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Melissia wrote:Ollanius Pius, that human dude who sacrificed his life to try and save the Emperor in the final moments of the Horus Heresy. He became the first Saint.

Yes. Him being a normal human sends the strongest message about human loylaty. However, him being a human also makes the least sense. The clash on Horus' flagship was a duel bewteen titans. A regular guardsman had no place in this battle, and wouldn't even be able to get there. It's difficult to feasibly believe that he was teleported up with the Emperor, a Redemptionist story sounds far more interesting, but makes big O look a lot less loyal.

It seems more akin to a propaganda spin than a believeable legend. Even by Space Wolf standards.

He's gone because faith in the Emperor was seen as a bad thing. That's why Lorgar turned.. because the Emperor chastised him as portraying the Emperor as a god rather than as the man he wanted to be seen as.

I agree he was a champion though, and I wish they kept it in.

Ordo Dakka wrote:He's gone because faith in the Emperor was seen as a bad thing. That's why Lorgar turned.. because the Emperor chastised him as portraying the Emperor as a god rather than as the man he wanted to be seen as.

...How does this relate to Ollanius Pius?

4M2A wrote:
I think as already said he just doesn't really fit, in the fluff or the effect he has. An gaurdsman being anywhere near the emperor during the siege is unlikely being on the teleporter is almost impossible. Having a normal human (has to be human or the effect isn't the same) close to the emperor is a huge risk as traitors are appearing everywhere, only the most loyal and neccessary would be allowed

As opposed to an Astartes, half of which already turned traitor? At least a human is technically less dangerous if they betray.

The emp was surrounded by his custodes and Sanguinius who we can be pretty sure are going to stay loyal.

I have an idea that fixes the whole going crazy in the ship thing. You guys ever played Half life 2? If not, thats cool, but there is a part were Gordan Freeman is on a teleporter and (Dont worry, this is 5 minutes into the game and not a big surprise) it becomes damaged, sending him off for little blips (like 10 seconds) to random locations around the world, before he finally stops outside the room he started in, but he could have stop anywhere. Now, Terra is being bombed, burned, and blasted from all sides, and I am SURE that they used Some similar teleporter pads to get to other places that weren't Horuse's flagship. Multiple fronts require a quick movement of troops, and the teleporter pads fit the bill. And, Mr. Pius could have been teleporting to the other side of the planet with a whole big group, the group is killed, the pad is damaged, and instead of the armoury, he ends up on the flagship. Remember that Marines, who show little emotion, were in awe when faceing the Emperor. Ollanius was just a human, and if you saw God about to be smashed right in front of you, I am sure you would try to stop such a thing from happening. It makes sense to my anyway.

Really the story of Pius reminds me of that HL2 comic 'Concerned'.


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That is some imbecile being in the wrong place at the right time by sheer damn fool's luck

Henners91 wrote:Really the story of Pius reminds me of that HL2 comic 'Concerned'.


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That is some imbecile being in the wrong place at the right time by sheer damn fool's luck

Why did "Concerned" have to end Henners? Why? They could have done Ep. 1 and 2 :(

One part I miss is how anyone capable of doing what super-men cannot do is "normal".

In my mind that is partly where the story went.

Now it does seem a fairy-tale for IG.

/shrug

kirsanth wrote:One part I miss is how anyone capable of doing what super-men cannot do is "normal".

In my mind that is partly where the story went.

Now it does seem a fairy-tale for IG.

/shrug

It isn't normal, that's the point. Now if it was a super human Custodes, dedicated and trained to protect the emperor at all costs then you would expect him to do what he did so it's normal. I mean a custodes protecting them emperor is kinda a "so what" situation, but a simple guardsmen is far more heroic because he went beyond what his duty was.

Except, of course, that it never happened!

CrazyThang wrote:

Henners91 wrote:Really the story of Pius reminds me of that HL2 comic 'Concerned'.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
That is some imbecile being in the wrong place at the right time by sheer damn fool's luck

Why did "Concerned" have to end Henners? Why? They could have done Ep. 1 and 2 :(

Because he died in the explosion of City 17 and I guess it must've been written before Ep1 and 2 came out!

Still, Frohman is just *that* type of character who could quite casually crawl out of the rubble and dust himself off: Though he'd have a hard time catching up with Freeman, maybe he'd snag himself a dropship?

Yeah, Ollanius Pius is gone, but not entirerly. He still is the Saint of Guard isn't he? And aren't their still medals named after him?

In any case, as to how he got on to the flagship in the first place, I'd just have to say that isn't it likely that the Loyalists decided to throw EVERYTHING they had at the Vengeful Spirit to take advantage of it? I could easily see them telling any ships in orbit to launch massive boarding attacks in order to distract them, even just a little. That's the best reason I have as to why he's there....he's just the last lonely survivor who against all odds has managed to reach the command center. All his comrades have died around him, and like a proper bloody Guardsman he charges forward......and is promptly killed in such a horrible manner as to make us cringe in abject terror.

I also personally think it's much more awesome for Ollanius Pius to be the one who dies instead of a Custodes. It's an act of super-human bravery, and it's much more awesome that it's done by a human instead of a super-human. Plus, as propaganda it's much more effective as your average Imperial citizen can identify with Mr. Pius, instead of identifying with a superhuman clouded in myth.

On the OT, I think Pius got dropped because GW decided that like a lot of people have said. It doesn't make sense. Also, it might be that the death of a mere Guardsman stirring the Emperor to deliver an ass-kicking of God like proportions wasn't grimdark enough, and they needed someone slightly more important to die.

I think the guy's story is cool, but I just don't see any believable way to explain his presence on the Vengeful Spirit. I hope that the Horus Heresy writers give him an actual role instead of just presenting him as the fictional saint dreamt up by later propagandists, but I also hope that they don't mess around with implausible plot manipulation to deliver him to the final battle in person.

Given the descriptions we've had of the Vengeful Spirit during the siege, there's no way a human could survive on board and remain uncorrupted, so I don't buy that he could have been living on board prior to the siege. The nature of Imperial teleporters, and the situation within the palace make it impossible for me to rationalise that the God-Emperor, two of his one man army demigod sons, and a retinue of best of the best Praetorian Guard decided to bring along a squishy guardsman who isn't even supposed to be able to teleport in the first place. Once on board I can accept his unlikely survival and unwise bravado, though I doubt that the Emperor had the time to grant him sainthood what with him being slightly busy at the time. It all comes down to how he got there for me. I'm sure the likes of Dan Abnett and ADB could pull it off, but I fear they'd have to go to such unlikely lengths that it would just seem undignified.

i like the idea better of a normal man not enhanced not a mindless death machine but just a normal man being able to stand up to what is wrong with out hiding behind mask just a pure human soul.Trying to do what best...its kind of like the guy who stood in front of the tanks at
Tiananmen Square there was no godly reason for him to stand in front of those tanks he couldn't stop them but his bravery and right of mind knew he could have one last attempt to help people realize what there doing is wrong ....

DEUS VULT wrote:Have to agree with Melissia and Commisar Henners on this one.
The concept of a normal human such as Ollanius standing up to Chaos and evil incarnate, representing the unswerving bravery and sacrifice that a simple human is capable of is simply too damn significant to retcon. He is proof that yes, one damn guardsman CAN make a difference. Ollanius is a manifesation of hope and defiance to a galaxy populated with demons, monstrous xenos and genetically engineered superhumans. He is the Emperors Middle Finger.
Ollanius: "Hey Horus, F*ck you, buddy"

Ollanius Pius lives! WE have pics. We have banners. Keep your genetic heretics. We have Pius. We are... The Guard.
(almost makes me want to take up my guard again).