Lepp
03-09-2008, 07:21 AM
Ok, well, I'm entering the Astro Summer Contest, first (and maybe last) with an Overall entry - Captain Ro'Shen, of the Salamanders' Third Company. He's a model i've been planning since March 1st. Pictures will come within the hour, and a bit of fluff will come some time after that. Here's his general background:
Born on Nocturne in 603.M41, Ro’Shen is among the oldest of the Salamanders – not counting, of course, The Ancients entombed in
Dreadnought Sarcophagi. Ro’Shen distinguished himself first as a mere scout, when he single handedly killed an Ork Warboss on
Danek’s Landing. However, his path to Captain was a bizarre one – Ro’Shen only took command of a squad around his 200th year,
as a member of the First Company – a Firedrake – before that serving as a Flamer Bearer in a line squad and a veteran marine in a
Sternguard squad. It was 57 years later when, during the Paradise Incident, he first commanded a company. The Captain of the
Third Company had been killed on Paradise, fighting the Xenos Tau. Ro’Shen, whose squad had been attached to Captain Je’Taur’s
force, was the most senior officer, and took charge. It was around this time that a Warp Storm erupted, trapping all forces on the
planet and denying both sides air support, which until then had been the Tau force’s chief advantage. During the seventeen-month
campaign, the Tau were gradually eradicated, and by the time the storm abated two years later, the Astartes of the Third Company
and Ro’Shen were inseparable. Before his official promotion to Captain, Ro’Shen went through many trials, including the creation of
a suit of Artificer Armor under the watchful eyes of a Techmarine and an Adeptus Mechanicus delegation. He combined components
of his Firedrake armor, such as his backpack, with elements of the armor of his predecessor, Captain Je’Taur, and pieces of his own
creation. Other trials involved combating Salamanders and branding and tattooing his dark face and body. Finally, he was presented
with his weapons; a Thunder Hammer said to have been wielded by Vulkan himself, the Tongue of Flame; and an ancient piece of
archaeotech called the Black Dragon. This was an odd combi-weapon; it consisted of a flamer, similar to that used by the forces of
the Imperium the galaxy over; but this one fired a flame so hot that it was blue. Also, there was what appeared to be a primitive
bolter, which only fired a small caliber incendiary variant of the metal storm shrapnel round. Even more oddly, the weapon was on a
sort of harness which attached to the forearm. After taking up his weapons, Ro’Shen led his new company to his flagship, the Strike
Cruiser Vulkan’s Wrath, on an inaugural crusade.
An imposing figure, his face covered in ritualistic burns, tattoos, and the odd battle scar, Ro’Shen is noted for his incredible patience
and fierce nature, along with an unusual stubbornness – even for a Salamander. Ro’Shen also feels a great deal of compassion
towards Imperial citizens and Guardsmen, often putting himself and his Marines in harm’s way to protect them. He leads from the
front, like most Astartes, and is known to cultivate independence and initiative in his subordinates. He has fought in both the Second
and Third Armageddon Wars, still being engaged in the latter. He was tutored by Chaplain Xavier himself, and is an extremely pious
man; his personal Land Raider, Hammer of Fire, is covered in the flames denoting a devotee of the Promethean Cult and has
passages of The Book of Vulkan in gold on its flanks. It’s treads will continue to grind his foes into the dust, and he will continue to
incinerate the enemies of the Imperium, until his death.
Born on Nocturne in 603.M41, Ro’Shen is among the oldest of the Salamanders – not counting, of course, The Ancients entombed in
Dreadnought Sarcophagi. Ro’Shen distinguished himself first as a mere scout, when he single handedly killed an Ork Warboss on
Danek’s Landing. However, his path to Captain was a bizarre one – Ro’Shen only took command of a squad around his 200th year,
as a member of the First Company – a Firedrake – before that serving as a Flamer Bearer in a line squad and a veteran marine in a
Sternguard squad. It was 57 years later when, during the Paradise Incident, he first commanded a company. The Captain of the
Third Company had been killed on Paradise, fighting the Xenos Tau. Ro’Shen, whose squad had been attached to Captain Je’Taur’s
force, was the most senior officer, and took charge. It was around this time that a Warp Storm erupted, trapping all forces on the
planet and denying both sides air support, which until then had been the Tau force’s chief advantage. During the seventeen-month
campaign, the Tau were gradually eradicated, and by the time the storm abated two years later, the Astartes of the Third Company
and Ro’Shen were inseparable. Before his official promotion to Captain, Ro’Shen went through many trials, including the creation of
a suit of Artificer Armor under the watchful eyes of a Techmarine and an Adeptus Mechanicus delegation. He combined components
of his Firedrake armor, such as his backpack, with elements of the armor of his predecessor, Captain Je’Taur, and pieces of his own
creation. Other trials involved combating Salamanders and branding and tattooing his dark face and body. Finally, he was presented
with his weapons; a Thunder Hammer said to have been wielded by Vulkan himself, the Tongue of Flame; and an ancient piece of
archaeotech called the Black Dragon. This was an odd combi-weapon; it consisted of a flamer, similar to that used by the forces of
the Imperium the galaxy over; but this one fired a flame so hot that it was blue. Also, there was what appeared to be a primitive
bolter, which only fired a small caliber incendiary variant of the metal storm shrapnel round. Even more oddly, the weapon was on a
sort of harness which attached to the forearm. After taking up his weapons, Ro’Shen led his new company to his flagship, the Strike
Cruiser Vulkan’s Wrath, on an inaugural crusade.
An imposing figure, his face covered in ritualistic burns, tattoos, and the odd battle scar, Ro’Shen is noted for his incredible patience
and fierce nature, along with an unusual stubbornness – even for a Salamander. Ro’Shen also feels a great deal of compassion
towards Imperial citizens and Guardsmen, often putting himself and his Marines in harm’s way to protect them. He leads from the
front, like most Astartes, and is known to cultivate independence and initiative in his subordinates. He has fought in both the Second
and Third Armageddon Wars, still being engaged in the latter. He was tutored by Chaplain Xavier himself, and is an extremely pious
man; his personal Land Raider, Hammer of Fire, is covered in the flames denoting a devotee of the Promethean Cult and has
passages of The Book of Vulkan in gold on its flanks. It’s treads will continue to grind his foes into the dust, and he will continue to
incinerate the enemies of the Imperium, until his death.