DIY Chapter Successor Chapter

[The Normish]

You may or may not have heard about the Doom Guard, my DIY Chapter (link to the IA is in my sig... keep in mind it still needs some work). I was thinking last night about Chaos Renegades and their betrayal of all that they hold sacred. Compelling psychological stuff there, but was also thinking about what effect this sort of thing has on the still loyal brethren.

My thoughts turned to the Dark Angels, of whom I know extremely little. As I understand it, during the Horus Heresy, the dark Angels were divided into two factions, those who supported their Primarch, and those on the side of... Luther, was it? Anyway, I thought that I could pull off something similar with my Doom Guard.

I have been attempting to work the idea of Corrupted Doom Guard into my fluff for some time (though it isn't apparent), ever since I introduced my Chapter's prime antagonist, Ulysses Haart (read the IA). I was thinking that those who sided with Ulysses at the initial betrayal or later on deserted the Chapter would be the prime focus f my Chapter, like the Dark Angels, as I understand them.

Now, my idea was this:

Why not have a successor Chapter absolutely dedicated to this purpose, considering the Doom Guard have other duties that they were initially tasked with? This new Chapter would be designed for mobility and secrecy, and would be sort of antagonistic to a lot of others. I even designed a color scheme.

Here, trooper of the Doom Guard (left) with trooper of as-of-yet unnamed successor:

Several questions of course popped into my head: Is this considered acceptable in the rules of the Liber? Can one create a successor Chapter for their own Chapter? Would it be plausible for such a minor Chapter to have their own successor in terms of the In-Universe fluff? Is this idea too common or cliche?

Any suggestions or responses would be appreciated.

[Grey Hunter Ydalir]

Honestly I think it can work. You simply stipulate that the geneseed from the new chapter was taken from the tithe's drawn from the Doom Guard.

 

However, is the Doom Guard's geneseed pure? If so that's good. If not then, that's not quite so good as it reduces the chances of your chapters seed being used again for anything other than purity testing. Though it's still not impossible.

 

(As a side note those images are on top of each other for me, so left and right aren't really getting there. I'll assume the bottom one is the one on the 'right')

 

A chapter splitting in two however is rather, different. The side viewed by the larger Imperium as being more loyal or even more useful would be supported. I think in a situation like this another, larger or more respected chapter would attempt to step in. Whichever side struck the neutral party would then get the stick.

 

Otherwise, I'd assume by the very nature of 40k and the Imperium that one half of the lot would end up being excommunicated or blasted to kingdom come.

 

It'd be interesting to explain just how the split comes about and how exactly the two sides end up working for the Imperium again afterwards.

[The Normish]

Honestly I think it can work. You simply stipulate that the geneseed from the new chapter was taken from the tithe's drawn from the Doom Guard.

 

However, is the Doom Guard's geneseed pure? If so that's good. If not then, that's not quite so good as it reduces the chances of your chapters seed being used again for anything other than purity testing. Though it's still not impossible.

As pure as Rogal Dorn's line comes, anyway. The Doom Guard are proud successors of the Imperial Fists.

 

(As a side note those images are on top of each other for me, so left and right aren't really getting there. I'll assume the bottom one is the one on the 'right')

Ah yes. Sorry. The one with the red shoulders is the Doom Guard, and the one with the white leg would be the successor.

 

A chapter splitting in two however is rather, different. The side viewed by the larger Imperium as being more loyal or even more useful would be supported. I think in a situation like this another, larger or more respected chapter would attempt to step in. Whichever side struck the neutral party would then get the stick.

 

Otherwise, I'd assume by the very nature of 40k and the Imperium that one half of the lot would end up being excommunicated or blasted to kingdom come.

 

It'd be interesting to explain just how the split comes about and how exactly the two sides end up working for the Imperium again afterwards.

I should probably make it clear that the Doom Guard did not split in two. A Company Captain fell to Chaos (as in literally the Powers of Chaos, he didn't decide to carry out the Emperor's true will or whatever - he is not lyal to the Emperor), and quite a lot of the Doom Guard' followed him. Not enough to cripple the Chapter, but enough to cause turmoil and bring the Chapter tot he brink of collapsing on itself. Something like that. The Corrupted Doom Guard are excommunicated, I'm sure (I'll write that down, so I can remember to add it to my IA).

[Grey Hunter Ydalir]

Well that simplifies things.

 

If the chapter has had a tragedy like this DA/inspired collapse then the High Lords may be less willing to create a successor from their geneseed. Suspicion and backward superstition are mainstays of the Imperium remember. That a large portion of a chapter fell to chaos may work a hell of a lot against them in terms of successors.

 

However, if the incredibly stringent tests run by the =I= and the Ad-Mech are returned with a green-light, those fears may be allayed.

 

If this happens the HLoT may simply want to see if it's the geneseed itself or the character of the parent chapter that was lacking.

 

Unfortunately it all boils down to it still working against you in terms of the odds of their geneseed being picked unless you have a superlative explanation as to why they do.

[The Normish]

Well, I think I'll expand on the scale of the betrayal.

In reality, it was really only Captain Ulysses Haart that betrayed the Doom Guard at the Battle for Slodia, and it was he that slew Chapter Master Aggadus Kaska, escaping into a Warp Rift.

Since then, Haart has been working in conjunction with the Iron Warriors and several lone warbands of Chaos Marines. I also intend to work in maybe a dozen or two First Company Veterans who defected to Chaos at the original Betrayal.

So, unlike the Dark Angels, half of my Chapter did not turn to the Ruinous Powers.

I can see, however, why the High Lords would be wary of using Doom Guard geneseed to found a new Chapter, and I think extensive screening as you suggested, Grey Hunter Ydalir, would be a good idea, as long as the Loyalist Doom Guard are found to be true in their faith and zealous in their purpose.

As for the reasons for their founding, some excuse could be thought of, or would the pursuit of dangerous traitors be enough? I plan to have the Successor Chapter be very isolated from the rest of the Imperium, concerned almost entirely with tracking down the Corrupt Doom Guard, although of course, it wouldn't have been its purpose at founding. The Doom Guard would have conditioned it, and the Successors would undertake a Crusade of some sorts, but then become highly secretive and single-minded.

Do you think that would work?