Idea for a new Chapter

[Dexter Kong]

Hey all, I have been kicking the idea around in my head for a little while of a Chapter with a distinct East-meets-West feel to it. Eventually I will compile it all together into an Index Astartes article, complete with original artwork by me that totally won't suck.

 

The Chapter's tentative name is Monks of the Stone Lion. They are a relatively new chapter, perhaps only functioning for the last 2,000 years or so. The Chapter is ignorant of the root of their own gene-seed, which has been done intentionally. The Chapter draws its recruits from a single world, which I have not named yet. This world is located near the Eastern Fringes, and has a society based on a system of monastery-states. Every person on this planet lives a lifestyle similar to that of an eastern monk. They are highly disciplined, and meditate frequently. They believe that meditation brings them closer to the Emperor, who is at the highest state of being a person can possibly achieve. While the planet is in a relative state of peace, the people that dwell there are fierce warriors, and practice martial arts as a form of physical meditation. It was these martial arts that allowed them to wipe out the raiders and barbarians that had previously kept the planet in a state of constant chaos.

 

The Chapter was specifically created to tap into the culture of this planet, and introduce to them the zealous ways of the Astartes. When a recruit begins his training, he learns that while his home world may be at peace with the Emperor, the rest of the galaxy is not, and it is up to him to fight to bring the peace of the Emperor to all corners of the galaxy. The Chapter spends almost as much time preaching and teaching as they do fighting, and work hard to set up Emperor-worshiping societies on worlds they conquer. While their main goal is to convert, not destroy, when they encounter enemies that are not receptive to the Imperial Cult, their wrath is terrible, and they have been known to completely wipe out planetary populations with ground actions, without the aid of orbital support. The Chapter believes that they are on a mission to save the souls of humanity, not the body of the Imperium, and therefore that which they cannot convert must be destroyed.

 

The colors of the chapter at the moment are bone-white and a very dark blue (almost black). This is to give them a stone feel, like black and white marble. The robes, banners and tabards of the chapter will be a deep red. Their iconography will feature a lion, and I will work a myth into their background about how during meditation, the Emperor often manifests himself as one of the great lions that live in the stone plains of their home world. The Marines will have facial features similar to those of Native Americans, with brown skin tones and flowing black hair. I'm thinking about having the tradition amongst the Battle Brothers be to wear their hair long, to mimic the manes of the lions they take their name from.

 

In terms of structure, the Chapter will be largely Codex-adherent, with a few small changes in the leadership. The Chapter Master will be drawn from the ranks of Chaplains, reflecting their spiritual roots. The Master Chaplain (still working on a cool title for him) will direct his Chapter through his Captains, who are chosen from the ranks of the most hardened veterans. The Master Chaplain relies on his Captains for tactical advice, while he provides personal spiritual guidance for them in return. I appropriated (that's a really fancy way to say I stole it) this idea from the Word Bearers. However, instead of there being tension and a power struggle between the spiritual and military leaders, they will work closely together and develop deep bonds of friendship and respect, seeing each other as dual sides of the same coin.

 

So, that's what I've got so far. A chapter that I hope blends together an Eastern background and philosophy with the more classic Western European influences you commonly see in Space Marine Chapters. The idea is to have a warrior culture that is unique and not painfully obvious in its influences. Please hit me with any ideas and criticism you have.