Black Library Open Submission: Fallen Legend

Last of the Black Library Open Submissions, this one is a re-writing of a previous attempt. I've gone hard for a Western-inspired story, which I think is fitting for a Fallen Dark Angel hiding out in the wilderness.

Hope you like it!

Yeah it's Cypher, but it's surprisingly hard to find another dual pistol Space Marine

Summary

A band of farmers on a back water human colony seek the help of a legendary gunslinger to help them fight warp beasts ravaging their homes. And he’s a Fallen Dark Angel. They journey to the source of the monsters, losing members to daemon and cultist attacks, and simple exhaustion. On the way the Fallen sheds light on the secret history of their planet; how he taught a boy Imperial philosophy only to see him turn tyrant, how he helped a Thousand Son Sorcerer with a cataclysmic ritual, and his time spent with a young woman who would go on to form the planet’s current ruling Chaos theocracy. A Western inspired adventure, investigating what it means to be a failed astartes, and how redemption is never an easy quest.

Sample

And he stood there, taller than the tallest man Nate had ever known. More muscled than the fattest cattle he had ever seen. Sterner than the fiercest judge at town. It was like God had descended to walk the dirt with the farmers, and was unmoved by their struggles.

Nate’s dad was desperate now, “We’ve ridden three days to find you! We lost Zeke and Bel to those monsters! You gotta help!”

The Man of the Sands just stood there, silent and impassive.

Nate felt his mouth go dry just looking at him. Men in his valley never had such expressions. It was carved from stone, and with eyes of thunder. It was like staring at damnation itself, both torment and tormentor.

“You son of a harpy!” his dad swore. He never swore.

Nate only now just realised how scared his dad was in front of this condemnation made flesh, and how terrified he should be himself. His hand twitched towards the revolver at his side.

Later he would think about how fast the Man of the Sands moved. But in that moment there was just the rush of air around him and the pain of slamming into the stony dust. How could such a massive bulk move so fast?

He looked up in time to see one of their neighbours raise his rifle, and a single roar rang out as he was flung back in a red mist tinged blast. That was three now, thought Nate, mind reeling from the horror he was seeing.

The rest of the men, and Nate’s dad were still. The Man of the Sand’s gun was boxy, oversized. The barrel was wider than the biggest shotgun in the town shop, the kind that was meant to bring down the biggest hell beasts.

The Man didn’t waste time waving it at the rest of the farmers. It disappeared back under the rags The Man wore. And rags they were. Nate could see clearly now, what he thought was a tan cape was just sweat and dirt soaked white rags, carelessly stitched together.

His expression hadn’t changed, as though knocking a boy to the ground and killing a man were the same as swatting a fly. He walked back to his cave, the fearful stillness of the party being the only sound to mark it.

Nate knew they needed him.

“Coward!” he yelled. It sounded stupid, even as he said it. And he was shocked to see it actually stop The Man.

The wind blew harder, and grimy swirls kicked up the rags around the Man of the Sands. The sun seemed to beat harder on Nate, and the fear he felt before turned to gut wrenching despair. The blasting heat on his skin diving deep to meet the ice.

The man turned slowly, deliberately, tattered boot scraping in the bone coloured dirt.

The voice of unforgiven sin rolled out in judgement.

“I know no fear.”

Something new. A whisper of anguish in The Man’s eyes.

...

Okay, that's enough messing around with fiction for now. I hope to be writing the entirety of Fallen on this blog, and will be posting the whole saga here. I also aim to write sporadic stories about last time's Seraphon character and the Age of Sigmar crew.

But we're going back to guides and rules analysis. Starting with a complete Beginners guide to the Blood Angels.

Until next time!

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