IA: Voyagers (WIP)

[Grey Hunter Ydalir]

Since the last topic on these guys I've had a few different iterations in my mind, but have finally put pen to paper (literally, though perhaps it would have been easier to write it on the computer).

 

Below I am going to list my first draft for the Origins section along with a few different brief box outs depicting the chapter (roughly) and how it is viewed by other Imperial Organisations.

 

This is all very rough so far and probably overly wordy but it will be edited down in the end if required. Some of it is being re-evaluated and a lot probably will be changed, this has all just come straight out of my head and onto the page so there will definately be some errors and awful bits of writing. Some things need names, some need to be mentioned less. This is basically a disclaimer to not focus on the Grammar and take the story as a whole.

 

To anyone who didn't read the first topic on these guys, they are relic finders. They actively seek out relics from the Imperiums history, especially Astartes relics an return them to their original owners.

 

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Origins

 

The Voyagers were created in the 24th founding, their early years spent defending the Imperium as one of many new chapters striving to make a name for themselves among their brothers. They had not been granted a homeworld, their creation mandate being to protect the wider Imperium against the capricous Eldar craftworlds and as such a Homeworld would have been unsuitable. The Eldar however were notoriously hard to pin down and the Chapter spent many generations chasing both Craftworlds and Dark Eldar raiding paties across the Imperium. The Voyagers were an unremarkable chapter for the most part. Advocates of the Codex Astartes in the same reverence of their primarch Robute Guilliman. They were trained by a cadre of veterans from the Ultramarines and their successors, further cementing their adherance to the Codex Astartes. Their course was forever altered however when they recieved a desperate hymnal of distress while tracking the Alaitoc Craftworld. The call originated from a shrine world located near the dead world of Doton in the Ultima Segmentum.

 

The Outrage

 

The holy reliquaries of the world were being gutted by heretics. The relics of immense value to the Imperium and Chapter Master Dujek immediately ordered his fleet to its aid. The local forces had not been prepared for any assault given the planets virtually non-existant military value. The Voyagers arrived too late to prevent the ransacking of the reliquaries, the raiders escaping into the warp just moments before the chapter arrived. Dujek swore to find and return the stolen relics or perish in the attempt, so great was his fury over their loss. The chapter tracked the raiders through the empryian, emerging close to the upstart Tau Empire, a small insignificant world bearing the evidence of their retreat.

 

The raiders were caught flat footed as the unimaginable fury of an entire Astartes chapter fell from the heavens. The battles lasted for days as the tenacious raiders retreated into the small worlds dense jungles. Recovery of data from the raider camps and strongholds revealed they were mercenaries who had been selling the relics to the Tau, not least of which were Astartes relics dating from the great crusade. The Voyagers immediately departed the stronghold and persued the stolen artifacts into Tau Territory. Without support the chapter was forced to keep a low profile, slinking through the fringes of Tau space. The mercenaries had kept detailed records as security against betrayal by the xenos, which the Voyagers used to find the planet the relics were being held and studied on.

 

The Loss

 

The Voyagers struck like lightning, the planet was caught unawares by the sudden arrival of an entire chapter of Space Marines. The relics were not there however, they had been moved once more and the chapter had lost the element of suprise. The chapter battered through the systems picket fleet, persuing the relics even deeper into the empire. The Emperor had smiled upon them however as the ship carrying the precious cargo had been delayed due to equipment malfunctions, enabling the Voyagers to catch and board them in short order. By this time however Tau Warships had begun to arrive. Chapter Master Dujek led the boarding party, his Terminator bodyguard cutting a bloody swathe through the ships Fire Caste defenders, blasting through the sealed bulkheads to reach the transport crates. By now the Tau had worked out what the Astartes were after and shifted their fire from the fleet to the transport, determined to deprive them of their prize.

 

Dujek and his bodyguards held the surviving Fire Warriors at bay while the relics were recovered. A railgun salvo tore into the ships hull, tearing the cargo bay to shreds along with Dujek and the Terminators. The fleet was now being pounded on all sides, two strike cruisers already lay in ruins and hundreds of marines lay dead. With the thunderhawk from the cargo ship recovered what remained of the once proud Voyager fleet smashed through the attacking Tau fleet and escaped into the warp. Even though the chapter had stayed true to its word and had recovered all that was stolen, it had been a phyrric victory. A third of the chapters brothers lay dead including the much loved Chapter Master and two strike cruisers and many escorts had been lost. Their return to the shrine world was solemn.

 

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Thats all I have for now, there is more but the whole thing gets a little jumbled coming from both my writing pad, through my mind and then generally re-written as I type it up. It all needs a lot of cleaning up and re-working (in my opinion) but I thought its best to get it up now and rework it earlier rather than leave it and have to redo everything later.

 

Relations with the Adeptus Mechanicus

 

Cordial relationship. Due to AdMech paranoia and secrecy the Voyagers are asked not to actively search for AdMech materials such as data-archives or STC templates. Voyagers are 'bribed' with a higher than average quantity (or quality) of munitions and equipment than normal. Heavily disliked by the Iron Hands for this relationship, among other less rational reasons.

 

 

General Astartes Relations.

 

The Voyagers are by and large liked or at least not disliked by the majority of the later founding chapters. Some of the more secretive chapters such as the Dark Angels successors and the Mentors view them with suspiecion and distrust. Some of the younger chapters see their activities as a means to curry favour with the older chapters without having to prove themselves in battle.

 

First Founding Relationship

Ultramarines	Friendly
Iron Hands	Disliked and Untrusted
Salamanders	Brotherly
Blood Angels	Friendly
Raven Guard	Untrusted
White Scars	Friendly
Space Wolves	Friendly

 

(something is wrong with the code and I can't find out where its wrong even though I took it straight from the tutorial. I'm getting sick of squinting at it.)

[Sigismund Himself]

First Founding Relationship

Ultramarines	Friendly
Iron Hands	Disliked and Untrusted
Salamanders	Brotherly
Blood Angels	Friendly
Raven Guard	Untrusted
White Scars	Friendly
Dark Angels	Disliked
Space Wolves	Friendly
Imperial FIsts	Friendly

There you go, there was just one or two little things here and there :)

24th Founding mean that they've potentially spent a lot of time as a bland UM clone (from what we have been told so far) before encountering the Tau and the relics later than 741 M41 at earliest (from memory). Needs more meat as I'm sure you are aware.

Something I think would be cool is an actual enmity with the Salamanders. The Salamanders don't want them to find those relics that He'stan is searching for.

The other thing I would mention is being created to fight/protect against the Eldar.

[Grey Hunter Ydalir]

I bow to your superior coding skills Sigismund. :)

 

Something I think would be cool is an actual enmity with the Salamanders. The Salamanders don't want them to find those relics that He'stan is searching for

 

The reason I was going to have them be quite close is the fact that while these guys search for relics, they search for them in order to return them to their original owners. Therefore if they did find evidence of, or even an actual relic searched for by the Salamanders they would let them know or bring it to them. The chapter is about selfless sacrifice at the moment, even if they do get compensated for it by the chapters they return their relics to.

 

The other thing I would mention is being created to fight/protect against the Eldar.

 

That was not my original purpose but I honestly could not think of a more worthy creation mandate that had not been used millions of times in other IA's. The Eldar are rather Under-used and under-represented in DIY chapters in my opinion, though I admit it could be a problem. I'll have to think about it.

 

Thanks for the commends Siggy.

[Commissar Molotov]

It strikes me as rare that a 24th Founding Chapter would A: contact and B: have experience with all nine of the first founding Chapters. It simply seems like an attempt to knit yourself into the canon. There are a thousand Chapters for the entire galaxy - to my mind, two Chapters interacting would be a time of great import. Plus, if your Chapter is relatively insignificant, why should the Dark Angels or the Salamanders care? It seems a bit off to me.

[Grey Hunter Ydalir]

I admit that at this point it seems unclear why such things would be common or possible. Simply though, some chapters become well known (at least among the Astartes) for some of their deeds. The fact that the Voyagers retrieve relics and return them to their original owners would bring them into contact with many of the older chapters, particuarly the first founding chapters due to their extensive history thoughout the Imperium. The Great Crusade had many of these chapters cris-crossing the galaxy, conquering worlds as they went. The contact between the Voyagers and these older chapters may not be extensive, but they would be aware of their activities I would think, especially if they personally deliver their findings.

 

I could well make them an older chapter, but that would think that would make it harder to describe such a total change of tac. From following the Codex Astartes to the letter as a faithful Ultramarines successor to changing their organisation (slightly, and still to come) and changing their mandate handed to them by the High Lords of Terra.

 

It simply seems like an attempt to knit yourself into the canon.

 

This is true, I am trying to knit my chapter into the canon. How is this any different from any other DIY chapter? You post a DIY here so as to fit the chapter within the strictures of known canon and the current state of the 40k universe as a whole. These events may well not be significant for other chapters, older chapters having an entire history over the past 20 or so Millenia, however for a fairly young chapter these events would be of great magnitude for them.

 

Though I digress perhaps limiting their contact as a younger chapter to only a few of the older first founding chapters.

 

Again this is a Work in Progress and things can and will be changed.

 

Thanks for the comments, this is good stuff keep it coming. :blink:

[Commissar Molotov]

Perhaps I should be clearer: It reads like a clumsy attempt to knit yourself into the canon, in a "look at me! look at me!" sense. It's not very graceful, and that's a shame. I'm a little dubious about the relic obsession, also - would there really be that many relics scattered around? And why aren't the original Chapters in question hunting them down? If you can elucidate your idea further it might become clearer. It's in part the focus on 'Astartes' relics as opposed to Ecclesiarchal relics, where any particularly pious man could be a saint and then worthy of veneration and protection. There's more relics (and therefore more mileage) if you go down an Ecclesiarchal route.

[Grey Hunter Ydalir]

It reads like a clumsy attempt to knit yourself into the canon, in a "look at me! look at me!" sense. It's not very graceful, and that's a shame.

 

It is a shame, but this is also a very rough first draft and as such will be changed. I do admit it is a bit clumsy at the moment and I will be taking steps to remedy that with the help of the wonderful chaps in Liber Astartes. ;)

 

 

It's in part the focus on 'Astartes' relics as opposed to Ecclesiarchal relics, where any particularly pious man could be a saint and then worthy of veneration and protection. There's more relics (and therefore more mileage) if you go down an Ecclesiarchal route.

 

I probably should have been a bit clearer too. The Voyagers hunt down all relics, but they would naturally focus on Astartes relics, especially those belonging to ancient and long lost heroes. Personally I think the galaxy would be almost littered with the detritous of the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy, I think the legions that lost the gear would have either lost some to scavengers or other means but would be more focussed on fighting the never ending wars of the Imperium than gathering ever last unaccounted for piece of gear, which highlights a rather striking flaw in my own chapter.

 

However this is not the entire chapters job. The Voyagers particuarly go after rumours of lost relics, and by relics I dont just mean 'the chalice of such and such a hero for example. A relic can be an item of technological wonder from the Dark Age of technology that seems to be a magical item, or even simply a spiritual one given that no one understands the tech anymore.

 

Though I must say I dont see them tripping over long lost battlegear at every step, the fact is that if they come across something previously lost to another chapter or organisation (a lost Imperial Guard standard for example) they will do their utmost to restore the item to its owner, taking pride in the returning.

 

In essence I want to strike a balance between obsessive compulsive junk-collecting and elitist and therefore almost useless niche collectors. The most memorable of discoveries would be those items thought lost, the rumours they had followed up on and thereby found that no one thought to look into, or did not have the skill to do so. I understand where your coming from Mol, looking at it objectively, but I really think this can work and hence, why I posted it on Liber.

[Donkey Kong]

Interesting how you went with this, I remember the brainstorming thread.

 

One thing I would like to know is how do chapters repay the Voyagers? TDA? Relics? Tanks? All of the above +?

 

Maybe you could have them relating to other chapters from other foundings, it looks like the Blood Ravens would hate their guts, "Let me help you find that" "**** off! It's my secret!" ala Dark Angels. Commissar Molotov seems to have taken an interest in them, maybe you could have them relate to the Castigators in some way? (Not trying to stick anything to you Mol).

 

The fluff so far is alright, it seems rather clumsy of the chapter master to go raid a ship with just his honor guard. Also, I'm confused by how what remained of the relics was retrieved? Did a T-hawk run out with a vacuum?

 

Start somewhere and progress, eh? What was that saying? Rome wasn't built in a day.

[Grey Hunter Ydalir]

Thanks KingHongKong.

 

The fluff so far is alright, it seems rather clumsy of the chapter master to go raid a ship with just his honor guard. Also, I'm confused by how what remained of the relics was retrieved? Did a T-hawk run out with a vacuum?

 

Well the fact is it wasn't just the Chapter Master and if that isn't clear I'll have to re-write that to better illustrate that. For an entire chapter to only send one squad of marines on a boarding operation seems a little silly doesent it? The Chapter Master and his honour guard were present simply because it was mainly his oath to return the relics and he wanted to do it in person, even though his chapter would have followed him to hell and back, as soldiers do with a good commander, taking his oath for their own. There were more marines there, they carried off the assembled relics that they could before the ship was struck.

 

Maybe you could have them relating to other chapters from other foundings, it looks like the Blood Ravens would hate their guts, "Let me help you find that" "**** off! It's my secret!" ala Dark Angels.

 

Thats pretty much what I'm going for. I would have listed more but the thing is I could have gone off on a tangent and made a list from every chapter in the Adeptus Astartes (that I know of) and their relationship but that would definately have been clumsy. The summary on the relationship between the Voyagers and the First Founding chapters in essence is a brief overview of who would like them and who wouldn't as the First Foundings cover all of the broad catagories the chapters of the subsequent foundings fall into.

 

Start somewhere and progress, eh? What was that saying? Rome wasn't built in a day.

 

So true, and very generous I must say. :D

[Donkey Kong]

It might also be another nice bit of fluff if your chapter finds something another chapter doesn't *want* your chapter to find. Maybe you found a Fallen (but not a Fallen, just an example for now) and then the Dark Angels have a beef with the Voyagers. I'd recommend against the fallen though, I don't remember which Dark Angel tale this was, but some chapter found Cypher and the DA killed them dead (I've always wanted to use that phrase).

 

Also, you're the fellow who made the Serpent Corsairs? The black marines with the yellow arm(s) and gray snakes running around their armor? Man, I loved the way those guys looked, maybe when working with the Voyagers you can include them? Maybe you saw the Serpent Corsairs take a bribe? (They were Mercenaries if I remember correctly). Or they could be more secretive and you could find a relic that they don't want anyone to know exists? Play around with it, and I think Mol made some chapters/ traitors with some fluff just for the Castigators just to have bad relations with.

 

Sorry I keep bringing you up Commissar Molotov, I just love everything you've done with your Castigators and everyone they relate with.

[Grey Hunter Ydalir]

Those are some good ideas you've got there KingHongKong, very good indeed. ;)

 

It might also be another nice bit of fluff if your chapter finds something another chapter doesn't *want* your chapter to find.

 

That is definately going to be added. I wanted a good reason to have some beefs with other chapters and as obvious as it was I never actually thought about literally putting in anything about them finding something no one wanted them to find, though that would be a very obvious and common repercussion of relic-hunting throughout the galaxy.

 

Also, you're the fellow who made the Serpent Corsairs? The black marines with the yellow arm(s) and gray snakes running around their armor? Man, I loved the way those guys looked,

 

:wub: Thanks! I always liked the way they looked too but I could never find a way to make them work properly as an IA. However this may be the right way to go, definately an attractive concept.

 

Thanks for the ideas KingHongKong, much, much appreciated.

[Grey Hunter Ydalir]

An idea struck me while I was reading through the new Codex: Space Marines, more specifically the Conversion Beamer description in the Master of the Forge entry. Since this chapter is all about relics of the past it would also be interested in finding lost DaoTC relics when they surfaced. I can imagine a rather heated rivalry between them and the AdMech, though this may not work too well, I'll have to see how it turns out.

 

However the real reason I'm double posting was about the Master of the Forge entry. It states that in most chapters the MotF is shunned by his brothers and visa-versa for his machines, even his own techmarines. Though it does state that rarely in some chapters the Master and Techmarines are embraced along with the dwindling technologies of mankind. Chapters that are listed (as some, but not all) are the Mentors, Praetors of Orpheys and the Astral Knights (dead chapter). The Iron Hands do not even need a mention for this.

 

The fact is that I would think that most if not all Dark age relics either have been recovered or are being investigated by the Adeptus Mechanicus with a vengeance, yet it also states that:

"... a Master of the Forge is also tasked with the conservation of any mechanical relics to which his chapter is heir. The oldest and most famous Chapters have many such technological wonders locked within their vaults. Most are so bewilderingly complex that no living man could hope to divine their secrets. Others are forged of secrets so ancient that only an artisan of a Master's knowledge could hope to maintain them without causing harm to himself and anyone else in proximity. If the need is great, a Master of the Forge will take up such a weapon and unleash the fury of Mankind's lost technoligical might upon the foe."

 

This implies that it is not only the Adeptus Mechanicus that possess some of the lost technology. I may be simply assuming that these are older than the great crusade technology which itself has been lost. Even so GC tech would be very valuable and I do admit I would think most of it would have been recovered by the AdMech.

 

Rambling aside I seem to have lost my focus. What I was thinking is that in the Voyagers they would be like the Mentors and Praetors of Orpheus in their embracing of technology, especially being a younger chapter and not as set in their ways as the older chapters (Iron Hands and to a lesser extent Salamanders being the exception).

 

However, this could be more easily explained in a different manner, however I would rather have the Voyagers obsession with the past (as I have decided them to have, as prototype) overwhelming any predisposed preconceptions about old tech and much of the superstition behind it.

 

Does any of this make any sense?

[Donkey Kong]

An idea struck me while I was reading through the new Codex: Space Marines, more specifically the Conversion Beamer description in the Master of the Forge entry. Since this chapter is all about relics of the past it would also be interested in finding lost DaoTC relics when they surfaced. I can imagine a rather heated rivalry between them and the AdMech, though this may not work too well, I'll have to see how it turns out.

 

However the real reason I'm double posting was about the Master of the Forge entry. It states that in most chapters the MotF is shunned by his brothers and visa-versa for his machines, even his own techmarines. Though it does state that rarely in some chapters the Master and Techmarines are embraced along with the dwindling technologies of mankind. Chapters that are listed (as some, but not all) are the Mentors, Praetors of Orpheys and the Astral Knights (dead chapter). The Iron Hands do not even need a mention for this.

 

The fact is that I would think that most if not all Dark age relics either have been recovered or are being investigated by the Adeptus Mechanicus with a vengeance, yet it also states that:

"... a Master of the Forge is also tasked with the conservation of any mechanical relics to which his chapter is heir. The oldest and most famous Chapters have many such technological wonders locked within their vaults. Most are so bewilderingly complex that no living man could hope to divine their secrets. Others are forged of secrets so ancient that only an artisan of a Master's knowledge could hope to maintain them without causing harm to himself and anyone else in proximity. If the need is great, a Master of the Forge will take up such a weapon and unleash the fury of Mankind's lost technoligical might upon the foe."

 

This implies that it is not only the Adeptus Mechanicus that possess some of the lost technology. I may be simply assuming that these are older than the great crusade technology which itself has been lost. Even so GC tech would be very valuable and I do admit I would think most of it would have been recovered by the AdMech.

 

Rambling aside I seem to have lost my focus. What I was thinking is that in the Voyagers they would be like the Mentors and Praetors of Orpheus in their embracing of technology, especially being a younger chapter and not as set in their ways as the older chapters (Iron Hands and to a lesser extent Salamanders being the exception).

 

However, this could be more easily explained in a different manner, however I would rather have the Voyagers obsession with the past (as I have decided them to have, as prototype) overwhelming any predisposed preconceptions about old tech and much of the superstition behind it.

 

Does any of this make any sense?

 

Somewhat, but I ramble on about god knows what and recently bought that novel Twilight so I could legitimately see the movie with a girl I like and her friends. Example.

 

Would it still be a rivalry if the Voyagers found the technology in search of other relics? The AM doesn't really need to get involved until they find an SC in which case, they had best hand it over before the Fabricator General looses a nut [/really, really, really crappy pun]. Now, would it be that the marines respect the MotF for using these ancient weapons, or would the feeling be something less so?

 

I don't see them seeing technology any different than a chapter, even the Salamanders, this is different from the Iron Hands who are a couple tiles short of a roof or those other radical chapters more eager to chop off their own arm to get a fancy Swiss army knife than decapitate foes in the name of the Emperor. The technology does express the obsession with the past you're after.