Barlocke

Overview

Barlocke was the unknowable, mysterious, psychically powerful, yet intellectually gifted, enchanting, charismatic, and humanist philosopher that enlightened Marsh Silas and put him on his path of personal change, growth, and betterment. Ambiguous and clandestine, he was nonetheless a warm individual who befriended Marsh Silas and became his mentor. He challenged many of the young man's views and helped open him up to the ideas of balance, humanism, altruism. Even after his apparent death, he is still with Marsh Silas in spirit, and mind...

Character & Personality

Above all, Barlocke proved to be mysterious. Dangerously intelligent, he was always several steps ahead of everyone and never entirely revealed his plans, intentions, or goals. Guarded, but kind, and able to carefully manipulate and steer people whenever he wanted. However, these were often towards paths of good or righteousness, resulting in some positive change of character or decent act. Although, Barlocke often benefited from it in some way. Despite his own self-indulgent behavior, cocksure confidence, and dismissal of those he perceived as obstinate fossils, he was at heart, an idealist for the benefit of mankind. His goals for reform were incredibly radical but he thought them worthy of the risk to improve the conditions of the Imperium as quickly as possible.
He was an especially gifted psyker and quite strangely, his powers never manifested until his teenage years when he was in the hands of the Inquisition. A potent telepath, he could destroy a person's mind with a single thought or manifest dark powers from a whispered word. Yet, he never used these on a loyal subject and never dipped into a person's mind unless absolutely necessary. He was reticent with his powers, even in combat, often preferring to utilize his own martial prowess to fight. 

Barlocke was a well-traveled person, having been to every Segmentum in the Imperium and interacted with countless societies and cultures, including Astartes and even xenos. It shaped him into a dangerous warrior but an even more clever scholar. Much of his life was spent at study in various librariums, academies, scholas, and Archive Worlds. He was hyper-intelligent as well as philosophical. One moment, he could be preaching his ideals and in the next, he would be drinking with the men of Bloody Platoon in a most gregarious fashion. He was above all else, incredibly flexible. 

Although he loved humanity and the people in it, Barlocke revealed that he found making connections with people difficult, especially after the betrayal of his surrogate brother, Amilios. Despite a large, loyal retinue spread out over the Imperium and the adoration of Bloody Platoon, he found only a friend in Marsh Silas. In one notable incident, he said noted his devotion to humanity and his love for all mankind, but to Marsh Silas he said, "you're the only one I like." In Marsh Silas he found not only a willing pupil, but a confidant and a companion. Barlocke's sexuality was ambiguous, as he inferred he was interested in women but often express an almost sexual or romantic interest in Marsh Silas, which was rebuffed. But his desire for friendship was never in question. 

Prior to his death, Barlocke soul-fused with Marsh Silas, leaving a psychic-spiritual fragment of his essence within Marsh's mind and body. Essentially, Barlocke is a Warp Ghost that lives within the Cadian, still in possession of a small modicum of his powers. However, he has not lost his glib and chiding tongue, nor his desire to improve humanity. 

Pre-Volume I Timeline

Much of Barlocke's life was never revealed and what he did allude to was never elaborated on. His youth was spent in poverty with his only saving grace and survival owed to a young Deacon of the local cathedral named Amilios. However, when a massive explosion ripped through the city, he and Amilios collected a band of teenage youths and created a hang of public avengers to protect the common people as criminal gangs took over the city. One by one, the brilliant Barlocke eliminated gang by gang until he controlled the entire city. At that time, he and Amilios were rewarded for securing it once more and were drafted into the Inquisition by Inquisitor Lord Romolo.

There, they discovered their psyker powers and were trained rigorously. Barlocke, witnessing the atrocities conducted by the Imperium, resolved to try and help people just as he had back on his homeworld. Illuminating the corruption and stagnation of the empire, he joined the Inquisitorial Recongregators, a band of Inquisitors who planned to improve the Imperium by whatever means necessary. However, Amilios grew disenchanted over time, losing heart in the cause until his grief and disillusionment fostered corruption of his spirit. He betrayed Barlocke and the Imperium by serving Nurgle of the Ruinous Powers, and Barlocke began a galactic manhunt to find him. This resulted in a massive siege that pitted Barlocke and Amilios and their respective armies against one another. In the end, Barlocke and one soldier were survivors, and Amilios escaped.

Current Timeline

Barlocke tracked Amilios to Cadia where he requisitioned the 1333rd Cadian Regiment as his personal guard for the mission. There, he gravitated towards Marsh Silas and took the conservative, close-minded young man under his wing. What began as a mentorship about the wider Imperium and the need for prosperity, fair laws, better living conditions, a defeat of oppression, and moral leaders blossomed into a friendship between the two men. Marsh learned dutifully from Barlocke and the two became very close. Together, they fought against Amilios during the Raid on Kasr Fortis and together, dispatched him. However, Amilios's followers pursued and Marsh Silas, desperately wounded, was rescued by the Inquisitor. Barlocke kissed him and soul-fused with his friend, bestowing a fragment of his psychic-spiritual essence that ingrained itself with Marsh's mind. Although Barlocke perished giving Marsh a chance to survive, he lives on through the Cadian as a Warp Ghost, speaking within his mind and appearing at times as a guiding ghost, still able to utilize a mere fragment of his powers.

Other Notes

- Barlocke's sexuality has been described as 'Bisexual with a side of interesting.'

- In the Marsh Silas fandom, the Fragment of Barlocke is referred to as a 'Fraglocke.'

- Barlocke was an incredible swordsman and duelist.

- He enjoyed motorcycle riding.

- At one point, he almost ingested Fenrsian ale that was not diluted for mortal consumption.

- In Kasr Sonnen, Barlocke and Marsh shared a confusing, drunken kiss. 

Wargear

- 2 Ripper Pistols

- 1 Lathe-pattern custom Bolt Carbine

- 1 Lathe-pattern custom shotgun