Butcher-Bird
Butcher-Bird is an assault lander gunship belonging to Fabius Bile and often used as his personal transport, having been in his possession since sometime prior to the raid on Lugganath[4] up to the present day.[3b] The ship itself has a enigmatic and bestial sentience with a highly belligerent and bloodthirsty disposition.[1][4]
Overview
The hulking gunship is a cobbled-together thing made from several vessels and their machine spirits,[1][4] some of which were Stormbirds, alongside other diverse parts.[4] The gunship is now covered in sharp angles and armoured plating, studded with missile-pods and gun-muzzles. The hardwired servitors that once served as dull-witted assistant crew are little more than mummified husks[1][4] from exposure to the void.[4] Something else pilots the gunship now. The gunship will make shrill noises, roaring or whining its engine, rock on its landing claws or hover and move with its thrusters or other mechanisms to communication like some ravenous metallic beast. It typically indicates annoyance or a malicious desire to get airborne and hunt.[1] Bile himself isn't even sure whether its infernal animus is from the crew, machine spirits, or something else. He doesn't care either, as long as it continues to follow his orders.[3b][4]
The Bucher-Bird has a notorious disregard for the lives of its passengers[1] and will sometimes knowingly disobey orders or strafe valuable prizes out of spite or boredom. Due to this, Fabius is occasionally inclined to not use the assault lander for more delicate retrieval operations. Despite this desire for wanton destruction, Fabius will often make use of the sentient gunship.[2] The ship can largely take care of itself on most missions.[3a]
When not in use, Butcher-Bird is kept chained to the ground in one of the flight bays of Bile's sentient voidship, the Vesalius, with its ammunition hoppers empty and guards stationed nearby.[1] Its ammo hoppers are refilled just before take-off. Despite this, the chained mechanical beast will track the movements of passing slave-mutants with its autocannons or crush and kill foolish individuals through other means while restrained. More than once, the Butcher-Bird has escaped the heavy chains binding its hull and thrusters. It is unknown whether it manages to do so on its own, or with the aid of the Vesalius.[4]
Sources
- 1: Fabius Bile: Manflayer (Novel), Chapter 9
- 2: Fabius Bile: Clonelord (Novel), Chapter 4
- 3: Genefather (Novel):
- 4: Fabius Bile: Primogenitor (Novel), Chapter 7
