Daniele Nuovuomo

Lieutenant Nuovuomo of the Angels Penitent in Deathwatch Livery

Who amongst the despised Angels Penitent has more cause for self-hatred than the demoted, discarded and exiled warrior who contributed to his own chapter's demise? Nuovuomo stands amongst the many distrusted followers of the Undying Martyr, the architects of their own vehemence and destruction. Forever conflicted by painful musings of the warrior he was, the man his is, and the Angel of Death he should be, the hated descendant of Sanguinius bears little resemblance to the noble Primarch of his gene-line, instead resembling the hateful, intolerant punisher of the innocent, and self-loathing protestant of disbelieved, flawed ideals. Seeking an end to the misery of his people's failure while striving for their continued existence, he remains a shattered, abused revenant of tarnished resplendence, a tragic reflection of personal loss and hopeful desire.

## History

### Angels Resplendent

Little is known of Nuovuomo's past before the coming of the Undying Martyr to the Angels Resplendent, though it is believed he was a young rank-and-file brother at the time of these events. Believed to have been an artist of the highest calibre, and a warrior significant ability, he was likely to achieve greatness within the chapter. Apparently already harbouring distrust in the Warpish abilities of librarians, he chose to submit to the change in leadership initiated by the decree made in the absence of the chapter's highest leadership, he was among the first to paint his armour black and take the designation Angels Penitent. What is known for certain, is that immediately after the event took place, Nuovuomo ascended to the rank of sergeant.

### Devastation of Baal

During the events that took place in the Baal system, as a result of the arrival of the Tyranid Hive Fleet, Nuovuomo was absent from the battle, leading a chapter-based crusade to retrieve a cache of decadent items produced by the defunct Angels Resplendent, thus; he was among the number of the chapter's survivors. When the return of Roboute Guilliman heralded the implementation of the Calgar Procedure, through which one may cross the Rubicon Primaris, Nuovuomo was among the first to undergo and survive the dangerous surgery.

### Crossing the Rubicon

Unbeknown to the greater leadership of the chapter, it was this procedure that began to instil feelings of doubt concerning the chapter's ethos, and their willingness to blindly follow the Undying Martyr's teachings, holding him to a status tantamount to that of the Emperor himself - much of his thoughts became occupied by the terrible events of The Great Purge, during which he was an active member of the chapter's insurrection. Despite this doubt, as a firm believer in repentance, he relentlessly purged himself of his concerns with regular self-flagellation and personally imposed castigation that resulted in his willingness to overlook his concerns in favour of carrying out the chapter's missions. It was this singlemindedness that he saw him promoted to lieutenant in the interim, with a high likelihood that he would soon achieve the rank of Captain, and was due to move among the highest-ranking officers beneath the upper leadership of The Crown itself.

### Troublemaker

Despite his efforts to remain firmly seated among the chapter's true believers, Nuovuomo found it harder over time to resolve his emotional insecurity concerning his doubt in relation to the Undying Martyr, the transformation of the chapter's ethos, and his own involvement in The Great Purge. It was then that the first stirrings of the Black Rage appeared to have manifested, though through sheer force of will, pain-induction, and a tendency to proactively incite the Red Thirst appears to have prevented a greater onset of the condition - at first he believed that those amongst the Primaris Astartes ilk were unable to fall to the Black Rage, but that was quickly debunked when those among the Grey Shield reinforcements began to fall to the curse.

During this time of personal unrest, Nuovuomo found balancing his own condition, whilst maintaining the façade of absolute surety of the chapter's creed, to be impossible, thus; feverish outbursts and personal responses to those of higher rank had him branded as a troublemaker, forcing him to face the ire of those in power. After several long periods of interrogation and torture, he was believed to have demonstrated allegiance to a great enough extent that his lack of absolute faith was warranted a second chance, though it was quite possibly as a result of a political move that he was spared execution. In truth, Nuovuomo never fully resolved his growing ambivalence, choosing to attempt to ignore the growing rage associated with his self-hatred, borne of his betraying of his chapter and absentee former master, Knight Resplendent - Varzival Czervantes. It was once noted that his unwillingness to submit entirely to the teachings of the Undying Martyr, combined with an unconscious desire to see the chapter returned to its former glory, has played a part in his ability to fend off the full effects of the Black Rage, though it mostly manifests in the form of a seething hatred for the status quo, and the chapter's proxy leadership.

### Kill Team Nuovuomo

Yet again holding the rank of sergeant, with no likelihood for re-promotion to Lieutenant, despite continuing to perform the same function, Nuovuomo was finally placed in charge of a Kill Team consisting of similarly disruptive Astartes, branded Kill Team Nuovuomo and, though his leadership was not initially well-received, his tactical prowess and leadership abilities in the face of insurmountable odds had him bringing his band of outcasts through the successful mission alive and uninjured, despite the thinly veiled attempt of his superiors to wipe them out and save political face.

### Deathwatch Service

Having successfully overcome the mission that would have seen him and his Kill Team destroyed, the next insult was to have the entirety of his demi-squad released to the command of the Deathwatch, despite the chapter's former unwillingness to submit to the requirement, stating that the submission of five such Astartes for indefinite service would honour the agreement retroactively. It was upon Nuovuomo's arrival at Watch Fortress Black Bastion that the value of his personal abilities was recognised, thus; he was rapidly re-promoted to the rank for which he had demonstrated his worthiness on large and small-scale battles, on a few occasions commanding at the level of a captain.

### Indefinite Secondment

While Nuovuomo remains in service of Black Bastion, his distinction among the other members of his de facto Kill Team has had him deployed elsewhere on multiple occasion, and often alone, performing the role of a Kill Marine, where his unquestionable dedication to the Emperor has seen him excel in multiple fields. Over time it has become clear that he, more so than the disenfranchised among his peers, presents a clear distaste for his chapter, though his personal conflict remains consistent.

### Speaking Up Against Insanity

As a result of events taking place outside Black Bastion, preparation was made by the fortress's Astartes to defend against a potential Necron invasion. During the early stages, a former Lieutenant by the name Thane Basfalt assessed the urgent situation and immediately sought resources to best defend Black Bastion using the name of the Watch Captian Osmandiel Magrir, former of the Ebon Host Chapter. Taking offence at the assumptive use of his authority without confirmation, the Watch Captain confronted Basfalt in order to exact punishment, and it during this confrontation that Magrir chose an alternative measure, rather than abiding by the organisation's existing punishment measures involving the use of Pennance Boxes. Where the former lieutenant would have been sentenced to a period of sensorium feeds as a method of proving the importance of following orders, Basfalt was challenged on the spot to a duel by the superiorly-armed Captain. Declining the duel, and suffering great remorse, Basfalt willingly submitted to corporal punishment instead, and so the Watch Captain proceeded to slice Basfalt's arm off at the shoulder. Furthermore, subsequent to the correct filing of resourcing documents, Magrir authorised the actions Basfalt had sought have carried out initially, as his actions, to pre-emptive of authority, were correct in design.
Lieutenant Nuovuomo discovered this information through various connected sources and confronted Magrir indicating that his decision to maim one of the facility's most proficient Astartes on the eve of battle was an act of utter insanity borne of the Watch Captian's inability to think rationally, as a result of his having been artificially aged through the Warp's influence. Subsequently, he took these concerns to the Watch Master, indicating his attempts to secure the safety of the remaining Astartes by having Magrir removed from post, or by assuming the mantle of Captain of Watch Company Secundus as a means of obtaining sufficient rank to challenge Magrir's questionable authority. Behind the very dangerous decision to speak up against the dangerous Watch Captain, the Lieutenant's motivation stemmed from his distaste at his own origin chapter, the Angels Penitent, which he sees being in the grip of insanity when it concerns unsuitable punishments. The idea that a Watch Captain could lop off a subordinate's arm without recourse was an affront to the very nature of the elite Deathwatch, with their established history of enlightened thinking and tactical expertise.
While no resolution was made at the time of the lieutenant's discussion with the Watch Master, he remained wary of the Watch Captain's presence and ongoing authority, concerned that the physically and mentally deranged Captain would dish out punishment to himself and any of those he deems defiant.

### Death of a Brother

During Nuovuomo's assignment to Black Bastion, word came to him that a Captain, and his former mentor in the Angels Penitent chapter, had been killed as the result of a dangerous solo mission. While recent years had brought enmity between the two, their earlier time spent within the chapter's former identity, Angels Resplendent, had them sharing interests in arts other than martial. Though the earlier promotion of this fallen Astartes led him further up the chain of command, the two had remained close until the change that led to the chapter's reorganisation. Despite his involvement in the purge of Librarians, this very popular Captain was exiled to a minor outpost as a method of curtailing his change at seizing power. When word came to Nuovuomo of the death, the late captain's Gravis Pattern Power Armour was directed towards him through alternate channels and retrieved from elsewhere by Kill Team Nuovuomo on return from a completed mission. At the initiation preparations against the Necron threat, Nuovuomo donned the Captain's armour in his honour, receiving a cryptic message from the helm's data banks, indicating that reports of the Captain's death may have been greatly exaggerated.

## Appearance

   Nuovuomo is a little taller than the average Primaris Astartes, owing to his having originally being tall than the average aspirant, which followed through to his transformation to a Firstborn Astartes. At 9' in height after his later transformation to Primaris, he would naturally appear a head above his ilk, but his tendency to slouch and look up through his brow, combined with lurching gait, has him generally appearing of average Primaris height - though it does go some way to contributing to his overall terrifying image.

Having already suffered early onset greyness as a youth, his hair retains a "Salt & Pepper" appearance, though he generally keeps it cropped short, or ritualistically shaven, whenever the thought occurs.

Gaunt, with pale, rough skin, his wide, dark blue eyes sit beneath an almost constantly-furrowed brow. While it was the chapter's normal process to have a brother's eyes bio-pigmented to reflect their company, Nuovuomo's eyes in his youth matched the bright blue of his company, though over time with exposure to solar radiation, they darkened and remained so. These features combined, Nuovuomo has a haunting visage, exacerbated by his overall lurching posture, his tendency to talk through gritted teeth, and his frequent admonishment of others to present that of an unsavoury character.

## Personality

Nuovuomo is generally quiet outside of command settings, choosing to spend most of his personal time alone in silent contemplation, self-flagellation or violent sessions of physical training, giving the overall image that he is an unexploded bomb with a short fuse. In reality, this tendency for violent, confrontational outbursts remains a coping mechanism for the various psychological issues in play. He has no particular rage for any of the enemies of mankind, treating each with equal disdain, but it is more the personal aspects of his own self-hatred that has him responding in this manner, which tends to serf him well in active battlefield situations, other than when he chooses to release the full force of his Red Thirst, almost at will, countering his frequent lapses into the barest essence of Black Rage.

When not forcibly inciting his own Red Thirst, ignoring those around him, or actively castigating others, Nuovuomo has been known to crack dry jokes, enjoy bellyfuls of laughter at the expense of others - when at the edge of sanity - or issue back-handed compliments. While much of his humour comes from how jaded he has become over the centuries, having long ago overcome the psycho-indoctrination that would see him revel in the glory of his existence, it is difficult at times to discern the meaning of his statements, especially when posing deep questions that seem, on the surface, to be entirely asinine.

As a result of the choices he has made, the newer teachings of his twice-reformed chapter, and his own experience with the hubris of humanity, Nuovuomo hates most of his peers beyond - an in some cases within - the Angels Penitent, Nuovuomo is unable to resolve how so much can be afforded to the few who live privileged lives, while the truly dedicated live on subsistence alone. While that may appear to represent a skewed sense of socialism, it is closer to describe is as an utter contempt for anyone among humanity who takes pleasure in any aspect of their life, when it should be spent in penitence for the species' eternal failure to serve the Emperor.

## Abilities and Traits

Nuovuomo shows no psychic ability and was in fact favoured among the early adherents to the Undying Martyr's teaching as one of the least psychically active among the chapter's Astartes, registering about as low as possible for an Astartes to appear on The Assignment - it is believed by the more knowledgeable of his condition that this has contributed to the length of time he has been able to keep the Black Rage at bay.

Due to his tendency to pick and choose the moments he unleashes the full force of violence attributed to the Red Thirst, apparently well-practiced in this art, as well as capable of significant feats of self-control, he is known for acting with regard to the mission at hand, capable of both cold and hot-bloody activities, often deployed solo as a Kill Marine, expected to instantly adapt to changing circumstances.

As much at ease with axe or maul, he is generally known as a swordsman of high calibre, capable of coldly facing his opponents, never one to rise to verbal distraction or diversionary tactics. At the same time, when confronted with one wishing to duel, he is just as likely to dispatch them with a firearm, unwilling to waste time unnecessarily when a more expeditious route to success exists.

## Equipment

### Armour

Mk.10 Tacticus Armour (Assault) - Nuovuomo is armoured in a set of what generally appears to represent the armour provided to Primaris Lieutenants, differing from standard Tacticus armours in the aesthetics associated with bracers, knees and ankles. Rather than the standard Tacticus helm, Nuovuomo is outfitted with a helm resembling that of a Primaris Reiver, though it is in fact a retrofitted piece of artificer armour made by the chapter prior to the inclusion of Primaris Astartes within the Angels Penitent.
Mk.10 Gravis Armour (Captain) - Having obtained the armour of his mentor through various means, Nuovuomo recently donned it in order to assist further in the defence of Black Bastion in the face of an oncoming Necron threat. Modified to Deathwatch livery, and complete with robe, it also includes a chain across the chest, and a bone-white helmet.

### Used Weapons

Master-Crafted Power Sword - Owing to his ability and former accolades, Nuovuomo was presented with a fine example of a power sword, complete with over-sized Skull-shaped pommel and ceremonial barb wire in representation of the Crown of Thorns.

Master-Crafted Bolt Pistol

Boltstorm Gauntlet - Along with his former mentor's armour, he received the attached Boltstorm Gauntlet, incorporating a Power Fist and Storm Bolter.

### Munitions

Artificer Round Cache - Permitting the Lieutenant to utilise ammunition originating with the Deathwatch.

Grenades - Nuovuomo tends to carry a collection of grenades including Frag and Krak.

## Relations

### Kill team Nuovuomo

    Coronius - Formerly a chaplain and prospective member of the Crown of Thorns, this member of Nuovuomo's Kill Team claims to have taken up the role of intercessor for the purpose of keeping an eye on his former subject of torture, though it appears more likely that he fell out of favour and was given no choice but to submit to the demotion in role and serve under Nuovuomo for undetermined actions.

Upon his arrival at Watch Fortress Black Bastion, he received promotion to the rank of sergeant, owing to his martial abilities and leadership qualities, though it appears unlikely he will re-obtain the mantle of chaplain.

    Miranius - The least likely of members serving below Nuovuomo upon the arrival of the Angels Penitent contingent, he was set to lead a squad of his own, prior to an event for which he has no explanation, that resulted in the Crown of Thorns taking a dislike to him.

While he had demonstrated leadership qualities qualifying a rank of sergeant prior to his placement below Nuovuomo, he is yet to be recognised in this regard, thus; he remains under the command of Nuovuomo, and in in the Lieutenant's absence, below Coronius.

    Davidius Teralon - A supposed volunteer to the Kill Team that would have seen the group killed under Nuovuomo's command, this former Grey Shield was provided to the Angels Penitent subsequent to the Devastation of Baal, where Teralon served with distinction as a Blood Angel of the Un-numbered Sons.

Upon his arrival at his adoptive chapter, he underwent copious psycho-indoctrination in order to bring him to speed with the chapter's ideals, though the efficacy of the procedure remains questionable, die to his subsequent actions in choosing to follow his castigated brother to the Kill Team, rather than abandoning him for his sins (see below).

    Ramius Teralon - As was the case with his brother (above) Teralon number among the Grey Shields sent to the Angels Penitent in the wake of the Devastation of Baal. Unlike his brother, however, he was not slow to voice his negative opinion on the chapter's ethos, thus; he received harsh castigation that included the marking of his armour with scripture detailing his sins and lack of repentance and had his tongue forcibly removed during interrogation.
Upon his later assignment, Nuovuomo demanded that the Primaris Astartes have a vox-caster installed in order to easily communicate with the Kill Team, contrary to the demands of the Crown of Thorns that he remains silenced.

    In addition to the above, an intercessor of the Ultramarines chapter was temporarily assigned to the Kill team, but after a single mission, his request for removal from the long-standing squad was accepted, after which he was reassigned.

### Friends/Allies

Angels Penitent - While technically allies, Nuovuomo has a strained relationship with his home chapter.

Ordo Xenos - Having been utilised as a Kill Marine on several occasions by the Ordo Xenos, Nuovuomo has earnt friends among the Inquisition.

Deathwatch - His current assignment, Nuovuomo had limited friendships with those he temporarily calls brothers.

### Rivals/Enemies

Crown of Thorns - The leadership of the Angels Penitent are of constant concern to Lieutenant, as his conflicting personal feelings has him both hating and respecting the rules enforced by the chapter, at once hoping for the return of his former chapter master and the end of the Undying Martyr.
Inquisitor Aimalla Baddasz - In early 012.M42, a mission involving the Deathwatch was interrupted by the arrival of an Inquisitor who demanded the assigned forces alter their plan of attack in favour of achieving a superior outcome. In this case, the interjection resulted in valuable information being obtained from Aeldari that resulted in the destruction of offensive forces. While Nuovuomo was content with this result, the decision to allow the Xenos enemy to live was beyond reason, thus; he ordered the tracking and destruction of those with whom Baddasz had made a deal. This was not discovered until some time into the aftermath of the assault, and as such many losses were suffered by the Xenos before Baddasz once again interjected. Forced to comply with the Inquisitor's demand, Nuovuomo called off the remaining forces, leaving him with an utter distaste for Baddasz.