+ inload: Lieutenant Caperneon +

+ inload: Lieutenant Caperneon +


+ A minor officer of the Legion, Caperneon was a stolid and dependable Terran, as suggested by the symbol of the Raptor's head on his breastplate. While a capable – even daring – fighter in his early years as an Astartes, he found his true vocation in helping to oversee the Legion's expansion across the Five Hundred Worlds in the years following the discovery of Macragge and the Primarch. Proving a capable governor, distributor and commander, he was moved from Chapter to Chapter many times during these years. A naturally stand-offish character, he used his reputation as distant and disapproving to good effect in getting the best from the Ultramarines of the line. +



+ Before joining the 190th as a training officer immediately before the Calth Muster, Caperneon served as a Naval commander, operating as a true 'void marine' and helping to co-ordinate fleet movements across the sector, a task that found him working alongside a number of other Legions. His demeanour – briskly professional – doubtless reinforced many non-Ultramarine personnel of the XIII's characteristic style. +

+ His approach proved useful in some joint engagements – he received respectful commendation from allied commanders in Expedition Fleets of the Iron Warriors, and Dark Angels – though a number of other Legions and Solar Auxilia commanders found his manner grating enough to be a drawback in relations. The normally affable Captain Sejanus of the XVI remarked that Caperneon exemplified the Ultramarines as 'toffee-nosed, affected and dull as dishwater'. +



+ In addition to the Legion symbol worn by all Ultramarines of the 190th on their left pauldron, he bears a wreathed inverted omega on the right. This is the symbol of a Line Captain – the XIII often wore an abbreviated visual rank system that made it as easy as possible for friendly troops (particularly those unfamiliar with Astartes rank divisions) to identify broad 'strata' of rank – line troops, tactical officers and commanders. This was borne on the right pauldron (the trailing arm when firing a boltgun) to make identification clearer for supporting troops. +

+ Caperneon's armour is – as one might expect of his dutiful and understated nature – conservative in style, with additions to the basic structure of his composite mark II and IV armour restricted to common rank symbology: a short leather loincloth and the black-and-white longitudinal crest of his helm. +



+ A silver rank crest on his backpack replaces the more common back banner; and is the sole personal affectation on his armour. It marks him out as a void specialist, the reduced height being more suited to ship-to-ship and zero-gravity combat. +

+ Despite his reputation, Caperneon proved a thorn in the side of the invading Word Bearers, rallying the surviving 190th and 15th until relieved by superior officers. He perished, like so many others, in an unremembered and unmarked tunnel skirmish during the Underworld War. +

1 comment:

Suber said...

Really nice work, as usual. Truly inspirational :)