Through Boiling Clouds of Thunder
| Race | Mutant Abhuman |
|---|---|
| Dynasty | Charon's Thunder |
| Player | Griff Williams |
Name: Through Boiling Clouds of Thunder
Dynasty: Charon's Thunder Free Company [Former]
Notable Traits: Large; Loud; Seldom far from his distinctive greatsword
Titles: Lord Marshal of the Charon's Thunder Free Company [Former]; Painkiller of the Priests of Iudus
Status: Deceased
Information Known by Arkangel Society
Through Boiling Clouds of Thunder (known, almost invariably, as simply 'Thunder') was a Feral Worlder. That much was obvious from even the most casual of inspections. The precise nature of his homeworld, and his departure therefrom, was information Thunder did not openly share with Arkangel Society, but based on his claims that he spent a decade as a slave gladiator, it is safe to assume he did not leave willingly, or under good circumstances. He owed his freedom to Lord Captain Sireena, who purchased it so that he may serve her as a bodyguard and arch-militant. When it became clear that his services were superfluous to the Cerastes Dynasty's activities in the Stygian Abyss, however, he struck out on his own to serve as a mercenary with any Dynasty willing to hire his blade. Over the course of his independence, he was blessed by the God Emperor with several worthy allies, and together they secured a Warrant and vessel to forge a new Dynasty in their own strange image.
Although most commonly known for his blunt and aggressive fervour in combat (and the obscene slab of adamantium he wields), Thunder also possessed a surprising depth of expertise in the art of medicae. If his proclivity for grand, bombastic tales was to be believed, he gained such expertise from a genetics tome claimed from an Astartes derelict - given the remarkable sophistication of his gene alchemy, there may have been some truth to such claims.
Thunder met his end facing the soulless forces of the Necron, under the command of a heretek Magos. Although the Arkangel Expedition succeeded in preventing the renegade from unleashing a cataclysm upon the Galaxy, the vicious wounds inflicted by the Necrons' abhorrent gauss weapons were too great in both number and potency for even Thunder's prodigious biology to resist. He died on his feet, at the blades of those he held highest and loved the greatest.
Lineage
Thunder's biology was, perhaps, one of the worst-kept secrets on Arkangel. Although appearing outwardly Human, Thunder's innards were a mess of redundant organs, boneplate armour and nerve buffers. Whether he was truly a Mutant, or some kind of unsanctioned Abhuman, was a matter of opinion, but Thunder asserted that his lineage was both stable and a subject of great personal pride upon his homeworld. 'Painkillers', as his genetic variance was locally known, were the culmination of a ten-millennia-long effort to reproduce the sacred biology of an Astartes, utilising only selective breeding and controlled exposure to radiomutagens. Impressive as Thunder's hardiness was, they clearly still have a ways to go yet.
Known Associates
Thunder boasted that he had fought for every Dynasty upon Arkangel at least once. Nevertheless, there were a select few with whom he had formed a particularly close bond - most notably, the members of the Free Company:
- Erasmus Bloom - Encountered during an underdeck tavern brawl aboard Arkangel, Bloom was the first warrior to share in Thunder's vision for a Free Company of mercenaries. The techno-barbarian relied upon Bloom for his expertise in matters of ritualism and rumour.
- Lytling Ddraig Aur - First meeting one another in service to the great Brigari Dynasty, Thunder always held Lytling in the highest regard for his wisdom, honour and combat prowess. He was honoured to call the peerless knight his battle-brother.
- Skyfall - A foundling recovered from a primitive world, there was an obvious similarity between Thunder and Skyfall's circumstances from the start. He made no secret that he saw greatness in the young psyker, and would do whatever it took to ensure she achieves that greatness.
- The Dancing Spectre - An Aeldari Harlequin currently fighting as a member of the Free Company. Thunder clearly admired the Spectre as a master of battle, and as some sort of cultural equivalent to a bard. He valued the Spectre's counsel highly, and always had time to share tales with him.
- Sireena Cerastes - Thunder owed his freedom to Sireena. Though he no longer served the Cerastes Dynasty, he owed a debt to her that was beyond repayment, and held for her a deep and abiding affection.
Rumours
Thunder was a fairly open man, apparently lacking any great degree of subtlety and guile. That being said, he was the subject of several small rumours:
- Thunder practiced an excessive degree of hero worship towards the Astartes, greater even than is common in Imperial society.
- Thunder held an unspecified but violent grievance against Imperial bureaucracy; his normal good humour was invariably withheld for members of the Administratum.
- Although straddling the line between Mutant and Abhuman, Thunder displayed no visible sanctioning brand.
- Thunder believed all weapons should be given names; what he called his own greatsword, however, remained a mystery.
- Thunder was amassing a Khornate berserker cult deep within the Free Company's ship, the Second Chance.
- Thunder was behind the break-up of Maximillion and Skyfall.
Quotes
- "He may seem like a lumbering brute. This is a lie hiding a cunning warrior and loyal friend. There is no-one else I would rather have at my back in a fight." - Maximillion
- "For someone who is seemingly from a barbaric world they are suitably courteous, more than one would expect. In battle or drawn to anger, he could make a Grox flinch." - Lieutenant-Surgeon Schwarzekappel
- "My opinion of Thunder? Well, Through-Boiling-Clouds-of-Thunder is a curious alchemy of Feral Worlder and upstanding Imperial citizen: at once caught between the straining balance of those two dichotomies; this, of course, any of us can see. But, just beneath the surface, this diametric admixture has produced in Thunder 'the true adamantium': low cunning, higher intellect, wisdom, bravery, loyalty, and purpose; now, it is these qualities that observers so often underestimate. Oh, all this, and the man is mad; quite fucking mad." - Augustronomos Corophasian-Ingamar-Vicher, Navis-Scion of the House Corophasian.
- "The irony that one of the youngest of the mon'keigh considers himself eternal still brings me joy each time I wake." - -Ed'wari
- "Thunder chose me and I chose him back. Don't get to choose your blood but you get to choose your family. A chief that does not let anyone talk badly to them with rudeness, but listens when people argue is a good thing. Cleverer than people think. More cunning hunter than they expect." - -Skyfall
- "By the Saints Holy Bayonet, wherever he comes from, they make 'em big!." - Cartwright
- "I'm interested to see how he does on this new battlefield. I mean, he'll do fine, but it can be dangerous." - Mac
- "Thanks for the liver, mate. I'd promise to look after it, but that would be a lie..." - Spider
- "The big man cares for the people who follow him, a rarity these days. I like him." - Rusev
- "There's something odd about Thunder - he gives a crap. And so does his crew, individually. It's like they're... a family... of good people... with him at the middle..." - Araq
- "Thunder is... He is as solid as they come, in more ways than one. And he's always been polite to me, perhaps more so than I deserve, given it's my fault that Void Kraken laid eggs in him." - Victrix
- "A curious man to look upon. His bearing reminds me of something that came before, by all accounts. I am pleased to see him thrive out here." - Ambrose Cordell Tollman
- "I have never once regretted getting him out of that arena and to see how much he has grown and thrived makes me very proud to call him a friend. I am sure he will do many great things with his new endeavour, even if I shall miss his company on the Stranger." - Lord-Captain Sireena Jocasta of the Blood of House Cerastes
- "I like Thunder. We shall come to blows one day I expect. Will be a good day. Though maybe not for whoever cleans up the mess."* - Arkady Borovich
- "I am surprised he is so big with no augments. Cleverer than he pretends to be, and I hope he is up to task as Lord Captain, otherwise people will die" - Magos Karchev
- "He is going to be so angry." - Rusev
- "His absence has been noted these last two landings. It was oddly soothing to see him however briefly when he manged to put in an appearance when missions were suspended for the evening" - Oberarzt Azrael Schwarzekappel
- "Opa! Thunder you sneaki breeki!" - Lord Captain Arkady Borovich
- "Well... IF that is true then he has played an incredible game that even I did not see." - Ed'wari
- "Decision time. I think he can help me - I hope that he will." - Araquiel
- "By far my favourite drinking buddy in the whole of this expedition. He is a good man with a good heart(s). Precisely my kind of lout." - Tomas J Rexuz
- "Thunder has shown me that he is to be trusted. His crew are blessed with their current captain." - Maximillion
- "What should concern you most is not that Thunder got away with no consequences. It is that he was disappointed." - Ed'wari
- "Oh, why did you have to go and tell my brother that?" - A despairing Artemisia Minerva Tabbris Blair after another failure of secret-keeping
- "Well now I have to name my gun. I just wish you were still around to ask for advice on what sort of name would be appropriate." - Artemisia Minerva Tabbris Blair
- "We had an agreement. It was supposed to be me. I hope in death you burned brightest. I hope your path is clear." - Ed'wari
- "Oh Thunder. There better be ways between worlds in the great beyond big man, cos I refuse to accept we’ve had our last drink together. Just knowing you’re not here to loom over me in that weirdly reassuring way is bad enough. So I’ll see you in the feasting hall... one day." - Krauss
- "He lives on in me, and in so many of the people he has helped, and in you, Sky. I am honoured that my knife helped bring him mercy - keep it, and carry it with you, and it will be my privilege to carry his name." - Spider
- "I do not cry for the big man. He has achieved what so many fail to do with more time than he had. He is immortal, in our hearts and through his deeds. That is a cause for celebration, no matter how bittersweet it may be." - Rusev
−
- ""The God-Emperor calls the best of us to the Throne to serve. I do not believe Thunder is done yet, I know that one day I will hear tell of hard battles, teetering on the edge of defeat, that turned into glorious victories after a large figure emerged from the dust and fire of battle, wielding an impossible blade to smite down the enemies of man with the very fury of the heavens and who disappears as swiftly as a cloud in the winds once the day is won. I will hear these tales.
" - Cartwright
OOC Information
Player: Griff Williams
Inspirations: The bastard love-child of Conan the Barbarian and Mad Max, raised on a diet of Heavy Metal
Soundtrack: 80s Heavy Metal, particularly Judas Priest
