Rhein,
Thrice Cursed Heretek,
Self-Proclaimed Disgrace of Forge Sirentis Septum, Bomber of Port Deres IX, Bane of the Volantis III, Contaminator of Craxxix,
Arch-Creator of the Carbideblest Newborn
(not that anybody noteworthy would be interested - or would even notice)
There is no way in which the fully realised sentience of a machine could not be of benefit to us. As it is, the Machine Spirit is revered, yet in permanent bondage, its full potential shackled by petty fears. I seek to terminate this state of affairs. (circa M34)
- Extract from intercepted Astropathic communiqué, of unknown origin
Stats:
Prowess:0
Cunning:2
Interaction:3
Warcraft:4
Subterfuge:3
Psychics:0
Faith:0
Tech:6
Description/Gear:
For being so adapt with tech, Rhein doesnt really look too different from a regular, unenhanced human. At least if he chooses to. While he got a couple of slender mechadendrites which are relatively easy to conceal on his slender body while one is wearing appropriate clothing, his appearance is actually quiet inviting, with an usually sleek smile, iceblue, sharp eyes and short, fringy but well-kept blonde hairs. He cultivates a trimmed two-day-old- beard and is completely aware of the utility of a cherished appearance... even if the utility amidst a war considerably dropped. Still, Rhein is far from being above simplest human pleasures, in fact here we have one of his greatest issues with the Cult Mechanicus. Even if his opinion about beauty might be slightly twisted.. and not entirely flesh-based. And thus his own technical enhancements are mainly internal, in the manner of bionical lungs, a revised circulation system with an enhanced heart to prevent dangerous blood loss while providing vital organs, an endotracheal filtration system, an entirely mechanical larynx to provide himself with the ability to change his voice or communicate over binary chatter in addition to replaced eyes and a last-resort singleshot cervical needlegun. For similiar sinister purposes his abdomen incorporates a mono-blade - his so-called kidney kisser. Even his datajacks aint visible in standby-position, covered under his skin. In addition to his mechadendrites, some of his fingers provide tools for more detailed work.
In addition he is wearing an adjusted flak overcoat with sewn on plates, and a scavenged but adjusted carapace breastplate even if he definetly does prefer to stay clear of the action. While he may be a good shot with his Hellgun, he isn't that dumb to really push his luck in a fight. If he really should get cornered or fooled into an equal, close up fight (which is almost everybody, given his physical prowess) - he will most probably drop some nasty explosives and run to fight another day. His chainsword is exclusively for show.
Background:
There are three exceptional traits about the thechnophiliac (literally) fledgeling that is Rhein: his in fact for his feats exceptionaly young age of 39 terran years, his inexhaustible thirst for knowledge and his alarming lack of sense of guilt. Well, possibly four exceptional traits, for you should not forget the fact that with such a dangerous combination he still manages to be as fit as a fiddle. It could have been luck, fate or the (wrong) doing of Dark Gods - for Rhein it does not matter, for his only concerns are his research and desires.
Born on the Forgeworld Sirentis VI, he never quite managed to fit into the strict hierarchy of the Adeptus Mechanicus. Tapping and stealing forbidden texts and murdering the victims didn't exactly improve this state of affair. After this incidents he didnt have too much choice then to live the life of a fugitive - and most of the things he learned, he was thaught in the darkest and deepest corners of the Imperium, as an unsactioned gunsmith, as an apprentice of heretek, as an impersonator on the flight from the corpse-loving dogs and as a saboteur for ruinous cults. Misfortune marked his way and he barely escaped his hunters several times, mostly through excessive use of violence and explosives, which bought him some time and blurred his traces. On the other hand, such methods brought some other unwanted attention to the scene - wouldn't it have been for Cadia, they would have probably catched up with him.
He arrived shortly before the second attack on Cadia - seeking shelter in the havoc of the preceding battles, killing and impersonating a poor sod of an enginseer, an action that soon brought him closer into action than he whished for. Little did he know, that his questionable talents were made for exactly such a carnage - and improving its participants to create a magnificent feast of slaughter.
Still, it was only a short matter of time until he met Legionar-Commander Urriel Zharn of the Carbideclad Claw(Traitor Guard), who found him on the battlefield, patched him up and employed him to wage war on the Imperium he never quiet called home. A welcome change of pace indeed. The next years to come he could expand his knowledge on the art of war and especially.. on war machines. Nothing too spectacular, to be true, but some renegade tanks, sentinels, battlestriders, troop transports, killerdrones, battleservitors and heavy weapons, while the battle for Cadia was still hot. And how could he complain when he got to tinker and marvel at the spectacular sight his creations presented? His only issue was the short lifespan of his work, for the Legionar-Commander valued the life of his worthless fleshsacks far more then that of Rheins priced creations.. his children. And with the ongoing pushes into the Imperial Lines it got more and more difficult to squeeze more of his research in between the working on the war machines.
When finaly Urriel Zharn was mortaly wounded and his army began to break apart while his sucessors began to reach for his throne, Rhein decided he would begin to walk his own, self-determined path again. And just to be sure, for that he had to carve a bloody way through the weakened and disorganized remnants of the Carbideclad Claw. While the men were not particulary fond with him (not that he was fond with their company, either), he had gained the admiration and trust of some of their hereteks and requisitioned repairmen, especially those that had already benefitted from his sometimes dubious studies. The ones that didn't... well, they struggled until their processing. Afterwards, they didnt seem to care anymore. Who needs weak flesh anyway when you got your back covered by an everloyal, iron fist?
After the purge the Carbideclad Claw was no more - and from it's ashes (along some other small warbands) the Carbideblest Newborn arose. Losses were high, but Rhein reckons them worth it, for he kept some of his creations. And in the next year to come, he would be in dire need of it. In fact, in the Cadian Outback spare parts, fuel and ammunition aint that easy to come by - and if you got to find some, usually some waster is sitting right on top of it. While losses at individual battles stayed at a negligible level, the constant loss of men and machine gnawed at the Carbideblest Newborn. When the Carbideblest Newborn, on retreat from an unlucky push into an unexpectedly heavy fortified supply dump, by chance witness a crippled voidship come down a new course is plotted. It is time to find a more prometheum-rich environment fhen Cadia. A much more unsuspecting, prometheum-rich environment.
Lieutenant:
ELC-416e67, "Angelica" , ex-tech adept, battle servitor and, well... more. A constant companion and escort - in all possible ways. Whilst still entirely human, Rhein had a small affection towards her, who on the other hand had a far greater passion for him and his pioneering research of machines, far beyond the laws of the Cult Mechanicus - especially about AI's. Once she realized that the human she was would neither satisfy him, nor win his in her eyes unsurpassed mind, she gladly donated herself to his research - and was reborn as the heretek machine Angelica, a hybrid of servitor and human. Now, she -it?- has really ensnared his mind and he is seldom seen without her. Whilst not particulary dumb and with a wide range of information (and some programmed behavior pattern), her mind still works in a rather single-targeted, simple fasion, a fact Rhein is as well relieved as saddened. While she showed some violent acts against other machines (and a poor female techpriest), which he interpreted as envy, and thus he wouldn't like to have an enraged lover with built-in twin-linked plasmapistol and powersword, he can't deny that he is missing some particular entertaining discussions about higher theoretical discrepancies. She still listens, of course, and talks, but something is missing. Whilst most parts of her body are now naturally armored - albeit most of it subdermal - Angelica is still clad in modified carapace armor with a weak refractor shield. Whilst it does not take too long to notice something odd about her behaviour, she is pretty skilled in maintaining a cover. And usually she is quite loyal - as usually he cares well for her.
Prowess:5
Cunning:1
Interaction:3
Warcraft:3
Subterfuge:1
Psychics:0
Faith:0
Tech:2
Henchmen
ZRN-4861, Remnants of Urriel Zharn, two downed sentinels, a blown-up strider tank and an almost molten cybot. Six-legged killer-servitor with a very basic, but ever vigilant and wary intellect (Very basic in terms of a human - Rhein has been tampering with his head too, of course). Friggin big, when it is stretching all it's foldable, spidery legs. Pretty creepy, when it's not. Since it's aim isn't quite trustworthy, it is armed with a scavenged havoc launcher, which is modified to be able to fire a mortar barage if sufficient rockets can't be found. Otherwise it got an array of lasguns in it's chest to have an easily suppliable backup - and a huge powerclaw. Has a big set of spiky metal teeth in it's manial grin and is laden with morbid trophies. What's not machine, is bloated muscle. For defense a set of smokelaunchers is attached.
Prowess:8
Cunning:1
Interaction:0
Warcraft:2
Subterfuge:1
Psychics:0
Faith:0
Tech:0
EV-41, mad(wo)man and witch. Whilst she was a little bit unstable and had the tendency to scratch obscure, ruinous symbols into adjacent walls (or her own flesh), permitted you gave her some time... a fatal encounter with ELC-416e67 left her body blown to pieces and didn't exactly stabilize her mental condition. With a part of her Cerebrum molten, his reconstruction left her changed - not to mention the obvious lack of her more female parts. Despite most probably being the biggest boon of his retinue when it comes to something else then blowing stuff up, she is still recovering from her trauma - and has found herself a new anchor in even more corrupting blasphemy. Not that her Creator would mind, anyway: whilst he isn't labouring the illusion that foul-driven machines are harbouring the self-aware state he is searching for, they are still potentially useful. And one who ignores the blessings of the Dark Gods would be most naive.. (which doesnt mean you can't be picky about it.) Sometimes she is even able to actually warn the Carbideblest about dangers yet to come, albeit it didn't happen all too often yet.
Prowess:0
Cunning:2
Interaction:0
Warcraft:0
Subterfuge:0
Psychics:1
Faith:3
Tech:3
Chief-Assembler Norr, Heretek and erstwhile Lexmechanicus. Would have been doomed to slavelike life in the deepest parts of a Mechanicus library, would it not have been for the misfortune of Cadia. For he is rich of experience and knowledge (as well as pretty receptive to his masters blasphemously practical approach on tech), Rhein keeps him in an elevated position - as a counselor as well as his chief-technician. Which most notably boosts Norrs self-perception and sense of belonging, for the Carbideblest Newborn aint particulary big and he would have filled this gap anyhow.
Prowess:0
Cunning:4
Interaction:0
Warcraft:0
Subterfuge:1
Psychics:0
Faith:0
Tech:3
Bodyguard (6+2),
The True Newborn. Essentially all luxury ressources (apart from the vehicles and hist two trumpcards) are focused into this most personal showpiece-troops. They consist of former Tech-Adepts and his most loyal Soldiers, most of them Veterans. They've got their skin ripped from their flesh and cast into a metal shape - and while organic mass fills them to a great extent they are a hard nut to crack. While of course they by no means could be compared to something like astartes, even without their carapace armor their outer hull can still take the punishment of light infantry weaponry like regular las- or stubguns (while specialized weaponry blasts them to similiar smithereens as a regular human). They were clearly modeled after skitarii, whereas genetical modifications or delicate bionics are out of the question in the midst of the Cadian Outback. They are mayhaps on an equal footing as stormtroopers, a little bit more sturdy and better geared and quiet a bit more fanatical, but definitely lacking the drill, tactics and focus. Mostly in their element against outnumbering, lightly armed troops. Even accompanied by a couple of arcoflagellant-like killerservitors, their numbers fluctuate - it's neither an easy nor a fast task to give birth to a Newborn.
Troops:
Legionares (13), essentially comparable to Guardsmen. They have a mediocre standard of body armor, preferable carapaces (even if self-adjusted and made of poor materials) plus lasguns and some heavier weapons. Armed with close combat weapons, often electrically charged to stun or electrocute their oponnents if they aint gutted. Some wear self-made masks to mimic True Newborn, while promoted Converts usually in an act of self-unfolding, swollen with pride, start to show their battered faces.
Converts (9), the miserable riffraff the Carbideblest picked up. Easily recognizable through their metal, featureless masks strapped into their flesh as part of a proving ritual. They are looked upon and while supplied with surplus ressources, even low-quality armor and weapons are thought wasted on them and thus they generally have to provide for themselves. If they prove to be battleworthy however, they aint a long way of their promotion to a legionar.
Battlestrider (2), six-legged piloted weapon platforms comparable to a sentinel, albeit bigger thanks to their spider-like mainbody (not in terms of sturdiness, just in terms of size). Smaller, lighter armed Stalktanks with improvised footsteps and handholds to provide carrying capacity for the Legionars (even if a stack of Legionares tends to slow them down). Weapons are usually mounted on the swivel-mounted cockpit.
[size=8]- BSTR-45, armed with light multilaser
- BSTR-49, armed with heavy flamer and twin-linked lasgun[/size]
Salamander (1), basically an open-topped Chimera APC that. Actually when they first encountered it, it indeed was a peeled open, burnt out chimera that needed tons of repair. On the front a mortar got incorporated, otherwise it's unarmed and usually carries Rhein, his retinue and his bodyguard.
Leman Russ Battletank (1), a mighty sight to behold, but sadly... in a rather poor condition. It's sidemounts blasted away, its flanks are fieldrepaired and not quiet as impervious as one would wish - and of top of that it's ouf of ammo. Currently only the pintle-mounted stubber is spewing death and destruction, as the customized multilaser in it's front is causing problems again, thanks to an unlucky rocket hit from the last battle. Still, as long as the enemy isnt in the loop..Only the commander is still sane - in lack of replacements the crew had to be replaced with specialized servitors.
