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Im working on some fluff for my marines. Basically they have been trapped underground in darkness on an uninhabited waste planet for a long time.

My question is: How long would they survive with nothing but some dirty water? Assuming that they waste no energy and spend the whole time medidating.

Decades? Centuries?

Would they remain sane?

Would they loose their muscles due to starvation?

Your thoughts?

Here be what dem look liek (WIP):

The Space Marines have two special organs that could help with this:

The Preomnor which aids in eating things undigestable to regular humans, and the Sus-an Membrane which allows a space marine to rest in suspended animation for long periods of time. I don;t know what the dietary requirements are while in that state though.

lol. Preomnor.

I am just guessing. I should think he could last several months, perhaps three to six, depending on the level of suspended animation. He would probably come out weakened at the end.


After all, animals like bears and marmots can survive three months without food. They do need to feed themselves up in advance, but they also need to come out fighting fit.

by fluff it is indefinite... They can place themselves in statis and survive via the nuclear generator in their power pack. In one BL novel a DA Marine remained in statis for over one millenia while drifting through space.

G

I would imagine that after very long periods of hibernations they are in a bad state and need a bit of time to heal before they are back in a fight.

Green Blow Fly wrote: by fluff it is indefinite... They can place themselves in statis and survive via the nuclear generator in their power pack. In one BL novel a DA Marine remained in statis for over one millenia while drifting through space.

G

Stasis would also mean they dont age right?

Is that a function they have access to att all times? Seems a bit useless in battle.

Stasis is different to suspended animation.

Stasis is a situation in which a field freezes time so that objects simply have no respiratory function. The stasis field generator needs power, of course, and must be outside the field or it would stop working. Therefore it is subject to wearing out, exhausting fuel or external damage.

A stasis field which could be switched on very quickly would be immensely useful in battle. It could be activated by an incoming round and preserve the wearer against any damage which was not enough to damage the generator.

Suspended animation is a biological state in which respiration is reduced to the minimum necessary for the maintenance of life. Some degree of energy (food and oxygen) is still needed by the suspended creature.

Green Blow Fly wrote: by fluff it is indefinite... They can place themselves in statis and survive via the nuclear generator in their power pack. In one BL novel a DA Marine remained in statis for over one millenia while drifting through space.

G

The novel is Eye of Terror, and it wasn't one millenia, it was ten. He was shot out of his ship during the Heresy. He eventually drifted into the EoT, and was instrumental in disrupting one of the Crusades.

Ill go with suspended animation.

I found this: "The longest recorded period spent in suspended animation was undertaken by Brother Silas Err of the Dark Angels, who was revived after 567 years." I assume that marines still age and grow weary in this state?

Perhaps the same Marine Green Blow Fly was referring to.

Who says aging makes marines 'worn out'? They grow stronger with age as they face more battles and their body adapts to itself. Nope, age is but a number for a space marine.

As for the waste planet, they could survive indefinately. They could eat stuff the likes of which would kill a human and harness all energy from it. The only problem is radiation. In doses, radiation is harmless to em. But when they sit in it for months on end, their healing factor slows, their body begins to die and they eventually succumb to it as well. If it's only in pockets, they can spend time out of pockets in half-sleep to regenerate any loss from the radiation.

what about the night lord from lord of night he was asleep for 10 thousand years wasn't he (or was he in stasis I can't remember Im not at home)

The Night Lord was in suspended animation and he was in the warp so I would take the DA record.

Lorgar's_Blessed wrote:Who says aging makes marines 'worn out'? They grow stronger with age as they face more battles and their body adapts to itself. Nope, age is but a number for a space marine.

As for the waste planet, they could survive indefinately. They could eat stuff the likes of which would kill a human and harness all energy from it. The only problem is radiation. In doses, radiation is harmless to em. But when they sit in it for months on end, their healing factor slows, their body begins to die and they eventually succumb to it as well. If it's only in pockets, they can spend time out of pockets in half-sleep to regenerate any loss from the radiation.

Read the thread again. The only one who says they would get worn out is you.

And also, they would be trapped underground in a great cave or ancient hall with nothing to eat but sand.

Im assuming they would grow weary not from age but from malnutrition and lack of sunlight. Also, being locked up like that must be hard on even the strongest of minds.

Marines age like fine wine and Japanese women. They just get better.

Kilkrazy wrote:Marines age like fine wine and Japanese women. They just get better.

I bet your wife made you say that

Not that the younger ones are any worse mind you.

Just bringing up another point not all marine have every implanted organ. The imperial fists (and all their succesors) lack the mucranoid and betcher's gland (if i'm not mistaken) What would happen to marines who lacked the sus-an membrane?

Kilkrazy wrote:Marines age like fine wine and Japanese women. They just get better.

Wine and japanese girls. Great recruiting line for the Space Marines

Joetaco wrote:Just bringing up another point not all marine have every implanted organ. The imperial fists (and all their succesors) lack the mucranoid and betcher's gland (if i'm not mistaken) What would happen to marines who lacked the sus-an membrane?

They probably just couldn't enter suspended animation, however there may be side effects from it(such as the mutation in Blood Ravens' Catalepsean node, which doesn't allow them to dream-sleep).
And, inability to enter suspended animation may mean problems in some cases (wounded severely and not being able to do it may mean death before help can arrive, stuff like that)

I'd think that if they've been in suspended animation for quite some time (year or so upwards) then they won't be in full fighting condition afterwards. Just like if they'd been wounded they could probably still fight but less effectively than if they were in full health. I also don't think it would take long to get them back into full health. Slight loss of muscle tone is one of the more likely outcomes. Needing to spend a while pampering the power armour's machine spirit is another.