IA: Infinity Knights

[Ace Debonair]

Devotion beyond Death - The Infinity Knights

"Take this broken shell, and harvest from it anything that may still function to give my brothers the strength to continue our Primarch's legacy." - The last request of Chapter Master Cassar Thadrus, Infinity Knights

History:

"Sometimes in death, we can exceed our achievements in life." - Captain Rall Hamir, Infinity Knights Second Company

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/sm.php?b62c=@i1HDG_hAbQO.i8TzJ@@@@@@@hnVFB@hd0fp@@..@__@@@@____.@.______@@@@@hCmX3hd0fp______@@_____hr3ufiakk7&grid=TRUE

Pictured: A tactical marine of the Infinity Knights 4th Company.

Created in the 9th Founding, the Infinity Knights were blessed with the geneseed of Rouboute Guilliman via his sons the Ultramarines. Their given mission was straightforward - reinforce the Imperial presence in the area of space close to the border between Segmenta Obscurus and Ultima.

The new Chapter would be led by Captain Cassar Thadrus, formerly of the Ultramarines' Second Company. Somewhat surprised by the honour, Thadrus vowed to take his mission to heart, setting forth as soon as possible to put his new brothers to work. The Infinity Knights were assigned a homeworld, Ashar, in the Saias system. Previously noted by Inquisitor Tarret as an eminently suitable world for Astartes to recruit from, Ashar was only a short distance from the space that would later be claimed by The Storm of the Emperor's Wrath. Almost as soon as they arrived there, the Infinity Knights departed in search of battle. All throughout the sector, Space Marines and Guardsmen alike found the call for help answered by the Space Marines of the Infinity Knights. The Chapter seldom fought alone in these early years, instead reinforcing Imperial forces across a hundred battlefields.

Chapter Master Thadrus' tenure as an Infinity Knight was regrettably short. He met his end on the surface of Laucus' World, fighting the vile Dark Eldar. His last wishes were simple, if unusual - Thadrus implored that his body to be frozen, and any worthwhile organs harvested to replace damaged ones in his brother marines. This unorthodox request struck a chord within the Chapter - numerous dying marines would plead for a similar fate, until eventually the Chapter's Techmarines were forced to modify a chamber on each Strike Cruiser and Battle Barge to accomodate the willing dead in a form of cold storage.

The practice of replacing damaged organs spread throughout the Chapter over time. Eventually, this practice expanded - lost limbs would frequently be replaced with arms or legs taken from fallen warriors of the Chapter, rather than replaced with bionic parts. Although outsiders find the practice unnerving, or even reprehensible, the Infinity Knights see it as a way of honouring the dead - even past the boundaries of their mortality their strength of arm, or keenness of eye earns them honour after honour. Dreadnoughts, too, became prized by the Chapter, for a similar reason. Using these sacred machines, a Space Marine could essentially conquer the domain of death, and defiantly live on past the time alloted to him.

Over time, debate rose in the ranks of the Infinity Knights, calling their mission into question. Some amongst the Chapter felt that they should be travelling further afield, aiding Imperial Forces over a much larger scale. Others felt that the Chapter should stay true and steadfast to the original mission dictated to it by only fighting in the sector surrounding their homeworld. Some amongst the dissidents proclaimed that the Infinity Knights could never be true to their mission without expanding their area of influence. The numbers of those in favour of travelling afar grew with each recruitment cycle, and unrest threatened to rear its ugly head.

Eventually, after years of debate, and with the consent of the Infinity Knight's Captains of the time, a new, altered interpretation of the Codex-approved Chapter formation was put forward. Now, the Fourth and Fifth Companies were re-designated 'Wandering Companies' and dedicated to ranging further afield than the other companies, seeking out battle wherever they might find it. Since that time, the Infinity Knights have earned a reputation for honour and valor, the Wandering Companies throwing themselves into conflicts alongside Imperial forces across almost the length and breadth of the galaxy whilst their brothers earnestly protect their homelands.
 

Beliefs:

"Death is not the end of honour." - Chapter Master Algren Irames, Infinity Knights

The death of Chapter Master Thadrus, all those millenia ago, left a profound mark on the Infinity Knights, who found a deep and satisfying meaning in the simple request of their mentor. The spread of marines donating their bodies to the apothecarium rose with startling quickness, but quickly became just another part of ordinary procedure for the Chapter, and is now surrounded with ritual customs and practices both seen as ancient and hallowed by the Infinity Knights. Cybernetic parts are infrequently seen within the Chapter, although organic replacements are quite commonplace, especially amongst older marines.

The Chapter's views on death are also somewhat unusual - marines whose organs or limbs are used after their death to repair injured brothers are said to gain a portion of every honour that the repaired marine earns from that point onwards. Dreadnoughts are seen as an extension of this - allowing a worthy marine to surpass his alloted lifespan and continue to serve the Emperor in defiance of the boundaries of death.

Battle-Brothers whose limbs or organs have been biologically replaced frequently engrave or paint the names of their donor-Brothers on their armour. An evolving tradition within the Chapter is to paint or engrave the names of organ donors on the inside of a marine's armour, rather than the outside.

In recent times, one increasingly frequent behavioural fault has surfaced within the Chapter; sometimes older Infinity Knights suffer from mild bouts of schizophrenia, sometimes borrowing mannerisms or personality traits from their donor-Brothers, or answering to their donor-Brother's names as well as, or instead of, their own. Occasionally, afflicted Battle-brothers also find themselves using 'We' rather than 'I' as a personal pronoun.

The Infinity Knights' fervour in the pursuit of their mission has also burnt itself into the Chapter psyche. They respond to any Imperial call to arms with zeal and haste, diving into even the most dangerous of battles without further thought. Though this approach has cost them dearly in lives, through these actions the Infinity Knights have forged good relations with the Adeptus Mechanicus, Imperial Guard and even some of their brother Chapters. On some occasions, Strike Cruisers have returned with barely any marines alive after desperate battles. Sometimes the Cruisers never return at all, leaving their true fate unknown to the rest of the Chapter. The losses of life on these missions, so far from home, is still a cause of some tension within the Chapter, for some Infinity Knights still disagree with the decision to wander so far abroad.

The Infinity Knights, like most Space Marines, venerate the Emperor as the pinnacle of Humanity's potential. Guilliman, as the Chapter's great ancestor, is held somewhat above the other Primarchs. However, the Knights hold all the loyal Primarchs in good esteem, feeling each represents both a being of truly steadfast honour, and a legacy of great servitude to humanity.

Organisation:

"Our mission should be to protect the whole Imperium, not simply one portion of it." - Chaplain Sedris, Infinity Knights 4th Company

The Infinity Knights, while fundamentally reverent of the Codex, tenuously adopted an altered Chapter formation to better deal with their changed perception of their mission. The 4th and 5th Companies would take up the mantle of 'Wandering Companies', using the Chapter's Strike Cruisers to reach further out into the stars. Whenever a Wandering Company returned home, they would replenish their ranks and exchange roles with another Battle Company, allowing a fresh division the chance to serve Humanity and The Emperor further afield. The most notable difference is that each Wandering Company is given the right to induct any worthy recruits discovered on their travels into an ad-hoc Scout formation. These recruits are then admitted to the Tenth Company on their return to Ashar.

When a Wandering Company returns home, there is usually a brief celebration in honour of their success, then a period of re-arming and re-organizing before the Company leaves again. Often the returning Wandering Companies will rotate various members back into the ranks of the Battle Companies. This serves the dual purpose of allowing more marines to experience combat in faraway places against a myriad of new foes, and allowing the marines with that experience a chance to utilize their new knowledge in defence of their home.


Apothecaries are highly prized in all companies, for only they can perform the difficult surgeries used to replace damaged or failing bodyparts with those of the fallen. Such is the importance of the role to the Infinity Knights that the Chapter has expanded its Apothecarium to accomodate a greater number than commonly seen in Codex-adherent Chapters.

The Infinity Knights also boast a higher than average number of Dreadnoughts, gifted over the centuries by the Adeptus Mechanicus as rewards for battles fought alongside explorator fleets. These treasured machines are always treated with utmost reverence and looked after with extreme dilligence - a practice that has earned much respect from various factions within the Mechanicus.

Combat Doctrine:

"Only victory lives forever." - Captain Bruc Haedar, Infinity Knights Seventh Company

The doctrine of the Infinity Knights on the battlefield is simple - strike enemies hard and fast. The Chapter, to this end, often engineers its strategies in favour of a single, fatal attack, most frequently revolving around the deployment of the Chapter's Dreadnoughts to 'tear the heart from the enemy' and break down their strongest forces. It is worth noting that the Infinity Knights sometimes take higher losses than other Astartes Chapters, as this strategy is occasionally employed even when not an optimal way to achieve victory. The Infinity Knights' unusual views on death, however, mean that they do not neccesarily view this as a drawback.

After victories, the Infinity Knights are known to linger for long enough to gather their dead and bring them before the apothecaries, a duty usually supervised by a Chaplain who chants litanies to ensure the continued purity of the lost marines.

Homeworld:

"My life began and will end here on Ashar, but it will be spent waging war amidst the stars." - Sergeant Raul Dussan, Infinity Knights Fourth Company

Ashar, the main recruiting world of the Infinity Knights, is a large planet, substantially bigger than Holy Terra. Much of its landmass is barren desert, with widely scattered mountainous regions. Humans mostly survive in two ways on Ashar. Either by seeking cover in the mountains, on the slopes of which vast, sheltered cities have evolved; or by travelling in tribes across the desert. War between cities, or between tribes, is commonplace on Ashar.

The Infinity Knights themselves have taken an active hand in influencing their homeworld. Junior members of the Apothecarium are required to spend several months travelling from city to city, or from tribe to tribe, practicing and teaching such medicine as required by the Asharans. As such, the people of Ashar have an inbuilt respect for doctors and medicine, and to raise a hand in anger against one can have dire consequences. It also means the Asharans have advanced in the field of medicine - in many cases showing an understanding of biology and medical science that belies their primitive technology.

The Infinity Knights hold recruitment trials out in isolated, desolate locations, accepting volunteers from all walks of life to try and earn their way into the Chapter. Those that arrive at these trials in the deserts are made to work with members of other tribes or cities, and pitted through gruelling challenges designed to test the limits of the human body. Those that pass these tests are considered eligible for recruitment, and taken via thunderhawk to the Fortress Monastery, built into the side of a cliff near the north coast of the largest continent.

An old Asharan tradition amongst the city-dwellers is that dead warriors are buried in the valleys that run between the mountains, their graves marked by a spear driven into the ground. Whilst the Infinity Knights have taken to ritually freezing the bodies of their fallen brothers, the technology used to do so is not perfect, and over time even those carefully managed and frozen body parts can suffer damage that renders them useless. In homage, perhaps, to that Asharan warrior tradition, whenever a Company returns to Ashar, the remains of any dead Infinity Knights borne by the Company are buried in vast caverns beneath the Fortress Monastery. Most frequently, the bodies have many functioning organs removed prior to the burial, and kept for as long as possible in the specially modified storage rooms aboard the Company's vessels. A popular rumour amongst Asharans is that on the day the Emperor walks again, he will restore the dead Astartes from the depths of Ashar, made whole and incorruptible, to serve alongside him once again.

Geneseed:

"In life and death both, we embody the legacy of our Primarch." - Apothecary Asir Sciran, Infinity Knights Tenth Company

The geneseed of the Infinity Knights comes directly from the lineage of the Ultramarines, the sons of Roboute Guilliman. It is considered a link not only to the Primarch, but to all heroes from any Chapter descended from this noble lineage.

However, over the centuries, a minor flaw has revealed itself in the geneseed - older Astartes are occasionally prone to a slow degredation of the organs that mark a Space Marine. For the most part, the failing organs can easily be replaced with working ones via surgeries, so as yet this flaw has not directly claimed any lives within the Chapter. While much study has gone into determining the cause of this degradation, Apothecaries, Librarians and scholars alike are yet to find the source of the problem. Theories that the geneseed's recent degredation are linked to the schizophrenia developing in the Chapter's veteran circles are presently considered groundless.

Battle Cry:

"Victory Eternal!"

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Updated 05/04/2016 (English date)
Thanks for reading!

See any mistakes? Think something needs to change? Give me a shout!
All opinions and criticism welcome, as always. Edited April 5, 2016 by Ace Debonair

[Captain Juan Juarez]

by the time they arrived at the Sharius system..

 

large desert planet of Sharius, in the Saias system.

 

Discrepancy methinks?

 

I can't at this moment spot anything else that seems out of place, so I'll leave that to the next stompy Dread who happens by, but the only other thing is that to my eyes it reads a tad informally.. Maybe it's because I've been writing reports this morning but does anyone else see what I mean?

[Ace Debonair]

by the time they arrived at the Sharius system..

 

large desert planet of Sharius, in the Saias system.

 

Discrepancy methinks?

 

I can't at this moment spot anything else that seems out of place, so I'll leave that to the next stompy Dread who happens by, but the only other thing is that to my eyes it reads a tad informally.. Maybe it's because I've been writing reports this morning but does anyone else see what I mean?

 

Fixed. Incidentally, I didn't know you were a dreadnought. What happened? :D

I'm painfully aware my style of writing does not mesh well with grimdark. Certainly not on the first attempt. :) But so long as I'm actually getting my ideas across, I can refine the wording of things once the rest of the sections are up.

[Captain Juan Juarez]

Actually this is the frist time I've noticed any problem with the grim dark way of delivering, but as I've said I've had my head in formal reports so I could be imagining things.. That and longing to go home!

 

Incidentally, I didn't mean I'm a Dreadnought - though that might explain my stompy way of walking!

[Reyner]

Interesting involving the Rift Lords I must say :) I'm keen to see their Index Tratoris.

 

Rallying quickly, the three companies commanded civilian transports,

 

Would commandeered work better here?

 

What section is next up? Beliefs?

[Codex Grey]

I have to be honest, Ace, I prefer the idea of the Wandering Companies being formed because of the Chapter initial vow to protect their fellow Astartes, than the idea of the Wandering Companies being formed after some terrible event. The former was to me more unique and central to the character of the Chapter, while the latter feels like 'just another terrible event that affects the Chapter'. The outcome of the battle is still unique though, but still. My opinion of course.

 

The section is quite lengthy. There is a lot of company numbers and character names thrown around, some of which could be dropped without much trouble, methinks. I'm not a fan bringing in a completely new traitor Chapter, as I feel it distracts from the IKs. And then the other named Chapter comes to their rescue and distracts further. The role of friend and foe could easily be played by the more anonymous IG/IN and Orks/randomchaoslegion respectively.

 

I've always liked the color scheme, but would personally prefer a more 'pure-blooded' quartered scheme. Inverted colors on the shoulders, yes, maybe even knees, but stuff like backpack and elbows... keep it simple, I say.

And why are the cables gold? And the soft armor blue? I would have chosen another color for the eyes as well, something contrasting.

Edited May 11, 2010 by Codex Grey

[Reyner]

I know that you like your colour scheme and I don't feel it's right for me to suggest something else but how about this?

 

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/sm.php?b62c=@i3CYq_hE4kM.hyvFn@@@@@@@hXbsbiakk7.@@i8TzJi8TzJ@@_@@@@____i8TzJ_i8TzJ@_____@@@@@.._______@iakk7____.iakk7&

 

I don't think I got all the colours right (namely the sandy colour) but it's just a reference kinda thing :D

[Ace Debonair]

I have to be honest, Ace, I prefer the idea of the Wandering Companies being formed because of the Chapter initial vow to protect their fellow Astartes, than the idea of the Wandering Companies being formed after some terrible event. The former was to me more unique and central to the character of the Chapter, while the latter feels like 'just another terrible event that affects the Chapter'. The outcome of the battle is still unique though, but still. My opinion of course.

 

The section is quite lengthy. There is a lot of company numbers and character names thrown around, some of which could be dropped without much trouble, methinks. I'm not a fan bringing in a completely new traitor Chapter, as I feel it distracts from the IKs. And then the other named Chapter comes to their rescue and distracts further. The role of friend and foe could easily be played by the more anonymous IG/IN and Orks/randomchaoslegion respectively.

 

I've always liked the color scheme, but would personally prefer a more 'pure-blooded' quartered scheme. Inverted colors on the shoulders, yes, maybe even knees, but stuff like backpack and elbows... keep it simple, I say.

And why are the cables gold? And the soft armor blue? I would have chosen another color for the eyes as well, something contrasting.

 

Ok, fair enough. To be honest, afterwards I was drawing comparisons to the Stonebound, whose origins are quite similar (and why I veered away from using Orks). I'll try and do something more original, if I can.

 

It's worth noting, though, that what I have now is actually quite similar to the old draft, only with a battle on the homeworld so you know who the enemy is. :P

 

Brand new? The Rift Lords? They've been around since at least the fifth founding. ;)

They also featured in the Stonebound IA, so they really aren't new. They're actually my next project, too. I just need to settle on a colour-scheme and maybe organize their history properly.

 

Colours-wise:

the elbows were always inverted, but I concede it looks a bit busy.

The soft armour is blue because I really, really don't like to use black or grey for it on the new painter.

 

Thanks for taking an interest, Grey. Much appreciated. ;)

 

Reyner:

Glad you like the Rift Lords. I'm going to work on them next, once I've lined all the ideas up in my head. I'll have to test the water and tread carefully with them though, because I'm going to be a bit ambitious with them and I don't know as much about Chaos warbands as I do Imperial Chapters.

 

Your suggested colour scheme does have a certain something... I'll play with the painter for a bit and see what I can do. The sand brown is tricky - that's a custom-made colour, though, and the one you've got is close enough. :D

 

And you guessed it, Beliefs will be next. I'm planning to play-up the 'infinity' and 'rebirth' themes a bit.

EDIT:Also, well-spotted on the mistake. It's fixed now.

I'll re-write the homeworld before I do beliefs, by the way. No point continuing down the path if it's heading the wrong way, and all that.

Edited May 12, 2010 by Ace Debonair

[Codex Grey]

Brand new? The Rift Lords? They've been around since at least the fifth founding. msn-wink.gif

They also featured in the Stonebound IA, so they really aren't new. They're actually my next project, too. I just need to settle on a colour-scheme and maybe organize their history properly.

They're new in terms of established fluff. If someone were to read this IA for the first time, they would be introduced to three brand new Chapters at the very start, when the article is supposed to focus on only one, the Infinity Knights. Using an existing enemy keeps the reader from becoming confused.

I know you like to link different Chapters to each other, and weave their IAs together. And I know I've said this before as well, but I believe the article will suffer if there are too many things going on. You could maybe mention the Rift Lords as just 'a renegade Chapter/warband/company of marines', but you would still need explain it further. Since this is more a cool story that involves the Chapter, but doesn't necessarily affect the theme/character of the Chapter, that should be done through sidebars and the like, imo.

 

It can of course work, as long as you can pull it off (which I'm sure you can, Ace). But I would at least drop the third Chapter.

 

Reyner's suggestion for a color scheme is basically how I envisioned. Maybe invert the shoulder pads for some distinctness?

[Ace Debonair]

Brand new? The Rift Lords? They've been around since at least the fifth founding. msn-wink.gif

They also featured in the Stonebound IA, so they really aren't new. They're actually my next project, too. I just need to settle on a colour-scheme and maybe organize their history properly.

They're new in terms of established fluff. If someone were to read this IA for the first time, they would be introduced to three brand new Chapters at the very start, when the article is supposed to focus on only one, the Infinity Knights. Using an existing enemy keeps the reader from becoming confused.

I know you like to link different Chapters to each other, and weave their IAs together. And I know I've said this before as well, but I believe the article will suffer if there are too many things going on. You could maybe mention the Rift Lords as just 'a renegade Chapter/warband/company of marines', but you would still need explain it further. Since this is more a cool story that involves the Chapter, but doesn't necessarily affect the theme/character of the Chapter, that should be done through sidebars and the like, imo.

 

It can of course work, as long as you can pull it off (which I'm sure you can, Ace). But I would at least drop the third Chapter.

 

Reyner's suggestion for a color scheme is basically how I envisioned. Maybe invert the shoulder pads for some distinctness?

 

So basically, take the name 'Rift Lords' out, and swap a rescuing chapter for the Imperial Navy/Guard. :)

And maybe turn it into a sidebar when I rework the History. ^_^

 

That's not a bad idea. I like linking my chapters together, as you said, but I've recently concluded that only some of them will have any common ground. Notably, The Infinity Knights, Twilight Talons and Stonebound will all have crossed swords with the Rift Lords at points. The Red Lords and Steel Dragons will pretty much stand alone, although I might yet link those two together in a different way. :D

 

Right, back on topic:

I'll get to work on the re-write later, I've got to go out soon. Stupid real life, interfering with my B&C time... :huh:

[Brother Argent]

Ahh Ace, my old friend... I remeber back when you were a fresh fce to this forum, or at least Liber You came with your sweeping grand idea for having multiple Chapters tied together and I thought: "hey, I was working on something like that!". Then my ideas kinda got locked in a small box whilst yours are starting to flourish. It brings a tear to my eye...

 

Um, sorry. Getting all nostalgic there. What I'm trying t osay is that I'm jealous of your commitment and shall use your work as my inspiration to give new life to the Council of Thorns and the Chapters within. Of course trying to write Twelve IAs at once might seem a slight bit difficult so I'll take it slowly.

 

Oh and for something constructive on the Infinity Knights: 1. I liked the original wandering company idea. It was cool and

2. I like the properly quartered colour scheme. Yours is really headachey/busy

 

And off I go...

[Ace Debonair]

Ahh Ace, my old friend... I remeber back when you were a fresh fce to this forum, or at least Liber You came with your sweeping grand idea for having multiple Chapters tied together and I thought: "hey, I was working on something like that!". Then my ideas kinda got locked in a small box whilst yours are starting to flourish. It brings a tear to my eye...

 

Yep. The good ol' days, eh? Anyone remember the original name for the Twilight Talons? Kind of a shame all my first first drafts sucked.

Still, there was some good buried in those ideas.

 

Um, sorry. Getting all nostalgic there. What I'm trying t osay is that I'm jealous of your commitment and shall use your work as my inspiration to give new life to the Council of Thorns and the Chapters within. Of course trying to write Twelve IAs at once might seem a slight bit difficult so I'll take it slowly.

 

Twelve? :rolleyes:

Yeah, I'd take it slowly too. ;)

 

Oh and for something constructive on the Infinity Knights: 1. I liked the original wandering company idea. It was cool and

2. I like the properly quartered colour scheme. Yours is really headachey/busy

 

And off I go...

 

Further reason for a good re-write when I next have the time. ^_^

As for my colour scheme, what can I say? I like my colour schemes to be busy, it's a lot more fun to paint. :lol: Seriously though, I'll change it for the re-write.

[Ace Debonair]

Let there be Updates!

 

...And lo, there were updates. ;)

 

Thoughts, criticisms and opinions all warmly welcomed. Is this an improvement?

[calgar101]

I like very much except the colours; thats a personal thing though. One mistake you put it Eatern and not Eastern ;)

[Donkey Kong]

Alrighty, Ace, we've got to get this one done if Perditia's going anywhere :rolleyes: !

 

Their colours were originally slightly darker, but after only two decades the chapter altered their heraldry to lighter shades to reflect the colours of the sand and sky of their homeworld.

 

This one seems a little forced, mostly because it's only a change in tint. If the Infinity Knights were blue and they took up the brown to reflect the desert world, it would make more sense. Otherwise, I would remove this completely.

 

When a chapter named the Infinity Knights was wiped out in the years leading up to the Ninth Founding, some quietly wondered at the decision of the High Lords of Terra to have the Chapter remade.

 

I don't know about this tidbit. It also seems forced, and makes it so that the Infinity Knights have a lot more to live up to. Also, I don't know if a Chapter Master would voluntarily take up the name of a fallen Chapter. Yes, the Mentors honor the Star Scorpions color and share the same designation number, but their names are distinct.

 

Now, like the Chapter itself, he would be reborn.

 

This doesn't make sense to me. Especially since you said he had "lain at death's door". Being on the brink of death and being dead are two completely different things.

 

Infinity Knights had comitted forces to several imperial efforts, loading their battle barge and all four strike cruisers with companies and sending them to assist in several different, distant systems. But this time, spreading their forces so thinly would also prove to invite catastrophe.

 

Reinforcing a sector is one thing. What motivates the Chapter to extend its reach so far? Any tactician, especially an Astartes, should see the fault in that line of reasoning.

 

The chapter's First, Second and Third companies would stay, fighting threats in the sector containing the Saias system and reinforcing imperial presence there, as they had been bidden at their creation. They would also be joined by the Eighth and Ninth companies, to ensure the continued safety and perservation of their homeworld. The Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and Seventh companies, however, would become 'wandering' companies, each aboard one of the chapter's strike cruisers. They would dedicate themselves to answering any Imperial call for help, no matter the distance or the danger - the Infinity Knights in these companies would see to it that no Imperial loss would go unavenged.

 

You might not like this radical suggestion, but how would you like this Chapter to be purely fleet based? It would really amplify the Infinity aspect, their reach has no borders. They could recruit from the worlds the fought on, or have a dedicated serf population to draw recruits from. If you follow this method, you could even have the home world destroyed, and have them fight to avenge the lost world and its people.

[Ace Debonair]

Alrighty, Ace, we've got to get this one done if Perditia's going anywhere :D !

 

Their colours were originally slightly darker, but after only two decades the chapter altered their heraldry to lighter shades to reflect the colours of the sand and sky of their homeworld.

 

This one seems a little forced, mostly because it's only a change in tint. If the Infinity Knights were blue and they took up the brown to reflect the desert world, it would make more sense. Otherwise, I would remove this completely.

 

Yeah, that sounds better. I'll go with that in the next update.

How is the campaign reboot going, anyway?

 

When a chapter named the Infinity Knights was wiped out in the years leading up to the Ninth Founding, some quietly wondered at the decision of the High Lords of Terra to have the Chapter remade.

 

I don't know about this tidbit. It also seems forced, and makes it so that the Infinity Knights have a lot more to live up to. Also, I don't know if a Chapter Master would voluntarily take up the name of a fallen Chapter. Yes, the Mentors honor the Star Scorpions color and share the same designation number, but their names are distinct.

True. But I do quite like the idea that even killing the chapter doesn't neccesarily mean it'll go away. ;) Also, having a lot to live up to could be partly an explanation for Orthadeus' decision to spread his forces so thinly.

Now, like the Chapter itself, he would be reborn.

This doesn't make sense to me. Especially since you said he had "lain at death's door". Being on the brink of death and being dead are two completely different things.

They are different. It's a lot harder to recover from being dead, for one thing. :lol:

He's coming back from the brink of death, and is going to be tasked with leading a completely new chapter. No longer plain old Captain Orthadeus of the Ultramarines, but Chapter Master Orthadeus of the Infinity Knights. Does it make any more sense now?

 

Infinity Knights had comitted forces to several imperial efforts, loading their battle barge and all four strike cruisers with companies and sending them to assist in several different, distant systems. But this time, spreading their forces so thinly would also prove to invite catastrophe.

 

Reinforcing a sector is one thing. What motivates the Chapter to extend its reach so far? Any tactician, especially an Astartes, should see the fault in that line of reasoning.

I'll give this some thought, too. Perhaps too eager to prove themselves? Hmm.

I'm sure it made perfect sense when I wrote it. I just wish I could recall what my original reasoning was. :lol:

 

The chapter's First, Second and Third companies would stay, fighting threats in the sector containing the Saias system and reinforcing imperial presence there, as they had been bidden at their creation. They would also be joined by the Eighth and Ninth companies, to ensure the continued safety and perservation of their homeworld. The Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and Seventh companies, however, would become 'wandering' companies, each aboard one of the chapter's strike cruisers. They would dedicate themselves to answering any Imperial call for help, no matter the distance or the danger - the Infinity Knights in these companies would see to it that no Imperial loss would go unavenged.

 

You might not like this radical suggestion, but how would you like this Chapter to be purely fleet based? It would really amplify the Infinity aspect, their reach has no borders. They could recruit from the worlds the fought on, or have a dedicated serf population to draw recruits from. If you follow this method, you could even have the home world destroyed, and have them fight to avenge the lost world and its people.

I'm not going to lie, I was contemplating fleet-based for a while. I even wrote up a fleet-based organisation bit. But then, they're just a plain old fleet-based, permanently-crusading chapter. I'm far from sold on the idea, as it takes away one of the two things that people liked about this chapter last time.

 

The Infinity and rebirth ideas will both be played up in the beliefs, once I organize that back into something approaching coherent language. :P

[Grey Hunter Ydalir]

The Infinity and rebirth ideas will both be played up in the beliefs, once I organize that back into something approaching coherent language.

 

I'm finding this very intriguing and look forward to seeing how you integrate these beliefs into the chapter. I've seen the concept of rebirth or spiritual rebirth attempted maybe once or twice before, competently.

 

The question I would ask here is whether you are going for infinity and rebirth in a purely spiritual context or whether your chapter has the 'gene-memory' flaw that others have used for a very literal interpretation of reincarnation, or something close to it.

 

 

Edit:

 

Also when I first looked at your colour scheme here I liked it. Then I didn't like it as much and now I think I like it. Just how did you make a colour scheme that can make me think two different things without actually doing anything? Sorceror!

Edited May 20, 2010 by Grey Hunter Ydalir

[Ace Debonair]

The Infinity and rebirth ideas will both be played up in the beliefs, once I organize that back into something approaching coherent language.

 

I'm finding this very intriguing and look forward to seeing how you integrate these beliefs into the chapter. I've seen the concept of rebirth or spiritual rebirth attempted maybe once or twice before, competently.

 

The question I would ask here is whether you are going for infinity and rebirth in a purely spiritual context or whether your chapter has the 'gene-memory' flaw that others have used for a very literal interpretation of reincarnation, or something close to it.

 

The 'Infinity' thing will be pretty spiritual. The Rebirth thing... less so. :P

It'll make more sense once it's finished. I hope.

 

 

Also when I first looked at your colour scheme here I liked it. Then I didn't like it as much and now I think I like it. Just how did you make a colour scheme that can make me think two different things without actually doing anything? Sorceror!

Now now, let's not hurl accusations of heresy around. I'm not even a psyker! ;)

It's just the result of having free time enough to spend hours playing with the SM painter. I put it down to the blue soft armour. It shouldn't work, but it does. And it looks good.

 

I'm going to be pretty busy over the weekend, but I'll see if I can notch up a repaired versio of the origins and maybe a sensible-looking 1st draft of my beliefs section next week.

[Ace Debonair]

I'm going to be pretty busy over the weekend, but I'll see if I can notch up a repaired versio of the origins and maybe a sensible-looking 1st draft of my beliefs section next week.

 

LONG weekend, huh? :devil:

 

Anyway. I've had a few ideas, scrapped some others, changed, modified, played with and purged the contents of this IA for a good while.

I bet there's a lot of mistakes in there, but my brain really hurts after making this draft fit the BB code and stuff. B)

 

As always, I'm happy to hear any and all opinions, criticism, and similar. ^_^

 

And if anyone does spot any mistakes, you can get gloating rights by pointing them out before anyone else does. ;)

[Dosjetka]

Uhm... I'm not sure that I can really pick at anything right now. That's how much I enjoyed your IA. I really like the theme you have for these chaps, and now, finally, I see a prime example of theme within a Chapter and how it weaves everything together. The result is sublime :tu: And cheers for the theme demonstration too, Ace :)

 

Ludovic

 

Edit:

LONG weekend, huh? ;)

:lol:

Edited May 9, 2011 by Battle-Brother Ludovic

[Madwolf Shadowmane]

I Like It. Seems a little short to me though. Not sure where you can elaborate. I like the story line and unique character, didn't think I would when I read Ultramarines successors. The one thing that I did see is that their reuse of body parts might make them susceptible to the influences of Papa Nurgle. Good read.

 

Madwolf

[Ace Debonair]

Uhm... I'm not sure that I can really pick at anything right now. That's how much I enjoyed your IA. I really like the theme you have for these chaps, and now, finally, I see a prime example of theme within a Chapter and how it weaves everything together. The result is sublime :P And cheers for the theme demonstration too, Ace :)

 

Ludovic

 

I'm glad you liked it! :D

It's kinda been a long time coming, I'll admit. I kept having ideas which were either stupid (in hindsight, of course - at the time they were great) or added nothing to the Chapter, and consequently kinda dragged the whole thing down.

 

Hopefully this one stands up to detailed scrutiny, although I suspect there's probably a few mistakes or problems that need squirreling out.

And probably a rogue typo or two, Emperor help me. :D

 

I Like It. Seems a little short to me though. Not sure where you can elaborate. I like the story line and unique character, didn't think I would when I read Ultramarines successors. The one thing that I did see is that their reuse of body parts might make them susceptible to the influences of Papa Nurgle. Good read.

 

Madwolf

 

Any bits that you think are particularly too short?

I've got plenty of stuff I can add in - it was taking things away that was the hard part.

 

Nurgle influence, huh? :D

I'll have you know the apothecaries wash their hands before and after the surgeries. :P

Good point, though. :P

[Ecritter]

Does that mean its ready for me to look at?

[Ace Debonair]

Does that mean its ready for me to look at?

Sure. The more the merrier.

 

 

 

...I'm going to regret this, aren't I? :D

[Ecritter]

...I'm going to regret this, aren't I? :D

 

Yes ... yes you are. :D

 

First, I found it a nice read with lots of cool ideas. Wandering Companies really nice.

 

Now on to the bad stuff. The IK view on Dreads does not match their use of parts from fallen brother. How you ask, well if a SM gets new body parts, there is no need for a Dread body to keep him alive. See what I mean?

 

I think one of the short areas that could use some extra would be homeworld, also you could delve more into the flaw that has developed.

 

Pics seem to have suffered the update flaw. It reverses pic and label ... only way I know to fix is to repost from a word doc every time. (EDIT: You fixed while I was typing)

 

How does your taking the UM 2nd Company Captain affect our new Community Project? It may not, just wondering if you'd checked.

 

I hate the color scheme, but its not mine so who cares.

 

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All I have ... see not TOO bad :P