The Redemptors.

[Commissar Molotov]

The Redemptors

"Endure."

"You say psykers would light our way in this dark wilderness. I say they would be a beacon, inviting the multitudinous hordes of Chaos to descend upon us. I say I would rather struggle in the dark. I say there shall never be a psyker clad in the colours of the Redemptor."

- The Decree of Terentius

Origins

E

vidence relating to the Redemptors Chapter is rare; much of the information available to Imperial scholars has come from gregarious Rogue Traders returning from the southern fringes of the Segmentum Tempestus, or Inquisitors lucky enough to have been granted leave to serve alongside the Chapter. However, enough information exists to know that the Redemptors were created in the nineteenth Astartes founding, several millennia before the Age of Apostasy.

Records show that the Redemptors drew their gene-seed from solid Ultramarines stock; the Chapter's first Master was a particularly pious Captain by the name of Terentius, who had served for many centuries in the Castigators Chapter. Upon his appointment, Terentius undertook a period of contemplation and meditation so that he might better understand his duty. After his recovery, he claimed to have received a vision whereupon he saw a lantern burning brightly in the dark. No matter how fiercely the winds assailed it, the flame continued to burn, brighter than before. Terentius saw this portent as an analogy for the Chapter's charge: The warriors of the Astartes were, he considered, a raging light, a flame of purity that stood defiant against the tide of filth that assailed the Imperium. He saw the Emperor and the Astronomicon as symbols of light against and amidst the darkness of the warp. The Redemptors would serve to bring some of that same light to the darkest reaches of the Imperium.

Homeworld

N

early a century after their founding, the Redemptors had based their operations in the very furthest southern reaches of the Segmentum Tempestus. No record exists of the Redemptors ever taking a single homeworld, preferring instead to remain mobile throught the galaxy's edge. Here the light of the Astronomicon was dim and the Imperium's power was weak. It was, Terentius considered, where the ferocious might of the Adeptus Astartes was most sorely needed. To this day the Chapter's fleet - a host of Strike Cruisers and smaller vessels - constantly travels throughout the fringes of the Segmentum Tempestus in search of combat. Whilst other Chapters prosecute the enemy within, the Redemptors fight ceaselessly to reclaim the Imperium's lawless edges, where the authority of the Golden Throne is ignored and the Emperor Himself is at times considered to be simply another myth. Imperial resources are stretched thin and a planet could secede from the Imperium for many centuries before the High Lords would ever notice.

Whilst the Redemptors have never taken a homeworld, they do maintain a number of supply bases throughout their area of operation. These facilities vary in size, from small armouries and arsenals to massive asteroid bases. Manned by the Chapter's serfs and support staff, they provide a source of weaponry and supplies that enable the Redemptors to wage war more effectively.

Organisation

D

ue to their distance from the Imperium's manufacturing heartlands, the Redemptors rarely receive new patterns and marks of material. Shipments of supplies and ammunition from the nearest Forgeworlds are few and far between, easy prey for determined pirates. Although the Chapter's supply bases maintain arsenals and stockpiles of weapons, on occasion the Chapter's resources have run dangerously low. The Redemptors carefully ration their equipment to ensure that they are battle-ready at all times. The Chapter demands discipline from its Brothers - needlessly wasting ammunition is seen as a serious infraction. There have been recorded instances of the Chapter negotiating with Rogue Traders and outlying colonies in order to procure weaponry, or of even resorting to hand-to-hand combat to save ammunition.

Despite these ever-present challenges, the Redemptors strive to maintain a largely orthdox structure in honour of Roboute Guilliman's doctrines as laid down in the Codex Astartes. At full strength, the Chapter fields ten companies, each comprised of ten squads. The first consists of the Chapter's veteran cadre. Since the earliest days of the Chapter, this Company has never fought as one - instead the Chapter's veterans are divided amongst the other Companies to ensure each Captain has at his disposal some of the fiercest warriors in the Chapter. The second, third, fourth and fifth companies are the battle-companies. Each maintains a Codex-approved mix of tactical, devastator and assault squads, but it is common for the battle-companies to split throughout the Chapter's fleet. It is common for Demi-Companies to be stationed aboard rapid-strike vessels, capable of quickly responding to any crisis throughout the fringes in order to crush the enemies of the Imperium.

The sixth and seventh companies are the Chapter's tactical reserve; the eighth and ninth are the assault and devastator reserve. Their duties consist of supporting the Battle-Companies, defending supply bases and training constantly to maintain a state of readiness. The Redemptors' tenth company contains the Chapter's newest recruits. Rather than being known as scouts, the Chapter's neophytes are known as Supplicants. Supplicants spend a great deal of their time in contemplation and prayer. As supplicants have not donned Power Armour and are not seen as 'true' Marines, they do not fight with bolt-Weapons, instead using las- or auto-rifles. This pragmatic measure stems, in part, from the Redemptors' attempts to safeguard and secure their supplies of ammunition.

Upon their Founding, the Redemptors swore a binding oath with the Adeptus Mechanicus - the Redemptors would dispatch Marines to Mars so they might be imparted with the wisdom of the Cult Mechanicus. The Chapter's relocation to the Southern Fringes means that the journey to Mars is long and frought with danger. It is rare for the Redemptors to actually dispatch one of their own to Mars. Many of the Chapter's Techmarines simply pass on their own wisdom to their acolytes. The Chapter's serfs are therefore more technically adept than in many Chapters - this is seen as a necessary process within the Chapter's hierarchy, due to the overwhelming demands placed upon the Techmarines. The armour, equipment and weaponry of the Chapter must be constantly repaired, often with a dwindling supply of raw materials and spare parts. Redemptors Marines have been known to enter into battle with battle-damage hastily patched-over until such time as a proper repair can be carried out and the pain of the machine-spirits assuaged.

These shortages have affected the Chapter's organisation to a degree. Vehicle resources within the Chapter have become extremely limited - Land Speeders, for example, are difficult to maintain and thus the Chapter only sports a few working examples of these craft.

The Redemptors are known to not field any psykers in their ranks. Terentius was drawn from the Castigators, a Chapter notorious for their intolerance of mutants and psykers. Upon taking command of the Redemptors, he issued a decree forbidding psykers from ever entering the Chapter. Over the years, the Redemptors have maintained that decree, for honour and loyalty are paramount to the Astartes. It is an unavoidable truth, however, that Psykers facilitate easy communication among the Chapter throughout the wilderness of space. The Chapter is known to utilise Sanctioned Psykers acquired from the Adeptus Astra Telepathica in order to coordinate their forces. In this way they abide by the word of Terentius' decree - though perhaps not the spirit. This compromise sits uneasily with the Redemptors, but it is seen as a necessary measure.

Combat Doctrine

U

nseen by the bulk of the Imperium, the Redemptors have encountered, engaged and eradicated all manner of alien races - some that have not even been entered into the Inquisition's records. Inquisitors of the Ordo Xenos have, on occasion, travelled to meet the Redemptors and learn from them. Despite their many millennia among the rimworlds, the Redemptors take pride in the fact that their combat doctrine has not become limited or overly-specialised. Whilst the Chapter does have extensive experience of boarding actions and naval battles, the Redemptors are still capable of mounting planetary assaults and participating in large, open battles.

The Redemptors have a long-standing tradition of dispatching elements of their forces to accompany Rogue Traders exploring the fringes of the Segmentum Tempestus. In this way, the Redemptors have brought the word of the Emperor to many isolated planets, easily destroying those foolish enough to resist. The Redemptors have also engaged and exterminated many of the alien races living in the wilderness zones. In 836.M38, the Redemptors fought alongside the mercenary forces of the bombastic Rogue Trader (and former High Lord of Terra) Alaric Launfas. Launfas utilised biological weapons against a recalcitrant planet which refused to submit to the lawful rule of the Imperium. The planet's cities choked under roiling clouds of mustard-yellow gas as the Redemptors made planetfall. Millions of Humans lay dying in their own vomit and blood whilst the Redemptors mercilessly combed the planet for survivors, unaffected due to their armour and their enhanced biologies. For many of the planet's population, the staccato bursts of bolter-fire were the last thing they ever heard.

Beliefs

R

edemptor Marines are taught that it is their sworn duty to bring the light of the Emperor to the faithless and the uncivilised. Their rites emphasise their responsibility in their mission to 'bring light to the darkness'. The Redemptors actively prosecute campaigns against heretic-held worlds. Though the Redemptors are far from the Light of Terra, they fight secure in the knowledge that they are always under His guidance. The Chapter's ceremonies are often heavily linked to lanterns and torches - the symbolism inherent in these icons is of great significance to the marines of the Redemptors - their faith burns, despite the depravity and evil they see, despite the depredations of chaos and the debasement of man in an age of darkness. It is the burning light of their faith that keeps them loyal and true until death. The Redemptors differ from most Chapters in that they typically do not bear standards upon the battlefield. Instead, many of the Chapter carry ornate lanterns, symbolising the light of the Emperor.

The question of how the Redemptors view the Emperor is one that has perplexed Imperial Scholars for a long time. The majority of Astartes Chapters do not venerate the Emperor as a god, instead viewing him as the mightiest of men. The Redemptors, however, seem to have adopted certain heliocentric aspects. Faith is seen as being of great importance to the Redemptors - it is their strongest link to Holy Terra and the Emperor Himself. Upon a Redemptor's death, his body is - whenever possible - recovered and his progenoids removed. His body is then ejected into the heart of the nearest star. In this way, the Redemptors are bound to the systems they stalk, perpetuating and fuelling the blazing light of the Emperor. The Redemptors themselves are dour, hardened by a life of hardship on the edge of the Imperium. The trappings of Imperial civilisation are not theirs to enjoy - instead they approach their lives with the quiet, unshakeable piety of those who have seen what happens to mens' souls on the edge of a vast nothingness.

Gene-seed

E

xtreme care is taken by the Chapter's apothecaries, given the Chapter's distance from the gene-stores of Mars. Champions of Roboute Guilliman's legacy, the Redemptors chapter traces their legacy through the mighty Castigators, the zealous Black Consuls, and thus the Ultramarines themselves. The Redemptors have inherited their sense of genetic purity from Terentius' long service with the Castigators. The Chapter's apothecaries are constantly vigilant for any sign of mutation in the Chapter's warriors.

[Codex Grey]

Short and sweet. I like! I love the idea of a Chapter struggling to bring the light of the Emperor to the edges of the Galaxy.

 

So is this finished? Anything else to add? Maybe you could talk some more about the supply bases? I imagine these facilities are juicy targets for enemies, and since they are spread over a large area they would be harder to defend. Maybe they make alliances with the few Imperial military forces in the area; the Redemptors are allowed to store equipment on the planets under Imperial control and in return they always come to the planets' aid. Just some thoughts.

 

Are you going to submit this to the Librarium?

 

EDIT:

However, enough information exists to know that the Redemptors were created in the nineteenth Astartes founding, several millennia before the Age of Apostasy.

How many is several? AoA was at the start of M.36, and the 21st (cursed) founding was just before that. Let's say that 'several' is at least two, which places the 19th founding somewhere in the 34th milenium. So between the 3rd founding at the start of the 32nd millenium and the 19th founding in the 34th millenium, there would have to be 17 foundings spread over two millenia.

 

Due to the lack of official founding dates, I think it is all up to personal interpretation, but I personally believe that the 19th founding took place sometime in the middle of the 35th millenium, the 20th founding in the later years of the same millenium and then the 21st either at the very end of the 35th or the very beginning of the 36th.

[AWOL]

Hmm. So you've elected to remove the Redemptors from the Vocates? They're your chapter, obviously, so that's your decision. I'm curious what the impetus was, however.

 

The thing that occurred to me as I read the IA was that it's interesting to think what life on the fringe of the galaxy would be. I mean, worlds that are much nearer to Terra are still lawless and have only occasional contact with the Imperium. I think a great deal of interest for the chapter could stand from just how incredibly rare any manner of contact with the Imperium at large would become. It reminded me of the American Wild West, which led to the annalogy of the Redemptors becoming the "lawmen" to carry the metaphor forward. Frontier justice could be their perview, with the Redemptors being forced, by necessity, to step into a lot of roles that are typically beyond a marine chapater's responsibilities. You started touching on it, with their interractions with the rogue trader/former highlord of terra (where did that reference stem from, by the by. He's not someone I'm familliar with.) I think a lot of individual character could stem from that source.

[Epistolary Exander]

Hi molotov, I see you have done more work on the Redemptors. The IA is a good read, short & compact. Shorter than my draft for the Martyrs anyway. The Redemptors fit very well in the 40k universe, more so than the Legio. In fact I could do with some of your help with some aspects with the Martyrs IA.

 

Your theme for the Redemptors is well defined & quite evocative, might tempt me off the Martyrs. It would be interesting converting the suplicants.

 

Would it not be better for the chapter to have Librarians within its ranks, this os for 2 reasons.

 

This is due to the Redemptors comparitive isolation to Imperial institutions. It would be just as hard for the chapter to receive astropaths as it would for arms. This comes to the for when you consider astropaths are normal humans & so the Redemptors would need replacement astopaths frequently. Roque traders & colonies would be quite reluctant to hand over there main means of commication, so trading would be rare.

 

The second reason is that without the use of Librarians, how can the chapter fully screen the new initiates. I know you said the Castigators use the Inquisition to help here, but the Redemptors would have less contact with the Inquisition than other Imperial institutions. I cannot imagine the Redemptors using sanctioned psykers for this role.

[Commissar Molotov]

Scally sent me these two concepts for Chapter symbols:

 

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z121/mnesimache/IDEA1-1.gif

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z121/mnesimache/IDEA2-1.gif

 

The 'starburst' symbol has a nice element to it, especially when you consider that the Chapter's dead are ejected into the heart of a star. (Although it bears too much of a similarity to the symbols used for the Metamarines and the Novamarines.) The 'torch' variant feels off to me, especially when you consider the Chapter's lantern symbolism. I can't help feeling that the Chapter symbol has to be a stylised lantern, but I can't come up with a good example, and I really, really, really don't want to plagiarise the green lantern symbol for this Chapter. :D

 

I'm looking to expand this article - the Redemptors are a Chapter that could do with greater detail, I feel.

 

Your thoughts are, as ever, welcomed.

[Nash Trickster]

I really, really, really don't want to plagiarise the green lantern symbol for this Chapter. :D

Well, you don't have to "plagiarize"... It is however indeed hard to draw a stylized lantern without ending up with Green Lantern's symbol. So why not cope with it, and simply go for the a "somewhat similar" symbol but with a flame inside the central circle of the GL's symbol. The flame would make it sufficiently different IMO.

 

Or you could go with the same kind of "trick" I used for my Paladins of Dorn and go for a "constructed heraldry" solution... For example, what would you think about a diagonally cut blood-red and off-white field with a star on the red part and a lantern on the white part?

 

I'm looking to expand this article - the Redemptors are a Chapter that could do with greater detail, I feel.

And I'm looking forward to what you'll do... As you know I'm *particularly* interested in this chapter ;)

[Nine_Breaker]

Well you could make the lantern more rectangular, opposed to the circle that makes up most of the green lantern symbol. After all, most lanterns are more rectangular from my experience.

[Tyrannicide]

I think it all depends on how ornate you want the symbol to be. I personally like the Green Lantern's symbol, very simple yet significant enough to get the point of a lantern image across. You could add the starburst effect behind the lantern since you like that aspect.

 

Just ideas.

[utilityzero]

what about the stylized lantern, but with a starburst at the center, showing what a shining light the chapter aspires to be, and also avoiding the possiblity of a lawsuit. ^_^

[krieger haggoroth]

-I think that going with some kind of Lantern would be best, as it features so heavily in their early history.

 

-How are they in space battles. A single ship (not to mention a whole fleet-based chapter) would take a whole lot of resources to keep fueled, armed, and equipped. With such little contact with the Imperium, how do they manage to repair and rearm their war vessels? This is an aspect of the chapter i really want to see explored.

 

-If they are so shrouded in mystery, how do people know they come from the 19th founding. It seems to me that the two most mysterious aspects of most chapters are their geneseed and founding date.

 

-How does the mechanicus feel about the unsanctioned teaching of their secrets to serfs and other marines? How does this affect their relationship with the AM. Seems to me they might be none to happy to have a bunch of unmonitored techies spreading their lore around.

[Commissar Molotov]

-I think that going with some kind of Lantern would be best, as it features so heavily in their early history.

 

-How are they in space battles. A single ship (not to mention a whole fleet-based chapter) would take a whole lot of resources to keep fueled, armed, and equipped. With such little contact with the Imperium, how do they manage to repair and rearm their war vessels? This is an aspect of the chapter i really want to see explored.

 

-If they are so shrouded in mystery, how do people know they come from the 19th founding. It seems to me that the two most mysterious aspects of most chapters are their geneseed and founding date.

 

-How does the mechanicus feel about the unsanctioned teaching of their secrets to serfs and other marines? How does this affect their relationship with the AM. Seems to me they might be none to happy to have a bunch of unmonitored techies spreading their lore around.

 

Good comment, KH. Certainly some food for thought, though I disagree with you on some points. Well, I say I disagree, but I think we're mainly approaching the same things from different angles.

 

- I do like the lantern, and I think that their Chapter symbol needs to be a lantern. Not only does it work because of Terentius' vision, it binds up so many of their themes - their faith as a burning light, and the Space Marines as hope in the dark millennium.

 

- The fleet is an issue. As a fleet-based Chapter (disregarding their supply bases/'chapter keeps') maintaining the vessels would be important. The obvious answer would be that the Chapter has relations with the Imperial Navy, utilising their fuelling and resupply facilities (their shipyards and the like, also). Of course, a consequence of the Redemptors theme is that they're in a relatively "unpoliced" section of the Imperium, and as such there isn't really a Navy Battlefleet to befriend.

 

Of course, part of the Redemptors' theme is that they're understrength. Not from a manpower point of view, but I wanted to make the Chapter 'low-tech' in a way. I've got them hoarding bolter ammo and giving scouts autoguns - I've got Space Marines with patched armour and the techmarines relegated to the background. So having patched-up battlebarges that only get repaired now and then is evocative of the theme, I suppose. I like the idea of the Redemptors returning now and then, travelling corewards back into the more 'civilised' sections of the Imperium to repair before travelling back to the rimworlds.

 

- I'm not sure I'd describe the Redemptors as 'mysterious'. To my mind, that's a bit of a dirty word. They don't hide from the Imperium, they're just distant from a lot of Imperial civilisation. They're happy to have Inquisitors along, they don't have any deep, dark secret. To my mind, whilst you can take the whole "records destroyed" thing to a degree, the main reason that founding and gene-seed are associated with "mystery" in the minds of most Liber-ites is because most Liber-ites write "unknown" in those sections because they can't be bothered. To my mind it's just as possible for Inquisitors to go "Well, we know they were founded from the Castigators around the nineteenth founding, and then they headed out, and what with Armageddon Wars and Ages of Apostasy and the Necrons rising up and the Tau Empire and the Black Crusades... we're kinda busy." The Inquisition has some information on them, but not bags of it. The Redemptors have certainly never been accused of heresy, though, and they've had Inquisitors serving alongside them.

 

Now, with regards to the Mechanicus... I guess I figure that they don't really know. They wouldn't really be in contact with the Redemptors, so they wouldn't know what was going on. If they were to find out I can't imagine they'd be happy, no, but the Redemptors do still send SOME Marines to Mars. It's just what with the looooong journey to the Segmentum Solar, it's not that practical for a Chapter that tries to safeguard the limited numbers and resources that they have.

 

I can appreciate that there's a certain degree of tension there, though. It's possible the Adeptus Mechanicus could find out somehow that there's unsanctioned tech-adepts, and there would be some sort of a reckoning. But just because it could happen doesn't mean that I have to have it happen. I mean, by the same token you could say "Eventually an Inquisitor will find out about the Dark Angels, eventually a Tech-Adept will find out about the Black Dragons, eventually the Inquisition will work out the Blood Angels have drunk the blood of civilians...". I do think it's a good point, and something to consider, and I'm going to look into re-writing that section slightly, perhaps to foreshadow it with some reference to "should the AdMech find out they'd be unhappy, blah blah blah".

 

Thanks for the thoughts, KH. :o I'll make some edits soon based on your feedback.

[DutchKillsRambo]

Overall I really like this, but I'll have to point out the only flaw I really see. You say the jealously hoard and guard their bolter ammo supplies, right? Yet when they're finishing off the planet that got mustard-gassed, they kill the populace with "staccato bursts of bolter-fire". To me, "the roar of a chainsword" or something like that would work better. Other than that its really good.

[Chaplain Mollusc]

I'm a little curious here - how do they prevent psykers from joining? And how do they select candidates who will be strong enough to resist the temptations and assaults of Chaos? Potential neophytes are normally screened for both psychic ability and mental strength by a Librarian, who is a psyker. If there are no psykers and hence, no Librarians, who oversees that portion of the screening process? Not everyone who has latent psychic ability is going to have a radiating glow of energy around his head as a warning sign!

[Commissar Molotov]

The Redemptors are known to utilise Sanctioned Psykers. Those from the Adeptus Astra Telepathica. In that way, they are abiding by the letter of Terentius's decree, if not the spirit. Yes, the Redemptors are those beardy guys jumping up and down shouting "RULES AS WRITTEN!". Terentius said "there shall never be a psyker clad in the colours of the Redemptor." - and there's not.

[Guest Mordray]

hell as far as that's concerned you could also have them be full battle brothers but not be allowed to paint their power armor or even worse have their armor painted the inverse of the rest of the chapters marines that way the lib isn't in the colors of the Redemptors.

[Commissar Molotov]

hell as far as that's concerned you could also have them be full battle brothers but not be allowed to paint their power armor or even worse have their armor painted the inverse of the rest of the chapters marines that way the lib isn't in the colors of the Redemptors.

 

Oh, certainly. That'd be fun, but I'm avoiding that. My interpretation is that the 'colours of the Redemptor' would include the Chapter Icon, and no Redemptor, psychic or not, would take to the field without displaying a Chapter Badge.

 

I did find an example of a lantern that embodies my idea. It's from the Black Templars concept artwork by Mark Gibbons:

 

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z121/mnesimache/Neophyte1_lg.jpg

[Hasoroth]

I like it Mol. You should consider selling short IAs for cash to nubs xD (Instant IA, just add Water)

Rogue Trader (and former High Lord of Terra) Alaric Launfas

 

Unless this is official fluff, its a bit of a high claim mate. Former Imperial General, or Imperial Commander etc would fit better (thousands of them)

[Commissar Molotov]

Well, there are a lot of High Lords, and there are ten thousand years of Imperial History, so I don't consider it too far-fetched. With that said, the Inquisitor game features the character Jan Van Yastobaal, noted as being a High Lord of Terra (for a while) before being given a Rogue Trader's charter and sent away from Terra - a nifty way of getting rid of trouble.

 

So until GW releases a list of all the High Lords of Terra ever, I think I'm safe. For a little while, at least. :)

[Hasoroth]

High Lord of Terra for a while? Sounds like my kind of rascal.

 

If you'd made it up, the only objection I would have had is that it makes your DIY chapter too grandiose "Oh, my dude hung out with the X lord of Y. one of the most powerful people in the galaxy!". Sure not all of the X Lords of Y have been mentioned, but they control the entire empire of Y, so its a big claim.

[Commissar Molotov]

It's a big claim, but he's a former High Lord. In that sense, it's simply a throwaway reference designed to offer a tenuous link to another section of Imperial society. Launfas was no longer a High Lord - he'd lost that power, likely lost most of his influence... just as the Redemptors are distant from the glory, the hustle-and-bustle of the Imperium's core worlds, their massive armies and warfleets.

 

It's simply four words ('and former High Lord') that I really don't think undermine the article as a whole.

[Hasoroth]

Oh no, it doesn't undermine it at all since its official fluff, although trying to explain why someone was kicked out of the HLoT to be a Rogue Trader would have raised some questions if you made it up.

[Octavulg]

"You say psykers would light our way in this dark wilderness. I say they would be a beacon, inviting the multitudinous hordes of Chaos to descend upon us. I say I would rather struggle in the dark. I say there shall never be a psyker clad in the colours of the Redemptor."

- The Decree of Terentius

 

Why, Molotov, do you hate psykers, when they have shown you nothing but love? ;)

 

* * *

 

Looks good. They seem to lack personality relative to the Castigators, but that's hardly surprising. ^_^

[Commissar Molotov]

Why, Molotov, do you hate psykers, when they have shown you nothing but love? ^_^

 

Haha! Perhaps your quote of the week, I feel.

 

Well... I like Librarians. It's just a natural consequence of Terentius being a Castigator. I actually thought a Castigator successor that'd chosen to go back to Librarians would be fun.

 

In other news, I'd like to do a Librarian-heavy Chapter at some stage. I've obviously just got issues that I'm working through. ;)

[Nash Trickster]

Well, is this somehow what you've got in mind for the Redemptors' symbol, Molotov?

 

http://pageperso.aol.fr/NashTrickster/ultim/redemptors.jpg

 

It's been done quickly with MSpaint, but I'm sure "someone" with better abilities, a.k.a. Photoshop-fu, could easily do a better one for you... :tu:

[Commissar Molotov]

Somewhat like that, yes. Though looking at it, I'm not 100% sure on the beams of light coming from the lantern.

 

Any thoughts are welcome, I think.