Into the Heart of Chaos: The Epic Saga of Bloodquest
In a grim darkness, where war rages across the galaxy, a legendary tale of unyielding resolve and brotherhood has captivated fans worldwide. The Bloodquest series, a collection of graphic novels and an audio drama, follows the perilous journey of Captain Leonatos, a Blood Angel Space Marine, as he ventures into the Eye of Terror to reclaim the Chapter relic, the Blade Encarmine.
Leonatos’ quest begins on Sekundar Prime, where he and his company of one hundred Space Marines are tasked with protecting an Adeptus Astronomica warp station from a massive Ork invasion. Despite their bravery, the Space Marines are vastly outnumbered, and Leonatos is forced to face the Ork leader in single combat. Though victorious, he loses the Blade Encarmine, which is taken by the Orks.
Put on trial for losing the relic, Leonatos is sent into exile, with the condition that if he returns the sword, he will be allowed to rejoin the Chapter. Eight other Space Marines join Leonatos in his quest, and together they set out to retrieve the Blade Encarmine and clear Leonatos’ name. Their journey takes them to various worlds, including Tarsis, where they encounter the mysterious Brotherhood of the Watch, and a Rogue Trader ship, Light of Diogenes, under attack by an Alpha Legion vessel.
As they navigate the treacherous landscape of Chaos, the Blood Angels face numerous challenges, including battles against Orks, Chaos Marines, and daemons. After weeks of travel, they finally catch up with Garshull the Destroyer, the Ork warlord who possesses the Blade Encarmine. In a fierce battle, the daemon reveals that the sword has been sent into the Eye of Terror, and Leonatos will have to follow it there to retrieve it.
With no hesitation, the Blood Angels enter the Eye of Terror, ready to face whatever dangers lie within. Their pursuit of traitor Astartes allies of the Orks leads them into the unforgiving Eye of Terror, where they suffer the loss of their Navigator and are torn asunder by tendrils of the Warp. Meanwhile, Leonatos and his men find themselves on the Daemon World Eidolon, battling countless hordes of Chaos spawn.
Forced to seek refuge in a coastal city, the Blood Angels are approached by Haeroth the Damned, one of The Fallen. He reveals that Eidolon is a playground for four Daemon Princes, with Leonatos and his men being the latest pawns in their twisted game. The Chaos Lords hold the Blade Encarmine, offering the Astartes a chance to escape if they can claim it from the other side of the planet.
The exiles navigate the treacherous Sea of Blood, where champions of the Blood God wage war upon each other. They face the Daemon Prince of Khorne, escaping only through the sacrifice of Tranio, who detonates a krak grenade in the Lord’s mouth. The Astartes then enter the city of Ebolis, capital of Nurgle, where they encounter the Daemon Prince Bubonnikus.
Refusing to surrender their comrade Palamon, whose wound had become grievously infected, the Blood Angels fight valiantly against Bubonnikus’s minions. However, the Daemon Prince proves to be a formidable foe, possessing Palamon and forcing Lysander to reduce the newly formed Daemonhost to ashes.
The remaining Astartes join a slave caravan of Slaanesh, reaching the city of Vada, where Proteus succumbs to temptation and accepts the Daemon Princess’s offer to make him a hero. Unable to find their comrade, the Angels press on, entering the Labyrinth of Tzeentch, where they are forced to confront their own destinies.
Leonatos, unafraid, walks straight into the heart of the labyrinth, while Cloten faces his own twisted reflection, and Lysander stumbles upon Proteus, now devoted to Slaanesh. Turning down the glories offered by Chaos, Lysander continues on to the center of the labyrinth, where he finds Leonatos standing before Mephiston, the First-Chosen, Daemon Lord of Tzeentch.
Haeroth reveals his true purpose: to lure Leonatos into taking his place as leader of his master’s armies. However, Leonatos chooses to fight for the Blade Encarmine, slaying Haeroth and shattering the illusion. With the Daemon Lord defeated, a warp gate opens, but Leonatos is unable to overcome the hordes of daemons, forcing him to hurl the sword at Lysander and order him and Cloten to escape.
Lysander, now bearing the Bloodsword, stands before Lord Dante, recounting the tale of their quest. Though offered a chance to return among his fellow novices, Lysander refuses, choosing instead to embark on a new quest with Cloten: to find Leonatos, wherever he may be.
Their journey takes them to the warp-wracked planet of Sciron, where they seek to uncover the truth about their missing Liege-Captain, Leonatos. The daemon-oracle reveals that Leonatos is still alive, enthralled by the First-Chosen, a powerful daemon. To rescue their captain, the Blood Angels must learn the True Name of the daemon, a secret that could give them the upper hand in the battle to come.
As they navigate the treacherous landscape of Chaos, the Blood Angels face numerous challenges, including battles against corrupted Proteus, who seeks to expose their deception. In a tense battle, Lysander and Cloten fight to maintain their cover, all while navigating the intricate web of Chaos politics.
Finally, the Blood Angels discover the truth about Leonatos’s fate. He has been possessed by Garshûl, a powerful daemon with a plan to bypass Imperial defenses and attack the unguarded Kharis System. The daemon’s plan is revealed, and the Blood Angels must act quickly to stop it.
In a final confrontation, Lysander faces off against Garshûl in a one-on-one battle. With his blade, he strikes down the daemon, freeing Leonatos from its grasp. But as the daemon returns, Lysander must make a choice: save his captain or escape with his life.
The Chaos fleet is destroyed by the Imperial Navy, marking the end of the Blood Angels’ quest. Lysander and Cloten part ways, their bond tested by the trials they faced. As they reflect on their journey, they realize that the true enemy was not the daemon, but the darkness within themselves.
The Epic Saga of Bloodquest
The Bloodquest series is a collection of gripping stories that have captivated fans worldwide. The series comprises several installments, each building on the previous one to create an intricate narrative. From the early chapters, “Revelations” and “One Must Die!”, to the final confrontation in “Absolution”, the Blood Angels’ quest is a tale of unyielding resolve and brotherhood.
For those who want to immerse themselves in the world of Bloodquest, a collected edition is available. Bloodquest Volume 1 gathers the colorized stories from Bloodquest I and Bloodquest II into a single, hardback volume. The cover, designed by Tazio Bettin, perfectly captures the essence of the series. Published in 2020, this edition can be identified by its ISBN: 978-1-7899-228-1.
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