Jacob Mattieu

**Jacob Mattieu** was a humnan from Obsailes, and raised Niklaas.

## **History**

When Niklaas was finally adopted into the tribes, most treated him with distinct unease and mistrust. As a result, he became an insular and self contained individual. However, Jacob Matthieu was one of the few who embraced the "new child" being but a youngster himself. He took it upon himself to raise Niklaas to an extent, being a few years his senior. They trained and worked together, and although Niklaas would never have admitted it, in his adolescence he came to rely on Marcello for advice, Marcelo's bravado and recklessness a unique combination on Obsailles. Jacob had the ability to demonstrate a flair of charisma. Though he could never meet Niklaas in a brawl, the two often trained together. It was his dream to rescue Obsailles from the Witches.

It was in one of their earliest excursions, hunting the beasts of Obsailles, and the witches that made them, that Jacob lost an arm. Intercepting a sword made of pure bone, meant for Niklaas, Matthieu was crippled, never to serve in combat again. Niklaas, was loathe to set aside one of his only friends, seeing him not as a spent tool, as was the custom.

Over time, forced to rely on the good will of others, Matthieh began to see the good in others, and to place greater trust in them. He developed a level of empathy, almost unheard of on Obsailles, whilst retaining a firey personality, and a degree of charisma. Jacob became a counsellor, and advisor to Niklaas over his years on Obsailles, countering Niklaas' purely logical decisions and judgements, with an element of humanity, and kindness.

It was his suggestions that saw the first joint operations between the Imperial Army and the Fire Keepers, the Astartes Legiones assisting not just with the war effort in general, but with the buttressing of fortifications along the line. The introduction of "Mitigating Factors" into the judgements of the Chaplaincy, also originated from Mathieu, his argument being that intentions should always bear an impact on the eventual punishment. After all, a mistake leading to negligence, should be dealt with as such, not as a sabotage attempt.

Upon the Emperor's reuniting with his son, Matthieu was among the first to volunteer, the opportunity of a prosthetic and a return to active service with his long time friend appealing. However, he was too old, and the decision to make him an Astartes was out of the question. Valuing the counsel of his dear friend, Niklaas submitting to Matthieu's lifelong dream, and took him to see the stars. Over the years, Matthieu was always at Niklaas' side, much to the amusement of many Primarchs, seeing the human as little more than a pet. Yet, Matthieu was able to give Niklaas a view that he and his Legion otherwise couldn't, that of humanity. Fortifications features medical supplies and ammunition dumps for the mortals, focus placed on comfort for long service, and legal judgements were often tempered with the catch of "humane treatment".

Indeed, his influence was so strong that even as his body waned in strength, Astartes of the Fire Keepers looked up for him, almost as much for his calm, caring personality as the violent fire of his rhetoric, in many ways a pure representation of the Legion at its finest, even without being able to fight.

Expensive surgeries and rejuvenate treatments were obtained, and Jacob's life was extended time and time again, even as his mortal frame withered around him He eventually lost his sight, to be replaced with augmetics. When his voice box decayed, it was surgically altered. When his organs finally failed, they were transplanted, or injected with potent serums. All through this time, Matthieu continued, ungrumbling about his duty, educating the Astartes, guiding Niklaas, and encouraging him to have faith in humanity and his brothers.

Perhaps, if fate had allowed, his actions could have led the Legion down a different path, one of selfless sacrifice in the name of the law, and the protection of civilians, true peace Keepers, and friends to the citizens. Jacob was eventually beyond even the rejevuenat treatments. Niklaas, with the assistance of his more technologically able Astartes, reconstructed Matthieu's ailing organs, such as his eyesight, lungs and heart, as they inevitably failed. Over time, the quality of life the empathetic old man experienced declined rapidly, phantom aches and pains in his augmetics, a withering of his remaining physical frame and his inability to walk unaided weighed him down, his customary cheerful attitude sharply declining in turn, as did the time he spent with Niklaas. Eventually, against the wishes of Niklaas, Jacob decided to be euthanized. Such an ignoble ending, against express commands, enraged Niklaas. Even a Primarch, perhaps especially a Primarch, is still subject to anger, and petulance.

## **Legacy**

In a fit of rage, Niklaas personally oversaw the return to what he referred to as "The True Purpose", the Legion's heart withering in his palm. Indeed, on the battlefield they performed admirably. But their sense of unity with Mankind was discarded, and slowly lost, Niklaas and his Legion forever estranged from those the Emperor had always intended them to shepherd and watch.