[hider=Mephimedes] [b]Name:[/b] Mephimedes Ventarian [b]Chapter:[/b] The Angel Guard [b]Chapter Demeanour:[/b] (The wiki and any information I could get on the Angel Guard were pretty limited, so I'm going to make things up I feel would fit them a little bit and the concept I have for my character) Founded from the Raven Guard gene-seed, the Angel Guards share some of the same qualities as their predecessors. The sharp mind and high tactical acumen; they see themselves as a more benevolent version of the Raven Guard, primarily focused on defending worlds that belong to the Imperium of Man rather than going on the offensive. They are a Chapter that will fight fiercely for a world, especially those on the fringes of the Imperium, often fighting to the last man to push back the xenos invasion. Mephimedes shares much in qualities with his Chapter. He is quick thinking and tactical mind. Though not enough to have put him in a tactical squad. He always looks for distinct advantages he may get during a firefight, and uses those to outmaneuver his enemies and take them out. [b]Personal Demeanour:[/b] [list] [*]Clever, witty [list] [*] Many would say that Mephimedes has a tongue on him, a man that never shuts up. He's the type of person that talks just to fill in the void of silence while on the march, or in the barracks. Often spouting out jokes or ribbing his fellow marines with the occasional roast and encouraging them to engage in conversation. He does this, on a subconscious level, to keep his mind active and away from the horrors he's faced, as a sort of distraction so he doesn't have to deal with what he has done in his past. [/list] [*] Stubborn [list] [*] Once his mind has been set on something, it's quite difficult to get him to move away from it. If he thinks a plan that he made is sound, it'll take a lot of effort to talk him out of it, and sometimes he'll just go through with it to his own detriment. He won't outright defy his superiors, but he is known to glower if he is given a direct order to abandon what he thinks is the right course of action. Often mumbling to himself until he finds something else to be stubborn about. [*] Although, if he is presented with a logical explanation of why a plan he has chosen is wrong, he will accede to the logic and the experience of a superior officer. [/list] [*] Innovative [list] [*] Perhaps one of Mephimedes strongest qualities is his innovation. In tandem with his stubbornness, if an objective cannot be completed, he will find another way to complete it or make a way for himself and his brothers. Impossible holds no sway to him; it's only impossible because no one has found a way to do it yet, at least that's how he thinks. Facing innumerable odds in the battlefield, or coming up with a viable strategy to storm a near impenetrable ship just above orbit are seen only as ways for him to flex his creative mind. A lot of his plans work, and a lot don't -- which has placed him in sticky situations more often than not and forced to make on-the-spot wild plans to get himself and his brothers out of that situation. [/list] [*] Compulsive and materialistic [list] [*] A somewhat unique aspect of Mephimedes is his compulsive need of materialistic fetishes. Whether it be the ears of fallen enemies, finger bones, locks of hair. It doesn't matter to him. As long as he killed something, he has a compulsive need to take a trophy and his mind will nag him incessantly as long so long as he doesn't do it. Becoming finicky, agitated, and even upset sometimes. The trophies he gets he puts in his own quarters on a sort of "trophy wall" which he takes great care of and makes sure all of his trophies are treated to prevent decay. [/list] [/list] [u]Motivations:[/u] [list] [*] Bring glory to the Imperium of Man [*] After having seen a planet he was stationed on wiped out due to xenos invasions, he wants nothing more than prevent the loss of human life due to the xenos [/list] [u]Hatreds and Grudges[/u] [list] [*] Mephimedes has a particular hatred for Orks. Not because they're different, but because of their invasive, extremely hostile nature to take over a planet. [*] He has a grudge against a fellow brother, Karlack Rockwalker, who ordered his squad to abandon theirs due to the unfavourable situation Mephimedes put them in. He manged to get out alive but has never forgiven the sergeant for his actions. [/list] [b]Speciality:[/b] Tactical [b]Rank:[/b] Veteran Sergeant [b]Power Armour History:[/b] There is no particular historical significance to be found with Mephimedes' power armour. However, it was given to him when he was promoted to Sergeant as a way to mitigate the damage he may earn during missions. Although not much different from any other power armour, Mephimedes' does have a reinforced Plastron to protect his vital organs. The Power Armour came with the attached note: "May your dumb ideas be less fatal". [b]Description:[/b] Like any Astartes, Mephimedes is tall and imposing. Dark skin with dreads that fall to his shoulders, and a set mean look that makes him appear more hostile and violent than he really is. His eyes are stark, cold blue flecked with gold and amber. Along his body are several tattoos commemorating his most memorable tattoos as well as a tattoo on his back depicting his devotion to defend the Imperium of Man, showing a Power Armour helmet guarding all of Terra. On his forearms are tattooed set of scrolls written with a vow to obey and defend mankind and to sacrifice his own life for the betterment of the Imperium. The rest of his body, aside from the tattoos, are marked with numerable scars, some of which he doesn't remember how he got, and others with impressive stories behind them. When out of his armour, he wears a simple green shirt and a pair of fitting pants. Usually considered his leisure wear, and he only changes into robes when he's meeting with superior officers or going to important places that don't require his power armour. [b]Skills:[/b] [list] [*] Tactical acumen [list] [*]Mephimedes gained this skill mostly from the gene-seed, but also because of his natural tendency to make on-the spot tactical decisions. He's survived long enough and has earned sufficient experience to have made this particular skill extremely deadly in the right situations. Specifically in the case of counter-attacks and defensive strategies. [/list] [*] Rapid fire accuracy [list] [*] Not exactly the most flashy of skills, but having put himself and his squad in sticky situations more than once, his accuracy with rapid fire, along with his incredible reflexes has saved him and his squad more than once. A skill that has been honed over time, he can be incredibly accurate with off-the-cuff shots. Not as accurate as one who takes time to aim, but enough so that he can get behind cover while taking down a number of xenos within that first split second. [/list] [*] Long distance accuracy [list] [*] Although Mephimedes prefers close distance tactical firefights, he has training with long distance shots. The capability to shoot moving targets of significant distances and take out more than one in only a couple of seconds. There are others who are far more skilled than him, but if his squad is need of a long-range support, he can take the role with confidence that he'll protect the backs of his brothers. He learned this skill through defending the various forts he was stationed at, often having to repel xenos attacks from the tops of towers. [/list] [/list] [b]History:[/b] Mephimedes began his career as a Space Marine in the fortress world of Nilohines, where the Angel Guard were stationed temporarily to fend off a series of xenos invasion attempts into Imperium-controlled space. His life as a scout was difficult at fist, especially considering they were on the fringes of the Imperium, fighting off and deflecting xenos attacks. His early missions would often include reconnaissance missions and information gathering; sometimes even being deployed out into the fields with the full Space Marines as a vanguard and scout. He showed his inherit tactical ability when, while scouting a nearby planet, his squad discovered xenos activity in a base that was preparing to launch an attack on Nilohines. He devised a plan to go in and disrupt the xenos’ anti-spacecraft missiles for an eventual marine landing, which ultimately led to the success of the Space Marines in driving out the xenos threat from that planet. Mephimedes continued to make tactical decisions on the field, often taking the initiative in his squad until he was promoted and put into the reserves as a full Space Marine. He continued to hone his skills, defending the fort they were stationed in with long-rage stalker bolters, or even occasionally manning anti-spacecraft missile launchers. Eventually, after several missions of proving his worth and showing his acumen as a soldier and as a space marine, Mephimedes was put into the third company and placed into the fifth tactical squad. He witnessed several battles and completed a number of missions while there, climbing through the ranks until he became his squad’s sergeant. It was then that a relatively nearby hive planet, Atrilara, was under an Ork invasion. His company, along with a few others, immediately went to assess the situation with reports that the Orks had completely infested the planet and managed to germinate themselves into it. The order for exterminatus came almost immediately – if they were allowed to expand, they’d infest the entire system. But Mephimedes had other ideas. The loss of life seemed wasteful to him, especially on a planet that produced resources for the Imperium. He advised his captain to land, to at least give them a chance to save the planet before the exterminatus was carried out. He agreed tentatively and sent down three squads, including Mephimedes’, to take care of the Ork threat. They went down and, with millions of Imperial Guards at their side, managed to mount a counter offensive against the Orks, raiding and destroying whatever bases they managed to procure. The battles were gruesome and led to heavy loss of life. But they managed to locate the plot of lands where the Orks germinated their seeds and Mephimedes devised a plan to drop several explosives on the land while a squad held the Orks’ attention. The plan was insane due to the sheer number of Orks already present, and Karlack Rockwalker said as much before taking his squad back to the Angel Guard ship. Mephimedes was left with his own squad, a handful of millions of Imperial Guard, and a number of squad-less Marines after their own squads had been decimated. He used his own squad as bait for the Orks, bunkering down in a nearby liberated fort, while the Imperial Guard, led by a handful of Marines, bombed the seeded land before attacking the Orks from the rear. His insane plan destroyed the remaining Orks and saved the planet. He was given a scolding for his actions but was nonetheless promoted to join the first company as a Veteran Sergeant. Karlack was outraged and tried to protest the captain’s decision of Mephimedes’ promotion, and the grueling hatred between both men only increased. Several missions passed by until word came that Mephimedes was invited to join the Deathwatch. He accepted the honour greatly and set off to take his oaths at the fortress. [b]Equipment and Armament:[/b] [list] [*] Power Armour [*] Standard space marine robes [*] Bolter [*] Frag and krak grenades [*] Power Sword as a side-arm [/list] [b]Miscellaneous:[/b] His squad, while a Battlebrother took to calling him Silence because of his nonstop talkative nature and the name stuck. [/hider]