#Blood Angels Codex

[haaaaaaaaaaaave-you-met-ted]

Blood Angels Codex (8th Ed) - Battle for the Shrine World of Belisor by Paul Dainton

[adhd-fandom-hyperfocus]

✧₊⁺ This Was Not In The Codex ✧₊⁺

Pairing: demetrian titus x reader(f)

Summary: Titus is on a much-needed leave on Macragge. While there he runs into you, or rather you run into him escaping terrible punishment for being unable to tell a lord no.

Part 1/?

Arthur's Note: I am terrible at keeping POV when writing in the third person and try to do omniscient, but again I am no real writer.

Warnings: Pregnancy (reader is pregnant), mentions of SA, and general gimdarkness.

18+ Minors DNI

★。------ ＼｜／------。★

There were several reasons Titus was planet side, from a wound he sustained that required more rest than normal, and Calgar seemed all too aware that with everything that had happened, there was still lingering broken trust among his brothers. Moving Leandros to Chaplin was a means of stopping the boy from doing more harm, but it wasn't a move Calgar hadn't been overly pleased with.

But Titus seemed to understand the will of their Gene-sire better than most, and his humanity despite it all remained intact. Something Guilliman wanted to make sure was nurtured.

Titus lumbered through the streets, drawing eyes as he did. Even within the great Macragge people were still awe-struck to see an Astartes. It was odd the monotonous sounds of everyday life felt more overwhelming than the loud cacophony of war. Though the smells were much more desirable. Scents of smoked meat were pulling the large man along when his ears picked up commotion and then something small bumped into him.

Oh the pitiful creature that had run into him. You looked worn beyond your years, weak from malnourishment and shaking like a leaf in the wind looking up and seeing what you ran into. Your lips busted and scabbed over from dry blood. Your feet are torn and broken apart from no proper footwear.

The thin rag you call a dress barely hides your bump. Your hands instinctively wrapped around it, as if you could protect your unborn child from such a giant. A smell rose into his nose as he heart the faint trickling of liquid. You were so terrified you were urinating yourself. Titus had seen this fear in warzones. What in the Throne had you so scared. His size aside.

Titus could see law enforcement coming up, chasing her. But they weren't local militia, these were private. His mind reeled all the practicals and theoreticals there could be to this situation.

"Can you get behind me, please? Are you able to move?" he asked quietly, as gently as he could, though with some urgency.

You nodded weakly and moved behind him, his massive body hiding you.

The guards stop short of Titus gazing upon the Asartes. His aura gave them great pause, mostly seeing how you were hugging one of his large legs.

"I see you are one of the Emperor's angels. Lord, she is a wanted criminal, and have been tasked to bring her back to our lord's estate." one guard finally spoke, but there was a shakiness to his voice.

"Wanted? On what charges, and why back there and not turned over to proper authorities?" Titus pressed. The rough timber of his voice becoming more pressing against the guards.

The guard looked uneasy and agitated, going between the two emotions rapidly, "This matter is hardly of note for one such of you My Lord, please, let us take her."

Titus shook his head, "No. You have not answered my questions. What is her crime and why is she to be taken to your lord?”

“Is not enough that she is a serf who has abandoned her duties?” the main guard responded, “She is to be taken home and punished. On top of that she is to be questioned by the Inquisition for heresy for seducing our lord with foul magic.”

Titus choked down a snarl at the mention of the Inquisition. Of course, a group of religious zealots could be tricked into seeing a poor serf as a heretic, so a piss poor excuse of a lord could get rid of his dirty laundry.

Perhaps his primarch was right and this Imperium was a rotting corpse.

“Then this is cause for my concern. I will take her into custody and our librarian will see to her.”

You start to plead and move away, as vain as you know it to be, but a large hand stops you. Holds you in place. It is firm, but not harsh.

The guard tried once again to argue but Titus cut him off, this time not holding back so much on his voice's power, “Are you challenging a member of the Astartes guard? I am not beholden to you, and she is in my charge now, so she is no longer either. Tell your lord if he so wishes to continue this nonsense he can do so with me. Now leave unless you wish a more physical understanding of my words.”

The warning was understood and the men scattered, and after a moment the crowd that had gathered went about their daily lives. Sounds of a busy community returned.

Titus turned to you, his hand still upon you. He knelled so he might be close to your eyes, “Hello, Little One. I am Lieutenant Titus, of the Ultra Marines. Would you allow me to carry you back to our fortress? You are safe. I give you my word.”

What choice did you have? None really. He could crush you with no effort, and you were dead anyhow. You just hoped when he decided to end you, it would be quick, and he would spare your baby.

You nodded, but sob quietly, “My Lord...I...” you were ashamed, “I soiled myself, I would not want that on you.”

Titus smiled, “Hush now,” he spoke cradling you in one arm and standing, “Far worse has been on me. There is no shame. I will see you get some clean clothes, food in your belly, and a Medicae Mortus to see to you.”

A soft chuckled rose from him, it was unnerving, yet comforting. This angel, was being so kind to an undeserving serf like you.

“Our Apothecaries are not specialized in baseline human needs. I am not even sure they know how babies are made, or how they grow inside you. But ask them about how to deal with a wound from a spawn of the warp? Collect gene-seed? Well then they don't shut up.”

You looked up at him with some confusion, “you do not know where babies come from?”

Titus felt warm suddenly, and adverted his gaze, “I mean. Well. It was not something they deemed important for us to know.”

You could only hum a response. Resting in his powerful harm. Held so delicately and carefully. It was dangerous. You knew this, but it was still the safest you felt in months and your worn body, gave out and forced you into a sleep that was deeply needed.

[bitethedevil]

Raphael and his Morals: The Analysis Where I Sound Like A Devil Apologist

I see Raphael being characterized as a selfish power-hungry character a lot. And I mean, he definitely is! Don’t get me wrong. I just also think there are more layers to that, so I want to make a little analysis on the deeper level of what kind of rationalization goes through his head when it comes to the whole tadpole business and the Crown of Karsus.  

The Pact Primeval

I think that the Pact Primeval is pretty important to understand when it comes to a general understanding of devils. There are multiple versions of this tale, though the one I will go through is the one that the devils tell each other (you can find all of this in Fiendish Codex II).

So basically, in the beginning of everything there was chaos. Out of that chaos came the demons. Lawful deities began to fight that chaos but eventually they got tired of it because there was seemingly an endless supply of demons. The deities couldn’t be bothered anymore because they wanted to make the world and it’s creatures and all of that instead. They then created angels and were like “cool, you go kill all the demons while we have fun making the world”.

One of those angels was Asmodeus. He was described as both beautiful and fierce, and he was amazing at what he did. The trouble was that the more the angels fought the demons, the more traits they came to share with them to fight them more efficiently. They turned ugly and twisted too because the demons they fought were so.

The deities then saw how they had changed, and all said “ew” in unison and said that they did not want those twisted beings living anywhere near them. They tried to banish Asmodeus and the other angels from the Heavens.

Asmodeus was not having that (and understandably so imo). There came a trial and Asmodeus essentially pointed out that “hey, I actually just did what I was made for, and I did it pretty damn well too. We’ve only dirtied our hands so yours can stay clean. If we are to be lawful beings, then this charge is absolutely bullshit”. Asmodeus could “wield the law like a knife” and the deities had to admit that what he was saying was right, so they couldn’t do much.

Eventually, the deities had made intelligent beings and to protect these beings, they made barriers between them and the demons. To their horror, the deities saw that some of the intelligent beings they had so carefully tried to protect, insisted on breaking these barriers and letting demons into their world. The gods were confused and exasperated at this and weren’t sure how to stop them.

That is where out boy Asmodeus comes in with a plan: There should be punishments for those who disobey the gods, or else there will continue to be chaos. So, Asmodeus, Mephistopheles and Dispater, along with the other twisted angels went out and punished the wrong doers.

As these tortured and punished people trickled into the Heavens after their death, the deities once again all said “ew” and pulled in Asmodeus to answer for this. They did not want those punished mortals in their realm, so Asmodeus came with another solution: basically, creating the Hells. All he wanted in return was to be able to draw power from the souls of those he punishes, since they (the twisted angels) cannot draw power from the deities while being separated from them

The gods all agreed and signed what would be known as the Pact Primeval which held these terms. The gods then freak out when they find out that what has now become the devils of the Hells encourage people to do wrong so that they end up in the Hells. When confronted with this by the angry gods who tell him that he can’t possibly be doing this, Asmodeus simply smiles and answers: Read the fine print.

The Morals of Devils

Essentially, devils are focused on the larger picture always. They are basically worker ants. I’ve spoken about this before. The Hells are hierarchical, and everyone has a job to do. Everyone eventually fights in the Blood War and contributes to the greater cause. They are simultaneously aware that they are a part of something greater than themselves AND they also want to further their own ambitions and climb the ladder through promotion.

The main objective is always the Blood War between devils and demons. Defeating the demons have been the point since before the Pact Primeval. In their own minds, they technically are doing good. Defeating chaos is good. It’s the whole point. Now, the ways that they might achieve that might not be good, but that is again the focus on the grander picture that comes in. If a mortal asked a devil why they do as they do, they would tell them that they are the only thing that stands between them and absolute chaos. An honorable cause reached with truly dishonorable means (such as when Asmodeus lures more souls to the Hells to gain power to his war against the demons).

Raphael

Raphael is serving himself with his goal of wanting the Crown but perhaps not entirely for pure power-hungry reasons. Yes, he wants power, but he also shows this exact idea of a devil’s tendency to look at the greater picture. He does say in the end that he wants to end the Blood War (which…yeah. That’s great honey, have fun with that. If all of the gods and Asmodeus failed to do so, a little Crown probably won’t do much). I am of the belief that conquering the Hells could be possible but ending the Blood War seems damn near impossible.

But my point stands: he is concerned with the state of the Hells, and he wants to be the one who fixes all of it, which would no doubt give him a lot of devil cookie-points and clout. It would show daddy dearest and everyone who doubted him that he is good at Being A Devil™.

Even if he just gives us the Hammer and we don’t follow through on giving him the Crown of Karsus, he has still done a lot for the Hells. Raphael and the rest of the Hells are not interested in everyone becoming mindflayers (and thus soulless).

That is the very reason why he detests the Emperor so much and mistrusts him. He does not want us to trust someone who enjoys being a mindflayer like he does, because he knows it leads to someone, if not everyone, losing their soul and thus valuable power to the Hells.

This is all just to say that yes, Raphael is a power-hungry narcissist, but he is also simply a cog in a very large machine. If anything, it is actually surprising that there weren’t more devils in the story who were concerned with how everything was turning out.

There is more nuance to him than simply wanting the Crown and becoming Archdevil Supreme for his own selfish goals. He is simply acting on the morals of what everyone around him has fed him his whole life: that you should work hard and be ambitious so that you can further the cause. The real tragic flaw, however, is that if they actually achieved winning the Blood War, they would simply become the new demons because they have become so much like them by fighting them all those years.

And if Raphael has been fed the same version of the Pact Primeval as mentioned above, it’s no wonder that he is so surprisingly chill about Mystra getting the Crown of Karsus. He sees the gods as incompetent snobs who can’t get anything done properly (and let’s be real here, with what I know of them, I sort of agree), and he knows that eventually they will all start their infighting again at some point.

The biggest overarching problem with Raphael’s plans is the same as his father’s and all the other devils. It’s the fact that they understand the bigger picture but believe that if they had more power then they would be more capable of achieving it than those already in power. It’s this idea that the ones above you are simply incompetent at reaching a goal that is essentially impossible. The demons will keep coming no matter what, but they all believe that they would win if they became the next Asmodeus.

You see it when Raphael mentions that his father is “naught more than a frigid archivist”. Could there be a reason for that, pookie? Could there be a reason as to why Mephistopheles won’t use the Crown? Could it be that Hells greatest wizard might have a better grasp on such things than his son? No, nope, daddy is just being stupid and incompetent.

It’s all arrogance. From a sort of natural selection viewpoint, it makes sense. This arrogance makes the devils more ambitious and thus they work harder as the little worker ants that they are, but the downside is that they will make the exact same mistakes as many before them.

[magistralucis]

Conflict in Literature + Necron Books

(Read more for titles and notes, watch out for spoilers)

Man vs. Nature - Devourer This is not the only necron vs. tyranid lit, but I thought the cover illustrated the conflict best. Out of all the horribad things in WH40K, the tyranids tend to be presented as the closest faction to a natural disaster; certainly in Devourer they do not logically justify their presence, nor can they be reasoned with, not by the Blood Angels or Anrakyr or the Tomb World he's trying to wake. Not mindless, but an amoral happenstance, like nature itself.

Man vs. Society - The Lords of Borsis Necron court intrigue played straight, with a sprinkle of delusion on the side. Since this story revolves entirely around the schemings and plottings of necron(tyr) society, with changes in dynastic hierarchy as the final objective, it fits best here.

Man vs. Technology - Indomitus This is an awkward placement, since Indomitus was not, well... a compelling story, with most of its tropes not being explored beyond their first introduction. But it is the most bare-bones way of describing this book's premise. Humans battling a robotic malignancy, albeit with a Bolivian Army Ending, which doesn't conclude the plot in either direction 😞

Man vs. Man - The Twice-Dead King: Ruin Ruin is an exceptionally deep novel, and fits every conflict listed here. It was the hardest one to place, because it's not so much choosing the one that goes best, rather crossing off every other conflict not central to the story. Both gods and the absence-of-gods are a problem in Ruin, as well as nature and technology, but they're not at the heart of Oltyx's problem. Society could be a big one, since Oltyx is an exile - but he’s not trying to antagonize his society throughout Ruin, he's trying to work with it, or at least save it from doom. Self and reality both count, but fit better with other stories in the Nate Crowley corpus. So man vs. man it is. His most important clashes are all with individuals ('man') - Djoseras, Unnas, Hemiun, arguably Yenekh in reserve - and by the end, his crownworld is overrun by the Imperium, who will become the antagonists for the second part of his tale. Man vs. 'Man', with a capital M.

Man vs. Self - The Twice-Dead King: Reign Again, this could have gone elsewhere. In man vs. reality, perhaps, or the god-related ones. But the self is where the conflict of Reign truly lies, since Oltyx's greatest obstacle is himself, and it is his inability to accept that which brings his dynasty close to destruction. Thank goodness he got over that one.

Man vs. Reality - Severed The emotional and philosophical core of this novella relies on it. Zahndrekh's inability to see the world as it is brings about the whole plot, and is at the centre of all of Obyron's musings. Interestingly, reality does not win at the end, at least not what necrons envision reality to be: a place of cold hard facts, with no room for emotion. Zahndrekh would rather dream the impossible dream, which might be the healthier way to deal with their situation.

Man vs. God - The Infinite and the Divine 🚨 𝔻𝕆 ℕ𝕆𝕋 𝔹𝔼 𝔻𝔼ℂ𝔼𝕀𝕍𝔼𝔻 🚨

Man vs. No God - Crusade: Pariah Nexus Not a novel, not 100% about necrons, not even out yet as of now (Dec 2023). This is an inherently problematic conflict for WH40K, because gods are very real and very present in that universe... here I'm only thinking about the necron perspective, and the civil war unfolding in their lore. They banded together in a shared purpose eons ago, destroying the Old Ones who oppressed them, and sundering the star gods who subjected them to biotransference. Now they are as antigod as they could be, and they did not retain their bonds, they have once again turned on each other. So it goes.

Man vs. Author - Codex: Necrons (10th Ed.) (Collector's Ed.) James Workshop knows what they did. ��

[cardinalcanis]

CODEX: The Viridian Phantoms

Summary: I did a thing. Been wanting to write about the custom space marine chapter that has been eating my brain the last few days. The Viridian Phantoms, my loyalist Mortarion successor chapter. They have been SO much fun to write and will totally do more things with them in the future. They are my first ever custom chapter so I would LOVE LOVE LOVE your reviews and opinions about them.

TW: People WAY too comfortable with death.

Word count: 3314

"Can I make my own fanart/OCs/head cannons/fics about/with the Viridian Phantoms?" First of all I will die <3, second of all, of course! As long as you credit me as the og creator of them I have no issue with it!

Tag squad (let me know if you wish to be tagged on stuff): @druidwolf21 @wolf-feathers12 @artemisareia @cosmic-cryptid-from-beyond @adhd-fandom-hyperfocus

@gallifreyianrosearkytiorsusan @kit-williams @egrets-not-regrets @jaghatai-khock @horuslupercal @moodymisty

@sinistermojo @beckyninja @justallll @ms--lobotomy @pluvio-tea @lemon-russ

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

General information: 

“We are Death, so Humanity may live.”

-Chapter name: Viridian Phantoms. 

-Other nicknames and given monikers (at least the nice ones): Angels of Krieg, The Bone Collectors, Krieger Kites, Jumping Tanks, Climbing Banshees. 

-Loyalty: Loyalist. 

-Homeworld: Krieg. 

-Symbol: A ghostly skull wreathed in chains.

-Colors: Light viridian green accented with black and silver.

Origin: 

“Father, see your children, battle-worn and pale,

Holy Chains and hooks prepared, 

Father, see your children, dead but not failed, 

By their blood may the corruption be cleansed.” 

After the events of Baal and the Plague Wars Belisarius Cawl saw the necessity of having more resistant troops. Capable of weathering extreme conditions, facing bio-monstrosities and gargantuan enemies, and being Immune to plagues and other chaos or mortal-made maladies. 

The Viridian Phantoms were born from Cawl’s experiments, using a modified strand of Mortarion’s gene-seed to create warriors who could endure almost everything. They stand as an act of defiance to Roboute Guilliman’s will in the face of what he considers advancements in the name of the Imperium’s survival, magnificent discoveries that honor the Omnissiah.  Making them only female was the loophole he found to make their existence possible, even though kept in secret for many years.  Recruited and trained on Krieg for their innate resilience and loyalty, these Marines are honed to become the embodiment of human perseverance. 

They possess their gene father’s legendary resistance combined with an aspect of Mortarion not exploited by the previous Death Guard; his untapped psyker potential. The Viridian Phantoms are unyielding assaulters, designed to weather any blow; be it a plague, environment non compatible with life, or physical force. Their combat style is defined by their heavy armor, equipped with hooks and chains, allowing them to latch onto massive foes, scale them, and pull them down into submission so they can be butchered. Despite their heavily reinforced armor, their biomantic prowess allows them bursts of agility, enabling them to jump over large enemies and strike from unexpected angles. Even other Astartes speak about a sense of uneasiness seeing what in all senses is a terminator-like unit swinging in the air and climbing light as a feather. This makes them formidable in melee, where they wield chainswords and scythes with deadly precision. Learning from the Thousand Sons’ mistakes, they do not over rely on their psyker powers, biomancy is meant as another tool in their arsenal. Their uncanny resistance aided by biomantic regenerative capabilities make them the perfect unmovable wall for humanity. 

Made behind the primarch’s back: 

“Father, we are ready, take us if you must.”

Cawl’s unprecedented authority within the Mechanicus and his status as the architect of the Primaris project provided him with enough leeway to conduct this experiment. His known… quirks and disregard for strict Imperial protocol helped him fly under the radar. His projects are already known for secrecy, but even with the trust on his skill and status he couldn’t afford for Guilliman discovering the Phantoms before they were ready. 

The choice of  Krieg didn't only rest on its hardy loyal woman but also for its isolation, secrecy of what truly goes in their underground hives and lack of general scrutiny from the Imperium. Krieg’s conditions allow for secretive experimentation; the people of  Krieg, known for their discipline and loyalty never questioned nor revealed Cawl’s activities, they were ordered not to anyways. It is said that long lines are made to this day for parents to proudly offer their daughters for testing, even though they didn’t know what it was about, the Emperor was looking for female children so they served accordingly. 

Cawl carefully controlled who knew about the Phantoms’ existence and purpose, involving only trusted Mechanicus personnel and Kriegsmen who were at a need to know bases of their assignment and sworn to secrecy. Any record-keeping or tracking was obfuscated through a complex mix of bureaucracy and Mechanicus’ religious beliefs, already only revealing the biggest secrets to the worthy in the  Omnissiah’ eyes. 

The Phantoms were obviously kept isolated from other Astartes chapters and Imperial forces to avoid detection. In their deployments, the Phantoms engaged enemies with minimal support, focusing on missions that required little to no backup. Training and conditioning was completed in Mechanicus-controlled facilities under Cawl’s lock and key, keeping them away from inquisitive eyes. He implemented protocols restricting their interaction with other Imperial personnel, ensuring their knowledge and exposure remained minimal.

The Phantoms’ early deployments were limited  remote or particularly hazardous battlefields far from populated areas or Imperial forces, where only the toughest units were expected to survive. These are regions affected by warp taint, plague, or xenos threats, where the survival of any unit would be notable but not easily verified. 

Cawl specifically chose high-mortality missions where the Phantoms could demonstrate their resilience. By deploying the Phantoms to zones where no ordinary Astartes force could feasibly operate, Cawl ensured they’d operate in isolated conditions, where successful missions were difficult to track or verify independently.

Later on he made use of trusted Rogue Traders and Mechanicus explorator missions to test the Viridian Phantoms in the fringes of the Imperium. 

Reports and data on the Phantoms were  filed under vague terms or ambiguous classifications, described in ways that did not reveal their true origin or makeup. Listed as specialized Krieg regiments or other “experimental” Mechanicus units when deployed. These reports kept them concealed, making it appear as if they were simply part of a contingent of the Death Korps or other Mechanicus-approved forces rather than a unique chapter of Astartes.

Physical appearance, chapter culture and personality: 

“Through pain and flame, we fall

And if you can stay, sister, then we'll show you the way

To return from the ashes we call.”

Moration’s gene seed gives the Viridian Phantoms a formidable yet eerie appearance that sets them apart from other chapters. Considered some if not the tallest Primaris Marines, they are built like a block of muscle, needing great upper body strength to hold their full armored weight while hanging mid air. Their skin turns a pale white or slightly grayish hue with visible veins. Their hair typically ranges in shades of white, silver, or light gray. They tend to keep their hair very long and extensively braided. Their eyes are described as a ‘pale gaze’ and ‘lifeless’ or with an almost glassy appearance, people claim that the Phantoms' gaze is ‘detached’ looking through them rather than at them. The intensity of their gaze is increased by how little they tend to blink unnerving those unaccustomed to their manner. All of these add up into giving them their phantom-like appearance they are named after.

They barely speak, when they do, it is done with precision and brevity. There is no room for flowery language or embellishment; they say what needs to be said and nothing more. Their speaking cadence tends to be emotionless and unenthusiastic, not due to lack of emotion but their little interaction with non Phantoms. As very sensible biomancers, they are constantly in touch with the inner processes inside those around them, including emotional responses. Spoken and gestured communication is just a poor mockery of the higher level subtle, unspoken connections they share. This makes them seem distant or even cold to those who rely more on direct communication, this lack of visible emotion could create misunderstandings or discomfort.

The Phantoms struggle hard to connect with outsiders, as they find typical methods of bonding cumbersome or shallow compared to the natural closeness they share among themselves. When interacting with other chapters, they struggle to adapt to more conventional forms of camaraderie, finding it challenging to communicate complex intentions in ways others understand and at the same time making them highly aware of the moods or intents of others. Knowing of the fear, frustration, anger and paranoia they cause first hand; but without the skills to properly address other's concerns. 

This sensitivity fosters deep bonds between the Phantoms, allowing them to anticipate and understand each other in ways that most Astartes can’t. It creates a near-unbreakable trust, as they’re constantly aware of each other's emotional state, intentions, and even physical condition, reinforcing the idea of sisterhood beyond the individual. The electrical discharge in one sister’s muscles ordering to lift a bolter is sensed by the others, copying the same movements, making them capable of reacting to their environment like a well coordinated flock of birds. This gives them an almost meditative focus in battle. Their awareness of their sisters’ movements allows them to coordinate without spoken commands, making them seem eerily calm and united.

Krieg’s women to the core, their loyalty to the Emperor and their battalion is absolute. They see themselves as living tools of the Imperium, willing to sacrifice anything, including their lives, without hesitation. This unwavering dedication makes them reliable but can come across as suicidal, looking for death in death’s sake. Each Phantom believes their existence is expendable if it means the mission succeeds or the forces of humanity are protected. 

The Viridian Phantoms also hold a profound respect for their fallen allies, whether they are their own sisters, other Astartes, or even mortal guardsmen and civilians. They view these fallen as martyrs of the Emperor’s cause. As a tribute, unless the remains are corrupted by Chaos, Phantoms often collect small pieces of armor, bones, cloth, strands of hair, or even rubble from the battlefield and fashion them into beads and charms. These adornments are extensively braided into their hair or hung across their weapons and armor, serving as personal memorials and tokens of respect. Teeth, in particular, are a favored keepsake known among the Phantoms as "flesh pearls," close second to hair which they braid with their own.  

With so much of their time spent among the Mechanicus it is of no surprise that one of the most significant aspects of their culture is the ceremonial tending to their gear and weapons. Each battle-sister sees her armor and weapons as an extension of herself, considering them "bound" to her flesh and spirit. Outside of battle, Phantoms often spend hours in silent preparation, maintaining and blessing their chains, hooks, and weapons in a ritual that reinforces their connection. It has been reported that this strong belief on their gear as part of their flesh has ended into several occurrences where their biomantic powers also restore cracked ceramite or instances where guns keep shooting when it is obvious that the magazine must have been emptied. 

This meticulous care for their gear makes the Phantoms selective about who is allowed to handle it. They permit only trusted Mechanicus priests or highly skilled serfs with whom they have overseen working many times to assist in maintaining their equipment. These chosen few would be expected to respect the Phantoms' many rituals and understand the reverence the Phantoms have for their weapons and armor. These selected few granted the honor of working with the Phantoms' gear have to undergo bonding rites, long meditations and purification rituals to align with each specific Phantom that has chosen them to tend to this sacred part of themselves to the highest of standards. 

The Phantoms’ secret rites, meditations and mantras help them both handle their oversensitivity to all life around them and reinforce their religious adoration for death and sacrifice.  The Phantoms hold pre-battle rituals where they recite personal death vows. These vows are spoken in low, emotionless tones, acknowledging their acceptance of death and pledging to die honorably if it serves the Imperium. Followed by their well known Death Hymns which they sing in ritual and even during battle, Viridian Phantom Death Hymns are the only instance of them raising their voices and carrying emotionally charged statements. They most are directed to a figure they ‘Father’, if it refers to either The Emperor, Mortarion or both is unknown. These chants carry an ominous, almost haunting quality, blending grim acceptance, defiance, and reverence for their purpose. The chants are rhythmic, echoing through the battlefield and unnerving allies and enemies alike with their strange, almost theatrical longing for death. They possess sections where the volume crescendos to shouts or quiets to an eerie whisper, transitioning between powerful declarations and subdued, haunting verses.

Currently, the Viridian Phantoms have no official Chapter Master due to their uncertain experimental state. Leadership has fallen by the battle sisters consensus upon Revenant (Captain) Lena Arendt, a figure respected for her exceptional combat skill and biomantic abilities. She is often referred to as the ‘Ceramite Fae’, due to even amongst other Phantoms her seamless grace mid air while fully armored creates the illusion of effortless flight. A fatal flaw her and many phantoms inherit from Mortarion is how much of a hard time they have at asking for help from non Phantoms, maybe not much out of their gene seed but their desire to prove their chapter is worthy to exist.

Gear and unconventional battle tactics: 

“We are the scythe that reaps the corruption, 

We are the chain that bounds the monstrosity to a kneel, 

We are the knife that carves the names of the fallen onto our enemies, 

We are the Emperor’s unbroken might, 

We are his bleeding sacrifice so we could still have a light, 

We are to fall so the many may rise, 

We are the Viridian Phantoms, 

And we are Death, so Humanity may live.”

As mentioned, The Phantoms hold close reverence to their gear and decorate them extensively with allies’ remains, one of the most memorable are their oracles (librarians) and gravekeepers’ (chaplains) complex teeth veils. Their armor is modeled on the reinforced Mark X, heavily modified for maximum durability. The plating is reinforced to withstand corrosive environments, disease, and warp-tainted toxins, often appearing thicker and more robust than standard armor. It is painted in a ghostly viridian green with black accents on the trim and silver detailing. Their helmets’ visors emit a ghostly pale green glow, most of them are inscribed with small runes or faint biomantic symbols.

Each Phantom carries many sets of chains and hooks designed for their signature combat style. These chains are attached to their gauntlets or armor and can be used to latch onto large enemies, structures, or terrain. The chains have runic symbols carved along each link alongside attached beads and charms, and when combined with their biomantic abilities, they become unbreakable extensions of the Phantom’s will, allowing them to anchor enemies or secure themselves in chaotic battles. The hooks are often engraved with the names of fallen sisters or even fallen guardsmen or civilians whose names they find on dog tags and forgotten personal effects among the rubble. 

The Viridian Phantoms favor chain swords and most importantly scythes for close combat, weapons that symbolize their affinity for melee and their willingness to face foes up close. All of them also have the ability to extend into chain and grappling hooks. Their scythes are heavy, with blade edges honed to a sheen, used for sweeping attacks against larger foes. Made to grab, mutilate and disembowel in single clean swipes. Alongside their melee weapons they can also favor large shields that chained together create shield walls to push back at the latest of waves.

They are no strangers to range weaponry, which even if they aren’t their favored, each is shown equal love and customization as the melee does. Sometimes even consecrating every individual bullet in day or even week long rituals meant for deep meditation and calming their psyker abilities. 

Even though they may be great assets for them, The Phantoms shun the use of chemical and viral weapons of any kind in their fight to distance themselves from their genesire’s legacy and fall into nurgle’s claws. 

Appart to what they are known for, falling gargantuan monstrosities; the Viridian Phantoms' unparalleled resilience, little regard for their own lives and biomantic abilities would lend themselves to shockingly bold, almost reckless battle tactics and strategies. These tactics seem suicidal to other Space Marines and not Codex Compliant at all:

-Shield killbox: The Phantoms would march forward under heavy enemy fire interlocking shields with one another. Using their scythes they would pull and mutilate anything that comes closer, then throw the helpless bodies behind them where other sisters await to finish them up. Functioning as an efficient assembly line of carnage. 

-Fire on my position: In coordination with allied forces, the Phantoms move into a position where friendly heavy artillery or orbital bombardment is directed. Knowing their unique resilience, they would withstand the controlled onslaught that devastates their foes, emerging from the smoke and flames, most of the time.

-Living bait: Phantoms would feign retreat or send vulnerable looking single units, drawing enemy forces into pre-arranged kill zones laden with explosives. Then, they would walk on the trap while still in the blast radius, relying on their enhanced durability to survive. Phantoms might also herd unknowing enemies into the blast radius of allied tanks. Or charge headlong into fortified enemy positions or into the path of tanks, absorbing fire and drawing attention while the rest of the battalion encircles the distracted enemy.

-Suicide landings: Phantoms generally do not fight alone unless they have a strategic purpose. Like sending one charging (or jumping off flying vehicle) into enemy positions or even the heart of their formations with explosives strapped to their armor, activating them upon impact. This act would be often followed by the surreal sight of the Phantom emerging from the carnage, bloodied but alive. 

-Walking beacons: They do have a unique skill to escort survivors through dangerous zones normal humans would not survive. Making the helpless human stay close to them inside their auras so fire, disease or acid would not hurt them or would not feel the pain and heal quickly. They tend to cover the survivors' eyes and even ears so they feel no fear or run away in the presence of danger, as running away gets them out of the Phantom's aura, which means they will succumb to the factors the are being protected against. And the people's trust and faith that the Phantoms can protect them actually makes it easier to work their biomancy on them. 

Cawl’s secret brought to the light: 

“Hear hear, Father, we're all going to die

Father, we're all going to die

Do not sing me any farewells, for me you must not cry,

hear hear, Father, we're all going to die.”

The Viridian Phantoms' first encounter with Guilliman was intense and deeply scrutinized. After proving themselves time and time again completing dangerous missions in secret under Cawl’s direction, the Phantoms were finally brought to Guilliman’s attention as a fully-formed, specialized force created to withstand the most hostile environments and fight the Imperium’s most monstrous foes. Masking themselves as just another battalion of the Unnumbered Sons, with the help of voice modulators in their voxes making them sound masculine (aside from restricting their vox channels when singing). 

They were deployed alongside his forces in a brutal battle. Observing them, Guilliman noted their resilience and uncanny coordination as they maneuvered in unison, taking down enormous threats with sacrificial tactics. The Phantoms suffered grave wounds but continued to fight, showing an almost eerie selflessness that unsettled many nearby Ultramarines.

After the battle, Guilliman confronted the Phantoms directly, demanding to know their origins. Their leader, Revenant Lena Arendt, revealed their loyalty and their gene-sire without hesitation, asserting their purpose and loyalty to the Emperor, not to Mortarion’s legacy. Guilliman, appalled by Cawl’s audacity, proclaimed that their very existence was an affront to the Imperium and must be erased.

The Phantoms responded by raising their bolters to their own heads, ready to end their lives at Guilliman's command. Stunned, Guilliman halted them. They remain a battalion awaiting Guilliman’s final judgment, will they be eliminated? Given a suicide mission hoping they never return? Will they ever back their birthright as the 14th? The future looks bleak and uncertain for the Viridian Phantoms. But the primarch must hasten as talk is spreading.

[sleepyfan-blog]

Stern Talk

Author's note: This is the next installment of the Bully(ing) Cato Sicarius fic! First. Previous. Next. This chapter was beta-read by @sistersofthelobotomy

warnings: body horror, medical quarantine,

tagged: @egrets-not-regrets @the-pure-angel @whorety-k @gallifreyianrosearkytiorsusan

Summary: Titus swiftly escorts you away from the monstrous amalgamation of machine and flesh, and you talk with one of the sergeants.

You were baffled when, as soon as the final opponent came into view, Titus and the other Ultramarines watching Cato fight in the arena that the leaders of this system had brought you to in order to watch the fights immediately began moving. Titus himself swept you up into his arms, bundling you close to his chest with one arm and ordering you in a low voice to “Stay close and hold on. I am going to be moving quickly. The situation has gotten dangerously out of hand, my lady.”

“What’s going on?” You ask, looking up into his helmeted face. If you squint, you can just see through his helmet lenses and get a glimpse at his face. Titus’ expression is tense and unhappy, and his fellow Ultramarines are in the process of swiftly gathering up the rest of the noncombatants and bringing them to Maccrage’s Honor.

Titus did not put you down, after he rushed you to one of the massive ship’s ramps. His long legs made getting up the ramp much faster than if he had set you down. He reached for the bulkhead when one of the other Ultramarines - a sergeant from the red paint on his helmet, and also of the second company from the markings on his armor spoke up, coming up next to where Titus was standing, still holding onto you protectively

“Sir, the codex astartes clearly states that -”

“Father has ordered that the quarantine procedures for our diplomatic staff, as well as for the Ultramarines exposed to the entity happen within Maccrage’s Honor’s medical bays. We cannot trust that the local population hasn’t been entirely corrupted and poisoned by the same essence that twisted the thing that Captain Sicarius is currently valiantly fighting in single combat to allow the rest of us time to evacuate our people, Sergeant. If you want to discuss possible Codex violations with the one who gave the order, I suggest you speak with Father, who gave us the order to do this himself.” Titus interrupted the sergeant, startlingly terse with the other Ultramarine.

The sergeant flinched back a little, ducking his head a little “As… As you say, sir. You will need to put the mortal down once we reach the medical bay, sir.”

“And I will do so then, sergeant. In the meantime, tend to your own charge. One of them is about to fall off the cargo ramp, Leandros.” Titus grumbled.

That caused the sergeant to mutter a curse as he rushed after the stumbling baseline mortal.

The stumbling mortal failed as their feet slipped off of the edge of the ramp, starting to plunge downward back to the planet below.

The sergeant dragged them back from the side of the ramp and held them around the waist, tucking them into his side as he grabbed another baseline mortal, following you and Titus into Maccrage’s Honor.

~

A short period of time later, you find yourself shivering a little after having scrubbed yourself thoroughly with the mildly caustic soap that the armored Apothecary had handed you to use. You were wearing a thin space-linen dress. The ship always felt a little on the cold side to you when you were in few layers. You wrap your arms around yourself as you patiently wait in the small room that you’d been led to.

Apparently, the horrific amalgamation of flesh and machinery had been significantly tainted by Chaos. While you had only limited exposure to the thing itself, there was a possibility that the Chaos Cult behind this may have tampered with the ceremonial food and drink that you had shared with the leading Magos and their advisors. Which meant that you were going to be held in solitary quarantine while they ran blood sample tests, and one of the Librarians scanned your soul for possible signs of infection.

You didn’t feel any different, but the thought of being unwillingly infected by Chaos, if only a little, caused a terrified shudder to run down your spine. You were willing to wait as long as necessary in order to ensure that your mind, soul and body were untainted by Chaos. You were keenly aware of the Imperial Truth that Lord Guilliman espoused… But the temptation to sink to your knees and begin praying to the God Emperor of Mankind was nearly impossible for you to resist.

You’d been taught the Imperial Faith since you could remember by your teachers, by your birth family. You'd heard it espoused all your life until you’d been chosen as one of Lord Guilliman’s mortal negotiators. The awe and religious reverence you felt towards the Holy Primarch and his Guardian Angels of Death had only faded as your… Interactions with a certain prickly Ultramarine grew more frequent, and you learned the sometimes-subtle shifts in mood of your boss and the Lord Regent, with whom you worked with extensively.

He had bid you to abandon the Imperial Faith for the Imperial Truth that he said was espoused by the Emperor Himself and you obeyed to the best of your abilities. Not all of your fellow diplomats had - especially as there were high ranking members of the Ecclesiarchy aboard the Maccrage’s Honor who fervently believed and preached the Imperial Faith to any who would listen… When outside the hearing of the Primarch.

You were also very keenly aware of the fact that Cato had been left to fight off that monstrosity alone, while the remaining two squads of second company Ultramarines had escorted everyone who couldn’t fight such things away to safety. His military career was long and well-decorated. He had clashed with the forces of chaos and emerged the triumphant, untainted victor in the past. You clung to that thought, and -

There was a knock on the door of the quarantine room you’d been placed in, causing you to startle a little. You walk up to the door and press the intercom button, calling out “Yes, is there something else I need to do?” You were told that the Librarians were currently involved in excising the greater chaos threat from the world that Maccrage’s Honor had landed on. The excising could take anywhere between a few hours to several months to fully exercise. During that time you would have limited contact with others until your soul and mind could be properly checked for signs of Chaos Corruption.

Sargeant Leandros was on the other side of the door. He had removed his helmet, and it was clipped to its proper spot on his belt. The other’s sandy brown hair was a touch longer than regulation, but nothing out of the ordinary. You’ve spoken with him from time to time. He’s quite focused on ensuring that himself and others follow the letter of the Codex closely, rather than thinking flexibly, from what you have observed of him. But he tries hard and seems to care for his brothers greatly. “I wished to speak with you. I have spoken with the Apothecaries. You do not show signs or symptoms of infective Chaos corruption, if indeed you have been tainted by Chaos. May I come in?”

Considering the fact that you’re wearing a simple linen slip, you called out “One moment, please.” as you grabbed the provided blanket, wrapping it around yourself and sitting on the cot in the small room “You may come in. What did you want to speak with me about, Sergeant?”

The Ultramarine opened the door to the room you were quarantining in, stepping in and closing the door behind him. Leandros seemed to fill the rest of the room, huge, especially in his armor. He stared at you for several long, awkward seconds, clearing his throat before averting his gaze for a moment, before looking at you again “I… I wanted to talk to you about some of your… Interactions with Captain Sicarius and Lieutenant Titus.”

You remembered that Leandros had been serving with both Titus and Cato for centuries. You silently wondered if you were going to get a space shovel talk about being careful with the hearts of his older brothers Or Else. Leandros wouldn’t be the only Battle Brother to have stopped by to growl at you suspiciously. Captain Agemann and Sargent Numitor among others had spoken to you, asking about your intentions with Cato and Titus. You had been honest with them, and you planned on being honest with Leandros. “Oh?” You asked, gesturing for him to continue.

The sergeant fidgeted a little, looking visibly awkward and unsure as he started to speak “I am aware of the fact that you have become very close with both aCaptain Sicarius and Lieutenant Titus. They also show a concerning amount of preference towards your safety and well-being, even in scenarios where other factors should command their attention more.” Leandros shifted from foot to foot as he continued to speak “Not that you aren’t a useful member of the diplomatic team. But I am concerned that the off-duty activities you get up to with both of them is affecting their judgment and ability to prioritize objectives properly.”

Well, that’s a new angle. Previously you’d been asked - once at sword point - what were your intentions with the two of them and why you were climbing into their beds and trying to steal their hearts. “Both Captain Sicarius and Lieutenant Titus have served the Imperium as Ultramarines for centuries. Do you truly think that I am able to distract them from their duties to such a degree?” You were genuinely curious as to what his answer would be. You loved them both dearly, but had also sworn oaths as a member of the Imperial Regent’s Diplomatic envoy. You worked hard to make sure that your love life did not conflict with your duties. You were certain that Titus and Cato did the same.

If a scenario came up where they had to choose between you or their duties - even if it meant your death or worse, you fully expected both of them to choose their duties. This thought did not upset you, you were well aware of the fact that the Angels of the Imperium had very serious and rigid duties that they tended to. It was an honor that they’d let you in so close, and you would not betray their trust and care.

“Not yet, but I am concerned that if this… If this flirtation and indulgence in carnal activities continues, they may be swayed when you are put in danger again. And it is a certainty that as long as you are a diplomat for Lord Father, that you will be put into danger regularly, much as we do our best to keep the dangerous element from reaching you and the other diplomatic mortals.” Leandros answered, slightly less tense as he explained himself. “From what I observed, you were the one to make the first… Overt moves, yes? Due to the potential power imbalance between yourself, the captain and lieutenant.”

“If you’re asking if I was the one who confessed feelings first and initiated the conversation about where things were to go, if anywhere in our personal relationships? Then yes. I was.” You respond, tilting your head a little as you look him over searchingly, trying to figure out what his angle was. This didn’t feel like a space shovel talk. You weren’t sure what this was, but it didn’t feel like a nosy younger Astartes trying to gather gossip, or trying to figure out how to woo a mortal he was interested in by going to a mortal in a relationship with older Astartes. Your conversation with Titus had been easier as Cato was… Cato was really bad at figuring out how he felt and hid his softer emotions with rage and aggression. He was getting better about that, but could still become quite aggressive when he felt vulnerable. “But the… Personal interactions I have with Captain Sicarius and Lieutenant Titus in our shared off-time is allowed.” You’d checked before initiating the conversation with Titus in the first place.

You hadn’t wanted to potentially either get him or yourself into trouble for pursuing him romantically. You and Titus had been dating for several months before Cato had stumbled his way into confessing his true feelings. That had been the first of several conversations about wants, needs and expectations.

“Unless it conflicts with their duties. And as you were the one to initiate… If you were the one to… Perhaps put a pause on the.. Off-duty interactions for a little while, to allow them to remember their duties and proper priorities, I feel that it would be for the best.” Leandros informed you, looking at you expectantly.

“You. You want me to what?” You sputter, startled by his audacity. What business was it of his what his superior officers got up to in their free time, as long as it was legal, safe, sane and consensual?

Leandros sighed, shaking his head a little before saying “If you are asking me to be plain, I shall be. I am surprised that you need me to say it directly, given your career of choice. I want you to step away from them socially and physically in your off time that you have been sharing with them. I would rather you not mention that this was requested of you by a Brother for their own sakes as-” the Sergeant hesitated for a couple of moments, clearly trying to pick his words with care “Captain Sicarius in particular is known for being volatile and quick to anger. Lieutenant Titus and I have a fraught history with one another, but I truly only mean the best for them both.”

That admission caused you to narrow your eyes a little up at him. You’d been taken aback by the sargeant’s request to break up with Cato and Titus, but had thought that he was doing so out of a misguided attempt to help his brothers, or protect them from the inevitable heartbreak, given that you were a baseline human and would live to maybe two hundred years or so with longevity treatments and space marines - unless they were killed in battle or stricken with chaos-fueled infections - could live for over a thousand years. But now you weren’t so sure if this wasn’t some sort of attempt at social sabotage.

A fairly clumsy attempt at social sabotage for an Ultramarine. You’d watched a group of Ultramarines run diplomatic circles around more than a couple of stubborn and haughty inquisitors during your time serving alongside them.

But outright saying no to him while in this confined space and it being your word against his if anything did happen… You let out a long sigh, affecting a thoughtful and sad expression on your face as you say “I will think carefully about your advice, sergeant. Thank you for coming to me with your concerns. I’m sure that you have much to do, and should get back to them.”

Leandros smiled brightly at that, reaching out and patting you lightly on the shoulder. “I am glad that you listened to my concerns, miss. I do hope that you make the right decision.” With that he turned and left your quarantine room, leaving you to your thoughts.

[gallifreyianrosearkytiorsusan]

Knight in Shining, Bloody Armor

Past =-= Next

Author note: Titus and Reader

Summary: Titus finds an upset Serf and tries to help.

Warnings: None? Let me know if I need to add anything.

Tagged: @barn-anon, @bleedingichorhearts, @c-u-c-koo-4-40k, @egrets-not-regrets, @kit-williams,

Tagged continued: @sleepyfan-blog, @whorety-k, @ms--lobotomy @bispecsual @thevoidscreams

Tagged continued: @i-am-a-dragon34, @gra93fruit-blog

You are a dutiful soul, working tirelessly to do your duty for the Imperium. Your job isn't glamorous or important in the full scheme of things.

You are, after all, just a Serf, one who serves aboard McCragge's Honnor. You had don't your best to try to stop crying, part of you wondering just what you had done, or was it simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time?

Captain Sicarius is infamous for his horrible temper and brusque demeanor. You try to rub your face clear of tears frustratedly, you thought you had a thick skin in regards to insults and bullying behaviors.

Granted, when in front of people who treat you poorly you can show a brave, or polite face. That was something you prided yourself on. In an Emergency Situation you kept your head cool and calm, and only collapsed and had a panic attack only after the situation was dealt with.

Unless someone else with higher authority and understanding was in charge, then you reacted like a complete moron, unless you were specifically trained not to act like a jibbering idiot.

But then again, humans, base lines at least, still feel that emotion called fear, which can make even the most intelligent of person do something that could be potentially fatally stupid. Like trying to poor water on a cooking oil fire, or something equally understandably dumb.

You heard a voice rumble out, deep and soothing, and filled with compassionate concern, "Hello? Did you need help with anything?"

You turn to look to see who's talking and try to stop crying, rubbing your face clear of tears as you hurriedly bow to the Lueitenant of the Second Company, Titus. "M-my Lord, forgive me for disturbing you."

"It's alright, I am not distrubed," Titus says kindly, "I heard someone crying and wanted to see what was wrong… if you care to tell me that is."

"I thank you for your concern, my lord," You say bowing your head again. Sometimes, while the Angels of Ultramar can be brusque, rude, and demanding. Other times, and other Angels can be much kinder, more caring, and concerned for the mortals below them and in their care. "I was just… overly sensitive."

It was an interesting dicotomy that you'd started to notice, with certain Serfs helping to warn others of the more Tempermental ones, and the supervisors rewarding or punishing those lower ranked under their perview with serving near the kinder or more stern Lord Angels of Ultramar. Lt. Titus of the Second Company is one of the kinder Lord Angels.

"Hm." Titus says quietly eyeing you assessingly.

He'd heard his wonderful little brother and Captain Titus snarling at some poor Serf recently, which was not a good look. Granted, Cato is known for being a gaint bastard, but such things could make resentments start, flare, and fester within the mortals of the crew.

Which was not good for morale and making sure that those who served them did so without bitterness made it so that Chaos had less of a chance to take a hold of those that tend to their needs. Cato, arrogant brat that he could be, doesn't care about that. Or doesn't care to listen to someone who'd been demoted for un-codex-like behavior.

Despite the fact that the hot head could, and has stretched the limits of Codex-complaint behavior that, had he been any less favored, would have him in hot shit, more often with others of their Chapter.

Favoritism, was unfortunately, something that happened sometimes, with certain blood lines getting better treatment than others. While the Ultramarines try to be a meritocracy, sometimes Noble Borns have an easier time of it then those Ultramarines that come from a lower starting station.

The Captain of the Fourth Company Ventris comes to mind and how he's treated versus Cato in regards to stretching the rules of the Codex.

Not that Titus can say anything about that, or even imply as such. Not with the black marks on his records. Wouldn't want to seem… ungrateful for the position that he has, and the fact that he wasn't killed for his brush against Chaos.

He pulls his mind from his thoughts and focuses back on the young serf, who was watching them with wide eyes. They had a lovely form. Soft looking skin, despite the hard work that they must do in order to be a Serf for the Ultramarines. Titus forcefully pulls his thougths away from admiring their form, wondering where that thought had come from.

Since the Serf doesn't seem willing to tell him what had upset them so, he decided to back off, but kindly reminded them that he would be there if they wanted to talk to him about what had upset them. You were amazed, and also a little curious about why this Angel cared about why some random Serf was so upset. It was nice, even if a more suspicious part of you wondered what it was that he was after.

[ladymirdan]

This codex disappointed me greatly. Not because it was terrible, but because it was genuinely good!

I got these older codices to laugh at the over-the-top “I'm soo cool, fuck you”-attitude, but there was nothing cringe about this codex despite being from 1998 (that isn't present in modern-day Blood Angels too)

I genuinely think this is some of Gav Thorpe's best writing. And the models are gorgeous too. Reading this, I understand their popularity.

[soraka-in-warhammer40k]

It is somewhat weird that with the Deathwatch as part of the Imperial Agents and the Blood Angels being presented as coming soon as well, 10th edition now has FOUR Codex releases of Space Marines before a single Eldar variant is getting anything.

There's some codex releases coming late that are not surprising: Votann and World Eaters being tied to whenever they get their second wave of models done, as that shapes up to be a big one, both versions of Knights, as those play fairly well with just the Index, and stuff like Grey Knights because GW likes to pretend they don't exist.

But getting 3 "special boys space marines" books before you get anything Eldar related, one of the most elemental factions of the setting... I don't even play any sort of Eldar faction and that just looks weird as hell.

[denofimagination-blog]

🔴⚔️ The New Blood Angels Codex is Coming! ⚔️🔴

Prepare your armies for the new rules and strategies that the upcoming Blood Angels codex will bring! To celebrate this occasion, we proudly present our latest painted model - Baal Pattern Predator. 🚀🎨

Let this incredible war machine inspire you to paint and battle! If you need help with painting or conversions, we're here to assist - Commissions - 📨link in Bio 👑

[ikarusix]

Doing a little painting tonight. I’m really hoping that Deathwatch get their own codex/index back as I really miss these models. Inquisitor Draxus is coming along nicely although the wyvern is giving me a headache. The captain with jump pack is for my Blood Angels/Flesh Tearers and is a Deathwatch veteran.

[iloveoutlinesiswear]

The Angels Tenebrae (my homebrew and the chapter my current WIP is about)

A brief history (some bits are left out)

During the Heresy, when the call to Terra rang out, a single company, the 62nd did not reach Terra before the warp storms came. Instead, they were delayed and finally found themselves amidst the ocean of blue that was the Ultramarines fleet. When the storm finally ceased, the 62nd came on with them but when they arrived, they did not know their brothers. Bitter, angry, in mourning, their brothers were afflicted with what would be called the Black Rage. In their distorted minds, their brothers branded the 62nd as failures and outcasts. The 62nd in their turn could not understand, Sanguinius's death did not touch them. They came too late to save their father and no one could stand the sight of them.

Raldoron, in his fury and trauma, banished them from the Imperium for ten thousand years.

The Angels Tenebrae have been patrolling the edges of the galaxy for all that time. Staring out into the void beyond the stars, the void has gotten into them, twisting and mutating them into something more like itself.

No longer able to stand sunlight, or any bright light, their Thirst twisted into something darker and more sensuous, the Tenebrae have abandoned the rage of their red brethren. Speaking in soft hoarse tones, their senses heightened to an almost painful degree, they stalk their old ship, the Lune Sinister, accompanied by a rag tag support fleet. That is, when they are not in stasis, letting the decades slip by unseen.

Yet, while the Imperium might have forgotten them and the Day Children most certainly have save for a few embarrassed references, Cawl did not. Intrigued by the void scarred blood line with its plethora of recessive genes, he sent out his agents and asked for their geneseed. This they gave, uncaring in their lonely vigil.

Now their banishment is over and they have turned their gaze back toward the stars and its bloody wound.

Imagine their surprise when a beacon lit and called them. Imagine their surprise, when two thousand new marines, with new ships, new tanks, new bolters, rose waiting for new commands. A whole new infrastructure works just for them

However the Tenebrae are old, without the codex astartes, without the corrosion of forgetting, without the Lecticio Divinitas, without the Imperium itself. Still thinking of themselves in terms of a legion, fighting for the Emperor's new age, they were utterly alien. The new marines were confused, even as the Tenebrae immediately loosened the grip of hypno indoctrination, thinking it too high. Astartes are Astartes, they were not meant to be robots. By some miracle, the two forces integrate, the old crusaders referred to as elders, the primaris as young brothers.

The Tenebrae started expanding their numbers, not knowing or caring about the limits set by the codex. Indeed, the codex was rejected outright, as a short sighted mistake written by a traumatized primarch.

As a result, the Tenebrae are renegades without even trying. With Nihilus in shambles, no one cares who they are. No one calls out their casual heresies. No one reports them to the Inquisition. The Tenebrae have no idea what they represent.

Even as they fly towards a Ba'al they can't remember, to the brothers that won't know them, to beg forgiveness for sins no one remembers.

Their motto is: Sleep now, we guard the deepest night. Rest easy, we are here with you.

Their armor is black, as in the Imperialis, with a dark red helm and gauntlets.

[arch-magister-khnemu]

THOUSAND SONS next codex after blood angels? LETS GOOOOO

[definitelynotalpharius]

The Codex Leaked (😒big surprise)

Heres my thoughts:

The hallowed Martyrs is still a very good choice, I think it's potentially the most versitile detachment, despite taking a slight nerf to the what used to be The Blade of Saint Elinor.

The Bringers of Flame feels like a mix of the Ebon Chalice and the Argent Shroud, which I'm all for. I am slightly disappointed how little support there is for bolters as a Argent Shroud fan, but tossing in some Flamers and Meltas will still work really nice. Especially now that you have Assault Retributors ;).

Army of Faith is yet another one of my favourites. Very big influence from the Sacred Rose with all the miracles. I really like how all the strategems are completely usable by everyone, however if you bring a whole heap of Seraphim or Zephyrim (which you should, coz they're cheap and very useful for harassing enemies) your strategems become AOEs.

Penitent Host is the last detachment, and works as the defacto agressive melee detachment. As a Blood Angels fan, I love this idea. As a certified ministorum hater, I hate how reliant this is on the arco-flagelants. That being said, I appriciate how agressive you can be with this detachment.

Units:

Morvenn is T7 now, so are the paragons. Morven also can be given a miracle dice (any miracle dice) and she gets extra 3 attacks for Fieldis and her Lance of Ilumination. But wait, theres more: if you kill any models, you get a new miracle dice back.

Dominions now give Scout 6" to any character that joins them. Meaning they might be very usefull with something like a Dogmata with 4 flamers in the Bringers of Flame detachment.

Imagifiers give any unut a 2+ save and a 4+ involnerable.

The tanks now all work together: The Immolator can remove cover bonuses, the Castigator gives everyone an additional -1AP, and the Exorcist had all of it's AP improved from the Index by 1. Very potent combo for removing big threats.

Sacrosancts got a buff. If any character leads them they become -1 to wound. Meaning Hospitallers and Imagifiers might just be very good for leading them and holding objectives.

Crusade:

I don't know how to explain this better than: It's literally just 9th edition rules. Which is great.

As I'm about to finish up a 3 month long crusade with my Heralds of the Chalice, I'm relatively confident in saying that the sisters might be an absolute pain to fight at higher levels with how many buffs you can stack.

Overall:

I really hope GW doesn't decide to be a bunch of cowards and reverse these changes for being "too powerful" because the sisters are so fucking back.

[cardinalcanis]

Masterlist

(Better do this as early as I can because if not I will forget and never do it once the amount grows)

40K

-Roboute Guilliman x Ovidius Sulla (M!OC):

When I Say So (nsfw). Tumblr

Pig (nsfw). Tumblr

The interview. Tumblr

Follow me. Tumblr

Wheel of fortune [Part1]

-Lion El'Jonson x Elric Habermas (M!OC):

I Wish I Had and Angel: [Ch1]

Not this time (nsfw) Tumblr

- F!Jaghatai Khan x Various (M!&F!OCs):

First wife (mild nsfw). Tumblr

-The Viridian Phantoms (OC Space Marine Chapter)

Codex (general information). Tumblr

-->Other people's Phantoms OCs:

Ritual [Tumblr]

Helmet [Tumblr]

Hair [Tumblr]

Demetrian Titus x Mu-Oragon (NB!OC)

Compliance (nsfw) [Tumblr]

-General:

Headcanons and Memes. [x] [x] [x] [x] [x] [x]

-Fic Collabs:

Fire and Blood [Part 1] [Part2] [part3] [part4] [Part 5]

-My OCs written by other people:

Hunger Tumblr

Blessed Be the Forgotten [Part 1] [part2]

Shatter Tumblr

The Guest Tumblr

Saint Seiya

-Athena x Hades :

My Right Alone: AO3

[sleepyfan-blog]

Old Scars

Author's note: This is the next installment of the Bully(ing) Cato Sicarius fic! First. Previous. Next. This fic was beta read by the wonderful @sistersofthelobotomy!

warnings: body horror, medical quarantine, spoilers for Space Marine 1

tagged: @egrets-not-regrets @the-pure-angel @i-am-a-dragon34 @gallifreyianrosearkytiorsusan

Summary: Titus visits you while you're in quarantine. So does Cato.

You couldn’t say how much time passed since your conversation with Sargeant Leandros. At first you had wanted to discard what he told you out of hand as either a clumsy attempt at socially sabotaging one or both of his superior officers… Or he could be one of the Astartes who believed that because they had been so heavily augmented and changed from baseline humanity, it meant that they were inherently superior to baseline humans such as yourself, and to interact more than the bare minimum with such lowly beings was to risk one’s purity.

You’d occasionally encountered Space Marines like that, and a few who thought like that were among the Ultramarines, or had been until Lord Guilliman had harshly reprimanded one such marine for his foolishness publicly. But the more you thought about your interactions with him, the less you believed that he had approached you because of some nefarious scheme, or twisted belief in the superiority of Space Marines above all other beings, including their fellow humans.

If you hadn’t been romantically and sexually entangled with Titus and Cato, would Titus have stayed to help Cato fight the flesh and mechanical chaos horror, while you had been escorted away by the other space marines? You wanted to believe that Titus had followed proper protocol…

But you couldn’t quite be sure. You were well aware of the fact that both Cato and Titus approached using the Codex Astartes as guidelines that could be worked around and were to be flexible, rather than rigidly adhered to at all times in all circumstances.

There was a rapid knock on the door, which was your only warning before Titus rushed into the room. There was blood and oil on his armor, and there was a wild look in his normally gentle and calm eyes as he all but flew to your side, kneeling down to be closer to your level as he dragged you off of the cot you’d been sitting on and into a near rib-crushing hug.

“Titus!” You call out, hugging him back as tightly as you could manage, barely able to breathe. You patted him twice on one shoulder and his grip on you loosened in response. “Titus, what’s wrong? Why are you so upset?”

“I was… I was worried what might have happened to you, after I heard that you were put into quarantine, under suspicion of Chaos Taint.” Titus explained, burying his face in your neck, taking in a deep breath.

They took some blood samples and told me to wait here. I’m going to be checked over by one of the Librarius after the planet has been cleansed of Chaos.” You realized he was trembling a little. You rub circles into his back, wishing that his armor was off, as he’d be able to feel your touch much better that way. “They’ve told me to stay in this room. Other than being a little bored from not having much to do, I’m safe here, love. As safe as I can be.”

“I… I know. I just…” Titus shuddered a little, giving you several gentle kisses to your neck and shoulders “Did you know that I used to be captain of the second company? I was the captain before Cato was appointed, as a matter of fact.”

You blinked a little in surprise, trying to process this information. It certainly explained a few things about why Titus and Cato could be so… Competitive with each other. And the occasional sir that Cato threw Titus’ way, especially when tired or distracted. “I did not know that. What happened?”

“I was sent to deal with an uprising on an imperial world, along with a squad of Ultramarines. One of our number died in the initial fighting, but I was able to reunite with Sidonius and Leandros during the fighting. We fought through many waves of enemies. From hordes of orcs to lesser daemon spawn and chaos marines.” Titus Explained, still holding you tightly to his armored chest as he spoke.

Ceramite was not comfortable to be held against, but your focus was on trying to comfort Titus as he spoke to you about something that clearly upset him very much. You weren't sure what, if anything to say, so you stayed silent.

At the end of it I was able to kill the Chaos Sorcerer that had opened the rift into the warp and with tremendous effort, slew a greater daemon. For this feat, Leandros called the Inquisition on me, fearing that I had been tainted by Chaos, which was why I was able to survive that one on one battle.” Titus explained, face still buried in the crook of your neck, his lips brushing over your skin as he spoke. He seemed to be slowly calming down as he continued the tale, his voice grim “The Inquisitor who arrested me hated Astartes and delighted in torturing us, when he didn’t have us in cryofreeze. He was eventually killed for Heresy and those of us who were trapped by him were put into death watch.”

“But why weren’t you reunited with the Ultramarines, if you were cleared of Chaos Taint?” You ask, deeply confused.

“As you know, Death watch is part of the Inquisition’s forces. We had been told that our chapters no longer wanted us, or that they had decided that the stain on our honor was such that they had washed their hands of us entirely.” Titus admitted, voice shaking a little.

You could feel something warm and wet begin to drop onto one of your shoulders. You hugged him tighter still, running a hand through his buzzcut hair, careful not to snag

your fingers on his ports. “That was obviously a lie they told you to keep you with them…” You kept holding him close, letting him speak at his own pace.

“I was a member of Death Watch, serving them faithfully until Father awoke. He recalled all Ultramarines and successor chapters to Ultramar, including those on loan to the Death Watch. Cato had already been made second captain in my absence, and I found that I had been mourned and missed as killed in action on Graia.” Titus explains, his voice trembling a little less. A small sigh left him as he continued to explain “As my position had been filled, and the Ultramarines don’t demote someone just because a dead brother is in fact alive and still loyal, I was assigned to be lieutenant. We have been working together ever since.”

He stopped speaking for a couple of moments, his lips pressed into a thin line, eyes overweight with bushed tears. There was a clear mix of fury, fear and sorrow running through Titus.

You ran your fingers through his short, dark hair and gave him several gentle kisses to his cheeks, silently encouraging him to continue speaking, if he felt like it.

“I wasn’t the only Brother saved by Father. Captain Ventris was being held by the-... By another chapter of the Adeptus Astartes also closely tied to the Inquisition for successfully dealing with Chaos in another form. When I… When I heard that you were put in quarantine for potential Chaos Taint. I was… I worried for you. Even though Father is unlikely to let the Inquisition just take you.” Titus continued, a low sigh leaving him as he slightly readjusted his grip on you, so that you'd be a bit more comfortable.

“From what I’ve been told, my tests so far have been clean… I also only briefly saw the thing that was apparently the chaos tainted creature.” You soothe, giving him a gentle kiss on the top of his head, allowing him to cry and hold you tightly for as long as he felt that he needed. You were quietly honored that Titus felt safe enough with you to cry and seek you to comfort. “Are you going to be staying long?”

Titus shook his head a little, a small smile appearing on his face as he kissed you, an adoring expression appearing on his face, before he pulled away and gently pressed his forehead to yours, taking in a deep breath and sighing .”I am here to sleep, and then return to the battle. The Chaos Cult has summoned and twisted a number of machines and people and are causing problems. Nothing that we can’t handle, of course. But it will be a long and frustrating campaign. The locals are cooperating with us, or at least the local leadership is.”

“Then you should go rest, love. I’m glad to see you, but you will need to sleep, in order to keep slaying the foes of the Imperium.” You respond. You will tell Ttius and Cato about your conversation with Sargeant Leandros, but not right now. Not when both of them are in the midst of a battle like this. It may prove to be exactly the sort of distraction that Leandros was worried that you would provide them.

“I’d rather sleep here, with you. I’ve proven to be warp resistant, and sleeping with you has been wonderfully grounding.” Titus hummed, a small smile appearing on his face as he leaned into your body. He yawned quietly and nuzzled into your abdomen, his body relaxing around yours.

“Alright… I can’t imagine that this isn’t going to be very comfortable for you, especially half on the ground like that.” You look at the cot and gently encouraging him to lay down on it. You’re not sure if you’re going to sleep for a while yet, having a lot to consider. But you want Titus to get the sleep he needs.

Titus starts to drift off to sleep when Cato enters the room. His armor is also covered in blood, oil and other fluids and joins you and Titus on the cot. It’s a tight fit with the three of you. Titus shifts just enough to snuggle into Cato as well.

Cato yawned and mumbled “Killed the giant bastard. And other things. Missed you.”

“I missed you too, Cato. Sleep well.” You hum, giving him a gentle kiss to the forehead, running the hand that wasn’t buried in TItus’s short hair through Cato’s.

He sleepily kisses you back before settling into bed. He fell asleep in your arms, his breathing deep and even.

You love both of these men deeply. Leandros' words echo in the back of your mind, and despite wanting to discard them out of hand as some sort of political maneuvering or attempt at social sabotage... Why would he? The space marine is one of the both of theirs sergeants. He works with the two of them frequently, and he had seemed earnest in his concern. Were you being selfish and diatracting?