...and by that I mean neither the social networking app, nor items of clothing  What I actually mean is story threads - it's time to talk background for the Ashen Sentinels. 

Without going into too much detail (yet ), this Chapter is a continuation (or sequel? ) of an on going narrative and setting that started with my Chaos Marine army, the Legion of Taurus. Their story was developed and fleshed out over a number of campaigns, most recently culminating in a Kill Team campaign. The backdrop of each campaign was this army's efforts to conquer the Odothese Sector, towards the fringes of the Segmentum Pacificus. Their main rivals in this were the Shadow Stalkers Space Marine Chapter; the Kill Team campaign played out the 'final battle' between the two factions, as the besieged Shadow Stalkers attempted to hold out against the Legion of Taurus' final battle to claim Odothese (and pull it into the Great Rift). The campaign ended with a minor Imperial Victory, meaning that while the Legion of Taurus were defeated and Odothese was given a respite, the Shadow Stalkers were wiped out - sacrificing themselves to stop their enemy. 

So, what's this got to do with my new army? Well, in a nutshell the Ashen Sentinels are 'successors' to the Shadow Stalkers, in so much as they were intended as the Primaris reinforcements that would restore the Chapter. Unfortunately, by the time the Torch Bearer fleet bearing the reinforcements made it to the Shadow Stalkers' domain (a decade after their demise), it became apparent that the Chapter no longer existed. 

Led by (at that time) veteran officers that had fought as Grey Shields in the Indomitus Crusade, it was decided that they would forge a new Chapter. Basing themselves in a region of space two sectors west of Odothese called the Strontium Protectorate, they took up the mantle of its wardens. Learning they are the replacement for a Chapter that died while stubbornly resisting the armies of Chaos, they have a defiant attitude in the face of any foe. This was first displayed when they held a system from an Ork incursion - after the battle that defeated the Xenos, they adopted the mantle of the Ashen Sentinels. 

Thats not the only one of my background threads this Chapter continues; I'm also building a Heresy era Imperial Fists army, and the background I'm giving them is that they brought the Strontium Cluster (as it was known in the 31st Millennium) into Imperial compliance, and had to defend it from traitors before they could answer Rogal Dorn's call to return to Terra. 

As the Marines of the Ashen Sentinels are forged from Imperial Fists geneseed, I thought it brought a neat circularity to all of the background 

Over time I'll develop and solidify their background - no doubt forging new narratives through campaign's and games with them! But these are my initial concepts. 

Right, back to highlighting Mark X armour...