Need some fluff-help giving my DIY chapter a back story.

[thade]

I'm still learning and only really know the Ultramarines and Blood Ravens with any amount of detail, and I don't feel my chapter as it's shaping up has much to do with either of them. Here is what little I have so far:

 

One old dreadnought (now very old) and a handful of elite troops left [some as-yet-to-be-determined but fitting chapter] and started a new one, some reasonable but long freakin time ago. (I don't mind my chapter being "young", but I get the sense even the young chapters are at least a few thousand years old now.) My chapter favors flame throwers, jump packs, and close combat. Favors may be light...literally anywhere I can take a flame thrower, I have done so: dreadnoughts, tac squads, assault squad has two (and I'm going to get another assault squad AND a flying vanguard squad). My librarian is taking the template-using power (walking flame elemental, no brainer for my guys), and I'm shopping for a heavy flamer terminator. My troops are psyker-friendly. I'll be fielding some grey knights as allies (and one of them will have an incinerator), probably frequently. I don't really have a favored enemy in mind, but my force is largely anti-infantry, so probably things like Waaaghs and Tyranids are what they have the most experience dealing with. My working chapter name is the Red Shields.

 

So...what are chapters I could consider as the one that the dread and those elites came from? Salamanders came to mind, but my guys are already painted with normal-colored skin. Blood Angels also fit the mark..but I can't see anybody leaving the Blood Angels to start a new chapter, so that's out. Why would anybody leave a chapter anyway? Just to start their own for the fun of it? Or would a disagreement/in-fighting be necessary? Perhaps just splintered away so long, found a cache of unclaimed relics, found their own recruiting worlds and just grew from there? I have no idea. Ideas, please? =)

[Hubernator]

To the Liber this goes... away!!

 

...

 

*queue mod to whisk this to the liber*

 

 

 

Aaaaaaaaanyway, fluff-wise it's a tad off. It kinda takes more than an old dread and some elites to form a Chapter. General path is a Captain or a high-ranking marine in a Company is chosen by the High Lords to form a new Chapter. SUch a thing is an honour you know. So the chosen person selects some men to kickstart his Chapter, takes a few ships and either finds a homeworld or goes off to seek the enemy, depending on what he (or you as the creator) wants to do. Whether they settle on a world or not is entirely your choice.

Geneseed-wise Sallies would sound fitting of course, because of the pyrotechnics. Ultras are easy too since there's literally no snags you have to consider before picking them. And if you're worried about your newfound Chapter not being the same as their parent Chapter, don't worry - not all Chapters are the same. Just helps if you explain why they are different.

[thade]

Okay, so...High Lords say "Make a new chapter" and it happens. Resources are allocated, and some number of experienced soldiers are moved over to the new chapter to kick start/train it. Yes?

 

So they could be a Blood Angels off-shoot if simply the High Lords say "Do it", then there would be more than just one chapter with their geneseed corruption. (Of course, it would make sense to make them a BA codex chapter instead of standard codex, in that case. Hmm.)

 

They could just as easily be an Ultramarines child-chapter if they were founded along with the hundred or so other unnamed chapters during...whatever founding that was?

 

And they needn't settle a world, right? They can just be fleet-based? I like that idea.

[Hubernator]

INdeed. Why the leader was chosen is the bit you need to focus abit on. There's no point just saying 'the High Lords liked this guy and said "ey buddy be a master for a chapter' and he was like 'woooooah dudes sure!'". There does need to be a valid reason why he was chosen. ONce youve settled on why they were created you can then say what they do after creation, like find a homeworld or hunt the enemy.

 

For your geneseed, it can easily be UM or BA. UM is bog-standard amongst geneseeds purely because it's not tainted and plenty of Chapters have UM geneseed. BA are fewer mainly because of the Curse of theirs but it doesn't put people off.

 

And no they don't have to have a homeworld. [plug] My chapter doesn't although it does patrol a system, sorta like it claimed it for themselves [/plug]

 

 

 

SO, important bits to consider:

when they were founded

what's their purpose for being founded

why was X chosen to lead this new chapter

 

For some more help, check these two threads out :)

Guide to DIYing

Timeline

 

PS: 21st is Cursed Founding, so that'd allow any mutations. 13th is Dark FOunding so that leaves some options too. 2nd Founding is off-limits

[Orean]

If you are looking for some inspiration to get the ball rolling i would advise having a look at the Index Astartes articles. These should give you some idea as to how a chapter is started & why. I know they were a great help to me when i decided to create a backstory for my chapter. You can find the articles here:

 

http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/content/...097&start=1

 

Hope this helps.

[Sigismund Himself]

If you are looking for some inspiration to get the ball rolling i would advise having a look at the Index Astartes articles. These should give you some idea as to how a chapter is started & why. I know they were a great help to me when i decided to create a backstory for my chapter. You can find the articles here:

 

http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/content/...097&start=1

 

Hope this helps.

They're not the full Index Astartes articles, unfortunately.

[Chaplain Mecurio]

IMO, Salamandes would work best here. The love of fire and all of that. The only reason that they have the onyx skin and red eyes is due to gene-seed interaction with Nocturnes sun. It also makes them a little slower than the standard marine. In fact, there is a decent reason to split into a new chapter. The High Lords wanted a more fast attack oriented chapter but retaining the compassion that the Salamanders generally have for John Q. Imperial. So, they pick a few marines, set them up with some jump packs and flamers and send them on their merry way. Technically, your founding members of said chapter would still have the black skin / red eyes, but that's something a helmet will cure.

[thade]

First of all, thank you all for your thoughts and help here. I'm not a stranger to the creative process, but I'm a total rookie when it comes to Space Marine fluff. Posting ideas here and getting feedback on whether or not it fits/contradicts canon is precisely what I want and need.

 

I'm leaning Salamanders, and I have a thing for the number seven, so if it's not out of the question, the seventh founding is I think my goal. A few Salamanders to train them, most return but several stay, and I think helmets are a good idea (much of my army wears black armor, so I fear black skin would look tacky) for those that remain. Will this let me use the concept of a Forgefather? I want to use a "counts as Vulkan" unit, and I could name him anything or make up the title, but I like the word "Forgefather"; he needn't seek Vulkan's relics (that's for the Salamanders, however good my chapter's relationship with them is). I guess my chapter could help seek them, but if they've been around since seventh founding and not found a one? Maybe I could assert they had found one and just ret con it if GW ever publishes the remainder of his lost-and-found goodies.

 

For my Vulkan model, I got a commander box and used a power axe from an assault box and I'm cutting up a flamer and giving him a cape...fancy paint work (courtesy of my really tainted painter friend) is going to make everything on him look fancy. Maybe the axe could be one of Vulkan's relics, if this isn't stepping on any canon toes.

 

EDIT: I mean "canon" as in "fits the story" and not canNon as in "boom." Spelling error corrected.

[thade]

I read the entry on Vulkan in the codex again...so I either have a name for my relic weapon axe, or to rethink it as neither of the four may be simply a relic weapon axe....tomb of Fire. Where/what is that? If they bust it open, do they get info on all four. Is it just a saying? It's hard to find this information, scattered across so many books. @_@ Many of which I don't own (or even know exist).

 

Maybe the seventh founding is too early, but my conflict is sort of Which question do I want easier to answer? "Why make a new chapter now?" vs "What has this chapter been up to?"

[Prathios]

Just a quick note, I think the Salamanders are a great choice and you can justify the skin color another way. If you are using the army as it is today many thousands of years after the founding most of the founders (dreadnought aside) will be dead anyway. And without the sun the skin color would begin to fade after several generations of marines. So aside from the founders and first several generations you needn't worry about skin color. I also would hope your marines are fairly caring and friendly guys if they are a sally offshoot.

 

Also remember if you do take the BA seed you have to have the curse. So that limits some of your fluff by a good margin and the BA are greatly feared by many and greatly distrusted by the Inquisition. The Salamanders have no such problem.

[thade]

Just a quick note, I think the Salamanders are a great choice and you can justify the skin color another way. If you are using the army as it is today many thousands of years after the founding most of the founders (dreadnought aside) will be dead anyway. And without the sun the skin color would begin to fade after several generations of marines. So aside from the founders and first several generations you needn't worry about skin color. I also would hope your marines are fairly caring and friendly guys if they are a sally offshoot.

 

This sounds ideal to me. I like the idea of friendly-ish space marines. And if they've been around a while (since 7th founding) people will be familiar with them...they could have friends in various chapters or even other imperial forces. That'll give me a way to justify the allies I want to run with: right now I have grey knights, but I'm already eye balling Adeptas Sororitas...in particular, Celestine...my guys like fire, she has a flaming sword, flies, and is an HQ unit...match made in heaven right there.

 

Slowly slowly taking shape. =)

[Prathios]

Well if you want to include GK in your army perhaps you can use that in the reason they were given their own chapter. Perhaps the Captain who founded your chapter was essential to the defeat of an arch daemon when he came to the aid of a Grey Knight Grand Marshal. He lost over half his marines but the Daemon was destroyed and the Salamanders were deemed clean by the Grey Knights. The heroism shown in this battle was enough that the Grey Knights submitted the name of this captain to the high lords (one of which is an Inquisitor Lord anyway, and a Grand Master would have easy access to his ear.) This would get your chapter its name and a link to the Grey Knights. One two punch.

[Chaplain Mecurio]

Man, it seems that everyone lately is relying on the =I= angle for their chapter formation. Personally, I feel like it's played out.

[thade]

Man, it seems that everyone lately is relying on the =I= angle for their chapter formation. Personally, I feel like it's played out.

 

What do you mean, man? Remember, me = rookie. =I= ...is that the Inquisition? Please elucidate.

 

I think my Chapter formation should come from a High Lord decree, and their relationship with the GK will be something that comes up later in their career. Where in Space is Nocturne? What front? (Time for me to go over the maps with a magnifying glass.)

[Chaplain Mecurio]

Ahh, yes, fogive me. I did mean the Inquisition. Also, I don't mean to be critical of your ideas, it just seems like this board is awash with DIY chapters trying to shoe horn in some Inquisitorial reason as to why their chapter was formed. That's all I ment. :) In the end, it's your baby to do with as you see fit, and you don't need to take my, or any other, suggestions if you don't want to.

 

Try the Lexicanum if you haven't already, but reader beware, some of the stuff is a little iffy. They try to police it as much as possible but sometimes bad info gets through.

 

wh40k.lexicanum.com

[Prathios]

Thats hardly fair to me isn't it? I mean he said he wanted ally Grey Knights so I came up with the most plausible explanation I could...

[nihilio]

Concerning parent chapters, you could go:

Salamanders: Because of the flamer angle. They opted for using jumpapcks because the captain was taken from the 8th company

Ravenguard: Due to jumppacks. Flamers could be used because, early on, they had to cleanse a world of tyranids or plague zombies

Iron Hands: They have a revered dreadnaught as an importand figure in the formation of the chapter.

[Chaplain Mecurio]

Thats hardly fair to me isn't it? I mean he said he wanted ally Grey Knights so I came up with the most plausible explanation I could...

 

I also did not mean to offend you, or anyone. I apologize if I did. I just don't understand this love for the Inquisition.

[Prathios]

Thats hardly fair to me isn't it? I mean he said he wanted ally Grey Knights so I came up with the most plausible explanation I could...

 

I also did not mean to offend you, or anyone. I apologize if I did. I just don't understand this love for the Inquisition.

 

Oh no no, I was by no means offended. I suppose the tone I was going for is more or less impossible to convey through text. I don't see the love of Inquisition as much as you do perhaps but I play DH and BT and love them both (despite the DH being sorely underpowered). I think the =I= is interesting because people like detective stories on a grand scale. The supreme power they wield is also likely a draw. I like them because of... well the Eisenhorn and Ravenor books, they are just about the best sci-fi books I've ever read. But I also love the marine chapters such as my Templars because honestly I think Chaplains are the coolest thing ever. Its the main reason I took the BT, cause they have the best Chaplains ever.

[Orean]

I like your choice of the salamanders as a source, not many people seem to want to use it. If you want some additional sallies fluff i was able to find this for you:

 

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/index.p...showarticle=128

 

Hope this helps.

[Chaplain Mecurio]

Thats hardly fair to me isn't it? I mean he said he wanted ally Grey Knights so I came up with the most plausible explanation I could...

 

I also did not mean to offend you, or anyone. I apologize if I did. I just don't understand this love for the Inquisition.

 

Oh no no, I was by no means offended. I suppose the tone I was going for is more or less impossible to convey through text. I don't see the love of Inquisition as much as you do perhaps but I play DH and BT and love them both (despite the DH being sorely underpowered). I think the =I= is interesting because people like detective stories on a grand scale. The supreme power they wield is also likely a draw. I like them because of... well the Eisenhorn and Ravenor books, they are just about the best sci-fi books I've ever read. But I also love the marine chapters such as my Templars because honestly I think Chaplains are the coolest thing ever. Its the main reason I took the BT, cause they have the best Chaplains ever.

 

I happen to agree on the chaplains, but as for the =I=, I suppose I take a more Space Wolf view of Imperial meddling in the Astates. Nothing personal, they need to hunt down the traitors, xenos, and heretics and point us in the right direction.

 

But, anyway, to the topic at hand, as the above poster stated, you don't see many succesor chapters to the Salamanders. Even the Black Dragons don't have proof. Reasons? Mostly due to their traditionally low numbers and the , GRRR!, Inquisition. They figure if it looks like a duck, it's possible it may walk like a duck and quack like a duck. We all know that the Salamanders aren't exactly angelic in appearence. But if you want a =I= angle on you chapter creation, consider this: The Inquisition knows that the Salamanders are daemonic looking, but are probably one of the most humane and compassionate chapters of the Astartes. Say the Inquisitor High Lord wants to have these great characteristics, but with an appearence more in line with the rest of humanity. So the High Lords grab a handful of gene-seed, give them a few ships, you did say you like the idea of being fleet-based, and go from there.

 

Bah, Inquisitors, meddlers, one and all. :P