Lemartes



Chaplain Lemartes is the warden of the Blood Angels infamous Death Company and never have they been such a potent force as under his guidance. Though Lemartes himself is afflicted by the accursed Black Rage, his formidable willpower has allowed him to remain in control of his actions, leaving him free to lead the Death Company in glorious charges that eclipse all the deeds of legend.

Origin
During preparation to liberate Hadriath XI, Chaplain Lemartes fell to the effects of the dreaded Black Rage. Unlike his fellow afflicted warriors of the Death Company, Lemartes survived the initial assault, and seemingly unstoppable, carved a bloody swathe through the Ork defenders. When the battle was finally won, only then did Lemartes finally collapse from his numerous wounds. The mortally wounded Lemartes was brought to the field Apothecarium to await the arrival of Astorath The Grim, Redeemer of the Lost, to be granted the gift of final redemption by the blade of his Executioner's Axe.

When Astorath arrived to deliver the Lemarte's into death's embrace, he demanded to live, to continue to smite the Emperor's enemies as long as he still drew breath. Such a thing had never occurred. Though he still showed the signs of being in the throes of the Black Rage, his words were cogent and clear. Most members of the Death Company that survived a battle were usually so deranged that Astorath had to best them in combat before being able to take their lives. Never before had one challenged him in so lucid a fashion. Quashing all dissent, Astorath ordered the Chaplain placed in stasis and returned to Baal until the Chapter's Librarians and Sanguinary Priests could make full examination of him.

Lemartes was largely kept in the chill embrace of stasis to ensure the safety of those around him whilst the investigation took several months of scrutiny. The results reinforced Astorath's hopes that it was not a fluke; Lemartes was unquestionably in the grip of the Black Rage, yet his mind was not riven with insanity. Somehow, through some sheer act of incredible willpower, the Chaplain appeared able to hold his madness in check. Refusing to slay Lemartes, as some of the Sanguinary Priests wished, Astorath awoke the Chaplain from his enforced slumber and offered him a way in which he could continue to serve.

So did Lemartes become the Guardian of the Lost, the warden of the Death Company. He has repaid Astorath's faith a thousand times over, for the Death Company has become a formidable force never before seen under his guidance. He leads his charges to ever greater renown, ensuring that the dread sacrifice of the warriors of the Death Company are never in vain. At the conclusion of a battle, Lemartes is once again placed in stasis, to slumber through the weeks and months until his bloody talents are required again. For Lemartes, there is no longer any calm before the storm, for his life has become one of constant battle.

Surely the Chaplain is living on borrowed time, for even his formidable willpower cannot keep the Black Rage at bay indefinitely. Yet for the moment at least, Lemartes' iron will continues to hold firm. For a Chapter slipping into the darkness, Lemartes stands out as a symbol of hope, for if Lemartes can continue to reason and continue to serve his Chapter within the dark insanity of the Black Rage, perhaps others can do so as well.

Appearance
Chaplain Lemartes wears black coloured Power Armour with the typical symbols and iconography associated with the Death Company. He is held in such reverence that he is granted the honour of wearing a Death Mask, striking fear into his foes. Lemartes is also equipped with a Jump Pack, descending from the skies into the heart of the enemy like an avenging angel of death. In battle he carries with him the Blood Crozius, a master-crafted power weapon said to be the weapon of the Chapter's very first Blood Angels' High Chaplain. This ancient relic was entrusted into Lemartes' keeping by Astorat The Grim.