Introduction

Hello

My name is Mysterioso (real name Francis). On the Bolter and Chainsword I go by the name CantonWC, but I consider my "true name" on the interwebz to be Mysterioso.

For as long as I can remember, I've been an avid fan of Warhammer 40k and pretty much all things tabletop gaming. My first exposure to 40k was when I was about 7 or 8; I remember a squat little building in the shopping center near where my old house was, with a picture of a Lizardman on the window. I just thought that was so cool, that I begged my parents to let me go inside and have a look; the only thing I can remember is a guy sitting at the table, painting a Wraithlord, although I didn't know what it was called at the time; I just thought of it as a funny looking figure with long arms and legs and an oddly shaped head.

From that moment on, I was hooked. Since then I've bounced from 40k to WARMACHINE and HORDES, and also dabbled a bit in Infinity. Strangely, I can't seem to get into the hobby and gaming side of things: it seems like I just never have enough time or money to buy these little plastic and metal soldiers, plop them down on the kitchen countertop, clean them, assemble and paint them, and go off to the friendly local game store and have some fun blasting other people's toy soldiers to bits. Not to mention Games Workshop's ridiculous prices; I feel like I could buy crack and that would be a better investment.

But no matter what I do, it's the lore of 40k that I am attracted to, and it's the lore that keeps drawing me in. Tales of superhuman warriors standing against impossible odds, a dystopian, galaxy-spanning empire well past its days of glory, unknown and unseen horrors lurking among the stars and in the dark places of men's hearts, all great stuff.

If you have ever been to Bolter and Chainsword, a fansite for all things Space Marine, you will likely be familiar with the Liber Astartes, a subforum where members can share and collaborate on their own DIY Space Marine Chapters, done in the style of the original IA's for the 18 Space Marine Legions (2 Space Marine Legions are of course MIA, and no one knows what happened to them...). I have been trying forever, since at least 2007, to get my own Dark Swords Chapter off the ground and into a working rough draft, but so far all efforts toward making a rough draft have stalled and sputtered out. Whether it's school, video games, procrastination or something else, I just cannot seem to get this thing off the ground.

But I am serious about writing and finishing this Chapter, and I hope this blog will be a step toward that goal. This is basically a "fuck it, let's just write whatever comes to mind, brainstorm whatever I can, and see what sticks." No more procrastination, no more foot dragging or worrying about getting the prose exactly right. Let's just write and write, and then build upon that. There's no way one can worry about getting stuff exactly right and perfect the first time around; just jump in. You have to start somewhere.

I don't know if this blog will ever become more widely known to a wider audience. If not, it will just serve as a personal journal and sounding board where I can write down stuff, see what sticks and improve upon that. If people do start reading this, that's great. Maybe this will inspire other people to start up their own Space Marine Chapter, or to get interested in 40k, and perhaps we could talk about either my Chapter or your Chapter or whatever else.

Mysterioso