wing. Finally the flames receded to lips of the armour, the base and tip of the knee plates, and a different fire kindled in the coal's eyes. The blackened figure looked around. More coals appeared, and this first coal remembered them. They were his brothers, and had been for ages past. 

Children. They were children of a ruler. An Emperor. The Emperor's Children. The coal remembered more now. He was part of a legion of warriors, super-warriors sent forth to carry a message of unity across the stars. But something had gone wrong. Their commanders had turned on their fathers and lead their soldiers in rebellion. Some had followed, and some had refused. Thorn, Ares, Garviel, they were the names of these other figures. They had fought together against a brutal monstrosity that had lead them to rebellion. But he had initially joined it. He had hadn't he? He had followed it into the abyss in the name of what? Pride, loyalty, honour. He had been honourable. But it was all gone now. The dream, the legion, everything. All lost in the fires of battle and hate. But he still fought, still fought for this Imperium he had helped to build. The Imperium Darnath had helped to build. Darnath. That was his name. Darnath of the Emperor's Children, protector of the Imperium. He was part of a legion of Damned marines, and he had been offered a second chance.

Darnath had his bolter held across his chest. He had kept it for millenia, but every time he was transported to a new location, he checked it. He let the magazine fall into his hand, and then slotted it back in. He clicked the safety off, cocked it back and aimed down the sight. The sight was still true, and the bolter wasn't jammed yet. He looked over at the others, and briefly nodded in acknowledgement at each. Suddenly, bolter fire. Darnath's head snapped to the direction of the noise. He took a few steps towards the direction, and the ground burned under his steps. Yet, in the same instance, unearthly shrieks came from the forest around him. Instinctively, Darnath dropped to his knee's and spun around. 

Shadowy xeno's jumped at them. Darnath shot. Short control bursts, just like back in the legion. Back then he would have been awarded an honour for perfection, but not anymore. Four empty shells clattered to the floor, and four of these shadows fell to the ground, parts of their body rent and torn from bolt shells. He looked over at Garviel. "Come on Garviel, pick up the pace" it was a joke, but Darnath's voice was flat, and it sounded like a genuine critique. Three more shots, three more dead. There was a whole swarm of these shadowed freaks. Two burst out from behind him. Darnath shot one at point blank range, but the other knocked into him. Darnath's feet skidded back, and the shadow growled at him. "Piss off" Darnath spat at the creature as his hand dived to his thigh. He grabbed his combat blade and plunged it into the creature's skull, if it had such a thing. It screeched and fell limp. Darnath pulled the slick blade and strapped it back to his thigh. He aimed down the sight again and squeezed the trigger. More shells, more death, more war. Nothing but bolts and blood and fire, for all eternity...


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## BlackApostleVilhelm (May 14, 2008)

Skarhn awoke with a start. He immediately shot to his feet, his mind swimming with random thoughts and questions until he finally got a hold of himself and took in the sights around him. Fire. A burning landscape surrounded him, interesting...was this Istvaan? Or rather was this what was left of it? He checked his armor and it appeared that he was very much alive, but something felt different, he couldn't put a finger on it but there was something about himself that wasn't quite...normal?

He most certainly had to be dead, he remembered dying, he remembered being cut down by the Sons of Horus as he fought against the foul traitors and took as many heads as he could. Yet here he was standing amidst a burning landscape in somewhat different armor then what he had worn at the time of his supposed death. He heard gunfire and looked up from his thoughts to see two marines fighting off a horde of strange creatures and his foot kicked his old chainaxe at his feet. Picking the weapon up he turned it on, the guttural sound of the motor bringing a broad smile to his lips, maybe this was the afterlife that had been granted to him, a warrior's paradise where he could simply kill all those that tried to destroy him. His head was bare, his new helm already maglocked at his waist without him having to do it, his scared face twisted into a snarl of rage as he took in the creatures around him, his blue eyes showing nothing but surpressed anger. The thick cords of his nueral implants coming out of the back of his head and entering his armor making him look even more frightening then he already was.

Without another thought he let out a bellowing battlecry and charged into the horde of creatures assaulting the two other Astartes, hacking his axe left and right as his nueral implants heightened his anger and in turn his fighting abilities, his movements becoming quicker and his attacks stronger. 

He had faintly registered the one of the marines yelling "Courage and Honor" which pegged him as a Son of Guilliman. Skarhn remembered the Ultramarines showing almost no emotion but having such an aura of arrogance about them that it had physically sickened him, yet that did not bely the fact that they were good in combat, executing every order and move perfectly. It was truly something to be admired but he had fought alongside the Sons of Guilliman only once in his long lifetime and they had been appalled at what he and his brothers were capable of, truly the World Eaters were the most efficient killers in the Galaxy. If a World Eater killed you there was no chance you were ever going to get back up, they were absolute in their killing, yet how they killed was simple.

Skarhn remembered his detachment fighting alongside the Wolves of Fenris once, now that had been a truly glorious campaign indeed for the enemy stood no chance of survival. They had been tasked with taking a human world that had attacked the representitives that had been sent for peaceful negotiations, the enemy's army was much larger than the Wolves had anticipated and so they had sent a request for aid, Skarhn and his brothers were more than happy to help. Two of the most brutal legions fighting alongside each other to slay a beast, he had made many good friends and even a few new blood brothers whilst annihilating the rogue humans, all of whom he no longer knew their fates. 

The one part of the war that stood out the most was when the Imperium's forces had finally broken through to the last bastion of hope for their enemies and stormed their capitol, killing as they went. Many good men had died that day attempting to take the capitol for the Emperor, but it was Skarhn and a wolf named Njard Felltooth who were the first into the enemy leader's stronghold and it was they who fought side by side against his bodygaurd that resembled human/robot cyborgs. They were tall slim beings that appeared to have once been humans but were now outfitted with so much machinery that they resembled robots, they had made him sick just like the disgusting Mechanicus. 

He and Njard had fought their way through the halls of the palace until coming out into an arena that resembled a Coloseum, the enemy leader waiting for them in the middle. He had known that he and his people were going to die and now he was going to meet his killers face to face in single combat, Skarhn had acknowledged it as an honorable decision yet Njard simply saw the man as a fool through and through because of how he had rejected the Imperium. Skarhn had told him that standing for one's beliefs no matter how different was honorable and the fact that this man knew he was going to die and still stood against he and Njard even when his world burned around him was very honorable. 

Little did either of them know that this man had more cybernetic implants then his own bodyguard but they were so subtle that Skarhn and Njard had not been able to pick them out from a distance. The duel was horrendous and the leader soon had the two Astartes straining to keep up, each of them recieving grievous wounds until finally Skarhn's implants pushed him over the edge and he was engulfed in a red haze, his only true recollection being movements and sounds as he and Njard pushed the leader back into the defensive. The duel had been witnessed by their brothers and they had seen Skarhn's axe cut through the man's skull and Njard's sword pierce his chest and tear out the back in a shower of gore as he sputtered and died.

The duel had been so taxing that both warriors had collapsed from exhaustion afterwards and had to be carried out by their brothers. The Imperium had commissioned a piece of artwork to remember the taking of the planet and it now took up a wall in the Administratum building, it was a painting of the World Eaters and the Wolves storming the palace and off to the far right were Skarhn and Njard dueling the enemy leader. 

He broke himself out of the memory as he charged past the two Astartes and swung his axe down hacking one of the creatures in half before bringing it back around in a wide arc to cut two more in half at the waist. He roared loudly as he cut through the foul creatures, these beasts were weak and no true test of his skill, he was disgusted by their weak attempts to kill him. He was a Son of Angron the Red Angel, and he was truly death incarnate on the field of battle, he yelled his first words upon entering this world as he cut another creature in half, *"I am the eater of worlds! For the Emperor!"*


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## Captain Stillios (Mar 8, 2009)

For the longest and yet at the same time the shortest time he hung there completley at peace as pure nothingness stretched out for eternity. Then awareness returned and with it came flames of what seemed to him as a soothing caress instead of the roaring inferno which it seemed.
Shadows moved through the flames, a giant mutated figure once a noble son of the Emperor and nine golden figures, shining like beacons of hope and salvation advanced. With this memory came others, crab-like xenos swarmed over him before being put to the torch with holy promethium, a noble Blood Angel sacrificing himself to save him...all of these and more suddenley snapped back into clarity and with a single step Garviel Nelko loyal Son of the Emperor and warrior of humanity emerged from the fires of the void and back into the world of the living.
'Whe...where am I?' He thought hazily as the death like slumber released its clutches on him, Garviel reached back for his flamer which was mag-locked to his back and for one of the chainswords he had crafted a long time ago, the power-cell was dead but the chain function still worked.

"Come on Garviel, pick up the pace" came a familiar voice which shook Garviel fully awake. Not ten feet away was Darnath fighting against a tide of black creatures, Garvi watched as Darnath killed several of the creatures but could see that without aid he would be quickly overrun.

"You want to see fast brother?!" Garviel roared over the din of the attackers "I'll show you fast!" 

With that Garviel furiously revved up his chainsword, took a running start, and catapulted himself feet first into one of the largest Shadows. The crushing wait of a fully armoured Astartes crushed the Shadow beyond recognition but Garviel had already moved on lashing out with his sword with lightning fast strikes and sending waves of burning fire out with his flamer.
Through a gap between the Shadows Garviel caught sight of a figure who held his deepest respect.
"Brother-Sergeant Ares!" He yelled "Come, join us in the Emperors name!"
By this point Garviel had fought his way so that he was between the Shadows and Darnath knowing that his brothers bolter would be of more use if he had more time to aim. More black armoured figures emerged and began slaying many of the Shadow creatures.
"Hakis I don't care if we are Damned, our bet still stands and I intend to hold you to it!"


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## Farseer Darvaleth (Nov 15, 2009)

Hyperion Thorn didn't know why he had been offered the chance the others had earned. Perhaps it was because he had been cheated; perhaps his corruption had been a mistake? No, there could be no denying it. Ge'lath'kor had only come on Thorn's consent.

The name repulsed him still. It clung to his outer-psyche, a name of a creature long-dead, but its memory lived on. The memory of the obscenities it had committed through Thorn's body... at least at the battle, it had ripped apart his body, and used its own. But before... the night on the ship, in his chambers... the acts he performed there horrified him. But what was worse was how much he had... enjoyed it. Those women, they all died for his pleasure, his depraved lust.

No. It was Ge'lath'kor that they died for. It was Ge'lath'kor that did what was done. Thorn had fought for 10,000 years to be redeemed, and now he had this chance. A special exception, perhaps, or just a lucky soul.


Thorn snapped to attention as he materialised in dense jungle. He looked around; Ares, Darnath, and Garviel stood around him, Emperor's Children to the last. Thorn looked at his armour, all blackened save for his purple gauntlets, still bearing the livery of the dead legion. Thorn would fight in their honour.

Gunshots echoed through the jungle. Thorn was immediately alert, scanning the undergrowth. Darnath opened fire, one shadow creature knocking him back before he quickly dealt with it. More gunfire echoed further ahead.

Thorn's battle instincts re-surfaced, and he assumed command immediately.

*"Squad! Move up towards the gunshots, fire at will but choose your shots! There might be friendlies out here."* breathed Thorn through the vox. Suddenly, one came at him: a hunched-over, shadow-swathed little monster. Thorn swiftly aimed his Bolt Pistol, and fired one shot. The bullet smashed through the weak creature, knocking it to the ground where it dissolved away.

*"Keep it tight, marines,"* said Thorn, dispatching another two creatures with his pistol. Drawing his power sword, _Raptora_, Thorn made ready to repel a close-quarters attack. It was just in time, Thorn barely had a second to thumb the activation stud before a creature leapt at him from the shadows. Thorn performed a textbook lunge, skewering the monster through its chest. It faded away like cloud, and was gone, almost as soon as it appeared.

Thorn looked around warily, as he continued to move through the jungle. It was so dark underneath the canopy that it looked like night... or was it night? Thorn's advanced eyesight made neither a problem, but still he was curious. But for now, he had to focus on the battle. He had to find the source of the gunfire.


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## Lord Ramo (Apr 12, 2009)

Ares was held motionless in perfect nothingness for what seemed at once an eternity, reliving his battles in the name of the Emperor as he smote the xeno's that populated the Emperors realm. He had become what he had to be as an Astartes, slaughtering all the stood in the name of the Emperor's word. All that death and destruction at the Emperor's word. He had become a killing machine for him, burning his way through all those that had stood in front of him. All he could think about was the perfect deaths that he had inflicted, and how his men around him had fallen.

He had been a leader of the God Astartes, a Sergeant. He remembered the fateful excursion, the final time that he would fight as one with the rest of the company. He had respected Captain Thorn so much, being his brother and fighting to reclaim their old captain's body. Ares followed him through hell on the dead planet. Through absolute hell, but what he experienced when he got back was worse. Faced with execution his brothers became cowards, falling to Chaos and seeked pleasure. Only Ares and a few squads had remained clear of the taint. 

Ares wasn't sure why his squad had followed him when he sought battle with Captain Thorn, the thing that had possessed Captain Thorn. He had led the charge on the beast and saw its final destruction at the vortex grenade. Since then he was sure he had ascended, was sure that he was free of the life of killing. Until he awoke once more to bring death in the Emperor's name.

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He rose through fire and smoke to a world unfamiliar to him. His squad brothers rose around him, including Captain Thorn. Ares could not trust Thorn anymore though, and even as his other squad members looked around their new surroundings he kept his eyes on Thorn. He watched as creatures burst through from the undergrowth, snarling things that reminded him so much of what he had fought the last time he had respect for Hyperion Thorn. Immediately his men sprung into action, meeting these things with blade and bolt.

Ares however moved forward slowly, not speaking to anyone as he moved forward. He was not drawn into action by the jibe's by Garviel, or the command of Thorn. He slowly unsheathed his chainsword as he strode forward hitting the activation rune and listening to its roar as he moved at a jogging pace, getting closer and closer to the enemy. He was a marine without a chapter it appeared, the same fate that had befallen his company had hit the Legion as well as others. 

Ares no longer cared about perfection, he no longer cared about the rank he had once held. Though he would do his damndest to ensure that he kept his brothers safe and still would lead them till he died or was replaced. All these thoughts boiled through him before he smashed into the first screaming creature, killing it with a lazy backhand with his chainsaw before ducking underneath the sharp claws of a second creature. He reversed his grip on his chainsword as he ducked and twisted out of the way of the smaller creature before counterattacking and cutting it in twain. In one fluid motion he drew his bolter and fired a trio of shots, blowing two creatures to the depths of hell that they had come from.
*
"That is how you do it brothers. This is how we purged the traitors in front of use, how we defeated the xeno menace. Let us finish our job brothers, forward! We will purge them, move towards the shots. Keep it tight."* Ares may have put more emphasis on traitor than he meant, but in his mind Thorn would have to re-earn his trust sooner or later, whether he knew that or not was another question.


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## BlackGuard (Sep 10, 2010)

His eyes ... his eyes were the last thing Konrad saw. The eyes of a traitor, of a man whom he'd called brother and who had turned his back upon his men. He could feel it even in this moment of absolute nothingness, he could feel Alexsyander's finger apply pressure to the bolt pistol's trigger, he could see the munitions within the barrel ignite in brillance, for the bolt within sought out the enemies of the God-Emperor. This time they found only his loyal subjects. The cracking pain was the last thing he'd felt, the bolt hitting his skull at point blank. It was a lie, so he found out, that you feel nothing in a quick death as that, that you simply awaken at the Emperor's side preparing for the Final War. No ... not even close, he could still feel the bolt shattering his forehead, his eyes burst and his brain become pulped in an instant. The pain was sharp and almost stripped him of his sanity but it was not the worst pain he felt. The feeling of failure, of betrayal, he had never felt it before being a demi-god of the Adeptus Astartes, a Grey Tusk no less, the ball of fury within his breast raged like a newly born star but he found it had no where to go. He knew he would not stand beside his God-Emperor, not now, not when he had killed his own Battle-Brothers and had allowed the enemy a key victory. If an Astartes could truly weep than he would have done so. 

His memories of those last hours flooded over him once more. The shouts of commands from the Brother-Seargants, the roar of bolter fire, the screech of the dying xeno as the Emperor's holy wrath was brought down upon them. The images of the western appoarches, which had been left completely undefended rushed into his mind, his squad under the command of Battle-Seargant Noxi had seen the enemy from their view point high above and quickly adjusted to deal with the incursion. The rush he felt has he always did, the xenos screaming their gibberish, sending bolts of molten fire screaming past him and his brothers as the two species fought under an eternally grey sky. The xenos clashed with them just inside the citadel, and it was a battle that was won, but only just. His brothers were Tactical Marines, not meant for the brutal close combat that the xenos seemed to relish in. Their silver blades cut the very fabric of reality, doing no damage but ripping the souls for those that they touched. Only through strength of arms and the sacrifice of Brother-Seargant Noxi did the enemy finally flee. That was not nearly the last of his encounters with them, he still remembered the catacombs below the keep when Brother-Seargant Mydgar's men suddenly went dark, their position in the catacombs suddenly overwhelmed. The brutal fighting there was nothing but a battle of wits and tactics, his depleted sqaud having to constant assault, fall back, reposition, ambush, defend, and counter-attack; a constant process of rinse and repeat. Only after four days of this did the enemy finally cease all contention of the catacombs and instead destroyed the tunnels they had made into the vast network, to prevent the Grey Tusks from escaping. Those were the better days of that long and senseless seige, when Captain Alexsyander had not been corrupted by the foul xeno-psychics. When his mind became to crumble, it crumbled fast. His orders became paradox, defend positions that the enemy had no designs upon while leaving or abandoing whole sections of the defense, just letting the xenos have them. Once this happened, the war inside the citadel began in earnest for the Grey Tusks, once they lost their stoic defense, were hard pressed to keep the invaders out. Only the noble sacrifice of many a Battle-Brother held the parts of the keep still vital to their survival. 

Even in those dark hours he did not loose hope, for he had seen many things in his years of service to the Imperium and the Emperor. He had been completely surronded by the savage Orks, with odds of a hundred to one, and he'd fought his way out. He'd seen the very worst the Tyranids had to offer, the Hive Tyrants, their various Warrior-variants, the endless hordes of the xeno swarming over everything -- and still he stood defiant of them, blasting into their ranks with utter contempt. Even the majestic Eldar, and their darker kin, had felt the wrath of the Emperor in the form of his bolter. This said nothing of the dozens of minor xeno races utterly extinguished by his Chapter that he was apart of. No, he did not loose hope in that dark time. Even as they lost the assumed old barracks, the makeshift armory, the various choke points to stem the tide of the enemy. The day finally came when they held on the outer command room, and the inner strategy room. Weather or not the xenos had every used them for such purposes was beyond him, but it was the names assigned to them during the seige. As the fighting in the outer command room became bloody and brutal he'd made a quick dash to the inner strategy room at the behest of several Battle-Brothers -- the end was coming for them, they wanted to die beside their Brother-Captain who had mysteriously been absent in the last weeks of the seige, sealed within the inner strategy sanctum contemplating a way for the company to escape this disaster. He rushed into the room in time to see his Battle-Brothers aiming their weapons at his captain, murder in their eyes. He hesitated not even for an instant, his bolter was up and firing away with almost reckless abandon. He never knew how he managed to kill all five of them without a single shot being fired back at him. All he remembered was at the end of it they lay upon the floor, dead, their life blood draining from them. 

Rushing to his captain he felt pride in his chest and contempt in his heart. That some of his brothers actually contemplated executing their commanding officer for their hopless situtation was beyond his understanding, he showed dire cracks in the Chapter's oaths -- something he did not want to think about. He remembered kneeling to his captain and apologising for the arrogance and treason of his brothers. As he rose he saw the bolt pistol aimed squarely at his forehead, the eyes of a real traitor staring back at him with a malicious grin. Then, and only for a few seconds, did he see the xenos that he'd not noticed, lingering in the dark corners of the room. Thanks only to his Astartes enhanced senses was he able to take the entire seen in before his demise -- dozens, if not a hundred of the xenos were in the inner strategy room. He never even got the chance to utter the word traitor before his brain was pulped and his soul ripped from his body. 

He felt that rage building forth inside of him once again. He roared impotently into the air as the betrayal and unjustice done to him, so many xenos left unslain, so many worlds unliberated from the touch of the vile alien. He felt as though his body were in flames, they licked and splashed around him like molten liquid. In that instant he appeared once more into the realm of the living, bursting forth from the ground in a geyser of purple flames. He stepped through the flames and looked around -- how was this possible? This surely was not the citadel where he died, this world was far too different for it was licked with flames and smelled of molten earth. He heard the screams around him as his sense suddenly began to actually apply themselves. Battle-Brothers! They were fighting something, something vile ... something definately not human. He looked into his hands and saw the jet black bolter there, being grasped by equally black armor. For a moment he hesitated ... was this hell? Was this his punishment for failure -- to forever fight the xenos to make penance for his failure. 

An enemy claw flashed by him, and only his subconcious saved him from the devistating blow. In a single movement, he stepped back, raised his bolter and fired a controlled burst into the creature, killing it instantly. He had no time to react, no time to consider the situtation, the enemy was upon them -- coming like a sea of darkness before his eyes. They were definately xeno, for not true human would strike the Emperor's Angels of Death. He continued to fired controlled bursts, ripping apart the enemies of the Emperor once more. He moved along side his Battle-Brothers, men who he obviously had never met and added his fire to their own.


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## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

The dark creatures were unremitting and relentless, utterly unheeding of their own destruction as they attacked in droves. As the spirit astartes fought, the things seemed completely numberless. 

Perhaps as a mark of his once leadership, Thorn had begun to spearhead an attack formation. Perhaps by instinct, others of the former Emperor`s Children had followed. 

With seemingly nothing to lose, and more to gain, the newcomers stepped in as well, following this... 

Leader? Did a rank of captain or sergeant truly hold weight anymore? All of them were doomed to fight for eternity, so what possible difference could it make? 

--- --- ---​

All: Following Thorn for a time, your party comes across a set of arcane ruins and obelisks. At a glance, they seem of xeno origin and for whatever reason, the shadows do not enter their peimeter. In this area, they also seem fewer in number. You have the decision to shelter inside the ruins, or stay outside and fight the things up close. 

Thorn: I want you to describe your motivation at this point. You are back in realspace after millennia fighting through the warp, do you feel there is a purpose or are you simply glad for whatever respite this provides? 

Ares: You are mistrustful of Thorn, and took a position further from him than most. Brother Japeth is the only one near you (not wanting to leave a brother isolated) and notices your disquiet. Will you share your views or keep quiet on the matter? You are to the east side of the formation from Thorn. 

Darnath, Garviel: The two of you are in the western side of Thorn`s formation alongside Demus. You are the first to notice the ruins and beckon the others towards it. 

Matthias, Konrad: The two of you task yourselves with the rearguard. The enemies are noticeably thinning as you near the alien ruins. However, due to your position in the formation, you may have more difficulty making it to within the shelter.

Skarhn, Arden: The two of you take up a position either side of Thorn. What do you make of him? As a World Earer and Ultramarine (at least formerly) what are your opinions of this astartes who has come among the damned? Do you strive to emulate him? Outdo him? Or simply accept his leadership for the moment?


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## Bane_of_Kings (Oct 28, 2009)

AS THE ULTRAMARINE followed the leader, somewhat reluctantly, the ex-captain watched as they came across a series of arcane ruins and obelisks, each varying in size but bearing the same colour scheme to inform the adeptus astartes that they were all bound to one race.

Voras was relieved to find that the shadows that he had spent fighting did not breach the permiter, and decided to follow his newfound allies into the ruins, half wondering what the Space Marine would find beneath. Would it be any worse than the things gathered outside? That would certainly explain them not wanting to enter this place.

But then again, the xenos mind worked in fickle ways. Questions would no doubt be asked, by the Ultramarine and the other astartes, as he did not know what chapter they had come from, and why the Emperor had sent them to this blasted planet of nothingness.

If this even was a planet at all. Voras strode up beside the leader, and could see that another astartes copied his movement. Deciding that now might be a good time to introduce himself, Voras began to talk. "You have my gratidues for aiding us, brother, and for that, you have earned the knowledge of my name and rank. I was once Captain Arden Voras of the Ultramarines. That is, until Armaggedon."


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## Jackinator (Nov 18, 2008)

Matthias had joined the lone Space Marine and it hadn't been long before they were joined by another two Marines. The shadows seemed unending, an eternal sea of darkness flowing in to pound on the rocks. Matthias knew the couldn't hold out forever, like those rocks they too would be worn down, and death here offered no chance of redemption.

Then he heard the roar of bolters, the roar of another combat and in the distance a second group of Space Marines emerged from the darkness. Matthias cried out, "we must join our brothers", opening up with his plasma gun he scoured a path through the shadow sea. Before it could close he charged through, falling into the spearhead with ease and covering his fellow newcomers as they joined the formation.

They fought on for so long that it all became a blur. He remembered only snatches of combat, his blade parting the unresisting flesh of the shadows with ease while bursts of fire from his plasma gun took a heavy toll.

The formation altered it's direction and Matthias glanced over. Close by stood a ring of obelisks, it hurt the eyes, its very essence was wrong. Something about the angles, but stranger still, the ring was empty. The shadow creatures seemed reluctant to approach the obelisks, let alone pass between them. It was this construct that they had altered direction towards.

Matthias instinctively followed on, finding himself taking up a rearguard position with one of the others he had began with. They were getting increasingly close to the structure and it seemed that most of the others had made it in. He vaulted up onto the boulders at the constructs base and turned to immolate another two shadows as the second Marine joined him. He made to climb to the next level , then with a cry he was snatched backwards into the shadows.

A dozen of the creatures had pulled him from the rocks and he felt an impact as he landed on one, crushing it. There were claws everywhere, scratching at his helmet, his weapons, his armour. He roared, surfacing from the crush like a leviathan of the deep and laying out around him with knife and fist. He bent to retrieve his plasma gun and threw off the shadow that leapt on his back. He waded towards the rocks, his fellow Marine firing into the mob around him as he eventually reached the boulder. He scrambled up and then leapt to the next level, he leant down to offer the Marine his hand, "I am Matthias, thank you, what are you named brother?"


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## BlackGuard (Sep 10, 2010)

His blood was boiling, there was no other way to describe it. He fired bolt after bolt into any of the shadow-cloaked xenos that claim close to him. For them to even touch his armor was a blasphemy that he would not permit. Uncleaned, unsanctioned, vile and wretched aliens were not worthy to touch the armour of a Battle-Brother of the Grey Tusks, it often happened for there was constant conflict and never a guaranteed way to prevent any xeno from inflicting damage to their armor, but the Chapter still used the catchism to fuel hatred for the xeno even more. To any non-trained eye he would appear to be firing wildly into the morass of darkness that seemed to slowly, but surely swell up around his squad ... was it his squad now, his Battle-Brothers, whom he knew not their names? His mind ached with all the implications of what this could mean of why they were here with them and how they all appeared here.

He chose to drown the suspicion and insanity of it all by doing what he had always done best -- think tactically. Nothing mattered, not his death, his impossible ressurection, the Battle-Brothers around him, all of their unique armor and weapons ... and the sheer wrongness of everything. The world went grey around him, his mind blanking out everyone beyond the immediate and straight-forward. The vile aliens were not vile anymore, they were catagorized by threat-level, organized into various 'groups', and prioritized by kill ratio and preceived bolt-accurary. His mind refuted everything, colors and smells, the hum of his own armor ... the sound of his own breathe. Only things that mattered to the fire-fight mattered to him now. It was an old battle-meditation practice taught to him by Captain Corgain, of the Scout Company, centuries ago. 

As how rage lessened and his mind took near absolute control he switched over to single-fire only to conserve ammunition, of which he did not actually have an accurate count of, his mind catagorized it as a secondary task that would be achieved later. For now only the death of the targets mattered, and he fired with precision and care making sure each shot count. Aiming some to take down loan wolf xenos who attempt to out-flank him, others aimed to allow them to cut threw the first, almost smoke-like xeno, and detonate in the only behind him, silencing the ones around him in its explosion. For what seemed like an eternity this was committed by him, the only other objects he kept in consideration was his proximity to his fellow Astartes, for allowing a gap in the formation could prove fatal.

_'We must join our brothers!'_ screamed the warrior just next to him. Konrad merely glanced over as his fellow Astartes unleashed another wave of pure plasma from his cannon and began to charge through. Out of combat instinct and the strict disciplined taught to him he charged through behind his brothers, for to stay was to allow a gap in their formation and such could not be allowed by the tenants of the Codex. The new comers they seemed to rally around had the very same armor that they adorned, although their members seemed to be a touch more coordinated which hinted to previously fighting together. He tasked the knowledge as unimportant, something he could glean later, once this fight was over.

His Battle-Brother with the plasma cannon stood next to him as the two of the committed a rear-guard action. He did this purely out of the organisation and placement that they found themsleves in. He and his brother, despite charging through first and linking up with the newcomers, had somehow found themselves passed up by the other members of their so-called squad. It didn't matter to him, with the xenos still rushing them in waves they would need Astartes like him, untouched by emotion or petty deviations such as conversation and paranoia, to assume this task. He did so with calculating indifference, eahc xeno that presented itself as a target soon found itself vanishing into bolt-induced nothingness. Those that came too close were dealt with by his Battle-Brother next to him, who wielded a chainsword also. The chainsword, relative number of teeth, current condition, potential pattern, and relative threat-leve, in the unlikely event it was used against him, was taken and stored into his mind. Normally such mental notes could be linked up with the suit in minor ways but he trusted not the very armor he wore for he knew it was not the one he was slain in. 

They kept coming, wave after wave, group after group. He had reloaded his bolter four times in the last two hours of travel, and still he did not have an accurate count on his ammunition supplies, he only reached back out of instinct and found the clips waiting for him. Soon he began to take account and actually count the time between the ambushes and rear-assaults by the enemy. First only a few minutes, then several, and finally up to twenty minutes between them. The xeno was clearly loosing their morale. A suddenly tap on his armor, he knew not from where, indicated that he needed to adjust his angle of advance. He glanced over his shoulder and noted the obelisks and the sheer wrongness and xeno-formation and color of them all. His mind surpressed his Grey Tusks inner-rage at the xeno of all variations.

They would not advance, his suddenly thought as the xenos assaults seemed to stop almost entirely. _They won't advance on the ruins_, he thought tactically. The Battle-Brother next to him climbed up a boulder to make it into the ruins, Konrad followed only turning his back on the lingering xenos for a second. He began to advance up the next string of boulders that would ultimately permit him to gain access to the ruins that the rest of the squad had already entered. Suddenly he heard a scream and swung around to see his fellow Astartes being dragged back down by the shadowy xenos. His mind lept to action, accessing the various threat-levels. Konrad smashed the ruin to switch to full-automatic and unleashed a holy volley of bolter fire. The Astartes roared, the number of clawing hands around him lessened significately has he picked up his plasma cannon and unleashed another stream before rapid advancing back up boulders with Konrad's botler roaring into the crowd of suddenly appearing xenos.

'_I am Matthias, thank you, what are you named brother?'_ asked the Astartes has his climbed back up and looked helmet lense to helmet lense with Konrad.

For a moment, his mind resumed lucidity, as he turned for just a moment:

_'In my former life they called me Konrad. Konrad of the Second Company of the Emperor's Adeptus Astartes of the Grey Tusks Chapter.'_


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## BlackApostleVilhelm (May 14, 2008)

Skarhn followed their new allies' commander in silence. He had made no effort to hide that he was sizing all of them up, it was just a habit that he had and it had gotten him in more than one brawl and honor duel than he would care to admit. He could tell that the newcomers had worked together before by the way they interacted with each other as they fought their way towards a strange set of ruins and obelisks. 

Skarhn noticed that the shadow creatures would not go past the obelisks as he followed the new astartes. He moved up behind their leader and saw one of the marines he had fought with earlier do the same, *"You have my gratidues for aiding us, brother, and for that, you have earned the knowledge of my name and rank. I was once Captain Arden Voras of the Ultramarines. That is, until Armaggedon."*

Skarhn raised a scar tissue laden eyebrow, his helm still off, and spoke to the Ultramarine, *"I am Sergeant Skarhn Tellion of the World Eaters twelfth Legion Astartes. I have fought beside the Sons of Guilliman before Captain Voras, in the Vortuga system during the hundred eighty first year of the Great Crusade." *he paused before adding,* "I have not heard of this Armageddon. What sector is it in?"*

The World Eater's voice was thick and rumbled like distant thunder as he spoke, yet there was a hard bite to it that gave the impression that he was angry. As he waited for the Ultramarine to answer he studied the captain and tried to figure out what Legion he was from, he had an aura of arrogance about him, sadly a lot of his brother legions carried that the worst being the Ultramarines, Emperor's Children and Sons of Horus. There were subtle things like how he ran and how he held his weapons and used them that gave him away, the Sons of Horus were assault champions and were more brutal then this marine was, yet he did not move in the mechanical manner that the Ultramarines moved in. 

Each stroke, every shot was aimed at perfection, a son of Fulgrim through and through. It was easy for a veteran astartes to pick out differences in the manuerisms of different legions and Skarhn was no exception, he could tell many of the newcomers were also Emperor's Children, interesting indeed. He turned his attention back to the Ultramarine as he waited for his answer.


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## Lord Ramo (Apr 12, 2009)

As the squad of Emperor's Children moved away from their point of origin towards the sounds of gunfire, Ares took the furthest position away from Thorn. It seemed that he was the only one of his squad who was suspicious of the Captain, not trusting him like he used to. He fought like a normal Astartes now, there was no point him issuing orders, it would just either contradict Thorn or it would just reiterate them. Maybe Thorn had proved in the Slumber that the squad had been through his loyalty to the Emperor and to all loyalists, but Ares was still suspicious. Ares swung his chainsword in great arks, killing all of the foul creatures that stood in front of him. They were no match for his chainswords cold metal teeth, soon it was slick with blood.

He didn't stop killing though, his bolter taking heads and limbs with every shot fired. 
He killed with cold perfection, no longer trading any insults with the rest of the squad it seemed but slaughtering all that moved to intercept him with bolter and blade. Each stoke of his blade set him up perfectly to decapitate another, and he soon had a gruesome tally, though he was splitting from the squad more and more. Japeth, loyal Japeth seemed to be the only one to notice his demeanor and moved to support him, making sure he stayed in contact with the marines as they met up with a group of simerarly uniformed marines, black with fires dancing round their armour.

The bolstered squad moved towards some ruins, the enemy thinning ranks as they drew closer and closer. Ares lagged to the East still Japeth always close to him as they fought through the overwhelming enemies. "Brother Ares, something ails you? Is it the new brothers that we have found or something to do with the Captain or squad?" Ares sighed as he heard Japeth's question. He had wanted to keep this a private matter, and would continue to do so. He quickly brought his chainsword through a shreiking enemy as it charged at him with a lunge, before mowing down another three with his bolter.
*
"Brother, I am afraid that I can't share with you yet what ails me. Hopefully I will be proven wrong on my thinking but for now I shall be staying away from the others. I thank you for your concern though."* He nodded at Japeth as they moved closer to the ruins, Ares remaining outside firing his boltgun and using his chainsword to cover his brothers moving inside. He would remain close to the outside, not wanting to be too close to Thorn for the moment.


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## Deus Mortis (Jun 20, 2009)

Heat emanated from Darnath, and his footsteps burned holes of blackened ash in the dense undergrowth through which this rag-tag band of Damned marines waded through. Whilst his body was a raging fire, Darnath's demeanour was as cold as ice. His shots were fired without mercy and without regret. It felt good to be killing again, instead of loitering in the dank, dark, void in between battles. He hated that place. He didn't know what it was, or where it was, but it was malevolent. Creatures bayed at some unseen pane of glass which prevented them from revenging him, and prevented him from striking back at them. He had his theories. It might be come prison he constructed for himself while the Emperor transported him by means he did not understand to some world he did not know in a time he wasn't familiar to to fight for a race he cared nothing for. But fight he did. He fought because his Master demanded it. He fought because it was better that leaving humanity to die, corrupt as it was. He fought because it was all he knew, and all he had be designed for. For the rest of eternity nothing but fire and blood and war. 

And shadows. These flocks of shadowy daemons flew from the air, the ground, the trees. The whole forest swarmed with them, but Darnath had bolts enough for each. He had learnt from previous incarnations (for he never died, not truely. But a different Darnath took his place. The old Darnath died back on Carltos, and this vengeful spirit was just a figment, a shadow of the former man who lived now, but had died) that whatever spirit brought him here also gave him with supplies of ammunition. Darnath only had two magazines, and he alternated them when they were empty. Yet, each time he slotted the other in place, it had a full magazine of ammunition in it. Darnath had long ago given up on trying to fathom where these bolts came for but, firing another burst of shells into a couple of shadows, realising that this magazine was empty and slotting in an old fresh one, he remained thankful that they did. More shadows, more bolts, more death. How could such a blind force of nature, an necessity within the universe's infinite system, have angels to do it's bidding. And yet, Darnath and these bretheren gathered around him were just such things.

They had followed Thorn for some time now. Darnath, Demus and Garviel had taken up a position to the west of their apparent leader, although he held no weight of authority. Who could command or claim authority over the dead but not dead? Four other brothers had joined them. Two were from a chapter he did not recognise, for he had now come to realise that somehow the legions had been split down into smaller divisions the size of battle companies in Darnath's legion, and these were called Chapters. One of them walked with an arrogance on his brow and pride in his step. Such high opinion of ones self could only come from one legion: the Ultramarines. Some had declared The Emperor's Children proud, and that was what had drove them into the jaws of damnation. Guilliman's brood carried a different swagger about them, one of almost born superiority. As if being born on a developed world like Macragge made them better than the other Astartes born to feral worlds where survival was a daily challenge. The other Darnath knew at a glance. The wild look in his eyes, the way his butchered in a non-discriminatory manner and almost without thinking. Only one father breed such children; Angron. They had a World Eater in their midst, one who's kill tally was not measured in people, but city populations. An astartes to whom genocide was the logical solution to man's problems.

A few screeches to his right, and Darnath turned and fired, his muscles acting on impulse not direction. Three more creatures dropped, but Darnath noticed something in the distance. A set of obelisks and ruins. Nothing of real note, except for a peculiar quality they possessed. They were of xenos origin, that much was clear. But stranger still was the fact that they almost formed a protective sphere into which not shadows ventured. Darnath turned around. "There's some ruins this way. Xenos probably, but they shadows don't seem to like them much. Maybe we should hunker down there for a bit, form a plan?" For whatever reason, people agreed with the idea, and the group started to move towards the ruins. Darnath stood beside Garviel "Forgive me but this is your first incarnation since Carltos isn't it?" Darnath waited to hear if others had seen the galaxy change as he had, and what his brother thought of this Imperium they now served forever...


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## Bane_of_Kings (Oct 28, 2009)

THE ULTRAMARINE STOPPED dead in his tracks, and resisted the temptation to lung for his heavy flamer. _'A World Eater? A Scion of the Primarch Angron?'_ Pausing for a second, Voras needed to know more before he used his weapon. Could it have been that the World Eater had travelled forward in time, to the forty-first mellenium?

He was certainly not killing everything in sight, so Voras doubted that he had pledged his alliance with Chaos. But, if he was loyal to the Emperor, and came from the era of the Great Crusade...

Then that made the matters all the more complicated. How we he react to learn that in the future, his Primarch and the majority of his legion would turn against the Emperor, and join the Arch-Traitor Horus in a campaign that would lead only to Terra, where the Emperor would be placed permanently on the Golden Throne after slaying the Primarch who was behind it all?

_'No. Best not to tell Tellion just yet'_, thought Voras, and wondered if the World Eater knew that he bore the same surname as a famous scout in the Tenth Company. An Ancestor? Voras doubted it, and was beginning to question everything and everyone. If Tellion was a World Eater, then did that make the other adeptus astartes Angron's sons as well? He douted it, especially as one astartes had introduced himself as a Grey Tusk, a chapter which Voras had not heard of. _'Assume nothing. Question Everything'_, the Ultramarine thought, before deciding to respond to the World Eater's question.

"The Armaggedon Sector, in the Segmentum Solar," responded Voras, relaying the co-ordinates to the legionaire. "We were fighting there, in the Second War, against the greenskin bastards. I fell on that world, protecting civilans, and my brothers arrived just as I was slain. But, that opens up another question. How are any of us here?"


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## Farseer Darvaleth (Nov 15, 2009)

Thorn strode towards the ruins trough the thick jungle, dispatching shadows where they stood. The other marines began to form up on him, instinctively following his leadership. Thorn was not sure of what to make of this; he should be pleased that he was serving the Emperor, but somehow, he still felt incomplete. Something was missing.

Thorn was ripped from his reverie as a monster-creature leapt at him. Rolling underneath the clumsy attack, Thorn turned and put three bullets into its hide, watching with grim satisfaction as it disintegrated. He got to his feet, and signalled for the marines to move up. They were approaching a ring of strange ruins, inscribed with faint runes of xenos origin. The shadows, however, seemed not to enter. Thorn decided to take his chances.

*"Into the ruins! Go! Go!"* shouted Thorn over the din of battle, making sure the other marines go in first. Two marines approached him, one revealing himself to be Arden Voras of the Ultramarines, the other a World Eater called Skarhn. An interesting addition to their forces.

Thorn turned to them both, addressing them quickly, *"My name is Hyperion Thorn. I was once a Captain of the Emperor's Children, although I do not believe I deserve that title any more. I have been given a second chance, to redeem myself in the eyes of the Emperor, and I intend to do so. But for now, get inside the ruins, quickly!"*

Thorn fought off a small band of shadows whilst making sure everyone made it inside. The creatures didn't attack further, so Thorn took his chances, turning and running for the ruins. He jumped over a fallen tree, skidding across dead bark, just stepping past a rock...

Thorn fell against the rock, silently howling with pain. A scream, more powerful than anything he had felt before, ripped through his skull, tearing at his senses, driving him mad. It was a scream he recognised, a scream he held with utter fear.

Staggering forward, Thorn tried to reach the ruins as the shadow-creatures swarmed around him. He only had to make a few more paces...

One of the monsters landed on his back, bringing him to the floor. Still, the scream echoed through his skull, as the shadow hammered at his neck. Thorn lashed out, dealing a strong punch, knocking the creature away. But more were coming, and fast. Thorn crawled towards the ruins, hoping another warrior would see him. It couldn't end like this. Thorn wouldn't let it.

As he had almost reached the ruins' edge, the scream tore through Thorn anew, paralysing him with pain. He writhed on the floor, unable to come any closer. It was total agony, the sound of death itself coursing through his veins.

The sound cried out, crying a name Thorn dreaded, a name which terrified him.

*Ge'lath'kor!*


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## Jackinator (Nov 18, 2008)

(OOC: meant to edit and managed to delete it, wasn't very clever :laugh

'In my former life they called me Konrad. Konrad of the Second Company of the Emperor's Adeptus Astartes of the Grey Tusks Chapter.'

Before Matthias could reply he felt, something, a sharp sense of unease that withdrew almost as sharply as it had arrived. He turned back to the battlefield, scanning the sea of shadows, looking for something, anything that might have produced it. There, a knot of struggling figures, was there a Marine under there?

"Konrad, covering fire!" Without pausing to see if the other Marine had responded Matthias leapt from the rocks and drawing his combat blade, plunged into the ocean below, he had the element of surprise this time and he landed on one, lashing out with his combat knife at the same time. The shadows shrieked and wailed as he opened up with the plasma gun, the wilted away like real shadows in the sun.

He began to clear a path towards the struggling mass, careful not to fire his plasma gun near it, he didn't want to hurt whoever was under there. A shadow leapt at him from the side and he swung his combat blade down, hacking off the talon that reached for him and disembowelling the thing with his back stroke, the strands of shadow faded away with a shriek.

He mag-clamped the plasma gun to his armour as he reached the knot of shadows, "Brother!" He roared, cutting his way in before plunging his fist through them, eliciting more death screams. He felt around inside the mass, until finally his hand found ceramite, he got a hold of the pauldron and heaved. There were so many shadows that even their insubstantial weight had transformed into an almost insurmountable mass. He braced both feet and roared, heaving the Marine from the darkness. He was writhing in pain, and Matthias could not get a response from him.

He grabbed his backpack and began to drag him back to the ruins, combat blade flashing as he kept the shadows away. He knew that here, too far from the ruins to benefit from the shadows fear of them he could not risk stopping. If he did they would both go under. Then the other Marine slipped from his grasp, "no!" Matthias turned, reaching out, just in time for his world to go black, he lashed out blindly, but here, he felt something that he had only felt for the first time on Acropolis Vega. The iron hard splinters of doubt...


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## Captain Stillios (Mar 8, 2009)

*Da da da daaaaaa! Garvi to the rescue!*

Garviel burned down one Shadow and kicked another back into the horde knocking several to the floor. It was good to be killing again, killing and winning. These shadows were easy kills requiring little skill, it reminded him of the greenskins unskilled but powerful and numerous. He saw Darnath and Demus fighting nearby and aided them as best he could by killing the Shadows closest to them giving them room to use their bolters. A particularly large shadow swung a huge punch at Garviel just as a number of smaller beings swarmed his legs, he twisted swiftly but the punch still caught him a glancing blow on his armoured shoulder knocking him onto his back.

"Oh no you don't!" Garviel roared "BURN XENOS SCUM!" His flamer came up and the Shadow crumbled away. As he got to his feet he heard Thorn shout "Into the ruins! Go! Go!"
In response Garvi shoulder barged one Shadow out of his way and held back untill all of his brothers had passed by. As he was about to enter the ruins himself, some sixth sense made Garviel turn and see that Thorn and another marine who he could not identifiy from here had fallen behind. They were in danger of being swarmed and Thorn didn't seem to be defending himself.
"Brothers covering fire!" He called to those already within the safety of the ruins. Running forwards he incinerated the nearest shadows and grabbed Thorns right arm. "Back! Into the ruins!" He yelled over the din, they dragged Thorn backwards close to the ruins.
"Take him brother!" He said "I'll buy you time!" Taking his chainsword in two hands Garvi held off the Shadows with broad sweeps of his sword while slowly working his way backwards untill he stepped safely within the ruins.


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## BlackApostleVilhelm (May 14, 2008)

Skarhn scratched his chin as he tried to recall the Armageddon system, he had definitely not heard of it as far as he could remember. They had made it into the ruins and the new group's supposed "leader" announced himself as a captain Thorn of the Emperor's Children, the World Eater smiled, he had pegged the captain's legion exactly. He turned his attention back to the Ultramarine, *"I do not know of this system or of the Greenskin threat that it suffered from. What year of the Crusade did this happen? I know that your father and his sons fought against the greenskin alongside Perturabo and his legion in the Terminus Sector in the 134th year of the Great Crusade, was it this battle that you speak of?"*

He turned his head hearing the shadows screeching as if baying for blood and his own was suddenly filled with adrenaline and other chemicals in an instant as he saw that this Thorn had gone down and two marines were fighting to bring him back within the ruins. Without a second thought he was running from the Ultramarine and diving past the brother with the chainsword and into the mass of shadow creatures, his chainaxe swinging violently in every direction as he cut down the shadows trying to reach Thorn and the marine pulling him back towards the ruins.

He stayed as close as possible to ruins so if he and the other brother with the chainsword needed to jump back into safety they could. These shadow creatures angered him, they were not normal, they did not bleed like all creatures and xenos did nor did they seem to be made of the same matter. Could they be daemon-kind? His eyes narrowed as he cut another down, its mouth letting out a piercing scream as he sliced it in half, they would need to back into the ruins soon should they want to avoid the same fate that almost grasped Thorn.


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## Jackinator (Nov 18, 2008)

Matthias dragged the Marine back into the ruins and then turned to assist their saviour, chainsword swinging, the Space Marine backed into the ruins and Matthias pulled him inside as the sea of shadows closed up once again.

"Come on!" Another Marine had come to assist them but he was still out there, chain axe swinging as he fought with enough ferocity for any two of them. He unclamped his plasma gun and took careful aim, sending a trio of shots into the host around the roaring warrior. The shadows wilted then flew apart, each shot immolating a group of the shadowy creatures.

The compact plasma gun barely moved with recoil as another bolt of pure energy flew out and incinerated another group of the creatures. It's deadly energy blowing each one apart and leaving only an after image on the retina and a fading shriek in the air. He worked efficently, each shot perfect, clearing a path for the axe wielding marine to follow back to the ruins. As he did so he spoke to the Marine next to him, the one who had helped him pull the stricken astartes to safety, "I thank you for your help brother, you fight well, I am Matthias, what are you named?"


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## Captain Stillios (Mar 8, 2009)

Garviel felt himself be pulled back into the ruins by the brother who had helped Thorn, a plasma gun roared in his hands as he tried to clear a path for the marine who had charged madly past them, 'World Eater' Garviel thought.
Drawing his bolt pistol Garvi aimed for the bigger of the Shadows and any that threatened to block off the World Eater.

A voice came from beside him.
"I thank you for your help brother, you fight well, I am Matthias, what are you named?"

Garviel glanced over at Matthias and replied, "I am Garviel Nelko of the 5th Company of the glorious III Legion, Emperor's Children" he shot the head from a small shadow and threw a frag grenade at a small group of them. "I a, a son of Fulgrim but which Legion are you part of and which primarch is your sire?"


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## Jackinator (Nov 18, 2008)

"I am Garviel Nelko of the 5th Company of the glorious III Legion, Emperor's Children" he shot the head from a small shadow and threw a frag grenade at a small group of them. "I am a son of Fulgrim but which Legion are you part of and which primarch is your sire?"

Matthias paused in his firing, Emperor's Children? He fought alongside one of the fallen Space Marines? The man had helped him yes but Matthias had learned enough of the ways of Chaos to know that this meant nothing. His brothers had fallen to Chaos and he himself had joined them for a time. He felt the anger welling up inside of him, if this one was Chaos worshipper, did that explain this predicament, had he dropped into a Chaos hell? Were they all Chaos Marines.

With a roar he turned on the man, smashing his fist into the side of his helmet, there was a dull crack, muffled by his leather gloves, as the Marine's head snapped back. He raised his plasma gun, ready to immolate him where he stood...


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## BlackGuard (Sep 10, 2010)

'Konrad covering fire!' shouted Matthias as he rushed forward, bounding off their relative cover and back into the black sea of xenos. 

Konrad was a standard line-man, he had no great ambitions beyond his current station and therefore took orders from other extremely well. Let them lead the glorious battles for the Emperor, it was men like him who actually won those battles with grit and faith and determination. The Grey Tusk dropped to one knee as his helmet came alive once more with targets, they were so numerous -- so overlapping that the helmet began to malfunction under the extreme number of foes. Konrad blinked it all away and allowed the greyness of battle-meditation to take hold of his mind once more. He saw Matthias blasting away with his plasma cannon burning away the fithly xenos. Konrad locked onto numerous targets that presented probable threat to Matthias advance and quickly ended them. Soon these threats became more numerous than he could keep track of and within a moment Matthias was swallowed in the darkness of the wretched xeno. 

Konrad took notice of another of his Battle-Brothers, his name was not known and not important, all that was known was that he was moving to aid Matthias. Konrad still didn't even realize why his brother had charged into the xeno mass to begin with. It was a moot point in the tactical and immediate scheme of things -- they needed support. Konrad moved his hand to the left side of his combat-utility belt and there found what he was looking for -- the blunt and brutal form of a fragmentation gernade. His armor's machine-spirit was sluggish but responded to his needs with just enough speed to prevent Konrad from ripping the helmet off and throwing it away. 

Just as he threw the frag gernade another form flew beside him and slammed into the melee and press of bodies below -- he wielded a chainaxe. Almost absent mindedly Konrad took account of the chainsaw and his armor's machine-spirit seemed to stream data across his retinal. He gave a grunt as he realized that chainaxe was the pattern commonly seen in the hands of the Traitor Legion of the World Eaters. Of coarse there were some chapters within the Imperium that also had found uses for the chainaxe and imployed them as almost standard issue for their own assault marines. It was not something to overly concern himself with, not in the grand scheme of things. 

The gernade exploded in a vicous sound of fire and shrapnel. Dozens of the shadowy xeno vanished in an instant with many more slowly dissolving away -- apparently suffering mortal wounds. Konrad unleashed a volley of well-placed and targetted bolts, each one ending the life of a xeno that appoarching from a blind corner of one of his Battle-Brothers eye-sight or senses. His help was not overt in the sense that any great glory could be heaped upon him, but for his part he saved all of them many wounds -- some may have even managed to be damaging. 

Only when the trio of Battle-Brothers reached the ruins and heaped the almost limp corpse of a forth Astartes did Konrad realize what they had been trying to save. He felt ashamed ... how had he not seen one of his own brothers fall ... just fall upon the field of battle. He was the reaguard, he should be kept more attention to detail. He would have to find punishment for himself in the future.

'I thank you for your help brother, your fight well, I am Matthias, what are you named?' stated the only Battle-Brother who's name Konrad had managed to gather. 

'I am Garviel Nelko of the 5th Company of the glorious III Legion, Emperor's Children. I a, a son of Fulgrim but which Legion are you part of and which primarch is your sire?'

In that one instance, Konrad's blood ran cold ... his battle-meditation was broken instantly. Emperor's Children ... Traitor Marines! Konrad spun around on instinct alone, but Matthias beat him to it -- slamming the Chaos Marine in the side of the head. Konrad leveled his bolter at the traitor.

'Traitor Marine!' bellowed Konrad. He then looked around out of instinct and saw the others beginning to pay attention ... they were surronded. Were they all Chaos Marines? Was this some daemon world that dragged the souls of the Emperor's Finest to them? What kind of witchcraft was this?! Xenos he understood, xenos who should shapeshift, who could spit acid, who could boil a Battle-Brothers brains with just a touch ... that he could tolerate, comprehend, and exterminate. Witchcraft and daemons were another story. While he'd fought and slain many, each made his skin crawl. They were ultimately unknowable. 

'Matthias!' he growled low, for he came to trust his brother in that moment, for he had taken the first shot as the Traitor Marine, 'We are surronded.'


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## Captain Stillios (Mar 8, 2009)

Garviels head snapped back but he rolled with it and grabbed Matthias outstretched arm then smashed the plasma gun to the ground. "What in the Emperors name are you doing?!" Garviel bellowed "You turn on your brothers?" His chainsword came up and rested at Matthias' throat "The last time I fought another astartes they had been corrupted by warp-beasts! Perhaps that is what has afflicted yo-arrrgh!"
He fell to his knee's as visions of that climactic battle stabbed like ice through his mind, the brothers he had killed and the mistake he had made when he had attacked one of his own squad-mates.

A weird sense filled him and he could see some of his brothers as they had been then, golden figures of shining light...and Thorn....Garviel looked away in horror and normality resumed as he realised he had fallen to his knees with his flamer on his back, he could see his chainsword lying just out of reach to his right. He began to reach for it but kept a hand near his combat knife just in case.


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## Lord Ramo (Apr 12, 2009)

Ares watched as Garviel and one of the marines dragged Thorn back, the world eater undisciplined as ever charged into the fray to cover them. Ares had utilised his bolter well, keeping the enemy shadows from coming near to the entrance whilst covering the son of Angron. Typical son of Angron he thought, probably wishing he had his combat drugs with him, thats all they are good for carnage. Ares pondered on his new position in the damned, there was no way that he could keep his own rank.

He would have to fight with the squad, though it would be very difficult for him, they had seemed to accept Thorn back into the fold without a moments thought. Lucky them, being able to trust so easily. Or unlucky.. Ares could not forgive and forget, Thorn had turned the company in on itself, he had turned brothers Ares had fought alongside for years. He had turned himself, cowardly because he couldn't face death. Ares was an Astartes not a coward and had stayed true to his beliefs.

He would watch Thorn for the time being, though a part of him felt annoyed that Thorn hadn't noticed his hostility and confronted him. He wanted nothing more but to be back to how they were, fighting shoulder to shoulder, though he guessed those days were long gone. It was a hectic new universe that he had been brought into. Why was he brought back? Had he not done his duty to the Emperor. Obviously not, he should have checked Thorn immediately, saved his brothers from fighting with each other.

'I thank you for your help brother, your fight well, I am Matthias, what are you named?'

'I am Garviel Nelko of the 5th Company of the glorious III Legion, Emperor's Children. I a, a son of Fulgrim but which Legion are you part of and which primarch is your sire?'

Ares was brought back from his thinking at this and he turned to watch the marine, Mattias smash a fist into Garviel and point his plasma gun at him. Immediately another marine prepared to fight the Emperor's Children. In an instance Ares had his chainsword out, pointed at the marine that hit Garviel and his bolter at the other. *"Obviously we aren't traitor marines or we wouldn't have saved you fools, we would have left you to die fighting these abominations. You don't seem to be very good at fighting them it seems anyway. If I were you I would holster those weapons, you are clearly outmatched here. We have fought loyally by the Emperor's side during the great crusade, and you dare call us traitors?!*" Ares growled, he would not hesitate to kill them, Garviel was a close friend and a squad mate and if Ares had too he would take their heads to protect him.


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## Deus Mortis (Jun 20, 2009)

Darnath heard the sickening crack of ceremite hitting ceremite. He spun around to see some upstart marine hit Garviel in the head. Obviously not expecting to be struck by an ally, Garviel took the full force of the impact. Garviel staggered back, and Darnath watched as the marine raised his plasma gun with a howl. Darnath was stunned. What had provoked such violence? A split second later, his answer came. _'Traitor Marine!'_ Traitors? what was this madness? But of course, Darnath remembered, this new Imperium had shunned his legion. All the legions who had betrayed the Imperium, that had all be exiled, and rightly so. But they had been lumped with their deranged brothers. This must be the cause of this all. Things happened so fast. Garviel grabbed the marine, Matthias' arm and pulled him to the ground, knocking the plasma-gun out of his hands and into the dirt. But something seized Garviel. Memory backlash. It happened to Darnath on his first incarnation. The body almost can't cope with being reborn, and so sometimes stores memories of the instant of death behind flood-gates which have to be broken eventually. But they often result in a form of mental whiplash. Thankfully Ares had unsheathed his chainsword and had it poised for a killing blow.

Darnath had not stayed static all this time. He had moved like quicksilver towards the marine, Konrad, who seemed to be the only one still standing of the pair who had instigated this infighting. But, he was on the other side of the formation to Darnath, and before he could cover all the ground between them. The marine spun around and fired a few shots into Darnath. All chest shots. Each bolt slammed into Darnath's thick chest-plate, winding him but doing no lasting damage. What this marine had forgotten in his haste that Darnath would have noticed, was that if instead of firing an immediate burst of fire and taken the time to take one, well aimed shot at his head or knee's, he would have had significantly more chance of stopping Darnath. However, winded, slightly of balance and slowed marginally by the impact of the bolts, Darnath hit the marine with less force than anticipated, and slightly on one side. However, the effect was the same. The marine's bolter was tossed from his hands, and the marine fell to the floor. Darnath wasted no time in delivering a quick kick to the side which caused the marine to flinch into a slight foetal position. Darnath stood hard on one arm, and stamped on the marines chest-plate, forcing him flat against the ground. Darnath positioned his bolter in line with the Astartes' helmet. "Now..." Darnath rumbled, his voice still faint and his breathing still heavy from the force of the impact of the bolts "...that wasn't very intelligent was it?" "Traitor!" the marine spat back at him. "Traitor? What do you know, child? Were you there at the Imperium's founding? Did you see the Emperor embrace the Primarchs like sons? Did you fight against your brothers when they descended into madness? You know NOTHING of our legion, or our heritage. We have served the Emperor faithfully since the day we became Asartes until now. We never faltered, and we never turned. That was why we were given this chance to fight in his name!" Darnath's voice rose with swells and crests of emotions, of nostalgia of glories past. These however turned bitter in his mouth, and he realised that such glories were long gone. Forgotten and faded, remembered by no-one save his brothers here, and maybe the Emperor himself. But all the while, the barrel of Darnath's bolter never moved from the Astartes underneath him's forehead...


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## Farseer Darvaleth (Nov 15, 2009)

The screaming still filled Thorn's head, emanating from his very skull. He felt himself being dragged, pulled through, into the ruins....

The scream instantly began dying away, but its shadow still clung heavily to Thorn's mind. The scream had looked through him, almost in recognition, and called out to him, asking for help. It had asked for the Daemon Lord Ge'lath'kor, and that terrified Thorn.

What if he still lingered inside Thorn, somewhere?

Thorn's eyes opened, and his senses were flooded. The marines had reached cover, yet all around him they fought each other, warrior turning on warrior. The horrible feeling re-surfaced. Thorn had seen this before, and he would be damned if he let it happen again.

Rising, Thorn drew his power sword _Raptora_, and roared:

*"Enough! Put down your weapons! These Emperor's Children are not traitors. They have proved themselves to be the most loyal servants of the Emperor, even in the face of Chaos itself!"* Thorn's thunderous voice rang out through the din. Then, more quietly:

*"They are all loyal. If their loyalty must be proved to you, then I... I can certify it with evidence. I hope you will trust my word, or if not, the words of these good men, so that it must not come to the... proof."* Thorn's voice trailed off slightly, remembering the one item he had materialised with that he had not recognised. It was a holo-tape, but Thorn didn't need to check which scene it would play.

In the pit of his stomach, he already knew.


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## Bane_of_Kings (Oct 28, 2009)

VORAS PAUSED, UNSURE of what side to take as the group of astartes erupted into battle around him, just as the World Eater had asked his question. Was it he alone that had realised that one party had either travelled forward in time or backwards in time? Or was it both?

Sure, the Emperor's Children had saved Voras' lives, but their Primarch, Fulgrim was responsible for the death of his own, Lord Guilliman. The III Legion's Primarch was the reason thousands of pilgirms flocked to Macragge each day, the reason that every day people whispered that Lord Macragge himself was healing, the reason each day that the Ultramarines no longer had their Primarch.

Voras hated the Emperor's Children for that. As, he did hate the World Eaters, the sons of the Primarch people used to call 'The Red Angel'. The game was most defiantly up, at some point the Ultramarine would have to reveal to the others of the Horus Heresy. He knew that the World Eater lacked this knowledge, but the Emperor's Children? 

The Ex-Ultramarine was not so sure. "...They are all loyal. If their loyalty must be proved to you, then I... I can certify it with evidence. I hope you will trust my word, or if not, the words of these good men, so that it must not come to the... Proof." 

The speech was made by an Emperor's Children, the astartes with a Power Sword, and with a flash, Voras was reminded of how he used to wield such a fantastic weapon.

One thing was for sure though, the time had now come to reveal where the loyalist astartes hailed from, after the questions had been asked by the other astartes.


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## Jackinator (Nov 18, 2008)

As the Marine had collapsed, screaming in agony, Matthias had stepped back, hooking his foot under his fallen plasma gun. He flicked it upwards, catching it and turning back to the scene, Konrad was already struggling with another Marine while a third had drawn chainsword and bolter.

"Obviously we aren't traitor marines or we wouldn't have saved you fools, we would have left you to die fighting these abominations. You don't seem to be very good at fighting them it seems anyway. If I were you I would holster those weapons, you are clearly outmatched here. We have fought loyally by the Emperor's side during the great crusade, and you dare call us traitors?!"

The chainsaw wielding Marine had spoken, and Matthias only felt his anger grow, "you dare insult me? Well, my armour can withstand a bolt round, can yours withstand a plasma gun? I think not." He turned his aim to the Marine as he snarled. "You dare impune my honour when you stood by as I sought to save your brother."

Before the other Marine could reply the one that Matthias had dragged from the shadows stood. The Marine drew a long, elegant power sword, words inscribed along it's length and roared "Enough! Put down your weapons! These Emperor's Children are not traitors. They have proved themselves to be the most loyal servants of the Emperor, even in the face of Chaos itself!"

He lowered his voice "They are all loyal. If their loyalty must be proved to you, then I... I can certify it with evidence. I hope you will trust my word, or if not, the words of these good men, so that it must not come to the... proof."

Matthias backed up, putting the group in front of him, then, keeping his plasma gun focused on the chainsword wielding Space Marine, he turned to the speaker. "You speak of loyalty, and that we should put up our weapons. Yet you keep your own. Put up your weapons and I shall put up mine brother. Then, we can talk..."


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## Farseer Darvaleth (Nov 15, 2009)

Thorn sheathed his power blade, watching as the situation slowly defused. They had almost come to battle with each other, but thankfully, this had not come to pass.

*"There,"* said Thorn, almost soothingly as he put away his weapon, *"Now, there is much to be explained. By all of us."*




OOC: I think we better wait for the update now, poor Serp will be going crazy. Just put this post in to remove any chance of further fighting, and sort of set Serp up for his update, if that makes any sense.


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## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

*More...*

For whatever reason, there was something keeping the shadows at bay. Though they still swarmed in the night jungle in their thousands, the invisible barrier seemingly projected by these strange alien ruins. For the moment, the astartes were safe from them. 

Of far greater concern was whether they were safe from each other... 

--- --- ---​
Ares and Garviel: The two of you are facing down Matthias, unsure of why he has attacked you. For the most part, his accusations seem unfounded, but as you remember your last moments in life, a sickening sense of dread unfolds within you realize... maybe he is right. Did the rest of the legion really turn? Regardless of any thought or doubt you may have, you will not back down. Will you reason with him, or will you simply refute his claims as ignorant and stand your ground?

Matthias: Your opponents both claim to be loyal, but you remain unconvinced. Still, being outnumbered means your hand is cautious for the moment (meaning don`t attack, Jackinator) and you hold your fire. Even so, what will you say? What will you think, knowing that you fought alongside Emperor`s Children? Will the knowledge of what you yourself have become influence your opinions of them and yourself?

Voras: You have realized what has happened here, and the Emperor`s Children Captain seems to know it as well. Will you seek to placate the others and try to explain what you think has happened? Or will you hold back and allow Thorn to say his peace? In any case, The air is rife with tension, and you may find it difficult to project an air of peace. 

Darnath and Telion: Darnath has sprung to the defense of his fellows, and Telion will seek to aid his brothers as well, neither of you truly understanding why the others have called you traitor just yet. Neither of you will want to take up arms against your fellows, but nor will you render yourselves open to attack. 

Konrad: In the gunsight of Darnath, there is little you can realistically do. Though you see them as traitors, the Emperor`s Children have made no attempt to end your life, seemingly only wishing to stop the infighting. Now is the time to listen and learn. How do you react to their claims? Believe them, or refuse to accept their words as truth? 

All of you be aware that depending on the order of posting, Thorn may reveal the truth of the matter at any time. If you have to, you can post twice, reacting to his information as well as further interacting with other members of the unit. 

Thorn: With the unit seemingly tearing itself apart, now is the time to drop the bombshell. Having been forced to fight for ten thousand years, you have witnessed bits and pieces of history throughout the Imperium`s existence. It is time to tell them all what happened, what they have become and how they returned. It is by the Emperor`s will that you have been brought together, and it is by His will that you must fight alongside one another until you discover why.

You can play the Holo Tape, but PM me first, I want to discuss its contensts.


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## Bane_of_Kings (Oct 28, 2009)

VORAS LOOKED AROUND, and although the post-heresy adeptus astartes had attacked their brothers in the World Eaters and Emperor's Children Legions, the Ultramarine had kept out of the fight, waiting for Thorn to announce what both marines no doubt shared.

After that, it seemed that the legionaires would no doubt bombard the astartes with questions, mostly along the lines of accusing them to be spreading false rumours. After all, if Voras had come from such a prosperous time of the Great Crusade, he would no doubt refused to believe that such a Primarch as loyal as Horus (or, as loyal as he had first been), and would have promptly decreed the Ultramarine, the Grey Tusk and the other astartes to be heretics.

Then, the battle would commence once more, a battle that so easily could be avoided. Voras frowned from inside his helmet, looking across at the face of Thorn, and awaited his move, the heavy flamer held at the ready in case things got... awry.


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## BlackApostleVilhelm (May 14, 2008)

Skarhn stepped into the middle of the group and held up his hands to show he meant peace. He had been at Istvaan when the loyalists of each legion were sent to their deaths, he had been there when the Virus bombs had dropped, he had been there when their brothers had taken to the field to kill them with their own hands. He had seen the treachery first hand, he had killed many of them himself, and as far as he knew it he had been killed by his own brothers. 

How far the heresy had gone he did not know, but he did know enough, and now was the time to end this pittiful argument.* "Enough. This petty infighting is disgusting. If you lot wish to know the truth of what happened I can tell you." *he pointed at Mathias and the others who were calling them traitors, *"I was one of the loyalists sent down to the planet Istvaan. We were told that we were doing the Emperor's work, that we were quelling a horrible rebellion, and we were ready to kill for the Emperor, but that was not the case." *

He paused as the memories flashed by,* "I was sent planetside with the other loyalists of the Sons of Horus, Death Guard, World Eaters and Emperor's Children....men who had lost brothers in their fight for the Imperium. I was there when the order to betray us was given and we were notified by Saul Tarvitz of the immenant betrayel. I was there when the Virus Bombs dropped and we were fully made aware of our brothers' and fathers' treachery, and like many of our loyalist bretheren I survived the bombings. I was there to see our own brothers make planetfall when they had realized we were still alive, so that they could end our lives themselves." *

The anger in his voice was so thick it was like a blanket covering the others, he was shaking and his face was red with hate,* "I was there when they first hit our lines, I was there when we pushed them back time and time again because we were powered by the purest of purposes...hate. Hate for what they were doing to us, hate for what they were doing to everything we had fought to build, and it was defending my brothers in the other legions that was the cause of my death."*

*"Three captains I killed that day, among untold traitors, an Emperor's Children was the first to fall, spluttering in ecstasy as my axe tore him in half. The second was World Eater, my own brother in blood, crazed and drunk with blood I took his head for the Emperor. The third was a Son of Horus, his pride stood no chance against my axe, but it was the final opponent that I saw as I was finally cut down by our brothers that frightened me the most. I tell you now brothers I have never known despair like I did when I saw my own gene-father charging our lines, his mind lost to a horrible blood haze that none of us should be capable of reaching. I fell that day defending the Imperium that I helped build since I was inducted into my Legion, I know not what state it is in now or what had happened after but if you are to draw your weapon against me and call me traitor then you'd best get ready for my axe to cleave your head from your shoulders for I am no traitor."*

He put his hands down and hefted his chainaxe over his shoulder as he waited for the others to say what needed to be said.


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## Jackinator (Nov 18, 2008)

Matthais listened to the World Eaters speech. He understood his pain, at least, some of it. He was in no position to make judgement on these men, for all that their brothers had fallen, they had remained strong, continued fighting for the Emperor. He could not say the same of himself, he thought of all of his brothers that he had killed during his warp madness, the delicious pleasure he had taken in their final death screams. Who was he to pass judgement on these Space Marines? They had been there when the Emperor still walked among his worlds, they had even fought alongside him. They were truly blessed, honoured by the Emperor as his personal warriors.

But was this true? He knew better than most of the cleverness and trickery of Chaos. How it wormed it's way into your mind with it's honeyed words and subtle lies. But there was none of that in this Space Marine, he stood there, despite the chainaxe hefted in one hand there was a refreshing, brutal honesty in his words, something that even Chaos could not fabricate. And the Space Marine with the power sword, there was a quality in him, a kinship Matthias felt, that he instinctively trusted. He didn't understand it, some shared pain? He didn't know.

He removed his helm, "you... you shame me brother." He cast his plasma gun to the ground and went down on one knee. "And I am not too proud to refuse it", he looked up at the Space Marines around him, his blue eyes burning through their helmet lenses, seeing through the lies and deceit he thought he had seen, and recognising the strength and honour behind it. "Emperor knows I am not the one to pass judgement on you, not with my past, I beg your forgiveness brothers, for my hasty action, I..."


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## Lord Ramo (Apr 12, 2009)

Ares stood his bolter and chainsword still aimed at the marine that had started all this mistrust and violence, not letting his guard down for a second. He was not going to drop his weapons at Thorn's command, this marine had threatened his brother and as such he was not to be trusted. Ares ignored the marine's little comeback at him, he had been keeping the enemy at bay from the ruins, the marine knew nothing of what had happened and was lucky that Ares hadn't pulled the trigger to his bolter. All he needed was one shot and the marine would be dead.

Though there was something that nagged at his mind, this had been like the final hours of his life, brothers turning on brothers. But that was an isolated incident surely, Thorn had turned his brothers minds against those of the Emperor's truest of truths. Ares heard the World Eater start to speak, odd they were men of pure violence, no perfection and weren't really the convosationalist type. He listened vaguely at what the World Eater started to say, Istvaan? That was an already conquered system. Though what the World Eater revealed to him shocked him to the core.

His brothers had turned on each other?! Horus the Emperor's most loyal son, his warmaster led the rebellion? Surely this was not true. The fact that Angron was involved would seem ordinary, the damned primach was bloodthirsty but the others.

*"How could our Primach turn? Against the Emperor? Did you know of this Thorn, things seemed to have started with you now didn't they "Brother". The legion wouldn't turn, they couldn't have and neither would have the warmaster."* Ares said, disbelief in his voice. These were lies, to put him and his brothers off balance surely. Ares moved, his weapons hanging by his side. He slowly put his chainsword on his belt before he smashed his fist into the ruin, watching as the rubble gave way under his might. They were lying.


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## Jackinator (Nov 18, 2008)

"How could our Primach turn? Against the Emperor? Did you know of this Thorn, things seemed to have started with you now didn't they "Brother". The legion wouldn't turn, they couldn't have and neither would have the warmaster."

Matthias heard the anger and disbelief in the Marines voice. He stood, mag-clamping his plasma gun to his thigh and walked towards him, hands open as a sign of peace. "The warmaster was the first to turn brother, he led the others into the heresy, how many remained loyal I do not know." He sighed, "you don't have to believe me, why would you? I threatened you and your brothers, but surely, now that we are willing to talk we can put up our weapons." He laughed, "Konrad and I cannot take all of you, plasma gun or no." He reached out, putting his hand on the Marines wrist, his hand still resting in the crater he had made in the ruins. "Come brother, let us talk..."


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## Farseer Darvaleth (Nov 15, 2009)

Thorn looked up as Ares spoke.
*
"Thankfully, Ares, my treachery did not affect our legion. If anything, we, or rather, you, made the Imperium stronger by not allowing our forces to re-join Fulgrim."* Thorn turned to the Ultramarine, *"I am sorry for what... the daemon did to your Primarch. I can understand how it must have felt for Fulgrim, to be so intoxicated and then... so disgusted. Gulliman was a great man. I am sorry that he was killed."*

Thorn turned back to the group. *"For those of you who do not know, the Imperium has been ripped apart by civil war. In the 10,000 years I was forced to fight daemons of the Warp, I learnt of what happened. Fulgrim fell to Chaos as I did. He was possessed, as I was, and joined Horus, who was poisoned and tricked by the insidious forces of the Dark Gods. He lead an almighty rebellion against the Emperor, coming to a head on Terra. There the Emperor defeated Horus, but suffered such great wounds that he was interred within the Golden Throne, where he sits immobile to this day. His mind focuses the Astromican, but also something else. It is my belief that we are his personal forces, applied where the need is greatest. We are his fallen angels, and we must redeem ourselves. Why else would we be the Legion of the Damned?"*

Thorn leant against a pillar. *"I am sorry for those who did not know of this already."*


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## BlackApostleVilhelm (May 14, 2008)

Skarhn was speechless, not like World Eaters were ever ones for conversation, but for one of the very few times in his long life he did not know what to say. He knew about the beginnings of the rebellion but he had thought that many of the other legions would hold true to the Imperium, but if they were able to get to Terra then at least half would have had to of turned. 

The Emperor had suffered near fatal wounds at the hand of his most favoured son and was now interred in a life support device? The Emperor that he had seen with his own two eyes, the Emperor who had fought alongside his Legion before and who had been responsible for returning their gene-father to them? It was rare that a World Eater ever show any emotion other than anger, hate, or martial pride and right now was one of those moments.

Skarhn's eyes stared at the ground as he contemplated the gravity of what they had just been told. His sacrifice that he had made on Istvaan had meant nothing, their fallen brothers had prevailed and gathered more to their cause before heading for Terra herself only to tear the Imperium that they had helped build to pieces along with its Emperor. 

*"The Emperor is dead......?"* his voice was like the faintest hint of a whisper as a mountain slowly grew larger. Yet his stunned mind did not reel for long and soon he was filled with anger at this thought, here was someone who had just admitted to turning to chaos and he throws this information around like it was nothing? Who did he think he was? He was a traitor, and apparently had been killed by some of the other Emperor's Children...

Skarhn looked straight at Thorn and hissed,* "Traitor..."*


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## Bane_of_Kings (Oct 28, 2009)

"IF YOU WILL allow me to speak, I might be able shed the light on things for those of you who herald from the past," the Ultramarine interrupted, realising that Telion was on the verge of starting another clash between the astartes. "Or rather, my past."

"I come from the forty-first mellenium," Voras announced. "Along with several brothers here, it seems, and I can assure you, World Eater - that the Emperor, although he is close to death, he has not fallen. Otherwise, the astronomican would have blinked out, which it hasn't."

"And although the traitor bastard Fulgrim did kill my Primarch," Voras continued, "And he did, along with half of the legions - ally with the arch traitor Horus, there were some elements of the Emperor's Children that did not fully embrace Chaos, as you would know, Word Bearer. After all - was your life not saved by a loyalist Emperor's Children? Tarvitz, was it?"

The Ultramarine paused, taking a deep breath. He had never had to make such a convincing speech before, even when he had been still part of his Chapter. "I think there is much that must still be explained here - and I think I might be able to answer a few of your questions, Although sadly I do not know everything."


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## BlackApostleVilhelm (May 14, 2008)

Skarhn's head snapped to stare at the Ultramarine as he fingered the activation stud on his chainaxe, ready to activate at a moment's notice,* "I am aware that there were loyalists among the traitors and I am also aware of Captain Tarvitz and his brave act, I DO NOT need to be reminded Ultramarine."* Skarhn's voice was like a storm just before it hit full force, he was on the verge of losing himself to a rage and attacking Thorn, but something still stayed his hand at this point. The Captain had said something about being the Emperor's chosen fallen angels? Could it be that the Emperor was keeping him from killing Thorn?

He didn't care enough to think into it, *"You did not have your own brothers turn on you, you did not have to shed their blood to keep yourself alive..."* he got close to Voras, their faces nearly touching,* "You have never had to kill a brother..."* he backed off and pointed the tip of his chainaxe at Thorn,* "This bastard is a traitor, he turned his back on his brothers because of his own greed and pride. You are weak Thorn, for you to have been blessed with a second chance by the Emperor is disgusting....." *his voice was deep and his face was red with barely contained anger as he spit on the ground, his axe now activated and held ready to strike.


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## Deus Mortis (Jun 20, 2009)

Darnath stared at Konrad down his sight. This man had threatened his brothers and tried to kill them for something he didn't understand. None of them really did. The Imperium had changed between each of Darnath's re-incarnations. Become more corrupt. More stagnant. More...Darnath didn't have the words to describe it's current state. It was everything they had striven against in the Crusade, full of religious dogma and wars were based on hear-say. Darnath despised it. But he had also seen what opposed it, and that he despised more. The aliens that bayed for the bleeding corpse of humanity's blood, and the rotting cancer of chaos the killed the bloated corpse from the inside. That was worse than hypocrisy of the Imperium he had once built. But the situation appeared to be defusing, and the realization was dawning on many that not all the legionnaires were traitors. Darnath slowly lowered his bolter, and offered his hand to Konrad. "I suggest you take my hand. You'll need as many brothers as you can get out here. I've done this before" The marine took his hand and Darnath hoisted him to his feet. 

He heard the last of Skarhn's raging bellow "...You are weak Thorn, for you to have been blessed with a second chance by the Emperor is disgusting" Darnath could see the hasty warrior rev his chainsword, and prepared to hurl it. Darnath sighed to himself, it had almost all calmed down and now this adrenaline filled blood-hound was about to start another shit storm. "Tell me, World Eater, why we should believe any of us are more deserving of this fate than others? Hmmm...please tell me, Scion of Angron, if this is indeed a place for the selected few whom our Emperor chose deserving of a chance at redemption, who are we, this group of Astartes each with our own faults, pride, vengeance, hot-headedness, blind obedience, who are ANY of us to claim superiority of over the other? We have all been plucked from the rolling currents of the warp for a purpose, a purpose only our lord and master knows. Even if you have no respect for Thorn, or our legion, surely, even in death, you respect our common father, Skarhn?" All this time, Darnath had walked slowly around the group, gesturing at each one in turn for points that applied to them. He had also conveniently placed himself between the World Eater and Hyperion Thorn. Now he would have to kill another Astartes, one who was not damned a traitor, to get to Thorn, and Darnath believed that even this temperamental warrior would not go that far...


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## BlackApostleVilhelm (May 14, 2008)

*"DISRESPECT?!"* Skarhn's hold on himself was beginning to slip, *"I stood against untold numbers of bastards like him because I believed in what our father stood for! Do not even begin to claim that I disrespect him or I will end your life!"* at the mention of killing bastards he pointed at Thorn who was now behind this new warrior who he assumed was also part of the III Legion Astartes. 

*"I do not care why the Emperor decided to give that filth another chance...I perished fighting against the very heresy that this filth was a part of, THAT is why I was given a second chance."* he glared at Thorn with murderous intent, *"He betrayed his brothers before and even allowed a daemon to use his body! Who is to say he won't do it again?" *He leaned in close to the new warrior's face so that they were almost touching, *"Tell me brother were you a part of Istvaan? Did you see what the disgusting filth like him was capable of on such a large scale? YOU disrespect our father and our fallen brothers by protecting him from harm." *he stood back up and stared at Thorn.

*"Watch your back whelp. If you do anything to make me suspect you I will cut your head from your shoulders, that's a promise." *His chainaxe was still on but he hefted it back over his shoulder and stayed where he was as he tried to calm himself down.


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## Lord Ramo (Apr 12, 2009)

Ares let his chainsword limply fall to his waist, attaching it to his belt as the brother, Mattias moved over to him. He spoke calmly showing his palms to try and keep Ares from doing anything rash and slowly pulled his wrist out of the wall. Ares turned to him, nodded at him before he removed his helm. He wanted to hear Thorn's answer, what he would say. "Thankfully, Ares, my treachery did not affect our legion. If anything, we, or rather, you, made the Imperium stronger by not allowing our forces to re-join Fulgrim." 

Ares felt his calming mood evaporate immediately. Thorn just kept on piling the insults onto him and his squad. *"Yes Captain we may have stopped you from re-joining Fulgrim but your decision damned well affected the Legion. You turned brothers I had fought side by side with for years with you damned honeyed words. You forced the company to take up arms against each other. All because you were weak and couldn't face the Emperor's justice. You forced me to take up arms against you.*" Ares spat, the colour drained from his face. He felt his anger return, how could Thorn even think otherwise?

He paced in front of Thorn, standing inches away from him and his voice dropped down low,* "All you can say is sorry? You should have informed us immediately what happened, confrontation would never have escalated like this has. I trusted you Thorn, look where that trust brought us. How can we trust you again when we know what you did, what you were?"* He snarled at him. The World Eater spoke again, calling Thorn a traitor, whilst Darnath tried to calm the situation once more, as seemingly did most of his brothers. Ares couldn't take this, the legions were traitors, Thorn appeared to think they could forgive easily.

He moved away for a moment, collecting himself after his outburst. It seemed only the World Eater shared his view on things, only the World Eater was suspicious of Thorn. That was good enough in Ares mind, at least he would have one ally if things went awry. He slowly placed his helm back on before moving over to the World Eater. He opened a private vox channel to him, *"I know that our Legions may not have seen eye to eye in the past Son of Angron, but it appears that you have more sense about you then the majority of my brothers. I am Sergeant Ares of the Emperor's Children, your name brother?"*


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## Farseer Darvaleth (Nov 15, 2009)

The World Eater launched a fresh round of insults in Thorn's direction. Or at least, they should have been insults, if they were not all perfectly justified. Thorn felt again the shame at what he had done, and the increased shame that he had been offered a chance of redemption when so many others were more deserving. Ares was not satisfied with Thorn's answer either, and turned on him again. Darnath was preserving the sense of order where he could, which just happened to put him between Thorn and Skarhn. Thorn would have none of it.

*"Darnath,"* said Thorn, slowly, *"Don't put yourself between a World Eater and his target."* Thorn thought about putting a hand on his shoulder, but then dismissed the idea. His purple gauntlets may only have sparked further memories. Thorn turned to Ares first.

*"You are right, Ares. I was not ready for the mantle of command, but my frustration with Torkon made it even worse. And then the threat of execution... I couldn't let it happen. Five companies all sent to their deaths because of the mistakes of one man?"* Thorn choked on the words as he realised, *"But then, that's exactly what I did after him. I just ended our lives earlier."*Thorn turned to the Word Eater.

*"My forces were faced with execution for our senior commander's gross tactical failure, and I couldn't accept that. I looked for another future, on outside the Imperium. Then slowly a voice entered me, tempting me with visions of glory and greatness. Not the death of the Imperium, never its destruction... just my power. When it took me, it lead my forces to a nearby Hive World, and we invaded it. The loyal forces tore themselves against the traitors, which culminated in my destruction at the hands of Squad Ares. I then fought daemons for 10,000 years, and now I am here."* said Thorn.

*"But you are correct. I was a traitor, and do not deserve this second chance. I myself know not why I am here. If you must house mistrust for any of the Emperor's Children, house it for me and me alone. The others are all loyal. All of them."* finished Thorn, softly. He hoped he would not have to prove it with the holo-tape.


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## Deus Mortis (Jun 20, 2009)

Skarhn leaned in close to Darnath's face so he would have felt the ragged breath of this warrior had he not been wearing his helmet. _"Tell me brother were you a part of Istvaan? Did you see what the disgusting filth like him was capable of on such a large scale? YOU disrespect our father and our fallen brothers by protecting him from harm."_ Darnath could feel himself getting more irate with this Astartes, but he knew well enough that the worst thing he could do was to respond to the World Eater in kind, and so fought for control. "No, I wasn't on Istavvan. I was on Carltos. I was believed a traitor by my sergeant as he and others planned their rebellion. Me and several others were left as lone islands against the coming darkness, planning how to take back the legion for the Emperor. When the rebellion, we fought with courage to defend what we stood for, just like you. I've killed my brothers too, and their blood stains my hands as much as it does yours..." Darnath fought all the while to keep his voice level, and not allow himself to raise his voice to Skarhn, as that would only make things worse. 

But he was interrupted by Thorn. _"Darnath,"_ Thorn said, slowly, _"Don't put yourself between a World Eater and his target."_ Darnath bit back a sharp response, but he could tell that several people thought he found Thorn's acceptable, and he did not. He needed to make that clear. "Don't confuse this gesture Thorn. Just because I stand between you and Skarhn does not mean I condone your actions. Be sure of this, if you give me any reason to doubt your allegiance again, Skarhn will have to beat my bolt round to your head if he wants to claim it. This is a gesture of respect of my father's decision, not value for your life, or absolution for your past life." He still stood with his body facing Skarhn, but his head turned over his shoulder to spit his words at Thorn. 

"The truth is that none of us, for whatever reasons, deserve to be here. But we all are. What we mustn't forget is the Emperor see's the future, as well as the two times we can perceive. Perhaps he has offered Thorn a chance for absolution before he can pass on, as much as he may offer others a chance at vengeance, or continuing of a service that was cut short. Whatever the reason, it is not any of our place to question that decision. So somehow, we are just going to have to find a way of living with one another for the time being" Darnath knew he was no great speaker, but he hoped that his words matched with those of others had done something towards defusing this knife-edge situation...


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## BlackApostleVilhelm (May 14, 2008)

Skarhn looked at Ares as the marine approached him and listened to what he had to say and simply nodded to show that he agreed, his helm was not on so anything he said would be heard by the others at the moment. He turned back to Thorn as the captain explained his situation and what had actually happened to make him turn, the marine was a coward through and through, he turned because he was faced with justice for crimes they had committed. 

He spat at Thorn as he finished before looking at Ares, *"Your squad is the one who killed this traitor? You and your men are true sons of the Emperor."* he turned back to Thorn,* "You disgust me, not only are you a traitor but you are a coward also, afraid of the justice that was going to be brought down upon you. You better hope that I am not the one to enact that justice in the future."* his voice was ripe with murderous intent as he spoke the last sentence.


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## BlackGuard (Sep 10, 2010)

Madness, this was insanity incarnate. The Astartes of the Grey Tusk Chapter looked down the barrell of Darnath's bolter and kept his composure. He'd faced that same damning sight just hours ago ... or maybe it had been years? Who was to say that a thousand years had not passed? He felt as though he died but hours ago. What was being said he knew would damn his soul ...

_Knowledge is power, and power is the path to corruption and damnation ..._

It was a mantra established by his chapter millennia ago, and it spoke volumes to him now. He felt deep within himself that Chaplain Augur would not be able to cleanse his soul from the taint of being so close to the traitors and ... even helping and saving them. Their words meant nothing to him, their lies and their falsehoods. Even Matthias had fallen and proven his own inrighteous corruption -- apparently he too was a traitor, tainted by the Ruinous Powers. Konrad's analytical and tactically dominated mind raced with the possibilities -- the chances of him being able to out manevour Darnath's bolter, his mind took into account the calibers, make, and model of every weapon held. From the World Eater's chainaxe, once again, to Matthia's plasma gun. All results point to his ultimate death. He would probably be able to take Darnath with him, he might, if he was lucky, be able to kill one of the Emperor's Children. Chances are though, once Darnath was dead the others will react in unison -- for all traitor's to the Emperor of Mankind are in the end damned and therefore allies. 

He listened to the exchange between the apparently divided factions of the Emperor's Children -- he saw the hatred displayed by the World Eater, and he noted an unusual nod from the Traitor Marine as he looked at one of the Slaves of Chaos. The Grey Tusk sighed, although he did it not in a way that could be noticed. His mind came to one final solution -- they would all have to die.

To achieve this objective, he thought grimly, he would need to sacrifice his soul. Why did it matter now? By aiding and assisting these bastards his soul was forever damned and the Emperor would not look upon him, he would be exiled from the Final War ... he would not be asked to stand at the Emperor's right-hand. His bitterness was almost uncontrollable. He would have his vengenace. 

Thats when he noticed Darnath's hand extending down to him. The tactical moment came, he could so easily reach up -- accepting the grasp, praising Darnath for his level-head and calmn demeanour -- then as he rose to his full height slam his bolter into his foe and deliver the Emperor's Mercy. He quickly put it to the side, he would cast down these Traitors -- all of them ... but on his own terms. 

'I do not trust you,' he growled when he got to his feet, accepting Darnath's hand, '...but, considering our circumstances ... I am willing to hear evidence ...'

The Grey Tusk looked at Thorn, 'You, Scion of Chaos ... if there is a traitor amongst us, it is you. How can we trust you? How can we trust any of the so-called Emperor's Children? I know not why we are here, but if we are to survive whatever hell the Emperor has cast us into, then you'd best capitalize upon your assumed leadership of this squad and forge trust.'


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## Farseer Darvaleth (Nov 15, 2009)

Thorn was unsure of what to say to prove that he was now loyal. Perhaps the holo-tape... no, not now. That would just incite further bitter memories, and perhaps some disgust from the other marines. He had to do something... something that even they could accept. Something that would keep him separate, show his desire to be redeemed, and ultimately show he was not out to kill them all from behind their backs.

Thorn drew his bolt pistol swiftly, racking the slide back. Before further alarm, he popped out the magazine, and tossed the pistol to Darnath.

*"If you are all expecting a bullet in the back, then we will never find out why we have been sent here. So there, now I have no gun.*" Thorn fingered the hilt of Raptora, his power sword, *"I will not surrender my blade, because otherwise I will be totally unarmed. However, I will keep my distance form you all, if you so desire, and stay in front, where you can see me.*" Thorn looked down to his purple gauntlets, a wave of shame washing over him again. He was glad his helmet was on.

*"If you must doubt my loyalty, then at least put me to good use. I hear they do similar things amongst the Inquisition, and I would say that the situation warrants my use."* Thorn felt ashamed that he was lowering himself so, from a Captain of the Emperor's Children to a simple beserker, but he knew he had to. For everyone's sake.


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## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

*Daylight...*

An awkward silence had finally descended upon the group. Few seemed willing to trust the others, even dissent within those who had known each other in their once life was still not entirel quelled. A dim light on the horizon signalled that the night was over. 

As the sun rose upon this jungle world, flecks of daylight speared through the gaps in the trees. The sunlight was like death to the shadowy things that clawed at the invisible alien barrier, and the fiery astartes looked on in awe as the things screeched and melted away into nothing. 

It was safe to move again. Assuming of course, they wanted to...

--- --- ---​
All: The time for retribution and settling scores will come, but for now, your purpose here is yet to be discovered. Each of you can at the very least acknowledge that you all have a reason for being here and there is no time like the present to start looking.

Thorn, Darnath, Voras: Once the shadows are gone, the three of you take point. Thorn takes the lead while Darnath follows closely. Voras is only a few paces further back, acting as somewhat of a barrier to the more disgruntled astartes behind. As the furthest ahead, the three of you are the first to hear the sounds of something further ahead. 

It is up to you whether to slow your pace or increase it to investigate. Keep in mind, thorn no longer has a gun and so shouldn`t be let to wander too far. Something is definitely up ahead, but you can`t seem to identify it.

Skarhn, Konrad, Matthias: The three of you are next in line along with Brother Demus of the Emperor`s Children. Demus does not seem talkative and you may suspect he is listening in on you. If this was not bad enough, the trust between the three of you is less than solid in itself. 

As you become aware of the three in front of you reacting to something, you quieten up and listen. There is definitely something else out there. Will you stay with the group or try to pursue whatever is out there?

Ares, Garviel: The two of you are at the back of the formation, along with Brother Hakis who takes rearguard. You can speak if you wish to the others or simply stay silent and follow. 

When the others react to the presence ahead, you simultaneously notice a presence behind. You are being followed. Will you attempt to flush them out or hold your ground and try to discent their location. Hakis will follow Ares` lead. Garviel can follow or stay and give cover as you see fit.

All: Any problems, PM me.


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## Bane_of_Kings (Oct 28, 2009)

DAYLIGHT, AT LONG last. The sun speared through the trees, informing Voras that the world wasn't some hell-spawned, everlasting world of night. The Sunlight was like death to the creatures, reminding the Ultramarine of the Vampyres of old, the monsters of Macragge's Legends. The fire-soaked astartes stood awed at this occurence, watching the creatures dissolve into nothing. 

Voras smiled beneath his helmet, as an akward silence descended over the astartes, his Heavy Flamer still trained on those from the Emperor's Children and the World Eater. The space marines from his timeline, although they weren't traitors - they would still needed to be watched.

Nobody could trust anybody, and for a split second the ex-company captain of the Ultramarines wished he had the calm figure of the Third's Champion next to him, to give him advice and critise what his plans were. His name was Nero, and the astartes would almost certainly be captain of the Third by now.

As he tried to recall more memories of the past however, even they began to elud him as the Ultramarine realised that Thorn had begun to walk. The astartes known as Darnath followed him closley, and with nothing to lose, Voras decided to follow them - a few paces behind of course, just in case fighting broke out between those of the forty-first mellenium, and those of the thirty-first.

Suddenly, before they moved any further, the Son of Guilliman stopped in his tracks as a sound of something unknown peirced his enhanced senses. Speaking into the vox-link embedded in his helmet, Voras began, speaking the first word in a somewhat critical term, as though they weren't really brothers at all, merley allies held together by mutual... mutal opposition. "_Brothers_. I hear something up ahead. Should we check it out, or wait for it to reveal itself?"

A Foolish question really, and the Ultramarine would expect nothing less of the Emperor's Children if they decided to advance, after all - even Pre-Heresy, the Sons of Fulgrim had a taste for adventure - for perfection. Voras hoped that the quest for adventure wouldn't end him before he could work out what the Emperor's purpose for him would be.


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## Jackinator (Nov 18, 2008)

The group had moved out as the sun had risen, the shadows burning away, as if they had been no more than that, shadows. Not the dark, twisted creatures that had assaulted them all night. Matthias stayed silent, it was he who had initiated the hostilities within the ruins, he who had almost brought their mission to a halt, whatever it was. He felt the guilt settle upon him, it was an unwelcome weight, but not an unfamiliar one. Then he thought back to the final events before sunrise, Thorn had been honest, he had told them of his fall, but Matthias had stayed silent. He had not spoken out, or given up his weapon as Thorn had, he felt the shame weigh heavily upon him. Then more doubts began to spiral in upon him, could this be a sign of taint? Was he putting them all at risk by staying silent, knowing he had killed his brothers before.

Hs hesitated, then made to move towards the front of the impromptu column before the Ultramarine's voice cut through the vox-static. "Brothers. I hear something up ahead. Should we check it out, or wait for it to reveal itself?" He pushed his doubts to the back of his mind, "Space Marines are not hunted, we cannot allow whatever it is to spy on us unimpeded." He unclamped the plasma gun from his thigh, and began to move away from the group, _when it is dead_, he told himself. But he knew he was lying...


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## Deus Mortis (Jun 20, 2009)

As the light of revelation dawned on the group, so too did the light of day dawn upon this hostile world. The daylight seemed to be anathema to the shadowed beasts, as the screeched and frantically flew away in a desperate attempt to avoid their coming doom. Darnath caught Thorns pistol as he tossed it to him. It was admirable for Thorn to lower himself to such a position as this, a simple tool to be used and abused rather than the Astartes he was. Although he would not admit it vocally, Darnath hoped the group, including himself, would find reasons to trust him. Ares seemed to have the farthest to come out of them all. 

However, despite everyones occupation with Thorn and his mistakes, Darnath's concerns were elsewhere also. Konrad. Something about his grudging acceptance of Darnath's hand and his hissed 'I do not trust you'. It wasn't just distrust. It was a cold calculated expression. Darnath had met fanatics of other chapters before, and was certain that Konrad only saw one way to absolve them and himself; retribution in death. Of course, he was not about to call Konrad out. BUt he did feel it fair to warn all his brothers but Thorn, and Skarhn. He was just as much at risk from and stunt Konrad might pull. "Brothers, Thorn is not the only one we should keep our eye on. Konrad seems to be biding his time until he has an opportune moment. If I'm wrong, then I'm wrong, but we should keep and eye on him."

As the walked up, Thorn, Darnath and Voras took point. Darnath walked along slightly at ease, no longer being besieged by shadowed beasts. However, he defiantly heard something up ahead ad when Voras suggested they move up, there was no question in Darnath's mind. He immediately started moving up to mean whatever threat might assail them, keeping his eyes open all the while. However, there were still a few questions he wanted answered by his 'squad' mates. Thorn had already said he had been fighting daemons for ten millenia, and only now, after several reincarnations, did Darnath has the most lucid concept of what daemons were, and where they came from. But he knew nothing of Voras' past. "So, Voras, is this you first reincarnation since your apparent death?" Straight to the point. Darnath saw no need to be tactful about the subject. They moved up slowly as a group and Darnath kept his eyes peeled whilst waiting for Voras' response...


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## Bane_of_Kings (Oct 28, 2009)

"SO VORAS, IS this your first reincarnation since your apparent death?" The question was straight the point, and had come from Darnath moments before. It was blunt, and would have been most likely ignored in Ultramar due to such a rude comment, with no measure of formality taken.

_But this is not Ultramar_, thought Voras with a frown, and began to respond, truthfully and honselty. "Yes. If you must know how I fell, it was on Armaggeddon against the greenskins. Although as you most likely come from a different timeline... I do not believe you have heard of the world."


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## Deus Mortis (Jun 20, 2009)

"Ah, the greenskin bastards!" Darnath responded curtly "We lost good men to them in the closing phases of Ullanor." Darnath's mind was breifly assailed with images of him and his legion fighting against the greenskins, before the crowning of the warmaster. Before Horus fell. Quickly, Darnath pushed such thoughts aside, they had neither priority or relevance anymore. The Imperium he had fought for had died long ago, and with it the memories of such times. "Actually, I do know of Armageddon. Me and some other marines, including a space wolf were reincarnated there. We were aiding some guardsmen whoo had been cut of from reinforcements if memory serves me right. But the space wolf told me the planet was called Armegeddon. He had been there before, he said. I've managed to glean scant pieces of information in my reincarnations, but the first is always the worst. It's the most disorientating." All this time, Darnath had talked with a cold clinical detachment that had become his constant demeanour since his death until now...


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## BlackApostleVilhelm (May 14, 2008)

Skarhn was silent, he chose not to talk to the three marines that were with him in the formation, one of them had been one of the main instigators in the previous argument, the World Eater kept a close eye on him. The shadows had melted away as the sun rose, the sergeant assuming they were some kind of daemonkind from what knowledge he had on the subject. He was still angered by the previous confrontation and did not trust Thorn one bit, but this Ares, he was the one here to trust plain and simple. 

The warrior had been responsible for killing Thorn before and that meant he was capable of doing it again if need be, and that was what made him good in the World Eaters' book. As for the others he assumed that the Ultramarine would be trust worthy, those bastards may live and breath arrogance but they were one of the most loyal legions Skarhn could think of and he doubted that the captain would shoot or try to hurt him if the shit hit the fan. 

Those up front stopped as they heard something, Mathias stopping also and unhooking his plasma gun, the marine slowly moving away from the group. Skarhn kept his chainaxe deactivated so that they could all still hear as he began to follow Mathias, he made it seem like he was giving him close combat support but in reality he was keeping an eye on the marine and was more than prepared to put his axe through his neck if he needed to.


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## BlackGuard (Sep 10, 2010)

He kept his council to himself throughout the march into the wilderness. The sun had brought forth the light, and with it the shadow creatures were burned away revealing a world of lush green and tropical beauty. He had sighed internally at such a sight ... perhaps the Emperor had not entirely punished him for his failings. Though as he glanced left and right, a typical scouting sweep of his immediate surrondings he was reminded again and again of his own damnation. For he was openly consorting with those of the most foul kind -- Traitor Marines. All of them in his book were corrupted far beyond redemption. This Thorn and his supposed former 'squad' were counted amongst the damned Emperor's Children, the spawn of the daemon-primarch Fulgrim. To look upon them, especially Thorn's gauntlets were utterly disgusting. He had to restrain himself, for the urge was upon him once more.

His mind greyed on the outskirts of his vision and he saw the target routes, probable time of release -- the point at which the bolt was ignited and rocket-propelled,and the probable impact time -- the moment when the bolt entered Thorn's skull and denoted deep within, utterly destroying the squishy brain tissue inside. It was take less than two seconds, and he judged he had a good chance of pulling it off. Matthias still had his plasma gun mag-linked to his armor, and wouldn't be able to free it before the bolt was issues, nor could Skarhn, if his previous engagments were anything to go by, fast enough to sever his arms before he pulled the trigger. He gauged Thorn's response time would be critical and would pick up on the sound immediately. Konrad estimated the chance of missing at rought 21%, for even Thorn's acute skills would not be able to save him.

Although he also gauged a 100% fatality rate for himself. The second he squeezed the trigger, and the bolt was ignited -- Skarhn's axe would sever one or more of his arms -- Thorns' cohorts on either side of him would turn and fire controlled burst, to avoid hitting their fellow heretics behind him, and would probably yield little damage to his chestplate. Those behind him he could not guarantee or gauge, suffice to say he'd proably have a crippled spine. Matthias of coarse, would more than likely engulf him in plasma to finish him to off. Thus Chaos would achieve victory. At what price? The loss of a commander they obviously had little faith in or love for. 

No -- he must maintain his precision, his focus. The time would present itself in the future and they would all die, in the Emperor's name. The sudden movement from the Astartes in front of him caused Konrad to stop and peered over them, his eye-sight enhanced by his gene-forged body as he noticed the movements of trees and undergrowth. His ears registered Matthias unlock his plasma gun and begin to seperate from the group, with Skarhn following close behind. From a tactical standpoint Matthias had all the support he would need. In the event of a sudden surprise attack, he would have Skarhn's axe to defend him. As good a defense as any, he surmised.

Thus he chose to slowly break around the group in the opposite direction -- moving to the left of the 'squad'. He kept his bolter aimed in the direction of the disturbance.


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## Lord Ramo (Apr 12, 2009)

Ares moved at the back of the troop, the others taking positions further up. He preferred rear guard actions, it played to his strengths, bolter lines and controlled swings with his chainsword. He was joined by Garviel and Hakis, Hakis taking furthest position away from the rest of the troop. He would be the actual rear guard, Ares and Garvi his support. Ares trusted these new marines little, he couldn't see into their state of mind. The Ultramarine seemed to want peace and be more diplomatic than the others, Mattias could be useful, but then again he hadn't waited before shoving a gun in his brothers face.

Konrad was the biggest worry to Ares, he had said little and since the confrontation his mood had most definatly soured. He would need watching, as would Thorn. However Thorn was being well watched, the marine Skharn as well as Ares own blood brothers were keeping an eye on him. It seemed that logic had payed out well and on Ares side. As they walked it became apparent the shadow was following them, in fact it appeared to be on all sides.

Ares unslung his bolter and halted, motioning Hakis to do the same. Garvi could do what he wanted, he would most likely support his brothers. He looked over to Hakis and Gaviel *"This ends here brothers. We won't move back anymore, I am fed up of this world and its surprises. I will move forward. Keep here and watch each others backs, though if you wish you don't have to listen to me, I ain't a sergeant anymore."*

Ares moved forward, his chainsword finding his way to his hand, bolter into the other as he strode into the darkness that surrounded them.


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## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

*Attack!*

Eyes watched the intruders from an unseen quarter whilst the outriders kept the phantom`s attention focussed elsewhere. The watcher moved with a lithe and silent grace, never disturbing even the slightest piece of foliage as he moved. 

He remembered back when he had been contacted by the warlock Kelaana. He had seemed dubious, after all it was not often a warlock of Craftworld Ulthwe needed help from a group of outcasts. Nonetheless, he had not the heart to refuse her request and made haste to this world. It was an exodite colony, one he could not claim familiarity with but a home of his people regardless. 

They had suffered attacks from beings of darkness and shadow, and Kelaana had even made reference to the mandrakes of the dark kin. The situation here seemed dire indeed. But now there had arisen a new foe. Astartes, or so they appeared, the genewoven super soldiers of the mon-keigh. His group had tracked them for a short while, and the bitter tang of the warp seemed to follow them. Only moments ago had he drawn the conclusion that these astartes were not beings of flesh. They were phantoms, sustained by some unknown energy of the warp. 

Whoever they were, they surely wouldn`t help the situation, so without undue thought, he gave the command. The rangers had played this game before, it was a simple matter of divide and conquer. Already the phantom astartes had begun to split up, and the eldar laughed silently to himself as he raised his long rifle and took aim... 

---- ---- ----​
Darnath, Voras: As Thorn pursues the mysterious figures ahead, you chase to give support. Suddenly, heavy gunfire erupts from either side, hitting you hard and forcing you both to the ground. You lose sight of Thorn, but get a glimpse of one of the attackers. It is definitely an eldar, and as soon as he realizes he has been spotted he flees into the woods. Will you pursue him, or try to catch up with Thorn?

Both of you be mindful that fire is coming from all sides. Even with your toughened physiques, you are not invincible and the shots seem to target the joints of your armour. You may sustain some minor wounds here. 

Ares: As gunfire suddenly erupts all around, you and Garviel take up a firing position. As you glance over to Hakis you see him hit consecutively from three angles. One shot pierces his left knee, another penetrates his neck and the third spears directly through his chest. Magma leaks from the wounds like blood and Hakis falls without a sound. Moments later Demus arrives to support you and you make a call on your counterattack.

You have a choice, either lead Garviel and Demus into the woods and attempt to cut your assailant down, or fire into the trees and attempt to force him to flee or show himself. Be prepared for intervention from one of the others. 

Konrad: You had deviated from the main group, but curiously have not come under fire. As you look around you find yourself face to face with a female eldar warlock wearing dark coloured robes. She has no helmet and smiles confidently back at you as she raises her witchblade. 

You find yourself in one of the hardest combats you have ever faces. No matter what you try, the eldar witch is faster than you and her strikes hit with devastating force. After a few minutes of fighting, you must decide whether to try and retreat back to the group or try something desperate. 

Matthias, Skarhn: Caught in the middle, you see both Thorn`s disappearance and Hakis` fall. The two of you must decide who needs your support the greater, the besieged Varas and Darnath, or the embattled Ares and other EC. Make your decision quickly, there is little time to lose.

Note that the two of you can choose to aid either group, and do not have to stay together. You may co-ordinate among each other to split up and help both groups if you wish. There will be consequences to your actions, consequences dire.


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## Bane_of_Kings (Oct 28, 2009)

THORN SPRINTED OFF into the distance, and Voras' first instinct was to follow the Emperor's Child. He seemed to be the one who knew the most about this, and therefore the Ultramarine would not let him out of his sights.

However, before he could move, gunfire erupted from all sides, causing Voras to drop to his feet as several bullets swirled past him. Once the first wave had cleared, he was up on his feet again, charging after the scion of Fulgrim. 

However... where had he gone?

Looking around, Voras was met by an attacker, but as soon as he brought his heavy flamer to bear, the xenos that had tried to kill him turned tail and ran, as soon as he realised that he had been spotted. 

Fire was still coming in from all sides, and even with the toughened and improved astartes physiques, they were not invincible. Already the Ultramarine has been hit by a couple of well aimed shots to the weak points of his armour, but this would not deter him from following his quarry. 

"Darnath!" bellowed Voras through the vox. "Head after the Eldar, I will tail Thorn."

Not waiting for his response, the Ultramarine dashed off after the Emperor's Child, the warrior who was the offspring of the Daemon that had slain his own father. 

The Daemon that was responsible for the reason why they no longer had a Primarch to guide them, and the reason why Guilliman was now preserved in a statis chamber, seconds away from death in the Temple of Correction, back on Ultramar.

Voras' heart burned when he thought of his homeworld, so the adeptus astartes pushed all thoughts out of his mind and set his concentration on the task ahead of him.

_Find Thorn. Find the mysterious figure. Work out what the hell is going on._


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## Jackinator (Nov 18, 2008)

Matthias froze as combat erupted to either side. Ahead he saw the Ultramarine charging off into the distance. While behind them he saw a Marine fall, he made a snap decision. "I'm heading back to the rearguard, one of the others is down, what you do is your concern but I cannot leave a fallen brother." _Not after what I almost caused_.

Without waiting for an answer he turned and sprinted back towards the besieged astartes, his armoured boots pounding craters into the hard ground as fire flashed around him. He would make amends for his actions and one of the rearguard was one he had wronged, he would not be remembered like that.

A shot impacted his shoulder guard and he staggered from the force, another skimmed across his chest, a hairsbreadth from the neck joint. Whoever the enemies were, they were skilled, and determined. But his speed kept him safe until he skidded in beside the fallen Marine, Plasma gun already in his hands as he scanned the treeline searching for a target. "I am sorry I arrive so late brother, what do you suggest?"...


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## Lord Ramo (Apr 12, 2009)

As Ares moved forward, ready for whatever was out that fire erupted from the woods. Skilled marksmen had somehow taken positions behind them without a sound and opened fire on the group from all angles. Ares moved into cover, taking a firing position ready to return fire. Ares turned to see how his other brothers had fared and what he saw made his blood run cold.

Hakis, loyal brother Hakis had been hit, three times from three differing angles. He stood no chance he could have moved without being hit. One of the shot pierced his left knee, one his neck and the final one his chest. Magma flowed from the wounds were he was hit, much like blood in a normal astartes. Ares had seen many a thing in his service to the Emperor, but never a marine leaking magma like blood. Hakis fell without a word, without a sound.

Ares felt cold inside, one of his brothers had fallen, he had let him down. Ares looked and saw Garviel in a firing position, Demus moving for close support and the marine Mattias. The marine apologized and asked what was the plan.* "Plan? There is no plan, apart from make these bastards bleed from what they have done. Cover me brothers, I am going into the woods."* Ares stood from cover, his chainsword revving. He gave no thought to perfection, he would see that these would be assailants died for what they did. *"FOR THE EMPEROR AND HAKIS!"* Roared Ares as he charged straight into the woods, hacking through them with ease with his chainsword whilst his bolter hungrily sought out his quarry.


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## Deus Mortis (Jun 20, 2009)

Shards of monomolecular metal punched into Darnath's armour joints as him and Thorn began ran forwards and chase some shadow. Darnath hacked and tasted copper. The bastards were good shots, even as good as him, and had struck at the weak points of his armour. His chest ached and his shoulder bleed a little. The blood flowed like warm magma, but his advanced Astartes physique quickly compensated for it. Darnath stood up for a moment before another hail of impacts struck him from all sides. Freaks were everywhere. Suddenly, Darnath caught sight of one of them. Lithe, graceful, with a long barrelled rifle on his shoulders. Eldar. There was no question in Darnath's mind. They were dealing with rangers. Voras' booming voice sounded over the vox _"Darnath! Head after the Eldar, I will tail Thorn."_ Darnath sprinted into the woods after the figure, whom upon noticing that he had been spotted had dashed into the woods. "Oh no you don't" Darnath hissed a he ran after it.

The sound of gun-fire died away as Darnath smashed an burnt through the undergrowth. He could still make out the vague shape of the xeno's ahead. The thin Eldar darted through the woods with efficiency and skill that Darnath didn't have. Not a single branch was broken by the ranger, and the leaves barely noticed his graceful path though them. When compared to Darnath brutishly smashing aside trees and ferns, the contest of grace was lost. But this was not about skill, this was a chase. And the hunter was the more cleaver of the two. Darnath quickly unclipped his bolt pistol and fired three sharp bolts at the Eldar. The rangers slim frame was easy to miss, and two shots went wide. The just caught the eldar's shoulder. The explosion of the bolt tore away part of the eldar's shoulder and forced the xeno's to the floor. 

As he began to recover, Darnath was on-top of him, and pinned him to the force with his full weight. "So like you gene-fathers Mon-keigh" the ranger sighed. Darnath pulled the ranger close 
"I am nothing like my gene-fathers, eldar. I'm almost as old as you are."
"I doubt that. I have seen seven millenia of combat. What is your fleeting lifetime compared to mine" Darnath chuckled.
"For a race so old, and supposedly wise, you know nothing of us mon-keigh as you call us. And for the record, I'm ten millenia old" Darnath smirked, and the ranger seemed to remain stern, until he realized that Darnath wasn't joking. Darnath hoisted the eldar up and slammed him into the tree behind him so hard that the bark splintered. "Who sent you?" Darnath demanded.
"We are rangers, we go where please."
"Don't lie to me Eldar! Rangers seek out combat scenario's to enjoy the thrill of battle like reckless children. This isn't a combat scenario, and there would be no fight if you hadn't caused it. Now WHO SENT YOU!" Darnath bellowed in the xeno's face. No response was forth coming, and Darnath drew his combat blade and began to cut away flesh. The ranger howled in pain, but Darnath was deaf to the cries. "Who sent you?" was the pedal note of this symphony of pain. Darnath didn't care if he had to skill this eldar alive, he would have his answer...


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## BlackApostleVilhelm (May 14, 2008)

Skarhn's blood raced through him like lightning, carrying the enough adrenaline to kill scores of men outright from a heart attack, his neuro-implants shooting into action and firing chemicals straight into his brain. His chainaxe was already active and he had chosen who to aid in a split second simply because he had been facing that way, he had seen Thorn run off and Voras go after him as Mathias ran off to go aid the rear gaurd, the World Eater had charged forwards to aid Voras and hopefully find the would-be traitor Thorn. 

With a bellow of rage he dove into the bushes after seeing the flicker of movement that marked an eldar opponent, this would be a good battle indeed, he loved spilling Eldar blood and today was no different. As he powered towards his foe one thought ran through his mind. _Blood._

He barreled into the surrounding vegitation, the Eldar were running from them, letting the astartes get close before shooting off again, sadly it was only serving to anger Skarhn even more. Darnath raced through the bushes also before finally catching one of the rangers, a tiny burst of sound came from his left and he dove behind a tree as a flurry of tiny shards shot at where he had been moments before.

The company he had been a part of during the Great Crusade had had a prolonged battle with the Eldar on a world that the Astartes had been investigating. They had happened on it on their way to refuel, having to come out the warp due to a warp storm and dropping into a deserted system, that's when the Eldar attacked. It had been brutal, the xenos were fast and agile and had superior technology, yet they had underestimated the Sons of Angron and the ferocity of the Emperor's finest had come out on top.

Skarhn had learned little nuances to look for when fighting the Eldar, sounds that their weapons made or that the surrounding area would make while they ran through it, little glimmers of light that glinted a certain way. He could hear the wind in the trees and the rustling of leaves, yet something did not belong, the sound of leaves moving too quickly to be pushed by the light breeze. 

It was the sign he was waiting for and with a roar he swung around the tree and lowered his should right into the running ranger's chest, hearing something snap as it stopped suddenly and was quickly flung backwards. Yet the World Eater didn't even give it enough time to pick itself up off the floor, his pistol already emptying into its chest as he rushed past it. His target raised its gun to block the screaming chainaxe, the teeth screeching across its surface as it tried to find purchase to tear the gun open, the Eldar's leg kicking out at Skarhn's knee before it rolled away. It was forced to leap back to avoid losing its head as the chainaxe flew at it again in an attempt to decaptitate it but hit a tree instead.


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## BlackGuard (Sep 10, 2010)

In his long path as an Astartes of the Emperor, Konrad had faced many insidious foes. From the brtual Orks, to the swarming Tyranids, to the sensory-consuming Dragi. All foes equally lethal in their own special way. His encounters were, of coarse, not limited to them for the Grey Tusk's had engaged the xeno foes across the galaxy and his depth of their abilities and weaponry was second to no one in this squad. Thus when the slick-sounding of the shuriken catapults could be heard, Konrad himself knew what it was even before his armor registered it and suggested Eldar. He assessed the situtation quickly, his 'squad' was roughly fifteen seconds sprint ahead, thirty-five at a cautioned jog. He had not come under fire, but lowered himself slightly anyway. His eyes scanned the tree line as he made a very cautious appoarch to his squad.

He passed by a brush and continued walking ... then he stopped. The brushed moved, to any normal mortal it would never have raised suspicion -- it had moved along with a gentle breeze. However, the breeze had come from the west ... the bush had moved to the east. Konrad spun around, bolter already blazing as hit stitched a line through the brush only to find no one there. He cursed as he raised himself up and searched for targets. He passed by a tree and continued, only to quickly register the presence there and aimed back. Before him stood an Eldar female, tall for her race, with penetrating green oval eyes and brown hair. Her body was elegant, and he surmised that any mortal man would find her sexually appealing -- he did not. 

She didn't speak, she only smiled. Konrad's tactical assessment took barley a second, his finger already pulling the trigger even as he glared into her soulless eyes. Before the bolt even left the chamber, she was upon him. Her speed beyond measure, she slammed his blade, haft-end, directly into his chest plate. The Grey Tusk was sent skidding back across the ground before slamming into a tree. He quickly raised his bolter one handed, the other hand being used to raise himself off the ground, and fired. The bolts unleashed a storm of death and damnation upon the Eldar warlock, but she moved with such grace and agility that she seemed to simply avoid the bolts at the last second. Before he'd even raised himself off the ground she was next to him and smacked him across the face with a full-forced blow to the skull. His sensory went to static as he collapsed to the ground, his bolter clicking dry. 

He felt the next blow, and the one after it, and the one after that like the force of hammer blows from an angry god. He was being toyed with and he knew it. Another strike to the head cleared up his static surprisingly, but he found himself looking directly into her eyes once more. Her smile had grown, she knew she had bested him. This time there was no haft end of blade, this time she slammed it directly through his gullet. He gasped at the pain of it, but to his own surprise, it was not blood that oozed from his wound -- but molten fire. The Eldar witch was even more surprised and withdrew her blade, the metals of it glowing from intense heat and jumped back.

Konrad looked at the wound for a moment -- it was probably mortal, assuming his body hadn't changed too much ... but then again, there was molten fire draining from it. The Grey Tusk looked up at the Eldar warlock who raised her blade again -- she was coming for a killing blow. He knew she wouldn't trust a heart shot, her wounding his gullet had proven he wasn't a normal human. Death by decapitation would be her only option at this point. He smiled behind his helm, a perfect oppurtunity. 

He pretended to attempt to stand once more, he dropped his bolter and drew forth his combat blade, holding it out -- the other hand reached behind his back and grasped the frag gernade. It was a desperate move, and his mind swam with other options. This witch was faster, but an Astartes under pressure and facing failure could pull upon some impressive reserves of strength and speed. He could, and tactically speaking should, fall back to his so-called brothers for reinforcement, Matthias' plasma gun could range her while Skarhn kept her occupied and he helmed her in. It would be a sound strategy and for a moment he almost considered it ... until he remembered they were all damned souls, ultimately slaves to the Dark Powers of Chaos. He would rather die here, by a xenos, than by traitorous hands. His finger squeezed the trigger nipple on the gernade, engaging it.

The Eldar Warlock dashed forward, her smile never leaving her lips. He smiled all the same, as she come within critical range, he would throw the gernade directly at her, she would be too close to block or avoid it -- he and her would die together ... but the Emperor's honor would be upheld.


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## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

*Damned...*

The eldar had attacked from nowhere and the astartes were caught unaware from multiple angles. It almost seemed as though the aliens would triumph, but the eldar had not reckoned with the foes they had chosen. These were no mere astartes. These were the finest the Imperium had bred, having died and come back for their Lord and Master... 

- - -

Voras: You find yourself curiously free of attacking fire as you run further and further from the main group. You find him in a clearing, dropped to his knees. Your attention is immediately caught by what he`s staring at. There is an altar in the centre of the clearing, inscribed with glyphs you have not seen before. Suspended between the two main pillars of the altar is a young girl. She is bleeding from multiple wounds and is barely consciouss as she hangs by two chains threaded through her hands. What is your reaction to this? Will you approach her? Approach Thorn? Will you vox your brothers and call them here? 

Darnath: After a few minutes of painful interrogation, the ranger finally tells you that he was summoned by a warlock of Ulthwe. When you deman a name, he simply cries Kelaana. You can leave him to bleed to death or kill him, but just at that moment you feel a shot hit your back. Also be prepared to react to a vox from Voras, in which case you are free to fall back to his location (see above) or continue to fight here.

Ares: As you slice through the trees and foliage, you hear a wet crunch as your blade hits living tissue. A cry of pain at that moment confirms your kill as the xenos drops to the floor. You have no time to relish the moment as two more eldar assail you at once, blades swinging in an elegant pattern that forces you to retreat. You might get lucky and wound one, but they will retreat before you can land a killing blow again. After a moment, Garviel rushes to help you.Also be ready to respond to Voras` vox. Will you fall back to him or keep fighting here?

Skarhn: Your ranger opponent drops his rifle and draws a long eldar sword. Lacking the strength to block your attacks, he instead dances around yopu and looks for an opening, deflecting your attacks with infuriating precision. Be prepared for a vox from Voras and response as with the others. You can kill the ranger if you stay, otherwise retreat to Voras` location.

Matthias: Hakis does not move and Garviel rushes forward to assist his sergeant. He calls to you to cover them, so you begin to scan the trees for signs of more. There are two of them, covering you from both sides. If you pursue one, the other will attack your fellows, forcing you to return fire and keep their heads down while sustaining damage. Be prepared for the vox like the others above. Bear in mind your parameters still apply, so if you retreat and Ares doesn`t he will suffer. If Ares retreats, you can safely fall back as well.

Konrad: The warlock sees the grenade and her smile widens further. As you leap forth and prime, her momentum stops completely and she suddenly veers backwards, seeming to defy physics. A ball of energy forms in her hands and blasts into you, detonating the grenade.

After a flash of white and immense noise, you slowly stand. At this point you realize that your resurrection is no trivial miracle, as what should have been a fiery death simply leaves a dent in your armour. Now the smile is well and truly gone from the warlock`s armour. Be prepared for Voras` vox. You can pursue the warlock as she flees, or fall back to Voras` position. 


ooc: ATTENTION EVERYBODY! Bane of Kings, you need to post first!


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## Bane_of_Kings (Oct 28, 2009)

VORAS STUMBLED OUT of the rain of attacking fire, which curiously ceased behind him as he stepped forward into this new situation, which the warrior found himself in. "There's no such thing as a coincidence," the Ultramarine murmered to himself.

It was ovbious that there would be a trap coming soon. So, gripping his heavy flamer, Voras advanced, scanning the area for potential ambush locations in the clearing that he had now found himself in.

And then, he found Thorn - ahead of him at a mysterious altar, covered in ancient glyphs that the warrior had not seen before. They could either be chaos, which meant that Thorn was tainted and lying to them all, or xenos - which also meant that Thorn was lying to them all, but not necessarily that he was a traitor.

Bringing his Heavy Flamer to bear, the Ultramarine glanced at Thorn, who stood looking at a young girl - a human, and barely keeping her eyes open. She had chains to restrain her, and prevent her from escaping the two pillars which held her where she was.

"Thorn," whispered Voras quietly so that the Emperor's Child could not hear him. And then, he spoke on the vox channel. "Brothers, I have located Thorn. He seems to be dealing with an altar of some sort, and a young human female. If any of you would want to see the situation for yourselves, I am relaying the co-ordinates of my location."

Before cutting the link, the Ultramarine added, "Be wary of treachery, Thorn may not be one of us anymore. The Emperor Protects. Voras out."

Then the link finally died, and Voras addressed Thorn directly, "Brother - you have a lot to answer for yourself. Tell me why I should not grant you death."


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## BlackApostleVilhelm (May 14, 2008)

Skarhn's mind was focused solely on his opponent now, nothing but a red haze surrounding the rest of his vision, the Eldar's unbelievable speed and agility keeping it alive longer than it should have been. His swings were filled with anger and hate for his enemy as the ranger danced around him and his blows looking for an opening but the World Eater would not give him one lest it be a feint to draw the xenos in. 

_Blood._

Suddenly they were both in close together, both of their faces staring right at each other, their weapons locked the Eldar gasping, _"You are a World Eater?"_ Skarhn's face twisted in rage at the way the Eldar said his Legion's name,* "I am a World Eater, a loyal son of the Emperor and your life is mine!"*

He swung his axe wildly and without skill purposely to draw the Eldar in, its sword coming in to hack his arm off, yet he spun and took the blow to the side of his chest, the sword getting caught in his armor. Skarhn's axe was already tearing into xeno's chest as he tore its sword out of his armor, blood spraying his chestplate as the Eldar stumbled backwards trying to keep its innards from falling out, eventually leaning against a tree for support.

Skarhn approached it before bringing his face close to its own, *"You fought honorably xenos."* He ran its sword straight through its chest, pinning it against the tree, the ranger letting out a low sigh as it breathed its final breath. He heard Voras come on over the vox, Thorn was still a traitor? Why was he not surprised, he turned from the dead ranger and took off in the direction of where Voras was located using the trees and bushes as cover for his quick advance.


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## Jackinator (Nov 18, 2008)

*Matthias*

"Brothers, I have located Thorn. He seems to be dealing with an altar of some sort, and a young human female. If any of you would want to see the situation for yourselves, I am relaying the co-ordinates of my location."

Before cutting the link, the Ultramarine added, "Be wary of treachery, Thorn may not be one of us anymore. The Emperor Protects. Voras out."

Matthias frowned at that, he hadn't felt that Thorn was a threat. But then he couldn't base his judgements on but a few hours. He snapped back to the present as another shot flew past him and raised his plasma gun, loosing a shot in the direction the bolt had come from.

He spied two eldar as they shifted position to avoid his shot, he saw one raise it's rifle and fire in his direction, catching him high in the breast plate but failing to do any damage. He grinned fiercely as he raised his plasma gun again, he would have to cover his brother's, distracting the aliens while they moved off after the others...


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## Deus Mortis (Jun 20, 2009)

Darnath cut away another scrap of flesh from the ranger's leg. By this point, the Eldar's whole right leg was a bloody mess, the skin torn away and the exposed nerve endings scraping painfully against bark and leaves. Such blunt and usually casual objects were causing the ranger a severe amount of pain. He moaned and writhed as Darnath continued uninhibited with the interrogation. "Who sent you?" Only a groan of pain in response. "Come on ranger, I can do this all day. Tell me who sent you and I'll stop." Another flick of the wrist, another shaving of flesh.
"Ulthwe!"
"What?"
"A warlock from Ulthwe sent for us?"
"Who? Who was it?"
"I don't..."
"Tell me damnit!" Darnath yelled and cut away a large chunk of flesh and muscle.
"Kelaana! That's all I know I swear." Darnath knew the ranger had nothing more to offer him.

Darnath felt at sharp impact into his back and dropped the ranger in his hand to the floor. It whimpered briefly, and Darnath spun round to meet his new assailant. The forest was silent and he could see nothing. But then, Darnath wouldn't have expected a ranger to make much noise. But where would Darnath fire at on a stationary target. *Behind you* came the whisper in his mind. He spun again, and this time a sliver of monofilament metal spun past his face. The ranger at the end of a long rifle looked shocked right before Darnath dived on top of him. The two grappled for a minute before Darnath hoisted the eldar up by his throat. The eldar scratched at Darnath's vambraces to no avail. Darnath cocked his head and looked at the eldar with curious detachment.

Suddenly the vox crackled. Voras' clear voice came down _"Brothers, I have located Thorn. He seems to be dealing with an altar of some sort, and a young human female. If any of you would want to see the situation for yourselves, I am relaying the co-ordinates of my location. Be wary of treachery, Thorn may not be one of us anymore. The Emperor Protects. Voras out."_ Darnath's world stopped for a moment. Thorn, turned again. Even after his chance of retribution. Thorn would die by his hand if he had turned, but if not he would need every ally he could get. Still, there was the subject of the ranger in his hand.
"Your kin is hurt, and I have kin of my own to deal with. Let's not meet again, or I'll kill you." And with that he dropped the ranger on the floor, who turned to his kin as Darnath turned and ran through the the whole he had made changing the first ranger. He was going to find Thorn and if he had truely turned, then he was going to make good on his promise earlier. Skarhn would have to be quicker than his bolt round if he wanted to claim their former Captain's skull...


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## Captain Stillios (Mar 8, 2009)

Garviel looked up to Ares when he said "This ends here brothers. We won't move back anymore, I am fed up of this world and its surprises. I will move forward. Keep here and watch each others backs, though if you wish you don't have to listen to me, I ain't a sergeant anymore."
Garviel barked a laugh "You did better than me Ares, and around here I don't think rank means much." 

As they moved slowly forwards a lound bang sounded and Garviel watched in horror as Hakis slumped to the ground. "FOR THE EMPEROR AND HAKIS!" was the next thing he heard as he charged after Ares into the foliage. The sound of a chainblade impacting and destroying armour and bone alerted Garviel to the danger just moments before a glittering blade glanced off of his shoulder-pad, throwing him back slightly. He drew and revved his own chainsword as more silver blades swept forwards driving him backwards momentarily untill he grabbed his bolt-pistol and fired a shell point-blank blowing an arm off of one of his assailants. A cry of pain joined the sound of ceremite mashing together as Garviel accidently grazed against Ares who was also under attack.
Preparing his weapons he roared "COME ON THEN YOU WHORESONS!" and dived back into combat.


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## Lord Ramo (Apr 12, 2009)

Ares charged forth straight into the foilage as he hack and slashed with his chainsword. He would kill every damned eldar on the planet if needs be, and then would he feel slightly less guilty for Hakis. He had told Hakis to cover him, he should have been watching and waiting for the inevitable attack. It was not right after fighting in the name of The Emperor, he had let his guard down for but a moment and his brother paid for it. Ares was death incarnate, nothing would abate his fury.

As he hacked and slashed he relished as he heard a scream as his chainsword sliced through the scant cover that the Eldar had to protect him, drawing crimson blood from his target. He quickly stepped forwards to preform and execution on him, slamming his blade through the eldar's midsection and ripping his blade up, dismembering the eldar. He heard pounding feet behind him, and was sure that he had support. He was correct Garviel leaping forward, chainsword in hand. 

At that moment he received a message from Vorax, on the subject of Thorn. It appeared Thorn couldn't be trusted as Ares had argued throughout the brief conflict with his brothers. He was brought back to reality with a harsh swing, whilst the eldar were the enemy Thorn was the greatest threat to the squad. Garviel knocked into him slightly as two eldar dove from nowhere and leapt at them, swords flashing as they weaved a deadly dance of death. They were faster, but the marines were stronger. Ares parried away a killing blow towards himself and reacted by cutting the inside of the eldars arm, causing him to leap back before a killing move could be used.

Ares looked at Garviel, *"We need to move brother, Thorn is the most dangerous threat to the squad. While I do want to murder the whores that killed our friend, I won't let more die today through Thorns actions."*


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## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

*The Darkness rises...*

Thorn finally raised his head and stood, making Voras jerk suddenly as he moved. 

'Why do I know you?' He demanded from the girl. He approached the altar, unaffected by the swirling energy that seemed to surround the dark edifice. As Voras made to follow, he found that he too was strangely unmoved by this dark wind. 

_'You do not... know me.'_ The girl replied through gasping breaths. One by one Skarhn, Darnath and Matthias emerged as she continued. _The creature, his name is *Mxaad.* He is a creature born of an ancient darkness, and he seeks to unlock an ancient artefact that will give him the power to...'_ She stopped as a spasm of pain wracked her body. 

'What is he doing?' Thorn asked.

_'He is trying to destroy the gods.'_ The girl managed to say at last. 

(How do you react to this? Do you question the girl further, do you demand answes from Thorn? Do you bring up the others still fighting further back? Do you go back to help?)

- - -

Meanwhile, Ares, Garviel and Konrad still fought their alien foes.

Most of the xenos seem to have fled, taking their dead and wounded with them. Only three still remained; the warlock herself and two of her rangers. Demus crouched beside Hakis, loosing a shot whenever the oppurtunity presented itself. 

Suddenly the warlock loosed a burst of energy that pushed Konrad back. She then holds up a hand and calls; 

_'Stop! There has been enough death here, Phantom Astartes. Your purpose lies ahead.'_ She points to the direction that Thorn and the others have run. _'Or shall we see this foolishness through to its end?'_ 

(The three of you need to make a decision here. Keep fighting or fall back to the others? The warlock and rangers stand poised in a neautral pose. Do you trust them to allow you to retreat, or do you press the attack and hope you can defeat them? Note that split decisions will affect all three of you, so you need to decide unanimously or the decision will be taken from you.)


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## Bane_of_Kings (Oct 28, 2009)

WATCHING WHAT WAS going on with a look of confusion in his face, Voras weighed up his options. Should he question the girl further, continue what Thorn had asked? 

No, she was already too weak. That left the other options. Question Thorn on his actions, or bring up the other warriors of the Dammned fighting against the xenos behind him and the warriors who had just arrived. The runes inside his helmet informed Voras that they were the World Eater, Skarhn - and the other two were Darnath and Matthias.

"Thorn," interrupted Voras. "You didn't answer my earlier question. I believe we should be at least entitled to know what is going on here, and besides..."

He loaded his Heavy Flamer, and took aim at Thorn's back. "... Faliure to comply, and I will unleash this entire tank of flame in your direction."


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## Deus Mortis (Jun 20, 2009)

Darnath burst through the undergrowth and into the light of the altar Voras had described. Thorn was standing inside a hurricane of dark wind with Voras and the girl, chained to the alter was speaking. _"The creature, his name is Mxaad. He is a creature born of an ancient darkness, and he seeks to unlock an ancient artefact that will give him the power to..."_ She stopped as a spasm of pain wracked her body. 
_"What is he doing?"_ Thorn asked.
_"He is trying to destroy the gods."_ The girl managed to say at last. Voras interrupted
_"Thorn, you didn't answer my earlier question. I believe we should be at least entitled to know what is going on here, and besides failure to comply, and I will unleash this entire tank of flame in your direction."_ 

Darnath added his voice to the conversation as the others joined him and Voras before this strange alter.
"Voras that would be most unwise." He began "You may need that fuel later, and besides, as far as I am concerned, Thorn is the responsibility of the Emperor's Children, or what is left of it. If there is one who will bring him to justice if that's what needs to be done, it will be me" Darnath turned to face the alter again. The strange glyphs all over it were impossible to translate. It was no language that Darnath had ever seen. Not xenos incantations or writing from blasphemous tomes. And yet, a bleeding sacrifice on an altar chained in place speaking of a 'creature born of ancient darkness' reeked of chaos worship. 

And yet, she said the creature, Mxaad, was trying to destroy the Gods. If she meant the Chaos gods, then this creature, where ever it came from, was most foolish indeed. Darnath had come to realise that the Chaos gods could not be beaten, only resisted. But then, several cultures had 'gods'. The Eldar had Kaela Mensha Khaine, the orks had Gork and Mork, even the Imperium had the 'God-Emperor' though it still pained Darnath to think that the Imperium he had helped for upon secular truth had fallen back into it's pagan roots. So which of the 'gids' did this girl refer too? Darnath so many questions, most of which this girl was far past being able to ask cognitively and were only a few of the several options Darnath had open to him. All that remained was to pick to most imperative one to act upon first.

He decided. The most important thing was to decern if Thorn was still loyal to the Emperor, or had truly fallen to far for even the Emperor to save. "Thorn." Darnath said, letting out a sigh "We trusted you once. Please tell us that you have not had any part in this pagan ritual here. If you know anything about what is happening, I suggest you share it. Otherwise, I am afraid that I will have to make good on my promise to Skarhn earlier." Darnath Stood level with Voras, his bolter aimed at Thorn's head. At this close range, the bolt would punch through the weak neck joint of their armour and sever Thorn's head form his body. Bloodily, but quickly, which if he had turned again, was Darnath's final mercy to his former commander...


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## BlackApostleVilhelm (May 14, 2008)

Skarhn burst through the foliage in a flurry of condensed and concentrated rage, Thorn was the traitor he had known him to be, the Ultramarine's words ringing through Skarhn's head. As he broke into the clearing he caught the back end of a conversation between some girl and Thorn and both Darnath and Voras pointing their weapons at the Captain. 

Skarhn pushed past both of them and slammed the butt of his chainaxe's grip right into the side of Thorn's head knocking him over. He pointed his axe at the Captain's neck, *"Well traitor? Care to try to explain yourself before I cut your head off?"* his voice was laden with violence, he had known Thorn to be a traitor right from the beginning and this was vindication to him. The large World Eater Sergeant stood above the Emperor's Children Captain, his chainaxe inches from his throat, and stared as he waited for an answer from Thorn.


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## Lord Ramo (Apr 12, 2009)

Only three eldar remained, against four astartes, though Demus crouched over Hakis, firing a shot whenever an opportunity presented itself. The eldar moved quickly, obviously too fast for the three astartes, though the astartes were stronger, and fought with a righteous fury. Well Ares did at any rate. He was constantly attacking, even if it left himself open to a counter attack. Suddenly the warlock spoke, telling them to stop fighting and deal with what was in front of them.

*"How dare you tell us what to do witch! YOU killed our brother, YOU attacked us. Remember you xeno whore? Your race is a blight on the Emperor's worlds, and you will be purged from them one day mark my words. Me and you will cross blades again before whatever your here to do is completed. I will be your death for what you have done today!" *Ares snarled. He didn't want to admit it but the warlock was right. *"Brothers, we must return to the others, we can't afford to be split right now, and Thorn must be dealt with."*

Ares turned and moved over to Demus and Hakis, staring down longingly at Hakis. *"I'm sorry brother."* He whispered to him before voxing Darnath.* "Brother, keep Thorn alive until I get there. I need to hear his answers and see for myself this treachery. Do whatever you can, though I promise you, if ANYONE harms him before I get there they will have my blade to deal with. I need to see this brother, he was my closest brother."*


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## Jackinator (Nov 18, 2008)

*Matthias*

Matthias emerged into the clearing, much had already taken place it seemed. Thorn was on the ground, Skarhn poised above him with his chainaxe hovering above his throat. Darnath stood nearby weapon raised and fixed on Thorn, while Voras did the same with his heavy flamer. "No brothers, do not jump to conclusions," he mag-clamped the plasma gun to his thigh, "I already did so and you saw how dangerous that could have become. There is no way Thorn could have done this, we have been with him all the time remember. Think before you lower yourselves and kill a brother who, while not innocent by any means, may be innocent of this crime."


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## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

*Valencia*

Thorn gets to his feet as the girl`s message starts to sink in... 

_...slay the gods...?_ 

He looked to Skarhn and Voras, the two newcomers to the "squad" who had yet to develop any trust for the former captain. Then to Darnath, a brother once and still, yet even he levelled a weapon at him. 

*'Have you truly so little faith in me, to think I could have done this?'* He asked. *'I assure you it is not so.' *

He approached the altar, and cut through the chains. He carried the girl from the stone, and as he removed her from the arcane formation the dark winds began to die down. Matthias arrived just prior to this, to be followed a short time later by Brothers Garviel and Ares. 

*'...No...!' *The girl had regained conciousness, and railed against Thorn. *'He will know now... that I am free! You should not have... you will... have to fight...'* Her breathing was laboured and she struggled to form the words. Even as they left her lips however, they could all tell that she was right... 

--- --- ---​
Mxaad counted the glyphs upon the blade while the group of eldar waited impatiently in the shadows. 

'How long will this take, _Mon-Keigh?'_ One of them demanded. 

'Kheradruakh. would it be too much to ask that you keep your lacjkeys silent when I`m trying to concentrate?' Mxaad responded snidely to a figure standing several metres on the other side. 

'I share their impatience.' The ancient mandrake hissed. 'You promise much, Mxaad, and despite our hefty service to the darkness you claim to serve, we have yet to see any sign of your promised reward.' 

'Did I not say patience would be required?' Mxaad explained, looking up from the exquisite sword and meeting the dark eldar`s gaze with the hidden stare of his own eyes. 'This weapon,' He continued, brandishing the stolen sword before him. 'Is capable of killing even gods. But to be able to effect the targets I have in mind, it must first be attuned to their energy pattern. That is to say, the currents of the warp. With the knowledge I obtained long ago, I can make this work. Tha galaxy _can_ be free of Chaos, if only-'

'Master!' One of the mandrakes hissed, shuffling forward. 'The altar has topeed receiving energy!' 

'Someone`s interfering.' Mxaad said. 'Your former kin perhaps?' 

'Do not dare call them _my_ kin!' Kheradruakh roared. 'Only beings of darkness can approach our areas without alerting us. Whoever it is, they must also be attuned to the shadows.' 

He turned to the group of mandrakes, seeing the hunger in their baleful eyes. 

'Go, my loyal servants.' He growled. 'Bring me their heads!'

--- --- ---​
*'Well done, Phantom Astartes.'* Kelaana said, emerging through the trees. *'The mon-keigh child was being used as a power source, her strong soul being drained to fuel the ambitions of the dark daemon who called himself Mxaad.'*

The name passed between them. It held some significance, though none of them could fathom why nor remember it. 

*'But this is only a small victory.'* Kelaana continued. *'Mxaad is yet to be defeated. Keep looking, for his lair and the lair of his allies is to be found here. My kin and I cannot approach that place, and this world becomes his playground at night, as you have no doubt seen. I wish you well, phantom Astartes. Your empire and ours both depend on your success.'*

Mere moments after the warlock vanishes, more figures emerge from the trees. With your minds still reeling from the information you have just received, you may be distracted as you fight. Thorn protects the young girl as best he can as the mandrakes attack. Roughly fifteen of the creatures are here, meaning two or three kills each at this point. Have these events gone any way to re-establishing trust with the former captain?


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## Bane_of_Kings (Oct 28, 2009)

THE MANDRAKES RIPPED into the open, and Voras brought his Heavy Flamer to bear against the xenos that stood before him. There couldn't have been more than fifteen, which Voras estimated that this would allow each of the astartes at least two or three kills at this point. His weapon let out a burst of Promethean towards the oncoming aliens, and by the time one screamed in agony, he had brought his weapon up once more.

None would reach him. "For the Emperor," cried Voras, even though he was still not sure if the Emperor could hear him now. The beast was uncaged again, causing another Mandrake to be soaked in the fires of retribution. Glancing over at his fellow astartes, the former Ultramarine watched as everybody was joining in the fight, even Thorn.

Most of the doubt was now eased from the warrior's mind, the current events changing things dramatically. Thorn was clearly not a traitor, despite heralding from the same Leigon whose Primarch had made sure that his own was not with him today. 

A burst from Voras' flamer signalled the death of a third xenos, and the astartes watched as more were brought down by his comrades. "For Ultramar!" the superhuman figure bellowed with renowned vigour. Just because he was no longer an Ultramarine didn't change where he had come from.


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## Deus Mortis (Jun 20, 2009)

_'Have you truly so little faith in me, to think I could have done this?'_ Thorn asked. _'I assure you it is not so.'_. Darnath relaxed the bolter in his grip. He did not feel remorse about levelling his gun at a comrade. Not any more. In a previous life, such an action would have been unthought of by Darnath, and anyone who had done so was deserving of death. But that life was gone. Burned away in fire and wrath of a just god. If there was something his experiences and re-incarnations had taught him, it was that no one was too pure, too righteous, too...innocent to fall from grace. Better Darnath end their life soon than they lead others astray.

_'Well done, Phantom Astartes.'_ Kelaana said, emerging through the trees. Darnath spun around. Xenos bastards though they were, you had to admire their stealth capabilities. But the eldar seemed to have come in peace, so Darnath lowered his bolter. _'The mon-keigh child was being used as a power source, her strong soul being drained to fuel the ambitions of the dark daemon who called himself Mxaad.'_ Mxaad. Why did that name ring a bell in Darnath's mind? _'But this is only a small victory.'_ Kelaana continued. _'Mxaad is yet to be defeated. Keep looking, for his lair and the lair of his allies is to be found here. My kin and I cannot approach that place, and this world becomes his playground at night, as you have no doubt seen. I wish you well, phantom Astartes. Your empire and ours both depend on your success.'_

As this first group of eldar faded into the trees, moments later a pack of 15 more appeared. Except, they weren't. They were twisted and their bodies secreted baleful green light and the wore nothing more than loincloths. Darnath didn't know what they were, but he wasn't that bothered either. The others had come with advice and peace, these came with naught but malice in their hearts. Darnath's bolter barked on full-auto as three streamed towards him. The first took 3 solid shots to the torso and fell to the floor with most of it's chest missing and it's organs, or what might have been left of them smashed and pulverised into paste. The second was not met with much more success. Two successive shots, one to the chest and another to the torso. The second one forced the twisted xenos to stagger back and crop it's crude scythe. Before is could recover, Darnath had cut it down with a well aimed shot to the head.

The third actually reached him. Now that he saw one up-close, the thing was repulsive. It still had marks of the eldar, but it's teeth were sharpened to the point of fangs, it's eyes black like midnight and it wielded a crude, but strangely effective blade with all the skill of an astartes. But Darnath was not an ordinary astartes. He was an Emperor's Child. Even if that meant nothing to anyone here, each warrior had been held to a higher standard than any other astartes and so were better. Marginally, but still. Even though Darnath did not have time to do anything except let his bolter drop loose on it's strap, he was still formidable. The half-eldar lunged at him and Darnath let the blade bite into his elbow. It was a shallow cut, barely reaching through the thick elbow plate to his skin, and certainly not enough to distract Darnath from his target. The blade stuck momentarily, and in that moment Darnath lashed out with a powerful strike to the xeno's face. The monster recoiled as small tongues of green energy licked it's face. As the blade was wrenched from his elbow, Darnath smashed his already bent arm into the eldar's side. It doubled over and he delivered a hammer-blow to the back of it's head, forcing it to the floor. Then, with deliberate slowness, Darnath placed his knee on it's back, reached down and wrenched the alien's head so that it snapped clean off the spinal chord. The energy spluttered and died, like a fire doused out. Darnath stood up victorious and surveyed the damaged wrecked by the astartes on their fateful attackers...


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## BlackApostleVilhelm (May 14, 2008)

Skarhn snorted at Thorn as the captain pleaded with his former comrade, taking the girl from the alter and thus seeming to cut its power supply short. Maybe this alter was not his doing, either way he would still keep a close eye on the bastard just in case he needed to feel the bite of his axe on his neck. He could feel a sickening sensation in his gut and turned to see an Eldar Witch coming from the tree, her words one of forewarning, yet Skarhn did not bother to listen to her. 

The Emperor had taught them to kill the xenos, not listen to them, and that was what he would do. As she finished her last sentence he charged, his chainaxe activated and ready to tear into the farseer, but she vanished before he could reach her and was replaced by an equally more fragile target. Another Eldar burst through the tree-line only to be hacked down by Skarhn's axe, his actions probably seemingly like he had just planned that kill because of his charge at the farseer, to be honest he had been caught off guard by the witch disappearing and the newest addition to his kill count.

He felt a pain in his shoulder and roared in rage as another strange looking Eldar burst from the trees and stabbed him with a small blade. He had two in front of him, both of them trying to circle him and attack him from different angles, unfortunately for them it was not that easy to kill a World Eater. As they came at him he was able to parry most of the attacks, those that he couldn't flying by him as he fought to dodge them, one of the strange xenos getting too close and receiving a massive fist to the face.


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## Jackinator (Nov 18, 2008)

*Matthias*

Matthias spun as the others cried out, finger clenching instinctively and immolating a shadowy figure as it leapt towards him. A group of creatures had emerged from the trees, similar to the eldar, but somehow different. Their skin was dark and carved with arcane, eldritch runes and they shimmered in the half light, insubstantial, as though they were not quite there. They moved with a sinuous, deadly, almost beautiful grace. Slithering from one shadow to another, eyes glowing green in faces that reformed even as he watched. Gaping mouths appeared and vanished to be replaced by fanged maws or grotesque runes, it never stayed still. They moved forwards as one, splitting up to take on the marines in groups.

Two headed towards him and he opened up on them, lacing them with plasma bolts, but they still stood. The bolts had flow through their insubstantial forms and they cackled with an evil glee, closing with him, long serrated blades drawn. He drew his own blade, holding it ready as they neared him, the first pounced forwards, it's body becoming solid as it prepared for the killing strike and he snatched the plasma gun back up, firing a burst clean through the alien's body. Then the final one knocked the gun from his grip, hooking the sickle it carried back around to bury itself in his throat. But he snapped his head back, dropping to one knee and twisting, punching the alien's other arm away. It snarled and came back for another attack, it's blade flashing through the air and burying itself in the joint between arm and chest plate. He growled in anger and wrenched his body around, snapping the blade before punching his combat knife into the thing's face...


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## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

*Update*

(ooc: Those who missed the last update include details in this one) 

--- --- ---​
As the mandrakes fell beneath the onslaught of the damned astartes before them, they were watched. Eyes from the shadows took notice of these newcomers with detached interest. These astartes were clearly borne from a powerful energy, fuelled by darkness unlike that which permeated this world. But what force could possibly match the servants of the true shadow realm without its aid? 

Mxaad wondered silently with Kheradruakh watching beside him. 

'Interesting.' The robed figure mused.

'Interesting?!' The dark eldar hissed. 'My minions are being torn to shreds and all you can say is interesting?! I wonder if you would be so callous were it your own kin being slain before your eyes!' 

'My kin were lost to their own desires long before yours had even crawled from existence.' Mxaad growled, staring down his ally with a coldness that chilled even the ancient mandrake. 'Do not presume to lay guilt upon me, for no such emotion is left in my heart, Kheradruakh. These events are unfortunate, but we will still prevail. Come.' 

The two of them slipped away, unseen by anyone, and left the mandrakes to their fate. Darkness destroyd by darkness suffered the fate with finality. Unlike before, when the dark servants would simply reform, the manner of their demise here meant that these unfortunates were dead permanently. It was this thought that prompted Mxaad to delay his own involvement. 

He had no intention of risking his existence after all that he had worked to achieve.

--- --- ---​
Thorn slays the last mandrake as it attempts to regain possession of the female child. With its demise, she seems to regain some of her strength, even managing to rise to her own feet. 

*'I don`t believe it. It`s weakening?'* She exclaims. *'We have to find the other shrines and shut them down as well!'* 

Thorn looks back at her with questioning eyes, and the others responded equally dubiously. 

Express your thoughts here. What do you think upon learning that there are other shrines like this one about?

After this, she seems to focus, and an energy unlike the permeating darkness comes about her. *'That way!'* She points. 

'What about you?' Thorn asks. 

*'Don`t worry.'* She replies. *'I`ll go back to the eldar waypoint. The shadows can`t penetrate that barrier, I`ll be safe there. And the eldar themselves won`t hurt me.'*

With this, she leaves. Thorn leads the group in the direction she pointed. 

All: This will be an easy update. As you trek through the jungle towards your target, express your opinions on the events to have just unfolded. The girl was obviously a psyker to have been able to detect the presence of the other shrines. What are your thoughts on the involvement of the two eldar factions on opposite sides? And what of the mastermind behind all this, the enigmatic individual named _Mxaad?_


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## Lord Ramo (Apr 12, 2009)

Ares arrived at the scene with his brothers to see Thorn standing talking to the woman who was providing information for him. Ares stayed away from him but listened intently to all that was spoken to. The fact that he was listening to the xeno woman was beyond Ares. *"You speak to the witch that cost one of our brothers his life."* He snarled into his vox as he stalked back and forth eyes on Thorn. He was angry beyond belief with what Thorn was doing.

The witch dissapeared as Skharn attacked, killing a different eldar. More of them leapt out of the undergrowth, and Ares roared his challenge. He moved forth, chainsword buzzing as he swung for the first eldar, who managed to slip underneath his blade and twist to the side. Another figure joined the first as they attacked at the same time, moving in tandem with one another. Ares snarled as he felt a blade slip into his shoulder. He swung his chainsword in an arc, the figures leaping back, laughter on their lips as they evaded him. But it was now his turn to laugh. His bolter came up in a second and opened fire, blowing the first eldar limb from limb. The second launched an attack as it twisted again to avoid the field of fire and slashed at his bolter wrist. 

Ares smashed his bolter across its face like lightning before slamming his chainsword into its gut, lifting it bodily into the air as it ripped the eldar apart. He threw it to the floor before stamping on its head. The child on the alter was speaking once more to Thorn, telling him where they must go.

*"Are we following the advice of wytches and heretics now?! The Emperor decreed that psykers were heretical and now we are following ones advice. Have you really fallen so far Thorn?"* Ares snarled at Thorn. He was angry at Thorn, angry at the loss of his brother, angry at the entire situation. He had been dead. and now he wanted nothing more than to be by the side of the Emperor.


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## Deus Mortis (Jun 20, 2009)

As the shadow eldar fell before the Astartes wrath, Darnath felt a wave of pleasure wash over him. He was pleased to be killing these xeno's. They weren't his brothers whom he had to negotiate with, and they weren't other humans whom once belonged to the Emperor's light. They were xeno's and that made them wrong. It was easy to distinguish friend from foe and no lines were blurred. As the last of them fell to bolter and sword, Darnath listened to the conversation that Thorn held with the girl. _'I don`t believe it. It`s weakening?'_ She exclaimed _'We have to find the other shrines and shut them down as well!' _ *Psyker!* The thought blazed into Darnath's mind. *How else could she know the locations of the shrines?* It wasn't anger or prejudice, but it made sense now why the shrine was draining her. *So, whatever or whoever hit Mxxad is, they need psykers to open and sustain their shrines...*

Darnath's train of thought was interrupted by Ares' outburst. _"Are we following the advice of wytches and heretics now?! The Emperor decreed that psykers were heretical and now we are following ones advice. Have you really fallen so far Thorn?"_ Darnath sighed. Clearly, Ares had not been reincarnated before now and so could not know. "Brother, that changed a while ago." Darnath said walking into his brother's field of vision. "I don't know when, but at some point after our brother's rebelled, the Nikean decree was over-turned. Even the Astartes chapters use them now." This was clearly going to be a shock to Ares, so he let him have a minute to digest this information. "It seems clear to me that our mission is to stop this Mxxad. Whatever he has planned must have far wider repercussions than this world, where-ever this world is. At any rate, we should shut down these temples, as they appear to be the source of all this trouble." Apparently, some of Darnath's residual leadership ambitions had remained as he tried to martial together their group under one single purpose...


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## Bane_of_Kings (Oct 28, 2009)

WHO WAS THIS Mxaad? The thought, and this thought alone was running through The Ultramarine Captain's head as he advanced through the jungle towards the target, Voras knowing now that Thorn was almost defiantly tainted by the warp.

Also, seeing as the girl was a psyker, the creature Mxaad, who was most likely a Daemon of Chaos, needed others of her ilk, as well as shrines, to summon the Daemon. A small conversation between Darnath and Ares took place, where Darnath was informing the Pre-Heresy warrior of the updated laws about the Librarians.

Voras was convinced this would not end well with the World Eater, for even before the degree, his legion was opposed to the Psykers, and when the Legion joined Chaos, they went as far as to kill each and every Librarian, Epistolary, or even a Neophyte with the slightest touch of physic ability in their ranks. 

It was best to keep his mouth shut. As far as he could tell, A Thousand Son was not among them - which would have been good, for (before he had been corrupted) Primarch Magnus the Red and his Legion, they were one of the main reasons for Nikea taking place at all.

Perhaps it would be interesting to see the World Eater's reaction. 

*A/N:* _I'll be on holiday for the next two weeks with no Internet Access, so I won't be able to make any deadlines as of Monday._


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## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

*Update*

The jungle made no obstacle as the squad marched to where Valencia had marked the next shrine to be. The sun had gotten increasingly lower in the sky, a sure sign that those shadowy creatures would likely return. 

Thorn urged the squad to move quicker.

You can respond if you wish. Are you apprehensive of the approaching night and the creatures likely to emerge?

As they moved along further, they eventually reached a clearing where, surely enough, another shrine had been erected and a naked female form was suspended above. They could see the flow of energy, which seemed to increase in intensity as the sun got lower. Whatever dark forces were bleeding the sacrifices dry seemed to have greater power during the night. The Damned Astartes came closer to the shrine, and a new revelation became apparent. 

As the girl lifted her drooping head, they could see that this one was not human. This one was an eldar female. 

She speaks in her eldar tongue for a few moments, before the sun sets and the shrine begins its bloody work. 

As if on cue, the Shadows emerge, just as they did before. 

All: Defend yourselves! The shadows are without number and this time there are no eldar ruins nearby to shelter on. Thorn takes a few steps toward the shrine, drawing his sword. None can tell yet whether he plans to free the eldar maiden or kill her. 

Skarhn: You are closer to Thorn than any of the others. You may move to stop him if you wish. Subdue, do not kill if this is the case. Bear in mind, you have a legion of dark adversaries to contend with as well.


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## Jackinator (Nov 18, 2008)

*Matthias*

The shadows were upon them again, and he fired rapidly into their mist, the plasma gun lighting up the area like a midnight sun. They screamed and shriveled away from each shot. But still there were more to replace them, and this time there was no mysterious architecture to keep them at bay. He wrenched the combat knife from it's sheath and slashed it into another two that leapt from the side. He continued firing the plasma gun with one hand, cutting swathes through them. That was until the plasma cell ran dry, he could see the pouch filled with replacements at his belt. But with so many foes he couldn't take the risk of reloading, instead mag-clamping the gun to his thigh and using his fist to lay into the surrounding shadows. But still they came, a veritable ocean of shadow gathering to engulf them...


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## Deus Mortis (Jun 20, 2009)

Darnath stalked along in the woods towards the shrine, his bolter always leveled, ready for action. Finally they reached another accursed shrine. Yet again there was another naken female shackled to the alter, arcs of lighting flowed from her, feeding whatever power conduit was built into this alter as she groaned feebly in pain. But there was something different about this one. Something wrong in her proportions. As he head lifted up to meet them with a dazed glance, Darnath realized why. This was an eldar female. She babbled in a foreign tongue to them and Darnath understood none of it. Where he had felt mercy on the other victim for her humanity, this one he felt it only right to put a bolt through, accomplishing both the death of the xeno's and the de-activation of the alter. As he raised his sight to fire a clean shot through the woman's head he saw a telling omen. The sun was setting on the horizon, and Darnath realized that the lone chained female eldar was the least of his problems.

With a gargled voice, as if the war cry of the beast came from deep water, the shadows of the land became fluid and vicious. Darnath switched his bolter to full auto and fired meaninglessly into the pressing crowd of shadows. There was no glory of skill here, this was blind butchery and survival. As each clip ran dry, Darnath had to force the shadows back with his fist, boot and gun-but so he could reload. Each time the shadows got closer and he sustained several shallow slashes and scratches each time. +Next time I run dry, I'll switch to my chainblade+ Darnath thought. Even then, it might not be enough. He couldn't even see his brothers most of time through the cloud of shadows surrounding them. He opened up a public vox. "Brothers, we need to group up. We can't face this hoard as individuals. Here are my co-ordinates. We either stand together, or we die alone" Darnath pumped more shells into the bleak mist until he ran out of bullets, at which point he slapped his bolter to his back and drew his chainblade, and anything within his reach fell under his iron teeth and fury...


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