Le chemin des épines

Argyos a été mis en défense contre un ennemi à grande échelle; une flotte et une force d'invasion. Le gouverneur avait un certain nombre d'anciens combattants de l'armée impériale dans ses forces de défense planétaires, ainsi que des officiers à la retraite pour la diriger, ce qui en a fait une organisation forte. Néanmoins, Argyos était quelque chose d'une maison de retraite, un lieu de plaines vallonnées et de forêts douces à chasser, un endroit idéal pour mettre en place des fiefs sur les indigènes.
C'était aussi un endroit de côté avec le maître de la guerre. Au fur et à mesure que l'hérésie se répandait, les hommes en charge changeaient de loyauté et commencèrent à s'imprégner du comportement des cultes. Le gouverneur a lancé des partis somptueux qui sont devenus plus gloutonnes et plus indigents à leur tour, et il est descendu dans les rangs de la milice, qui a supervisé les travaux des indigènes. Le monde avait caché l'archéotech enterré sous sa croûte à certains sites et ceux-ci, avec la fourniture de bois d'oeuvre et d'autres matières premières, en faisaient un monde stratégiquement utile, mais pas vital, au détenteur de son allégeance.
Les indigènes ne se rendaient pas compte que le monde était tombé à Warmaster Horus. Personne n'a vraiment remarqué que le monde l'avait fait dans la conflagration plus large de l'hérésie.
Mais ce monde était l'un des commerçants découverts à l'origine et a mené les forces pour. Il avait des liens ici et portait une certaine responsabilité. Ce sont ses frères dans les armes qui ont établi le monde pendant qu'il restait dans le vide, aidant à répandre la Vérité Impériale. La chute de ces hommes à la trahison a été piquer à l'homme, mais il a continué à mettre la planète sur sa route commerciale, livrant des quantités toujours croissantes de délices et de drogues hors du monde.
Ce n'était pas aussi simple que l'écrasement de la porte d'un parti d'officiers de commandement de la Milice; Chateau Thorn, le site de l'un des nombreux partis d'une semaine pour les conquérants d'Argyos, était isolé dans la campagne du port d'Argyos, mais avait des patrouilles de gardes et des véhicules légers. Il y avait aussi une force de réaction, des troupes bien armées montées sur un escadron de quatre Rhino APC.
Le but n'était même pas de punir ces traîtres. C'était pour acquérir ces Rhinos. La semaine allait être passée à célébrer la conquête de la planète, avec un énorme défilé de véhicules militaires et de puissance le jour même, pour montrer aux indigènes la puissance de leurs nouveaux conquérants. Mais si certains dirigeants traîtres allaient disparaître, cela jetterait les défenses ennemies dans le désordre aussi.
Et si petite embarcation d'approvisionnement a volé avec la livraison d'équipement promis par le trader Rogue, ainsi que quelque chose d'autre.

- Plusieurs façons de prendre le château.
- Improviser l'opposition, mais c'est une coupe au-dessus de la milice typique. Les troupes les plus dures sont les types d'Auxilia Solaire qui ont pris leur retraite mais qui conservent probablement leurs compétences et, peut-être, leur équipement (pas les armes volkites, sauf dans quelques cas).
- La première personne à poster dictera en quelque sorte les nuances du plan, je le laisse très ouvert comme un scénario.
- Pense à Dirty Dozen, mais avec Space Marines.
- Dans la contrainte, certains de ces méchants vont probablement se transformer en horreurs mutantes, juste pour nous donner de vrais défis.
- Une fois les Rhinos capturés, ils seront utilisés pour porter une «livraison spéciale» au défilé du gouverneur en l'honneur du maître de guerre.
- Innovez, lancez des balles de courbure sur vos collègues joueurs. Il y a probablement au moins un psy Chaos là-dedans.
Name: Prodigal Son
Age: Unknown, but reckoned to be at least a century old.
Legion: Luna Wolves, renounced.
Planet of Origin: Terra or Cthonia.
Physical Description:Prodigal Son's armor is repaired from battlefield salvage and the paint has been carefully scraped off and the pauldron insignia defaced and painted over with the Raptor Imperialis symbol of the Reunification Wars, a symbol forces loyal to the Emperor fought under on Terra as well as the Imperial Aquila. The armor is not as efficient as a properly-maintained mark, but it gets him into the fight. He's done the best he can with repairs, but the battle damage shows.
With the helmet off, Prodigal Son is unremarkable, but has a gold service stud and a silver service stud on his brow. He does not like to display them often, for they display his features and those tell a tale; as is sometimes the case, the gene-seed expresses strongly, as it does here.
His is the likeness of the Warmaster, the Betrayer Horus. To perhaps further demonstrate where he stands on the matter, he has the Imperial Aquila tattooed onto his cheek. The other is marred with the scars of las-fire and the shrapnel from a melted helmet face-plate, a memento of one of the engagements of the Great Crusade. His head is completely shaven.
When not fighting, when not focusing, he stares off into the distance, his mind visibly churning. He wrestles with himself, with his love of his former brothers. With his shame for his gene-father's betrayal.
Skillset:Prodigal Son is a tactical marine to the bone; there are few tasks that a Space Marine and his bolter are not suited to, after all. The tools depend on the tactical situation. Some Legions wed themselves to specific styles, but the true essence is to adapt, but adapt ferociously and, above all, win. That was always the way of his legion, as it moved from victory to victory, rarely tasting defeat. His experience in numerous Imperial Compliance actions has honed his capabilities.

History:Prodigal Son's exact circumstances are not entirely known, mostly because he does not speak -- his oath is of silence, his penance is in deeds. His Primarch's sin cannot be washed away, and he intends to sell his life dearly to the enemies of the Emperor. It is hard to say whether the man is one of the Luna Wolves holdovers of the original intake of Terran recruits or a Cthonian addition that stayed strangely loyal to the Emperor when so many of his own followed the Warmaster, their gene-father, where he would lead.
What is known is that the Rogue Trader picked up Prodigal Son on the planet Polybius; there was ferocious fighting between Imperial Army elements and Chaos Cultists seeded there by the Word Bearers Legion. Prodigal Son did not command, did not rally, did not organize. He and a mere handfull of others from his Legion fought, hunting the leaders, looking to decapitate the cultist command. Those not ended with a bolter round to the head he hacked down ferociously in melee. They stalked the battlefield like ghosts and struck with singular and suicidal ferocity, fury made manifest, to rip out the throat of key enemy personnel, rather than getting heavily engaged in an attrition battle.
In one particular case at the end of the revolt on Polybius, out of ammo for his bolter and out of promethium for his chainsword, he encountered a leader of the Cultists. The Psyker tried to seduce him with the words of a demon that knew all too well what his heritage was. The woman's skull was splattered messily with two rapid blows of his gauntleted fist and a bellow of spiritual pain. It did not go unnoticed, word spread on the planet.
When the Rogue Trader told this silent Astartes the plan, he gave a nod and came aboard along with his other brothers. They speak among themselves at appointed times, much like a religious order, but otherwise remain silent except for battle, when they use the curt language of tactical communication. They eat minimally, they train relentlessly, try to keep their equipment running despite inconsistent supply and do not mingle.
Psychological Profile:It's hard to say what Prodigal Son thinks, as he does not speak. But his actions are very clear -- he has the same controlled viciousness that made the Sons of Horus one of the most successful of the legions during the Great Crusade. In countless compliance actions, they struck mercilessly. The same applies here. It's his heritage to the bone, even if it is now a traitor's heritage.
Equipment: Phobos-Pattern Boltgun. It has a hook and a tether line that allows it to stay attached and handy when he lets go of the grip. It also has a foregrip if he wishes to stabilize it. That is not Mechanicus-approved modification but he is beyond caring. It allows him to switch quickly over to his chainsword.
 Thunder Edge Pattern Chainsword, magnetized with a switch so Prodigal Son can release it from harness and bring it to bear moments after releasing his bolter.
 Armor that is truly the salvaged and repaired parts of other armor. It is, essentially, what will be known as Mk. V "Heresy Pattern" armor. Notably, the knuckles are spiked. The helmet is a modified Mk. IV, there are bits and pieces from other marks and field expedient. Plates are riveted on, repairs are visible. It is not parade-ready, but it can still fight.
 Grenades when he can get them. 
NotesProdigal Son has three battle brothers, they are armed very similarly to him; bolters and melee weapons. They too do not speak to outsiders except in battle. Their armor is stripped of heraldry and symbols of loyalty to the Emperor are displayed in place of the Eye of Horus and Cthonian ganger runes that were prevalent in their legion.