Harbringer

Shock & A.W.E. [Redux]

After Wolfgang opened his mouth again, Richard could feel the competitive blood in his body welling up. Another martial artist eh? Perhaps he can be of more challenge than the others he found in the gym. Unconsciously, he clenched and unclenched his fist, a small smile appearing under his face, but this was not the smile of a teammate sharing a common interest, it was the one of a predator sizing up its next prey. However, the wavering in his voice was not lost on Richard, and he felt a bit of pity for him. The A.W.E company that sponsored him probably controlled his life too much, so he knew nothing more than combat. He was, for all intents and purposes, a puppet for them to test their newest toys. That said, his father often used him as a test subject. Perhaps they were even more alike than he had thought, though he would never admit it. Come to think of it, after his feedback about the FIEND model, Richard’s father became very enthusiastic, saying something about a possible new model. He inwardly rolled his eyes when he heard that. Switching between models was interesting and all, but it affected his specialisation. Way too much.

Sasha’s hobbies were more…interesting to say the least. Unlike the rest of them, she probably had not had a military upbringing, and her little pleasures reflected that. Although trashy books were common to any teenager around their age, especially the military, though for some reason more common with women than men. Men preferred pictures. Dance though. That perplexed him a little for someone who used a heavy machine. If she was so limber and fast enough to dance, then should she not be in a lighter model? Rubbing the stubble on the bottom of his chin, he thought about it for a second. There were several types of dance of course, but he could harly imagine the new Russian doing some…robust style of dancing. It became clear when she said ballet, but that just perplexed him more. She really should have been in a lighter unit…When she mentioned that she would enjoy watching Feurer and him…perform…in future, a small smile appeared on his face. “I think I will enjoy it too, madame,” he said, swapping a quick look with Wolfgang.

Thessalia was next, and her explanation was as blunt as it was succinct. Just as he had suspected, really. Like him though, her eyes were locked on someone else, and her mind was focussing on another person. Stealthily, he cast a glance towards Roman, an arm ready to grab his arm and lock him down under the guise of a friendly back pat. Richard noticed the colour drain away from his face, but there was something there that was usually never there. There was the tiniest tint of confidence in his voice that surprised him. Was he actually…going to introduce himself without being surreptitiously pinned down where he stood? Richard felt a small smile emerging onto his face and a swelling of pride in his breast. Was he finally growing out of his introverted behaviour? The smile disappeared a few seconds later. Or…was Jack just gaining power slowly, but surely. One answer pleased him, the other he had mixed feelings about.

Just as Jack was finally coming out of his shell, a loud booming voice interrupted them from the loudspeaker in the corner. At the loud bark of Landsfeldt, Richard’s head instantly snapped around, and he had to resist the urge to salute the invisible commander. Nevertheless, his back became ramrod straight and his chin was held up high, as if he had a stock collar. After a lack of further speech, Richard wondered if he had just done this to prevent them tearing each other’s throats out in case of emergency, but it came back a second later with a hint of anger in it.

"-uit yer bitchin' already Sa'eed! You can throw a tantrum at Balwin if you want, but g-"

Did he say a hint? He meant seething with anger. Richard didn’t know if the Colonel had meant for them to hear that or not, but either way, the cadets found themselves staring at each other in confusion. It also seemed that this…Sa’eed person would not live a long and comfortable life as long as Landsfeldt was still alive. However long that may be, although it may as well be forever since Richard was already sure most of his organs had been replaced by machines. The man was already a living relic, so he wouldn’t be surprised if by the time Richard died of old age, or war, the Colonel was still alive and kicking.

After the brief bout of silence, the Colonel’s voice came in again, this time, more composed and refined.

"Ahem... Cadets! I have some good news! Despite some individuals trying to undercut my selection, I managed to get who was and is to be your third new teammate back. She should be arriving at your dorm in a matter of sec- Ah, there she is. Everyone, play nice, and make my work worth it!"

Another teammate? Underneath his sunglasses, he raised an eyebrow. The Colonel really did pull out all the stops didn’t he? He had to wonder who the new person was. It seemed he wouldn’t have to wait long though, with the door opening to reveal their final team member

It appeared that their final team member was of Asian descent, and from the facial structure, he could guess where she was from. SPIRIT dealt with the Chinese companies a lot, mainly for raw materials and mass production, and as such, he had grown up with constantly hearing their language in the halls of the SPIRIT labs. Even so, it all sounded like gibberish to him, apart from a few words which he managed to pick up. And even then, it wasn’t the best pronounced or the most extensive vocabulary. Hell, even his French was better than it, and that was saying something. Then again, he had never had any formal training in the Chinese language. Inwardly, Richard cleared his mind as he realised he was going off topic.

As she gave her little introduction, Richard leaned back in his seat and rubbed his chin. She was part of the original team? With Karl and…what was her name? The other Russian woman? Maroon? He furrowed his brow as he tried to think before realising he was being rude. Either way, that association did not bode well, but the Colonel did say that she would fit well with them, but only time would tell if they really could mesh together as a team. As he tuned back in, he realised that this Hu-Shi girl was listing her hobbies…and they were all so archaic. Apart from cooking. It was nice to have someone else who appreciated the culinary arts. When she opened the box though, a heavenly smell drifted out, dragging Richard by the nostrils. The smell of sweet pastry, slightly melted chocolate and creamy milk. This took him back, all the way back to England, before DEMON was taken over by SPIRIT. His mother would always bake in her spare time, with Richard helping out, or rather, making a nuisance of himself. Come to think of it, that was where he had started cooking too, making biscuits, scones and crumpets. He chuckled. He liked this new one already.

“Well, it’s always nice to have another chef in the squad,” Richard said as he plucked a biscuit from the box, examining its perfectly rounded shape, before popping it into his mouth. The taste was sweet, but mild, and the pastry crumbled in his mouth after a single bite. He raised his eyebrows. He hadn’t had a biscuit this good in a while. “Hey, you’re good,” he said as he swallowed the mouthful of crumbs, wiping away a few that had made it into the corners of his mouth, “but you know what would make this better? A good cup of tea.” Standing up, Richard dusted his clothes off and tapped the side of his glasses, turning the lenses clear. He no longer needed to hide himself. They were all teammates now after all. Taking another biscuit as he meandered into the kitchen, he popped the larger one into his mouth, holding it there with his lips as he rifled through the cabinets for that tin of tea that he had brought with him. “Would anyone else like some?” he shouted from the kitchen, a little bit muffled from the cookie in his mouth.

DEATHWATCH "First Amongst Equals" Advanced RP & Tabletop

*Sits in the corner, drinking tea*

His grammar does give me a little cause for concern though. Then again, none of us are perfect, the Sons of the Lion know this very well.

DEATHWATCH "First Amongst Equals" Advanced RP & Tabletop

Updated my Character

DEATHWATCH "First Amongst Equals" Advanced RP & Tabletop

Bowing his head, hands locked in prayer as the Thunderhawk drifted through the endless void of space, Brother-Apothecary Alaric mouthed a silent prayer to the Emperor. He had been in this state ever since leaving The Rock. Finally, after a few more minutes of silence, his eyes flicked open, revealing twin icy blue orbs that pierced the veil of space. His breathing deepened as he once more became aware of reality As soon as his vision returned, he found himself staring at his own reflection in the frost covered window. He had removed his helmet, which now sat immobile next to him, glaring angrily at the cockpit with its dull maroon eyes. His face was lined by age and stress, but still bearing a cherubic image iconic of his Chapter reminiscent of the angels surrounding the Emperor on the tapestries strewn across the walls of The Rock. His short cropped blonde hair was slicked back under the beige hood that encompassed his armoured body, hiding the majority of his form, but his bulk was unmistakable. The two silver service studs driven into his brow shined dimly in the light of the Thunderhawk. It had been an odd series of events that had lead to today, and as he looked out at the stars which floated past him, Alaric could not help but think back to the events a week before.

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Kneeled before the great statue of the Emperor deep within the depths of The Rock, Alaric had his head bowed with the rest of his brothers as their Chaplain led them in prayer. He knelt with the rest of the Apothecaries in the front line, their bone white power armour in stark contrast to the deep green hues of the rest of the Chapter behind them. The Narthecium, the tool of his trade, was in its inert form, all drills and needles having been retracted into the hollows within its structure. His hands were clasped in front of his head as the roiling words of the chaplain spread through his mind, easing his fears and calming his body as the sibilant tones of his voice echoed through his ears. “And despite all his attentions, The Emperor Protects,” The chaplain said as he raised his Crozius Arcanum, finishing the sermon. “The Emperor Protects,” the rest of the chapter echoed, ending their silence. As one, the Space Marines rose up and started off back into their Fortress-Monastery, to return to their duties. Alaric was about return to the Apothecarium himself, but stopped as an armoured gauntlet rang on his pauldron. Turning his head to face his interloper, he found himself staring into the rictus skull mask of the Chaplain. “Apothecary, a moment please,” rang the metal-grilled voice of the Chaplain. “Of course, Interrogator-Chaplain, ” Alaric replied, bowing his head in deference, while at the same time wondering what was going on.

As the rest of the brothers filed out of the hall, the only ones that remained were Alaric, the Interrogator-Chaplain and for some reason, the Head Apothecary. A third brother then walked through the arched walkway, wearing the distinctive beige robes of the Deathwing, joining the trio in the chapel. With a nod to the chaplain, he then left once more, and the Chaplain promptly followed. Without a word, Alaric followed behind him, flanked by the Head Apothecary. At this point, he was starting to feel a little apprehensive. Why was everyone so quiet? Had he made some sort of transgression? Had he broken the Codex Astartes? It wasn’t likely since he had not been on active combat duty for a while, but perhaps he had done something else wrong. He hardened himself. Let whatever may come, come. He was a space marine, one of the Emperor’s finest. He would not cower from what his own Brothers had in store for him. If he must die to repent in the Emperor’s name, so be it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

As the party ventured deeper into The Rock, Alaric became aware of the drop in temperature, and the pedometer in his suit had already registered a total of more than 1000 steps. There were going very deep into their fortress. Finally, they seemed to come across a dead end, and Alaric started to wonder if they had gotten lost, but at a inaudible command from the chaplain, the sheer basalt wall ground down into the ground, allowing them further into the passage, lit only by silverthorn braziers rather than the fading glowglobes from before. As he stepped over the threshold, Alaric became aware of the noise of the basalt door grinding its way back up into place. He made an inaudible gulp. He had never been this deep into The Rock, and unlike the medical anticeptic smell of the Apothecarium, this place was filled with the heady scent of incense, dust and age. Every step he took left the imprint of his boots in the dust as he followed behind the Chaplain and Deathwing veteran. Once again, he steeled himself. His faith in the Emperor was absolute, and he would hold it no matter what fate may bring.

Finally, the group came across what seemed to be a natural cavern in the asteroid, and they came to a halt. The Deathwing Veteran stepped to one of the sides of the door and another emerged from within its dimly lit depths to take position on the opposite side. The Interrogator-chaplain nodded to them before stepping into the chamber, closely followed by the Head Apothecary and Alaric himself. The two Deathwing members proceeded to close up behind him, obscuring any attempts to get in. Closing his eyes for a moment, allowing his occulobe to adjust to the low light, Alaric then proceeded to scout the room as more and more of the chamber became visible. It was indeed a natural cavern. Stalactites and stalagmites were scattered around the room, and the constant dripping of water was heard. A single man in white robed armour stood with his back to him, his short black hair in stark contrast to the rest of his armour. The Chaplain and Apothecary approached the man and spoke a few words, gesturing to Alaric. The man nodded.

Turning around, the man turned out to be Azrael, their rarely seen Supreme Grand Master. Taken aback for a second, Alaric bent down to one knee, showing deference to their Chapter Master. “Rise, Apothecary,” came his deep powerful voice. With the whine of servos, Alaric rose once more to his feet, facing his Chapter Master with a level gaze. Whatever he had done must have been major. There was a moment of silence as the two locked gazes, Azrael measuring him, with Alaric refusing to back ground. Whatever the Chapter Master held for him was what the Emperor himself decided, and he would not run from it. A small smile tugged at the corner of Azrael’s mouth. “Rejoice, Brother-Apothecary Alaric,” Azrael said as he paced around him, each footstep echoing in the darkness, “for you have been chosen for one of the Emperor’s most important tasks.” Making a full revolution, Azrael stopped in front of Alaric’s face, the wry smile staying in the corner of his mouth. “You have been chosen for the Deathwatch.” Alaric’s eyes widened. The Deathwatch was something that only the most experienced and elite marines were chosen for, while he was a mere century old. Why him? As he opened his mouth, Azrael held up a hand to silence him. “I realise that this may seem strange to you, whom is on the younger end of the spectrum, Apothecary, but rest assured that you have the blessings of both myself, your master, and the Chaplains, and even Asmodai has begrudgingly accepted you. “But Master, I have not done anything of note yet and I-“ Alaric started, before Azrael cut him off, holding his hand up “Think back to your last mission on Parius Omega, and you will realise why we chose you,’ he said.

He immediately closed his mouth as he thought back to those events. He realised why. Running through a storm of slugs and heavy bolter rounds, and even after taking a plasma round to the leg, Alaric had managed to tend to his comrades on the front line, administering the Emperor’s Mercy to those gravely wounded, while collecting the progenoid glands of others and tending to the wounds of those lightly wounded. “You are willing to endanger yourself in order to ensure the safety of your brothers,” Azrael said, placing an armoured gauntlet over Alaric’s head, as if blessing him, “more so than any other Apothecary, and it is for that reason that we have chosen to send you…Alaric.” Keeping his head bowed, Alaric said nothing. Finally, he opened his mouth. “I…accept this honour, Supreme Grand Master…” he said as he dropped to one knee again, “To do the Emperor’s work is the greatest reward.” Azrael nodded and dragged him to his feet. “Before that though…let me tell you a story…do you know of the ‘Tale of Two-Heads talking’?” he asked, the chaplain falling in with him. “The old tale which is told to us as initiates?” Alaric replied questioningly. Azrael nodded. “It has a much deeper meaning…but one which you must never tell anyone, not even your own comrades, for you see, the tale refers to that of our Primarch, Lion El’Jonson.”

Quivering slightly as he emerged back into The Rock, amongst the rest of his Brothers, Alaric tightened his fist. It was not fear he shook with, nor the cold. It was rage. Rage that his own brothers could bear to do something like betray the immortal Emperor. He gritted his teeth. He had been informed of the Fallen, those Dark Angels who had betrayed their Chapter and the Imperium, and they disgusted him to no end. During his seconding to the Deathwatch, he was to look out for signs of the Fallen…and eliminate any he found. With this grim, secondary purpose in his heart, Alaric stalked off to prepare his gear.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Brother, your Thunderhawk has arrived,” said the voice of the Master Apothecary. Kneeling in prayer in front of the statue of the Emperor, Alaric had been focussing his mind on the task ahead, ensuring that he would not fail. His lips moved in silent prayer as he invoked the Emperor’s protection, and his hands were clasped in prayer, for once shed of their metallic second skin. His white gauntlet and Narthecium lay on the ground in front of him as his naked hands beseeched the Emperor for his wisdom, hoping for his benevolent aid in the days to come. “Brother,” the Master Apothecary prompted once more. Flicking his eyes open, Alaric nodded, “I will be there at once,” he said as he started to reattach his gauntlets, hearing the hiss of pressurization as they once more locked with the rest of his armour. Unfastening the myriad tools of his Narthecium, Alaric gave one final check of all its components before collapsing it once more. It would serve its purpose adequately. Turning around, he followed the Master Apothecary into the docking bays.

In the large room, his entire company stood at attention, their eyes flicking over as they saw him approach. They were silent as he started past. On the opposing side of them stood every Apothecary of every Company, his brothers in a different type of arms, the one to save lives rather than take them. Finally, at the head of the group, at the foot of the Thunderhawk, stood Supreme Grand Master Azrael. “Take this robe,” he instructed, handing over a large beige cloth, “it may help you on your journey, Apothecary.” Almost reverently, Alaric took hold of the robes with a bow. Turning around, he gave a final nod to all of his comrades, before stepping into the confines of the Thunderhawk. It was very likely that he would never see them again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Prepare to dock…” came the metallic voice of the servitor, which echoed in the narrow thunderhawk, rousing Alaric from his reminiscing. There was no more time for the past. The Emperor’s Work was yet to be done.

DEATHWATCH "First Amongst Equals" Advanced RP & Tabletop

I'll stick with the Apothecary

DEATHWATCH "First Amongst Equals" Advanced RP & Tabletop

True, but statwise they're rather unimpressive XD. Its hard to find a nice balance between something thats useful in combat and in utility. Usually, it's one or the other.

DEATHWATCH "First Amongst Equals" Advanced RP & Tabletop

Because I was afraid no-one else would, since no-one ever likes being Medic.

DEATHWATCH "First Amongst Equals" Advanced RP & Tabletop

Ollum, I can always switch if you want to be the Apothecary. Its just a minor tweak for me, and I don't particularly like being the medic XD

DEATHWATCH "First Amongst Equals" Advanced RP & Tabletop

Filthy space puppy.

DEATHWATCH "First Amongst Equals" Advanced RP & Tabletop

Have you registered at Orkos? Yes.

Character Name:
Brother Apothecary Alaric

Chapter:
Dark Angels

Class:
Apothecary

Chapter Demeanor:
Sons of the Lion

Personal Demeanor:
Pious

Primarch's Curse:
The Secret

Power Armour: -

Power Armour History: -

Weapon Skill (WS), 46 (41+5)
Ballistics Skill (BS): 46 (41+5)
Strength (S): 41
Toughness (T): 44
Agility (Ag): 43
Intelligence (Int): 55 (45+5) (50+5)
Perception (Per): 40
WillPower (WP): 44
Fellowship (Fel): 41

Wounds: 22
Fate: 3

PAST:
The Lion and the Wolf

SKILLS: -
Awareness
Chem-Use
Cipers (Chapter Runes)
Climb
Dodge
Common Lore (Adeptus Astartes, Imperium, War)
Concealment
Drive (Ground Vehicles)
Interrogation
Intimidate
Literacy
Medicae (Trained, Advanced)
Navigation (Surface)
Scholastic Lore (Codex Astartes)
Silent Move
Speak Language (High&Low Gothic)
Tactics (Defensive Doctrine)
Tracking

ADVANCED SKILLS:
Common Lore (Deathwatch)
Forbidden Lore (Xenos)

TALENTS:
Ambidextrous
Astartes Weapons Training
Bulging Biceps
Heightened Senses (Hearing, Sight)
Killing Strike
Nerves of Steel
Quick Draw
Resistance (Psychic Powers)
True Grit
Unarmed Master

TRAITS:
Unnatural Strength (x2)
Unnatural Toughness (x2)

ACTIONS: -

SOLO ABILITY:
Stoic Defence

SPECIAL ABILITY:
Enhance Healing

SQUAD ABILITY: -

GEAR:
Astartes Power Armour
Astartes Bolt Pistol
Astartes Combat Knife
Repair Cement x3
Scholar’s Robe x1
Dark Angels Clothes x1
Grey Deathwatch Initiate Jumpsuit x1
Prayer Book x1
Narthecium x1

CHAPTER TRAPPING:
Scholar’s Robe (Chymistry)

MOVEMENT:
Half Move: 4
Full move: 8
Charge: 12
Run: 24

EXP:
1000 spent

(200 for simple Intelligence boost)
(200 for simple Weapon Skill boost)
(400 for Chem Use)
(200 for Interrogation)