IT: The Unchained

[Captain Juan Juarez]

EDIT: 28/06/2010

 

Origins

 

At the time of the Fourteenth Founding the Grey Ghosts Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes came into being, tasked with restoring the Savalarn Sector to the glory of Him on Terra, a campaign fought alongside the anvil of the Imperial Guard and the Church of Him on Terra, the Ecclesiarchy.

 

For sixty-four years the Ghosts fought alongside the many varied forces of the Imperium, their martial valor a beacon of hope to the natives of the Savalarn Sector suffering under the yoke of vile Xenos oppression.

 

It was during the closing moments of the campaign that they truly shone, using stealth teams inserted onto the Fortress World of Xant to hunt and kill the vile Ork Warboss leading the forces of that world. Having slain the beast the Ghosts pulled back, allowing the brute force of the Imperial Guard to cleanse what was left of the foe from the world.

 

A small force left under the command of Chaplain Zayloth stood vigil as the Guard went about their task, the Chaplain and his Honour Guard powerless to prevent what would next come to pass.

 

The last surviving Ork space craft, thought battered into submission by the Imperial Fleet, took its final revenge; launching the vile asteroid-like landing craft right into the heart of the Guard deployment zones on the planet below and wiping all but a few thousand from the face of Xant.

 

Zayloth stood ready to respond, ordering his vessel to close on the planet and prepare for drop initiation, but within moments a single lance strike heralded the beginning of the end for Xant; in a decision later ratified by the Eccleisarchy, Lord Inquisitor Valerian Tont ordered the purging of all life from the Fortress World and such was their inability to fight back in any meaningful way each and every ships Captain complied near instantaneously.

 

This is a sign from the very beginning that the Imperium is not what it seems and also what will be the initial turning point for the Chapter – in this case that their martial attitudes will seldom coincide with the wishes of others who wield their power in His name – will have been there from the beginning.

 

 

Homeworld

 

The former homeworld of the Chapter suffered under the yoke of Ork invasion as well as Exterminatus follwoing their turn from the light of the Imperium, the Eighth and Ninth Companies perishing in their defence of the Chapters Fortress.

 

The world of Tuya was a temperate paradise; rolling plains of grass and lushous forests and woods covering almost a half of the planets surface, whilst the rest consists of island chains and beautiful blue seas.

Tuyan civilization was comprised of the more advanced coastal town dwellers and those slightly more primative tribes of men who chose to remain in their ancestral homes within the forests.

 

I don't really want to include a great deal about the homeworld, just the very basic as they won't have it for a great length of time - just enough to build the Chapter without taking too much of the culture in.

 

I want Tuya to be considered a paradise, so that it adds another tragedy to the Chapter - though the Marines would not consider it so - when the Chapter falls.

 

 

The Gospel of Hate

 

Months after the events of Savalarn Campaign, Chaplain Zayloth began preaching his own Gospel to the rank and file.

 

Such was his oratory skill, surpassing all save Lord Chaplain Tayaan, that Zayloth – with gather pace – brought the greater part of the Ghosts into his own hate-filled embrace.

 

Playing to his audience and their pride in their own skills at the art of war, Zayloth began preaching of the nobility of their purpose and the solemn duty to the Golden Throne in reuniting each and every world with the Imperium.

 

Over the next few years the message would change subtly, instead of preaching hat of the Daemon, the Xenos or the Heretic, it would begin preaching of the pure and righteous way that the Grey Ghosts conduct their duties; drawing the Chapter closer together in the knowledge that of all the forces at His command, only the Ghosts are pure of thought and deed.

 

The idea came to me that the fulcrum of the turning of the Chapter was inspired by the Chaplain presence within - that they stopped preaching of the hate for Xenos, Mutant and all enemies of the Imperium of Man and merely preached hate for all things corrput. Over time, this Gospel would turn from those who are corrupt to everyone not of the brotherhood.

 

This would leave an interesting avenue of exploration regarding how true a brotherhood between traitors is possible within the same formation but this may be overcomplicating things again.

 

 

Organisation

 

Gone are the days of glory when the Grey Ghosts, as they once were, could muster a thousand Astartes or more to answer the call of war. Now the Unchained number barely half the size of a loyalist Chapter, five Great Companies each barely worth such a title.

 

The only reason for the Unchained to have a different organization is simple attrition, so there will be no fancy Companies etc, though I need to discover what was done with some of the Chapters specialists.

 

Combat Doctrine

 

Undecided - Trying to think of something unique but I fear that may just complicate matters but have emphasized the stealth aspects of their Loyalist days and unsure whether I wish to carry those over.

 

Geneseed

 

The geneseed that the Unchained are derived from is that of Robute Guilliman, father of the Ultramarines and all their successors.

 

During the days of the Grey Ghosts, the geneseed tithed to the Adeptus Mechanicus was as pure as would be expect of any Son of Guilliman – though since turning traitor any purity that may remain is unable to be verified.

 

Battlecry

 

"Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken!" roared at the enemy in unison.

[Dosjetka]

Hello CCJ! :)

 

I definitely like the Battlecry, very nice!

 

It will be nice to see how another Chapter views the BT's. I don't think it's really been done before (maybe it has, though not in my tiny grain of knowledge) ;)

 

Will definitely be keeping an eye on this, looking very promising :P

[Captain Juan Juarez]

Hello CCJ! :)

 

I definitely like the Battlecry, very nice!

 

It will be nice to see how another Chapter views the BT's. I don't think it's really been done before (maybe it has, though not in my tiny grain of knowledge) ;)

 

Will definitely be keeping an eye on this, looking very promising :P

 

Howdy BBL ;)

 

I can't take credit for the 'cry, that belongs to George R R Martin, the author - incidentally it is one of my tattoos though.

 

 

The idea - drawn from mentions of how in the early days of the Great Crusade the Legions fought together as they built up strength - is that as a "less powerful" force, the original Chapter took part in a Campaign alongside two other Chapters - the notable in this case the Templars - and I wanted to mimic in a negative way the experiences the mutable young Chapter might have.

 

I picked the Templars simply because of their volatile and zealous nature, which lends itself well to this concept.

[Ace Debonair]

Sounds good so far.

What sort of personality do you want this chapter to have?

[Dosjetka]

Got another question, why is the 8th and 9th Company who perished? Is there a particular reason for this?

 

BBL :D

[Captain Juan Juarez]

Sounds good so far.

What sort of personality do you want this chapter to have?

 

A Chapter of hypocrites! :P

 

The premise at its heart is that the attitudes - especially at the very beginning of the Chapter - of the Astartes forces they came into contact with coloured their views of the Imperium in what could be considered a very human way.

That was in effect the beginning of the end; as time went on the Chapter took less and less part in campaigns that would have benefitted the Imperium rather than preserved themselves. As time passed - relatively speaking within the Imperium - the true fall of Grey Ghosts would begin from the first moment they "decided" to take what they needed from other Imperial Forces.

 

 

Got another question, why is the 8th and 9th Company who perished? Is there a particular reason for this?

 

BBL :tu:

 

No particular reason - juts wanted two Companies who follow so i can't get confused when I write :P

Also, being "Reserve" Companies I feel they are more likely to be present at the Fortress.

[Ace Debonair]

Sounds good so far.

What sort of personality do you want this chapter to have?

 

A Chapter of hypocrites! :D

 

The premise at its heart is that the attitudes - especially at the very beginning of the Chapter - of the Astartes forces they came into contact with coloured their views of the Imperium in what could be considered a very human way.

That was in effect the beginning of the end; as time went on the Chapter took less and less part in campaigns that would have benefitted the Imperium rather than preserved themselves. As time passed - relatively speaking within the Imperium - the true fall of Grey Ghosts would begin from the first moment they "decided" to take what they needed from other Imperial Forces.

 

Sounds good.

 

On another note, Ork invasion before the exterminatus could be good if you want them fleet-based before they go rogue. It gives an almost fair reason for the exterminatus, and you could have it happen before the chapter really gets opportunity to try and take the homeworld back, further disillusioning them.

[Captain Juan Juarez]

Sounds good so far.

What sort of personality do you want this chapter to have?

 

A Chapter of hypocrites! :woot:

 

The premise at its heart is that the attitudes - especially at the very beginning of the Chapter - of the Astartes forces they came into contact with coloured their views of the Imperium in what could be considered a very human way.

That was in effect the beginning of the end; as time went on the Chapter took less and less part in campaigns that would have benefitted the Imperium rather than preserved themselves. As time passed - relatively speaking within the Imperium - the true fall of Grey Ghosts would begin from the first moment they "decided" to take what they needed from other Imperial Forces.

 

Sounds good.

 

On another note, Ork invasion before the exterminatus could be good if you want them fleet-based before they go rogue. It gives an almost fair reason for the exterminatus, and you could have it happen before the chapter really gets opportunity to try and take the homeworld back, further disillusioning them.

 

I figured that an Astartes world that has become Excommunicatus Traitoris would be considered for Exterminatus, but really I wanted to add a twist and so the act would only be symbolic as the Homeworld would be overrun by Orks even as the majority of the Chapter finally turns - which would all be very coincidental and a very good way to tie in the Changer of Ways if i didn't want to make them Chaos Neutral.

[Dosjetka]

I think that your idea is Ace! ( :P ) but then that's just me ^_^

[Captain Juan Juarez]

I think that your idea is Ace! ( :D ) but then that's just me :)

 

Just had a Star Wars moment...

 

Ace, I am your... Father.

[Ace Debonair]

The following is a vague explanation which none of you may recognise!

 

The Buffy the Blood Angel Slayer series featured the vampire Angel, a vampire character cursed to have a soul and feel guilt and sorrow etc for all the things he had done.

 

I like the same premise for my Unchained; as time goes by slowly the Chapter succumbs to humanity and most cannot reconcile themselves with what they are and things they have done. The madness which develops is very focused and clinical, not in the raging way of the Death Company for example, and this would tie in to why the attitudes of other Astartes effect them so.

 

Am I overcomplicating? Or could this all tie together?

I feel it does as it more agressively defines why the Attitudes of the Templars had such an effect bvut I know that Curses can be iffy!

 

If a space marine can be killed by a stake through only one of his hearts, things are grim indeed. :D

Makes you wonder though, all those series and they never once set the Death Company loose on her. :)

 

Anyway. It could work, but it's going to be a tricky curse to pull off - try not to make them all miserable and mopey. On a side note, I imagine a chapter suffering from that curse would have limited recruitment, as they'd not want to subject the poor humans to all the horrors of being a space marine. But then that might only apply if you want the chapter to be perilously close to death, so take or leave that idea as you like. :)

[Captain Juan Juarez]

EDIT: Edited out.

[Captain Juan Juarez]

Incidentally, how much Homeworld info is required for a Fleet-based Chapter.

[Octavulg]

How much you got?

 

EDIT:

 

Alternately, look at the home world section if IA: IF, IA: BT, IA: DA, and (IIRC), IA: BR.

[Captain Juan Juarez]

EDIT: Edited out.

[Octavulg]

As always, remember that the genetic tinkering of the Cursed Founding was intended to improve Marines - what was the goal in your Chapter's case?

[Captain Juan Juarez]

EDIT: Edited out.

[Octavulg]

...I could swear I've had this conversation before.

 

Mention it.

[Captain Juan Juarez]

EDIT: Edited out.

[Octavulg]

It's an interesting thought...but how would "lucky" move into "can't take the pressure"?

[Captain Juan Juarez]

EDIT: Edited out.

[Octavulg]

Indeed, that is what I refers to.

[Captain Juan Juarez]

EDIT: Edited out.

[Ace Debonair]

I think that your idea is Ace! ( :P ) but then that's just me ;)

 

Just had a Star Wars moment...

 

Ace, I am your... Father.

 

BBL, I see what you did there. :huh:

CJJ, hang your head in shame, sir. :P

 

It's not about pressure, it's about what the human mind can cope with.

 

Over the course of my reading life I have discovered that there are few individuals who can kill without thought or consequence, humans generally don't have the mental capacity to kill without feeling or remorse.

 

I know that techincally theres no link between the experiment and the curse, but I don't feel as if there has to be.

 

You know, trying to make 'lucky' space marines doesn't feel right to me. Especially since they're unlucky enough be exposed to people of the totally opposite temperament and turn traitor because of it.

 

Perhaps the experiment could be to bring more worthy aspects of humanity to the chapter? That does, of course, ask the question 'how would humanity possibly improve a space marine?'

Maybe an attempt to make more people-friendly marines for propaganda and posterboy duty? :huh:

 

Hmm. Tricky.

[Captain Juan Juarez]

CJJ, hang your head in shame, sir. :D

 

*hangs head in shame*

 

It's not about pressure, it's about what the human mind can cope with.

 

Over the course of my reading life I have discovered that there are few individuals who can kill without thought or consequence, humans generally don't have the mental capacity to kill without feeling or remorse.

 

I know that techincally theres no link between the experiment and the curse, but I don't feel as if there has to be.

 

You know, trying to make 'lucky' space marines doesn't feel right to me. Especially since they're unlucky enough be exposed to people of the totally opposite temperament and turn traitor because of it.

 

Perhaps the experiment could be to bring more worthy aspects of humanity to the chapter? That does, of course, ask the question 'how would humanity possibly improve a space marine?'

Maybe an attempt to make more people-friendly marines for propaganda and posterboy duty? :P

 

Hmm. Tricky.

 

I had thought about scrapping the Cursed Founding idea, as it is proving to be rather tricky and I came up with an interesting (RE: I hope I didn't subconsciously steal it) idea to replace it.