Blood Angels
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Blood Angels | |
|---|---|
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| Primarch | Sanguinius |
| Battlecry | By the Blood of Sanguinius! |
| Colours | Red and Black |
In the fictional universe of Warhammer 40,000, the Blood Angels are one of the twenty First Founding Legions of the Space Marines. They are well known for their bloodthirsty nature in battle, and feared for the curse they carry. They are among the longest lived of the Space Marine chapters with some serving the Emperor for over a thousand years.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Sanguinius
When the twenty genetically engineered superhumans known as the Primarchs were scattered across the galaxy, some were afflicted by forms of mutation. Most affected was the infant that fell to the second moon of the world of Baal, the child-Primarch bearing vestigial wings from the time he was found by Baalite tribe known as The Blood. Although they initially wanted to kill him because of his mutation, the tribe quickly recognised him as an angelic being in both body and soul, and named him Sanguinius, Angel of The Blood.
The tribes of Baal were miserable groups of individuals, trying to eke out an existence from the irradiated deserts of Baal Secondus. The levels of radiation experienced on the moon were capable of killing an unprotected man in seconds. The Baalite tribes were forced to continually wear heavy, cumbersome radiation suits in their nomadic travels, and forced to continually defend themselves from cannibal-mutants.
Sanguinius, like all the Primarchs, grew at an impressive rate. After three weeks, he was strong enough to defeat a Fire Scorpion with his bare hands, a creature that stood twice the height of a grown man, and whose stinger carried a poison virulent enough to burn a man from within. A year after his landing on Baal Secundus, Sanguinius stood taller than any man on the moon. His form was perfect, despite the massive amounts of radiation he was exposed to. His wings had grown strong, pure-white pinions that could carry him into the sky.
Under his guidance and protection, The Blood prospered and grew. They were protected from the mutants that plagued the world of Baal Secundus by Sanguinius, the Primarch capable of defeating hundreds of mutants single handedly. The other pure-blood tribes soon united under Sanguinius' guidance, and a successful war of annihilation was waged against the mutants.
[edit] The Coming of the Emperor
When the Emperor found Baal in his search for the twenty Primarchs, he went to the surface to ascertain if the psychic signature he sensed was that of one of his sons. The Emperor entered the natural amphitheatre being used for the event known as the Conclave of Blood, and stood amongst the soldiers of The Blood, listening with humility to the speech of Sanguinius. The speech was said to lift the souls of Sanguinius's people, and at its conclusion, he soared into the air with a cry that every man present echoed.
It was also recorded that Sanguinius immediately recognized the Emperor for who he was, and bent down on his knee, pledging his service. In this, Sanguinius was one of the few Primarchs who did not challenge the Emperor upon their reunion. The Emperor then took Sanguinius and a number of his best warriors and placed him in the command of the Blood Angels Space Marine Legion.
[edit] The Crusade and the Heresy
The Blood Angels threw themselves into the Great Crusade, quickly finding a role as specialised assault troops, forming a rivalry with the similarly assault-oriented World Eaters Legion.
[edit] Signus Prime
The Horus Heresy background books state that the Blood Angels legion was sent to quell an uprising on the planet of Signus Prime. They discovered that the planet was infested by daemons. During the conflict Sanguinius was nearly killed by the mighty Bloodthirster Lord Ka'bandha. The Primarch's legs were crushed and broken, but instead of killing the defenseless Primarch, the daemon said "Your legs will heal but this wound will always fester." and then the daemon slew hundreds of the primarch's Marines in a single rampage. The psychic backlash of the death of so many of his gene-sons caused the hardy Primarch to black out.
While their Primarch was unconscious, the remaining Blood Angels had a bloodthirsty madness take over them as they slew the remaining chaos cultists and daemonic legions with no mercy (the books hint this is as much the cause of Black Rage as Sanguinius's later death). The Khorne legions themselves, normally nigh-invincible, were banished (although the Ka'bandha betrayal by Keeper of Secrets Kyriss of Slaanesh, self-proclaimed Master of Signus, helped thin the Khornate ranks, before being banished).
When Sanguinius awoke, the surviving Space Marines were sullen and despairing, the berserker rage they experienced having left a brooding shadow on their souls. Not long after, the Blood Angels were recalled to Terra to assist with the defense of the Emperor's Palace, leaving behind the grim memories of Signus Prime.
[edit] The Crusade and the Heresy
The Blood Angels took part in some of the most notable actions of the Horus Heresy, defending numerous worlds against Warmaster Horus and the Traitor Legions. They were present for the final battle, the Siege of the Emperor's Palace. The Blood Angels defended the Imperial Palace with religious fervour. Sanguinius himself led the defence and rallied the Imperial troops while fighting in the air against any Bloodthirsters attempting to breach the walls. When the outer wall was assaulted by scaling engines at three separate times, Sanguinius descended back to earth and prevented the forces of Chaos from scaling the wall.
When the wall was broken by attacks from Chaos Titans, Sanguinius organised the retreat to the inner palace. At the Ultimate Gate, Sanguinius stood alone against the Chaos horde and held it at bay, buying time for the wounded to be carried inside. As the last of the wounded were carried in, Sanguinius turned his back on the horde and strode into the palace, but before the gates could shut, Ka'bandah, the same Bloodthirster the Angel had faced on Signus, attacked the Primarch from behind. The Angel and daemon fought in the air, but Sanguinius, weary and taken by surprise, was cast down. Ang'grath stood over Sanguinius's body and laughed at the grief stricken Blood Angels. However, Sanguinius was not dead. Standing back up, he grabbed Ka'bandah by the throat, lifted the daemon into the air and, twisting its body around, brought the daemon down across his knee, breaking the Bloodthirster's back.
When Horus inexplicably lowered the shields protecting his battle barge (possibly to draw the Emperor to him due to the impending approach of the Dark Angel and Space Wolves Legions), Sanguinius, Rogal Dorn of the Imperial Fists, and the Emperor himself led an assault on the ship, teleporting aboard. The Chaos magics protecting the ship scattered the Emperor's force throughout the ship. Of the three leaders, Sanguinius was the first to make it onto the bridge of the battle barge, confronting the corrupted Warmaster. It is said Sanguinius had the ability of foresight, and as Horus had offered him a way out by joining him it makes his refusal and loyalty to the Emperor all the greater.
Horus attacked Sanguinius, but could not defeat him with martial talent. He was forced to use psyker powers of the Chaos gods, and then finally strangled the Angel with his lightning claw. The Warmaster ensured that Sanguinius's death was the most painful and foul experience possible. The Warmaster's attack was so powerful that Sanguinius's final moments were imprinted on the gene-seed of the Blood Angels. Some Blood Angels believe that during the battle Sanguinius opened a chink in the Warmaster's terminator armour, which allowed the Emperor to deliver a killing blow in their subsequent duel. It's strongly implied this belief has no basis in reality.
[edit] The Curse
The Curse of the Blood Angels has been attributed to a combination of the defects in the Legion's Omophagea gene-seed implant, and the psychic disturbance created during the final seconds of Primarch Sanguinius. Every Space Marine created from the gene-seed of Sanguinius was doomed to fall to the Curse, and in the ten-thousand year history of the Legion (and after the Second Founding, Chapters), only two Space Marines have managed to defeat the Curse (Chief Librarian Mephiston and Brother Rafen both with the assistance of the primarch).
[edit] The Black Rage
The Blood Angels and their Successor Chapters still suffer from the psychic imprint left by Sanguinius's death (or by the "wound" caused on Signus Prime). This can cause them to go insane prior to or during battle and feel the rage of Sanguinius himself during the Battle of Terra. The condition is largely irrecoverable and only a few Blood Angels have managed to defeat the "Gene Curse". Victims are locked away in the "Tower of Amareo" (named after an ancient master of the Blood Angels) on the Blood Angels' homeworld. This insanity is known as the Black Rage.
Rather than let them face a slow, insane death, Blood Angels will form those who have newly succumbed to the Black Rage into a special unit known as the Death Company. They wear specially painted black armour, and are often led by the few Chapter officers, notably Chaplains, who are able to communicate orders to the insane troops. They are then sent out to perform the most dangerous assaults, hoping for a quick and honourable death in combat.
[edit] The Red Thirst
A side effect of the Black Rage is the Blood Angels' vampire-like tendencies. They generally have pale skin, and a strong urge to drink the blood of their enemies. This flaw is known as the Red Thirst. These traits have also been passed on to their successor chapters, such as the Flesh Tearers, Blood Drinkers, and Angels Sanguine.
One Successor Chapter, the Lamenters, managed, by unknown means, to eliminate the flaws from Sanguinius' gene-seed, but has been stricken by extraordinary bad luck in battle and as such has been nearly annihilated.
[edit] Blood Angels who have overcome the curse
- Lord Mephiston: Originally Brother Calistarius, he was first overcome by the Curse during the Battle of Armageddon and suffered for 7 days and nights under it until a vision of Sanguinius helped him fight off the effects. He was reborn Mephiston – Lord of Death.
[edit] Organisation
The Blood Angels and their successors adhere to the Codex Astartes in general, but deviate in several regards. The most obvious of these is the preponderance of close-combat troops. The role of Assault Marine is heavily sought, and the entire First Company fights as assault troops when not deployed as Terminators. The entire Eighth Company is tooled towards assault combat; the Marines that do not gain access to Jump Packs before a battle often deploy in support of their rapid moving brethren, through the use of Land Speeders and attack bikes. Even the Librarians of the Blood Angels chapter excel at hand to hand fighting.
The remaining Companies deploy as per the Codex Astartes, but often modify the engines of the Rhino APCs assigned to them in order to increase their speed. These modifications have a negative effect on the vehicle as a whole, and Blood Angels Rhinos are prone to breakdowns if their engines are pushed too hard.
Other vehicles have been modified by the Blood Angels. The Baal Predator mounts a twin-linked assault cannon, and is modified to lay down a torrent of fire as the Blood Angels advance, devastating infantry and light vehicles. The Furioso Dreadnought neglects the heavy weaponry normally carried by Space Marine Dreadnoughts, replacing it with a second close combat weapon.
The Blood Angels headquarters division contains several ranks not present in other Space Marine Chapters. The Sanguinary Priests are the custodians of the blood of Sanguinius himself. They serve as Apothecaries, as well as partially fulfilling the role of spiritual leaders within the Chapter. The role of Chaplains also differs in the Blood Angels chapter as their responsibilities are solely geared towards guarding against the Black Rage and ministering to those who fall to both it and the Red Thirst.
Most notable of the deviances from the Codex Astartes is the Death Company. Not an actual part of the Blood Angels' standard organisation, the Death Company is made up of those unfortunates who completely succumb to the Black Rage just before a battle. These fanatical troops are led into battle by a Sanguiniary Priest or Chaplain. The Marines of the Death Company are unstoppable, fighting on with wounds that would stop even a Space Marine.
[edit] Headquarters
The Fortress-Monastery of the Blood Angels is located on the world of Baal, and recruits are taken from the moon of Baal Secondus. The world and its moons were once Earth-like in their climate, but have since become wastelands. Evidence points to a nuclear war at some point prior to the Age of Strife, destroying the sophisticated human culture that inhabited the world and its moons.
The few survivors became scavengers, relying on cumbersome radiation suits to protect them from the fatal levels of radiation, and picking from the scraps of their once-great society to survive. Some of the survivors resorted to cannibalism to survive, and others became horribly mutated as an effect of the radiation.
[edit] Recruitment
To ascertain who is worthy to join the ranks of the Blood Angels, the adolescents of the tribes of Baal Secondus take part in violent games and tournaments, battling against the harsh landscape and their peers. The contests are held at 'Angel's Fall', the location of Sanguinius' landing, and are heralded by the arrival of Thunderhawk Gunships from the Chapter.
The first challenge is to reach the 'Place of Challenge' by any means necessary. The aspirants must make their way across the hostile desert, leaping from high cliffs with only a crude hang-glider to cross the gap with. They must avoid Fire Scorpions and other predator species that inhabit the canyons, then climb the mountain to the Place of Challenge.
Upon arrival, gladiatorial contests are held, of which only a handful of the original aspirants will survive. From this group, roughly fifty will be taken by the Blood Angels, while the remainder are tasked to protect the Place of Challenge until the next generation's aspirants begin their competition for acceptance.
The successful aspirants are taken to the Blood Angels' fortress-monastery on Baal itself, and are paraded before members of the Chapter, before being escorted into the Great Chapel. Here, the aspirants must observe a three-day vigil without sustenance or rest; those who fall asleep are taken away and never seen again. At the conclusion of the three days, a group of Sanguiniary Priests will enter and offer each aspirant a sip from a chalice believed to contain some of Sanguinius' blood. Upon drinking this, the aspirants fall into a deep sleep, during which the gene-seed implants of the Chapter are inserted into the body of each aspirant.
Still asleep, the aspirants are then carried to the Hall of Sarcophagi, and interred in great golden sarcophagi, each twice the size of a grown man. The aspirants are attached to an array of life support equipment, before being sealed in for a year. They are fed intravenously, the combination of nutrients and the Blood of Sanguinius instigating the changes in the aspirant's body necessary to make him a Space Marine. Many aspirants fail at this point, their bodies unable to cope with the massive changes wrought by the gene-seed. Those that survive grow strong and pure, granted visions and dreams that depict the memory of Sanguinius. On rare occasion, an aspirant will awaken well before the year is up, and will be forced to live in a claustrophobic, blood-sodden darkness. These unfortunates emerge from the sarcophagi catatonic, insane, or worse.
After the year has passed, the aspirants are awoken and retrieved from their imprisonment. They bear little physical resemblance to the frail, radiation-warped adolescents that entered a year before. Their restructured bodies take on a form reminiscent of their Primarch, keener and stronger than any mortal man. Even so, they have only completed the first stage of becoming a Space Marine. There is then the typical tradition of serving in the 10th Company Scout force before joining one of the other companies as a fully fledged marine.
[edit] Combat Doctrine
The Companies of the Blood Angels generally fight in the same fashion as other Space Marine forces. However, they cannot be counted upon to hold a position in the same disciplined way as the Ultramarines or Dark Angels, as the Black Rage can afflict any Marine in the midst of battle, inciting them to charge forward in an attempt to tear the enemy limb from limb. This often has the benefit of creating victories in the unlikeliest situations, although most Imperial Commanders will refrain from asking for the assistance of the Blood Angels unless absolutely necessary.
[edit] Battlecry
"By the Blood of Sanguinius" Or "For the Emperor and Sanguinius, DEATH, DEATH!"
[edit] Appearance
The Blood Angels paint their armour blood red, with a black Chapter symbol, and tactical markings in the colouration of the Marine's Company. Helmets are coloured depending on the Marine's assigned role; red for Tactical, blue for Devastator, and yellow for Assault. Members of the First Company will often have gold helmets
The Death Company vary significantly from their brethren; their armour is repainted black, with red crosses, symbolising the sacrifice of Sanguinius.
The Chapter's symbol is of a blood drop flanked by white wings. When portrayed on armour, this design is stylised and painted black or yellow.
[edit] Inspiration
Sanguinius is derived from classic myths of Angels, in particular Saint Michael who is considered the general of the seraphim. In some ways Sanguinius may even resemble Jesus: he is a favored son of a deity, is of a perfect character, and sacrificed himself for the betterment of Mankind. Sanguinius' blood is also used by the Blood Angels for their Gene-seed technology, a possible reference to the rite of Communion.
[edit] Notable Members
- Commander Dante - Chapter Master during the 41st millennium.
- Lord Mephiston - Chief Librarian during the 41st millennium. He gained immense power after overcoming the Black Rage.
- Brother-Captain Tycho - Commander of the Blood Angels' Third Company. Half his face was destroyed during the Second War for Armageddon which affected his psyche. He constantly thirsts for revenge against the orks who wounded him. He finally attained peace when he died during his actions in the Third War for Armageddon.
- Chaplain Lemartes - known as the "Guardian of the Lost." His stern voice can cut through even the battle frenzy induced by the Black Rage.
- Brother Corbulo - mightiest amongst the Sanguinary priests and Bearer of the Red Grail.
- Moriar the Chosen - Once a captain of the Blood Angels he fell in battle and so great were his deeds he was honoured by being entombed in a Dreadnought - a walking mechanical sarcophagus bristling with powerful weaponry. However upon entering his new body he experienced the visions of Sanguinius during the Heresy and succumbed to the Black Rage thus becoming the Death Company Dreadnought - an almost unstoppable force in battle.
- Brother Rafen - From the books Deus Encarmine and Deus Sanguinius. He saves the Blood Angel Chapter from a bloody civil war but in doing so is forced to kill his blood brother Arkio. He is also one of the few Blood Angels to defeat the Gene Curse.
- Arkio the Blessed - Featured in the books Deus Encarmine and Deus Sanguinius. He was a pawn of Tzeentch mutated to resemble Sanguinius in order to try and take control of the Blood Angels chapter, but was killed by his genetic brother, Rafen, at the Battle of Sabien.
- Captain Leonatos - Hero of the Blood Quest, exiled until the Blade Encarmine is recovered.
[edit] References
- (October 2001) "Index Astartes – Blood Angels". White Dwarf: Australian Edition (262). ISSN 0265-8712.
- Swallow, James (2004). Deus Encarmine. Nottingham: Black Library. ISBN 1-84416-154-4.
- Swallow, James (2004). Deus Sanguinius. Nottingham: Black Library. ISBN 1-84416-155-2.
- Thorpe, Gav (2001). Warhammer 40,000 Codex: Blood Angels. Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-869893-45-X.
[edit] Footnotes
- ↑ The occurrence of cannibalism among the inhabitants of Baal Secundas is also what has spurred debate with regards to the cause of Blood Angels' vampiric tendencies, and whether or not the thirst for blood is actually a defect of the aspirants themselves, or the flawed seed of Sanguinius.
- ↑ This typical tradition is debated canon wise with the reference in Codex: Blood Angels that the Chapter does not have a 10th company and rather "scouts are chosen from fiery individuals within chapter".
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