Index Traitoris: Angels Ascendant

[Imperialis_Dominatus]

[center; background-image:url(http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/hq2.gif); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-position: 8px 2px; padding: 12px 8px 12px 8px; border: 1px solid #DDD; margin-left: 0 auto; text-align: left; color: #fff; text-indent:50px; font-size:130%; width:50%;">Index Traitoris: Angels Ascendant

Heirophants Fallen to Darkness[/center]

Chapter Symbol of
the Angels Ascendant

"You accuse me of heresy? You dare? Mutant, you call me; I am an avatar changed to His service. Traitor, you choke; I am guided by His ideals and not by my own falsity. Heretic, you croak... heretic, the insult that rings most hollow. The thought is laughable, for I am a son of the Emperor and Sanguinius. To doubt me is heresy. Do your worst, torturer, dungeon-dweller, corrupt; the Blessed Emperor is with me and I shall never falter."- attr. Heretic Reclusiarch De Molay, 914.M41

Origins [/center]

An Angels Ascendant Battle Brother.

T

he Chapter formerly known as the Angels Wrathful was formed in the 12th Founding of late M35 from the geneseed of the Angels Encarmine. Through the Emperor?s Tarot and periods of meditation, their name and heraldry were chosen. White was to represent purity of body and soul; red for the blood shed in brotherhood; golden yellow to represent the glory of Him on Earth and the realm of His subjects. Finally, a roaring lion?s head became the Chapter?s symbol, to represent their ferocity and nobility.

The newly christened Chapter crusaded around the Maelstrom's edges for twenty bloody years, long enough for their forces to fight on two hundred worlds in nearly twice as many engagements, before they found a home world that immediately struck a chord with one of their senior cadre leaders; Malathion, the Angels? first Master of Sanctity, saw Altius III and its people as the ?wellspring of a resurgence against the Darkness.? The new Chapter vowed to protect the planet and surrounding sectors from the predations of the denizens of the Maelstrom and spearhead assaults into that dangerous territory to claim new worlds for the Emperor-, which, it must be noted, they accomplished on several occasions.

On the field of battle the Chapter was famed as any Astartes force inevitably is. True to the heritage of their parent Chapter, they kept the vast majority of their warriors on active duty. Their victories filled volumes, and their sparse defeats were bought at a terrible price for the foe. Even unforgiving Imperial histories and the sharp tongues of Inquisitors cannot expunge legends of the Angels Wrathful from the people of the planets they liberated from alien and heretical dominion.

As with any successor of the Blood Angels, however, some spoke darkly of them and their flaws. They were ferociously intent on getting to grips with the enemy, and many Guardsmen were horrified to fight beside them for fear that, instead of tearing the enemy limb from limb, they might be the victims of the Chapter?s bloodlust.

Home World

The Ruins of Altius III

T

he Angels Ascendant once were based upon a lush and beautiful shrine-world, Altius III; Malathion believed the Chapter would best be served by recruiting from amongst the people of that planet. It was located in a system a short distance from the eastern edge of the Maelstrom. Altius III was a fairly temperate world, with swathes of arctic climes in the northern and southern hemispheres; a wild planet before the Chapter?s coming, Altius III quickly became a glorious synergy of wild beauty and splendor in the Emperor?s name.

Before the Chapter was founded, the planet was a vast wilderness; its people built fortresses against an unforgiving wilderness. The men and women of this planet were of a feudal system ruled over by a warrior-monk society; the people were disciplined and tough, making excellent recruits and servants for the Astartes. The fervor of Altius III?s people had long been expressed in combat, but they hungered to expand their devotion to different areas. Visionary leaders combined the energy of the Altians people and the skill in art and edifice that Sanguinius? sons are famed for to transform the planet.

Altius III became a mix of artificial and natural beauty, and the faithful came from across the galaxy to see its wonders. Among these, too, came young and devoted warrior-pilgrims determined to join the ranks of the Chapter. Altians, initially wary of outsiders, grew to accept those from beyond their world as sheep of the same flock.

History

Destruction of Altius

Malathion, first Master of Sanctity

U

pon the Founding of the Chapter, unrest was rife in the Imperium. The shadows preceding the Age of Apostasy and the Plague of Unbelief were falling, though the true holocaust was centuries away. Though many among the Angels Encarmine desired to remain with their Chapter, there were other, more ambitious souls who craved the opportunity to lead a whole Chapter of Space Marines against the rising threats against the Emperor?s rule.

Chaplain Malathion, of the 8th Company, was chosen to be the Chapter?s Master of Sanctity. He was in youth the only survivor of a pilgrimage to Terra that was savaged by Dark Eldar; when rescued by the Angels Encarmine, he was grievously wounded with alien blood on his hands. He showed great promise, and had quickly become a Chaplain, but his unflinching belief in the Emperor?s divinity- alien to the norm among Space Marines- kept him from rising further in the ranks, his beliefs barely tolerated by the rest of the Reclusiam. However, as in any Blood Angels Successor, the Angels Encarmine's Chaplains were most often engaged with tending to the Battle Brethren who had fallen to the flaw of Sanguinius' geneseed, and thus Malathion's peculiar beliefs were ignored by the Chapter at large in favor of his outstanding ability to counsel and control the blood-mad Death Company.

Upon the Founding of the Angels Wrathful, the Chapter?s leadership recognized that though Malathion?s ways were not their own, surely his zealotry could be put to good use leading others in the Emperor?s name. Malathion accepted the duty wholeheartedly, and was followed to the new Chapter by several from his own Company. These warrior-priests would form the basis of the new Chapter?s faith. Thanks to the way in which the flaw manifested itself in the Angels Wrathful, Malathion and his faithful were able to spend more time influencing the dogma of the Chapter, and much to the consternation of the Angels Encarmine and others privy to such knowledge, the new Chapter took to the belief in the Emperor's godhood with absolute faith.

On the eve of Abaddon's 8th Black Crusade in early M38, a huge party of Violators rushed for Altius III. In vengeance for an old and humiliating defeat, they razed the system, desecrating in that short week what had taken centuries to build. The vast majority of the Angels Wrathful, away on duty as Chapter dictate demanded, was too far away to respond. Despite the valiant defense posed by Chapter Serfs and the Altians, the world was overrun and desecrated.

Not one brick remained on another as the Violators tore down the monuments to the Emperor?s glory with unholy glee. Chaos Space Marines bathed in the blood of innocents, defiled many of the relics of the Chapter, and made obscene displays of Altian defenders. The Tor Noirox, or Tower of the Lost in the old Altians tongue, was broken open and the frothing madmen within set loose on the populace. Natural wonders were demolished, rivers dammed and polluted, mountains split apart by orbital fire, and the skies filled with smoke laced with toxins and the ashes of the dead. The proud Altians were shattered in mind and spirit, fleeing in terror into the wilds they had held bulwarks against for generations.

An Astropathic choir just managed to reach one of the splinter forces of the Angels Wrathful, and the call was relayed to all the Chapter's forces. With haste that only Space Marines can attain, the Chapter invaded its own system with guns blazing. But, through some witchery, the Violators escaped the barrages of the Chapter's Battle Barges. With ashen taste in their mouths and their hearts weighing down upon them, the Astartes descended upon their home world.

It is said that the death of Altius was mourned for centuries, that songs of lament were spun, memorials erected, vivid paintings of glories past put to canvas. Even today, in light of the heresy of the former Angels Wrathful, many a preacher will sermonize in memory of the shrine world.

But all this was as the rambling reminiscences of old men to the sorrow of the Chapter. The home world they held dear was a ruin; their anger and sorrow turned their memories to bitterness and an appetite for vengeance. Nearly a hundred Brothers were so overcome that their sanity broke, unleashing the fury of the Black Rage within them, and all had to be put to death. Even after the horrors of their Excommunication, this day must remain the blackest day in the Chapter's long history.

Of course, such an offense would not be mourned long before the Brothers of the now homeless Chapter turned their minds and souls to revenge. As Astartes, warriors without peer, they would express their grief and fury through the destruction of their foes. They left the ruin of Altius III with heavy hearts, but renewed purpose. The Chapter Master of the time, Lord Amon-Belloc, declared a hunt that would last "till not one Violator hides from our wrath, or the End, whichever comes to be first."

They were never to be so vulnerable again. The Chapter consolidated its strength in the Chapter?s fleet, with their main Battle Barge, Sword?s Vigil, renamed the Rebirth of Altius and expanded upon to include the facilities of their destroyed Fortress Monastery. They had a duty to maintain strength beyond their capacity to house, and so they bent their energies to gaining a larger fleet. Several smaller ships were easy to obtain, but the real boon came alongside another tragedy in the history of the Imperium.

A Chapter descended from the Angels Wrathful themselves, the Lions of Ajax, was obliterated in an ill-fated feud with the Chaos Lord Zebulon Hellshrike. A strike force led by a contingent of the Angels Wrathful, intent on avenging their Successors, was able to capture much of their resources from the Chaotics who had seen to the Lions? destruction- the pride of which was the decimated Chapter?s Battle Barge, His Shining Blade, which, in defiance of the Navy, the Chapter took for their own by right of kinship and patronage from many influential allies.

With a fleet to suit their needs, the Angels Wrathful fought across the galaxy, gaining new recruits for the Chapter and establishing numerous Keeps watched over by a small staff of officers and serfs. These Keeps would oversee the recruitment and creation of the Chapter?s Neophytes, and send them to the Rebirth for further training.

In this way the Chapter dealt out the Emperor?s wrath, striking fear into the hearts of the scum that inhabits the Maelstrom. Despite the blows fate had dealt them, they rose with greater furor than ever before. The area around the Maelstrom saw a noticeable improvement under their fury.

But there is a dark secret to the success of the Angels Wrathful. After the death of Altius III, every ounce of energy the Chapter possessed, every string they could pull, every tie they could use was exerted towards the destruction of the Violators and the gaining of power to slaughter the Emperor?s foes. Every hint at a chance for vengeance was seized upon, even those beyond the understanding of mortals.

The Ascension

Documents recovered from the fall of the Angels Wrathful indicate that the Chapter used occult means to enhance their knowledge. The Librarians of the Chapter went into trances to hear in the echoes of the Warp, to release their spirit-selves and sail the ebb and flow of its energy. All is known upon the Sea of Souls, and at times the gibbering of Daemons and the surges of energy led to revelations in the hunt for their enemies. The pure, however, know that consorting with the Warp leads only to damnation, and it is doubtless this practice led to the noble Chapter?s fall.

The Chief Librarian Algamar, in these sojourns, found what he believed to be a powerful, benevolent Warp power. Over three decades of studying this being, he came to believe he was in contact with the Emperor's soul, bolstered by the worship of Mankind?s trillions and the sacrifices made to sustain Him over ten thousand years. Over centuries, he used the knowledge he had gained to alter his Chapter's fate. Gradually, their faith was subverted to the 'Emperor's' will, 'His' agenda. One day 'He' answered the prayers of the Chapter.

During the long and bloody 'Aranis Crusade' to bring the Emperor?s light back to a benighted sector of Imperial space, the Astartes nearly met their match. A mighty Ork horde?s back appeared to be broken upon the plains of Saria IV. Several Companies of Angels Wrathful, supported by Imperial Guard forces in the rearguard, pursued with cleansing fire. Word came, however, of a force of Violators who had encamped near the Orks and were using them as a shield for their designs.

The Chapter would not be held back from its most hated foes, and immediately attempted to break through the greenskins. But their path led them straight against an Ork settlement that had been tainted by the warp-magicks of the Chaos filth. Impeded by this, the Angels were surrounded by the Orks, and despite their faith and skill at arms, were about to be overrun. Then the unbelievable happened.

In a manifestation that caused nightmares, visions, and insanity for nearly the whole contingent of Scholastica Psykana stationed in the Saria system, beings appearing as angels in gleaming plate and wielding blades of fire descended upon the Orks. With their forces bolstered by such creatures, the Angels Wrathful tore through the heart of the enemy. Both the Orks and the Violators were massacred. This day came to be known as the Ascension in the records of the Chapter, for they thought themselves truly blessed by the Emperor.

However, the Inquisition had been watching the Astartes under guise of aiding the Crusade. The Emperor?s Tarot had predicted tumult and betrayal in relation to them, and this ?Ascension? was proof positive of their infidelity. Interrupting the victory celebration after the Ascension, an Inquisitor Imloth called upon the might of the Ordo Hereticus to destroy the Angels.

Imloth had little time to accomplish his task, and thus he planned his attack

The Age of Apostasy (287.M36)

W

hen High Lord Goge Vandire seized both the position of High Lord of the Administratum and Ecclesiarch, he began what came to be known as the Reign of Blood, where the Imperium was wracked by the throes of his paranoia and insanity.

It is widely known that the Angels Wrathful were one of the first Chapters to rally behind Sebastian Thor, the visionary preacher who rose from Dimmamar and marched on Terra with fire and steel. The young Chapter acquitted itself bravely, its cadre of officers from the Angels Encarmine leading cleansing actions against planets corrupted by Vandire's madness; their efforts were focused mainly in the eastern edge of the Maelstrom, where the chaos was pronounced. These events gave the Chapter great favor amongst the soon-to-emerge Thorian faction of the Inquisition. Thor is a respected figure amongst the Chapter brethren, nearly as honored as Malathion and other important figures, and the anniversaries of both the Storm of the Emperor's Wrath and Vandire's death are Chapter Holy Days.

in two waves: the first wave of swift Astartes and Sororitas and other Ordo forces, and a second wave of the slightly more ponderous Imperial Guard; following this, a strike force was to attack their ships via teleport. For whatever reason, the Imperial Guard did not move to attack the Chapter; indeed, a small force defected to support the Angels Wrathful themselves. The assaulting forces, therefore, gave their lives but did not accomplish their task, despite decimating the Fifth Company down to its Wrathbringer, or Company Champion, and taking a heavy toll on the three other present Companies. The surviving Astartes were able to regroup in orbit above the planet, where the Battle Barge His Shining Blade and Rapid Strike Cruiser Lux Conquistas had been waiting in reserve.

Inquisitor Imloth fled the battle, barely escaping with his life, and attempted to call on the Grey Knights; however, the planet was rife with rebellion and violence that stemmed from the death throes of the Chaotic presence on the planet, hindering his communications. A strike force of Angels Wrathful, led by the single surviving Wrathbringer of the Fifth, dogged his every step and eventually killed him.

Imloth?s death, despite the satisfaction it brought the Chapter, hastened the Imperial response, and the Chapter was immediately declared Excommunicate and Extremis Diabolus. The Grey Knights struck swiftly, and managed to destroy the Chapter?s Rapid Strike Cruiser, the Lux Conquistas. Though many of the Chapter?s recruits that were aboard this vessel perished, the remainder of the Chapter?s forces escaped to the Rebirth of Altius, skillfully evading the war fleets sent to crush them. Those Chapter Keeps that were known of were quickly assaulted and destroyed.

Rioting broke out on a hundred worlds as monuments to the honor and glory of the fallen Chapter were torn down. Whole libraries were decimated for fear of a single book detailing the Chapter. Heretics burned for their voiced excuses and justifications for the Angels Wrathful. Eventually the Angels Wrathful became a memory at best to all but those who hunted them.

After the Chapter?s fall, the garrison on the ruins of Altius was withdrawn, the Imperium seeing no need to protect the world. The husk and the dejected society of nomadic scavengers inhabiting it were abandoned to an approaching band of Orks, and it is likely that the beasts had their warlike way with the planet.

Current Activity

After the Ascension, the Chapter?s activities are shrouded in the secrecy that is essential to their survival. They are hunted by the Inquisition and attacked by any Imperials who know of their Excommunication. It is known that the Brothers of the Chapter are plagued by mutations, particularly feathery wings, glowing eyes, and even haloes of light- mutations that, reminiscent of holy imagery though they are, mark them as worshipers of the Dark Powers. Rumors spread of a war within the Chapter and the fielding of a Death Company, and the Inquisition point to these as more proof of their corruption and dwindling numbers.

It is known that they changed their name to the Angels Ascendant and adopted a golden wing as their new heraldry; many Inquisitors believe this was meant as a ruse, or perhaps a show of devotion to their new patron. Through this guise they are able to fool many Imperials not wise to it. It is even suspected that many of the more radical elements within the Imperium support them, such as Thorians in the Inquisition, and elements of the Ecclesiarchy, where many Chapters find no allies.

Combat Doctrine

Excerpt from the interrogation of Sergeant Roaken, 234th Cadian, post-Kurgos Incident

S

o we came across them just ripping through the Orks like blades through grass. I mean, I personally was wondering what the hell we were doing there, since the Astartes had it covered? I thought they were on our side. We all did. I mean, they were everything the stories said they were- giants, soaring on wings of fire, and damn? damn terrifying to watch, by the Emperor... *subject unfocused; pain administered* Argh!? we were moving in to support when the Vox-boy waved the Cap over. Cap was shakin? his head and obviously the Commie *spits* didn?t like that, the nerf-he- *subject screams as pain is administered at this obvious slur*?well? he told us to fire on them. I know an order when I hear it? but before we could even get our sights on them, they came at us. It was unbelievable? the speed, and the... the grit? las, hotshot, cannon, didn?t do a thing. I?d heard they were tough, but Emperor?s tee-*pain administered* ?they slaughtered us like lambs? I thought I was lucky to live through it. Then you lot *subject spits* showed u-*screaming from pain administered*?

T

he Angels Ascendant, true to their vow, are never found wanting in speed. Mechanized assaults with support from Assault Marines are common, whereas any sort of static defense is unheard of- to them, attack is the best form of defense. Drop pod, teleport, and Thunderhawk assaults are used in foolhardy, if not suicidal, situations. But the ferocious nature of the Chapter?s warriors has driven them to glory in worse circumstances before, and above all the Marines feel they should strive for glory.

Scouts are rarely used, as the Chapter?s relatively high mortality rate forces Neophytes into power armor so the Chapter?s warriors can be better protected. They must learn even more quickly than the Initiates of other Chapters, and given the active nature of the Chapter that education will take place on the field of battle rather than the training grounds aboard the Chapter?s fleet. When recon is essential, a hardened veteran will lead the mission, with Neophytes acting in support. An Initiate will be placed in a Battle Company after basic training and will remain there till death, promotion, or specialization.

Given their hunted nature and often-unsupported operations, it is unsurprising that the Chapter's brothers appear ready for anything. They go into battle armed with grenades, bolt pistols and rifles, and all manner of hand-to-hand weapons. The fluidity of organization within the Chapter is astounding- squads of Astartes are normally tight-knit bands of brothers who have decades of experience alongside each other, but the Chapter's warriors seem able to assess casualties and amalgamate squads for peak efficiency without hesitation or doubt.

Heavy weapons, while more man-portable to Astartes than to Imperial Guard, are rarely used as the bulk and required ammunition for the weapons would slow the Space Marines down, and comparable anti-tank or infantry capability can be found in special weaponry. Heavy armor is rarely deployed, even the swift vehicles of the Astartes adapted with Lucifer engines unable to keep up with the Chapter?s relentless advance; excepting Vindicators and Baal Predators, which epitomize close support, standard Astartes vehicles are never seen alongside their forces. Perhaps even more rarely fielded are the Chapter?s Land Raiders, for the engagements in which a Lord of the Chapter would risk losing such hallowed vehicles are few and far between.

Their operations are fast and merciless, as well as unpredictable. Presumably pressed for supplies, they will raid outposts and armories, but also seem to strike where other Imperial forces are slow to react; backwater worlds, fringe worlds, and so on, beset by aliens and heretics, are 'liberated' by the heretic Chapter. Many Inquisitors feel that these operations are designed to stir discontent against the Imperium at large. All too often a fleet from the Imperium will arrive to find the enemies they came to fight replaced with a grudging populace. Inquisitorial agents often arrive soon after, if not soon before, these war fleets, striving ever to find ways to trap the Angels and destroy them. But the Chapter is cunning, and will not stay in the same area of space for long.

Since their ?Ascension? on Saria IV, the Angels Ascendant have enjoyed the support of Warp-creatures similar to those who aided them against the tainted Orks. It is curious that the Chapter does not appear to participate in daemonic summonings or count on their appearance; however, it is certain that these beings have saved the Chapter?s forces from capture or destruction on several occasions. Those cursed with such knowledge theorize that belief in the Dark Gods alone, if fervent enough, can conjure such things. If so, the zeal of the Angels Ascendant must be strong indeed.

Organization

Pict-record from Saria IV incident

S

ince the Chapter's fall from grace, the Angels Ascendant do not appear to have altered their organization significantly. They are still vaguely Codex, with different members of the First Company leading splinter actions of forces of nine other Companies. No Companies, however, are designated as Reserve, as all are on full duty at any given time.

The Chapter's Serfs often are still seen fighting alongside them at the outset of an engagement, though the servants cannot keep up with the rapid advances of the Angels. They also aid in the construction of wargear, and samples recovered from battlefields are of high quality. While much of the Serfdom is drawn from humans who are strong yet obviously not Astartes-grade, those few aspirants that fail and survive are often inducted into the Serfdom. Many of these attain leadership positions in that body, as the fact that they were considered for the tests outweighs their failure of them.

It is noted that those fighting the Chapter, or worse at its side, have divulged the most significant change in the Chapter since its fall. The Angels never fielded a Death Company, as none of those who fell to the Black Rage were deemed remotely fit for combat; it would seem that in recent decades however that the Chapter has been seen fighting alongside warriors in blackened armor who fight with even higher fervor and fury than their Brothers. This can only be the Death Company, and the Chapter's numbers must be dwindling if they are willing to deploy these lunatics.

In addition, since the heresy of the Ascension, the Chapter has often seen aid from beings of the Warp. These creatures do not take the form of the obscene and horrifyingly unnatural beasts normally associated with the Empyrean; they instead appear as angels akin to those of myth, with silvery wings and blades of fire. These creatures, however, are of the Warp; all such denizens of Chaos' realm are craven and bloodthirsty.

Beliefs

T

he Chapter reveres the Emperor as nothing less than a god; as Malathion dictated, He is a god of war, born a Man and transcended to deity through unending sacrifice, and is the ultimate example for all mankind. They subscribe to a supremely Thorian perspective, finding the Imperium in need of change,

?Tome of the Resting,? from Index Astartes: Angels Wrathful, a most secret report to the Office of Tithes and Titles by Maximus Pliny

T

his tome bears the name, in blood, of every Battle Brother who has given his life for the Emperor. It is carried by the Master of Sanctity, and on the Day of Wrath when the Emperor returns, the Angels Ascendant will be reunited with their fallen heroes after their long rest in the Altius of the afterlife. In the back is the Book of the Damned; every Brother of the Chapter who has turned from the Emperor?s light is, upon death, entered into this book in ink; rather than expunging their failures, the Chapter chooses to remember them and learn from their folly. These benighted souls will know only sorrow, darkness, and agony until the same battle, when they will die and know nothing more.

and seeing themselves as vessels of His power and harbingers of His wrath. The mutations and daemons they often receive aid from in battle are seen as blessings from the God-Emperor and signs of His favor. As the Emperor is a god to them, they worship Sanguinius, the Angelic One, as their patron demigod. Certain Astartes such as Malathion and mortals such as Sebastian Thor are prayed to as saints for guidance and glory.

They believe that the Emperor will meet them after death in a paradise reminiscent of Altius III, where they will rest until the final battle, when the 'Gates of Beyond' shall open, heroes and foes of millennia past rise again, when the traitors are finally cast down and the Emperor and the Primarchs return to this plane to lay waste to all filth and xenos, establishing forever the divine rule of Mankind over the galaxy. It is known that they hold these beliefs still, though subverted to the will of whatever power they truly serve- when interrogated, captured Angels will speak of cleansing the galaxy for the Emperor's coming. The heretics even go so far as to describe the Imperium as corrupt itself, fallen far from the Chapter's ideals, which they hold to be those of the Emperor Himself. Inquisitors believe that this stems from their fatal sin, pride, in being one of the Emperor's Finest- the Astartes see their word as the mandate of the Emperor Himself, never daring consider that they might be duped by some other power.

In their time serving the Imperium the Chapter was known for its intolerance towards mutants and even some accepted abhumans, seeing them as little more than cannon fodder. Fate, it seems, has a sense of humor, for they are now more flagrantly mutated than any they spurned. They did show leniency towards mutants of psychic kind, as long as the powers they held were used in the service of the Emperor.

Found written in blood on the walls of the sabotaged Balixas II Inquisitorial Castellum

Know this, lip-servants of the Emperor: The Master of Mankind does not look kindly upon those who perpetrate heresy and corruption in His name; nay, He looks upon them with a gaze of fire that shall see them consumed utterly and whole.

The Chapter found that servitors, while obedient and incorruptible, are no replacement for a skilled and passionate human, and finds the practice of servitor-lobotomy to be a desecration of the human form, used only in the direst circumstances. Undoubtedly this is still the case, though their circumstances must demand the use of such man-machines.

Many in the Imperium took a dim view of their form of faith before their fall, and now detractors point to this radicalism as a flaw leading to it; the privileged, or cursed, few who know of such things whisper that it is the Changer of the Ways who, in his eternal machinations, aids the Angels in some diabolical plot; as evidence, they point to the deceptive nature of their mutations and daemonic servants. Some fools and heretics purport that the Chapter yet serves the Emperor, but are always met with purgation.

Geneseed

?Brother Onyxior,? from Index Astartes: Angels Wrathful, a most secret report to the Office of Tithes and Titles by Maximus Pliny

T

he Banner of the Sixth Company was changed in late M40 to an angel with a flail soaring, despite the ball and chain manacled to his feet and the massive book he bears with pride. This is in homage to Brother-Sergeant Onyxior, who bore a book with the name of each squad member he survived- no less than fifty-seven Battle Brothers had their names and deaths written in that tome, and each one bore down on Onyxior?s soul. Still he fought on until the Black Rage claimed him. He was locked in the Chamber of the Lost, deep in the Rebirth of Altius, late in M40. His tome is carried still by the Chaplain of the 6th, and the honor that he showed his fallen brothers, despite the cost to his sanity, is held as an example to the Chapter.

T

he geneseed of the Angels Ascendant is that of the Primarch Sanguinius, as traced back to the Angels Encarmine of the Second Founding. Their ferocity in battle, fine features, longevity, and devotion to arts speak of this.

Like their Primogenitor Chapter, Initiates undergo a process by which they become Space Marines via a 'Sarcophagus.' For a hundred days and nights, the arcane processes of those machines alter their bodies until they emerge fully-fledged Space Marines. Also similar to the Blood Angels, the Angels have a subdivision of their Apothecarion known as the Sanguinary Priesthood. The blood of the Primarch runs in their veins and they bear the Chalices of the Sacred Blood, which play key roles in many Chapter traditions, and exsanguinators, as do Apothecaries.

At their inception, the Angels Wrathful did not suffer from high rates of the Black Rage like their brother Chapters, though those few who suffered from its stigma were driven so insane by it they were completely unfit for combat; their bloodlust often forced the hand of a Chaplain to give them the Emperor?s Peace to avoid further casualties. The Chapter was incredibly protective of its geneseed and the purity of it, as is any Chapter, and the Apothecarion was constantly undergoing experiments to explore and treat the Black Rage.

Though little is known of their geneseed?s behavior after their condemnation, it would seem from the increasing mutations that the geneseed they possess is degrading. It is unknown to agents of the Imperium if these mutations are causing consternation or fear among the Chapter?s members, but given that they revere mutations as gifts, it is likely that they are not concerned. An Inquisitor Taroth dared suggest that the geneseed might be evolving. He was declared Hereticus Extremis in 832.M41 and publicly drawn, quartered, and immolated by a council of his peers.

Battle cry

For Atius, for the Emperor!

In Warhammer 40,000 Games

Liberal use of the Counts-As principle allows a prospective commander to choose many Codices to represent the Angels Ascendant. However, in army design the Chapter works in a very direct fashion, eschewing heavy firepower or cowardly stealth for speed and capability in assault. Let these principles guide your efforts, and go kick ass in the Emperor's (?) name!

EDIT: Edited according to advice. Edited October 21, 2010 by Imperialis_Dominatus

[Imperialis_Dominatus]

EDIT: Moved pics to IA. Edited October 7, 2008 by Imperialis_Dominatus

[GhostLegion]

ok..im going to have to dive back into this again when i have significantly more time to think it through. initial comments however, are easier.

 

Firstly, congratulations on working through this idea. too many people i know start with a good idea and do not see it through...still more try to se it through and never share it out seeking comment, or are afraid of criticism.

 

All in all, I think you have an incredibly detailed idea for a chapter here...bordering on the full side of too much detail for what I would consider a complete IA article. too much detail, though beneficial to fluff is not as helpful to updating or revising your ideas. Being a 13th founding chapter, the amount of information available on them would be limited baring significant number of appearances and drawing the attention of the Adeptus Terra and the Inquisition. I may have missed it, but I did not see indications of this in your write up....as I said, I will need to dig deeper into this and reread later.

 

In a second point, your chapter feels...big...my IA was big, and the chapter still is, but this one (yours) really feels big. this may be an artefact of the amount of detail you came up with, or it may be in the way you wrote it all out. big isnt necessairly bad, its just really hard to justify and make understandable in light of accepted numbers for chapters.

 

I think this sums up my initial views...

[Imperialis_Dominatus]

EDIT: I responded to this in my IA. Edited October 7, 2008 by Imperialis_Dominatus

[GhostLegion]

there is a trick to the 13th founding stated explicitly in a 1 paragraph fluff piece put out by gw in various locations. the trick is that not only is the geneseed for these chapters unknown, but the chapters themselves remain unknown. from a diy perspective, this serves as a very sharp double edged sword.

 

on one side, you need to keep enough out of the fluff for a 13th founding diy to keep an air of mystery about it...while providing enough information to define its structure and existance...

 

on the other side you need to take the Imperium's response to finding or reacquainting itself with a dark founding chapter...while keeping from forcing it into renegade status or heresy.

 

the 13th founding provides many useful plot holes to work with as a writer...and enough ambiguity to drive yourself insane trying to tie up loose ends. in my experience and thinking, sticking to shades of gray and leaning toward loyalty (or at least a sembelance of loyalty) is the best way to go.

 

in dealing with geneseed for the 13th, traits and suggestions linking to the geneseed are good...overt similarity to a given primogenator chapter would be bad. i think one of the biggest problems you face, from a loyalist standpoint, is the amount of mutation you are indicating...this lends itself more to renegade chapters or cursed founding chapters rather than dark founding chapters.

 

on my second read, i get lost in the amount of detail you put into your organization. much of this is more for a chart than part of an IA entry/article, especially as you specify each company in great detail. reducing this would deffinately help refine your article....

 

but all this is just my randomly generated opinion

[Imperialis_Dominatus]

EDIT: Responded to this in my IA. Edited October 7, 2008 by Imperialis_Dominatus

[Imperialis_Dominatus]

EDIT: Moved the Age of Apostasy bit to the IA. Edited October 6, 2008 by Imperialis_Dominatus

[Sigismund Himself]

A mobile Fortress Monastery was constructed..

Chapters just don't snap their fingers and one appears. It would take maybe even a couple of millenia's work to acquire a fortress monastery like this and highly unlikely.

 

The Chief Librarian Algamar, in these sojourns, found what he believed to be a powerful, benevolent Warp power. Slowly, over time, when in contact with this lesser 'Warp god,' he came to believe he was in contact with the Emperor's soul, bolstered by the adulation of Mankind and the endless sacrifices made to sustain him over ten thousand years.

If it was a "lesser" warp god, how did he believe it was the Emperor? Shouldn't the Emperor be a giant god, in his beliefs?

 

However, the Inquisition had been keeping tabs on the Brotherhood. Interrupting the victory celebration after the Ascension, an Inquisitor acted on his perception that the Brotherhood was a pawn of Chaos. An assault followed by the Grey Knights; though it was repelled, the Inquisitor who called it escaped, attempting to spread his warning among the Inquisition.

I highly doubt a GK assault can be repelled. Look at what happened to the Lamentors in their own Fortress Monastery, a Ramilles class Star Fort. A better explanation would clear it up.

 

Though he was thwarted, rumors surged across the Imperium, and a sizable faction of the Inquisition began to work against the Brotherhood. Thorians within the Inquisition worked ever to give the Brotherhood some semblance of dignity. This quiet war worked in many ways, though none dared speak openly either way. When the Chapter changed its name and heraldry to match their new patron, it was no Thorian Inquisitor who betrayed that these were the same as the Brotherhood of Wrath. These connections even allowed the re-christened Angels Ascendant to gain access to life-prolonging techniques pioneered by the Revivicators among the Thorians, though many among the Inquisition point to other powers to explain the longevity of many of the Angels Ascendant. The Chapter relied on its Inquisitorial ties to regain supplies when its own guile would not suffice.

 

From that fateful day on Saria III forward, the Brotherhood’s eyes glowed blue with power, marking them as the servants of this unknown Warp power. This fire ignited and grew more intense in battle, giving the Brothers a terrible aspect. Certain mutations grew prevalent among the Brotherhood; many Brothers were blessed with feathery wings and some had very evident haloes. These increased their influence on Human populations, who saw them as angels of the Emperor’s wrath, even more so than in the legends they had heard all their lives.

 

At this point the Chapter changed its heraldry to white, with trim still of red and yellow. Their symbol became a golden wing, and they finally took on their current name as the Angels Ascendant.

 

They fought as a Chapter on the cusp of rogue status for centuries, fighting for the Emperor’s cause and battling the Imperium that had birthed them when it attacked them. It was a covert battle that the Angels faced, as neither faction for or against them within the Inquisition could claim enough strength to either escalate or reduce the conflict.

I dunno, I don't think Thorians would protect marines who have obviously fallen to Chaos.

 

The Age of Apostasy and the Second Siege of Terra (287.M41)

Check your dates. The Age of Apostasy was in M36. The chapters mentioned during the Siege of Terra are well documented. Perhaps having them cleansing Vandire's forces on the edges of the Imperium would be better.

 

-The Fifth Black Crusade and Doombreed's Declaration (723.M36)

Your source of info? I've never heard of anything on the 5th Black Crusade before.

 

-The Seventh Black Crusade and the Pursuit of the Despoiler (811.M37)

++Abaddon's Seventh Black Crusade - The Ghost War

The Chaos fleets flood out past Cadia and then disappear. ++

Never heard of a date for it or any further info.

 

-The Dominion of Fire and Honor's Resurgence (Mid-M38)

Is this official? I'm not totally up to date with all the chaos stuff ^_^

 

-The Badab War (901.M41)

Why aren't they mentioned anywhere else?

 

-The Thirteenth Black Crusade and the Voice of the Emperor (999.M41)

GW has stitched up all the chapters so you can't include your chapter in the Thirteenth Black Crusade.

 

You don't need to use important campaigns or insert your chapter into GW's to make your chapter seem important. make up your own. That way you don't tread on anyone's toes and you've got free-reign :tu:

[Imperialis_Dominatus]

[i dunno, I don't think Thorians would protect marines who have obviously fallen to Chaos.

 

'Obvious' to other factions of the Inquisition, perhaps, but to a faction that subscribes to the ideology that the Emperor vests his power in his servants to do his will? Given the form of their mutations, I don't see how the subtle support of a large portion of the Thorian faction (in itself a minority in the Inquisition IIRC) would be completely out of order.

 

EDIT: Take, for example, the wholehearted acceptance of Living Saints. While factions of the Inquisition might view them as extremely powerful psykers, the Thorians undoubtedly view them as bringers of the Emperor's divine wrath. Besides, the might of a Chapter is nothing to sneeze at, and this most radical (and thus likely small) of Puritan factions would undoubtedly be willing to scratch their nose in return for a future scratching of their own.

 

Ergo, I see little reason for the Thorians to work against a Chapter so willing to further their ideals. In addition to wielding shiny hammers of daemon-smacking and curbstomping world populations with cyclonic torpedoes, the Inquisition is a highly political organization that depends on support from outside organizations, coerced or not; they would undoubtedly prefer to be seen by their allies as, well, allies, rather than heavy-handed oppressors, as such compliance makes jobs easier to do. And their job is damn important.

 

EDIT: For brevity, I avoided that which I've fixed in my IA and left this as food for thought. I am afraid the length of the scrollbar at the right may be scaring off my potential respondents.

Edited October 6, 2008 by Imperialis_Dominatus

[Imperialis_Dominatus]

Added and modified the above posts with judicious use of the 'Edit' function, so I think this deserves a bump. Edited October 6, 2008 by Imperialis_Dominatus

[Commissar Molotov]

I highly doubt a GK assault can be repelled. Look at what happened to the Lamentors in their own Fortress Monastery, a Ramilles class Star Fort. A better explanation would clear it up.

 

You're a little mixed up there, Sig. The Grey Knights assaulted the Relictors aboard their Ramilles. They've also been recording assaulting the Flame Falcons on their homeworld. The Lamenters are unlucky, but they're not that unlucky!

 

-The Badab War (901.M41)

Why aren't they mentioned anywhere else?

 

-The Thirteenth Black Crusade and the Voice of the Emperor (999.M41)

GW has stitched up all the chapters so you can't include your chapter in the Thirteenth Black Crusade.

 

With regards to the Badab War, GW fluff has stated in the past that several Chapters were cycled in and out of the theatre of operations during the war. I personally wouldn't have included a DIY in the War, but there is scope for it.

 

With regards to the 13th Black Crusade, there's lots of space to include Chapters. GW hasn't 'stitched it up'. They released one White Dwarf which included a 'selection' of the Chapters assigned to repelling the Crusade. They pointedly left gaps in the listing to allow DIY Chapters into the war.

 

Of course, you're entirely right that sticking to the niches of the millennial history is a good idea, but saying "We fought in the Black Crusade" isn't the same as "We fought on Macragge."

Edited May 4, 2008 by Commissar Molotov

[Sigismund Himself]

Don't worry about questioning my answers, look at what Mol's caught me out with. Teaches me to do late night posting. Will I ever learn? Find out :)

 

Relictors, I meant Relictors! I think their whole chapter was there, in their Ramilles class star fort. Grey Knights got most of them. Only a few vessels escaped the Inquisitorial cordon.

 

Apologies on the 13th Black Crusade, it was the 3rd War for Armageddon I was getting mixed up with the detailed bit. 5 minutes in the pain glove for me.

 

Anyhow, to address your points.

 

Black Templar Codex details the Second Siege of Terra and the chapters.

 

Lexicanum is not that reliable. If it references, it might be ok. I'd still check the references though if you can.

 

Have a look at these Index Astartes. These are among my favourites and from some of the best in the business.

 

IA: The Grief Bringers

IA: Scions of Dorn

IA: Brazen Claws

IA: Castigators

 

None of them need to use GW campaigns to establish their solidity in the GW universe. The quality of them and the way they fit into the background makes them solid enough. Your chapter is remarkably busy. Even GW chapters don't have fully detailed things like this. No doubt the White Scars played a part in the Age of Apostasy even if it's not detailed in their IA.

[Imperialis_Dominatus]

Have a look at these Index Astartes. These are among my favourites and from some of the best in the business.

 

IA: The Grief Bringers

IA: Scions of Dorn

IA: Brazen Claws

IA: Castigators

 

None of them need to use GW campaigns to establish their solidity in the GW universe. The quality of them and the way they fit into the background makes them solid enough. Your chapter is remarkably busy. Even GW chapters don't have fully detailed things like this. No doubt the White Scars played a part in the Age of Apostasy even if it's not detailed in their IA.

 

I'll take a look, definitely. The references to major battles, I'll admit, were also 'notes to self', as I intend to use this to put together my stories. I think I've seen the Castigators one, and I was impressed; will look at the others.

 

EDIT: Again, brevity.

Edited October 6, 2008 by Imperialis_Dominatus

[Octavulg]

Index Astartes: Angels Ascendant (formerly Brotherhood of Wrath)

 

The red feet make my eyes burn (especially on the Death Company).

 

The Chapter formerly known as the Brotherhood of Wrath was formed in the 12th Founding of late M35.

 

Personally, I think it always best to avoid name changes in loyalist chapters. It is, quite literally, a chapter completely forsaking its previous heritage. As I argued in another thread, either it is a proud heritage, and they're being dishonorable by ditching it, or it's NOT, and they're forgoing any chance of redeeming it - also dishonorable. Yours would seem to fit more in A than in B, but the point remains - it would be a huge change for the chapter.

 

At their conception, the Brotherhood did not suffer from the Black Rage, despite being descended from the Blood Angels.

 

You say this in a throwaway fashion - this is the sort of thing which would have every single chapter which suffers from the Rage descending on them and asking very pointed questions. Although I don't think they'd go so far as to steal some marines for dissection, this is REALLY big, and you don't seem to appreciate the magnitude of it.

 

The Chapter’s colors at this time were dark blue, trimmed with red and yellow. Their symbol was a roaring lion’s head.

 

Which I greatly prefer to the current scheme, as an aside. It's much more original and distinct from the BA and their successors than the existing one.

 

White. And red. Oh, and they're BA successors. At that point, my eyes started to glaze over. ;)

 

The men and women of this planet were a warrior society, and had long had contact with the Salamanders, thus also respecting the art of the forge.

 

How and why? If they're primitive, they wouldn't have any reason to make contact with the Salamanders. If they're NOT primitive, they'd make poor recruits.

 

and edifice alike.

 

Edifice = structure. Artifice = craft. You may actually MEAN edifice, I don't know. It should probaby be edifices if you do.

 

a blend of natural beauty and monumental edifices of equal craftsmanship,

 

Personally, I think you would be best to limit the use of edifice to once per paragraph at the most, since this is the second time I have seen the word this year. The first was the previous line. :devil:

 

claimed for the glory of the Emperor. Millions of pilgrims flocked yearly to see the Temple of Dawn, St. Ereth's Peak, or the Cathedral of Altius Prime.

 

That's a high level of traffic for a semi-primitive warrior society. If it's a more high-tech warrior society, methinks it needs more elaboration.

 

The vast majority of the Chapter, bracing the defenses of the Cadian Gate, was too slow to respond.

 

If a chapter has a homeworld, the homeworld has a garrison. Not having a garrison is...straining my credulity a LOT, let's say.

 

This whole thing has shades of the Thousand Sons attack on Fenris.

 

However, they were not so fanatical as to neglect their other duties; unlike, for example, the Dark Angels, who would abandon a battle for unknown reasons (such as when the Fifth Company of the Brotherhood was left to die during the Battle for Kasr Wuln), the Brotherhood never quit a mission to pursue their hated enemy.

 

A ) Presenting the DA in this context implies they're leaving to follow-up Fallen rumours, which would be something the writer of this IA would not know.

B ) It's more or less unnecessary - just cut the bit about the DA.

 

gave the ensuing Conclave a reason to avert a disastrous war with the might of a Chapter of Astartes.

 

Er...I don't think that'd be enough, frankly. And I seriously doubt anyone would believe the recantment of an Inquisitor on ANYTHING. :P An open mind is like a fortress with its gates unbarred and unguarded, donchaknow.

 

Seriously - I don't think they'd have the widespread support you think they would.

 

The Chapter relied on its Inquisitorial ties to regain supplies when its own guile would not suffice.

 

Er...they're still a legitimate chapter. Show up at a Forge World, sign on the line that is dotted. Fill cargo bays. Repeat as needed. The Ad. Mech. doesn't care. ;)

 

From that fateful day on Saria III forward, the Brotherhood’s eyes glowed blue with power, marking them as the servants of this unknown Warp power.

 

So they have daemonic manifestations assisting them, their eyes glow, and they changed their heraldry?

 

I'm sorry, I don't buy them not yet being excommunicated. :P

 

Certain mutations grew prevalent among the Brotherhood; many Brothers grew feathery wings and some had very evident haloes.

 

And they're openly, flagrantly, mutated.

 

Great.

 

Seriously - the Flame Falcons got wiped out for less than this.

 

Angels Ascendant.

 

I'd go with Angels of Wrath. Some link to their prior heritage would seem appropriate.

 

as neither faction for or against them within the Inquisition could claim enough strength to either escalate or reduce the conflict.

 

Er...methinks an Inquisitorial mandate would be all that was needed. Mandate a few chapters and go a-hunting.

 

I may be wrong, but I don't believe consensus is needed for excommunication.

 

 

the Chapter's base was grounded and much of its strength lost.

 

I think you mean they were ground down. Otherwise, this makes no sense. :P

 

sought to bring an alien foot to bear within the sacred halls of Altius Rebirth,

 

Bringing an alien foot to bear is...just weird. Come up with another phrase.

 

And should it not be the Altius Reborn?

 

It is a testament to the will and leadership of Sidh that this did not happen immediately.

 

What did the CURRENT Grand Master have to say about his return, anyway? Methinks they might even be on their second replacement master at this point. Wouldn't he have something to say?

 

* * *

 

You use a number of colloquialisms ("keeping tabs", "beeline") which break the feel a bit.

 

And although I didn't mention it in the text above - coming up with warp engines for a space station might be tricky.

 

The stuff after the renaming of the chapter takes a marked downturn in quality of writing, and is a bit harder to follow.

 

Although I am mildly irked by the Blood Angel influence, I realize that not everyone finds "We're Vampires! Vampires!" as annoying as I do. :P

 

Tis good stuff. Keep working at it.

[Imperialis_Dominatus]

Personally, I think it always best to avoid name changes in loyalist chapters. It is, quite literally, a chapter completely forsaking its previous heritage. As I argued in another thread, either it is a proud heritage, and they're being dishonorable by ditching it, or it's NOT, and they're forgoing any chance of redeeming it - also dishonorable. Yours would seem to fit more in A than in B, but the point remains - it would be a huge change for the chapter.

 

It is pretty huge- they're sprouting wings and fighting alongside angels (or daemons). They're embracing fully a faith that few Astartes share (namely, the Emperor's godhood). And perhaps on a more pragmatic note, they're being hunted by the Inquisition .

 

EDIT: Brevity strikes again.

Edited October 6, 2008 by Imperialis_Dominatus

[Eighty]

Afraid I don't have much experience with DIY forces in this much depth, so just one thought: maybe a space hulk of some kind for transport, maybe 'Emperor-sent'? Might help to lend some more credence to the whole 'chaos god' strand you have going :lol:

 

80

[Imperialis_Dominatus]

I did consider a space hulk (and an asteroid fortress, and a mobile space station), but then I read the Soul Drinkers novels and realized that my work has enough similarities with that work without using something like a hulk. I decided something a tiny bit more low-key might be in order, and I think inheriting a Battle Barge from a deceased descendant Chapter wouldn't be too out of line.

[Imperialis_Dominatus]

EDIT: Moved the Illumine, Onyxior, and Band of Amitiel bits into the IA. Edited October 6, 2008 by Imperialis_Dominatus

[Imperialis_Dominatus]

Bump: Revised material above.

 

EDIT: Spelling.

Edited October 6, 2008 by Imperialis_Dominatus

[Imperialis_Dominatus]

The length of my IA has been significantly reduced in order to be more reader-friendly. I hope to receive more responses so I can push this forward towards the Librarium.

 

Mechanically, I was wondering if anyone could tell me what commands allow me to add pictures, text in boxes, section headings, etc. like we see in the other IAs?

 

EDIT: Don't worry about it, the Castigators IA proved helpful in addition to being a solid read.

Edited October 6, 2008 by Imperialis_Dominatus

[Imperialis_Dominatus]

I've put everything together now, with headings, text boxes, and even some pictures. Let me know what you think! If I don't know I can't fix it.

[Imperialis_Dominatus]

I'm going to give this one more bump for final comments before Librarium submission. I've done what I can, help me finish this off (or at least finish it inasmuch as an IA is ever really finished, as the admirable Molotov's thread shows).

 

The bottom line, the million dollar question, the final and absolute nature of that which I pursue- is there anything I can do to improve this IA of my beloved homebrew Chapter?

 

Anything and everything. Rip it apart. I beseech you.

[Hubernator]

My first observation is that it is a little... crowded. Too many separate things at the top of the IA. Spreading those out would help.

 

I'll take a good read once I get some other things out the way.

[Sigismund Himself]

The new Chapter vowed to protect the area from the predations of the denizens of the Maelstrom and, if possible, spearhead assaults into that dangerous territory to claim new worlds...

"If possible" is fairly weak wording for a vow :angry:

 

Their name was a joint choice by the leaders later to become the Lords Illumine.

Wording is a little odd.

 

True to the heritage of their parent Chapter...

You haven't mentioned the parent chapter by this stage.

 

More detail on the destruction of Altius. It's such a momentous event in the chapter's history but it's just mentioned lightly. Go into a little more detail.

 

Overall, I just feel it lacks a bit of polish. There doesn't seem to be a sure flow from one section to another, that occurs with really good IA. The Fall's view by the chapter could also be done a bit more. How does the chapter view the Imperium?

[Imperialis_Dominatus]

My first observation is that it is a little... crowded. Too many separate things at the top of the IA. Spreading those out would help.

 

Tried to clear it up but not too sure on the quality of that work.

 

I'll take a good read once I get some other things out the way.

 

Read away, my friend. :P

 

@Sigismund: In addition to the linguistic quirks you found :o (fixed those I think)...

 

More detail on the destruction of Altius. It's such a momentous event in the chapter's history but it's just mentioned lightly. Go into a little more detail.

 

Well, I went ahead and did that, so take a look-over in that section. It's been expanded on, how well I can't be the judge.

 

Overall, I just feel it lacks a bit of polish. There doesn't seem to be a sure flow from one section to another, that occurs with really good IA. The Fall's view by the chapter could also be done a bit more. How does the chapter view the Imperium?

 

Yeah. I noticed that as well. Tried to touch it up but it's tough to establish flow. There's things people need to know about my Chapter before they move on to the rest of the IA, but I can't give away too much for fear of taking away from a section that covers that topic. Plus there's the delicate balance of how much detail I want to go into. I originally had a huge ol' thing listing exact numbers and such for Organization (I still have it, and it's complete and all-inclusive now) but you'll note the Organization section is more concise than that now.

 

I found it difficult to insert the Chapter's true views of the Imperium by way of anything other than the 'prisoner excerpts' and the 'graffiti' they left behind except by way of postulation by the Adept writing the IA. I hope I haven't turned it from too weak and subtle to too much of a sledgehammer upside the head. :lol: