Order of the Silver Hand

[Lemainus]

I've had the idea for this Chapter in my head for quite some time, now, but I'm not precisely an expert with all of the power and lore within the 40k universe.

 

The basic premise is that the Order is basically a monastic cult. The recruitment of said Chapter is actually exclusive to certain martial schools on their chosen homeworld. (I am toying with the idea that the Fortress which the chapter resides, their true home base, is on one of many moons orbiting said chosen home world.)

 

The world is pre-gunpowder, and the martial schools from which they choose to recruit worship their coming, and train as warriors in order to be allowed into the Blood Trials, in order to be taken by the frigates back into the sky; they wish to ascend. (The flesh of this idea needs to be given more attention, I know, but just the idea, I think is sound. They are monks, trying to get closer to God, not by praying every day, but by kicking the almighty B) out of each other.) Shaolin warriors that have discovered the shortcut to achieving Ascendancy is brutality and severity.

 

There are several different schools of battle and thought on the homeworld, and, though opposing idealogically, many of the Space Marines brought into the fold used to be rivals; this leads to a wide variety of concepts and notions on how best to deal with combat situations, especially when rivals are higher ranking individuals. (Juris, the Captain-Praetor of 2nd Company, for example, is a long time student of directness and boldness in attack; he trained in the usage of dual swords, a practice he stays partial to, even know, three hundred years after his becoming a Scout; While Brother-Ancient Baphamet, one of the oldest Dreadnaughts in service to the Chapter, came from a school of crossbowmen - and has long since spoken of striking hard, from afar, out of the crosshairs of enemy guns.)

 

These many differing opinions are tempered by the elder members of the Order. At the end, everyone found their way to the Stars, and into His Service, because they are destined to become one. The opposing styles are fed into Company designations designed to suit their way of doing battle; the Order functions at its best by letting each Marine do what he is best at, while encouraging friendly rivalries between companies. The Keeper of the Chronicles, High Epistolary Solon, records death-counts in battle, keeping track of the shredding of the bodies of all enemies that stand before the Order, and passes along the most impressive results to Chaplains, that they might regail the faithful with the most recent displays of power - and from whom it came.

 

I want to have them be based somewhere within galactic space to have at some point shared Galactic Real Estate with the Necrons; their drive for efficiency and solidarity in battle is spurred by the horrors of fighting something so efficient that it can be blown to pieces and continue to kill. The Ancients remember, and preach - the Commander remembers, and agrees. I'm considering the notion that the Fortress Monastery was moved to a moon because the previous address was a Tomb World; they fought back the tide as best they could, but were overrun - and the planet was lost, then pounded into oblivion from orbit.

 

Personal heraldry is not only allowed, but encouraged. Hundreds of years of history and service is emblazoned on each man's power armor, symbols and shorthand, runes and calligraphy, illustrating the ray of light that shone into dark places in the name of the Emperor.

 

What does Liber Astartes think of the basic premise? Pick it apart, you guys are extremely good at this, and I figure if you go all out and hand me bitch-slaps and maybe-if-you-dids in equal measure, I'll have a pretty good foundation from which to build on.

[Espada Azul]

Most of your ideas are very feasible for use as part of a Chapter's background, except for the Necrons. They're a sticky issue, as technically they've only been active in great numbers for the last one hundred-odd years, and the last founding of Astartes Chapters that we know of (the 26th) occurred during the 730s of the 41st millennium. Of course you could claim that your Chapter has encountered them earlier (mankind has a bad habit of poking into the musty old places Necrons sleep in), but still it's going to take work.

[Tutteman]

Most of your ideas are very feasible for use as part of a Chapter's background, except for the Necrons. They're a sticky issue, as technically they've only been active in great numbers for the last one hundred-odd years, and the last founding of Astartes Chapters that we know of (the 26th) occurred during the 730s of the 41st millennium. Of course you could claim that your Chapter has encountered them earlier (mankind has a bad habit of poking into the musty old places Necrons sleep in), but still it's going to take work.

 

 

Maybe just refer to them as Souless robots? I mean they could just encounter them and think they were left there by old owners as guardians/caretakers. And then later when reports start coming in of similars and they get designated Necrons they know what to call them. Maybe they were really ashamed of losing their homeworld so didn't really mention it to anyone in much detail?

 

It will take work, good luck. B)