Koris
Koris was a Veteran Sergeant of the Blood Angels.[2]
History
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The following paragraphs contain spoilers for: | Deus Encarmine (Novel) |
Early Service
On Baal, Koris was the Space Marine Sergeant who tested the batch of Aspirants to the chapter that included Rafen, his younger brother Arkio, and Sachiel. Although Rafen out-performed many of the other Aspirants during the trials, Koris disapproved of the youth's arrogant attitude. After one trial, Rafen foolishly declared that he could defeat any enemy by himself. In response, Koris handed Rafen his bolt pistol and invited the youth to open fire on him; if even one bolt struck Koris, Rafen would be accepted into the chapter. Rafen fired, but even without his power armour, Koris easily evaded every shot and easily tackled Rafen to the ground. Declaring that Rafen carried all the martial pride of Sanguinius, but none of the Great Angel's humility, Koris told Rafen to return to his tribe in disgrace.[1c]
However, fate gave Rafen a second chance to prove himself. The Thunderhawk returning to the fortress-monastery was downed by a freak lightning storm, and Koris was knocked unconscious. Rafen ran to the crash site and rallied the aspirants to defend Koris from swarms of predatory beasts. When Koris awoke, several of the aspirants pleaded with him to reconsider his rejection of Rafen, while Rafen was prepared to depart as originally ordered. However, Koris saw that Rafen had learned an important lesson - not only the importance of humility, but of solidarity with his brothers. Rafen was accepted to the Blood Angels, along with Arkio and Sachiel.[1c]
Cybele
Decades later, Rafen was a Battle-Brother serving in Koris's Tactical Squad. As part of Captain Simeon's company posted to the garrison on Cybele, the squad came under attack by the Word Bearers. Command of the company fell to Koris by default, after Captain Simeon was killed. He was therefore responsible for greeting the battle-barge Bellus when it arrived in orbit over Cybele, and reluctantly taking orders from the expedition's de facto commander, Inquisitor Ramius Stele.[1a][1b]
Like Rafen, Koris was surprised when Arkio, who had returned to Imperial space with the Bellus expedition, proved to be an inspiring leader and presented an audacious tactical plan that succeeded in driving the Word Bearers off-planet. However, Koris continued to distrust Inquisitor Stele, especially as Stele and Sachiel endorsed Arkio's suggestion to pursue the Word Bearers to the occupied forge world of Shenlong, instead of remaining on station over Cybele as originally ordered.[1d]
Koris was worried enough that he and a cadre of senior Veterans confronted Stele in his chambers, warning that the Ikari Fortress on Shenlong could not be taken without unacceptable casualties, and they should await confirmation of their mission from Baal. Stele tricked them into drinking a toast with cups of blood, laced with a poison that awakened the Black Rage in each of them.[1d] Koris and the other veterans lost control shortly before the deployment to Shenlong and were inducted into the Death Company. Rafen, who had always venerated his commander, could not believe he had succumbed to the Rage so quickly, but accepted temporary command of the squad in Koris's absence.[1e]
Death
During the attack on the Ikari Fortress, Koris suffered mortal wounds while grappling with a Chaos Dreadnought, which he destroyed. Before he died, he became briefly lucid, and urgently warned Rafen to be aware of Stele's deceit, and that his brother Arkio was on a course that would destroy the entire Blood Angels chapter.[1f]
After the battle, Rafen found a special vox transmitter in Koris's wargear that allowed him to tap directly into the Bellus astropathic choir and use it to send a message directly to Baal. Rafen used it to alert Commander Dante of the alarming turn of events.[1g]
Sources
- 1: Deus Encarmine (Novel) — The Blood Angels Omnibus, [Needs Citation]
- 2: The Blood Angels Omnibus, Appendix Angelus, pg. 618
