Lilias Carstensen

Overview

Lilias Carstensen, in her lifetime, proved to be the most courageous individual in Bloody Platoon. Standing up under fire, charging enemy positions, walking up and down the firing lines to encourage and inspire the men, not once was she ever afraid of the concept of death. All her fury and apathy was directed onto the enemy. Although severe, strict, brutally honest, she proved to have a kinder side, and believed her way of truly serving the God-Emperor was by inspiring, leading, educating, and protecting the men under her command. Not only that, she believed this was the key role that Commissars were meant to play, rather than being pure disciplinarians who proctored harmful punishments against enlisted men. A total antithesis to the common perception of Commissars, she provided leadership and inspiration throughout the two and a half years she served with Bloody Platoon. In life, she moved entire armies to great action, and even after her death, she continues to be a symbol of valor, inspiration, and a role model in how officers and Commissars should respect and lead their men rather than demean and threaten. 

Character & Personality

At a glance, Commissar Carstensen appeared as a typical agent of the Officio Prefectus. Harsh, blunt of speech, her aura threatening, she defied expectations by her humane treatment of soldiers and great pains she took to keep their morale up. Carstensen believed her duty did not just belong on the battlefield; off of it, she took time to teach, encourage, and monitor the spiritual health of the soldiers under her command. She proved to be an able assistant to Lieutenant Hyram and later to Marsh Silas, often giving them steely resolutions when either felt doubt. Her acts were all derived from her discomfort in learning and seeing in action the brutal, dehumanizing methods utilized by other Commissars. She found soldiers acted well when they were afraid but believed they would act superbly if they were inspired and well-led. Fossil officers and threatening Commissars were detrimental to morale and to the spirits of the men. She took it upon herself to be encouraging, supportive, and above all, set examples of fortitude and courage that others could admire and emulate, which they certainly did.

Behind her tough veneer was an individual warm and empathetic to people around her. She might have struggled for some time to understand these emotions, but Carstensen believed serving alongside the tightknit band of Bloody Platoon gave shape and form to her ideals. They proved her beliefs true and in turn, inspired her to greater acts and to devote herself all the more to her station. She believed she needed to extend her lessons to a wider audience, not just the regiment, but to the entire Astra Militarum and Officio Prefectus. As such, she proved herself as a thinker, educator, and planner as she developed the curriculum for a brand new schola that would educate officers and Commissars in her style of leadership. Carstensen, like Hyram and Marsh Silas, believed she needed to earn everything, and proved her merits and ideals on the battlefield countless times in order to secure the schola. 

Although strict, she could be flexible, and do not believe in following poor orders. She was the type of individual to countermand a bad order and defend the actions of those who defied them. Carstensen refused to carry out corporal punishments and sought to turn these in teaching moments with light work details or physical exercise rather than resorting to flogging. This earned light criticism from stuffy officers and suspicion by commanding Commissars, but unafraid, Carstensen never bowed and only one occasion performed an act she disagreed with. 

Carstensen proved to be an empathetic individual, though she struggled with personal feelings of self-doubt and worthiness as an adopted Cadian. But she took comfort in the praise and adulation of Bloody Platoon. Above all, she delighted in the company of Marsh Silas, whom she would eventually fall in love with. Although love had never been a concept she had desired or thought she would experience, hers and Marsh's relationship burned brightly. They unofficially decided to become engaged and believed themselves to already be married, in spirit, by the God-Emperor. Marsh and her envisioned a better future for the Imperium and they would usher it in together. They planned a residence, a wedding, and despite her infertility, decided to have children. 

However, all of Carstensen's plans were dashed when she was killed rescuing several men of Bloody Platoon during an ambush. Although she was sad to leave the troops in their hour of need and was depressed that she would not be able to continue going on adventures with them, Carstensen took her last moments to inspire Marsh Silas and the men around her, trusted them with her legacy, and died knowing she was loved and she had done her duty. Today, she serves as a symbol of resilience, strength, bravery, inspiration, and a benchmark for a new breed of officers and Commissars. She is remembered as, 'the Bravest of the Brave,' and 'Carstensen the Cadian,' and is considered a Hero of the Imperium.

Pre-Volume I Timeline

Carstensen was born into a moderately wealthy noble family on the Pleasure World of Sald-Grati. Her father was a Commissar and her mother a lady-in-waiting to a baroness. In her childhood, she was taught to sing, play instruments, and was educated in courtly life. She was betrothed at a young age to a merchant prince. But at a young age, her father was killed in battle and soon after, her mother passed. Rumors abounded of a drug-overdose, though some people spoke of a broken heart. Without family, Carstensen was delivered to the Schola Progenium and was forged in its fires alongside other cadets to become some of the strongest and most educated individuals in the Imperium. Carstensen witnessed the brutal practices used by Commissars and Drill Abbots, and quietly chafed under these rules. She saw how these broke other people who were perfectly suitable candidates for the military; the excuse was that this precluded the weak, but she interpreted this as an unnecessary and dehumanizing. Quietly, she resolved to do better upon these practices.

Unlike most female cadets, she was not transferred to the Adepta Sororitas but instead to the Commissariat, known as the Officio Prefectus. Again, she was subjected to intense and brutal training and eventually graduated with high marks. Sent to Cadia, she proved herself as a cadet multiple times over with distinction. She was the first of her cadet squad to be promoted to Junior Commissar and was then sent to the 1333rd Regiment as part of a request by Inquisitor Barlocke, where she met Marsh Silas, Hyram, and Bloody Platoon.

Current Timeline

Carstensen was initially feared by the Veteran Guardsmen of Bloody Platoon but quickly secured a place of admiration and respected as she fought hard, inspired them, and took great risks to protect the men. Although stiff at first, she took great steps to learn about the men, their unity history, and their culture. She found herself at an advantage to teach and spread her belief regarding leadership. She developed firm friendships with many of the men, most of all Lieutenant Hyram and Marsh Silas, whom she supported in their roles of platoon leader and platoon sergeant respectively. As the barriers between their stations broke down, Carstensen became an idol of the platoon and more so, one of the brotherhood. Sitting with the men at mess, waiting in line for her payrolls, providing them with rations, ammunition, new clothing, anything they could possibly need, she earned and won their admiration. Not once did she have to rely on threats or punishments to give the platoon cause for action and through every single one of their adventures, she shared in their struggles.

After the Raid on Kasr Fortis, she was promoted to full Commissar she aided Marsh Silas in training their ten Whiteshields and the experience inspired her to create a new schola to teach officers and Commissars of more humane ways to lead, inspire, and interact with common soldiers. As well, she and Marsh Silas fell in love and started a clandestine relationship, which later on transitioned into an engagement after Marsh Silas was commissioned. During their extended leave in Kasr Sonnen, she and Marsh Silas created the curriculum for the new education facility as well as developed their relationship and planned a life for themselves. All was cut short when the Iron Warriors and Black Legion attacked the city and a six month siege ensued. Through it all, she encouraged the men, fought hard alongside them, and shared in the terrible living conditions in the trenches. During the final battle outside the city, she rose and stood outside a trench during an artillery barrage and gave a great speech to inspire the withered regiments to attack one final time. It was during this fateful, decisive charge that she slew the enemy Warsmith Consus.

Through her acts, she acquired a sponsorship to build the schola but with the rest of the crippled regiment, was swept back into action by their glory-hungry commanding officer Colonel Isaev. Carstensen did her best to stop the unfair destruction of the still-loyal 45th Altridge Regiment and was forced to enact a brutal punishment against a soldier under penalty of death. She interpreted it to be even more reason to build the schola. Before the first brick was ever laid, however, she was shot during an ambush. She saved the entire platoon by taking out a suicide bomber and an enemy gunner. Although Marsh Silas and the men tried to bring her to the nearest medicae, she passed before they arrived. Passing peacefully on a cliff where she and Marsh had first kissed, she reminded Marsh Silas of his duty to continue serving the men. Although sad that she would be unable to partake in more adventures, she was proud of her acts and took heart knowing that her legacy would be carried on. She was posthumsly awarded one of the Imperium,'s highest awards, the Obscurus Honorifica, and is remembered as a Hero of the Imperium. She was buried at sea by her comrades in the channel waters of Army's Meadow, embraced by the life waters of Cadia.

Lilias Carstensen is immortalized in the title of her schola: the Lilias J. Carstensen Institute for Officership and Commissariat Excellence. She has countless statues built of her, paid for out of pocket by her husband-to-be, Marsh Silas, and her old friends. A special hall of remembrance was built by Marsh in the training center where people can sit in quiet splendor in front of a true-to-life statue built of her. Today, she is remembered by many names, but she as best described by the epitaph on her statue: "Carstensen the Cadian: Hero." 

Other Notes

- Carstensen was fond of smoking Marsh's pipe and blew perfect smoke rings.

- She was fond of saying, 'smoke away,' whenever Marsh asked if he could smoke.

- She was proficient in the High Gothic language. 

- Her wargear, consisting of a Bolt Pistol and Power Fist, are now carried by Hyram.

Wargear

- Bolt Pistol

- Power Fist