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This article, Xero Iceheart, was written by Fluffychaotic. Please do not edit or 'acquire' this fiction without the writer's permission. |
- "For every trophy I gather from the enemy, I feel another cold blow to my heart. The more I gather the more empty it feels"
- — Xero IceHeart
Xero Iceheart is a Deathwatch Vanguard Veteran currently serving the Long Vigil with the elite Xeno-hunting Deathwatch. Vanguard veteran Iceheart hails from the savage and unrelenting Ember Sharks Space Marine Chapter.
Overview[]
Xero Iceheart hails from the Astartes Chapter known as the Ember Sharks, now an Ember Guard of the 1st company. Xero served his chapter for over three hundred Terran years, being deployed on countless battlefields before being risen to the chapter's first company.
Here Xero would serve as in the chapters 5th Company, under the leadership of a Silver Ember. Though during a mission Xero's squad was ambushed by a Nightlords Warband, seeking to kill the marines and steal their gene-seed for themselves. During this confrontation, Xero's commanding Silver Ember was slain by the Warbands Chaos Lord in close-quarter combat. Taken over by an irresistible rage Xero leapt at the Chaos Lord, attacking with unrelenting swipes and blows of his chainsword, destroying the Chaos Lord. As a trophy Xero took the skull and the personal chain axe of the Chaos Lord, presenting them to his Chapter Master Dameracusr as proof of his victory in battle. Xero now keeps the weapon, now converted into a mighty power axe as his personal close combat weapon, with the skull of the chaos lord hanging below.
History[]
Xero Iceheart was born on a dangerous death world, where he lived until his 15th birthday when the legendary warriors of the stars came looking for new warriors. As tradition Xero made the thousand miles journey to join hundreds of his kin to be tested, to see if he was worthy to join the ranks of the sky warriors. These legendary sky warriors were those of the Ember Shark Space Marine Chapter, who had come to the planet to find recruits to fill their ranks. Through harsh and rigorous trials, Xero was one of only five that survived and would go on to receive his gene-seed and be accepted into the chapter. During his early years as a Shadow Stalker, Xero received news that his homeworld was under siege from an Ork waagh. Being part of the 10th company Xero was assigned to the mission as a support sniper to the 3rd battleline company, waiting in the backfield for the opportunity to take out high profile individuals.
Xero was forced to wait in the backlines as he watched hundreds of his clansmen slaughtered at the hands of the Orks, as the 3rd Battleline Company slowly took places of importance. In a stroke of luck, Xero was able to catch the Warboss unaware and with a swift shot, the Warboss's head exploded from the wrath of the Kraken bolt. Without the leadership of their Warboss, the Waaagh slowly fell into a civil war as Nobs and Boyz alike fought for the rank of the new boss. This mass confusion granted enough time for the 3rd Company to make an advance and overtake the Ork threat, ending the Waagh once and for all. This great act earned the respect of Xeros' battle-brothers and soon he quickly advanced through the ranks of the Ember Sharks.
Xero would continue his training, going through the reserve companies with ease until he was given over the 5th Company, known as the Chain Jaws. Upon being initiated into the 5th Company Xero was granted his personal Boltgun, a weapon that was custom made to his measurements. He was also granted access to a bolt pistol and a chainsword. It would be in this Company that Xero would spend the next two hundred years, eventually even becoming an Ember Guard of the 1st Squad, upon which he replaced his bolt pistol with a powerful plasma pistol and his chainsword with the brutal chain axe.
Though soon after Xero's life would become one of misery and pain after witnessing the deaths of countless battle-brother due to his action. Though no-one blamed him for their deaths, he blamed only himself for all the deaths. Unknown to him though was that he was becoming infected with the chapters gene-seed flaw, Corvus's Misery. During an encounter with a Dark Eldar raiding party, the Companies assigned Embers heart noticed the mad Xero charge into battle. Xero was known by his battle-brothers as master of close quarter combat, using well-timed strikes and agile dodges to get the advantage on the enemy, but at this moment he was nothing more than a raging brute. Using his Astartes strength to destroy and tear any Dark Eldar in his way in half. After the battle, Xero was approached by the Void Ember, who took Xero deep within the Ember Ark to attempt to overcome the gene-seed flaw. Kept in a holding cell, Xero was closely examined by the Apoticary and an Ember Heart for over 10 months until he was deemed free from the flaw. Returning to the 5th Company, Xero found that his weapons had been left untouched, hungry for the taste of battle once again at the hands of their master.
It would be over a solar month before Xero could once again taste the fires of war, eager for combat the 5th Company was assigned to investigate the destruction of an Imperial Guard Outpost on a desolated moon. Unknown to them, the destruction of the Outpost was only a bait from a Nightlord Warband seeking to harvest the gene-seed from any Astartes that came to investigate. Their plan had worked perfectly and unsuspecting the 5th Company was completely overrun by the Warband's strength, with no were to run the 5th Company was forced to stand their ground and fight. Overzealous Xero charged headfirst into the enemy and began to hack through their ranks, killing any that dare stands in his way. In the corner of his eye though Xero saw his Silver Ember take charge and challenge the Chaos Lord in close-quarter combat, though to his dismay and the dismay of his battle-brothers his Silver Ember fell the Chaos Lord, who with the gifts granted to him from Chaos Undivided was able to overpower him. In the heat of the moment, Xero was overtaken by his uncontrollable rage once again, but instead of fighting it Xero embraced it and rushed the Chaos Lord. Still celebrating his victory over the Silver Ember the Chaos Lord did not notice the charging Astarte who with a swift blow dug his chain axe deep into the neck of the Chaos Lord, its engine revving the blade continued to cut throw the targets power armor until it cut right through. Raising the Chaos Lords head Xero challenged any of the enemies to fight him now, and without their leader, the Warband attempted to flee, with only a fraction of their strength escaping the 5th Companies wraith.
Upon returning to the Ember Ark, Xero offered not only the head of Chaos Lord but also his ancient chain axe to the Ember King Dameracus as trophies of the battle. Seeing great deed and how he single handly saved the Company, Xero was given a chance to join the first company as a Dying Ember. Accepting the Ember Kings offer, the Forge Lord took the recovered chain axe and fashioned it into a mighty Power Axe, who's mighty swing was only furtherly enhanced by the revving of its monstrous teeth, naming this powerful "Ground Splitter". Alongside the power axe, Xero also took the Chaos Lords skull and fashioned it to hang from the weapon, as a sign to all of his great deed. Within time Xero was even granted the honour of joining the Deathwatch, an offer that he took gladly for the chance to fight the greatest enemies the Imperium has ever seen.
Personality[]
Xero display a cold personality, he is usually calm and uncaring for lesser beings but can lose his cool if he sees blissful ignorance in the one he's talking with. While the Ember Sharks chapter is next to always quiet Xero has adapted to the deathwatch and begin to talk somewhat more.
Xero has shown to care for his kill-team since he no longer feels like he belongs to his own chapter he has started treating the kill-team brothers as his own, as a new chapter. Tho Xero's past leadership skills activate inside him unconsciously without him noticing, even sometimes coming to blows with other sergeants or captains.
Xero generally talks in a low raspy nearly mechanical voice, from the time in his he suffered from Corvus Misery he has torn out his vocal cords. later replaced with vocal cords made from adamantium, attached to the armour of his.
Xero has shown to never take off his armour or helmet, even when directly commanded to by Inquisitors he has shown very aggressive behaviour towards them, tho this has put him under suspicion from his Watch Master, the Chaplains and Inquisitors, but Deathwatch Apoticaries says he's good.
Armory[]
Due to the vast amounts of items Xero finds or steals from missions, brothers or deceased he has started to decorate his own armory for all of them.
Relic Mk.|| Lightning claw - Whilst on a mission investigating an ork infested space hulk this claw was found within a locked armory in a ship whom belonged to the blood angels legion.
Wargear[]
Artificer's armour
Mantle of the Ember - Fashioned from the hide of a long-dead ancient predator Xero slew on his first days as a deathmatch Astarte.
Iron Halo - The Iron Halo emits a very strong Conversion Field around its wearer, which makes his armour even harder to pierce with enemy ranged and melee weapons. In addition, it also provides its users with immense resilience to even the most potent weapons such as Lascannons and missiles of all varieties. The energy shield the Halo generates stands a good chance of deflecting many deadly projectiles that would slay even an unprotected Space Marine with ease
Melta-pistol - A relic from the raven guard of the Hours heresy, Xero found this ancient relic in a crater on an old battlefield at the earliest days of him being a full battle brother. These rare and often exquisitely-crafted pistols are capable of cutting through almost any known type of armour.
Ground Splitter - Once an ordinary Chain axe, it was made into a Power axe after Xero decapitated an infamous Nightlord's champion. The Forge Lord of the Ember Sharks made the chain axe into a new piece of deadly gear. Still keeping the teeth and functions, The Forge Lord added a forcefield around it to act as a Power axe.
Frag & Krak Grenades
Phosphex bomb - Somewhere somehow Xero has managed to find a singular intact bomb, it's weird shape and odd architecture made it look like a highly valuable relic so he decided to keep it, without knowing what it was or what it could do, yet he keeps it as a last resort.
Combat Knife
Quotes[]
By:
About:
- "It was an interesting time in the Deathwatch, before we were excommunicated. There was a marine named Xero Iceheart. His name gave away his disposition for sure. He was a beast in melee combat, according to his past. Great marksman too. He woulda been the whole package, until we saw him under the affliction of this 'Corvus Misery', not unlike the Red Thirst or Black Rage. In an upcoming Op against a Water Caste delegation, I thought he'd be a goner by nightfall. The blueberries can't fight in melee to save their lives, but they'd never let you get that close. I saw many Marines go into a similar berserk fury, only to be unceremoniously cut down by plasma and tungsten. But this Iceheart was fast enough to close the gap, and the rest was history. He's a hell of a marine. If all of his chapter is like Xero, it's gonna be a long year if we become enemies with them."
- — Former Deathwatch Veteran Michael 'Handyman' Roweson of Emperor's Liberators.