Editing Blood Jaguars (section)

== Gene-Seed ==
Like all Chapters of The Blood, the Blood Jaguars too, bears all the hallmarks of lineage of the Blood Angels. This is especially true of the affliction known as the Black Rage - the all-consuming berserker rage caused by the psychic imprint of Sanguinius's final memories, which causes an afflicted battle-brother to lose himself, as he comes to believe he is the Great Angel himself, fighting during the Battle of Terra during the closing days of the Horus Heresy. Like their genetic forebears, the Blood Jaguars are also known to fall to the curse of the Black Rage far more often than members of any other Chapter descended from Sanguinius' lineage. This is believed to have been caused by extreme genetic-drift within their gene-seed, but their combat doctrines and military philosophy may also influence the frequency of the tragic psycho-genetic syndrome.

Unlike the Blood Angels and their other Successors, the Blood Jaguars are far further along in the descent into madness and their gene-seed carries a heightened version of the flaw which may well spell their complete annihilation within the space of a few short solar decades. This means that even the most mentally stable and strong-willed of the Blood Jaguars feels the touch of the Black Rage and the pull of the Red Thirst, knowing full well that it is only a matter of time before they succumb and the madness takes them completely.

For unknown reasons, the Blood Jaguars succumb to the Black Rage far more than many other Successor Chapter of the Blood Angels, and therefore these Astartes are currently dwindling in overall numbers. Numerous efforts have been taken to attempt to mitigate the sudden and severe onset of the Black Rage among the Chapter's Battle-Brothers. The adoption of nightly bloodletting and purification rituals have not been shown to assist Battle-Brothers in their efforts to resist the Black Rage, nor has it mitigated the syndrome's effects once a Space Marine has entered the latter stages of the curse.

Like many Chapters descended from the lineage of the Great Angel, the Blood Jaguars also suffer from the genetic flaw known as the Red Thirst, an overwhelming desire to physically taste their enemies' blood. Unfortunately, when this trait is combined with the Black Rage it can devolve into outright cannibalistic assaults by the enraged Space Marines. The cursed Astartes of the Blood Jaguars seem doomed to watch the ongoing collapse of their beloved Chapter. Even as they revel in the destruction of the Sun-Emperor's foes, they must also watch as their comrades give in to the curse of Sanguinius' gene-seed. In spite of this, they remain valiant servants of the Imperium. Rather than give in to woe and despair, they constantly strive to fight against the curse as bravely as they fight those who oppose Mankind. As true tragic heroes, the Blood Jaguars remain devoted to their cause, even in the face of ultimate defeat.

=== Primarch's Curse: Dark Fury ===
When the Chapter's genetic curse manifests itself in an affected Battle-Brother, it comes on in three stages:
*'''Stage 1 - Extreme Frenzy''': The Battle-Brother completely loses control when he frenzies and finds it almost impossible to claw his way back to reason as long as there are foes to fight and blades drawn. Even when foes are not near, the madness of Frenzy grips him and he rages endlessly for battle and blood, howling out his anger and striking the ground with his blade. The Battle-Brother must take care, lest he lose control at any moment. Any time the Battle-Brother takes damage, is confronted with a clear threat, or is put in position of great stress, he must summon all his willpower in order to contain his fury for the duration of an encounter with an enemy.
*'''Stage 2 - Blood Madness''': The Blood Jaguar's thirst for the blood of their foes when in the grips of the Red Thirst and long to see it spilled across the ground in great arcs and gouts. They also crave the feeling of hot blood on their skin and splattering across their armour, staining the dark red battle-plate a darker shade still. The Battle-Brother must engage foes in close combat if possible, either making melee attacks against them or shooting point blank with pistols so that their blood spills at his feet. When he downs a foe, he must resist the urge to hack or blast the foe's corpse apart. If the Battle-Brother is attacked by a new foe while he is in this state while hacking at another foe, he will turn his attention to his new attacker instead.
*'''Stage 3 - Animal Within''': Near the end, an afflicted Blood Jaguar is little more than an animal filled with fury and madness striking out at all those around him. While he may still have lucid moments where he remembers the warrior he once was, these are fleeting and quickly gone to be replaced with only the thought of killing and the thirst for blood, and he will attack the nearest target (friend or foe) if there is more than one to choose from. At this point, the Battle-Brother is completely within the grip of the Black Rage and must be transferred to the 'Black Jaguars', the Chapter's Death Company.