Paradigm Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 I'm still fleshing this out... I've started a concept squad around the idea that a group of renegades are hiding out in Tau space. They use hit and run tactics to terrorize tau colonies and kidnap recruits and/or slaves from the Gue'vesa. They are a very motley renegade chapter with only around 200 marines or so left, they have no leadership except for a hastily elevated Apothecary. Because their techmarines have been slain they have made the desperate decision to force enslaved(lobotomized?, servitors?) Tau Earth Caste to maintain their equipment. (I do like the Idea of a Tau with a meltabomb strapped to his back and set to go off at a marine's discretion. Disclaimer: I will not use Tau weaponry, except maybe very sparingly, however it will be counts as something fairly equivalent in the C:SM dex, or in the CSM dex. Probably CSM as I plan on arming these marines to the teeth, Ultragrit style, But we shall see. Captain Akulothes=first, Apothecary-Lord Halkuon=current [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 Astartes: The Executors [/center] Pre-Excommunicate Executor http://i41.tinypic.com/2z53992.jpg [/td] Pre-Excommunicate Chapter Badge The codex was followed that day like all others, and thus it was Guilliman's wisdom incarnate, leading them to victory. Renegade Executor http://i40.tinypic.com/2cxvp8p.jpg [/td] Excommunicate Traitoris: The fleet of the Executors was called to action during the Damocles Gulf Crusade. They served in only a minor role, committing only their second company and only for boarding actions and anti'shipping against the Tau fleets. During the Damocles Gulf Crusade, the Executors 2nd company served in a minor anti-shipping role against the Tau. During operations they recieved a request to withdraw from the gulf to act as mere bodyguards, for an Inquisitor of a most vile nature. A request they denied. The twisted Inquisitor quietly declared them Excommunicate. After the crusades failure they returned to their homeworld to find only a smoldering ruin, the recently ordered Exterminatus carried out by a combined inquisition and marine force(Iron Lords, Praetors of Orpheus, Sable Swords?). The 2nd company was able to rescue around a hundred or so bedraggled and wounded marines who remained alive(escape pods from orbital platforms). However they were soon engaged by the remainder of the Imperial forces, and are forced to make their escape. Their captain and the techmarines accompanying them are among those lost. The marines who remained upon their homeworld; dead along with it. Of their chapter's leadership only their Apothecary remains. Now this dying, disillusioned chapter lives only to exact revenge on the inquisition and the marines (Iron Lords, Praetors of Orpheus, Sable Swords) Renegade Chapter Badge Homeworld: Located north of Ultramar Their now abandoned homeworld was an ocean world, dotted with island chains, but little land. The strange creatures that lurked in the depths did little to prevent the natives from slowly conquering the waves. The naval infantry developed by the warring factions foretold the future of the planet as marines of a different sort took the world as their own. The natives came to regard the Marines as Gods who sailed the sky, and youths were taken to their temples in the hopes that they would be noticed, and taken by the chapter to live amongst the stars. Though all is now a molten glassy ruin. Combat Doctrine: Though once a vehemently codex chapter, disillusionment, and necessity have dramatically altered their course. The chapter, now renegade, has adopted the hit and run tactics they were trained to fight at their inception. With no techmarines they have been forced to raid worlds nearby for supplies, and have made dramatic desperate choices. In an effort to rebuild what they can of their chapter they have began kidnapping and enslaving populations to act as chapter serfs, and recruits. With little heavy support remaining in their armory they rely heavily on devastators during their raids. They have only two dreadnaughts remaining. Very few veterans. Often Raiding Tau worlds to kidnap recuits and slaves they have begun to use enslaved earth caste tau and former Gue'vesa to maintain their equipment. Though they continue to use Imperial technology due to the earth caste slaves having to reverse engineer many components there is a distinctly Xenos influence, and many weapons and power armored suits are a hodgepodge of the technology of the Imperium and technology taken as trophies from various sources. Organization: Once of standard codex organization the 200 or so remaining marines have broken themselves down into four 50 man half-companies, termed "raids" by thier new master, Lord-Apothecary Cassander. This is to prevent the renegades from finding themselves destroyed all at once, and to add greater flexibility. There is also a large Scout company due to the chapter's attempts at rebuilding. Beliefs: The chapter has forsaken the Codex Astartes, and now Believes only in revenge against those who have taken everything from them. Though they still venerate the emperor and despise the alien the mutant and the heretic, they are not above doing whatever it takes to defeat their foes. Even if this means using Xenos to further their ends. They feel nothing but contempt for the codex that they feel betrayed them and their dead brothers. [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%;">A Promise from the East IA: The Executors:[/center] Executor equip Executor The Executors of Guilliman's Codex, have risen from their apparent annihilation at the hands of the Black Templar and Inquisition, to become a new kind of threat in the galactic east. Though a slowly dying chapter, they have shown a cunning will to survive, and exhibited a strange opportunism unseen in a dark and backwards Imperium. Use of forbidden technology is rife, treaty with the alien, the mutant, and the heretic are not so uncommon, the chapter knowing it will never be able to return to the Imperium's fold. They hunt still the ones who betrayed them, willingly traveling vast distances to maim Black Templar, and brutally seeking out every last one of their hated enemies within the Inquisition. Their mantra has become "Burn the Templar!, Flay the Inquisitor!, Damn both to the Warp!" and the Executors care little the means to their end. The Scouring The Black Templar glowered upon his fallen enemy with baleful eyes, and the world around him came slowly into focus. Where once were verdant seas, now was desert, once islands were scorched rocks. The Fortress-Monastery of the Executors was little more than a rubble strewn catacomb. Black drop pods, and the remnants of ships fell from the explosion lit sky, a fiery deluge that both destroyed and carried harbingers of annihilation and holocaust. The arrogant, fledgling chapter had stood little chance against the combined wrath of the Black Templar and the God-Emperor’s Most Divine Inquisition. His many baubles and relics rattled against his armor, as the marine took the cover of a large heap of rubble. Vengeance rounds impacted a fallen buttress, leaving their characteristic molten scar, against the space he no longer occluded. The lone templar spoke a prayer to the Emperor and charged round his cover, bolter screaming in brazen retort. When the bolter fire clove his body a-twain he wept with joy, for the Emperor greeted him with the birth of a sun, erupting across the sky, amongst the stars in His heavens… The captain of the fourth, his chaplain, and his command squad, save Halkuon, were dead. The apothecary ran from body to body, delivering the Emperor’s mercy to as many dying marines as he could keep up with. The deck plates were alive with serfs writhing in agony, among marines who stoically bled out across the floor. The strike cruiser, Hepta, was a scene of horror. A fluttering servo-skull impacted with a clang into the apothecary’s shoulder, its damaged voxcaster hissing a loop from the bridge. >> COMMANsssss…… PREssssNTZsZssssss…. REQssTED at COssROLssss>> Realizing he was all that remained of command, Halkuon sprinted toward the bridge. Minutes later he stood in shock as the only battlebarge, belonging to the Executors, the Basileus Antiochus, careened into an enemy ship, the Inquisition Grand Cruiser. Both ships erupting volcanically, casting a pseudo dawn, fleetingly the stars faded out. For an apothecary, Halkuon was young, and like a young man, learning he was to be a father, stood on the bridge agape, in realization that he was now the only remaining leadership, of the Executors chapter. Created during the 26th and most recent founding, the once noble Executors, are battle hardened and merciless. During their brief history they have both delivered Imperial truth and justice, and brought desecration to revered shrine worlds. In the Emperor's name, they are responsible for repelling Dark Eldar during the Assault on Anhudros. During the Nimbosa Crusade, the Executors contributed a small defense force to protect Imperial Shipping. More recently they were responsible for a rampage through an Ecclesarchy outpost, and for exterminating a recruiting world of the Black Templars. However they have also recently came to the unwelcome aid of the Praetors of Orpheus, preventing the destruction of Praetors' forces at the Siege of Ametros. Like most chapters they belong to the gene line of Guilliman. Their commitment to their ideals and staunch resolve to reach their goals is drawn heavily from their ancestry. Their initial leadership was drawn from the Black Consuls, who imparted an unwavering adherence to the Codex. Their first chapter master named them Executors. They were to be the Executors of Guillimans codex, and were to view themselves as carrying out the last testament of Guilliman. The exact nature of the scouring of the Executors by the Ordo Xenos isn't understood by either side. It is known that it started when the puritan Inquisitor Albacea was unable to stop a treaty of withdrawal made by the Executors with a Tau Aun. The Executors had not been kind to many of the less codex adherent chapters. Some time later, drop pods fell upon the Executor homeworld, leaving it a ruin of molten glass and salt. The Executors who escaped fled into nearby tau space. Original Version Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/159131-the-executors/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donkey Kong Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 I think its interesting and something that can be worked with. I like the name a lot. The question I have regarding the Chapters you chose to destroy your homeworld, did you pick them because you don't like them? Because you do like them? Just curious here. Also, with veterans, wouldn't it be more like the Crimson Fists with more veterans, not less, due to the fact that when you're wiped down to 1/5 of your Chapter's full strength, its the strong and experienced who survive. I like how they contort Xenos to accomplish things for them, but I don't know how far you can go beyond the Tau and their allies. I don't exactly get why you decided to give Techmarines the chopping block, especially if you're using servitors. Wouldn't it be wiser to have Techmarines in those cases? Maybe I just don't get what you're trying to do. I like how you got them excommunicated by a conceded Inquisitor, but you lack any real mention of him, this one Inquisitor should be a major focus instead of just saying the Inquistion as a whole. I look forward to seeing more of these guys. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/159131-the-executors/#findComment-1864824 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paradigm Posted January 31, 2009 Author Share Posted January 31, 2009 The Idea is that they are so desperate to maintain equipment that they have to use the Tau's earthcaste, as they have no techmarines, and the earthcaste are knowledgeable about the workings of machinery much more so than your general marine, even if it is from the marine arsenal. As far as veterans go, their homeworld was destroyed so rapidly that few survived, the 2nd company is relatively intact, but those marines did not hold veteran status when the exterminatus was carried out. Basically for fluff purposes they would be willing to coerce anybody who is capable into maintaining their equipment, however yes being stuck in tau space and in hiding from the Imperium they will likely not be coercing any other races besides the tau. I wrote a short backstory to fill out the background behind why the inquisitor has taken such a drastic measure (and why the marines have no friends who are willing to vouch for them) A general gist is that because of the marines extreme adherence to the principles of the codex, they take an extremely arrogant line and are generally hated by most other chapters. They also feel that the Codex is the only thing they need and so shun contact with other imperial institutions, beyond the mandatory. They do no favors, as the codex does not advocate this. The Inquisitor declares them excommunicate because he is angry with them for ignoring him. He asks for their help several times and they continuously ignore or tell him no. This leads him to fail at several extremely importand endeavors and become sort of a black sheep inquisitor, something he can not stand. As far as the marine chapters I am leaning towards being this chapter's nemisis goes, it is simply because they are there... as in nearest to where I feel the homeworld needs to be in order for them to realistically make it to Tau space and escape. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/159131-the-executors/#findComment-1864892 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mordray Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 I'd have at least a few tech-marines around as you might soon find that being ignorant of what is being done will allow the tau to handy cap the marines... even if you threaten them with death they'll still be trying to escape (or make you suffer) and especially if your chapter is recruiting and training recruits, especially if they are using the hypno-indoctrination machinery then it's very possible that they could alter the information being funneled into the trainee's mind and would likely include concepts of "The Greater Good"... Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/159131-the-executors/#findComment-1864928 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grand Master Tyrak Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 The Inquisitor part I have a problem with. The trouble is that you are a Space Marine Chapter - you are one of only two institutions in the Imperium that operates under the privileged status of innocent until proven guilty. This Inquisitor is going to have to provide some hard evidence (real or faked) and get the support of other Inquisitors before a Chapter can be excommunicated. To be excommunicated, you would have to have either annoyed a large faction of Inquisitors, or a medium faction but have had no friendly Inquisitors to speak up in your defence. One way of getting a 'quick' excommunication is for the Inquisitor(s) in question to convince another particularly zealous Chapter that you have turned and dishonoured the Astartes as a result. There are few things the Astartes like better than cleansing the filth that dishonoured the Adeptus Astartes - could this Chapter have been convinced to act before the excommunication was officially ratified? Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/159131-the-executors/#findComment-1865257 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mordray Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 There was a chapter that got wiped out by the ministorum(sp?) for simply worshiping the emperor as an animal totem... evidence of heresy is a 'modern' concept, and being accused alone holds considerable weight... Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/159131-the-executors/#findComment-1865341 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grand Master Tyrak Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 Mordray Posted Today, 04:05 PM There was a chapter that got wiped out by the ministorum(sp?) for simply worshiping the emperor as an animal totem... evidence of heresy is a 'modern' concept, and being accused alone holds considerable weight... Yes, the Steel Cobras. However, Space Marine Chapters and ranking members of the Ecclesiarchy are allowed to claim a formal trial for charges of heresy. Mind you, if no-one in the Inquisition is prepared to speak for you, the trial may well be a foregone conclusion. Note that it doesn't have to be the Inquisition - the Ecclesiarchy is fully capable of declaring Chapters heretic off their own bat, as happened with the Steel Cobras. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/159131-the-executors/#findComment-1865400 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paradigm Posted February 1, 2009 Author Share Posted February 1, 2009 Which chapter located in the east would make a good antagonist as far as being incredibly zealous? I would need a plot device as to why this chapter dislikes The Executors? Maybe The Executors snubbed them for not following the codex rigidly enough? As far as keeping the Greater Good from creeping in, it might be interesting to just wait and see what happens with it. Maybe they live in fear of the day one of their slaves realizes their dependence? Or maybe they have several Tech adepts that had yet been sent to Mars overseeing the work of the enslaved tau engineers? Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/159131-the-executors/#findComment-1865769 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grand Master Tyrak Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 Which chapter located in the east would make a good antagonist as far as being incredibly zealous? I would need a plot device as to why this chapter dislikes The Executors? Maybe The Executors snubbed them for not following the codex rigidly enough? Any Chapter would hate another that had betrayed the Astartes and turned traitor. The zealousness is just there to explain how they could act on the evidence before examining it closely enough to see any fabrications. Chapters in the wast - a small BT Crusade? The BTs crop up everywhere in the galaxy. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/159131-the-executors/#findComment-1865777 Share on other sites More sharing options...
XKhalilX Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 the steel cobras never got destroyed, they remain alive, look them up in the lexicanum. as for your chapter, i think the idea of getting the gue'vesa is cool. However, i would make it so they feel liberated from the clutches of xenos oppression and are willing recruits. and i dont see how they would forsake the codex of Guilliman simply because the inquisition declared them excommunicate. guilliman never failed them, and the codex never failed them. and how can they call themselves executors if they betray Guilliman if they were the executors of his creed? see what I mean? Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/159131-the-executors/#findComment-1865784 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mordray Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 the real question is just how much of the codex supports their new life style... they are effectively fighting and living entirely behind enemy lines... that's not something that would likely be covered in a book meant for warriors with at least some level of support... these guys have none. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/159131-the-executors/#findComment-1865852 Share on other sites More sharing options...
War Angel Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 if you really want a chapter to have attacked you, i would recomend createing one... you dont have to make an entire chapter, just a name. this is just me, because personaly i find writing anything like that into youre fluff would add fluff to the other chapter, and already created chapters have there own fluff that might not add up with the new fluff. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/159131-the-executors/#findComment-1865931 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paradigm Posted February 2, 2009 Author Share Posted February 2, 2009 I like the idea of a small black templar crusade taking me out, and it fits with the idea that my chapter would give them a hard time due to them not being codex? Not to mention they were present at the Damocles Gulf Crusade. Maybe my chapter chose to allow an attack to take place(during anti shipping?) in order to teach the "non-codex deviants" of the black templars a lesson? Somehow they found out, and they moved on my chapter's homeworld with the angry inquisitor? As far as why they would turn from the codex goes, there is a two fold answer: One they put so much faith in the codex, that they believed that to follow it would prevent them from losing battles, it would make them invincible. And for a thousand years this is true. Though they suffered defeats, they were insignificant and overall they triumphed. However they become more and more extreme in their views. They begin to feel that they must be the ones to uphold the honor of the codex by condemning those chapters who have a different take on it. By losing their homeworld at the hands of another chapter of space marines, especially a less than codex one, would make them question their faith. Second they have lost almost all their leadership, most of their veterans have died, and they are lead by an apothecary. There are no chaplains available to keep the faith. The former and latter combined causes them to lose faith in the codex entirely, many of the Brothers may even question whether or not they have been abandoned by the emperor and Guilliman. With no Chaplains and very few who command greater respect than a tactical marine, seditious tendencies have ample room to develop. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/159131-the-executors/#findComment-1867705 Share on other sites More sharing options...
War Angel Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 why is an aprothicary leading youre chapter? not sure how it is in 40k, but modern military, Corpsmen (equivilant of aprothicary) are kinda low on chain of command. platoon leaders (because its space marines, this would be about the same as a vet sergeant) are officers. even if im wrong, vet sergeants are still Non commisioned officers, they would outrank the aprothicary Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/159131-the-executors/#findComment-1869290 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother Gathurn Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 yes but the apothecaries hold tremedus respect because of the gene seed. I might make a Techmarine your leader. that way game wise you could play a motf and assault squad without packs since you want them armed to the teeth. Or I guess Bile would work for c:cm. ANd enslaving earth cast wouldn't work they would just die. There fanatics for the greater good. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/159131-the-executors/#findComment-1870558 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paradigm Posted February 7, 2009 Author Share Posted February 7, 2009 I don't know, I think of tau as pretty human as far as how they would respond to having an explosive collar placed around their neck. Many Chapters use Apothecaries to lead their squads, in fact it was a traits option in the fourth edition codex, so it wouldn't be unlikely to see a very senior apothecary taking command overall when there are no other options present. Did a minor update to the origins section. I'm going to elaborate on the excommunicate traitoris section next. (I know it's pretty dry, but I have been doing technical writing exclusively for about six months now. It kills the creative flow a bit, so obviously this is work in progress.) Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/159131-the-executors/#findComment-1873326 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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