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  1. I, twopounder, of the Obsidian Angels take up your Challenges. I vow, before my brothers and sisters of the B&C to complete Challenge The First and submit it to the Liber before the deadline. I vow to support my fellow challengers to the best of my ability. May the Emperor curse me if I fail. Chapter Names: Order of Obsidian, Obsidian Angels Home world: Serran Founding: NA/Unofficial Legion: Dark Angels Colors: Obsidian, Gold, Granite From the Ashes After the destruction of their home world Caliban, the surviving marines of the first legion had multiple catastrophes to handle. Their planet and recruiting world was gone, their gene-father was missing, half their number were traitor, dead or missing and the flames of heresy still consumed the galaxy. While commanders were preparing the remains of the legion to secrecy about the events of Caliban and summoning resources to fight in The Scourging, a small few chapter masters and the forge lords gathered to discuss a matter of secrecy equal to Luther's betrayal. When the Dark Angels first departed Terra to pave the way for the Emperor's Great Crusade, they were secreted weapons forbidden to the rest of humanity. So dangerous were these devices that none of the Emperor's sons were ever trusted to know of their existence. This arsenal increased yet further when Jonson took command of the legion and their vaults stretched across the galaxy. The gravity of the censure from possessing these weapons would be severe and the consequences of the weapons being turned upon loyal forces, dire. While plans were being made to track down the traitors of the legion, Chapter Master Callan Gehl met with Forge Masters Lukha Verenz and Therrus Fell about this concern. This would come to be known as the Tripacta Sovereignty Council and set into place the framework for the future of collaboration between the First Legion and what would become its successor chapters. Though the Codex Astartes had not yet been declared by Guilliman, nine-hundred and fifty seven warriors with knowledge of the Dark Angel's forbidden weapons were assembled into a self-sufficient force tasked with three protocols to adhere for chapter operations: 1) Retrieve all weapons and wargear owned, branded or claimed by the First Legion prior to the betrayal at Caliban. 2) Destroy any incriminating evidence that cannot be secured 3) Pursue anyone that possesses this forbidden technology The legion officially declared this chapter XVII, The Order of Obsidian and provided them with most of the forbidden technology that remained in the Tower of Angels. There was concern already of an investigation into the debris field of Caliban, and the Dark Angels were not willing to risk additional incrimination for their artefacts. Master Ortoro Sebastian was promoted to the rank of Grand Master and commissioned as the first to lead the chapter into its crusade for the lost relics. While the bulk of the legion prepared for the long war against the forces of the dead warmaster, the Order of Obsidian departed in a separate fleet to their first target. Aside from caches known to the legion masters, several additional sites listed in Jonson's personal logs. The planet Serran was visited by Jonson and was noted to have a technology vault suitable to sustain a significant force. Discovery of Serran Three months after their departure from Caliban the Order of Obsidian made orbit above Serran. Its surface was hidden by thick amber clouds and it had two moons in opposing orbits. Hails to the surface went unanswered, but scans detected a high output energy source on the surface. The marines landed an expeditionary force, keeping reserves ready in expectation of an ambush. However, what they discovered instead was a facility from the dark age of technology. Thousands upon thousands of stasis chambers lined the well fortified interior. Whatever treasures or horrors the stasis chambers held were long gone, but the facility itself was operational. The cogitators were arcane and would not easily yield answers. After some deliberation, Ortoro decided to make Serran their base of operations and tasked the forge masters with setting up listening posts on the moons and to expand the facility to quarter the legion and support its operations. This would eventually come to be known as the Obsidian Enclave and was reinforced during the millennia the followed the Horus Heresy. The Order of the Obsidian set to its duties in tracking down and recovering the legion's lost artefacts. Though many caches had been plundered or destroyed, some were yet forgotten. Those local inhabitants that had robbed the vaults in the chaos of the heresy were hunted down and mercilessly executed. That which was safe was transitioned to the Dark Angels chapter and anything too esoteric was locked within the stasis vaults. Their Mission Expands Though the order was initially created for the recovery of artefacts belonging to the First Legion, many searches ended in forgotten battlefields or desolate cruiser hulls of other legions. Once again, there was debate about what to do with these items. Many wanted to leave the battlefields as untouched as possible as a type of mausoleum. Others felt that it may be too dangerous to disturb old battlefields that could be mined or worse. However, it was chaplain Tyrius of the fourth company that suggested returning the relics and bodies of fallen warriors to their chapters. Though time, nature and the elements had savaged both machine and remains, there was usually enough left to determine the progenitor. It was then decided that an honor guard would be formed of the first company that would reunite the lost astartes and their possessions to the loyalist chapters they belonged and destroy the last of the traitors. Within a few hundred years, The Order of Obsidian had returned hundreds of chapter relics and thousands of astartes to their rightful legion home worlds. This ceremony became so frequent that the honor guard was rotated through the veterans of the first five companies to make certain that no marine would be without combat for too long. Each marine assigned to this duty had a shoulder pad cased in bronze. Mysterious Founding Because the Order of Obsidian was not a true founding authorized by the high lords of terra, they continued operating as pre-heresy Dark Angels chapter, retaining the original colors and chapter regalia. As the millennia passed, they decided to adopt another moniker to mask their true origin. The Obsidian Angels were borne with black armor, light gold trim and granite bolters. Its unknown exactly when the name and colors were changed, but by the 41st millenium, no knowledge or banners of the Order of Obsidian remained outside the reclusium of the first company. There, the original founding orders of the Tripacta Sovereignty Council is still emblazoned on the wall. They have no official chapter marking, but retain the ancient Dark Angel devices from ancient Caliban, along with robes of all the Unforgiven. Current Operations Cooperation between the Obsidian Angels and Dark Angels never ceased, though the discovery of ancient relics is extremely rare. The experience and tactics refined over a millennia of recovery operations has made them experts of extraction and esoteric technology. Though they are grim and taciturn as other chapters of the Unforgiven, their willingness to return treasured wargear to other chapters has provided them with diplomatic options that would be otherwise unavailable. Many of these relics have been recovered at a great cost to the Obsidian Angels and their names are inscribed into the granite containers hand cut for them. So great has their knowledge of pre-heresy equipment that much of the weapons and armor can be restored to at least partial functionality. Primaris exist in their ranks, but it is unknown how they received the gene technology and training to produce them. It may have been the Dark Angels that transmitted this information to them, but none outside the two chapters could know. Due to the need for extensive technical knowledge and constant maintenance, there are a large number of tech marines within the ranks of the Obsidian Angels and they retain a rank within their inner circle for Masters of the Forge. Serran The planet of Serran was highly developed during the Dark Age of Technology, though most of it now lies in ruins. What happened to the population is unknown to the Obsidian Angels, even after millenia of research. It is clear that they had knowledge that rivaled the very apex of human achievement. Many believe that they were victims of the Long Night, perhaps destroying themselves or falling victim to an alien attack. Whatever the cause, the planet is now heavily militarized and has only enough population to support an entrenched planetary defense force and their astartes governors. Recruiting is done at several nearby death worlds. However, the truth of Serran's demise is dark and foreboding. Deep within the rocks, below the depth that scanners and mining dredges can reach, lies a dormant Necron Tomb. Its technology stolen through a once-open channel during the Dark Age of Technology and used to create the energy plant and stasis chambers in what would become the Obsidian Enclave. Whether these xenos awoke and took revenge on the population is cloaked in thousands of years of erosion.
  2. So, as the title states, this will be my third return to the hobby. Original time was back in the early 2000's, I had a Space Wolves army that I had painted a pale green, don't ask 12-year old me why. I quickly moved on to a Black Legion Army that included some Rhino Rush Berserkers, the then-new Defiler, and a metal Daemon Prince (you know the one). This must have been 3e-4.5. This phase culminated with a trip to the Atlanta Games Day where I submitted my old metal Typhus model. At this time, I was pretty into the Space Wolf books and also Storm of Iron. As for models, I was pretty into Codex: Eye of Terror, and especially the Grey Slayer models, but this was when I think high school started to really pick up for me. None of the models from this era survived. Fast forward to about 10 years ago, got back into it and picked up some models again and got back to work, converting some vaguely renegade Marines using the Chaos Warrior gloved arms and axes. Not sure what my plan was, and I fell off the wagon again. I think I first got into the HH books here. Second return- Still got a few of those models, and went back through them when I moved. Got some more, this would have been right around the time of the plastic HH boxes coming out. I started working on some fluff and got a ton of bits and did some assembly, but I was mostly working background via the Iron Gauntlet challenge in the Liber forums. You can find some of that fluff here and here. But with Primaris coming out, I felt pretty overwhelmed and kind of worn out, and for whatever reason, I fell out of it again. Finally, this time, I’m ready to finish the Violent Gods, including an update to the fluff that fixes some typos and situates them firmly in the space of the Dark Imperium now that Guilliman is back. My plan is still to run them as Space Wolves, albeit without some of the Wolfier choices in the Codex. Anyway, here’s some models. Counts as GH. Leadbelcher, Nuln Oil, then Agrax. They all need a highlight, and I think the Marine on the right needs some Nuln Oil. The one in the middle was mostly finished as a test, but I’ve since redone his armor to match the one on his left, built when you could load out GH squads with bg, bp, AND chainswords. Oh well. More GH. Same armor layers applied. GH Plasma Specialists. Champion/WG/Lieutenant on the left (needs more bits!), GH on the right. WGPL, WGPL- possibly for Long Fangs, GHPL. Counts as Long Fangs, including a possible RG defector, perhaps you can guess which one (!). I think two more lascannons ought to fill this squad out. I’ve got some Blood Claws, a few characters, and some Rhino’s hopefully up next. Thoughts about the dirty metal armor? I think it needs a highlight, but not sure which color to use. I was hoping that jumping right to Runefang or Stormhost Silver won’t be too stark. Thanks for looking! Edit: thought my old thread was archived, but it is not, and it is in my signature.
  3. THE ARGENT FORGE " We are all the sum of our actions, young one. Every act, every deed we perform in this wretched existence defines whom we are, how we are remembered, what legacy we leave behind. None of us escape this pitiful mortal coil alive, initiate. It is up to us to define who we are and when the time comes for us to pay our final dues and leave behind our mark it falls to us if our story will be a glorious chapter of Man-kinds history or an oft forgotten foot note that merely highlights the folly of Men," Brother Kristoff Argent - (Former) Master of Sanctity, Star Leopards Astartes Chapter now assigned to the Legio Bolter and Chainsword The Preamble So its that time again. Time for Brother Argent to start another hobby butterfly log. I've tried this a few times and always failed for various reasons. My most recent attempt, when I meant to tackle the Imperium, didn't necessarily fail as falter. Whilst I kept up with the models my intent to deliver fluff for each issue made my get bogged down on posting and I stopped updating entirely. That's not to say I am giving up on that log, I just feel with the amount I flutter around between armies I think perhaps a central spot to share everything would be warranted. And so here I go again, launching a log that, if I am honest, updates will be sporadic and the quality somewhat lacking but I will give it a red hot try. End of Year Goals So, with the end of the year fast approaching I intend on completing a Path of Penance as I have done in the past. With multiple painting challenges failed in the later half of the year, either due to poor time management, mental health or other commitments, I have quite the list of models I had hoped to complete by years end. Whilst this is a huge undertaking and likely impossible given past records the following is the list of what I hope to achieve and the challenge they relate too: 12 Months of Hobby: 1x Seraphim Superior 1x Sister Superior 1x Sister with Simalcrum Imperialis 2x Battle Sisters 2x Repentia 1x Arcoflagellant 1x Repentia Superior 1x Penitent Engine 1x Chaplain 5x Intercessors 1x Redemptor 1x Repulsor 1x Repulsor Executioner Call to Arms: 1x Screamer Killer 1x Psycophage 3x Neurotyrant and accompanying Neurolids 12x Neurogaunts 10x Termagaunts 1x Warpsmith 1x Maulerfiend. Imperium Subscription 2x Ruins 1x Triarch Stalker 3x Battle Sisters 1x Repentia 1x Arcoflagellant 2x Seraphim Thermic Plasma Conduits Other Non Challenge related stuff: 1x AoS Steelhelm minature of the month (also know as Dame Not Appearing in this Log) So, as you can all see, one hell of a lot and likely impossible, but I am going to give it a red hot go. I have colour coded them in terms of priority. Red being highest priority, then orange, yellow and finally green. With any luck I can get this stuff done. I also have some bits and pieces I want to rework from the Call to Arms. If that happens this year or not is to be decided... A Taste of What is to come... So, finally, a blog isn't a WIP blog without some images. So, whilst these models have been seen before, here is a few images to show the schemes that I am goijng towards a a few lines about each army: Adeptus Astartes: The Interdictors Forged from the geneseed of the Ultramarines the Interdictors mostly embraced the gift of the Rubicon Primaris. Known for their tenacity and brutal uncompromising nature they strike in hard and fast, launching assault from drop pod, Thunderhawk and armoured vehicle, cutting off enemy supply routes and digging in at surrounded strongholds. The Interdictors I paint for now are mostly around what is coming with the Imperium magazine as well as my Plodding Along Vow for the Twelve Months of Hobby and will be, for the most part, centered around the 3rd Company. Adepta Sororitas: The Order of the Martyr Redeemed Formally known as the Order of the Penitent Martyr the Order of the Martyr Redeemed has been known to attract the penitent and those seeking redemption. Seen as far more compassionate then many similar orders they are a shining beacon in the hopelessness of the 41st Millennium. It is perhaps because of this, or possible in spite of, the order has a large compliment of Repentia as well as often accompanied by many arcoflagellants. Again the Sisters will be mostly done from the contents of Imperium, at least until later when I shall attempt to get another sister squad completed and, if I win the lottery, more Repentia and arcoflagelants. Tyranids: Hive Fleet Koios A splinter fleet of Hive Fleet Titan cast adrift from the warp storms of the birth of the Cicatrix Maledictum Hive Fleet Koios are possessed of the same hyper intelligent nature of Titan with perhaps less of the propensity for close quarters fighting. Their shadow has only just started to spread, with first contact noted about the same time as the resurgence of Hive Fleet Leviathan. Just how much of a threat this new splinter will be has yet to be seen. Koios (The Titan of intelligence and known as one of the conspirators in the betrayal of Uranus) will be to begin with the rest of the contents of Leviathan and then, in the new year, will move onto a lot of my older models including an old pewter Hive Tyrant and hormagaunts still in plastic wrap from 2009. Necrontyr: The Almwat Dynasty A recently awakened Dynasty the Almwat have woken to find their Dynasty and its worlds shattered and scattered. The Sons of the Phaeron are moving to reunite their broken forces. Should they succeed they will have a force that, with eldritch energies and ancient malice, will no doubt challenge any and all whom face it. My Necrons are a rebuild of my early force back from when the army first started being an army and you had a whole about ten units across the whole codex. They will be mostly built from the Imperium contents with only the yet to arrive Triarch Stalker for this year. Next year there will be a fair bit more but for now they are mostly resting. Adeptus Mechanicus: Forge World Milivia Secondus Milivia Primus was a forgeworld cursed from the days of the Heresy, its ancient machinery infected with a dreaded techno-virus known as the Scrap-Code Malaise. Despite this they continued to survive with the aid of the Iron Heralds Space Marine Chapter. Following the birth of the Great Rift as well as the predations of Hive Fleet Titan upon the world the Mechanicus decided to purge the world, salvaging what machinery they could and relocating them to the next world in the system, Milivia Secondus. Secondus was, much to the Imperium and Mechanicus' chagrin, discovered to be a sleeping Tomb World of the Almwat Dynasty. The awakened Necrontyr quickly drove the Mechanicus forces back. Rather then fight to the last the forge worlds forces instead returned to their ships, where much of the surviving machinery from Primus remained. Knowing they would face censure for their failures the fleet left, becoming a mobile forge World in essence and set out to try to rebuild and find what arceotech they could so one day they could gain retribution on the Necrons as well as the Mechanicum they feel betrayed them by destroying their world. My Admech will be silent for now. I've painted the Imperium detachment and likely wont revisit them till late next year. But they will appear in here so figured they needed a brief. So it Begins... So without further adieu I should get into it. I have been working on my Sisters as well as starting to assemble the marines for my plodding along. With any luck I will get some new models up shortly. Those whom follow the 12MoH will see most of this stuff as well but hopefully I will get more details and my processes in this thread. And with any luck I shall get regular updates. Wish me luck... EDIT: Well just secured myself some more time. Just tested positive to the ol 'Rona... again...
  4. After a ton of Guardians as test models, I think I have the general color scheme I'm going with for Craftworld Aiam-Varr. The bone colored stuff is just Agrax over white and it is kind of splotchy in places but it looks better than anything else I tried, so I'm hoping I'll keep getting more consistent results as I do more models. I haven't decided how to do my Aspect Warriors yet, but I have some ideas. This is my second attempt at using bone as the primary color of an army but previously I was trying to just do as little work as possible so the whole project was purely contrast and didn't turn out great. Now I'm trying to push myself and take my time more. The test Guardian I settled on. Troops would probably all have about this level of highlighting but characters get more. Cloth is purple, armor is bone, head and shoulders are blue (inspired by Crimson Fists). I am pretty happy with it overall, I painted probably a dozen different schemes and this one I kept coming back to. The quality of highlights is bad but I was using a really old gw brush that I probably should just throw out, so I think I can do better. I've been afraid to break out my nice brushes I've accumulated over the years but I'm trying to convince myself to use them now. Once I settled on that I went through and primed a bunch of stuff I had and started working on it. I ended up using this Warlock as another test model since that Guardian scheme didn't really translate well to a model covered in robes so I just kind of decided on a whim what to paint each color and I think it turned out better than it ought to have. I'm not thrilled with how I did the highlight on the edge of the blue robes but since I wanted the inside of the robe a different color I wasn't sure how to highlight it Next time it will be a thinner highlight, but it's alright for now. I'm not a huge fan of the color balance on the base but the molded detail didn't give me much room to work with it. Most bases will be mostly pink but I have some blue grass tufts to go with it. The army has been cut off from the Craftworld so they're fighting on a crone world to try to find forgotten Webway portals in the hopes of getting home, so I figured a more alien base design would be fitting. I have some Dark Eldar that have mostly the same bases, just the rocks are different colors. This is Ganelien, the Fated Blade. Emboldened by how much I liked that Warlock, I started on a Wave Serpent. That was probably a mistake. I don't think I was ready for trying to paint so many big flat panels with Agrax or all the highlighting on it, but it turned out alright so far. I started out just putting blue on the panels with the worst results from the Agrax and then added a bunch more to get the color balance I wanted. I don't know yet what I'm doing with the cockpit. This was an ebay rescue so it didn't have a pilot, so I had to paint over the glass. I'm thinking either silver trim with purple glass (since there's no cloth to be purple on the model) or the same pink as the Warlock's spirit stone and gems. I might do the base before I decide on that since it will be pink, might help me decide if I want more of that or purple instead. This is very much a WIP still, I'm deciding as I go what is what. More to come
  5. January 2024: Thanks for visiting! 2024 updates start on page 20. What you'll find before you is my one and only thread collecting my works in progress in chronicling the travails and travels of my Adeptus Astartes Chapter, the Sentinels. Unfortunately some of my older photos have been lost to the ravages of time and Photobucket, so if you're a new visitor to my pile of shame... Welcome! Feel free to skip to the last page for my most recent stuff, and then backtrack as far as you care to from there! Trust me, it's easier...
  6. I haven't had much time for hobby lately, and I spent most of that time building. But I did get some time to work on my Swarmlord (which I may be using as a Hive Tyrant on foot, but the Swarmlord looks cooler so I went for that). Side note - the new Hormagaunts are SO MUCH BETTER than the old ones. I remember spending more time cleaning mold lines than everything else combined when I built them back in 4th/5th. I also have (I think) a handle on how I want to go about the background for my fleet, but I need to work on that more. So, here's my Swarmlord. The gray I haven't started on (obviously) but the red and bone are looking good. I have tried to use bone in at least 5 armies before now, using a variety of techniques, and never got it to look quite right, so I am very happy to finally be getting smooth, consistent results with it. My process so far is to do the red first and just be sloppy with it. Its 3:1 Flesh Tearers Red with Contrast Medium, I mixed up a huge pot so I don't have to mix it on every model and get it wrong sometimes. Then I fix the white everywhere I messed up, which is probably the hardest step because it's slow and tedious and doesn't actually make the model look more done, but I'm starting to enjoy it more and more as I get the hang of it. Then the bone parts (mixed up a huge batch of that too, 1:1 Skeleton Horde to medium) and then the gray, which is 2:1 Basilicanum Gray and Medium but painted over with ProAcryl bright neutral gray. I am considering adding some edge highlights, which I am historically not good at, but we will see. Hopefully I can finish the gray here Friday and maybe do the head at the same time.
  7. +++ THE HOUNDS IMPERIALIS + First Sergeant Borsus, 3rd Company + Chapter Designation: The Hounds Imperialis Founding Chapter: Imperial Fists Founding: Unknown - Active since at least M35 Homeworld: Orios - Feudal World Fortress Monastery: The Argos Codex Adherence: Codex Adherent - Minor Deviations Chapter Master: Tallius Ironhelm The Hounds Imperialis are an unknown founding of the Imperial Fists, although records show them in action from as early as the 35th Millenium. Although founded from Imperial Fist Geneseed, The Hounds Imperialis show little in common with their Primogenitors, preferring Speed and Shock Tactics to the Siege Warfare implemented by the First Sons of Dorn. The Chapter is largely Codex Adherent, following the Structure of having 10 Companies at 100 Space Marine strength. Eschewing Company markings and colours, aside from the First Company that retains its Codex-Compliant White Trim and Helmets, each Battle Brother is outfitted in Turquoise Power Armour, with Black Trim. The Chapter also does not observe the practice of Reserve Companies, with Companies 2 through 9 being active Battle Companies with squads of varying battlefield roles within them. Although The Hounds Imperialis have had a degree of success in keeping their numbers close to the 1000 mark outlined by the Codex Astartes, following the Destruction of Krippilia Prime 300 Standard Terran Years ago, The Hounds Imperialis stand at a strength of just over 300 Battle Brothers. During the Destruction of Krippilia Prime, exterminatus via Cyclonic Torpedoes was carried out by the orders of Lord Inquisitor Victus Tarrax, whilst the main strength of the Chapter was defending the planet's Capital against the Plague Hordes of Lord Pestus. Due to the absolute destruction of the planet, the gene seed of hundreds of Battle Brothers was lost and The Hounds Imperialis have made countless demands for gene seed from the Genebanks located on Terra, to no avail. Some believe this is tied to the sudden disappearance of Lord Inquisitor Victus Tarrax following the end of the Krippilia System Campaign. Due to the loss of much of the Chapters wargear, The Hounds Imperialis have been forced to rely on their Chapter Relics in recent campaigns, and it is no longer a rare sight to see ancient tanks and Dreadnought Chassis' used in battle by the Chapter. Of note however, is the Chapter as a whole has been seen equipped in a variant of MK IV Maximus Power Armour, believed to have been manufactured by the Astartes themselves in their Fortress Monastery on Orios. How the Chapter has come about a rare STC such as this is undetermined, but they have been known to trade this ancient suit of armour on occasion for much needed wargear with other Astartes Chapters. +++ With the upcoming release of the Indomitus Box, and inspired by the likes of Apologist, St. Lazarus, and Chapter Master Valrak to name but a few hobbyists on these boards that have done fantastic things with the Primaris line of Space Marines, I have been bitten by the Primaris bug that I have long since resisted since they were first released. My 30K Ultramarines project is currently on the back burner having hardly gotten started, but I will be going back and forth between the two projects as and when I feel like it. The main downside to the 30K Ultramarines is that I have very few friends that play Warhammer, and none that show interest in 30K, so I have no opponent for that part of the hobby. I do however have friends that play 40K, and so this is my main project going forward. I have always wanted to do a DIY chapter, accompanied by lore and history written by myself, and with the release of 9th Edition very close now I felt this was the perfect time to get started. The Project itself is hopefully going to be part of a wider narrative I hope to write, with other armies eventually added that I am slowly writing lore for as well, but that is a while off yet, at least until I have fleshed out The Hounds Imperialis to a point that I'm happy with, and I have a fully painted 2000 points army. The Marines in this log are going to represent True Scale Space Marines rather than Primaris Marines, with the Wider Narrative being set in the 38th Millenium, following the near destruction of The Hounds Imperialis at the hands of a power-mad Lord Inquisitor. Hopefully the future lore I write pads this out and is easy to follow, as I have a head full of ideas but I struggle to put it into words that others may find legible. Anyway, I feel like this was a lot of text, so I hope to have more pictures to show over the following days and weeks as I work on The Hounds Imperialis! Thanks for looking! James
  8. A long time ago I was considering some Tyranids. I liked the models and was looking for something different to my existing armies, but then GW revamped the Dark Eldar and I was enticed by their great new models. By chance I have now rescued/inherited some nids - good things come to those who wait? There's some proper old school metals too, it's plenty enough to make an army for now from but first things first: a colour scheme. For those that don't know I tend to take a while settling on them - Guard and Marines: 1 repaint, Dark Eldar: 2 repaints... at least I repainted the DE after only a few models rather than all but entire armies with Guard and Marines It's running joke territory... it's an important decision to make though in my defence, and I have time because I'd like to round off a few projects before looking at starting my nids proper from later this year That said, I had ideas of generally what I wanted to do with the colours chiefly in that I wanted an orange, and a snow base as I've been trying to get these on a scheme for ages. A few extra colours like a white or near to it and a near black and as it turns out I ended up having a scheme come together sooner than I expected: Top picture is base colours, went with a firm favourite in Rakarth Flesh and as it turns out I only have the Lugganath Orange edge paint for oranges so a bit of mixing with Tau Light Ochre gave me roughly the colour I wanted in a not too bright orange. The centre line is another classic in Charadon Granite for a black that isn't in your face (now Skavenblight Dinge I think). I've checked and Fire Dragon Bright or perhaps Troll Slayer Orange if I want a bit more would be good matches for the mixed orange. Second is after a light wash and with some details picked out such as the mouth, hooves and claws were just a couple of washes but turned out nicer than I expected. The carapace patterning needs some more at the least using a finer brush for more natural curves edges but overall I think I have what I want at least in colours and pattern. As much as I would have liked more orange I think it'd be overpowering, but maybe there's scope for swapping colours? Perhaps orange as the main carapace colour or something, though I do quite like it currently. The base will probably be a muddy one maybe with some grass with snow. I'm not sure on eyes, maybe simple with gloss black like my Daemonettes and I need to decide what I'm doing with the joints/soft bits - perhaps white base with orange wash? Or maybe a red as an accent? Or would that be too fiddly, as there will be a lot of gribbly nids to paint... I am broadly there I feel but need some help on final colours and the like so all ideas welcome If I can finalise the scheme properly I will likely be tempted to do some more as it was very refreshing compared to what I usually paint - not a piece of metal or gold detail in sight
  9. George surveyed the battlefield before revving the engine to his bike. The rear tire spun with fury whipping the vehicle around to point straight to its destination. Upon finding purchase it lurched forward as George let a primal scream pointing the Spear of Longinus at forward toward his target. He jinked to avoid incoming fire from all directions. By the Emperor, he was going to slay this beast of a tyranid and earn valor for for name once more. There was a shift in the sans beneath him just before he was thrown from his mount. George flew forward still as his bike went askew detonating on the carapace of a nearby carnifex. The moment he hit the ground sliding in beside a rocky outcropping the ravener from below him on a moment ago was upon him. He parried with his lance an shield as best he could in his confined position. Trying to stand was useless he could see his left leg was destroyed. There was no way to stand. Still he fought. The ravener did what all animals do, it went for the kill. It’s prey was fighting back, yet a piece of it lay exposed. With admonishing force it threw two talons down simultaneously while thrust the others toward the quarry once again. It pushed the forward talons away with the pole arm again, only this time with a cost. George did not scream. He did not wince. His body was made to take theses wounds and survive. There was no reason to panic. Besides, he saw the land raider adjust it’s lascannons to slaughter this arrogant beast. The kill would not be his, but he would not lose valor because of it. The ravener blew apart across the abdomen while the lasfire had put a hole straight through. The beast lurched forward a small fraction before slumping over to it’s right side. In the small distance ahead George could see the apothecary already running to his position. He cleared the field with speed and efficiency. He arrived looking over George’s body. “Only you could go toe to toe with one of those vile creatures and only lose your legs.” “To be fair, the left one was mostly gone before that beast was upon me,” George replied. The apothecary only shook his head before gathering up his battle brother and carrying him double time to the nearest rhino transport. They entered the vehicle where the apothecary could survey the damage to his patient properly. “It appears brother two bionic legs will need to be forged to replace your missing flesh,” the apothecary stated matter of factly. “I do not want the standard replacements. I was born to ride! I am the captain of speed and vengeance! I must be able to spirit my mechanical mount straight to the enemy! What you offer will only slow down this instrument of the Emperor!” He exclaimed. He would not be put on foot again. His reputation was one of open righteous fury upon the enemy. The apothecary looked into his patient’s eyes saying only, “I’ll talk to the Forge Master.” George knew his day of fighting was at an end as the apothecary administered the sedatives. When George awoke in the apothecarium aboard the Bright Ascension he had the strange sensation of being taller. He looked down at the strangely shaped legs he had been given. He took a few steps back noticing the parchment on the med table beside him. Why was he not lying on his back? Turning his head slightly, he noticed more augmetics behind him. What had they done? These were the strangest bionics he had ever seen. He took in the equine styled body, the four legs, the connection points at the lower waist where he once use legs of flesh to stand. George picked up the parchment with zest as he began to read. I had given your request much thought. You are a mighty warrior among us. You are the Dragon Slayer, Carrier of the Sacred Spear, the Paladin of Vengeance. A knight with few to call equal. I have been informed you wished to keep your stature among your company. You are now made to run my brother. Made to run. George began to laugh. Only Gideon Phelps, the Forge Master, would give back a wish of continued service by constructing a myth from Terra’s very ancient mythologies. George took in his new centaurian body as he continued in his mirth. Only the Forge Master indeed. George the Dragon Slayer With new edition I decided to really look at my army which at the moment is rushed together unfinished projects and a rather large pile of shame. Life has dealt me a new hand with more time to hobby and do it correctly. As such, I am getting my army together as I originally envisioned it, starting with my biker captain. I wanted to have a techmarine with a centaurian body, but nothing I came up with looked right when I mocked it up. The “horse body” was always too small. The release of the new starter sets got me to thinking about bikes. If I couldn’t get the tech to look right, could I do it with this captain? He’s still a work in progress. So far, I’m ecstatic about the results! This guy only took an hour to get to his current state due to me taking my time to really look at where the two bodies would meet. Once that part was out of the way most of the “heavy lifting” on this guy was done. I’m not a hundred percent on the helmet yet. I would like something a bit more knightly, but not something I have to purchase multiples of to get. It also needs to have some stature to it, otherwise the helmets just look tiny. Let me know what you guys think...
  10. The Depthwatch Chapter Risen From the Unknown There exists only a small, albeit dedicated, sect of Imperial scholarship that still gives credence to stories of the Depthwatch Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes. Though a number of references to marines bearing the armor and heraldry associated with the Depthwatch exist, they are only that: references. No reputable accounts, much less recordings, have been found that would truly confirm that the Chapter existed. It has only been through the sponsorship of a small and relatively insignificant dynasty of Inquisitors that the search for information regarding the Chapter still continues. There is still much debate within their circles, but the majority belief among these scholars and Inquisitors is that the Depthwatch was created during the 24th Founding and came to be stationed in the Segmentum Tempestus, where most of the myths originate, and which aligned with the need for fresh Imperial defenses at the time. It is generally assumed that the Chapter must have restricted itself to patrolling reaches of empty border space, regions that might make tempting openings for xenos incursions. This fits with the few existing records of materiel requisitions to the region for which any notation on the recipients has been lost. Many of those searching for the truth behind the Depthwatch have long held the belief that somewhere in the galaxy, its progenitor may still hold records that would finally solve the puzzle, but between the reticence of many Astartes to allow Inquisitorial interference in their affairs, and the lack of any hint even to what genetic lineage the Depthwatch bore, no search has yet proved fruitful, and the trail has long been cold. The search has recently been rekindled, though, following reports of the bodies of Primaris marines vanishing from the battlefields where they fell, and the strange Astartes that always seem to be present when it happens. The Blasphemous Truth, whispered from tomes in the Black Library Home World It would be a great triumph for those pursuing knowledge of the Depthwatch to ascertain even what might have been their home sector, let alone a home world. In the past the stories and legends attributed to the Chapter have originated in the Segmentum Tempestus, and new attention has been brought to the region as separate forces of multiple space marine chapters, including the Champions Eternal, the Wolfspear, the Moritficators, and the Raven Guard have raised claims of unidentified, but ostensibly loyalist astartes, absconding with the bodies of fallen Primaris marines. With the voice of the Raven Guard involved, more groups within the Inquisition have begun to take interest, while the Champions Eternal have vowed to find and punish the desecrators themselves. Turn the pages. Go deeper. Recruitment Who or where the Depthwatch recruited to their ranks is impossible for Imperial scholars to know, given the much more fundamental questions that they still cannot answer. If some feudal world ever contributed its youth to their ranks, no record of it has been uncovered, though not for lack of trying. Read, mortal, know the truth hidden by the Empyrean. Combat Doctrine Collected myths and songs associated with the Depthwatch paint a picture of a force focused on ambush tactics. Epics, their origins lost to oral tradition, tell of "star sailors" who made use of celestial bodies like asteroid fields and nebulae to strike unexpectedly at invading enemies. More than a few of the tales describe them striking from all directions, always seeking to remove any chance of retreat in order to utterly destroy their foes, rather than simply repel them. That truth is dark should come as no surprise. Organization Like their recruitment methods, the scant information that researchers have gathered over the centuries is not nearly enough to support guesses as to how the Depthwatch was organized. Like knowledge, survival demands sacrifice. Beliefs Occasionally the debates that take place about the chapter broach the subject of their beliefs, more specifically their loyalty, but the discourse is only questions, never answers, and from decade to decade popular opinion sways on whether this lost chapter was traitorous or true. Reality and belief, eternally intertwined. Gene-seed The genetic origin of the Depthwatch is as lost to the Imperium as the rest of the Chapter's history, a subject of endless discussion among the tiny faction of scholars that still defend the Chapters existence. While a few go as far as to try inferring lineage from the scant descriptions of the Chapters character, most others deride anything less than verified genetic data, something that most researchers have given up ever finding. The same seed engenders both truth and lies. Chapter Tactic Warrior Apparitions Unnatural mist and improbable pools of water seed the battlefield moments before the Depthwatch arrives. Their sudden appearance, and the strange occurrences that seem to accompany them keep their enemies off balance until it's too late. When resolving an attack with a ranged weapon against a <Depthwatch> unit more than 12" away, the unit counts as having the benefits of cover. Enemy units within 3" of a unit with this tactic suffer -1 to their Leadership. Memory woven from the recollections of Men and Aeldari Discussion thread: HERE A semi-formal pdf version is now available in the downloads section HERE.
  11. Posting from my phone, had to get this up here because I was so excited! More pics when complete!
  12. Index Astartes: The Emperors Blade Chapter name: The Emperor’s Blade Founding: 11th Chapter no: 394 Homeworld: Threskeia IV Chapter motto: “Defensor Fidei Veritas” Origins Early in the m.33 a vast host of the followers of Chaos spilled forth from the region of space known as the Maelstrom under the command of Traitor Marines of the Word Bearers Legion. This unholy crusade swept unchecked through several sectors, pillaging and desecrating dozens of Imperial systems. On every world, loyal inhabitants were forced into slavery, labouring under their cruel masters to raise vast cathedrals in praise of the Dark Gods. The response of the Imperium to this invasion was one of horror and fury, particularly among the pious members of the Adeptus Ministorium. The leader of the Church at the time, Ecclesiarch Benedictio II, demanded of his fellow High Lords that a punitive campaign be launched immediately to free the faithful servants of the Imperium. Thus the mighty war machine of Man began to move into action. A crusade force gathered from numerous regiments of the Imperial Guard and accompanied by many hundreds of preachers, confessors and priests to counter the Word Bearers unholy beliefs, was placed under the command of one of the Ecclesiarchy’s own war leaders, Lord Militant Davram Tolemias, a man of both strong faith and strategic wisdom. Further to this, the High Lords declared that one of the Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes being formed as part of the 11th Founding would be assigned to act as a spearhead for the Crusade. Chapter 394, whose genetic lineage was that of the Primarch Roboute Guilliman, was selected to join the fight against the Word Bearers and Captain Septimus of the Ultramarines was chosen to lead them. Born and raised on the world of Calth, Septimus carried in his heart a particular hatred of the sons of Lorgar, making him an excellent choice to bring the Emperor’s judgement against them. When he left Ultramar to take command of the Chapter he brought with him a priceless gift from the shipyards of his home world, a newly commissioned Battle Barge named “The Wrath of Guilliman” that would act as a Fortress Monastery for the crusading Astartes, along with several Strike Cruisers and escort vessels. Once embarked, Chapter Master Septimus brought his cadre of veteran warriors to Mars, where the new Chapter along with the Crusade Fleet and Army under Lord Tolemias was mustering. Even as Septimus arrived at the edge of the Terran system, a great and holy discovery was being made in the deep vaults beneath the Ecclesiarch’s palace, a fragment of script apparently composed by the hand of the God Emperor himself. Claimed to have been written shortly after he had first learned of the betrayal by his most favoured son, Horus, it read: “If I do indeed sharpen my glittering blade, And my hand takes hold on judgement itself, I will pay back vengeance to my adversaries, And render retribution to those who intensely hate me.” That such a piece of writing should be found even as the Emperor’s finest warriors readied themselves to fight in his name could not be simple coincidence. The leaders of the Church insisted that the discovery was a sign of the Emperor’s blessing on their great undertaking. Benedictio II, although old and frail, personally carried the fragment to the gathering fleet, requesting of Septimus that he might speak to the assembled Battle Brethren. Septimus agreed and soon the Ecclesiarch stood before the Astartes force. He spoke to his listeners of the ancient document and then read it aloud to them. As he finished reading, there was a hush in the vast Hall, and then he spoke again. “You are the Emperor’s glittering blade! Carry forth his vengeance on his enemies!” Immediately, there was an almighty cheer from the assembled Marines that echoed back and forth across the Hall. Septimus, deeply moved by the blessing, pondered silently for a few moments then spoke to his men. He told them that this discovery was surely not only a portent of great favour but also a revelation. It was clear to him that the Emperor was disclosing to the Chapter the name which they should take up – The Emperor’s Blade. This announcement was greeted with an even greater cheer and over the following days the brethren began to mark their armour with their new badge. The script was placed in the care of Lord Davram, to be used as a symbol to inspire the soldiers of the Imperium as they fulfilled their duty. Days later, the Crusade Fleet moved out into the Ultima Segmentum, heading for the borders of the Maelstrom. As the fleet passed through Imperial systems, the priests of the Ecclesiarchy preached their message of the Emperor’s divine glory and his holy retribution upon his enemies. As they did so, from among the populace of countless different worlds, a vast throng of devout volunteers gave themselves willingly to the Emperor’s great cause. They came forth from every avenue of Imperial life in their hundreds of thousands; whole squads of Planetary Defence Force soldiers, brave hab-workers and even whole families of the fervent faithful, mothers and fathers with children at their hips. The local Churches of the Ecclesiarchy paid for vessels to carry these devoted followers of the Imperial Creed and soon the Crusade Fleet was followed by a huge rag tag armada of smaller vessels that carried the pilgrim army behind them. The Crusade As years passed and the Malatoth Crusade, named after the Sector the Word Bearers had attacked, progressed towards the Maelstrom, Septimus began looking for new recruits to replace losses among the Emperor’s Blade Space Marines. Among the innumerable host of loyal pilgrims that travelled behind the crusade army were countless families with sons who were of appropriate age. The life of such pilgrims was a harsh one, full of hardship and strife, making them ideal candidates for becoming Space Marines. Moreover, their faith and conviction in the Emperor and the Crusade were ingrained from birth itself. The campaign began well, with decisive victories against the Word Bearers vanguard taking back two Imperial systems in as many weeks. Septimus led his Marines with courage and skill, continuing their training in the strategies and strictures of Guilliman’s great work, the Codex Astartes. However, once the Word Bearers recovered from the surprise of the first overwhelming attacks, the battles of the Malatoth Crusade became far harder and on Jotas IX, tragedy struck the Emperor’s Blade Space Marines. Brother Balius, a veteran Chaplain of the Ultramarines and first Master of Sanctity for the young Emperor’s Blade Chapter was attacked and killed by a cult assassin, presumed to be an infiltrator under orders from the hated Word Bearers. The Chapter mourned for many days. Master Septimus, full of sorrow and rage in equal amounts over the loss of his friend, was unsure of how to reconcile the loss of the Chapter’s only spiritual leader. Balius had not yet appointed any other Marines to the honoured position of Chaplain who could take his place as Master of Sanctity, but according to Septimus’ own strict interpretation of the Codex, while the Chapter Master could assign Marines to serve within the Reclusiam, only the Master of Sanctity could appoint a Marine to the post of Reclusiarch. Finally, after much deliberation, Septimus accepted that there was nothing he could do but request of the Ultramarines that a new Master of Sanctity be selected and sent to take the place of Balius. With a heavy heart at the dishonour of having to ask for help so early in his career as Chapter Master, Septimus commissioned one of his veteran cadre, Brother Ardias, to carry Balius’ Crozius Arcanum and Rosarius back to Ultramar to be taken up by his replacement. The death of Balius would prove to be a catalyst for great change within the Chapter, although this would not become apparent for many centuries. Brother Ardias would likely not return for many years but the spiritual needs of the youthful Brethren must still be met, especially when they must face the unholy dangers of the Chaos Gods. In his humility, Septimus knew that while he was well able to teach the Brethren the value of the Codex Astartes, he was not a spiritual leader. Therefore he spoke to Lord Militant Tolemias, who suggested that some of the priests of the Crusade army be assigned to minister to the Battle Brethren of the Emperor’s Blade. While Septimus knew that these servants of the Ecclesiarchy did not hold to exactly the same beliefs as his former Chapter did, they were men of faith and their ministry would give his brave warriors courage and strength to face their dark enemy. As long years passed and more and more new members of the brethren were selected from the pilgrim fleet, the combination of their background and the teaching of the Adeptus Ministorium gradually brought the Emperor’s Blade Chapter closer and closer in faith and fraternity with the Church of the Ecclesiarchy. The Warden of the Faithful One of the first initiates chosen from the pious followers of the Crusade was a youth named Malchus, a strong young man with a fiery zeal for the Emperor’s glory. As Malchus progressed within the Chapter, he came to build a reputation as both a talented warrior and a masterful tactician. However, it was his skills as an orator of the Imperial Creed that became truly famed among the Battle Brethren, his rousing rhetoric inspiring his squad mates to greater and greater feats of heroism in the Emperor’s service. In time, his abilities brought him to the attention of Septimus himself, who inducted him into the 1st Company and honoured him with the guardianship of the sacred Chapter banner. Soon after this the Chapter Master was able to observe first-hand his subordinate’s faith and conviction, when Malchus’ stirring oratory led the Brethren in one of their most decisive victories of the entire campaign. Septimus recognized that in Malchus he had a devoted priest who could care for the spiritual needs of the Chapter until such time as a Chaplain arrived. He honoured Malchus by assigning him to the Chapter’s non-existent Reclusiam and commanding that he repaint his armour from Chapter blue to pure black, marking him out for special service to the Emperor. Though Septimus could not give him the title of Reclusiarch, he did create a new position within the Chapter HQ, that of ‘Warden of the Faithful’. Though he considered himself utterly unworthy, Malchus humbly accepted his Lord’s commission. Two years later the Crusade against the Word Bearers reached its climax as the Emperor’s Blade drove their hated enemies back into the Maelstrom. The final battles took place in the Threskeia system, the loyalist forces under Septimus throwing the traitors back from each of its inhabited worlds in turn. However, tragedy was to strike the Emperor’s Blade once again. On Threskeia VI, Septimus personally commanded the besiegement of the last of the Word Bearers fortifications, a dark bastion as much a temple as a citadel. The Traitor Marines held their position for many days but were finally forced to admit defeat. In order to escape the encircling Imperial battle lines, they summoned a vast horde of their warp-spawned servants and attempted to break out of the siege. Septimus led his men forward to bring final vengeance on the leaders of the unholy crusade. The Emperor’s Blade Master fought bravely, slaying dozens of the enemy, but was mercilessly cut down by a mighty warrior in the blasphemously ornate armour of a Dark Apostle. The Chaos Marines escaped, fleeing into the Maelstrom and the Malatoth Crusade finally ended. More than one hundred and fifty years after their mission began, the Emperor’s Blade had achieved their goal, but it was at great cost. Septimus was gone. The Chapter mourned for their lost Master for several weeks but knew that they must select his successor and continue in the Emperor’s work. This crusade may have been completed but there would always be more enemies to bring His judgement upon. When it came to choosing Septimus’ replacement, the devout Brethren were of one mind; that pious Brother Malchus, already the Chapter’s spiritual leader, should also lead the Emperor’s Blade in battle. Malchus was honoured by his brothers’ trust but at first refused, citing the holy Codex and stating that officers of the Reclusiam should only command warriors inducted into their number and therefore one of the Company Captains should be chosen as Master, with Brother-Captain Saul of the 1st Company being the obvious choice. Saul replied immediately that he was certain that Malchus was the right choice, that his unmatched zeal for the Emperor would make him the best leader for the Chapter, and that if it would satisfy the requirements of the Codex, he and all his company would gladly join the Chapter’s Reclusiam. The other nine Captains and all the Battle-Brethren roared their agreement and Malchus finally acquiesced to their demands. At that time, in accordance with patterns laid down in the Codex Astartes, the entirety of the Chapter signified their loyalty to the new Chapter Master and the Reclusiam by repainting their right arms and shoulder pads in pure, holy black. Homeworld When the Malatoth Crusade ended, the Imperial army that had fought in it was disbanded, different Regiments of the Imperial Guard being sent on to battle in countless other war zones. Davram Tolemias, however, would not leave the vast pilgrim army that had faithfully followed the Crusade for so many years. After much deliberation he decided that he and they would remain on Threskeia VI and that together, on the very ground where the Word Bearers dark citadel had stood, they would construct a great cathedral to honour the Emperor’s glory and commemorate the great victory his forces had fought so hard to achieve. The Emperor’s Blade also moved onwards. Malchus declared that while the forces of the Emperor had been fighting the hated Word Bearers, worlds across nearby sectors had suffered the attentions of other enemies, vile xenos like the brutish Orks or arrogant Eldar. These too must receive the Emperor’s judgement. However, before leaving the Threskeia system, Malchus was approached by Lord Tolemias. Davram explained that at the very heart of the great shrine it was his intention to place for all time the fragment of script that had given the Chapter its name, where it could be seen and honoured by devout citizens from across the Imperium. Further to this, he made a petition of Malchus that the new Chapter Master would allow the remains of his predecessor to be laid out in state within the cathedral, out of respect for all Septimus had done in the prosecution of the Malatoth Crusade. Malchus was delighted with this offer and accepted it immediately. The Emperor’s Blade Chapter left the Threskeia system and did not return for more than a century. At this time, satisfied that all opposition in the Malatoth Sector had been crushed and that the area was safely back under the rule of the Emperor, Malchus led his men back to Threskeia VI to pay their respects to their first Master and to recruit new Marines to replace their losses. When he arrived it was to find the Emperor’s holy shrine completed in all its glory, with Septimus’ remains lying as promised in a position of honour within its sacred walls. Malchus was taken aback by the sheer blessedness of the hallowed building and the world around it. Threskeia VI had become a Shrine World in every sense and its people, former pilgrims all, had dedicated themselves entirely to the Emperor’s service and to care for his Church. They lived a life of self-imposed asceticism and hard labour, along with an unending program of religious activity. In addition, every year thousands of other devout pilgrims from across the Imperium came to worship at the great Shrine. Malchus had known that the pilgrims would be an ideal source of faithful aspirants, as they had for long years past, but now he realized that there would be no better place for the Emperor’s Blade to settle permanently than their spiritual home. He ordered that the Chapter would remain in the Threskeia system and select a suitable site to build a Fortress Monastery from which to carry forth the Emperor’s word against his enemies. After much consideration, Malchus chose Threskeia IV, a barren, airless world that would provide an ideal defensive position as well as a perfect space dock from which the Emperor’s Blade fleet could take to the stars. Here the Chapter built its Fortress Monastery, both terms an accurate description of a structure that is both a mighty and a holy place. The Emperor’s Blade continue to recruit from the populace and visiting pilgrims of Threskeia VI, such youths providing an excellent source of devout aspirants, worthy to become part of the Emperor’s divine instrument of retribution. Beliefs Given the origins of their recruits and the Chapter’s early history, it is unsurprising that the Emperor’s Blade wholeheartedly accepts the Imperial Creed as expounded by the Holy Church of the Ecclesiarchy, acknowledging the Emperor for what he truly is, the Immortal God of Mankind. They also venerate all of the loyal Primarchs as the greatest of the Imperium’s Saints, in particular their own Primogenitor Roboute Guilliman. The Marines of the Chapter view themselves as an instrument of Divine judgement, the ‘glittering blade’ in the Emperor’s mailed fist with which he metes out vengeance on his enemies. They are in the fullest sense warrior-priests, pious and devout in their worship and acting as the Emperor’s ministers on the battlefield, bringing salvation to those who hope in him and death to those who deny him. As such, the Chapter has a close relationship with the Adeptus Ministorium, often fighting at their request beside the Church’s Ordo Militant, the Adeptus Sororitas, when anything may threaten their loyal adherents across the Imperium. In contrast, the Emperor’s Blade’s relationship with other Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes has often become less than cordial, almost all refuting their claims of the Emperor’s Divinity. While the majority will happily fight beside the Emperor’s Blade, many view them with something approaching contempt for their belief that the Emperor was more than a man. This disagreement has never led to outright conflict, but often when a Company of the Chapter fights alongside another Astartes force, champions will be chosen to duel for the honour of their Chapter Cult. The Age of Apostasy: The Age of Apostasy was a dark time for the Emperor’s Blade. Before High Lord Vandire took power, the Chapter’s relationship with the Ecclesiarchy could be compared to that of a loyal retainer serving an ancient and wise master. However, as Vandire’s cruel acts of tyranny caused him to fall further and further from the ideals laid out in the Imperial Creed, Philemon, the Warden of the Faithful at that time, was forced to make a difficult decision. Like many Chapter Masters during that terrible time, Philemon cut his ties with Holy Terra, ordering his men to take full control of their home system, along with several of its neighbours. While still protecting the God Emperor’s realm from his enemies all along the edge of the Maelstrom, the Emperor’s Blade closed their borders to the servants of Vandire and the rest of Mankind. This state continued for several years, until the rise of Sebastian Thor. The Emperor’s Blade were among the first to join with his Confederation of Light, their goal to restore true faith to the Church of Man. After many years of fighting this goal was realised and the Imperium returned for a time to a state of internal peace and unity. Since that time, however, the relationship between the Ecclesiarchy and the Emperor’s Blade has changed. Never again would the Chapter blindly follow the Church as an infallible servant of God, but now the Warden of the Faithful would have to carefully consider the requests of the Ecclesiarchy to ensure they were in harmony with the Imperial Creed. While this has led to some minor conflict between the Chapter and the Church, for the most part the bond they share is still strong and enduring. Combat Doctrine On hearing of the Emperor’s Blade’s utter devotion to their God, one might picture them as a rampaging force of fanatics, hurling themselves en-masse against the heretical foes of the Imperium. However, this could not be further from the truth. Chapter Master Septimus instilled in his Chapter a deep and abiding reverence for their Primarch and his work, the Codex Astartes. The Emperor’s Blade view these tomes as a holy book, inspired by the undying Emperor himself, and therefore make war in perfect accordance with its words, although all the while declaring aloud their unending devotion to their God. They march to battle under great banners proclaiming the Emperor’s glory and decorate their armour with numerous purity seals and litanies expressing their faith. The Brethren also paint the casings of their weapons, most commonly the mighty bolter and cleansing flamer, in pure white, signifying that the warfare that they undertake is both holy and righteous. Over the course of the seven millennia since their Founding, the Chapter has faced every kind of foe plaguing the Imperium. However, their primary concern is guarding the borders of the Maelstrom and defeating the pirates, renegades and Chaos-worshipping traitors who emerge from its swirling currents to pillage and destroy. Therefore, while not becoming overly specialized, the Emperor’s Blade has developed an aptitude for boarding actions, learning to engage and destroy their enemies before they can become a real threat to the worlds of the Malatoth Sector. Chapter Organization The Emperor’s Blade Chapter is for the most part organized exactly as the Codex Astartes dictates, with the Battle Brethren, or ‘The Faithful’, being formed into 10 Companies of one hundred Space Marines, plus their various command and support units. Each Battle Brother of the Emperor’s Blade Companies aspires to be found worthy to join the heroes of the Chapter’s 1st Company. The veterans of this Company, ‘The Anointed’, are the most courageous, skilled and devoted warriors within the Chapter and are therefore honoured by being allowed to use its limited amount of Tactical Dreadnought Armour, holy artefacts that are as much battlefield shrines to the Emperor as they are suits of armour. Since the days of Malchus himself the entire Chapter has technically been part of its Reclusiam, signifying this by painting their right arms pure black but, oddly for a Chapter so devoted in its faith, the Emperor’s Blade have no Chaplains. This stems from an event that occurred a little over a century after the Emperor’s Blade had moved into their new Fortress Monastery on Threskeia IV. Finally, after long years of travelling, Brother Severian, Chaplain of the Ultramarines had arrived to take up the post of Master of Sanctity. Malchus eagerly received his new brother and conducted him on a tour of the Chapter’s home. While Severian was initially impressed, after a time he began to grow concerned at the Chapter’s view of the Emperor as a God. He mentioned this to Malchus and the Warden of the Faithful responded coldly. The disagreement quickly became an argument and Malchus finally declared that Severian could leave as soon as he wished. Severian was shocked, demanding to know who would care for the spiritual needs of the Brethren. Malchus is said to have laughed and challenged the Chaplain. He stated that if the least of the Chapter’s ‘Faithful’ could not equal Severian’s religious understanding, Malchus would place himself and the rest of the Chapter under him for religious instruction. Severian accepted and an opponent was chosen for him, a young Brother named Epaphras, newly attached to the 7th Reserve Company. In the Great Hall, before all the members of the Chapter on Threskeia IV at the time, they disputed for long hours, matching wits on the deeper doctrines of the faith, understanding of religious texts and quoting of litanies. Finally, Severian had to accept that he would never change the deeply held views of the Chapter. He left Threskeia IV in a rage, still insisting that Emperor’s Blade were misguided fools. From that time onwards, the Emperor’s Blade has had no Chaplains, but every Battle Brother must follow the example of Epaphras and be fully versed in the Imperial Creed. Squad leaders, Company Captains and the Warden of the Faithful himself must therefore, in addition to being strategic commanders of their troops, be paragons of faith and virtue worthy of leading them in the worship of their God. Like any Chapter, the Emperor’s Blade utilises a large Armoury of weapons and vehicles and these are cared for and maintained by the Master of the Forge and a legion of other Techmarines, Tech-Adepts, serfs and servitors. Battle Brothers trained to provide for the Chapter’s needs in this way often become isolated, rarely leaving the Chapter Forges except when they must accompany their war machines into battle. They are viewed as strange and set apart by their former Brethren, simply because their devotion to the God Emperor of Man is now by necessity balanced with their loyalty to the Machine God of Mars. If the Marines of the Armoury are seen as set apart from the rest of the Chapter, the Astartes serving as part of its Librarium are viewed with outright suspicion. Paradoxically, however, the Emperor’s Blade Librarians are at the same time held in a position of high honour. This stems from the Chapter’s feelings about psykers and mutants, such as Astropaths or Navigators, sanctioned by the Emperor Himself at the dawn of the Imperium. The Emperor’s Blade believe that being gifted with such power is a sign of a special link with the God Emperor himself. However, they also believe that power of such magnitude can only truly be the province of a God, not mortals, and that therefore these gifts are equally a dangerous curse. Thus, while Chapter commanders will listen carefully to the words of the Librarium, they are also ever vigilant to ensure that no taint ever stain the purity of the Chapter’s faith. The Librarians themselves tend to become among the most fanatically devoted to the Imperial Creed, as though to prove their continuing loyalty to the Emperor. Geneseed As scions of the Ultramarine Legion, the geneseed of the Emperor’s Blade is that of the Primogenitor, Roboute Guilliman. The Chapter’s deep respect for the Codex Astartes includes a profound reverence for its numerous strictures regarding the initiation and genetic implantation of new aspirants. Thus, even after more than seven thousand years since its Founding, its warriors perfectly maintain the purity for which the offspring of their Primarch are known. Several of the Chapter’s recruiting Sergeants, along with numerous members of the Apothecarium, are permanently based on Threskeia VI in order to examine and select the youths who may eventually become part of the Emperor’s Blade. The criteria for successful aspirants can be summed up in one word: purity. Firstly, physical and genetic purity are essential for such ones to be found worthy to be inheritors of the holy seed of Guilliman. Equally the candidates must be spiritually pure, proving themselves to be virtuous and devoted followers of the Imperial Creed and as such suitable to become defenders of the true Faith. Unusually for a Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes, the Emperor’s Blade place more emphasis on such spiritual qualities over an aspirants level of combat training, believing that fighting skills can be learned but that the devotion needed to carry out the Emperor’s Will, to the death if necessary, must come from the heart. Battle-Cry While the Emperor’s Blade acknowledges that there are times when silence on the battlefield is necessary, for the most part when they go to war it is accompanied by the raised voices of all the Brethren present singing praises to the God Emperor, their vox-casters ringing out a chorus of hymns and psalms that form a marked counterpoint to the screams and death cries of their enemies. ”My Lord, surely not? They are as bad as the zealots of the Ecclesiarchy! Worse, for they should know better! I respect and value you as much as any man living, but their reaction to your arrival was… was… it bordered on heresy!” Roboute Guilliman, Primarch of the Ultramarines and Lord Commander of the vast armies of the Imperium, sighed softly. “What else would you have me do, Marneus?” “Censure them! Put them back on the right path! But do not reward their misguided notions of divinity with access to Cawl’s technology?” “I understand your concerns, my son. Their attitude concerns me deeply, perhaps more so than any others who proclaim my father’s godhood… and I have my doubts about the many ‘coincidences’ that led to the Church’s influence upon them… but we are in no position to be selective, especially where a Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes is concerned. The Indomitus Crusade needs warriors. Whether we approve of their beliefs or not, the Emperor’s Blade are both capable and loyal. Do you see any reason to doubt either their proficiency or their devotion to our cause?” Marneus Calgar, Chapter Master of the Ultramarines, frowned thoughtfully and then shook his head. If one ignored the hymnals and rhetoric – more suited to the Sororitas than the Astartes – the Chapter had proved itself as disciplined and effective in war as any of the Ultramarines’ many Successors. Guilliman nodded back and continued. “As to censure, I have given it in… similar… circumstances. I have seen what it can do. It can break a man, destroy him utterly. If we had chosen another path, found another way…” the Primarch paused pensively… “You cannot imagine how different things might be.” There was another long moment of silence. Finally Marneus bowed his head. “As you will it, my Lord. The Emperor’s Blade will have the Primaris technology. I will have the Tech-Adepts begin the transfer of data and supplies.” Guilliman nodded again and Calgar moved to leave. At the portal of his Lord’s Sanctum, he turned back with a mirthless grin. “Apparently they all want to cross the Rubicon, every last one of them! They’re calling it a test of their faith and purity, whether they can accept the gift of the Emperor! Maybe the process will kill them all off and we can start over?” Guilliman smiled back wearily. “I hope not, my son. Whether their views are wrong and whether some day we can lead them back to the truth… for the time being, we need them.”
  13. With a well-earned reputation for ruthless savagery and a callous disregard for human life, the Stormbringers Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes is as much feared and hated by those it professes to serve as it is by their enemies. The Stormbringers themselves care not for such petty concerns. They know that the Imperium of Man constantly walks the line between life and death, struggling to survive against its enemies from within and without. They, as its guardians, must do whatever is necessary to ensure its continued existence. Origins:[/skullheaderhalf] The Stormbringers Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes was formed during the 17th Founding from the mighty gene seed of Primarch Jaghatai Khan of the White Scars Legion. Their training cadre and first commander, a powerful warrior by the name of Tsubodai Khan, were drawn from the third Brotherhood of one of the White Scars fiercest successor Chapters, the Rampagers. The Chapters first battles were fought as part of a combined Imperial force making war along the north-western borders of the Ultima Segmentum against a series of Ork invasions. Led by Tsubodai, the new Chapter first came to the world Tuphon while hunting down an Ork cruiser carrying a cunning Warboss who had somehow escaped an ambush set by ships of the Imperial Navy. The Khan was immediately impressed both by the resistance of the native tribes against the alien invaders and by the wild nature of the planet itself. When the battle to destroy the Orks was finally over, Tsubodai declared Tuphon to be his by right of conquest, and to honour its brave people he gave his Chapter the name and colours they bear to this day. HomeWorld[/skullheaderhalf] Tuphon is a world as close to hell as I have ever seen. Inquisitor Raymien Saint Tuphon is designated as a Class IV Death World but even this ominous description does no justice to the harshest of realities. Its surface is mostly covered by deep, dark and tempestuous seas, their swirling, raging waters broken only by jagged spires of black stone that pierce into the sky. Tuphons single continental land mass, covering perhaps one eighth of the planets surface near the equator, is little more than a vast slab of the same dark, unyielding stone. Tuphon Tuphon has three moons and they, by their proximity and gravitational pull, have a massive impact on the worlds weather systems. Near continuous storms wrack the surface, hammering the rocky ground and turning the oceans into a churning maelstrom. Angry grey clouds fill the sky completely, hurling torrential rain down onto the dark stone. Bolt after bolt of lightning blasts from the sky and hurricane force winds howl through the mountains and valleys. At their worst, the storm winds increase in speed to hundreds of miles per hour, picking up boulders the size of men and pitching them around like pebbles. Even more dangerous are the smaller shards of rock shattered by lightning strikes. Gathered up by the wind, they turn the storm into a horrifying weapon that can strip the flesh from a mans bones in a matter of seconds. Only the most advanced armour can withstand such an onslaught. Very little could live in such a land were it not for the great Ironwoods, mighty trees adapted to their environment with a bark tougher than plascrete and the ability to thrive on the low light that filters through the heavy clouds. Even they cannot survive out in the open, against the full force of the storms, but in the valleys and ravines cut by the passage of vast rivers of dark water, they bring life to Tuphon's surface. Beneath the eaves of these protective giants a fragile ecosystem of flora and fauna clings to being. Thin grasses and shrubs grow around the bases of the great trees, providing food for a variety of herbivorous creatures, ranging from tiny rodents to great thick coated stags. There are no carnivorous creatures under the forest canopy, all such species having been wiped out by their rivals, Tuphons greatest predators men. Men had been on Tuphon for many long millennia before the Stormbringers came. Little is known about when or how they came to Tuphon, but whatever technology brought them to their new home must have been quickly destroyed by its harsh climate. Any kind of civilized society must undoubtedly have broken down with equal speed, degenerating into a primitive, almost feral, system of clans and tribes that has remained the same ever since. Life is incredibly harsh for the people of Tuphon, a constant struggle to find food and shelter from the great storms beneath the Ironwoods. Both are exceedingly scarce and are therefore a root of near continuous conflict between the various clans as they endeavour to survive. Clan holdings are often destroyed by particularly violent storms or raging flood waters, forcing their people to search for new homes, even making war to conquer and take the lands of other clans. The men and women of Tuphon are a hardy race, lean and pale skinned but strong and resilient. Their men are warriors from birth, beginning their training with axe, spear and bow almost as soon as they can walk, preparing them to fight for the continued survival of their clan and making them ideal candidates for initiation into a Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes. In temperament the clanspeople are savagely cold and pragmatic, a necessity in their extreme environment. Every member of a clan must be strong, able to provide in some way towards the survival of their people, and any who cannot are quickly cast out. There is no care expected or given for children born with even the slightest disability, and any found to bear such at birth are ritually returned to the earth. If and when any clan member reaches a point where he or she can no longer be of use to their brethren, perhaps becoming too old, sick or injured either to fight or to care for other responsibilities, they will willingly and proudly walk alone and naked out onto the plains to be taken by the great storms, rather than impose any further burden on their brothers. In battle, a clansman will unhesitatingly and uncaringly commit acts of horrific bloodshed against another clan if it will keep his tribal brothers alive for another day. However, he would also be equally willing to give up his own life if he deemed the sacrifice to be worthwhile and for the good of the clan. Organisation[/skullheaderhalf] The effect of the Codex Tempestus on the Stormbringers Chapter could be compared to that of giving a penal legion killer a dress uniform to wear; the countenance appears more refined, yet the murderous sociopath beneath remains unchanged. Inquisitor Holst after the Torros incident. The single greatest influence on the organization of the Stormbringers was undoubtedly their 4th Chapter Master: a warrior named Isegrimm, who was born, raised and inducted into the Chapter on Tuphon. By his time, the majority of the Chapter were likewise natives of their home world, and the Stormbringers had already developed a reputation among Imperial commanders for savage and uncontrollable brutality, occasionally even against allied troops and civilians. The Chapter was investigated by the Inquisition and Isegrimm was told in no uncertain terms that he must rein in his forces or face the threat of Excommunication. Isegrimm was not only a great warrior but also a cunning strategist and a devoted student of the myriad ways of making war. He responded to the Inquisitions threats by writing a book that would save the Stormbringers, the Codex Tempestus or Book of Storms. This was a tome based in equal parts upon Guillimans Codex Astartes, the teachings of Jaghatai Khan handed down from their Rampagers forebears, and his own years of combat experience. Hunters Although the Stormbringers do not permit their Initiates to take to the battlefield, the role of scout must still be filled. Therefore a small corps of experienced First Company veterans, typically from the tactically minded Sternguard, are trained to serve as Hunters. Two or three members of this highly specialized elite group are assigned to serve with each of the Strike Companies. Clad in unmarked black carapace armour and draped in cameoline cloaks, these warriors range far ahead of the rest of the Company, preparing the way for their brethrens advance. Each Hunter works alone and unaided, answering only to his brother Hunters and the Strike Captain. They are masters of reconnaissance, skilled in interrogation and torture, as well as being highly trained in all aspects of guerrilla warfare, including sabotage and assassination. There are many instances where an enemy force has been defeated with barely a shot fired, mainly thanks to the carefully gathered information or carefully placed snipers bullet of a ruthless Hunter. The Book of Storms codified the varying structures of the individual Brotherhoods into the strictly organized Strike Companies that remain to this day. There are eight such Companies, each of which is an autonomous fighting unit of approximately 100 Space Marines. As in a typical Battle Company, the majority of this number is made up by six Tactical squads. However, in harmony with the teachings of the Khan these warriors are well trained and equally adept in deploying as fast moving Bike Squads. Again following the Codex Astartes, each Strike Company also includes two ten man Assault squads; but it is among their heavy support units that the Stormbringers most diverge from Guillimans masterwork. The final twenty members of a typical Strike Company are generally split into vehicle crews, manning either Attack Bike or Land Speeder squadrons which provide heavier firepower but can still maintain the pace set by their brethren. Finally, each Company is led into battle by their Strike Captain and a small cadre of command staff and company veterans who will often act as a fast moving spearhead, equipped with either Bikes or Jump Packs to carry them swiftly to war. The Chapters First Company follows the same pattern as set by the Strike Companies, with the exception that its 100 members are instead comprised of highly experienced Sternguard, Vanguard, and Bike or Land Speeder-mounted Stormguard veterans, chosen from the very best warriors the Strike Companies have to offer. This Company acts as the personal guard of the Stormbringers Chapter Master, and their badge is a mighty wyvern of Tuphon clutching a lightning bolt in its scaly claws. This symbol is all too appropriate, for the First Company are the undisputed masters of the rapid assault. The Chapter has only a few dozen suits of ancient Tactical Dreadnought Armour. These relics are carefully maintained, to be used only in times of direst need by the very finest warriors among the First Company. When deployed in this this way, the Stormbringer veterans are often carried into battle by one of the Chapters three Land Raiders: the Wyverns Claw, the Spear of Tsubodai and the Innocents Blood. Finally, in addition to these nine Companies, there is the Chapters Tenth Company, including its recruiting Captain, Sergeants and Initiates. The Stormbringers do not consider it efficient to send Space Marines not fully trained into combat, so Initiates are not assigned to a Strike Company until the Master of Recruits deems them ready to become full Battle Brothers. However, the 10th is given the serious responsibility of defending the Chapter fortress when all of the Strike Companies are on campaign. The Tenth Company can number anywhere from 50 to 200 Initiates at any given time. The Chapter Master is also responsible for the Chapter HQ, including overall command of the Stormbringers Librarium, Apothecarium, Reclusiarchy and Forges; as well as the Chapter's Fortress Monastery, Armoury and Fleet, including the myriad Chapter staff that care for these assets. The Stormbringers Strike Companies each have assigned to them a Strike Cruiser, enabling them to react quickly to any Imperial cry for help. The First Company, however, is privileged to use the Chapters flagship, a Battle Barge named the Emperors Wrath". These vessels are berthed and maintained at a massive space dock that the Stormbringers keep in orbit around Tuphons second moon. The reforms made by Master Isegrimm in the Book of Storms also included strict regulations on the appearance of the Chapters Marines, requiring them to decorate their armour as any other Codex Chapter might, with similar Company and squad designations, honour and campaign badges, kill markings and personal litanies. Isegrimm even took the step of taking a new name, Octavian, that of a revered warrior hero of the Imperium rather than that of his own clan. He further decreed that each warrior of the Chapter must do the same so that the Stormbringers would show no outward signs of their savage tribal origins. Octavian asserted that his goal was simply to bring his Chapter in line with what was acceptable to the Adeptus Terra. However, the Stormbringers many critics claim that the Book of Storms has proved to be nothing more than a smokescreen, a facade of civility to fool the unwary, and that the Chapter is no less vicious than it ever was. Combat Doctrine Terror is a weapon with a strength greater than that of a hundred bolt guns. Book of Storms LXII.VI A Commander who fails to use every weapon at his disposal is nothing more than a fool. Book of Storms LVI.II On the battlefield and in strategy, the Stormbringers Space Marines think little differently than one of their former clan brothers, willing to use all manner of terror tactics and commit the most unspeakable atrocities in order to achieve their objective. Stormbringers commanders have been known to use innocent civilian populations to bait traps for enemy forces, to use other Imperial units as cannon fodder to protect their own, more valuable, troops as they enter combat; even to fire upon friendly forces once they have been used to bog down an enemy at close quarters. Often such tactics do win battles and wars, frequently with far more acceptable losses to the Imperiums assets overall; but those used by the Stormbringers rarely see it that way. Most local Imperial commanders view the Chapter as cruel, without conscience, and believe they are better off without the Space Marines help, many even refusing to fight beside them. Strike first, strike fast, strike hard. Book of Storms II.XV It is unsurprising that the Stormbringers tactical dogma focuses primarily on rapid deployment and assault stratagems. While not being as totally reliant on the use of Bike squads as their parent Legion, these do feature heavily in Stormbringers forces, along with jump pack equipped assault units and Land Speeders. Tactical squads are invariably assigned Rhino or Razorback APCs to allow rapid redeployment, unless the force is being deployed directly into combat via drop pods, and almost never use heavy weapons that may slow the unit down. The only exception to this is the use of heavy bolters fitted with rare suspensor devices that enable the weapon to be fired on the move. Dreadnoughts and Devastator squads are never used, being far too static for the Stormbringers style of warfare, and additional heavy support is provided solely by the Chapters battle tanks. This role is primarily filled by Predators, but the Armoury does include several squadrons of Vindicator and Whirlwind pattern tanks that may be assigned to support a Strike Company. [skullheaderhalf=13139C]Beliefs The Wyverns of Tuphon The only creatures of Tuphon that can challenge the supremacy of the clans are the great wyverns, ferocious beasts of scale, talon and fang. They begin their lives from eggs laid into the oceans of Tuphon, hatching into lithe, 2 metre long hunters, feasting on the abundance of aquatic life beneath the waves. Over the course of many years they grow, doubling or even tripling their size, becoming a grave threat to the clansmen who brave the fierce seas to fish for their people. As a wyvern approaches full adulthood, though, a change comes over them. They drag their bodies, now nearer 10 metres in length, from the seas onto the rocks that break the waters surface and enwrap themselves in a cocoon like state where they remain for several days. When they emerge their backs have sprouted a huge pair of leathery wings and their scales have hardened to a state more resilient than diamonds. The adult wyvern now nests in the mountains of Tuphon and feeds on both the fish of the oceans and on the beasts and men of the land. It is the only creature of all Tuphon untroubled by the great storms, its hide grown impervious to even the most brutal winds. In fact, the more ferocious the tempest, the more the beasts seem to enjoy it, spiralling wildly through the windswept skies and screeching their heart-freezing, terrible cries to all who may hear. The Stormbringers believe first and foremost in the survival of the Imperium of Man. It is their sole purpose in life that the Emperors realm should not fall, and they feel no compunction over taking whatever course they deem necessary to ensure its continued existence. For example, if a battle costs the lives of one hundred civilians rather than that of a single Astartes, this is viewed as entirely acceptable, simply by virtue of their comparative value to the Imperium. In the present time, with Mankind attacked on all sides by countless enemies and always in desperate need of its finest warriors, it is debatable whether any could truly prove that they are wrong. Many have branded the Chapter as cowardly because of their methods but such accusations are inaccurate. If the Stormbringers feel that the sacrifice is necessary, or the objective important enough, they will willingly and without hesitation give their lives to achieve it. Others call the Chapter cruel, disloyal or heartless. The Stormbringers themselves feel that they are simply being efficient. The Chapter has on several occasions been investigated by the Inquisition because of their savage use of other Imperial citizens. However, while some more youthful, fiery Inquisitors would like to see the Stormbringers punished, the Chapter is lucky enough to enjoy the favour of several high ranking and more experienced Lords of the Inquisition. These are men and women who recognize that there are times when the ends must justify the means. Thus, for the present time at least, the Stormbringers are free to continue in their bloody-handed ways. However, it should be noted that while the Stormbringers have a reputation for doing whatever is necessary to achieve their goals, they do have limits. No true member of the Chapter would countenance having anything to do with xenos of any species or even less with the corrupting taint of Chaos. The clans of Tuphon, while usually a coldly utilitarian people, do venerate the Emperor of Mankind, giving him the place of the Tuphonic tribal god, the Lord of The Sun Rising". On rare occasions the storms abate, allowing the sun to shine through onto the surface. In response, thousands of tiny seedlings and roots embedded in the rocky ground burst forth into frantic life, seemingly desperate to propagate their species. Many swell in what seem mere moments with rich vegetation and fruits that the clans gather to enjoy great feasts with their temporary plenty. Such times are considered holy days dedicated to the Lord of The Sun Rising", a brief respite from the hardship and conflict that are the only way of life on Tuphon. While the Stormbringers follow few of Tuphon's tribal rituals, they still do enjoy these days of light and peace dedicated to the Emperor, with all brethren present gathering to feast and celebrate. Portions of Chapter lore remembering great victories are read aloud, trials of strength and skill are contested and the Chaplains lead the Chapter in prayer to the Lord of The Sun Rising". [skullheaderhalf=13139C]Geneseed The gene seed of the Stormbringers is largely stable but the Melanochrome implant You will be labelled as savages and barbarians. This is incorrect. Savagery and barbarism are merely tools to be used as any other. Chaplain Vespasian addressing new Chapter Aspirants. appears to have an unusual effect in conjunction with the genetic make-up of the Tuphonic people. The clansmen are, by reason of their harsh environment, naturally pale and gaunt featured but in those who become Space Marines these characteristics seem profoundly accentuated, while by some chemical reaction their hair is bleached to a shocking white blonde. These combine to make the Stormbringers appearance highly unsettling to most other humans, a fact that the Strike Captains always use to their advantage on the rare occasions they require something from their Imperial 'allies'. [skullheaderhalf=13139C]Battle-Cry The Stormbringers recognize that a battle cry is a weapon that has a greater effect on some enemies than others and thus their war cries vary depending on what foes they face. Against a fearless enemy that would be totally unaffected, such as Tyranids or Orks, the Battle Brothers remain silent, conserving energy for fighting; whereas against a more easily demoralized foe, such as traitorous Imperials, Tau or some Eldar, they enter battle screaming terrifying and wordless howls of pure, unbridled rage and hatred amplified through the voxcasters of their power armour. ******************************* Discussion Link
  14. Index Traitoris: Iron Gods For more than two centuries the Iron Gods have proven themselves a thorn in the side of the Adeptus Terra. They are sullied by overwhelming pride, driven by self-serving ambition, and unburdened by any kind of morality; in short, they are everything that a brotherhood of Astartes should not be. The Solios Nebula Although tiny compared to the unimaginable expanse that is the Imperium of Man, the Solios Nebula still covers a vast area of space in the northern regions of the Pacificus and Tempestus Segmenta, its tendrils penetrating deep into the heart of no less than seven different sub-sectors. Powerful, eddying currents within the warp around the Nebula make travel difficult between Segmenta at this point, and the worlds around its rim have thus become something of a galactic backwater. The area has limited strategic value and few threats besides a handful of systems infested by the omnipresent Ork menace, meaning that Imperial Navy assets and Guard Regiments tend to be quickly relocated to more important or volatile combat zones, such as the Eye of Terror in the north. The Nebula itself is sparsely populated with a handful of dead and dying stars, their powerful gravity wells drawing all manner of debris and galactic refuse into several vast asteroid fields within its borders. Empty of any resource useful to the Imperium, these fields have ever been a haven for pirates, rebels and fugitives, and for rogue traders and merchants dealing in items prohibited by the Adeptus Terra. It is believed that there are at least several dozen bases used by these miscreants hidden within the Nebula, either space stations or facilities carved into the rock of the larger asteroids. Towards the end of the forty-first Millennium, as Imperial military strength in the area has become less and less, such rebellious elements have become more and more bold, as have raiding parties of several xeno species. The Imperial response has been limited to the occasional Navy patrol along the Nebula’s border, the Commands of both Segmenta simply unable to spare the forces necessary to properly cleanse it. Without such aid, the people of the worlds around the Solios Nebula have come to watch the skies above them with fear. Talek Varn Two hundred and thirty-seven years prior to the present day, a battered vessel appeared on the augurs of one of the largest asteroid pirate bases within the Nebula. It was immediately identified as an Astartes Strike Cruiser, though all traces of Chapter insignia had been scoured from its scarred and pitted hull. Despite the ship’s appearance, the crews of both the station and of the several smaller vessels docked there were understandably nervous, fearful of the Imperium and its finest warriors. Turrets and weapon systems were brought on line, all eyes watching for the slightest sign of aggression. The cruiser hung unmoving in the void, but at the same time, unnoticed by the frightened defenders, an equally ragged Thunderhawk Gunship drifted out from behind a nearby asteroid. It coasted on minimal power towards the base, finally making contact with the airless surface. Immediately, more than two dozen Astartes clad in mismatched grey power armour spread out across the asteroid, quickly targeting and taking possession of power generators, weapon controls and the main docking bay. The weapons that had been aimed at the Cruiser were turned on the other ships, crippling the unsuspecting vessels with the first salvoes of fire. Suddenly, the Strike Cruiser came to life, repositioning itself to watch over its heavily damaged opponents, even as it disgorged a pair of Thunderhawks that moved at a stately pace towards the main dock. As they arrived, the blast doors slid aside, opened by the Marines within. The transports set down, and another fifty Astartes in similar grey armour poured out, led by a single giant wearing Tactical Dreadnought Armour. Talek Varn had come to the Solios Nebula. The inhabitants of the station trembled, sure that the Emperor’s justice had finally come. It had not. Varn had one of his men patch his vox into the station communications net. He introduced himself, declaring that the worlds of the Solios Nebula were now under his protection and that those who would serve him loyally could live, and reap both material rewards and glory. Varn added that those who refused were free to leave, though it was clear to all from the glint of savage madness in his eyes that such a departure would likely be via the nearest airlock. The Rise of a Despot Whatever Varn’s original intentions as to the worlds around the Solios Nebula, it has become clear in the intervening centuries that he is little better, perhaps even worse, than the pirates and rebels he first claimed to oppose. Though his first actions were against the other stations within the Nebula, it would seem that these strikes were intended simply to destroy his future rivals and to secure the weapons, armour plating and shield generators needed to further fortify Varn’s own base of operations. Now strongly entrenched within the Solios Nebula, Talek Varn has turned his attention to the worlds on its borders. The protection offered by him comes at a high price, a tithed tribute from each planet or system under his watchful eye. Should such tribute not be offered willingly, it will commonly be taken with brutal force, setting a frightening example for a 'chastised’ world’s neighbours. A noteworthy example of such cruelty occurred on the Agri-world, Feraxus II. The Feraxians, having suffered a poor year’s crop, refused to pay Varn’s tithe and gathered their people together behind the safety of the walls of Feraxus’ only city, with more than sixty thousand Planetary Defence Force and militia troopers ready to fight against his reavers. With typical Astartes efficiency, the Iron Gods bypassed this defence, instead quickly capturing several of the world’s orbital batteries, followed by a lightning raid that took control of the Planetary Governors command post. The governor and his staff were summarily executed, but in his rage, Varn went further. To punish the people of Feraxus for supporting their Lord’s foolish plan, he demanded that every third member of the defence force should have their eyes plucked out, so that their lack of figurative vision would be matched with literal blindness. This insane demand, backed as it was with the threat of the total destruction of the city by orbital bombardment, could not be ignored. With no choice but to comply, over twenty thousand brave soldiers, each a volunteer, each knowing that they would never see their families and friends again, marched to the Feraxian parade grounds where dozens of unwilling doctors and surgeons had been gathered. For a day and a night, the broken people of Feraxus lamented and the pirate lord watched coldly as his vile commands were carried out. Since that black time in their history, though the Feraxians hate Varn more than they ever did before, never again have they dared to refuse him his rightful tribute. Talek Varn addressing the Revolutionary Congress of Cordis III: ”I care nothing for this world’s petty squabbles! Where is my damned tribute?” Talek Varn has proved himself to be an egotistical brute, a megalomaniac with a vicious streak a light year across. How such a flawed individual ever rose to become an Astartes is unknown, as no Chapter has ever stepped forward to accept responsibility for their fallen son. However, he is at the same time a ferocious and skilled warrior, a cunning tactician and a charismatic leader; ruling his little empire with a mixture of respect and fear. His view of the Imperium at large and of the Emperor himself appears to be one of indifference and even contempt. However, that is not to say that Varn has turned to the worship of the Dark Gods of Chaos, as he is equally scornful of them and their deluded followers. Rather, he believes in just two maxims; that only strength truly determines what is right, and that whatever a man can take, hold and keep is lawfully his. Varn’s long term goals are somewhat unclear, but it would appear that his primary focus in life is simply the advancement of his own power and glory. Iron Gods Talek Varn’s followers take their name from one of their first exploratory raids out of the Solios Nebula, on the Feral World of Ksergha IV. The superstitious and primitive tribespeople, who had never before seen the mighty warriors of the Astartes, called them ‘iron gods’ due to their inhuman size and strength, and their total imperviousness to the hunter’s crude spears and slings. It is said that the name appealed immediately to the pirate lord’s ego. Mharkad and the Iron Beast: Besides the Rhino transports and Drop Pods that are common in any Astartes force, the Iron Gods have only two heavily armoured vehicles. The Iron Beast is an ancient Land Raider, Varn’s own battle chariot, that he has had retrofitted to match the much feared ‘Crusader’ pattern. Interred in the metal body of a Dreadnought, Brother Mharkad is Talek Varn’s deadliest warrior and his most fervent supporter. No-one knows how long Mharkad has endured his cold half life, but it is clear that much of his mind is gone, with only his prodigious battle skills remaining. His speech and attitude are those of an ill-tempered child, but he is utterly obedient and fiercely loyal to his lord. Though there have been those among the Iron Gods who have thought to depose and replace their cruel master, Mharkad has ever stood ready to protect Varn from his enemies both within and without. The Iron Gods are a diverse group of warriors, believed to hail from countless different Chapters. Outcasts, renegades or survivors, they are united by desperation, ambition and greed; and drawn by the promise of power and glory. When each one arrives at the gates of the stronghold Varn has constructed for himself from the foundations of the asteroid base, they must renounce all ties of loyalty to their former lives, giving themselves over completely to the Iron Gods. They remove all traces of their Chapter’s heritage from their armour, replacing them with featureless, anonymous grey. With this simple act, one that most Astartes would consider a terrible heresy in itself, the new recruit dies to his life of self-sacrifice and duty, and is reborn into one of bloody piracy. It is uncertain exactly how many warriors have joined with Talek Varn over the years, but Imperial sources estimate that he can bring more than one hundred and twenty Astartes to the field of battle when required. In battle, the Iron Gods organization is far more fluid than that of a typical Codex-following force. The forces of Talek Varn are experienced veterans of countless conflicts. Each warrior is well equipped with bolter, bolt pistol and chain blade or axe. Marksmanship, skill at arms or proven loyalty is rewarded with the gift of more esoteric weaponry, such as plasma or melta guns or power blades and fists. Several units are equipped with heavier weapons to provide longer ranged fire support, but these are primarily simpler armaments such as heavy bolters and missile launchers that are therefore more easily maintained. Each squad is typically led into combat by one of Varn’s own retinue, a favoured champion who will fight at their head and ensure that their lord’s orders are followed to the letter. A single squad formed of the most loyal of these veteran warriors is permitted the greatest honour of all, to fight beside their master as his personal bodyguard, equipped with the finest arms and armour Varn has at his disposal. The Gods’ combat doctrine appears to focus on short ranged firefights and close quarter combat. This is perhaps primarily due to their propensity for ship-to-ship boarding actions, Talek Varn’s view being that any vessels travelling within his realm are as much in his debt as the worlds, and therefore just as due to pay him homage. The Magos Early in the history of the Iron Gods, Talek Varn led his reavers against a small convoy of ships travelling along the border of the Solios Nebula. The ships were bearing the cog badge of the Adeptus Mechanicus and carried in their massive holds medical and technical supplies that, if successfully taken, would enable the Iron Gods to keep on fighting for several years. However, what Varn found aboard the lead vessel proved to be a far greater treasure. The command ship’s gun servitors and Skitarii guards fought fiercely to begin with, but when it became clear that the Astartes could not be stopped, the defenders suddenly put up their weapons and retreated to a final position outside the bridge. Varn and his men were understandably surprised, and even more so when the ship’s commander opened a vox link to the Iron Gods. He introduced himself as Magos Octavius, indicated that he had no interest in giving his own life in a futile attempt to protect the property of the Adeptus Mechanicus and requested that he might speak to the pirate leader in order to reach some mutually beneficial arrangement. Varn is said to have smiled, recognizing in the Magos’ voice ambition, greed and a strong distaste for his masters. These were things he understood, things he could use. Octavius joined the Iron Gods that day, bringing with him the desperately needed skills and resources that would keep Varn’s forces operating at peak efficiency for many decades to come. The Magos is a small, wizened man, whose body is riddled with countless bionic enhancements, spidery servo limbs carrying the myriad blades, saws and drills that are the tools of his trade. Octavius firmly believes himself to be Varn’s intellectual superior and that he must one day surely be the inheritor of the pirate lord’s little empire. However, he knows that he lacks Varn’s brutal charisma and the sheer force of personality needed to command a force as unruly as the Iron Gods. Hence, he is content to wait, biding his time and building his strength. In the meantime, he cannot help but take every opportunity to direct thinly veiled slights and slurs at his hated master, knowing himself to be safe from Varn’s prideful rages because of his unique position. However, Talek Varn is far more intelligent than the Magos gives him credit for, and is well aware of Octavius’ machinations. While Varn despises ‘the worm’ for his skulking ways and snidely delivered barbs, at the same time he enjoys the mental sparring matches between them, revelling in the challenge of outsmarting a clever opponent. There are some among the Iron Gods that say that it is for this reason, as much as the need for Octavius’ specialized skills, that Varn has allowed him to live as long as he has. In reality, the two men are far more similar than either would care to admit; both thoroughly disenchanted with the thankless role a vast and uncaring Imperium saw fit to give them, both now seeking nothing more than to claw what they can from a dying galaxy before madness and death overrun all. Even with the expertise provided by the Magos, technological resources among the Iron Gods are limited. Weapons, ammunition and most vehicle parts can be manufactured by Octavius’ small work force of servitors and tech-slaves, but other, more advanced items – most specifically bionics – are a rare and precious commodity. While waiting for many months or perhaps even years for the Magos himself to be able to procure or build a bionic replacement, it is not uncommon for Iron Gods who have lost limbs in battle to make use of more crude prosthetics; and even for those who have lost a hand to fix a blade or other weapon directly to the vambrace of their power armour so as not to lose any of their effectiveness in combat. Among the cynical and bitter warriors of Talek Varn, these temporary substitutes are caustically referred to as ‘the Magos’ Gift’. The Imperium For the Planetary Governors and Navy Captains around the Solios Nebula, the Iron Gods are the most fearsome threat imaginable. In the opinion of more than a few among their number, Varn’s demands of tribute are not excessive and that it costs far less to simply pay him and thus be safe from his cruel retribution. Further, when his requests have been met, Varn has provided his strength to these worlds when needed, most recently helping the hives of Talathi Prime to eradicate a Genestealer cult that had infiltrated their home. Whether Talek Varn was moved to act by some vestigial sense of honour or loyalty, or simply by egotistical fury that one of ‘his’ worlds had been attacked, is uncertain. Whichever is true, local support for the Iron Gods grew significantly because of it. However, the execution of the Governor of Talathi Prime shortly afterwards by Inquisitor De Corte has meant that few planetary lords are now willing to request Varn’s aid openly. However, while it would likely be galling for the master of the Iron Gods to hear, the truth is that all his actions register as little more than a pinprick against the Adeptus Terra. In the aftermath of Abaddon’s thirteenth Black Crusade, the ongoing wars around the Armageddon system against Waagh Ghazghull, and the newly emergent threat of Hive Fleet Leviathan; Talek Varn and his followers are less than nothing. The Imperium’s view is that the Iron Gods may be safely ignored until such time as sufficient strength can be spared to crush them utterly. While this is probably a correct assumption, the Lords of Terra must be careful. The power of Talek Varn grows with every year, and if no action is taken against him, the Imperium may one day find itself with another Huron Blackheart firmly entrenched deep within its borders. In his time ruling over the pirates of the Solios Nebula, Talek Varn has made many enemies. Foremost among them must surely be Lord Admiral Griev of the Imperial Navy, a veteran commander seemingly obsessed with destroying Varn and all those who follow him. Why Griev is so compelled to act against Varn is uncertain, but many speculate that for a man like the Lord Admiral, whose whole life has ever revolved around duty and unbending discipline, the very existence of a force like the Iron Gods is anathema, an affront to his uncompromising sense of what is right and wrong. The grey bearded Fleet officer has driven the forces under his command relentlessly, becoming almost tyrannical in his eagerness to find and annihilate his enemy. However, though in recent years Griev has captured or destroyed several vessels believed to be part of Talek Varn’s pirate fleet, he has never been able to bring the lord of the Iron Gods himself to battle. The Lord Admiral ever seeks from his superiors the strength he needs to hunt Varn down, but given his lack of success thus far, the Naval Segmentum HQ has been unwilling to waste even more ships in what currently seems to them to be a fruitless endeavour. Rumours abound within the corridors of power at Hydraphur that the Lord Admiral’s obsession has driven him into madness, and that it can be only a matter of time before he loses his command entirely. Lord Admiral Griev to the Naval Authorities at Hydraphur: ”Talek Varn is a rabid dog that needs to be put down! Give me but a dozen more ships and I shall see it done.” That Griev has been allowed to continue in his vindictive quest at all is largely due to the patronage of another servant of the Imperium, the shadowy figure of Inquisitor De Corte. Although only recently given the full rank of Inquisitor, De Corte is a shrewd and thorough investigator, and is convinced that the Iron Gods are a far greater threat than many of his peers realize. Much of the Inquisitor’s fear stems from his belief that he has discovered a pattern in many of the items taken as tribute by the pirate lord in the years since the desertion of the traitor Magos Octavius. De Corte feels sure that the ambitious master of the Iron Gods has put his Mechanicus ally to work sourcing and building a compact genetics laboratory complete with its own cloning facilities, with the obvious goal of replicating Astartes gene seed. Even more worrying to De Corte is the possibility that this goal has already been attained, as several of the Iron Gods most recent raids, on worlds such as Ksergha IV and the hives of Cordis VII, have been accompanied by unconfirmed reports of the abduction of a handful of prepubescent male children. De Corte’s many critics claim that the young Inquisitor’s theories are absurd, that there is not the slightest chance that Talek Varn could have gained the power to create warriors of the Adeptus Astartes, and that De Corte is simply trying to make more of his first assignment than is truly there. However, in the unlikely event he should be correct, the threat posed by the Iron Gods may prove to be far greater than any of the servants of Terra ever realized. Gene-seed The individual genetic legacies of Talek Varn and his reavers are a matter of much debate among Imperial scholars. Some believe Varn’s prideful attitude marks him as a son of Rogal Dorn, whereas others suggest that his savage ferocity and disrespect for authority indicate that he must be a scion of either the White Scars or Space Wolves. However, the simple truth of the matter is that Varn could have been recruited into the ranks of the Adeptus Astartes by any one of the many hundreds of Chapters currently in existence. Similarly, whether his original followers hail from the same Chapter as their master, or if he perhaps gathered them from across the breadth of the Imperium before he ever came to the Solios Nebula, is equally unknown. Whatever the case, neither Varn, nor any of the Iron Gods, is known to have divulged the truth to anyone outside their own ranks; nor are they ever likely to. The pirate lord knows that there is only one thing that could ruin his dreams of carving out an empire at the heart of the Emperor’s realm – that even a single Chapter should turn its full attention to the Iron Gods before he is ready to face them. Thus, he is vigilant that none of his followers should ever reveal anything about their individual histories that might bring the vengeful anger of their former brethren down upon the Solios Nebula. Battle Cry “Blood and glory!” ***** About the Author/Acknowledgements: Lysimachus has been a certifiable 40K fluff-nut, particularly in regard to the mighty Astartes, for the best part of 15 years; and is honoured to have several IA’s, IT’s and a short story accepted into the B+C’s excellent Librarium. Special thanks on this piece must go to Octavulg, Barret, Severus 6, GHY, Ace Debonair and everyone else who’s helped turn some fairly random ideas into a finished article. http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/182562-it-iron-gods/
  15. Index Astartes: Marines Adamant Brutal, insular, superstitious and paranoid. Most would describe the Marines Adamant with words such as these. Those few who enjoy better relations with the Chapter could not argue with such an assessment, but might also speak of other, nobler qualities such as bravery and unbreakable determination. Origins 'Astartes we, Iron born, Hate wielders, World breakers, Victors still.' - Chapter glory chant During the thirty-second millenium, the Orks rampaged across the galaxy, at great cost to the warriors of the Adeptus Astartes. Countless human worlds were swallowed up by the green-skins’ barbaric empires, and by the time of the 4th Founding few had been reclaimed, primarily due to the colossal drain of holding back the horrors of Abaddon the Despoiler’s second Black Crusade. The Marines Adamant were therefore assigned to the eastern border of the Segmentum Obscurus with a dual purpose: reclaiming the nearby worlds lost to Orks while supporting the defences of the Eye of Terror when needed. The fledgling Chapter’s gene-seed was that of the Primarch Ferrus Manus, and at the head of their training cadre was Clan Commander Elvrit of the Iron Hands, a hero of the many battles of the second Black Crusade. He led his brethren to war and they quickly formed a close bond with the Gharant III Forgeworld in the Havilar Sector, whose vast manufactoriums, Skitarii regiments and Titan Legion were already forming the lynchpin of the Imperium’s beleaguered defence against the Orks. Since then, the Chapter has mainly fought against the vile Ork: defending against encroaching Waaghs, raiding into Ork territory to destabilize growing threats, or spearheading massive Imperial Crusades to reclaim worlds lost to Mankind hundreds or even thousands of years earlier. On occasion they have sent forces west to support their brother Marines against the renegades of the Eye of Terror. Throughout the millenia, across countless battlefields, the Marines Adamant have remained resolute, loyal servants of the Imperium. Homeworld 'My world? It's cold, it's damp. What business is it of yours?' – Brother Hani, 4th Household. Halsstarrig IV is a Feudal world, located in the same subsector as the Gharant system. It was discovered more than four centuries prior to the arrival of Elvrit and his men by Adeptus Mechanicus Explorators and immediately marked as an ideal Astartes recruiting ground. Halsstarrig has a single primary continent, with several smaller landmasses and surrounding island chains; all are cold and bleak due to the planet’s far orbit from the local sun. Its atmosphere is damp and thick mists often cover its mountains, forests and seas. The people of Halsstarrig are strong and fierce, yet primitive in their technology and outlook. Clans vie for land and key resources such as the iron ore that provides all their tools and weaponry. The people are by nature aggressive and suspicious, and therefore trading or alliances between the clans are very rare. Raiding is a regular occurrence and outright warfare only slightly less so. Strength and survival are the primary factors that determine right and wrong, but the resulting potential for brutality is balanced by a firmly held code of honour, the core elements of which are shared by all the clans. This code demands a clansman’s loyalty to his chief, and the chief’s protection to his followers. While any proven warrior may challenge his chief for the leadership of a clan, such contests are strictly proscribed by custom and ritual. Anyone who would attempt to gain power by any other means would be quickly shunned by all the people. The clans are also very superstitious; fearful of the influence of the myriad sprites, imps and wights of Halsstarrig folklore. Many offerings are made by the clans to appease these spirits and natives often wear protective tokens and charms. Almost all learning beyond the basics of farming, fishing or fighting is the province of the Wyrds, or wise men. Common to all the clans are the Wyrds of the Flesh, local physicians and herbalists; and Wyrds of Iron, smiths and artisans. Highly respected, these often act as counsellors to their clan chiefs. Outside the clans, shunned but still respected, are the Wyrds of the Spirit, shamans who live in seclusion deep in the mountains or tiny ocean islets of Halsstarrig. They are feared for their uncanny abilities and closeness to the spirit realm, but sometimes a clan Chief or young warrior will travel to seek the Wyrds’ blessing or learn their future. The Fortress Monastery of the Marines Adamant stands on Halsstarrig’s first moon, a vast and imposing structure protected by countless weapon batteries, powerful void shields and the cold blackness of space itself. The Astartes are almost never seen on the planet’s surface, making no deliberate contact with its people. Legends exist of monstrous giants, and such legends are tied to those of young warriors ‘taken by the mists’ and never seen again. These ones are mourned by their families; the people have no idea of what lives await beyond their moors and skies. New initiates into the Chapter invariably rail against their captors, seeking escape, until they learn of the true nature of humanity and the debt of honour their whole world owes the Marines Adamant for their protection from the horrors of a cruel galaxy. Organization ‘Aye, I don’t much like those dumskalle of the 5th… but I trust them far better than I do svekling like you.’ – Warleader Jormgrun Stonebrow of the 7th Household to Colonel Bardel of the 143rd Ardravine Rangers. Much like their Iron Hands forebears, the Marines Adamant are divided into ten Clan Households, united by a Clan Council. Officially, this assembly maintains control over the actions of the Chapter as a whole. In truth it is little more than a forum for the commanders of the various Households to air their grievances, brag to one another of their victories, or attempt to ensure their own pre-eminence within the Council. Each Household fights as an autonomous battle group led by its Warleader, a mighty warrior who has risen to command through a mixture of politicking and battle skill. His forces include his own advisors, veterans, line squads and new recruits. This means that each Household is somewhat larger than a Codex-compliant Company, and that it is harder to accurately calculate the numbers of the Chapter as a whole. The Households each maintain their own well-equipped armoury of weapons and vehicles, many including a sizable Dreadnought contingent. The Hearthguard The veterans of each Household are named after Halsstarrig tradition. When a native Clan leader sleeps, as all men must, he is protected by a ring formed of his most loyal warriors. Given the people’s naturally suspicious nature, it is a great honour to be considered faithful enough to guard the fire of one’s Lord. Within a Marines Adamant Household, the Hearthguard are the iron core of its fighting strength, an immovable and implacable force around which the Warleader can build his strategy. Many fight as squad leaders, inspiring and exhorting their brethren, but the few who are most trusted form the personal retinue of the Warleader. When the Hearthguard go to war as one, there are few who can stand against them. The Chapter’s Techmarines and Apothecaries are also a permanent part of their respective Households. These masters of arcane technology, known by the Marines Adamant as Wyrds of Iron and Flesh, work together to care for the Astartes and vehicles of their Household and are just as esteemed as their home world counterparts. The Iron Wyrds are especially numerous and influential within the Chapter given its ties to the Adeptus Mechanicus and each will travel to Gharant III as part of their instruction. The brethren known as Spirit Wyrds are powerful psykers, feared and yet respected by the rest of the Chapter. Cast out and denied any hope of personal advancement or glory, these mystics are oddly viewed as more reliable since they can have no agenda of their own. As such, the Spirit Wyrds often act as arbitrators when the Clan Council meets and as observers for it when a Household goes to war. They live in voluntary separation from the Households in a small stronghold on Halsstarrig’s second moon, called the Spirit Hearth. While much of a Household’s past is remembered in oral form, the Spirit Hearth is also a repository of the written records of the Chapter’s most important history, including their greatest victories and most ignominious defeats. The Chapter maintains close links to the Gharant III Forge world and has a permanent Keep on its closest neighbour, Gharant V. The vast seas of this oceanic Hive world provide much of the local Adeptus Mechanicus’ nutritional requirements and its people receive many technological benefits in return. The Marines Adamant do not recruit initiates from Gharant V, but they do select the majority of their Chapter serfs and Fleet crews from its Planetary Defence Force and Navy. These are vetted with almost as much care and suspicion as potential Astartes. Generally, one Household is assigned by the Clan Council every century to watch over the system in return for keeping the Chapter well supplied. This is often seen as a lesser assignment by the Astartes as the system is already well-defended by the capable PDF, as well as Skitarii regiments and the mighty Titan Legion of the Gharant forges, the Silver Hammers. However, the Warleaders accept the necessity of maintaining this millennia-old bond and often the Council assigns the duty to whichever Household has been most weakened by battle in recent years, giving them an opportunity to rebuild and rearm. Also, there are still some opportunities for glory to be won as elements of the Household will often provide elite support for Explorator teams or Titan battle groups, or act as bodyguard squads for important members of the Gharant forges. [rightsidebar-The Ka-sil Annihilation]236.M35 – In an event unprecedented in the sagas of the Chapter, Warlord Fingil Bloodfist of the 4th unites all ten Households of the Marines Adamant under his banner when the Ka-sil Craftworld of the Eldar enters the Havilar Sector. Less than three years later, Ka-sil is a ruined, empty husk inhabited only by the ghosts of the fallen. Fingil is also dead, assassinated by five of his fellow Warleaders after declaring himself Chapter Master at the conclusion of the campaign against the Eldar.[/rightsidebar]When larger campaigns require that several Households fight together, they can be led by a Warlord, elected from among the Warleaders present. In such situations there is inevitably a certain amount of wrangling for power and the potential for personal glory it brings. Any candidate for the position must be nominated and backed by at least two other Warleaders, meaning that there must be at least three Households fighting together to appoint a Warlord and there can be at most three candidates even if the whole Chapter fights together. The Warleaders will vote at first, each attempting to gather support and undermine their rivals, but if no democratic decision can be reached the candidates fight in imitation of Halsstarrig custom. Generally this is to first blood but on rare occasion, when two candidates are so opposed that service to the other is an impossible request, it is to the death. Understandably, the appointment of a Warlord is a very rare thing, and he may only lead for as long as the specific campaign lasts. Beliefs ‘All flesh is weak. It must ever be constrained, guided. Thus the Code.' – Brother Nisses, Spirit Wyrd. Like any of the scions of the Iron Hands, the Marines Adamant are ferocious warriors, fuelled by their hatred of all weakness. However, unlike many other Successors, their contempt for the foibles and faults of the flesh tends to find its focus externally rather than internally. This means that for many among the Chapter, the self –loathing and obsession for mutilation so common among the gene sons of Ferrus Manus seems to be lessened, although never entirely removed. Instead, the brethren’s fixation is on the inevitable failings of those around them and all are quietly watchful for any sign that they are about to be betrayed. This paranoia makes it extremely hard for them to truly trust anyone, even their closest squad mates. It also means that competition for advancement through the ranks is fierce, as most Marines instinctively believe that any other candidate for promotion will undoubtedly be proved a poor choice. Disagreements between brethren occur all too frequently and are commonly settled at the point of a knife, though thanks to the Astartes’ superior physiology, fatalities are mercifully rare. Backbiting and brawling are part of everyday life, as are ‘accidental’ injuries caused during training exercises. ’An ally is just another enemy who hasn’t betrayed you yet.’ Chapter proverb It might seem that a Chapter cursed with such an outlook would quickly tear itself apart. However, the Marines Adamant are constrained by a simple Code of honour and duty much like that of the Halsstarrig clans that insists upon the absolute loyalty of the brethren to one another and to their Commanders. Remarkably, it is the Chapter’s own obsessive tendencies that allow this arrangement to function and makes it possible for its members to work together, binding them to one another within the Code’s strict confines. This holds the brethren together and has thus far prevented the power struggles among the Households from becoming a battle of more than words and wills. This does not mean that all causes for conflict are removed, but in around eight millennia since the inclusion of the Code in the Chapter’s hypno-indoctrination procedures, there have been only three occasions where violence has erupted between the Households. A fierce spirit of competition still exists between the Warleaders, who view one another with a great deal of suspicion, but they are united by their honour, their duty to the Chapter and their greater hatred of the enemies of the Imperium. [leftsidebar-The Cal Ferena Uprising]873.M37 – The 4th Household, battered but unbowed, returns home after sharing in the defence against Abaddon the Despoiler’s 7th Black Crusade. On route, they receive a distress call from the Adeptus Arbites Precinct House on the Hive World Cal Ferena, where a rebellion among the working classes of the primary Hive is attempting to take advantage of the tumult caused by the followers of Chaos. The Marines Adamant immediately deploy via Drop Pod, targeting the Hive Spire with its multitude of spaceports. Understrength, the Household cannot hope to defeat the millions of insurrectionists in open combat, but thankfully this is not their goal. The thirty-eight Marines Adamant take and fortify the entrances into the Spire and resolutely defend them against dozens of attacks. No supplies enter the Hive and within four weeks the starving rebels capitulate, surrendering unconditionally and presenting the heads of the revolt’s ringleaders as a peace offering at the Astartes’ barricades.[/leftsidebar]It is perhaps not surprising that the Chapter's view of the Emperor himself is similarly cold. The master of Humanity is not seen as a beloved father, provider or saviour. Rather, the Marines Adamant know him as a demanding and brutal overlord whose expectations must constantly be met. A Marine of the Chapter can expect no aid or special favour from his Lord in this, but must put his faith in his own strengths and abilities in order to fulfil the heavy load of responsibility placed upon the Astartes' broad shoulders. As such, it is somewhat understandable that the Marines Adamant do not maintain in their Households any position or rank relating to that of Chaplain in a more Codex-compliant Chapter. For most Marines, their focus is totally on war, be it actual combat techniques, weapons training or strategy and tactics. With no interest in knowledge or learning of anything more, they share nothing with the artists and artificers of Chapters such as the Blood Angels or Salamanders. These things are the province of the Wyrds, and are irrelevant to a warrior. While the Households are equally as capable as the brethren of any Chapter to care for their weapons and armour to a basic standard, this understanding, indoctrinated during process of becoming Astartes, is viewed as entirely mystical. Relatively few care or wish to learn more, to understand why things are what they are or how they work; these are quickly apprenticed as Skalds to the Wyrds of their Household. Skalds are often used as a liaisons with other forces, or chosen when a warrior is requested by the Deathwatch, as they seem to be better able to control the deep suspicion that is the foundation of the Chapter's mindset. The Chapter is strongly affected by the superstitious nature of Halsstarrig’s people, and many among their ranks adorn their armour with tokens and lucky charms. Much as clansmen wear trophies from their world’s predators, Marines often wear the teeth or pelts from particularly vicious alien species they have fought and killed. Depending on which of the clans of Halsstarrig they are recruited from, some brethren choose to daub crude patterns on their faces before going into battle. Such primitive behaviour, along with the majority of the Chapter’s attitude towards technology, has been known to make other Imperials, especially other Iron Hands Successors and Tech Adepts from further afield than the Gharant forges, look upon the Chapter with a certain amount of derision. Combat Doctrine ‘As always, it has been a pleasure to serve alongside the Marines Adamant. My crews’ only complaint has been that too few of the enemy survived to face our fury.’ – Lord Maxwell, Princeps Senioris of the Legio Mallei Argentum. [rightsidebar-The Gutrippa Retaliation]417.M39 – Waagh Gutrippa surges forth from the depths of the Abyss to attack the Gharant system. Through clever words and cunning manipulation, Warleader Dypnir the Sly is elected Warlord and leads no less than five Households to turn back the greenskin threat. Dypnir’s forces gradually retreat before the horde, their myriad counterattacks slowly bleeding it of strength, and when the depleted Waagh finally reaches the Hives of Gharant V, it is easily destroyed by the mighty battle Titans of the Legio Mallei Argentum.[/rightsidebar]When the Chapter goes to war they are cold, brutal and uncompromising. Their focus is on implacable advance in attack and they are even more unbending in defence. Overall, the Marines Adamant have a preference for firepower and resilience over speed. So often do they choose to take up defensive positions, most Households are able to equip three or four squads with multiple heavy weapons. The Chapter rarely uses ground transports; the plentiful supply of war material from Gharant III means that most Rhino chassis are quickly refitted as Predators or other support tanks. Much like the Iron Hands, they have deep respect for power of Tactical Dreadnought Armour, which will often be spread across a Household to its squad leaders rather than used by a single unit. When attacking, the Households favour drop pod insertion supported by Dreadnoughts. The Chapter has very few assault focussed units, though line squads expected to be ready – and are very capable – to fight at close quarters when necessary. Bikes and jump packs are rarely used, though each of the Households still maintain some fast vehicles and transports such as Land Speeders, Stormtalons, Stormravens and Thunderhawks. Due to the Chapter’s focus on self-reliant, adaptable infantry units, the Households excel in urban combats and boarding actions. Though the Marines Adamant are uncompromising in their devotion to the Emperor, their disdainful and suspicious nature frequently makes for difficult relations with other Imperial organizations. It is notable that Households fighting alongside other Imperial forces will often refuse to share intelligence or co-ordinate their battle plans. However, their Code makes them utterly loyal to any oaths they or their forebears may have sworn, especially to those who have proved themselves time and again, such as the worlds of the Gharant system. Geneseed ‘You think yourselves worthy of the seed of Manus? None of us are! But you shall have your chance. ’ – Brother Tonnrud, Flesh Wyrd. The Households’ Flesh Wyrds are responsible for recruiting and implantation, and often lead small squads to Halsstarrig to ‘recruit’ new initiates. Each Household has preferred clans and areas of the planet from which to recruit, but it is a source of some pride and amusement to ‘poach’ a promising recruit from the lands claimed by another Household. 4th Household Badge As successors of the Iron Hands, the Marines Adamant are blessed with gene-seed that is largely free of physical flaws, although in approximately one third of the Chapter’s brethren the Omophagea has become inactive. Detractors suggest that the Chapter’s instinctive mistrust of others is also plainly a result of their genetic legacy, a twisting of the Iron Hands hatred of the weaknesses of the flesh. It is less clear if the Marines Adamant also share their forebears predilection for bionic modification, but they are certainly well supplied with them by means of their link with the Adeptus Mechanicus. Battle-Cry ‘Emperor, gene-father! See the might of your sons!’ – Warleader Isorn Firewalker. The Households have no single war cry, as such are often selected depending on the current mission and personality of the commanding Warleader. However, these calls to battle do embrace common themes, including vows of loyalty to the Imperium or its worlds, as well as tirades against hated foes. Most notably, Imperial observers have heard challenging cries directed towards the Emperor and the Primarch Ferrus Manus, for them to see and remember the bravery, skill and determination of the warriors of the Marines Adamant. ******* Discussion Link
  16. Origins: During the 38th Millennium, the Ecclesiarch Deacis VI decreed that two new Orders Militant of the Adepta Sororitas would be created. One of these, formed on Terra itself within the walls of the Convent Prioris, was the Order of the Sacred Rose. This Order was founded to honour the memory of Saint Arabella the Liberator. One of the earliest missions dispatched by the Sacred Rose was sent at the behest of Deacis himself to Threskeia VI in the Malatoth Sector of the Ultima Segmentum. The Threskeia system had the unusual honour of being the site of both an Adeptus Ministorum Shrineworld and an Astartes Chapter Homeworld (see Inq.ref:AdAst394:Emperor's Blade). For millennia, Chapter and Church had been intrinsically bound together. They fought as one to free the Malatoth Sector from the clutches of the hated Word Bearers Legion and from that time forward had been perfectly united in their devotion to the Imperial Creed. However, during the dark times of the Age of Apostasy, the Emperor's Blade had broken many of its ties with the Ecclesiarchy, even standing against Goge Vandire as part of Sebastian Thor's Confederation of Light. From this time forward, the Chapter no longer displayed the unquestioning loyalty and obedience to the Holy Church that it had in ages past. Deacis, while still serving as a Cardinal, had personally experienced the unwillingness of the Emperor's Blade to follow the Church's lead. He found this situation entirely unacceptable, but was unable to chastise the Chapter because of the autonomy allowed to the Astartes. The Ecclesiarch's response was to send a full Commandery of the warrior sisters of the Sacred Rose. Ostensibly his goal was to strengthen the defences of the Malatoth Sector, but Deacis true intent was more subtle. He knew that the Order and Chapter would inevitably have to work closely together and believed that as they did so, the fine example of faith and fidelity set by the Sororitas would gradually influence the Emperor's Blade and bring them back more fully under the aegis of the Ministorum. Homeworld: Threskeia VI is a temperate world of wide oceans and craggy mountains, deep forests and fertile river valleys. It was the final planet reconquered by the Malatoth Crusade in the 34th Millennium. In honour of this victory, the Ecclesiarchy claimed the world as their own, constructing on the site of the last great battle a colossal shrine praising the Emperor for his beneficence. At the very heart of this vast building, in an ancient stasis field, is a fragment of scroll that had been carried by the Crusade from Terra itself. It contains writing believed to be penned by the Emperor's own hand and it is from this incalculably holy relic that the Order of the Sacred Scroll takes its name, officially being declared a Lesser Order in it's own right late in the 39th Millennium. The Order's Convent-fortress is built as an adjunct to the great shrine itself and also connects to a massive, circular curtain wall built by the Sisterhood to defend the holy site. While this imposing edifice is the greatest of the Ministorum's shrines, over the millennia grateful pilgrims have built countless other churches and temples across Threskeia's surface. The largest of these have become administrative centres as well as places for worship, populated and ruled by the Emperor's faithful devotees. Other, smaller shrines minister to the needs of the planet's widespread agricultural and fishing communities. Whether farmers or fishers, the people are ascetics, living lives of hard physical work, self-denial and piety. The fruits of the labour of these devoted workers provide for the Adeptus Ministorum's needs across dozens of systems. The space of the Threskeia system is invariably busy with vessels. Aside from the mighty warships of the Emperor's Blade and the bulk haulers that carry Ecclesiarchy supplies away, a constant stream of ships brings countless thousands of Imperial citizens making the pilgrimage to the great shrine every year. The Order of the Sacred Scroll carefully vet these visitors to ensure that no unworthy person enters its hallowed grounds. Beliefs: The Battle Sisters of the Sacred Scroll share most of the beliefs of their parent Order. Like the Sacred Rose, they consider themselves solely as conduits for the Emperor's divine will. This frees the Order's warriors of any sense of self-aggrandizement or chasing after personal glory. Instead they bear an aura of serenity and grace, a confidence that whatever happens the will of the Emperor will be accomplished. This attitude gels remarkably well with that of the Emperor's Blade, who similarly view themselves as a tool, a weapon in the hand of the God-Emperor with which he metes out divine justice and vengeance. When the Order first arrived in the Threskeia system, they were deeply suspicious of what they saw as the Chapter's disregard for the Ecclesiarchy's dictates. However, as time passed, they came to see the depth of the Astartes devotion to the Imperial Creed. It quickly became clear that any seeming reticence was not an act of heresy or rebellion, but rather a determination to ensure that such orders were in full harmony with the Church's own doctrines. The Sisters could not in all honesty argue with this cautious approach, indeed if their own original forebears had been equally wary then Vandire's Reign of Blood might have been avoided. Organisation: The Order of the Sacred Scroll remains at approximately Commandery size, consisting of around two hundred Battle Sisters. This number obviously fluctuates with combat losses and the arrival of new recruits from the closest Schola Progenum. These warriors are supported by a coterie of other Ecclesiarchal agents, including Sisters of the Orders Hospitaller and Dialogus. The Order also maintains a motor pool of Rhino and Immolator transports, as well as Exorcist battle tanks. Finally, although they are not housed within the Convent-fortress itself, Threskeia VI has many Imperial priests and preachers who are always eager for the opportunity to fight alongside the Order, bringing with them the varied and frightening combat prowess of their personal Battle Conclaves. Over the last millennia, particularly when losses have been great or Progenum recruits few, the Order has sometimes followed the example of the Emperor's Blade and recruited directly from Threskeia VI itself, as well as the young children of devout pilgrim families. This has led on occasion to the unusual situation of fleshly brothers and sisters serving concurrently in Chapter and Order. This is considered a huge honour to the family involved and the siblings are viewed as destined for great service to the Emperor. Combat Doctrine: When the squads of the Order go into battle they are calm, resolute and well prepared both strategically and spiritually. This translates into a combat doctrine that focusses on tactical harmony, fluidity and discipline. Officially the Order's primary purpose is the defence of Threskeia VI and most of its units are equipped for that role. If they must advance, never for the Sacred Scroll the wild, fervour-blinded assaults of some Sororitas. Instead, long range units such as Retributors and Exorcists will lay down a thunderous hail of suppressing fire, allowing bolter armed squads to move carefully forward into ideal positions. The Order's few Dominion squads move up in support, ready to obliterate any counterthrust with their massed special weapons. This well organized way of making war, plus the Order's disinterest in gathering glory or battle honours for itself, mean that the Sacred Scroll tend to work well with most other Imperial forces. Unsurprisingly, this is especially true of the devout yet tactically-minded Astartes of the Emperor's Blade. All too often a Mission of several squads will be assigned to act as an auxiliary when one of the Chapter's Battle Companies goes on campaign. It has even been the case that when a smaller but no less vital situation requires the intervention of a kill team, individual troopers selected from Chapter and Order will form a mixed squad, seamlessly blending together and enhancing their overall effectiveness by their differing strengths and skills. Veteran Battle Sisters, who have fought beside the Emperor's Blade in this way more than once, often paint the right arms of their armour black to show their unity with their 'brothers'. Battle Cry: The serenity and grace of the Sacred Scroll is reflected in their war cries. Battle Sisters do not enter battle with challenges or insults, but rather with voices raised harmoniously in choral verses that honour the God-Emperor. It has been especially noted by battlefield observers that when the Order fights alongside the Emperor's Blade Chapter, the combination of the Sororitas' soprano and contraltos with the contrasting deep bass of the Astartes produces a masterpiece of vocal praise as beautiful as that heard in any Cathedrum, inspiring all the loyal servants of the Imperium that hear it.
  17. What's this? A new army? Lord knows I shouldn't but here I am anyway! This will (hopefully) be a plog for me to update semi-regularly (which I am defining as more regularly than my dawn blades plog in the forge, which hasn't seen an update since the last iron gauntlet), for my Cantorellian 23rd (plus attached assets). The initial details of the regiment can be found here, but I figured this would be a good place for the models. So, here's a couple of models I painted a few years ago, that are the basis of the Cantorellian 23rd. The Squad, with a plasma gun and sergeant. The sergeant, with a space marine arm and a chopped-up lasgun for a laspistol. The idea with the camo is that it's ocean/beach camo, but as I'm not military I have no concept of what is actually functional camo, it just looks cool. Hopefully looking to spend a decent-ish amount of time here in the barracks.
  18. Well, its been a while...:lol: I've had a rather long sabbatical from the hobby, insofar as actually building stuff. I've accumulated a few of the new Sisters models (including three plastic Celestines and the twins :lol: ), but ultimately haven't done anything substantial. Recently, I've had a few ideas regarding how I want the second version of my army will look. They'll still be white, but I'll be going for a purer white over the dirty white of the metal army. I'm currently working out what models I want to field (basically all of them, but I'm unemployed right now, so it'll be a while :lol: ). So, what have I been up to? Well, besides getting some Seraphim from the box set, the Sister superior model (which I have a specific purpose for, but I don't have the parts ready...yet), Canoness Veridyan (times two) and a Razorback I forgot about. Yes forgot about. It was going to go to my Rainbow Warriors army, but since heading to the Sisterhood, it was left to gather dust... When I found it, I mulled on what to do with it. I have two Mark II Immolators (which will still be put in service with the new army) and a number of regular Rhinos. But I don't have a Repressor. Looking on eBay, I found an Immolator top plate sprue (cost waaaaay more than I wanted, but still) and set out to make a custom one. I've seen a number of other Frater make them here over the year's, and each are awesome, but I wanted my own, unique one. That got me thinking. Today, I had a major brainwave, and after tearing half of my flat/apartment apart to find the sprue clipper and craft knife, I got on with it. Below is the result. This is the basic idea. I used two different Rhino turrets and glued them together. The turret top: The bottom: The bottom one has the two part hatches added to fill the gap and to have a "maintainance hatch" the turret will be attached to the front panel, by cutting a section away as shown below: From the front: From the back: The cut wasn't perfect, but the gap will be filled up using plastic from blister packs I have lying around. The remaining view point will have the plate that goes over the top, but I wanted the join between the turret to properly harden before doing it. The Flamer. One thing about the Flamer on the official Repressor is supposed to be a heavy Flamer. It isn't that much different from the one that a Guardsmen could carry, much less one that needs to mounted to a vehicle. So, I bulked it up. It's made from the Razorback turret mount and the Immolator Flamers. So, that's that sorted. The turret won't be glued down to the Immolator turret. The fit is tight enough, and it'll allow it to take less room when being transported. Oh, yes. I said I wanted this to be a custom one, right? Well... I used to love electronic projects back in the day, and whilst this will be very basic, it'll be what I hope will be the start of something more. Thanks for reading!
  19. Howdy, folks. I've gotten out of the Death Guard business, and decided not to continue with my older Brotherhood of the Sun. It was fun, but not something I am in the head space for. What I am in the head space for is some rootin' tootin' bolter shootin' space marines. I read a bit of the Octoguide, then the part about not doing an IA. Fair enough, I will start small and work my way up. This CCS covers the Void Marshal's methods of war, where they are from, and how they recruit. This is the distillation of tons of ideas floating around my head, and certainly is not sacred. I didn't even include why their armor is yellow: during their founding, an administratum scribe pointed out that yellow is the least-used color for new chapters, and they have had trillions of gallons of yellow paint slowly agitating in massive drums since the Great Crusade. Thus, each Void Marshal's armor is covered in artifact paint that is older than their chapter. Silliness aside, I hope this is a solid start, I am open to things I might want to include, expand upon, or cut. I don't have a chapter symbol yet! I felt a six-pointed star is too on-the-nose. The transfer sheet has a "campaign badge" that is a skull in a yellow circle, which is interesting as a base, maybe. Making a chapter is hard work! Void Marshals On the outskirts of the galaxy, a beleaguered Imperial Navy was stretched thin safeguarding a stable junction of warp routes. Seeing the need for decisive aid, a new chapter of Space Marines was commissioned to tip the scales. A century later, the wrap lanes are still under constant attack by pirate forces, but now the Void Marshals have arrived in force. Their role is more proactive than mere defense, specializing in close-quarters assaults on space hulks and strongholds to strike at and destroy enemy leadership. The Void Marshals are descended from Rogal Dorn's legacy, and persecute their foes with matchless tenacity and zeal. Nearby the warp routes is the planet Carbine, a frontier world rich in minerals, oils, and dirt. Hard-bitten, diligent workers make their livings mining, prospecting, or guarding massive land trains that haul entire populations from one prospect to another. Most violence comes from the constant raids from pirate and bandit forces of all description, be they human, ork, or eldar. The world is littered with ancient colony ships from man's first great expansion into the stars, and these archaeotech-rich hulks always draw a flood of adventuring types when uncovered. The local populace makes perfect aspirants, each one a product of a tough, frontier life where self-reliance is tempered with the need to look after one's community as a whole. Every decade the Void Marshals send about a dozen drop pods to the surface of Carbine, often in remote and dangerous valleys or mountainsides. Each drop pod is programmed to defend itself, but any who can outwit and survive the pod's defenses and get inside are collected to begin their ascension. "Necessum iustitiae." Battle cry of the Void Marshals Edit 1: Added battle cry.
  20. +++INCOMING TRANSMISSION+++ +++FID Indicator - ALPHA+++ +++Via Astropath 7NBS2069LVP1+++ +++Via Astropath 8849042+++ +++Via Astropath 100496-B7+++ +++Thought for the day: Drink deep of victory and remember the fallen.+++ +++Begin message+++ My noble and revered cousins of the Legio, Attached for your consideration, you will find a datafile containing the summation of the honorable and resolute Astartes Chapter, the Sanguine Gargoyles. It is a most esteemed honor to have been entrusted with compiling this Index, with the hope of inclusion in the Liber Astartes. Within the datafile you will find my own annotations; please forgive my additions, but I do not feel my Librarium staff quite captured the soul of my beloved Chapter, and I felt the need to elaborate and explain certain aspects I felt were noteworthy. Once again, I humbly thank you for the opportunity to honor my Brothers in blood and arms of the Sanguine Gargoyles. May the Emperor ever watch over you. Your humble servant, Azkael Chief Librarian of the Sanguine Gargoyles +++Begin Datafile+++ Index Astartes Chapter Datafile CHAPTER NAME: .............. Sanguine Gargoyles GENE-SEED (PREDECESSOR): ... IXth Legion (Blood Angels) FOUNDING: .................. 21st, 991.M35; Ultima, 999.M41 [Rebirth] CHAPTER MASTER: ............ Lucian, Master of the Crag HOMEWORLD: ................. Fleet-Based SEGMENTUM: ................. Obscurus/Solar/Ultima FORTRESS MONASTERY: ........ The Crag, Battle Barge COLORS: .................... Dark gray w/ crimson right shoulder pad SPECIALTY: ................. Lightning Strikes, Stealth KNOWN DESCENDANTS: ......... None STRENGTH: .................. Nominal (estimated) BATTLE-CRY: ................ "For the Unremembered!" The steadfast warriors of the Sanguine Gargoyles Chapter stand amongst the ranks of the Emperor's finest, ever ready to deliver His wrath and justice upon those that would seek to subvert the Imperium. HOMEWORLD The Aerie - Where Segmentums Solar, Obscurus, and Ultima meet - Gothic Sector - Looking to Roost Voidborne Livery of the Saviors of the Chalice HISTORY The First Millenium - 21st Founding - Founded as the Saviors of the Chalice - Training Cadre permanently seconded to Saviors --- Sanguinary Priest, Chaplain, Librarian, Blood Angels Captain, five Veterans (with TDA), Veteran Scout Sergeant, ten Marines - Building strength - Auxiliary/support force The Mutant - Genetic mutations cripple the Chapter - Changes progressed slowly at first, almost naturally - 5th Black Crusade appeared to exacerbate mutations Death of a Chapter - Already weakened Chapter decimated by Black Legion forces - Reduced to less than 200 brothers From the Ashes - Gene-seed stabilized - Slow recruiting - Ultima Founding --- Primaris reinforcements --- Rubicon Primaris Notable Engagements ca. XXX.MXX: ca. XXX.MXX: ca. XXX.MXX: ca. M42: Genetic Mutation Data archives list the known, stable, gene-seed mutations the Sanguine Gargoyles currently suffer from. No known cure or treatment for any of them has been found thus far: Melanchromic Organ Malfunction [some Astartes' skin bears grayish discoloration; severe cases have stone like growths over large portions of their bodies.] Mutated Catalepsean Node [Essentially this causes what is effectively extreme insomnia; all members of the Chapter suffer this mutation.] Non-Functioning Betcher's Gland [All members of the Chapter suffer from this mutation, as well as calcification of the vocal cords, which appears to be one side effect of the mutation. However, the severity of calcification varies widely from one Astartes to the next. One might be unintelligible when he talks, nothing but the sound of cascading rocks issuing from his throat; another might simply have a rich baritone voice; a third might offer a barely audible whisper.] The Apothecarion and the Ordos Biologis have been unable to decipher why only some members of the Chapter suffer certain mutations while others don't. But hope still remains that a solution might be found, for once every few generations, a battle brother suffers none of the Chapter's genetic mutations. GENE-SEED The Line of Sanguinius - IXth Legion Gene-seed; direct descendants of the Blood Angels - Altered gene stock; fewer cases of Red Thirst/Black Rage The Gargoyle's Touch - Librarium prays over every generation of recruits; every few generations, one or rarely two aspirants receive some sort of minor vision or "memory" from the days of the Heresy (not so profound and enthralling as the Black Rage)/(or perhaps there is a benign minor physical manifestation, like a faint halo or wreath of light); such aspirants are named Untouched by the Chief Librarian, for it is immediately known they will bear none of the mutations their brothers suffer from. Bloodlust At first, the warriors of the Saviors of the Chalice seemed better able to resist or control the urges of the Red Thirst. Even so, some of their number still fell victim to the bloodlust felt by all sons of Sanguinius. Most brothers recovered from the Thirst, but there were still those who didn't. Those few unfortunate souls would be placed in stasis until such a time as they could be delivered to the Blood Angels' Tower of the Lost. Though unorthodox, this arrangement was made due to the space-faring nature of the Saviors. After the genetic degradation of the Chapter, the Gargoyles saw far higher numbers of brothers falling to the Red Thirst. Many of those affected flew into an even more berserk fury than normally seen, and consequently this lead to more Astartes unable to break free of its grip. With the Chapter rebuilding itself after its decimation, pilgrimages to Baal became far less practical, and the Gargoyles instead retrofitted The Crag with an expanded cryo-stasis deck. Here the first of the Unremembered would be kept, and the stasis deck became known as the Catacombs, where the damned and the almost-dead slumber until roused for war. The Rage Within While the genetic alterations intended to "fix" their gene-seed appeared to have given the Saviors of the Chalice a modicum of control of the Red Thirst, it didn't appear to have any effect on the frequency with which the Black Rage overwhelmed them. The Saviors often fielded only a small Death Company in a given battle, unwilling to unleash the full fury of those given over to the Black Rage in all but the most dire situations. Such a decision was made for two notable reasons; first, it was to shield those not of the Chapter or its enemies from the brutal savagery of the Death company. The second was to protect the Saviors from excessive scrutiny by agents outside of the Chapter, and of the Adeptus Astartes as a whole. The Sanguine Gargoyles field a much larger Death Company, termed the Unremembered, than the previous incarnation of the Chapter. It is presently unknown whether the genetic mutation suffered by the Gargoyles affected their susceptibility to the Rage, or if perhaps the confrontations with Abaddon's warbands and his heinous deeds during the 5th Black Crusade triggered the change. Currently, the Unremembered confined to stasis in the Catacombs number around Company strength, though this fluctuates with every new engagement. The largest formation of the Death Company in the Chapter's history, past or present, was marshalled during the climax of hostilities with Abaddon's forces, when the Saviours of the Chalice fell. Revenants After the mutation of the Chapter's gene-seed, and with the chapter in near-ruin, a glimmer of salvation appeared. It took the form of a small number of brothers, seemingly untouched by the ravages inflicted upon their brethren. These warriors formed the core of the Chapter's forces during its dark years of recovery. After the Chapter had rebuilt its numbers enough to venture on its own once more, the Sanguinary Guard changed its name, to honor the warriors who brought the Chapter back from death. Just as with all Chapters descended from the IXth, the Revenants stand apart from the structure of the Chapter's main force. They are the most highly skilled and venerated of the Gargoyles' brothers, each a Chapter legend in his own right, surviving innumerable battles against all manner of foe. There are no specific requirements to become a Revenant; instead, spots are awarded based on merit and skill, regardless of rank within the Chapter. Like all iterations of the Sanguinary Guard, the Revenants each bear a Glaive Encarmine and Angelus Boltgun. Unlike the others, however, the Revenants eschew the golden armor of their forebears; instead they color their armor and matching tabard a ghostly gray, with a dark bronze helm and chest emblem. Additionally, only the Praetor and his squad wear the iconic winged jump packs; the other Revenants wear a modified version of the Mk.VII pack. [it is a curiosity worth noting that, throughout the millennia, a high percentage of brothers unmaligned by the Chapter's gene flaws have gone on to become Revenants. It remains to be seen if there is a correlation between these two occurences, or if they are merely coincidental.] CULTURE Neither he Sanguine Gargoyles, nor their precursors the Saviors of the Chalice, have ever had an actual 'homeworld.' Though the latter had begun the final deliberations on claiming Bowden IV, it was ripped from their grasp. Before and since, the Chapter has relied on periods of piecemeal recruitment, Chapter Demeanor: See But Don't Be Seen Chapter Flaw: We Stand Alone Chapter Beliefs: Revere the Primarch Special Equipment: Blessed wargear, Modified Jump Packs, Rare Weaponry (plasma) Codex Adherence Though the Sanguine Gargoyles diverge from the path laid out by the Codex Astartes, they do so more out of tradition born of necessity rather than an outright choice to forge their own way. The Chapter diverges in two main ways; its chain of command, and its troop and fleet organization. The former came about due to the impromptu restructuring required after nearly being wiped out. The latter is a more current change, stemming from the integration of Primaris Astartes into the Chapter. Both aspects conjoin to form a potent fighting force, lead by dual Commanders dedicated to the Emperor and the men in their charge. The Gargoyles' Wings - Firstborn Wing; Commander Lamonte - Primaris Wing; Commander Bellon --- The two Captains share equal rank in the Coven; only by dint of experience and length of service does Captain Lamonte hold any real seniority. The two leaders maintain a very open discourse with each other, working alongside one another for the prosecution of their foes, and to supreme effect - Each Wing is responsible for its own brothers, but both Commanders have authority to step in on either side if the need were to ever arise. The Gargoyles' Talons - No Scout Company; newly inducted Firstborn recruits are immediately placed into 7th Flight, where they train in all forms and manners of combat. They remain there until, through death and promotion, spots open within the 3rd through 6th Flights that need to be filled. 7th Flight Commander Captain Pheron, the rest of the Chapter's Flight Captains, and an individual's squad Sergeant all discuss the talents, strengths and weaknesses of a candidate, before assigning him to his new Flight. In times of need, this discussion is forgone, and candidates are placed at the needs of the Chapter - Primaris Marines; newly inducted Primaris recruits are immediately placed and train in squads of the 2nd through 6th Flights chosen for them based on the needs of the Chapter - Each Flight designed around one specific focus of combat, rather than each Flight being its own microcosm. Demi-companies, called "strikes" by the Gargoyles, are created ad hoc to better suit the nature of each engagement, and may draw upon the brothers of several Flights to complete their task. Others may simply require the specialized handiwork of a single Flight. Flight of the Gargoyles The Unremembered ORGANIZATION AND TACTICS Chapter Leadership, "The Conclave" - Chapter Master; Lucian, Master of the Pandemonium - Sanguinary High Priest; Armand the Anointed [Master of the Apothecarion] - Primus; Philippe the Benevolent [Master of Sanctity, and Lord Executioner] - The Gargoyle; Azkael [Chief Librarian] - Firstborn Wing Commander; Captain Lamonte - Primaris Wing Commander; Captain Bellon the Young - Praetor of the Revenants; Praetor Damascus The mantle of leadership falls to the battle commanders, heads of the High Offices, and the Chapter Master; the Conclave. They decide the way war is waged by their battle brothers. The when, the where, the how. Sometimes several of these war councils are held before a decision is made, arguments and counter-arguments mulled over and compromises considered. The Master of the Pandemonium has the authority to override the voting if it otherwise stands tied, if not enough votes are or can be cast, or when certain actions be taken upon request of an outside authority. Such choices are well measured, not made lightly or given to frivolity. Members of the Conclave are permitted to wear robes of cream over their armor. To aid in the efforts to make war in the name of the Emperor and Mankind, the Conclave is supported by the Prefecture, the Sanguine Gargoyles' Masters of the Chapter. Chapter Council, "The Prefecture" - Master of the Forge; High Prefect Solarus [Chief Techmarine] - Master of Reconnaissance; Prefect Zaphiel [2nd Flight Captain] - Master of the Marches; Prefect Mercutio [3rd Flight Captain] - Master of the Fleet; Prefect Namora [4th Flight Captain] - Master of the Arsenal; Prefect Valenti [5th Flight Captain] - Master of Relics; Prefect Ithakus [6th Flight Captain] - Master of Recruits; Prefect Tovaani [7th Flight Captain] The Prefects are the Conclave's council of advisors. In this circle, everyone is equal, except the High Prefect. The Chief Techmarine bears this title through honor-ties with the Adeptus Mechanicus, and though the role does confer a small measure of overall leadership, it is often used to bring certain aspects of the Chapter to the Conclave's attention in a timely fashion. Each Prefect is the head of his department, reporting on its readiness for the upcoming battle as their expertise is required. Those Prefects chosen to make war may then nominate a proxy to act for them, or choose to have their position vote in abstention. Those Prefects not called to war join the Conclave in the war council. Members of the Prefecture are permitted to wear robes of deep crimson, though the Chief Techmarine will undoubtedly wear the trappings of his own vaunted station. Chapter Disposition The Chapter's strength is divided into seven Flights. [Flights are similar to the Great Companies the Wolves of Russ prefer. I've edited the datafile to include a sublist containing the breakdown of each unit, so that it may be skipped over by those who choose to do so.] Combat Doctrine Infiltration, Recon, and Stealth Lightning Strikes RECRUITMENT - Only recruit from feral and death worlds and penal colonies; may recruit from a hive world in emergency - "Kidnap" recruits in the cover of night; numerous local myths and legends spawned by practice - Recruit in "phases": each world is only subject to recruitment every so often, perhaps generations, but the chapter is always recruiting; myths and legends have sprung up on tribal/fuedal worlds about the Gargoyles RELATIONS Noteworthy Allies - Order of the Shrouded Martyr - Penal Legion Theta-Delta-Beta; "Coe's Irregulars" - Adeptus Mechanicus; [non-standard hierarchy within Chapter] Hated Enemies - Abaddon and the Black Legion --- Valorous Host Warband - Ka'Bhanda Livery of the Sanguine Gargoyles APPEARANCE Livery Prior to their rebirth as the Sanguine Gargoyles, the Saviors of the Chalice wore alabaster white armor with crimson pauldrons and gold detailing and decoration. Following the traditions of their brethren, helmets identified a warrior's squad type, with individual squad markings worn on the right knee pad. The Chapter Badge was worn on the left pauldron, while company markings and personal heraldry were worn on the right. Veteran status was denoted by a golden helm and pauldron trim. After the Ultima Founding and the rebirth of the Chapter, the Sanguine Gargoyles bear new colors. Their armor is a dark, stone gray, with the right pauldron painted crimson, but they still retain the gold decoration and detailing of their former colors, albeit in matted and subdued hues. Members of the Librarium, Reclusiam, and Sanguinary Priesthood follow their orders' traditional coloring, with the right pauldron painted the same dark stone gray as their battle-brothers' armor. Squad types are still identified by helmet color, however squad markings and personal heraldry are no longer worn. Instead. brothers take to engraving their armor with various designs of personal meaning and importance, and many suits of armor worn by veterans are covered in gold and silver filigree. Flights are announced on the pauldron trim, and veteran status is once more denoted by golden helms. Chapter Badge White wings, outstretched behind a golden chalice, was the original badge of the Saviors of the Chalice. Since their transformation, the Sanguine Gargoyles' emblem bears only a small resemblance to their original; instead of angel-like wings, black bat-like wings spread open, with a blood drop replacing the chalice. It is most often worn on the right pauldron, though some brothers wear it on the left instead. Members of the Reclusiam, the Librarium, and the Sanguinary Priesthood wear the Chapter Badge, as well as the Chapter's suits of Terminator armor, bear the Badge on the right pauldron. CHAPTER ARSENAL Dreadnoughts Carmine, Librarian Dreadnought - Dreadnought Force Weapon - Blood Fist with Storm Bolter Verson, Furioso Dreadnought - Frag Cannon - Blood Fist with Heavy Flamer Venerable Quintus; Venerable Hellfire Dreadnought - Paired Twin-Linked Lascannons Liones, Ironclad Furioso Dreadnought - Paired Blood Talons, with Heavy Flamer and Meltagun Zice; Death Company Dreadnought - Paired Blood Talons, with Storm Bolter and Meltagun Venerable Derceus; Venerable Death Company Chaplain Dreadnought - Plasma Cannon - "Stonefist" Chapter Fleet As a Crusading Chapter, the Sanguine Gargoyles possess a larger fleet than other Chapters might, though not its vessels all are commanded by Astartes. Though not nearly a match in scale, it is reminiscent of the vast fleets of the Great Crusade in regards to its composition. The Gargoyles' fleet is a blend of the Astartes' flotilla, the remnants of Penal Legion Theta-Delta-Beta's troop fleet, a few Explorator vessels from the Adeptus Mechanicus, and a permanent detail from the Order of the Shrouded Martyr (including their Dominator-class Cruiser, the Dominus Irae), plus the swarms of the fleet's attendant ships. The Gargoyles command the battle barges and strike cruisers while the rest of the fleet, with the exception of the Sororitas vessels, is commanded by Imperial Navy personnel. This arrangement between the Chapter and the Navy ensures the Gargoyles can prosecute their enemies as they desire, and the Navy gets to do its job, without either side getting in the other's way. The fleet of the Sanguine Gargoyles is split into three smaller fleets. The Main Fleet makes war, wherever it may take them. Up to five separate, flight-strength campaigns could be supported individually, though it is most often the case that numerous small-scale operations are taking place around one or two larger scale engagements. Additionally, The Rook heads a small splinter fleet, a fast strike force intended to neutralize the most dangerous threats present, or to offer Flight-strength support as rapidly as possible. The last of the fleets, the Fledgling Fleet, traverses the trail of outposts the Gargoyles have set up in their region, termed by the Chapter the "Aeyrie." The members of Seventh Flight see to the Chapter's recruiting as part of their training duties, and they draw aspirants from a handful of such outposts. [Once again, I have added a sublist beloew containing the breakdown of the Sanguine Gargoyles' fleet disposition, for your perusal.] Reliquary - Angel's Light [Ryza pattern "Sunspite" plasma pistol; badge of office of the Gargoyle} - Aza'zel [Relic force sword; badge of office of the Gargoyle] - The Dread Spear [A relic spear of unknown origin, made from a xenos metal with a marble-like appearance; badge of office of the Master of the Pandemonium] - Stonefist [A Blood Fist crafted using the shattered remnants of Brother Derces' Crozius Arcanum, with a built-in meltagun] - Death Masks [i think everyone with clearance to read this will already have knowledge of the death masks worn by those of the Angel's line.] +++End Datafile+++ +++Closing Thought: The Emperor protects.+++ +++End Message+++
  21. =][= Space Reserved for Model Pictures =][= "The Emperor Protects most those who Protect themselves." ~ First Tenet of the Iron Creed Background and Origins: "Do these people - good and faithful in their praise of Him - not deserve the protection of the Church?" ~ Cardinal Ebritius von Lochlane, taken from his collected Missives to the Cardinals, 062.M40 The Glastheim Rifts have long been a site where corruption and heresy fester under the surface. The malevolent forces within the Rift cannot directly overpower the Imperium's forces, but instead seek to subvert them, sowing dissent and treachery in the hearts and minds of formerly loyal citizens. During 031.M40, Ebritius von Lochlane, a Cardinal of some repute within the local branch of the Eccelsiarchy, hatched a daring plan to bolster the will and loyalty of the faithful around the Rifts. Under his guidance, a cluster of stately cathedrals were constructed on key worlds along the southern edge of the Glastheim Rifts, each one a gilded and proud monument to the glory of Him on Terra. Once these cathedrals were completed, Ebritius paid an official visit to the comparatively isolated world of Zhelnyka, where he had a vision of The Emperor and undertook a solitary pilgrimage into the mountains there. When he returned to civilisation two days later, he carried with him an old white robe, which he stated was the lost robe of Saint Ashla the Pure, whose tomb he had discovered in the mountains. Ordaining the construction of another church - one topped by a tower of polished metal, as he claimed The Emperor had instructed him to make. With this underway, von Lochlane decreed his cathedrals part of a traditional Pilgrimage route, leading from beyond the Rifts towards Holy Terra. Whether or not von Lochlane had truly beheld a vision of The Emperor quickly became a moot point. Pilgrims flocked in their billions to visit these holy sites and pay their respects to the remnant of the beloved Saint Ashla. Fiendish cultists sought to infiltrate the ranks of the faithful, but were rooted out by the vigilant priests and publicly destroyed to the roars of approval from the pious. Cardinal von Lochlane, using these displays to demonstrate the level of danger that could befall the faitfhul on their pilgrimage, rallied enough support that a sanction mandating the creation of an Order of the Adepta Sororitas was passed. Their mission was simple - protect the pilgrimage routes, and eradicate any and all traces of heresy to be found around the Glastheim Rifts. Orginally taken from and trained by a small convent associated with the Order of the Sacred Rose, these newly ordained Battle Sisters took the name "The Order of the Iron Tower", after the sacred site where Saint Ashla's robe had been found. Even while the Order was in transit to the Rifts, Cardinal von Lochlane, aided by the masses of pilgrims, continued to travel the circumference of the Glastheim Rifts, building churches and cathedrals on auspicious worlds as they did so. By 456.M40, thanks to the tireless work of the devoted and faithful, a complete circuit of holy sites was established around the perimeter of the Glastheim Rifts, and the numbers of devout citizens who prostrated themselves at the cathedrals of the Glastheim Pilgrimage continued to grow almost daily. Recognizing the need for the Order of the Iron Tower to remain highly mobile to protect this densely populated realm, the Ecclesiarchy under von Lochlane and his successors had forged strong bonds with a naumber of spacefaring allies. Most obvious of these was the attachment to the Dalchebor Rogue Trader dynasty, whose founders shared a distant heritage with Cardinal von Lochlane himself. It was eventually agreed to loan the Order the Dalchebor's Flagship, the King's Gambit, for the purpose of transporting the Adepta Sororitas in exchange for favourable trade rights on the shrine worlds of the Glastheim Pilgrimage. Alongside the Rogue traders, the priests made sure to make an ally of Forge-World Valstrax, the largest and most capable Mechanicus-held planet in the Glastheim Rifts. Putting aside small yet faultlessly constructed churches for the worship of the Omnissiah on many of the shrine worlds around the Rifts and conducting additional sermons with a decidedly Mechanicus-friendly bent, the Cardinals won the respect of the Valstraxi. In turn, their Forge World supplied the Order of the Iron Tower with a purpose-built manufactorum-vessel named the Argent Victory. This mighty vessel was designed to fabricate entire sections of cathedrals and churches for ease of construction on worlds where such resources were scarce. Finally, the influx of devout citizens inspired great faith in many of the regiments and navies of the Glastheim Rifts. In particular, Battlefleet Albanastra is made up largely of the descendants of pilgrims who settled in the Glastheim Rifts, for whom the glory of the Church is something they hold dear. The Cardinals who came after von Lochlane made a point of impressing upon Battlefleet Albanastra the importance of safeguarding the Glastheim Pilgrimages, and the devout officers were only to happy to agree, lending a portion of their fleet to transport and escort the Order of the Iron Tower along the pilgrimage routes. Some of these ships accompany the Argent Victory, and others act as an escort for the King's Gambit. The rest defend a Naval Transport vessel dubbed the Spirit of Albanastra, where the final contingent of Adepta Sororitas dwell. Early History: "War is our shrine, and our guns our chorus - so stand, and sing with us!" ~ Canoness Aragi, Order of the Iron Tower, before the battle of Byrnfeldt Hive, 249.M40 A Battle Sister of the Order of the Iron Tower The Order of the Iron Tower has had a battle-worn and turbulent history since arriving at the Glastheim Rifts. The Sisters have often been at the forefront of what has been dubbed "The War of Faith" by the Eccelsiarchy - pitted against the insidious plots and corruptions instigated by the heretics in the heart of the Glastheim Rifts. The heretics have proven to be persistent, planting the seeds of rebellion through artifice and cunning. Coming before Imperial citizens in the guise of devout, beneficent servants of their 'Great Gods', making false promises of salvation and glory to ensnare the weak-willed, and turn them, by degrees, to the cause of Chaos. The Order of the Iron Tower, from their earliest days, has shown no mercy to the corrupted. They quickly came to specialise in hunting down and exposing these heretical and deviant cults. The Order swiftly came to discover that even Shrine Worlds - and even worlds on the Pilgrimage Routes - were not immune to the seductive whispers of heresy. And yet despite the Order's perpetual vigil, these dark cults would sometimes muster their strength and take hideous action - making pacts with fell powers, razing or defacing religious sites, murdering those they could not corrupt and besieging settlements that clung to the true faith of the God-Emperor. Such brazen heresy could only meet with one fate - the violent retribuition of the righteous. The Order of the Iron Tower fought tooth and nail to cast down each and every blasphemous uprising. In the early years, the Order often found themselves fighting alone as the resolve of the pilgrims or citizens they stood to defend wavered and failed. And yet, sometimes those who fled would come back. Inspired by the absolute resolve of the Order of the Iron Tower, pilgrims and Imperial citizens alike that found their courage would charge into the fight, often with only the shirt on their back for protection, and hurl themselves into the ranks of the enemy with zealous fury. Those that chose to stand and fight alongside the Sisterhood were honoured in the aftermath, and those that died in the attempt were given a martyr's burial. It was these times, where the Sisters bore witness to the flight of cowards and the fall of the valiant, that shaped the creed of the Order of the Iron Tower. In their hours of need, the only miracle the Sisters witnessed was the miracle of human courage. Thus, the Order decided, it was the miracle of courage that was The Emperor's true gift to His people, and the means by which He judges them. Divine Intervention was not inexplicable salvation at the last minute, but rather it was the shipment of arms and armour that had arrived the month before the enemy attacked. It was the preacher whose impassioned sermon inspired a quatermaster to open the door to the armoury. It was the retired Guardsman who rallied those around him for one last charge. Though the Order of the Iron Tower speak openly of Him on Terra and his obvious Divinity, they warn people against the expectation of miracles. That The Emperor had, in His wisdom, built the Imperium for His people across the galaxy was in itself a miracle beyond equal. That the enemy could be overcome by those with the will to stand and fight was proof that The Emperor watches over His Imperium. The simple act of fighting in His name was to show true devotion to The Emperor. This creed, though at first mockingly derided as "miracles in the mundane" by detractors, quickly caught on within the Order. The impassioned sermon given by Canoness Aragi in the hours before the battle of Byrnfeldt Hive saw the loyalists within the city muster in their near-entirety and march to war with the Sisterhood, turning what would have been a brutal, protracted guerrilla combat action into a complete rout in the favour of the Imperials. Over time, what has come to be known as "The Iron Creed" by religious figures around the Glastheim Rifts has gone on to define the character of the Order of the Iron Tower. Those that follow the Iron Creed are steadfast, courageous and resolute even in the face of annihilation. The Iron Creed caused something of a stir amongst local Ecclesiarchical circles, and was the source of much intense debate amongst theologists for many years. However, the Order's absolute dedication to the Church, proven over several centuries of servitude, and their willingness to fight even the most heinous of foes with neither respite nor hesitation has earned the Order of the Iron Tower the respect of the clergy around the Glastheim Rifts. One quirk of the Iron Creed that often stays within the Order is a distrust bordering on emnity with the Space Marines. Though the Glastheim Rifts are protected from invasion by the so-called 'Silver Circle', an alliance of Space Marine Chapters, the Order of the Iron Tower have little tolerance for would-be protectors who waste the majority of their time focusing on battle with aliens instead of eradicating the Great Enemy lurking within the Rifts. Nevertheless, with a history spanning several centuries of hard-fought battles against the most perfidious and twisted of foes, the Order of the Iron Tower remains not only a bastion of Faith, but a true shield against the darkness around the Glastheim Rifts. Recent History: "We cannot promise divinity, but we can promise intervention." - Canoness Abithara, 067.M42 In the aftermath of the awakening of the Great Rift, the Order of the Iron Tower have taken an ever-more aggressive fight to the constant lurking spectre of heresy. Stretched thin at times, and struggling to protect the entirety of the Glastheim Pilgrimage route, it is not uncommon to see Sisters of the Iron Tower accompanied by bands of fanatical warrior-pilgrims, dour and steadfast Imperial regiments, or even the techno-savants of the Adeptus Mechanicus as they take to the fields of war. The Order has proven to be a long-enduring thorn in the side of the Blades of Atracia, the Warband of heretics who mastermind the endless cult uprisings around the Rifts. More of these white-clad heretic Astartes have perished at the hands of the Order of the Iron Tower than in battle with any other force. In 009.M42, a shipment of weapons and armour bound for the Spirit of Albanastra went missing. Two months later, the Spirit came across the corpse-strewn debris of the Forge-ship that had made the journey. A dozen years later, the Order of the Iron Tower were alerted to the presence of what appeared to be another Order in the Glastheim Rifts; a force calling themselves the Order of the Light Unceasing. Investigations, carried out discreetly, soon revealed that this "Order" was false. They wore stolen, repainted armour and accompanied the Blades of Atracia on their vile crusade to convert faithful citizens to the worship of the "Great Gods". A careful campaign of misdirection and espionage by members of the clergy eventually brought this false Order to battle as they attempted to sway the world of Mastari to darkness. The Order of the Iron Tower enclosed them, attacking from all sides. As soon as the battle began, the Order of the Light Unceasing abandoned all pretence, sacrificing dozens of converts and even some of their own number to flood the battlefield with a tide of Daemons. Though this bought time for a handful of the imposter Sororitas to flee, most of the Order of the Light Unceasing were wiped out that day. In 188.M42, a rare co-ordinated strike alongside the Warminds Chapter of Space Marines saw the sisters aboard the Argent Victory engage the Blades of Atracia in orbit around the factory-moon of Ausbech, successfully boarding their Strike Cruiser Spear of Truth and fighting a ferocious battle against roughly a hundred Chaos Space Marines and their innumerable serfs and servants. Though victory came at the cost of over three hundred and fifty slain Sisters, the battle culminated in Sister Estelda martyring herself to strike down the Riftmark leading the Blades of Atracia, dealing a truly decisive blow to the heretics' plans and shattering their co-ordination in that quadrant of the Rifts for many years afterward. No matter what perils may yet come, The Order of the Iron Tower stands vigil, their faith still strong and their discipline unwavering. [More to be added at a later date, if needed] Homeworld: "All the strength in the world won't help you if you lack the courage to use it. Stand up, girl. Keep fighting!" ~ Sister Katusa, Order of the Iron Tower, to an aspirant The Order of the Iron Tower do not recruit from a single world, but instead take suitable candidates from the shrine worlds along the Glastheim Pilgrimage route. Each of the fleets the Order accompanies has facilities suitable for the training and development of prospective recruits. Potential recruits for the Order are thoroughly screened at all steps of their training, lest the foulness of corruption lurk within their hearts. The training itself is highly intense, a series of brutal combat drills and trials interwoven with study of the Iron Creed, its philosophies and virtues. Of the worlds the Order draws recruits from, three in particular are known to produce a high volume of suitable candidates for the Sisterhood. In the south of the Glastheim Rifts lays Narrigost, a world that has withstood over a dozen sieges by the faithless and the heretical. Every city is a fortification, and even the churches on Narrigost are designed to withstand siege situations and repel invaders. Sisters hailing from Narrigost tend to be uncompromising and zealous in equal measure, their faith and grit armouring their minds as solidly as the armour that protects their bodies. In the East of the Rifts is Sagitar's World, a mostly-frozen world that was, at one time, owned wholly by the Valstrax Mechanicus. Lost to the Imperium after an attack by the Blades of Atracia, Cardinal von Lochlane spearheaded the reclaimation himself in the final years before his death. Though he claimed the surface for the Imperium at large, von Lochlane bequeathed the mineral wealth of Sagitar's World back to Valstrax, building small churches to the Omnissiah and allowing the Forgeworld to re-open the mining camps that had survived the Heretic's attack intact. Recruits coming from Sagitar's World generally have a greater affinity with machines than their Sisters, and are a Canoness's first choice for diplomacy whenever the Valstraxi are involved. Finally, on the northernmost edge of the Pilgrimage routes is Koruke, a hive world built on a foundation of strict customs that focus on proper veneration of The Emperor. Resolute discipline and a reverence for authority - especially religious authority - are virtually universal traits amongst the people of Koruke, making them excellent servants of the Church. Recruits from Koruke frequently exemplify these traits, staying calm and taking only decisive actions even under fire. With most of the Order's divisions having a mix of recruits from all three worlds, plus more than a dozen others besides, the Order of the Iron Tower has no shortage of recruits. If life around the Glastheim Rifts was anything besides an eternal war of attrition against ungodly forces, the Order would no doubt thrive. Life in the Rifts being what it is, however, the Sisterhood often needs to undertake extensive recruitment drives in the wake of the horrific battles they face on a constant basis. Beliefs: "To fight for The Emperor is to fight with honour. There can be no such thing as an unjust battle fought in His name." - Canoness Sefaya, 922.M40 The Iron Creed, as touched upon earlier, is the collected tenets of the Order of the Iron Tower. Serving as both the Order's religious centre and military guide, the Iron Creed is in many ways the heart of the Order. Even within their creed, however the Order of the Iron Tower is perhaps best defined at their very core by the first line of their creed: "The Emperor protects most those who Protect themselves." Or, in more traditional terms, if you fight to preserve His Imperium, then He will give you the strength to do so. Cowardice is a sin against The Emperor, but to show courage is to praise Him. But to dismiss the above as the be-all and end-all of the Iron Creed would be a mistake - the Creed itself has adapted somewhat over the centuries, as historic battles and influential Canonesses have left their marks on the Order. The Iron Creed has always placed a focus on disciplined combat over blind zeal, but it was Canoness Masuyo in 724.M40 who first penned a detailed sermon on how it behooved the Order to value survival equally to martyrdom, in order show an example of how one should live for The Emperor, and not just how one should die for Him. Masuyo was a great advocate of endurance as a virtue, and stated several times throughout her life that survival was simply a matter of supplies - always preparing for a longer, fiercer fight than you expect to face. After the protracted, casualty-heavy campaign against the Cult of Bliss in 905.M40, this teaching took a stronger hold, alongside the rise of Canoness Sefaya. The Canoness had long been of the opinion that honour had no place on the battlefield, and was more than happy to vanquish heretics through tactics previously considered 'underhanded' by the Order. Setting traps, cutting off supply lines, starving heretics to death or otherwise fighting the enemy where they could not defend themselves. After Sefaya's death in 916.M40 and the eventual promotion of many of her students to prominent roles, the Order of the Iron Tower adopted many of her teachings into their doctrines, pairing the Order's already fierce resolve with a keenly vindictive mindset and greater grasp of long-term strategic planning. In such ways, the Iron Creed has adapted over the centuries. While other Orders will recount great miracles of faith and salvation, made possible by the direct intervention of Him on Terra, the Order of the Iron Tower's history is almost entirely bereft of such examples. The Sororitas of the Iron Tower instead view such miracles as vanishingly rare and precious things, given only to those who enact His will with all their heart, mind, body and soul. Miracles are neither to be asked for nor expected by followers of the Iron Creed - He has already given you your weapons, your armour, your training, and your courage. To ask more of The Emperor would be gross disrespect of the gifts He has already given you. Those who claim to have witnessed miracles - outside of the distinguished ranks of the Ecclesiarchy - are treated with extreme scepticism by the Order of the Iron Tower. The Order's dislike of the Adeptus Astartes partially stems from the percieved preoccupation of the Silver Circle with the xenos surrounding the Glastheim Rifts, but also from the Order's multiple clashes with Heretic Astartes. The warbands that have dwelt in the Rifts over the millennia have been the Order's ultimate foe, but have also caused the Sororitas to view Space Marines as little more than fallible, corruptible, pompous weapons of war, rather than Emperor-ordained Angels of Death. Combat Doctrines: "Afraid? That's natural. But overcoming that fear is the path to victory, and to The Emperor." ~ Sister Superior Purnama to her squadmates, before the battle of Helnist Field, 114.M41 The Order of the Iron Tower is a fairly flexible combat force, equally adept at defending cities or rooting out heretic encampments. Often the Sororitas are accompanied by their numerous allies, be they fanatical pilgrims, sly Rogue Traders or dispassionate servants of the Mechanicus. In most situations, these allies will bow to the whims of the Adepta Sororitas once battle is inevitable, such is the renown of the Order's mastery of combat. Warfare as undertaken by Order of the Iron Tower is primarily conducted as close-range firefights where possible, to better utilise their blessed flamer and melta weapons. However, the Order typically avoids melee combat save for as a last resort. Sisters who have undertaken the vows of penance and become Repentia, or those bound to Penitent Engines, are generally reserved for counter-assualt tactics, or planned ambushes to tie up particularly vicious foes and buy their sisters time to reposition and better entrench themselves against the foe. Organisation: "Sixteen more martyred today. A dozen prospects picked up from the Pilgrim Fleet. No idea how long they'll last." ~ Private writings of Canoness Marel, 335.M41 Thanks to the ancient pacts and accords made in the time of Cardinal von Lochlane, The Order of the Iron Tower consists primarily of three Preceptories, each one assigned to one of the fleets patrolling the Glastheim Pilgrimage. The precise number of Adepta Sororitas in the Order of the Iron Tower is constantly in flux. By the nature of the conflicts they face, every battle is simply part of a larger war of attrition. Few indeed are the battles won without loss of life. With each conflict, the list of the martyred grows, and every woman in the Order is confronted with their own mortality on a near-daily basis. This is, however, offset by the large amount of recruits the Order can draw upon. With more than a dozen worlds serving as potential recruitment grounds even before drawing on willing young women in the Pilgrim Fleets, the Order of the Iron Tower boasts a seemingly never-ending supply of fresh recruits. Besides the main fleets, supplementary garrison forces exist on a handful of key Shrine Worlds, usually consisting of a dozen or less Battle Sisters assigned to the defence of sites of religious significance. Handfuls of Sisters can also be assigned as bodyguards for notable members of the Imperial Clergy, or as safeguards for the Order's numerous allies. At such, the Order's numbers have fluctuated wildly over the millennia. At rare times, the Order has had more trained Sororitas than they had Power Armour for them to wear. At other times, the Order has had over half its' stock of weapons and armour kept ensconced in blessed shrines aboard their ships, awaiting new owners. Regardless of their numbers, the resolve of the Sisterhood has never wavered - cowardice is a betrayal of The Emperor, and the Iron Creed binds the Order to their courage. Battlecry: Call: "Forged in Faith!" Response: "Tempered in War!" --=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-- EDIT 17/04/2020: Added a handful of quotes, hopefully snappy and suitable enough for the Order of the Iron Tower. As always, thoughts, opinions, criticisms and stern reprimands for doing this all wrong always welcome.
  22. Hi. I once started a thread for my homebrew chapter to develop ideas for it. Unfortunately I cannot find that thread anymore. In addition, I felt I had taken a different lore direction with my Chapter since my first attempts, hence this reboot. EDIT 6/14/2020 :Here's the second draft, and the first fleshed out IA article. Comments and criticism is appreciated. http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/sm/bpe=0c105e&bpj=0c105e&bp=0c105e&bpc=0c105e&hdt=0c105e&hdm=0c105e&hdl=0c105e&ey=FC1414&er=A8A2A2&pi=877878&nk=A8A2A2&ch=A8A2A2&eg=A8A2A2&sk=A8A2A2&abs=A8A2A2&bt=A8A2A2&cod=A8A2A2&ull=A8A2A2&lk=968787&lll=A8A2A2&lft=A8A2A2&url=A8A2A2&rk=B01010&lrl=A8A2A2&rft=A8A2A2&slt=0c105e&sli=0C105E&srt=0c105e&sri=1A116B&ula=A8A2A2&lel=A8A2A2&lla=A8A2A2&lw=A8A2A2&lh=A8A2A2&ura=A8A2A2&rel=A8A2A2&rla=A8A2A2&rw=A8A2A2&rh=A8A2A2&bg=FFFFFF&rb=6B5F5F&gr=FFFFFF&wg=true&aq=true&mk7=333333&imperialfistpad=true&ti=FFFFFF&lkg1=FFFFFF&blt=9C1111&/spacemarine.jpg Overview Far in the edges of the Eastern Fringes, the Argent Fists stand against the encroaching darkness. The gene-sons of Rogal Dorn, they’re known for their massed Devastator squads and destructive fusillades of firepower. Stoic and defensive-minded, they hold a lonely vigil over their home sector. Many of the early records of the Argent Fists have been lost to the mists of time. However, they seem to have been a chapter of the Third Founding. Initially they were created to patrol the Odoacer Marches, a far-flung region of space on the Imperium’s northeastern frontier. The Marches are a remote region, bordered by Ork empires and pirate enclaves. Two-thirds of the worlds in the sector are classified as either feral or feudal worlds. It is not unknown for the sector to go for decades or even centuries without contact from the wider Imperium. The gene-line of Rogal Dorn was selected for the new chapter and so the Argent Fists were created. They eagerly embarked on their new crusade, proud and bellicose. Some scholars theorize as a young chapter, they were especially eager to prove their worth as inheritors of Dorn. It was that headstrong attitude that almost lead to the Chapter’s ruin. Records are fragmented, but it appears that two centuries after their founding, the young chapter almost faced utter annihilation. While on crusade in the sector, the Argent Fists suffered a disastrous defeat at the hands of the World Eaters Traitor Legion. Records are fragmented, but sources claim that the Chapter launched a reckless and ill-advised attack out of misplaced hubris. The Chapter Master and three-quarters of the Argent Fists were slain in the battle. From then on, the Argent Fists would refer to that conflict as the ‘’The Calamity,’’. As the legend goes, the Argent Fists blamed their own arrogance and recklessness. They vowed to survive and rebuild into a force worthy of the Emperor and Dorn. The survivors regrouped, taking a new homeworld to rebuild. According the Chapter legend, a vision of Dorn appeared to the survivors, guiding the battle brothers to the world of Lohengrin. How much of that account is unknown, but the Argent Fists hold it to be true. In the decades to come, the Argent Fists reappeared in the Administratum’s records. The proud and reckless young Chapter was gone. Instead the Argent Fists earned a reputation as careful and methodical planners who defeated their foes with concentrated firepower and skilled marksmanship. According to historical accounts, the Argent Fists eventually drove out the forces of Chaos from their territory and established themselves as the chief protectors of the Odoacer Marches. Since then, the Chapter has stood as a bulwark against the forces of the alien and the heretic. While practically obscure outside of their home sector, the Argent Fists care not. In a way they prefer it. Due to their distant and isolated location, the Argent Fists often go without attention from the wider Imperium. This has bred a sense of independence and self-reliance in the chapter. With the creation of the Great Rift and the destruction of Cadia, the Argent Fists found themselves embattled against heretics and traitors on several fronts. Due to their distant location, it was difficult to supply them. As such only a limited quanity of Primaris Marines were delivered to the Argent Fists by the Adeptus Custodes. Currently the Chapter has perhaps fifty Primaris Astartes in the chapter. As of late, the Chapter has found itself pressed by rising threats. Across the sector, the local Ork empires have been rising in activity. At the same time, a large warband of the Night Lords Traitor Legion has been spotted raiding several worlds. With stoic determination worthy of Rogal Dorn, the Argent Fists grimly prepare to respond to these encroachments. Homeworld Lohengrin is a storm-wracked and mountainous feudal world located in the depths of the Odoacer Marches. Initially the planet had suffered under the lash of Dark Eldar pirates, but the resurgent Argent Fists drove out the xenos and claimed the world as their new homeworld. Typical of many worlds in the region, Lohengrin hosts a primitive populace, divided into feuding warrior clans and kingdoms. The people of the world proved to be excellent Astartes recruits, robust and courageous.The people of Lohengrin are deliberately kept in a primitive state, the better to ensure quality recruits for the Argent Fists. The people of Lohengrin worship the Emperor as the Divine Progenitor, the great ancestor who created the world and watches over the people. For the feudal warriors of the world, having a clan member enter the ranks of the Argent Fists is the ultimate honor. The Fortress-Monastery of the Argent Fists is called Solitude, a city-sized bastion of ceramite and adamantium built deep into the tectonic crust of the Lohengrin. Every twenty years, the Chaplains and Apothecaries journey to each of the kingdoms and clans of the planet, selecting prospective recruits. Under the watchful eye of the Fists, these youths undergo a variety of combat trials and gladiatorial games. The best of the planet’s youth are then taken to Solitude for the rites that will transform them into Astartes. Combat Doctrine While the Argent Fists are trained for all forms of warfare, they have their own particular martial doctrines. Like the Imperial Fists, they place emphasis on marksmanship and heavy weaponry. Unlike their progenitors, they do not strictly adhere to the Codex Astartes. Instead they view it as a useful military treatise, preferring to follow their own chapter traditions first and foremost. Following the events of The Calamity, the Argent Fists reorganized themselves. The Chapter’s doctrines placed particular emphasis on the importance of careful planning and massed firepower. Devastators, Sternguard and Thunderfire cannons all hold central importance in Argent Fist battle doctrines. While the Chapter’s forces do conduct close-quarter assaults, this is only done when tactically expedient. Combat operations are carefully planned to the smallest detail. Some detractors have accused the Chapter of being too cautious and hesitant, of borderline cowardice. However, the Argent Fists care not. Their methods have served them well and they continue to follow their own path. Organization The Chapter broadly follows the basic structure of the Codex Astartes, with ten companies totaling a thousand warriors. However, alterations have been made to company structure and training in order to suit their martial traditions. The Battle Companies of the Chapter has an extra Devastator squad in place of an Assault squad. In other words, each Battle Company has three Devastator squads. The composition of the First Company is also lopsided in favor of the Sternguard. Beliefs The Calamity shaped the Chapter’s psyche forever. In the aftermath, the lords of the Chapter vowed to never repeat the same hubris that almost destroyed the nascent Argent Fists. The Chapter Cult emphasizes caution and icy rationality over reckless zealotry and aggression. The Chapter still holds a special hatred for the servants of Khorne. Unlike other descendants of Dorn, the Argent Fists aren’t a crusading chapter. Instead they view themselves as watchmen and sentinels. Much of that view coincided with acquiring Lohengrin as a homeworld. As a result of standing a long vigil, the brethren of the Argent Fists have acquired a reputation of being cautious and aloof. They have generally have little interest in the affairs of the larger Imperium, save for how it directly affects their territory. The world of Lohengrin and its people has shaped the Chapter in turn, as generation after generation was inducted to the Argent Fists. Lohengrin traditions and quirks became part of Chapter culture. The practices of animistic ancestor worship practiced by the local people has meshed well with the Chapter Cult. Chapter artificers carefully inscribe the names of the honored dead into the wargear of the battle brothers, believing that the spirits of past heroes aid the living. The masochistic tendencies of Dorn’s gene-line has been influenced by their homeworld as well. Instead of the Pain Glove, the Argent Fists utilize their own methods of self-flagellation and extreme privation as a form of self-discipline. It is a Chapter custom for a penitent battle brother to journey alone and unarmed into the polar wastes of Lohengrin in order to become closer to his ancestors and contemplate his duties. Gene-Seed The Chapter is of the Imperial Fist gene-line with no known mutations or irregularities. Battlecry ‘’Unyielding and Unbroken"
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