Blades Marred

[Tutteman]

Homeworld

Farron’s World is a feudal world in the Ultima Segmentum, built in the ruins of what appears to be an earlier failed colonisation attempt. As with all too many planets in the Imperium vicious predators, deadly fauna and harsh climate combined to devastate the initial settlers. Upon arrival the settlers began clearing back large swaths of the thick rainforest with the intention of building upon and farming the newly created plains. However they discovered that despite previously supporting rich plant and animals life, the clear areas could not support even the most basic crops. Without any reliable food source the colony seemed doomed to failure.

The settlers had to adapt quickly, they erected tall strong walls around massive areas of the remaining rainforest. Instead of farming reverted to hunting wild beasts and foraging. This came too late to save many of the colonists, many starved and those remaining faced a tough challenge to survive, even the plants of their new home seemed hell bent on their destruction.

From the ruins of the original planetary government a feudal system emerged. While all have to be strong to survive on Farron’s World, many of the poorer prefer to gravitate to those who can guarantee security, rather than fighting for it day after day. In return for "farming" the noble's reserves they bought an Oath of Protection. Their lieges were sworn to protect them against other nobles, raiders and of course to organise them to defend against the forests and its creatures.

With the arrival of the Blades this Oath has been replicated on a grander scale. This oath pledges the planet to support the Chapter in every way, with food, raw materials and basing. Additionally the chapter is owed the services of every firstborn male, noble and commoner alike. In return the chapter brings security and removes certain undesirable elements of society. Though what happens to these people is a mystery to the Farronese...



Response to above post starts...HERE!

It is virtually certain that these guys will not be an army, I may paint up some guys just for display but I'm afraid I'm not really rolling in money so no starting an army for me. :) However if I was to use a Codex it would just be bog standard C:SM

I don't want to use the Eternal Sleepers too much. And I got the feeling having them wake up kind of puts paid to the Eternal part :P The Eternal Sleepers are a total secret, no one outside the chapter would know of them. It would be like waving a sign at the Inquisition saying "MUTATIONS HERE! PLEASE COME AND BURN!" Like I said, these guys will not turn into an army anytime soon, so using them on the field isn't an issue. But I may "for fun" model an Eternal Sleeper on his slab with scribe and maybe a praying Astartes. If I do I think he would have Shiny/Gloss(?) Black armour, nice idea there.

[Forgefather Vulkan]

Nice draft here, sounds like the Dark Angels homeworld Caliban before it got roasted. I'm guessing you'll further this section? Do they just recruit aspirants from the world or is it the hosts as well...

 

I dunno if the inquisition would mind, as you've got the other cursed founding chapters that are wierd and wacky along with the BA who's death company are literally Khorne berserkers and there are incidents where the flesh tearers have killed loads of civvies in their blood lust

 

That's a real shame that they won't become an army, though I did like the idea of a few of them waking at a time but that's just my personal preference. I'm a little tempted to paint a standard marine myself as I've really got into this! Then post the pic :) and yeah glossy black armour would look cool.

 

Forgefather

 

P.s. I'm quite tempted to do a purly fictional DiY that's a bit different that I may do as an actual army in a while as my other one the 'sons of Ares' I kinds lost interest, so watch this space

[Tutteman]

Caliban Pre-Roasting is an excellent comparision, in fact it may be of some inspiration to me. Nice call.

 

On the Inquistion caring, it's still not a good idea to show up mutations in front of the big I. I mean caution is definitely wanted here given the Flaming Falcons (another 21st Founding), in a lovely piece of overtheming, burst into flames that didn't hurt them. And then an Inquistitor decided this was nasty and the Grey Knights...dealt with them shall we say.

 

I mean I doubt even the BA are going to invite an Inquistitor over for tea, cakes, biscuits and view our mutations session...Mmmm, cake...

 

Go ahead on making a Theoretical DIY. Something to do! I'll keep an eye out, though I may be on holiday so if I don't look in, that'll be why.

[Forgefather Vulkan]

Being a former dark angels player I know my Caliban roasting!!!

 

And I dunno what happed to those guys, will look into them, are they the ones that are suppossedly the legion of the damned?? And I could see the BA doing that, they like art and stuff like that. Though they may succum to the black rage and beat the grey knight to death with his nemesis force weapon...

 

Yeah I will think about it... Need some inspiration, where did you find yours?

 

Forgefather

[Tutteman]

Yeah, I suppose the BA are a bit weird at times... (looks around nervously for charging blood crazed warriors.)

 

Inspiration wise, this idea actually came from when I was helping someone else with their DIY a while back. Unfortunately their DIY was...slightly out of 40k fluff shall we say and they didn't take our suggestions well. To put it shortly, their chapter had discovered 10,000 suits of TDA, had some clever forbidden science that allowed them to recruit any age and special psykers who didn't suffer from the warp. As my final offer I suggested his chapter had a gene seed flaw (much like my original one) and that they numbered about 100-200. They discover...ummm, about 100 to 2000 TDA suits and farm criminals for gene seed...He didn't take up the offer, so I did.

 

But you can find inspiration from anywhere, I sometimes have too many ideas running around. I mean one idea I had was for a chapter that did psycohistory ala Foundation Trilogy (Asimov, good read.) Basically a science for probablity of people masses actions. Maybe an idea I'll take up one day.

 

 

 

Anyways, Caliban. Forests that cover most of the planet. Nasty Monsters (The Great Beasts) though my monsters will be more natural...well, not warped anyway, nice clear feudal society. Now I don't want Farron's World to be a carbon copy of Caliban, that'd be lazy. So I'll have thick jungle, but the areas where people cleared for hive building are...well, clear...mostly. Now these are massive areas but only islands in the thick jungle. Travel between islands is dangerous and difficult, and to farm near the edge of the jungles requires constant clearing of the encroaching jungle. The plants are fast growing, deadly in themsleves, mostly fireproof (bark is a good export) and don't like being dug up...bad combination. So on and so forth with standard death world style descriptions.

[Forgefather Vulkan]

Sounds good, I know you're being enspired by Caliban and said that you don't want it to be the same but personally I think the idea is still a little to Caliban-ite.

 

For example all the things you have said happened on caliban at some point before it got roasted, I think to differ it further you could possible have the forest cut back but not totally destroyed as some how it's important for their life style and the beasts kept alive as perhaps they're edible so are used asva food source unlike the order who killed their beasts for the lol's... Just trying to think of some things to make things different from Caliban

 

Forgefather

[Tutteman]

Sounds good, I know you're being enspired by Caliban and said that you don't want it to be the same but personally I think the idea is still a little to Caliban-ite.

 

For example all the things you have said happened on caliban at some point before it got roasted, I think to differ it further you could possible have the forest cut back but not totally destroyed as some how it's important for their life style and the beasts kept alive as perhaps they're edible so are used asva food source unlike the order who killed their beasts for the lol's... Just trying to think of some things to make things different from Caliban

 

Forgefather

 

Good point, wasn't entirely happy but I knew somethign would come up. Perhaps the main exports come from the forests, and nobles like hunting. Perhaps they are just hard tyo kill and the forest really grows that quickly?

 

Another idea floating around in my head is that maybe the jungle is almost amazon like, the ground isn't actually fertile, but dead leaves, trees, animals fertilise the ground leading to such rich rainforest. But take away the trees and you end up with...well dirt basically. Barren dirt. Perhaps this is similar, they have cut back much, but then discovered it wasn't good farming ground, so instead they have to fence off areas of rainforest and hunt wild beast/forage from those nasty plants. Perhaps the main reason the colony failed was they couldn't adapt quickly enough once their original food source plan collasped?

 

I'll expand on homeworld later, and I have drafted (but not posted) the recruitment section. Will post tomorrow.

[Tutteman]

Double post I know...But I bring recruit...ment. Also after I've posted this I'll go and edit the hoemworld section a bit to make it more "farmed" rainforests etc. Hopefully less Calibanite

 

Recruitment

 

The Blades Marred owns the services of every firstborn male on Farron’s World by virtue of their contract with the world’s people It is from this pool that the chapter draws its Aspirants, it’s serfs and in the case of the mentally unstable, its servitors. Until the onset of the flaw they recruited purely from the nobility, however by necessity the program was expanded to provide commoners the opportunity to serve the chapter as Brothers.

 

Every Terran year, the firstborn males aged 10 Terran Years are given up to the Chapter and taken to the Place of Testing, here every child is bio-tested to ascertain if they are biologically compatible. Those who cannot accept the implants will become the Chapter's serfs, the rest are eligible for the trials. Firstborn of Nobles who are compatible are taken by the chapter to the Place of Trials, commoners take another route. They will have to make their own way to the Place of Trials, this is a deadly road with many perils. They must cross some of the most dangerous terrain on the planet and do so in only a few days. To meet this time limit they cannot rest, they simply must push on towards their goal.

 

Few survive the journey, but those that do are thrust into a gruelling series of tests. The Crossing and The Climb are but two of the varied trials. Those who remain to the final trial are left overnight in the forests with no supplies or tools. They must find safe food, shelter and water, all while fending off predators of the forest and the freezing cold. Of the thousands of firstborn entering the Place of Testing each year only a few hundred are deemed worthy.

 

Those that deemed so are finally inducted into the Blades Marred. They will change beyond recognition as they progress, implanted organs altering their very body even as indoctrination changes their mind. Fresh perils await them as their body struggles with the massive changes. Yet more Aspirants will die in pursuit of becoming a true Space Marine. Yet a few will live to fulfil this dream.

 

Their old life is over. A new life in the service of the Emperor waits.

[Forgefather Vulkan]

The Homeworld bit is a lot better than it was, much better then it was and much less Calibanite, good job.

 

Like the recruitment bit... Perhaps you could elaborate on the challenges that the aspirants are posed with... For example how are the commoners challenges harder???

 

Forgefather

[Tutteman]

The Homeworld bit is a lot better than it was, much better then it was and much less Calibanite, good job.

 

Like the recruitment bit... Perhaps you could elaborate on the challenges that the aspirants are posed with... For example how are the commoners challenges harder???

 

Forgefather

 

Will edit more detail into the post, but it's not so much the tests are tougher. All firstborn 10 year old males are taken to the Place of Testing. Here they are divided into those biologically suitable to become marines and those not. The noblility who are suitable are then taken to the Place of Trials by the chapter. The commoners who are suitable are given a choice to be serfs or attempt the trials. But they have to make it to the Place of Trials themselves. And it's not just up the corridor.

 

I think I may name a few trials. Like "The Trial of Crossing". I won't go into specifics on more than one, if any at all. It'll be a reference on the lines of "They face many trials, such as The Trial of Crossing and The Climb. In the final trial each initate is left to survive overnight in the forests with nothing more than a combat knife." That kind of stuff.

[Forgefather Vulkan]

Ok sounds good.

 

Nothing like a few tricky challenges for the aspirants to keep them on their toes! These guys are really having a rough time! After all these challenges they may die in the surgery!!

 

Forgefather

[Tutteman]

Okay Combat Doctrine drafted, also I'm thinking up proper names. Probably something to do with the firstborn aspect. But nothing too...presumptous. So the "Emperor's Firstborn" is out.

 

Imperial Firstborn? Farron's Firstborn. Firstborn Blades? Golden Firstborn? Just spouting really, any suggestion from anyone would be great. Thanks again.

 

Combat Doctrine

 

The Blades Marred are equally capable fighting a raiding campaign as they are spearheading a frontal assault. War is approached cold bloodedly. Little emotion is allowed, no mercy shown, only in battle can their anger and hate be released upon the foes of the Emperor. Even then their commanders must remain calm and unaffected, for many of the great failures in Imperial Military history have befallen from a loss of control. The Blades do not intend to be the next example.

 

Due to their difficulty in replacing large losses they have a marked preference for guerrilla tactics, probably to avoid the large losses more direct tactics could incur. Generally they weaken their enemy first with hit and run attacks. This task falls mostly to the Scouts of the Chapter but also the faster elements of the force, they are given targets such as supply depots, isolated patrols and communications. The enemy are left demoralised, confused and ill supplied. Only then does the final strike fall with full weight. The Bladeborn come upon their foes in overwhelming strength, no quarter is given.

 

However the chapter does not limit itself to just hit and run tactics, like all Space Marines the chapter are skilled at all forms of war. They are flexible, taking their lead from the Codex by basing their strategy on the situation they encounter rather than fixing themselves in a mindset. They believe they face trials from the Emperor, and that they must overcome through any means necessary.

[Forgefather Vulkan]

Ok names... I still like the blades marred but if you don't want that, the imperial blades or firstborn is cool. I know you wanted to include first firstborn in the name but that could be a bit tricky as I find it a bit of an imperial guard thing I.e. The vostroyan firstborn. Kinda like imperial blades

 

Ok so they're a codex chapter that uses guerrillia tactics... And hit and run, could you elaborate on what they use to do this as I automatically think of the Raven Guard and White scars when I see this.

 

Forgefather

[Captain Juan Juarez]

Warning: The following is born from little sleep and too many things running through my mind.

 

The Baldeborn

 

 

Which has the benefit of sounding alot more cool in my mind than it does written/type out.

[Tutteman]

Okay, overall it's more of a strategy then battlefield tactics. So the force is balanced so to speak, in that they do not have loads of Assault troops or loads of Whirlwinds (They do have more scouts...). Part of this Doctrine of the Test (as in the Emperor sends tests) is that they have to make do with what they have. The Emperor will provide sufficent, if they cannot overcome then that is their failure in some way.

 

It's not so much they are a chapter that uses Guerilla tactics, I expect most chapters use them. They just prefer to use them because it's less of risk of heavy losses, again this does not mean they will avoid high risk ops (after all, war is high risk). Merely they prefer it. Of course with their large number of Scouts (extra companies ala Exocists) they have more infiltraters/light troops.

 

Overall they use the "Normal" force mix, just with added scouts. Perhaps the scouts are tasked with much of the pinprick weakening strikes and the heavier forces bring down the crushing strike?

 

On the name front, The Bladeborn or The Firstborn Blades is how I'm thinking, leaning towards The Bladeborn.

Thanks Captain JJ and Forgefather

[Forgefather Vulkan]

Fair point, what you said in the other paragraphs is very Raven Guard esk which is cool as I love the Raven guard and I have always liked the guerrilla tactics feel to spacemarines as most of the time they're hard enough to take to shots and just walk straight at the enemy! So this variation raven guardy style is cool... Which also links in to the scout thing you said about the scouts engaging first.

 

Overall it's a nice feel, on the name the Bladeborn is nice also like The blades encarmine... But it's your choice

 

Forgefather

[Tutteman]

Okay, when this all gets put into a new topic I will change the name. For now the working title sticks, but soon...

 

Anyways I've edited Combat Doctrine, and will soon write up Organisation. Be warned, it'll be boring, they're basically Codex...

[Tutteman]

Double post, ah well. Short section here, not really much to say here. Once this section has been refined I will possibly write very short fiction pieces to go in side bars. Stuff like a Marine walking through the Cavern of Sleepers, but then I will consolidate all we have into a new topic under one post. With nice formatting and all.

 

Oh and I've done some work on a test mini, coming out better than I thought it would.

 

Organisation

 

The organisation of the Blades Marred is mostly Codex. There are 5 Battle Companies, 3 Reserves Companies and 1 Veteran Company, all of codex composition. Due to the need for a greater number of recruits to sustain their numbers they have two additional Scout Companies, but to avoid drawing unwanted attention only one is offically recorded. In practise there are three separate Companies each with it's own Captain and Command structure.

 

The Chapter is ruled by its Chapter Master who is selected by a ballot of all senior personnel such as the Captains, Chief Librarian, the Honour Guard and the Master of the Chaplains. All those involved in this decision spend many hours praying in the Cavern of Sleepers, seeking the Emperor’s Will in this matter. Such a matter cannot be taken lightly and days are often spent in prayer before casting their vote.

[Dazzo]

So what is the chapter symbol, and do they use standard codex markings? Also are you sticking with the name or will you be changing it?