The Gilded Road and the Gilded HostFirst to arrive was a lone figure on a jet bike. Wreathed in flame as if having fallen from orbit the warrior howls joyfully as extreme heat draws life out of his abused nervous system. Clouds part and reveal thousands of the Emperors Children flying forth in formation. They move at high speed with a desperation that is only staved off by the demands of reputation and stature requiring Fulgrim's flawless sons remain more organized and graceful than their inferiors churning up the earthworks below. "Emperors Children coming in across multiple vectors. External guardian teams be aware: enemy is likely fresh and fighting at full energy due to their presence having been focused primarily on pillaging the surrounding hives. Stand firm and show them the mettle of true and loyal Iron Warriors. Iron Within, Iron Without!" Warsmith's warning touches Seventh Squads' ears mere seconds before Warlord unleashes opening hails of defensive AA fire from its numerous support guns that make an already devastating combatant into a walking fortress. By now Vilhelm is able to see that the space marine leading the coming assault wing is not actually riding a jet bike; it is a combat bike instead. A Thunderhawk falls out of formation and another seamlessly glides into place as the Phoenician's warriors approach. Not a single round touches the mad man astride wheeled vehicle that drives upon a constantly forming and fading road of hellfire. Raising a fist the stranger pumps his fist while other closes on triggers for forward mounted guns. Beams of energy befitting lascannons are expelled from the barrels of what look like mere bolters. Lasers waste themselves on the Knight of Terra's void shields, it is a nasty surprise none the less. "Look at these degenerates! Trapped in a false rapture crafted by fiends and their broken minds. Disgusting!" Temperer Aegeus takes hold of all communication channels for a moment. "Purge them my kin! Be it with fire, bolt, blade, or your own teeth! Use everything at your disposal and wipe these deviants from the face of Terra with the molten rage cast within the walls of your spirits! No mercy for the merciless damned!" And again for the hundredth time since the traitors had set foot on Terra the Forty-Fourth met the enemy. Cackling Emperors Child mounted on possessed bike tore over them, head consumed in flickering fire with two horns sprouting from his brow. Manic smile grew wider as a Land Speeder swam around from behind the titan's head, a heavily customized model manned by none other than Brother Carolus Rex himself. Once more the Iron Master's handiwork would be pitted against tainted steel! Down below Dyzek and co looked high. The familiar heraldry of Centurion Cautorious Estades' company was proudly presented towards them as over a dozen Vanguard veterans descended toward them. With a thrust of thunder hammer Herchel bid his squad forward to meet them, ordering Kahrnak to stand back with himself to receive the guest of honor. Leaning out the side of personal Storm Bird a man dramatically enters into a free fall whilst wrapped in wings that move far too organically to be cybernetics. Wings unfurl and four arms move with them, two on each side of the torso. Another marine darts past and lands before the Squad Petroski: Armor plainly adorned with a tasteful amount of silver trimming and a silken white tabard Guardian of His Visage Viatine presents storm shield and power sword. "We meet again Iron Khan and wayward sons!" Whatever speech awaits is cut short, Cautorious landing and presenting his own arms just a few feet behind bodyguard. Cautorious had grown in more ways than one since their last engagement; extra limbs being only a single part of his corruption. Centurion now stands several heads taller and armor molded itself seamlessly with flesh in a way that resembles and outmatches the musculature molded onto the breast plates of the Blood Angels. Champion looks all the world like a magnificent statue come to life. A helmet crafted to look like the Astartes' own gently smiling likeness regards them all. "Much too slow Viatine! We shall speak of your laziness after the False Emperor lies dead." Glaive is presented in a flourish too fast for the unprepared eye to track, double handed weapon wielded by both right hands. A sabre that looks as if it were made from pearls is whipped out by upper left hand while lower digits extend out in an inviting gesture. Squads Petroski and Herchel: Dyzek: 13 (85+) Marcus: 12 (85+) Herchel: 18 (85+) Seth: 17 (85+) Kahrnak: 14 (85+) Kremnar: 12 (85+) Vera: 10 (85+) Nathiel: 15 (85+) Vilhelm: 15 (85+) Conditions: Dyzek: Flamer 1/3 + Rising Winds: 0/4 Marcus: Healing Stims x6 Those Assholes: Guardian of His Visage Viatine: 25 Cautorious Estades the Enlightened and Uplifted: 65 Conditions:
Kremnar Eranite, having finally managed to crawl to the side of one of the massive indents of the titan's shoulder, rested just enough to get his energy back, before heading over to one of the sparse ammunition crates around. Restocking his supply of bolter rounds as well as kraken rounds for his Zeussar-pattern bolt pistol, he managed to spot several highlighted clips of specialized rounds laying in the bottom of one of the emptied bins. Thinking that maybe the others had overlooked them, he looked over to his battle brothers just in time to see the enemy converge upon their position. Tucking them into his belt along with the other munitions, he did a double take at his plasma pistol. Miraculously, the weapon had begun glowing once more, and he instinctively knew that it would fire, though the sternguard veteran didn't know what to make now of the Omnissiah and the machine spirits the Mechanicum talked so much about. Just then, Kremnar looked up to see the leader of the Emperor's Children addressing Brother Dyzek. "You know this guy Sarge?" he asked, even as he drew his bolters, and slid the kraken clips into them. They looked vaguely familiar, but the sternguard veteran couldn't quite place the speaker, the twisted abomination he had begun transforming into. Still, when the former astartes gestured for them to come, the loyalist ignored him, instead turning his sights towards the follower behind him. The power scythe that had safeguarded and reaped its fill of Death Guards earlier tucked safely away on his back now, and the dual sternguard bolters opened up, sending kraken rounds down range at the enemy escort, even as he himself moved to the side, making way for the melee fighters amongst their squad to engage the enemy where they worked best at. @BruticusTheGoreHound OOC: Balanced attack on Viatine with kraken rounds, defense on self. Equipment: Using kraken rounds, dragonfire rounds for bolt pistol.
Everything that they ever did, everything that happened to them, it all came to this. Seth was quite angry as the entirety of 44th battalion was given orders to protect the Titan. Perhaps some would find this task honorable but Seth thought about the fact that even though they might defend it from borders, one lucky shot from another god machine and every loyalist Iron Warrior will die. So much history, so much tradition that survived the betrayal of their Father would be erased in a blink of an eye. Never before in his life did Seth feel so vulnerable, fighting giant daemons, lords of hell, even traitor Primarchs would not phase the Soul Smith in the slightest, but knowing that it was possible to lose the entire identity of a Legion. If they all die and if the loyalists hopefully win, the rest of the Iron Warriors would most likely be considered hundred percent against the Emperor and story of the true Iron Fourth would be forgotten. He was pulled out of his introspection when "perfect" warriors of the Phoenician's legion came to act as first in what most likely would be a long line of different bastards that will try to destroy their legacy. But to achieve that, they would have to go through an angry Reclusiarch first. "We have never been much for great speeches, I know I have occasionally tried to rouse your spirits with speaking loudly but I know that was unimportant. We of the Iron Fourth know best what is our place in this world. While the great leaders and mighty warriors fight for scraps of glory, we are the ones who make the world turn. Our blood, sweat and tears are the foundation of the Imperium and I'll be damned if I let some bunch of pretty cocks take that away from us," Soul Smith spoke in the vox of the company, brandishing his two Excoriators and stepping forward, ignoring the flying boy and going after the more "normal" enemy. Seth knew that the Emperor's Children prided themselves on being consummate swordsmen and he was under no impression that he was faster than any of those two, even outside his armor speed was never his stronger side. However something else was. "You'll wish you had those wings as well, you'll need them when I shove my foot in your ass and kick you off the Titan," he told Viatine and came at him with the full force of his Terminator Armor, swinging Warsong first in order to use its burning enhancement and perhaps confuse the Emperor's Children with it by shoving it in his face, while Gorehowl came second, as always the "older" Excoriator was used with brutal simplicity, going in a classic overhead strike that was supposed to flatten the enemy against his shield and maybe even cut through it. OOC All out attack on Viatine, using both Excoriators.
The Apothecary looked upon the beast that stood before them now, his blade in hand. What little time he'd had between engagements was all spent polishing and taking care of his blade, making sure it had the sheen that could make its previous owner proud to have it in this man's possession. Upon his gauntlets he'd carved in holy symbols - crosses that had been 'disguised' in the forms of the Aquila - and with it he stood that little bit taller, looking about at his companions; he'd felt anxiety and uncertainty in the face of such foes before upon the walls and in the skies, but now he felt more certain than ever, his grip on the blade as firm as he'd wish it. I am Marcus of Olympia; I shall be His blade, A light shining in darkness; I shall carve through His foes and bring justice to those who defy it. No time was wasted in his charging forward with the weapon in both hands, very little time being wasted in his attempts to chop through his foe; his mind filled itself with constant prayers and mantras to strengthen himself over the visage of the enemy, his body acting on its own accord as instinct took over, First Legion training allowing his blade to slash elegantly. I am Marcus of Olympia; God, hear me. Give me strength to protect Terra. OOC: All out attack with power sword on Viatine
The Emperor's Children were there. A legion of obsessed with the perfection, supposed master swordsmans. He never liked them. So prideful,so arrogant. Now he was fighting them. The God machine stood there, towering over them. Their mission was to protect it. When each gun blazed, it killed hundreds, if not thousands of traitors. A true engine of destruction. Should it fall, the explosion would probabily kill them all. All the loyalist iron warriors gone. As his brothers charged toward the leader, he raised up his autocannons, and aimed toward Cautorious, and so, steel rained over him. His objetive was to let hsi borthers kill Viatine undisturbed by the other. OOC: Suppression fire over Cautorious Estades the Enlightened and Uplifted
For a change, the next wave of attackers consisted of Emperor's Children, although they weren't any less twisted than any other legion they encountered. Enemy champion issues a formal salute, but it was hard to tell whether they ever met before, which didn't matter anyway. What mattered was that both of the champions had four arms and each arm was handling a weapon, so it was imperative to take them out before they can use those weapons. It seemed like his squad had a similar idea, as one of the champions, supposedly the lower-ranked one, was now the focus of concentrated attack. Determined to add as much firepower as possible, Vilhelm overcharges his Lascannon as their fight would turn into melee very fast anyway. OOC: All-out attack with my trait with a Lascannon at Viatine.
@DeranVendar The winds would be alive with the howls of the oncoming Sons of Fulgrim, their screams of ecstasy and debauchery filling ears and chilling hearts. Riding down like the damned angels of excess they now represented, Dyzek would spot their approach, and would swiftly bring about Seventh Squad to engage, passing a command to Menelaus to keep the rabble busied, while the veterans engaged the greatest of their forces here. With the sound of booming bolters and other fire erupting around him, Dyzek would lock his gaze on the approach of the twin champions of this rabble, the former a familiar visage, the latter, a twisted parody of what he once knew. Seeing Viatine acknowledge him would be enough, as Dyzek wasted little time in following along in the charge against this guardian of the greater foe. Speeding along, Dyzek could have overtaken the rush of Seth, yet instead, he took cover behind his massive form. Like a speeding battering ram, Seth would engage Viatine, the roar of his exocriators a sharp contrast from the singing of Dyzek's own claws. The terminator would feel a weight upon his shoulders, as Dyzek leap up, using his brother as a point to leap into the fray, laughing as he did so. It was rare in these days to do battle with his brother, and as always, would be a treat to stack his might and aggression, against his own speed and agility. As such, even without jump pack, Dyzek would soar above Viatine, slashing claws from above, as teeth bit from below, a smile upon his face all the while. OOC: All-Out Attack on Viatine
Vera regarded the new arrivals with a distinct sense of stoic distaste. Degenerates. The lot of them. She had admired the Emperor's Children once. They were the sort of Space Marines whose stories echoed even through the awed hush of censorship and legend. If nothing else, credit had to be given for that. As she watched the tide of chaos spill across the sky, however, the Sister of Silence found that she felt only disgust and rage now. Purple and gold, the gleaming hues of royalty, and the great Palatine Aquila--Favours granted upon the Legion by the Emperor himself, now tainted with the filth of Chaos. An absolutely revolting display of disrespect. It would appear that her Blackshield brethren knew the approaching traitor, but no matter. The woman would find herself surprisingly eager to raise the Condemnor to her shoulder and loose a silver stake at the abomination, looking to put an end to the man's mocking charade. OOC: all-out attack on Viatine
A Dissertation On Dog-piling the Enemy Viatine regards Seth's charge with a stern eye from behind his MK IV helm. Diving forward the veteran intends to meet Soul Smith head on; only for Dyzek to outrace the Chaplain with claws extended and aimed straight at the traitor. Storm shield whipped up with expert grace and deflected first blow. Sword follows turn of arm and catches the Sergeant, turning aerial strike into a one way ticket back onto the titan's shoulder. Without any time to retaliate or re-position Viatine addresses Seth nex--no Kremnar next! Kraken bolts pepper the shield while shield bearer simultaneously tries to keep out of the berzerk Iron Warriors reach. Step back, shield up, sword out to deflect, step left, lunge back, and so on and so forth as guardian pushes himself to the limit to avoid being struck down; all the more important with his master present and watching. Not a one of the warrior's move betrays panic nor aloofness, only a deadly seriousness augmented by countless hours of experience. Kremnar looks down the sight of his bolter and continues picking out shots at his foe. Viatine moves with an almost instinctive sense for where to keep bulwark so that burning red round never strike him directly. Irksome, yet only a tad as Sternguard takes note of the rapidly degrading quality of the shield. Barricade sweeps around and bludgeons aside Warsong before catching three more shots at the very end of the shield slam. Central point of the shield bursts outward and flickering threads of extended shielding are briefly visible before vanishing. "Shoddy craftsmanship. A shame. Seems Ivotian's lust for creation does not translate into quality after all." Cautorious flaps his wing and propels himself in a circle several meters wide around the moving cluster of foes swamping Viatine. Kharnak chases winged devil with his auto-cannon, yet the Captain is always just ahead of the reaper's many shots. "Cease." Cautorious fixes masked face towards the veteran and instantly loyalist feels his mind cloud. Twin barreled gun dips a moment and discharges trail off. With a hidden flick of his own eyes the Emperors Child directs the enchanted warrior to turn his gun on Kremnar. Without thinking twice Kahrnak looses several seconds of dedicated auto-cannon fire at his brother Blackshield. Sternguard sees one fat round zip past and turns to see what in the Warp is happening. A shot catches his pauldron and dumps him onto the ground as damaged ceramite is scattered across the titan in large, jagged shards. "That will do!" Cautorious laughs and Kahrnak snaps back to with a sense of burning pain across his brow. In brief moment he had been firing on Kremnar, Champion had closed and drug power glaive through his helm with the same attitude of a father ruffling his offspring's hair. Viatine had no such time for play. Vera's bolter hounds his every step, Seth and Dyzek backing off to give their assorted ranged brethren a shot. One of the Sister's bolts blasts across hip and staggers the betrayer for an instant, Marcus leaps in greedily and licks into opposite side with Arkon's sword. Viatine whips away with an audible hiss of pain. Herchel turns his escape route into an inferno with his heavily modified nightmare of incineration known as Volkite-combi-flamer. Feeling the heat, traitor dips out of the wall of flame and unwittingly crashes straight towards Nathiel. One armed warrior wastes no time on grandstanding, opting to lash him with thunder hammer. Shield scatters from hand, arm twists and snaps with a sickening and familiar sound. Blow casts the Astartes several feet away from the lot of them. Viatine drunkenly raises his head in time to see Vilhelm training las-cannon upon him. Cautorious looks down upon favored guardian, a brow perked within the confines of beautifully molded helm. Not a word is exchanged as quaking heavy weapon vents its amplified fury at the Iron Master's command and vaporized the traitor. Every head turns to the Enlightened One, Uplifted upon his mutant wings. As if suspended in water the slave of Slaanesh twists about himself gracefully to look upon his newest offering. Glaive is spun in two hands, whipped downward to cast Kahrnak's unworthy blood from the blade. "With but a bit more speed, a measure more grace, and proper poise I would of considered that entertainingly theatrical. Instead it is merely a tragedy, and for all the wrong reasons." Wings expand upward before billowing outward. A gust of wind strikes the combined force with strength enough to drop Vera to a knee and shift those wearing anything lighter than Tactical Dreadnought armor. Daggers of light glint all throughout the localized wind storm, slivers of metal sticking themselves into and straight through armor. Many of Squad Petroski and its attached specialist find themselves bleeding from a dozen or more small gashes. Whipping winds die down and Cautorious lands once more eight paces back from Vilhelm. "Once more, with feeling!" Squads Petroski and Herchel: Dyzek: 11 (85+) Marcus: 11 (85+) Herchel: 16 (85+) Seth: 17 (85+) Kahrnak: 13 (85+) Kremnar: 10 (85+) Vera: 8 (85+) Nathiel: 13 (85+) Vilhelm: 15 (85+) Conditions: Dyzek: Flamer 1/3 + Rising Winds: 1/4 Marcus: Healing Stims x6. Kremnar: 3/4 Kraken Clip. Vilhelm: Lascannon Overheating 1. Herchel is Bleeding 1. Vera is Bleeding 1. Those Assholes: Cautorious Estades the Enlightened and Uplifted: 65 Conditions:
Herchel grunted in pain as the peacock got a hit on him he had been somewhat silent ever since the wall but still had enough in him when grabbing kremanar to be have his jolly nature at seeing another battle brother survive the wall,a good part of his squad was gone it weighed a bit on Herchel as he was his first deployment as sergeant but knew defiantly he would improve from it, to try to present the losses in the future. Herchel grinned as he saw Carlous in his glory ride by following a flaming biker and going guns blazing at him, "That glorious son may fortune favor him. As Herchel looked to cauterious he was surprised to see what became of the peacock not only had he became more of a cunt since last time he looked like a statue, If that was so, Herchel knew what to do to 'Improve' The statue a bit. Suddenly seeing another one of there life ruins turn from yellow to amber, There sister that had join there squad and lost all of her sisters all but herself. Moving himself into a defense stance he readied up for a counter attack, "Squad ready yourself lets prune this peacock I am tired of Shenanings in making us bleed while he dances about flaunting his cocky grin. We held the line of the walls of Terra as Cerberus held back the damned and kept the living out of danger and we are going to do it again with these cocky blow hards with me brothers!" Herchel said The hammer of redemption sparked with energy as he raised his combi culvan up once more intending on baking Cautrious before he did work on his sculpture like body with his hammer. OOC ALL OUT ATTACK Cautrious with combi volkite and Thunder hammer, One Furious guardian on Vera
