Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Sorry if this isn't the right forum for this...

I wrote this up a while ago and thought I would share. I don't know if it's strictly canonical or not, but it's my take on the Flesh Tearer chapter. The background on them constantly describes them as being "completely divorced from humanity", so, that's how I thought I would depict them. Anyway, without further ado...

High Sanguinary Priest Amasai stood outside of the battered Razorback APC. "Step forth, brothers", he commanded in a hellish voice that recalled iron dragged against concrete. Massive figures clad in crimson and black armor filed out of the rear hatch of the armored transport and stood single file in front of the priest, their silhouettes outlined by the towering inferno that the once-proud city had become. The shattered husks of Administratum buildings were bathed in the hot red glow of the firestorm, while stacatto reports of automatic fire rang out against an audial backdrop of ceaseless artillery blasts.

"Brothers, we are here on a mission of retribution. Let all who would defy the will of the almighty God-Emperor of Mankind know that there will be no forgiveness, no reconciliation for those who reject His benevolent embrace. We are here today to weed out the final remnants of the traitorous scum that infect this city, the last pieces of filth that cower in the dark corners where His bombs and artillery cannot reach. We will sweep this city building by building, room by room, until every last traitor is purged".

"Brother Khidyr, step forward and remove your helm", he commanded. The marine stepped forward from the front of the line and knelt before the Priest. He removed his helmet to reveal a pallid, massively scarred and twisted countenance. Amasai held his Blood Chalice in front of him, a grim vessel crafted from the hollowed skull of a martyred battle brother. "Brother Khidyr, do you receive this holy Eucharist?"

"I do", the marine replied.

"As Sanguinius suffered, so do we", said Priest Amasai as he handed the jagged ritual blade to brother Khidyr. The battle brother scored a large X deeply into his right cheek. The Sanguinary Priest held the Blood Chalice underneath the marine's chin to collect the blood that gushed forth from the wound where it mingled with the half-congealed blood of other recent rituals. Then Priest Amasai took the blade and savaged his own flesh in the same manner, adding his blood to the sacred artifact. He twisted the cap off of a vial containing a clear liquid and poured it in. "This sacred cup which we bless, is it not our communion with Sanguinius? Are we not His sons, His flesh and blood?", the Sanguinary Priest asked.

"We are", replied brother Khidyr.

"Then partake of the blood of the God-Emperor of Mankind's beloved Son. This we do in remembrance of Him."

Brother Khidyr took a sip from the chalice. The effects of the combat drugs mixed into the sanguinary cocktail were almost immediate. His face became unbearably hot. His entire body felt as though it was being pricked with ten thousand needles. His muscles spasmed violently and cramped. The torment was unspeakable. Then the pain gave way to numbness as his eyes rolled back in his head and and froth formed at the corners of his mouth. All sense of time, space, and location left him and were replaced by unreasoning rage. Visions of the most horrendous bloodshed filled his mind. It was all he could do to keep from tearing at his own face in his frenzy.

High Priest Amasai passed the chalice around to the other battle brothers who had disembarked from the Razorback and then drank from it himself. As his body writhed and contorted in agony and he began to be blessed with the Red Visions, he struggled to articulate the sacred benediction.

"As we go forth into battle, brothers", he shrieked into his vox-amplifier so that he might be heard over the howling winds and artillery blasts, "Let contempt be your armor, hatred your sword, and faith your shield. Let us pray."

"For our sakes who adore Thee, Lord, give us the strength to crush their hopes, blight their lives, protract their bitter pilgrimage, make heavy their steps, water their way with tears, and stain the white snow red with the blood of their wounded feet as they flee before us. O Lord our God, help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our bolts, to flay the flesh from their bones with our blades, to trample their wills with our boots. We ask it in the spirit of hatred, O Lord. In Your son Sanguinius' name, amen."

Just as he ended his prayer, a terrified and ragged civilian family emerged from a nearby building and caught sight of the squad of Flesh Tearer Space Marines. The father's apprehension changed to relief when he saw the Aquila, the symbol of the mighty Imperium painted on the side of the Razorback. Salvation. Salvation at long last. The mighty Space Marines had come to liberate the city from its blasphemous oppressors. Every Imperial citizen had heard the mythical tales of the heroic and noble Space Marines. He knew that their long struggle was over. Their pious faith had been rewarded. They had survived weeks of incessant bombing and shelling, had hidden from rebel death squads, suffered from thirst and hunger. But always, they had held fast to their faith. In answer to their fervent prayers, the Emperor had sent his Angels of Death to their rescue. The oldest child, a boy of about eleven, burst into a smile as he began waving at the monstrous figures.

A shot rang out from brother Jagun's bolt pistol and the young boy's head exploded in a shower of blood and brain matter. In the blink of an eye, a space marine had covered the distance between himself and the interlopers. The patriarch positioned himself between the marine and his family and spread his arms in a vain attempt to protect his brood. "Please, please don't. We are innocent!", he pleaded. The last thing he heard before his head was unceremoniously severed from his neck was the nightmarish shriek that raged from the marine's vox-amplifier.

Amasai felt a sensual ecstasy as he watched his battle brothers tear the heretic scum limb-from-limb. The blood-lust that coursed through his veins was electric. He screamed as his fellow marines charged into the city in search of more victims. "Kill them all! Every last traitor must be purged! Kill them! Maim them! Burn them! The God-Emperor demands the blood of traitors! Adorn the foot of His throne with the skulls of His enemies! Kill them all in Sanguinius' holy name!"

This is the correct forum. And I really liked what you did with the Flesh Tearers on this story. Its a unique way to represent them!

Very well created! I hope to see more of this

Thank you! I figure that for them to be so persecuted by the Imperium at large (Inquisitorial attention, the Sisters of Battle hate them, etc) that their ways and rituals must be pretty borderline heretical. I wanted to depict that side to them.

Nice work!