Crusader Luthor of the Black Templars

Crusader Luthor of the Black Templars

Crusader Luthor displays the pious nature all too common to the Black Templars. His hatred of mutants, heretics and psykers is however above and beyond that of most Templar’s. He believes that no sacrifice is too great to bring a world back into the light of the Imperium. This does not mean that the deaths of those around him do not weigh heavily upon his thoughts, but this is no guilty conscience only honouring the noble fallen. He believes death in battle the ultimate sacrifice and to be the will of the Emperor himself, however despises the pointless wasting of life. He believes a Space Marines most valuable asset is his gene-seed, another marine can be created; his gene-seed cannot however.

Born on the feudal world of Fergax, the first son of a knight of local renown, Luthor was raised by a strict martial code from a young age. Inducted into the Order of the Broken Sword, the city’s most pious knightly order, by command of his farther. Luthor was taught equal proficiency for combat and pious rhetoric. These teaching where regularly tested in battle when the order hunted the many abhuman mutants that lurked in the forests of the region. During his studies Luthor learned of ancient legends that talked of an order of knights whose martial prowess could not be matched. Legend has it that any aspirant that could locate the unassailable keep which housed the noble order would be taken into their ranks. Luthor’s mind was set; nothing could sway him from his path. He prepared for his perilous pilgrimage to the unknown location with months fasting, meditation and study. One night while in deep focus and prayer Luthor was met with a vision of a great warrior in jet black armour more magnificent that he had ever imagined stood before a towering keep, it was the sign he was waiting for. The next morning Luthor left the city before dawn, his fate to venture for months enduring many hardships, battling horned beastmen amongst other unnatural horrors. When Luthor came to the gates of the keep from his vision he was not the boy that had left on that eerily quite morning, all that was left was a warrior spirit aged beyond his worldly years by his journey.

Luthor took quickly to his training, both physical and mental. When the time came to join his first crusade with his fellow aspirants Luthor relished the opportunity to prove himself in battle. Taken under the tutelage of a veteran battle brother Luthor found life as a Neophyte similar to his early years in the order, his martial training and fearlessness on the field of battle combined with his humility and servitude off it served him well.

As an Initiate Luthor fought with the piety and zeal accustom to all members of his chapter, out of battle though his scientific mindset and aptitude for study set him apart from the masses of his chapter. It is for this reason Luthor was initiated into the ranks of the chapters Apothecaries. Skilled in the ritual implantation of a neophytes zygotes; this aptitude lends itself to a keen understanding of Astartes battle field medicae. Do not mistake Luthor for a healer however; he understands that the true future of the chapter lies in its gene-seed preservation. For decades he has stood in defence of his chapter’s lineage, ever watchful for corruption and mutation of its gene-seed stock. His thoughts always returning to the decrepit descendants of mankind that tried in vain to halt his destiny upon Fergax.

Second Purging of Lastrati
The war of attrition on the heretical world of Lastrati was to be Luthor finest hour. It was during the Crusade lead by Marshal Gervhart to purge the outwardly pious world of Lastrati of its blood-crazed worship of genetic ‘perfection’ that Luthor was host to a vision of the Emperor on the eve of battle. His vision told him of how a near suicidal drop into the centre of the traitorous lines was the only way to break the deadlock caused by the unusual willingness of the traitor guardsmen to fight to the death even in the face of the Imperium’s finest. The Emperor confessed that many would die in the attack, but that no price was too high to pay to bring a world back unto his light. Luthor’s presence would ensure that the lives given would not be wasted, those that gave them willingly would live on forever by deeds alone. As is the legion’s tradition Luthor presented himself to the Chaplains and told them of his vision. Anointed the Emperor’s Champion, Luthor donned the fearsome Mk III armour known only as Armour of Faith. Carrying a shield depicting the livery of Marshal Gervhart and a blade with a level of craftsmanship since lost to mankind Luthor prepared for the most hellish battle of his life.

Accompanied by an elite group of sword brethren the suicidal drop into the very centre of the traitor’s powerbase via drop pods achieved complete surprise. No traitor could possibly anticipate such a noble sacrifice. The element of surprise allowed them to land unscathed; however this did not lessen the sea of enemy forces that now surrounded the faithful few. Seizing the initiative given by the speed of the drop the Templar’s fell upon the traitors command section, here the enemy commander had surrounded himself with monstrous beings of genetic ‘perfection’. Grotesque beings of unnatural strength and speed no longer fit to be called human battled with the holy warriors of the emperor. Luthor’s thoughts flashed back to the beasts he had slain as but a boy by strength of will alone to become a Templar and his faith was stronger than ever. It is said that that day Luthor gave no quarter to the beasts with which he battled; parrying every blow with a skill at arms with sword and shield honed over decades. When he came toe to toe with the lithe traitorous commander he instantly he recognised the taint of chaos within the commander’s abilities, he could feel him trying to break his mind, but Luthor had trained for years to protect against such vile sorcery’s. With a prayer upon his lips Luthor slay the fiend with a single decapitating stroke. Upon the commander’s death the traitorous forces dissolved into disarray, no longer held in the line of fire by insidious psychic abilities. As Luthor surveyed the scene around him he realised that only a single sword brethren had survived the combat, he lay struggling for life, his mind broken but his superhuman body unwilling to let go. With the emperor’s prayer whispered into his ear and bolt round through the head the battle brother was finally given peace to rest at the emperor’s side knowing his sacrifice would be remembered for all time. Luthor now set about the painful task of retrieving all the fallen gene-seeds so that their sacrifice would not be in vain, each death weighing heavily on his soul.

Luthor’s actions that day brought about the end of an unexpectedly long and hard fought crusade against the traitor forces. The sacrifice of those few veteran battle brothers saved many Templar lives. For his actions Luthor was gifted the fearsome Mk III power armour which he wore upon that fateful day and recommended for the honour of serving in the Deathwatch.

Thanks for reading guys!
Will be adding some more soon, basically the missions from Luthor's (zealous) point of view.

Nice work mate, a really good read. I like how you've explained why Luther would've left the scout in order to kill the psyker.

Mission reports from the various points of veiw is a great idea like mate.

Cool story very good. Be carful though of mentioning killing loads of beastmen befor you were a marine. YOu were only 8-11 ish. Maybe a squire would be more suitable than a full member?

Dam good tho what happned to your sword.

Love the idea of mission reports from differnt perspectives.

Thanks Dan, and at Rob if your talking about his time in the order then yeah he was still a squire, riding into the forests accompanying the full knights. If you mean during his travels to the keep then i mean he may have been young but one musy overcome great adversity to become a marine. It is said the only trial of the Templars is to find one of the keeps, and meet thier especially high standards of genetic normality of course!

As for the sword, ill have a master-crafted power sword if you realy want me too! But its not common for those kinda items to be handed out as a new Emperor's Champion is annointed on the eve of every battle, dependant upon who recieves a vision from the emperor.

i got a vision from the emporer yesterday and he told me to tell you

your a douche?

Said youd understand?

Guess that makes you the next Emperor's Champion then?
But thanks for the awsome input mate....
Write your background will you, have you even decided on ur chapter yet?

Introductions
Luthor surveyed his new battle brothers across the holo-table. He had spent many hours in prayer to prepare for this moment, asking the god-emperor for humility and acceptance of others, but could already feel his intolerance swelling inside.

Brother Memnom was the first to come forward with an introduction, clearly thinks himself worthy to lead Luthor thought to himself, we’ll see. Luthor noted with respect his Emperor’s Scythes insignia, he had heard of their deeds, but made no outward display of his opinions. He hoped only that he was a son of Vulkan, not of the hypocritical coward Guilliman. The thought of whom was enough to begin his hatred burning, where was he when the sons of Dorn were laying down their lives in the defence of Holy Terra? Finding out would be simple enough once he had a sample of his gene-seed.

His mind was snapped back to the present as another brother spoke his name. Errata, a librarian, he had been prepared for the possibility of being forced to work with a psyker but this had confirmed his worst fears. A member of the Blood Angels chapter no less, he knew of their corrupted gene-seed. There was a reason their seed was not chosen to father new chapters anymore, vile mutation. Luthor had heard rumours of Blood Angels succumbing to a feral lust for blood before battle, such acts are not holy.

Haakon of the Space Wolves stepped forward, a feral beast with wild eyes and viscous canine teeth. It was obvious wildness still held his instincts despite his astartes indoctrination. A useful brute, if not too smart Luthor mussed to himself.

Novus of the storm wardens introduced himself next. Storm Wardens? thought Luthor, you have much to prove my brother. The shadowy figure to Luthor’s left revealed himself as Aslan of the Dark Angels; Luthor was instantly suspicious of a chapter with such a mysterious past.

After Luthor had introduced himself, Nathaniel a fellow brother from the Black Templars also spoke. Luthor was reassured to have a battle brother from the Templars at his side, even if he was a techmarine and therefore put as much faith in the ‘machine god’ as the emperor himself.

Will write some more soonish!

hahahaha!

It's good to see that first meeting from the objective veiw of a religious zealot...

'Thinks himself a leader' distinctly remember being given command by the Watch Captain, guess Memnon must just exude Leadership qualities?

That rift between you & the Psyker is just going to run & run like. It's going to be interesting to find out what happens when Memnon's not there to keep you two appart?

The whole Gulliman hatred is a little funny like, considering the guy saved Dorn from total destruction in the battle for the Cage & took out the most numerous traitor legon in the Word Bearers & killed a traitor primarch.... etc etc

Not really a Gulliman lover, but the guy seems to have done quite a bit more then the Emperor's pretorian, whom let his charge & his brother die, while taking in the sights of Horus' battle barge.

Anyway, Memnon may well be a son of Vulkan, who knows ;-)