Libators
| Libators | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
||
| Founding | 2nd Founding | |
| Successors of | Ultramarines | |
| Chapter Master | Unknown | |
| Homeworld | Unknown | |
| Strength | Around 1,000 | |
| Specialty | ||
| Allegiance | Imperium of Man | |
| Colours | Yellow with Black Trim and Shoulders | |
History[edit | edit source]
The Liberators Libators have an... interesting chapter history. They pull a reverse Star Phantoms, being well-documented as a member of the Ultramarines Second Founding chapters but having almost no notable engagements or alliances before Roboute Guilliman awoke and called them out.
Most recently, they dispatched two companies to Maccragge to defend against the Death Guard and have three companies on crusade with the Black Templars and aforementioned Star Phantoms to clear the Karthago sector, who due to the Castigation of Sidon Ultra (Badab War reparations which included the 14 billion population of the Sector's capital being identured into servitude for six generations), was in no condition to repel attacks from Ork Pirates. Of those two companies they sent to fight in the Plague Wars, one had to be redirected to Damnos of all places. The Ultras were enraged, thinking the Sautekh Dynasty had come to challenge them for a third time, but it turned out these necrons were Szarekhan.
Chapter Iconography[edit | edit source]
The chapter's name comes from the word "libation", which means "a pouring out of liquid (usually an alcoholic beverage) or grain as an offering to a deity or to the dead". This is an ancient practice that has appeared in many different cultures and even continues to be practiced today. It even appear in media often enough to have a TVTropes page. But until 8th Edition, nothing was known about their practices so one could interpret the name in several ways.
The mystery has been officially unveiled in the "Indomitus" Space Marine Codex for 8th Edition. Apparently, their name and iconography stem from their habit of letting their enemies' blood as a tribute to both their Primarch and the Emperor, a fact that has led them to be known as some of the most brutal Ultramarine successors. They have a tendency to reserve the worst treatment for enemy champions and leaders, as these are seen as the worthiest offerings of all (reason for which they incurred in several censures during various occasions).
One another common theory, is that Libators did frequently drink large quantities of Alcohol in glory of both their Primarch and God-Emperor - lifting toasts on every possible excuse, especially when celebrating or mourning something, and also immediately before and after battle to bolster morale. Although that was never officially supported, that wasn't disproven either; basically, Alcohol is to Libators, what Gorgeous Soup is to Ultramarines. Considering how resilient Space Marine organism is, the amounts of alcohol required to get drunk must be truly massive. As such, their "spill blood of enemies in honor of The Emperor" tendencies often get further amplified by destructive drunken rages and even worse rages/deliriums which happen if Libators run out of alcohol (as their recorded bloody antics were when they were sober - it gets worse if drunken or in delirium) - they often failed to record their drunken antics, due to failing to remember what horrible things they did at a time. Alternatively, they're normally "slightly" drunk - while both heavily-drunken and completely-sober Libators are terrifying sights to behold. This also may explain why many Libators were close-quarters or melee fighters: they often got too drunk to accurately shoot at long range, yet became very effective up close with their bloodlusted aggression and special "drunken master" fighting style.
TL;DR: Alcoholic Khorne-flavored Ultramarines. Might be interesting to have some details on some of their earlier campaigns... I mean, can every one of these guys have remained uncorrupted by the touch of the Blood God, when we have plenty of traitor marines hailing from, say, the Sons of Guilliman?
