The Black Saints Background - 40K Terra

04-25-2007

-The Black Saints-

Cursed Founding successor Chapter consisting of Blood Angels.

Organization is highly flexible, consisting primarily of close combat squads, with more veteran marines handling the Chapters heavy weapons, as well as other long range support. Each company is led by their Commander, as well as a over-seer from the Council of 13, the ruling body of the Chapter. Each Company is split into 10 men squads, each trained and honed to perform a specific task towards achieving victory.

The Chapter also abhors the use of armor, save for the rare drop pod, usually reserved for Librarians, and the ancient and venerable dreadnoughts of the chapter. So much so, much of their early training as Initiates is focused entirely upon learning methods of infiltration and advance positioning, to the point they are often a scant few kilometers from the enemy’s front line before the enemy has even sighted them.

There is however, resulting from the schism of the Chapter during what is known of the Thurix Heresy, a growing faction within the puritanical remnants of the Chapter that are adept with tanks. Indeed, the first few techmarines have begun to return to the Chapter from Mars, and within them seems to burn a fierce knowledge and pride at their rare status within their chapter.
The Chapter boasts the largest and quite possibly fiercest Chaplaincy, and some rumor this is because of the dark past that forced the Chapter onto penitent crusade, much like the other foundlings of the Cursed Founding’s. This though, would be met with fierce retaliation by any of the Chapters ‘warrior-priests’, and especially the First Chaplain Antonius, who is credited with no less than 3 miraculous events, and the only Space Marine to be recognize by the Imperial Church as a Saint.

The darkest secret of the Chapter lies in it’s greatest strength, the defeat of the twin cruses of Sanguinius’ heritage: the Black Rage and the Red Thirst. Both of these horrific inflictions seem to have entirely passed over much of the Chapter, save for their most seasoned veterans and the rare, awe-inspiring figures of power that reside in the Librarium of the Black Saints. Indeed, the Librarians bear the brunt of the curses perhaps even more cruelly than the Blood Angels themselves.

At some self-determined point, a Black Saints Librarian is required to undergo the ‘Rite of Blood’. This rite is a mysterious ritual conducted on the Chapter home world of Cordoth, and little it known about it. All that is known is that not one Librarian in all the years of the Chapter has yet to emerge from the Rite with a single shred of sanity left to him. Often, they will emerge as raving lunatics, frothing at the mouth and unleashing frightening psychic attacks as well as horrendous physical assaults, and are often left in the Chamber to rot, their howls and screams never piercing the thick, void shielded walls of their eternal prison.

Only one marine has ever even managed to emerge from the Chamber, and what emerged from it can not be said to be that which went in. Remus, Chief Librarian of the Black Saints, descended into the depths of the Chapter monastery alone to undergo the Rite. Seven days later, the Chapter Master and First Chaplin themselves descended to the Chamber, and threw open the massive obsidian and adamant doors, to reveal a site of utter carnage.
Corpses in rent armor littered the floor, and the room stank of ozone and sweat, the after-taste of warp power staining the air. Sitting huddled in the midst of the floor, armor rent, scorched, and in places completely ripped off sat a sallow skinned Remus.

In the attempt to bring him forth from the chamber, five Black Saints veterans perished, and the Monastery itself was almost destroyed, the Chamber of Rites collapsed. Days later the trio emerged from the rubble. Adonis had Remus treated by the apothecaries for several wounds, minor ones to a marine of such stature as the Chief Librarian, and then released. From the first moment his battered form emerged from underground, the Chief Librarian spoke not a word, and none has since been recorded as passing his lips.

The Chapter however, split soon after. For Remus began writing of what he had seen in the Chapter. There he had been subjected to horrific scenes of Sanguinius’ death, however the memories burned upon his mind were from the teleportation of the Blood Angel onto the Warmasters Barge, up until the point he was slain, not by Horus’, but by the Emperor. This, Remus’ writings declared, was done because Horus had beckoned Sanguinius to Chaos, and the Angel had judged his words worthy, and just as the Emperor came into the room, he had shaken Horus’ hand in compact.

The Emperor had then proceeded to destroy Sanguinius without a single word, not even knowing for sure what the handshake was for. He left the Angel bleeding and crippled, but far from dead on the floor as he began to denounce Horus and his ways. Sanguinius, knowing he was dieing, begged of his father a merciful, honorable death with his sword in his hands.

The Emperor denied him, denouncing him as warp-crazed spawn. Horus knocked the Emperor to the walls with a blow from his massive fist, and then put into Sanguinius hand his sword, and ended his brothers fading life with a merciful shot from the bolter built into his obsidian and gold armor, the eye of the terminator plate dull where once sickly luminous, almost as if in sadness. Seeing this, the Emperor turned in rage, and the epic battle began betwixt the two.

In this matter, Adonis and the First Chaplain Antonius agreed with him, having both believed their battle-brother the instant he had emerged from his cloister-room to hand over the thick sheaf of papers. For this, the Captain of the First Company, a one Constantine, denounced them and alerted the Ordos of the Inquisiton. Sensing a fratricidal war, Adonis commanded all those who had believed the Chief Librarian to him, and together they disembarked on what fleet ships that would bear them. The splinter shard of the Chapter left behind only one cryptic communiqué, detailing their self imposed Exile, and their Penitent Crusade, to prove that they were loyal to the Emperor.

For, as the communiqué stated the belief of the battle between their
Primogenitor and the Emperor was not one of heresy. They believed that the Angel was wrong in his siding with Horus and that they could win redemption for their Primarchs failing by their Crusade, to show the Imperium that they were loyal as any Ultramarine or frothing preacher. They are often seen in the company of, when they do associate with any fellows marines, the Mantis Warriors, though this has only been displayed on three occasions, and the two can hardly be seen to be allies.

The other Legion they have an affinity for is the Iron Hands, in whom they exchange their uniquely potently Chaplain corps in return for the masterful craftings of the Chapter. Each receive the benefits of the other, in that the Black Saints receive arms and armor for their Crusade, and the Iron Hands in return received blessed weapons of a surpassing power and potency.

The Iron Hands are also largely responsible for the induction of tech-marines into the ranks of the puritan portion of the Black Saints, strangely enough at Adonis' behest, who still considers himself Chapter Master of the entire Chapter, though he has discarded that title for the nomen of 'Lord Crusader' as dubbed by a respectful Black Templars marshal after seeing the marines of the Chapter in action on Thurix, where he himself granted Adonis the prized relic of the fleet, the black armor, when Adonis risked his own life to carry the body of the fallen champion back, after sending the radical Inqusitior Asireloth fleeing from the planet by destroying his daemonhost, who had slain the Emperors Champion Dreischen.

Whatever the truth of Remus’ visions, or Adonis and Antonious support, there is only one thing for certain. The Black Saints, whichever side (both of which bitterly deny the rite of the other to the Chapter Name, and relics, which ironically are mostly given to the Crusading repentant fleet) work hard to pay for transgressions, past and present.

r4wr89 · 04-25-2007

oh man. i really like the black saints, so i'm looking forward to reading this. however, i am TECHNICALLY supposed to be studying for a psych midterm, so i will return to this. however, i think i might just write something similar, since it's hard explaining everything over and over..

:]
-ant

lol actually i just skimmed bits of it. it's remarkable how similar our chapters are. lol :]

Ikarus · 04-27-2007

Erus you never fail to impress me with the Black Saints. Should take some great interest in pulling up the Black Saints chapter banner alongside me too!

Can't wait for more-

04-27-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lord Ikarus

Erus you never fail to impress me with the Black Saints. Should take some great interest in pulling up the Black Saints chapter banner alongside me too!

Can't wait for more-

More to come. Glad to hear you will be helping bring Constantine and the puritans to life. First story is to post up Adonis and Asireloths duel.

Cagarner · 04-28-2007

Yea, I really like this stuff. You could have entire sub codex for them

just a quick comment on the grammer:

1) "...as well as an over-seer from the Council of 13."

2) The whole second to last paragraph is one sentence. Maybe you could re-structure it a bit.

Great work Lord Erus, +Rep

masterofweirdness · 04-28-2007

NICE!!!

+rep

I like it.

04-28-2007

Thanks guys. As soon as my head clears from the concert last night, i'll be starting the promised bit of fiction between Asireloth and Adonis. I tired writing some last night and it just didn't work out.

And Cag, thanks for those errors. I hadn't yet been able to get Word or anything to run correctly on the Vista comp, so I had done it in notepad! I might do a bit of house rules on these guys, for the radical side anyway.

masterofweirdness · 04-28-2007

Notepad? EVIL!

Didn't you get Word with your new pc... like Window's Office or something?

Cagarner · 04-28-2007

You could get open office. I think that works with vista, and its free. you can use that until office works.

r4wr89 · 04-28-2007

oh man erus, the similarities are unending. our masters of sanctity have names that differ by one letter [mine is antonus krath] and i was ABOUT to name one of my brother-captains konstantine, no joke. amazing..haha that and the fact that infiltration is a huge factor in the armies, and black [and maybe liche purple?] are prominent in armor color...haha wow. still, great background though. i'll have to get around to writing my own, since i have temporarily stopped writing the chapter fanfic anyways. :]
-ant

ps: what concert ? just wondering! haha

04-28-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by r4wr89

oh man erus, the similarities are unending. our masters of sanctity have names that differ by one letter [mine is antonus krath] and i was ABOUT to name one of my brother-captains konstantine, no joke. amazing..haha that and the fact that infiltration is a huge factor in the armies, and black [and maybe liche purple?] are prominent in armor color...haha wow. still, great background though. i'll have to get around to writing my own, since i have temporarily stopped writing the chapter fanfic anyways. :]
-ant

ps: what concert ? just wondering! haha

Interesting! The concert was for a local band, (intheclear). They're damned good, and just had a show in NY for Columbia and Atlantic record execs! So w'ere all hoping they hear good news soon! I ended up having to dope myself up on a pain killer, as the mosh pit partially re-broke the foot. But do it it, my tank is now fully done (predator) and a whopping two EC marines painted, as well as the opening pargraphs for Adonis V. Asireloth!

Dan296 · 04-29-2007

well i was camping this weekend ( >.< ) so i havnt been on since thursday...

but wow this is awsome! and ikarus is doing the loyalist part? so cool.
thats a nice spin on the normal horus heresy battle (on the) barge story
+rep!

btw moshing with broken foot=not the greatest idea.
2 EC painted! a new record! =D

Baron Spikey · 04-29-2007

Woo! im liking the Black Saints alot...if at all possible (and obviously with your approval) I'd like to induct them into the ranks of 'The Ordo' that the PK's belong to (bringing the numbers up to 4 actual chapters, 5 fictional chapters and just under 12,000 marines). That way the incredible Adonis would still be a member of the Knight Penitent but wouldn't have to occupy such an unworthy position of 'Knight-Sergeant'.

The Ordo's Chaplaincy's are the enforcers of the Order's laws so if you'd like, it certainly wouldn't be outside the realms of possibilty for the Black Saints to be the equivalent of Adeptus Arbites/Inquisitors amongst the other chapters.

Just a thought anyway- the Ordo is currently undergoing civil war right now but I have included hints that the Penitent Knights have dark allies they can call upon in times of extraordinary need (a hidden chapter like yours within the Ordo structure perhaps- that the Knight-Lord knows little about).

Well even if you turn me down...simply wow!

04-29-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by baronspikey

Woo! im liking the Black Saints alot...if at all possible (and obviously with your approval) I'd like to induct them into the ranks of 'The Ordo' that the PK's belong to (bringing the numbers up to 4 actual chapters, 5 fictional chapters and just under 12,000 marines). That way the incredible Adonis would still be a member of the Knight Penitent but wouldn't have to occupy such an unworthy position of 'Knight-Sergeant'.

The Ordo's Chaplaincy's are the enforcers of the Order's laws so if you'd like, it certainly wouldn't be outside the realms of possibilty for the Black Saints to be the equivalent of Adeptus Arbites/Inquisitors amongst the other chapters.

Just a thought anyway- the Ordo is currently undergoing civil war right now but I have included hints that the Penitent Knights have dark allies they can call upon in times of extraordinary need (a hidden chapter like yours within the Ordo structure perhaps- that the Knight-Lord knows little about).

Well even if you turn me down...simply wow!

I would be more than honored. It'd be very interesting to get together on this. Although, the Faction Wars besetting the Chapter are yet to be 'resolved' fully. I have some plans, but I need to get over this cold/flu thing well enough to where I can think clearly. Anything i've wrote right is not so good. So, Baron, if you want to do this crazy Ordo thing, find me online sometime and we'll iron out the details.

To everyone who has commented.. Thanks a lot, this has me encouraged to do more of this. I promise, as soon as the Eisenhorn review is done, you will have more fiction!

04-25-2007	#1 (permalink)
Lord Commander Erus.. Guest Posts: n/a	The Black Saints Background -The Black Saints- Cursed Founding successor Chapter consisting of Blood Angels. Organization is highly flexible, consisting primarily of close combat squads, with more veteran marines handling the Chapters heavy weapons, as well as other long range support. Each company is led by their Commander, as well as a over-seer from the Council of 13, the ruling body of the Chapter. Each Company is split into 10 men squads, each trained and honed to perform a specific task towards achieving victory. The Chapter also abhors the use of armor, save for the rare drop pod, usually reserved for Librarians, and the ancient and venerable dreadnoughts of the chapter. So much so, much of their early training as Initiates is focused entirely upon learning methods of infiltration and advance positioning, to the point they are often a scant few kilometers from the enemy’s front line before the enemy has even sighted them. There is however, resulting from the schism of the Chapter during what is known of the Thurix Heresy, a growing faction within the puritanical remnants of the Chapter that are adept with tanks. Indeed, the first few techmarines have begun to return to the Chapter from Mars, and within them seems to burn a fierce knowledge and pride at their rare status within their chapter. The Chapter boasts the largest and quite possibly fiercest Chaplaincy, and some rumor this is because of the dark past that forced the Chapter onto penitent crusade, much like the other foundlings of the Cursed Founding’s. This though, would be met with fierce retaliation by any of the Chapters ‘warrior-priests’, and especially the First Chaplain Antonius, who is credited with no less than 3 miraculous events, and the only Space Marine to be recognize by the Imperial Church as a Saint. The darkest secret of the Chapter lies in it’s greatest strength, the defeat of the twin cruses of Sanguinius’ heritage: the Black Rage and the Red Thirst. Both of these horrific inflictions seem to have entirely passed over much of the Chapter, save for their most seasoned veterans and the rare, awe-inspiring figures of power that reside in the Librarium of the Black Saints. Indeed, the Librarians bear the brunt of the curses perhaps even more cruelly than the Blood Angels themselves. At some self-determined point, a Black Saints Librarian is required to undergo the ‘Rite of Blood’. This rite is a mysterious ritual conducted on the Chapter home world of Cordoth, and little it known about it. All that is known is that not one Librarian in all the years of the Chapter has yet to emerge from the Rite with a single shred of sanity left to him. Often, they will emerge as raving lunatics, frothing at the mouth and unleashing frightening psychic attacks as well as horrendous physical assaults, and are often left in the Chamber to rot, their howls and screams never piercing the thick, void shielded walls of their eternal prison. Only one marine has ever even managed to emerge from the Chamber, and what emerged from it can not be said to be that which went in. Remus, Chief Librarian of the Black Saints, descended into the depths of the Chapter monastery alone to undergo the Rite. Seven days later, the Chapter Master and First Chaplin themselves descended to the Chamber, and threw open the massive obsidian and adamant doors, to reveal a site of utter carnage. Corpses in rent armor littered the floor, and the room stank of ozone and sweat, the after-taste of warp power staining the air. Sitting huddled in the midst of the floor, armor rent, scorched, and in places completely ripped off sat a sallow skinned Remus. In the attempt to bring him forth from the chamber, five Black Saints veterans perished, and the Monastery itself was almost destroyed, the Chamber of Rites collapsed. Days later the trio emerged from the rubble. Adonis had Remus treated by the apothecaries for several wounds, minor ones to a marine of such stature as the Chief Librarian, and then released. From the first moment his battered form emerged from underground, the Chief Librarian spoke not a word, and none has since been recorded as passing his lips. The Chapter however, split soon after. For Remus began writing of what he had seen in the Chapter. There he had been subjected to horrific scenes of Sanguinius’ death, however the memories burned upon his mind were from the teleportation of the Blood Angel onto the Warmasters Barge, up until the point he was slain, not by Horus’, but by the Emperor. This, Remus’ writings declared, was done because Horus had beckoned Sanguinius to Chaos, and the Angel had judged his words worthy, and just as the Emperor came into the room, he had shaken Horus’ hand in compact. The Emperor had then proceeded to destroy Sanguinius without a single word, not even knowing for sure what the handshake was for. He left the Angel bleeding and crippled, but far from dead on the floor as he began to denounce Horus and his ways. Sanguinius, knowing he was dieing, begged of his father a merciful, honorable death with his sword in his hands. The Emperor denied him, denouncing him as warp-crazed spawn. Horus knocked the Emperor to the walls with a blow from his massive fist, and then put into Sanguinius hand his sword, and ended his brothers fading life with a merciful shot from the bolter built into his obsidian and gold armor, the eye of the terminator plate dull where once sickly luminous, almost as if in sadness. Seeing this, the Emperor turned in rage, and the epic battle began betwixt the two. In this matter, Adonis and the First Chaplain Antonius agreed with him, having both believed their battle-brother the instant he had emerged from his cloister-room to hand over the thick sheaf of papers. For this, the Captain of the First Company, a one Constantine, denounced them and alerted the Ordos of the Inquisiton. Sensing a fratricidal war, Adonis commanded all those who had believed the Chief Librarian to him, and together they disembarked on what fleet ships that would bear them. The splinter shard of the Chapter left behind only one cryptic communiqué, detailing their self imposed Exile, and their Penitent Crusade, to prove that they were loyal to the Emperor. For, as the communiqué stated the belief of the battle between their Primogenitor and the Emperor was not one of heresy. They believed that the Angel was wrong in his siding with Horus and that they could win redemption for their Primarchs failing by their Crusade, to show the Imperium that they were loyal as any Ultramarine or frothing preacher. They are often seen in the company of, when they do associate with any fellows marines, the Mantis Warriors, though this has only been displayed on three occasions, and the two can hardly be seen to be allies. The other Legion they have an affinity for is the Iron Hands, in whom they exchange their uniquely potently Chaplain corps in return for the masterful craftings of the Chapter. Each receive the benefits of the other, in that the Black Saints receive arms and armor for their Crusade, and the Iron Hands in return received blessed weapons of a surpassing power and potency. The Iron Hands are also largely responsible for the induction of tech-marines into the ranks of the puritan portion of the Black Saints, strangely enough at Adonis' behest, who still considers himself Chapter Master of the entire Chapter, though he has discarded that title for the nomen of 'Lord Crusader' as dubbed by a respectful Black Templars marshal after seeing the marines of the Chapter in action on Thurix, where he himself granted Adonis the prized relic of the fleet, the black armor, when Adonis risked his own life to carry the body of the fallen champion back, after sending the radical Inqusitior Asireloth fleeing from the planet by destroying his daemonhost, who had slain the Emperors Champion Dreischen. Whatever the truth of Remus’ visions, or Adonis and Antonious support, there is only one thing for certain. The Black Saints, whichever side (both of which bitterly deny the rite of the other to the Chapter Name, and relics, which ironically are mostly given to the Crusading repentant fleet) work hard to pay for transgressions, past and present.

04-27-2007	#3 (permalink)
Ikarus God-Emperor Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Seattle, Washington Posts: 1,593 Rep Power: 2 Thanks: 68 Thanked 375 Times in 140 Posts Blog Entries: 3	Erus you never fail to impress me with the Black Saints. Should take some great interest in pulling up the Black Saints chapter banner alongside me too! Can't wait for more- __________________ Ask not what the Emperor can do for you, but what you can do for the Emperor. BLOOD ANGELS 2k - Angels of Angryz!!

04-28-2007	#5 (permalink)
Cagarner The Omnissiah Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Posts: 1,431 Rep Power: 3 Thanks: 46 Thanked 50 Times in 22 Posts	Yea, I really like this stuff. You could have entire sub codex for them just a quick comment on the grammer: 1) "...as well as an over-seer from the Council of 13." 2) The whole second to last paragraph is one sentence. Maybe you could re-structure it a bit. Great work Lord Erus, +Rep __________________

04-28-2007	#9 (permalink)
Cagarner The Omnissiah Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Posts: 1,431 Rep Power: 3 Thanks: 46 Thanked 50 Times in 22 Posts	You could get open office. I think that works with vista, and its free. you can use that until office works. __________________

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04-28-2007	#7 (permalink)
Lord Commander Erus.. Guest Posts: n/a	Thanks guys. As soon as my head clears from the concert last night, i'll be starting the promised bit of fiction between Asireloth and Adonis. I tired writing some last night and it just didn't work out. And Cag, thanks for those errors. I hadn't yet been able to get Word or anything to run correctly on the Vista comp, so I had done it in notepad! I might do a bit of house rules on these guys, for the radical side anyway.

04-29-2007	#12 (permalink)
Dan296 Adeptus Arbrites Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 1,691 Rep Power: 2 Thanks: 14 Thanked 67 Times in 36 Posts	well i was camping this weekend ( >.< ) so i havnt been on since thursday... but wow this is awsome! and ikarus is doing the loyalist part? so cool. thats a nice spin on the normal horus heresy battle (on the) barge story +rep! btw moshing with broken foot=not the greatest idea. 2 EC painted! a new record! =D

04-29-2007	#13 (permalink)
Baron Spikey Captain Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 1,575 Rep Power: 2 Thanks: 59 Thanked 111 Times in 91 Posts	Woo! im liking the Black Saints alot...if at all possible (and obviously with your approval) I'd like to induct them into the ranks of 'The Ordo' that the PK's belong to (bringing the numbers up to 4 actual chapters, 5 fictional chapters and just under 12,000 marines). That way the incredible Adonis would still be a member of the Knight Penitent but wouldn't have to occupy such an unworthy position of 'Knight-Sergeant'. The Ordo's Chaplaincy's are the enforcers of the Order's laws so if you'd like, it certainly wouldn't be outside the realms of possibilty for the Black Saints to be the equivalent of Adeptus Arbites/Inquisitors amongst the other chapters. Just a thought anyway- the Ordo is currently undergoing civil war right now but I have included hints that the Penitent Knights have dark allies they can call upon in times of extraordinary need (a hidden chapter like yours within the Ordo structure perhaps- that the Knight-Lord knows little about). Well even if you turn me down...simply wow!