The Phantom Paladins v1.1

[The Shadowlord]

Hi everyone. I'm new to this forum and sort-of new to the whole chapter creation as well, having created only one previous chapter (now renegade) that wasn't met with much critiqué or any intrest at all to be honest with you.

So i've thought this one through a bit, and i've spent the last few days doing a bit of research here and there and making up excuses for them (I like to make my ideas work, so I generally strive to find a way of doing it instead of dropping it and going with something else if someone says it's bad).

They're now at a point where I think I can release them to the internet, but some things may be lacking or missing altogether (please point these out, i've run over it and the only thing I can think of is fleet size which'll be added in the next update, as i'm not really in the mood to mess with it at the moment.

Now, it's 9 pages on MS Word... and most of it is in normal 12pt TNR font... with the top and bottom page boundaries stretched to their limits... so I apologise for the huge post (there's nothing I can find about uploading PDFs to file sharing sites, nor can I see a function on this forum that allows for 'computer to thread' file uploads.

The Phantom Paladins

Tactical Marine Colour Scheme

Chapter Master:

Lord Viktor (Second name unknown or kept secret) – The Shadowlord – The Phantom – Ghost of Terrix

Chapter Background:

Taken under the wings of the Raven Guard 7th Company, they were guided mainly by Captain Falcus and medically checked every day almost religiously by Chief Apothecary Vitus Iredae until they were released as a new chapter in their own right.

Nothing more is known of them, their files have been purged, confiscated by the Inquisition or lost.

Homeworld:

Terrix – Segmentum Obscurus

Homeworld and Chapter Master Background:

Nobody asks about Viktor’s background. Only Captain Falcus on the Raven Guard’s 7th Company knows much about him, but refuses to speak of it, speaking only of an incident on his homeworld (prior to it becoming the chapter homeworld) making him as the man he is today.

The chapter’s homeworld is Terrix, a once Chaos infested hive world cleansed of taint by the young Phantom Paladins. This cleanse was the first test of the Phantom Paladins, and was condemned by the Raven Guard and all chapters that knew of it as being purely controlled by the personal feelings of Viktor, and a waste of good warriors.

However, the attack was a success; the stealthy nature of the chapter allowed them to be almost invisible to the chaos forces until it was too late. Where any other chapter would’ve simply glassed the planet from orbit, so determined was Viktor to take the planet without harming it further that he himself fought upon its barren landscape.

The ruined capital of Sulphar was razed to ground by consecrating flame, both to purge the heretic and to praise the dead heroes of previous wars. Viktor, for reasons only Captain Falcus could know, took up a flamer and opted the burn the Planetary Governor’s palace himself, retreating outside only for more promethium until the whole palace was ablaze.

Each city in turn was consecrated, but Viktor only oversaw these. Only one city was spared, Aeponix, the namesake of Viktor’s ‘son’ (for Aeponix was given Viktor’s single functioning geneseed). Instead, he oversaw the dismantling and re-building of the great city as the chapter’s fortress-monastery.

Only when the planet was completely clear of Chaos forces did he listen to his advisors and allies. The chapter had taken few losses in the battle for Terrix, and had earned Viktor the title of the Ghost of Terrix, owing to his ability to kill silently and indiscriminately. The leader of the chaos warband that controlled Terrix prior to the arrival of the Phantom Paladins was Viktor’s primary target. He had ventured out alone into the wastes, with most of the chapter expecting him not to return. Only those who knew him best expected him back, yet even they had pockets of doubt.

After 3 days, Viktor returned. He threw down the severed heads of 5 chaos marines, undoubtedly those of the warband leader and his retinue, before his entire chapter. Into each head, he fired a single bolt shell precisely so that the head would completely explode, stopping before the final head, which he crushed beneath his boot.

After that, his chapter fulfilled his every request, knowing full well the price of failure; if Viktor’s steely coldness couldn’t scare someone into doing something, his previous display of emotionless violence could. Whilst few, especially amongst the Raven Guard, liked this display or even Viktor himself, none could ignore how he commanded absolute loyalty from his chapter, nor could they ignore how skilled he was at what he did.

Whilst he came across cunning, ruthless and cold-hearted, he was not a tyrant. His emotionless being was not everlasting, and he was often found in better spirits, but during combat he was steadfast, and showed no emotion, killing as if it was a sport or game he had long become bored of, but was still amazingly efficient at it.

Current Homeworld Status:

Undergoing gradual re-population for recruitment purposes. In order to maintain the chapter’s ‘gift’ new recruits must either be of Terrixian blood or must use a geneseed from the chapter’s own stocks, meaning that chapter growth is slower than that of other chapters. The entire populace is put through a strict military training regime every year from age 10 to 15 for women, and 20 for men. Boys are monitored from as young as 3 years old for signs of enhanced abilities. Those who are found are immediately taken to the fortress-monastery at Aeponix, where they live and prepare for the years to come.

Future Plans for the Terrix System:

Hoping to expand their recruitment, the Phantom Paladins are currently locked in combat with an arm of Chaos Undivided over control of the Terrix system. Each planet they recover from the heretics is cleansed and plans are put into place to allow for re-population of Terrixians. The once Chief Apothecary of the Raven Guard’s 7th Company, Vitus Iredae, volunteered to fill the position of Chief Apothecary of the young chapter, both to ensure proper training of future Apothecaries and to allow him to study the ‘gift’ closer.

Under the jurisdiction of one Inquisitor Corbett Augustus, Vitus and his team made a breakthrough in isolating the gene thought to hold the key to activating the ‘gift’, which could render the need to recruit only pure Terrixians or use only Phantom Paladin geneseed unnecessary, allowing for quicker repopulation and growth of the chapter. Tests on the most recent recruits have been noted as ‘exceeding expectations’, although it is too early to tell any side-effects. Further tests have shown striking resemblances to the gene structure of the Hrud, prompting further analysis of existing gene stocks from these elusive Xenos.

Lord Viktor’s primary target in this system is now a fortress world which appears to be the staging ground for chaos incursions further into the sector.

Primarch:

Corax

Founding:

Unknown – Records withheld by the Inquisition.

Geneseed Mutations:

Pale skin akin to the Raven Guard, but evolving dark red eyes instead of black.

Ability to blend in almost perfectly with their surroundings; an active camouflage of sorts. Activates seemingly on its own, with the affected person seemingly unable to control it. Only 13 known members of the Phantom paladins have become able to control and make use of their ‘gift’, Viktor and Aeponix amongst them.

The effect seems to stretch to use when armoured, although its effectiveness is reduced, and it only provides a limited degree of camouflage so the user is not completely invisible and is usually discernable from a good distance by someone with a keener eye than most.

Tactical Dreadnought armour or armour of a similar thickness carries so much bulk that it renders the gift almost useless, therefore the Chapter houses few suits of Terminator armour, those they do have used only for deep striking or for heavy assaults, where stealth is not a viable tactic.

Unlike the rumours, this mutation has been investigated by the Inquisition (investigation headed by Inquisitor Corbett) and has been deemed a stable gene-seed mutation caused by a rare exposure to tissue containing minority genes of Xenos long thought extinct; although few still believe that is caused by daemonic corruption, and believe that the Inquisition is being increasingly lax with their investigations of ‘geneseed mutations’ said to be ‘more helpful to the Imperium than harmful’.

Combat Doctrines:

Covert operations are preferred, if not actively encouraged. If a mission can be completed through stealth alone, then it will be; against foes where stealth may only be a contributing factor, the chapter’s second most deadly ability is brought into play. In some operations, stealth teams will be deployed to a planet’s surface to gather information and plant hidden beacons and sensors to record and observe local areas. These areas are then condensed into a series of potential drop sites, of which most are eliminated. Only after further recon of the remaining sites are plans finalised, and a hail of drop pods descend upon their foes, who find their anti-aircraft sabotaged and other defences rendered useless by infiltrating teams.

Once planetfall is achieved, the Phantom Paladins are ruthless in their assault, using information gathered beforehand to quickly take hold of or destroy key points in the enemy positions. Assault marines roar out of nowhere to cut down runners and to ambush positions. Snipers kill off enemy command chains with deadly precision and efficiency. Bikes and Land Speeders are employed to disrupt supply lines, blazing through and disappearing almost as quickly as they arrived, leaving only destruction in their wake.

If the enemy has not already fallen into disarray through lack of supplies, command or loss of morale, then whirlwinds and vindicators are dropped into the field, shattering the weakened defences and enemy fortifications. Predators and land raiders are rarely seen, as are rhinos and razorbacks; this is because Lord Viktor believes that they give the enemies of the Imperium too much time to prepare, and lumbering war machines cannot be deployed in strikes where speed and precision are required.

Due to the relentless nature of the chapter, they take reasonable casualties during full assaults, and have long begun to requisition the ceramite and adamantium-clad dreadnought walkers for immediate use upon arrival. For this reason, the chapter’s Apothecarium is filled with stasis-held veterans ready for internment into a dreadnought, so that they may wreak their revenge upon the forces who oppose the Imperium by taking the place of predators as long range fire support drop podded in alongside the main strike force, or to support troops at the front lines, lessening the need for artillery by tearing down structures with their gargantuan metal claws, drills and chainfists.

Currently only two Dreadnoughts are known, both are only deployed in the direst situations, with a single one deployed as Lord Viktor sees fit. When on Terrix, they stand guard at the doors to Lord Viktor’s chambers, believing their time is better spent guarding their leader than sleeping their years away. Both Dreadnoughts hold the only fallen members of Viktor’s honour guard, both close friends of their chapter master. Their willingness to give their lives for him after falling once acts as a reminder to those who doubt Viktor’s leadership and ability.

Previous Campaigns

The Cleansing of Terrix – Successful – Extremely Few Casualties (Approx. 10-20)

Assault on Viyae – Successful – 2 Casualties

Ambush of Chaos Fleet en route to Terrix – Successful – Few Casualties (Approx. 50-75)

Cursed Assault on Terrix Secundus – Successful – Heaviest Number of Casualties to Date (Approx. 125-175)

Annihilation of Thannor – Successful – Few Casualties (Approx 50-60)

Assault on Nakkai – Ongoing – Few Casualties (Approx. 30-40 as of the composing of this document)

Total Casualties – Approx. 270-370

Chapter Structure:

Despite recovering quite well from the losses during the cursed assault, the chapter only has 745 marines out of a possible 1000 that would usually be active at any one time. Only 2 of these marines are bound in dreadnoughts. The current campaign and future plans to assault a fortress world, all but eliminating the immediate chaos threat in the Terrix system, is currently shrouded in mystery, and no plans are set in stone.

Another disaster like the one on Terrix Secundus could set the chapter’s plans back years, if not decades as they recover losses, their only allies being the Raven Guard’s 7th Company that often passes through the Terrix system to monitor the progress of those which many deem to be their own unofficial sons.

Current Chapter Strength:

1st Company – 79/100

2nd Company – 76/100

3rd Company – 77/100

4th Company – 65/100

5th Company – 88/100

6th Company – 86/100

7th Company – 88/100

8th Company – 68/100

9th Company – 75/100

10th Company – 43/100*

*Due to the low number of recruits, the 10th Company rarely exceeds 50-60 scouts at any one time.

Whilst adhering mostly to the Codex Astartes, the chapter’s fast tactics don’t lend themselves to heavy and immobile weaponry; therefore the majority of their devastators are trained in the use of jump packs and assault weaponry alongside their heavy weapons, making them some of the most versatile marines in the chapter next to the tactical squads. They are also called upon to put their weapons expertise to good use by bringing meltaguns and flamers to assault squads, often putting them in the heat of battle.

Because of their heavy use throughout the chapter, their numbers in the battle companies have been fed mainly by those from the reserve 9th company Devastators.

Chapter Beliefs:

The Chapter as a whole believes that the Emperor is not a God, but that he watches over his sons and daughters as if he was one. They have a feeling of hatred and disgust towards the ruinous powers for what they have done, are doing and strive to do, but they also feel that those they have tempted are not unworthy of redemption, although redemption from the Phantom Paladins is delivered by the fuel of a flamer.

Lord Viktor is an absolute hater of Chaos, where there is corruption he will seek to remove it. However, he also believes in redemption. Tainted earth will be consecrated by holy flames and redeemed. The corpses of those who turned on their brothers will be burned with the earth.

Lord Viktor also sees any direct threat to Imperium unworthy of living, and will remorselessly wipe it out, though he will not perform the same rituals on the corpses of these fallen warriors as he would on the corpses of fallen Space Marines.

Inquisitor Corbett firmly believes in Lord Viktor, and often praises his actions, making special note of his faith-driven strikes against any Chaos bastions him or his chapter encounter. One of Corbett’s famed praises speaks of how Lord Viktor is an inspiration to the Imperium, with him and his chapter burning bright as a beacon of hope in dark times. The eternal wars they strive to wage against the forces of disorder displaying truly that absolute faith in the Emperor grants his greatest blessings upon the field of battle, fervently bringing his supreme justice to the fallen ones, in the hope that they might see the light and offer their lives as repentance, or burn eternally under his fiery gaze as a heretic.

Psykers of the Phantom Paladins:

There are relatively few psykers in the chapter, though it is by no fault of their own. What few psykers they have have mastered a more arcane talent that merely firing lightning bolts. Similarly to the Wolf Priests of the Space Wolves, the Spectres of the Phantom Paladins wield powers unknown to the majority of the Imperium. They can cloud a sunny day with heavy fog. They can summon shimmering forms of shadow that disorientate the foe. They can suffocate their enemies where they stand, and drown them in their own imagination, forcing their minds to believe that they are underwater or in an airless vacuum, turning their bodies against themselves.

This practice teeters on the border between acceptable and unacceptable to some. Most psykers will actively seek to learn more of this ancient lore, but there are some who fear that it could just as easily be put to use against the Imperium.

Fools are those who doubt the loyalty of the Phantom Paladins, more foolish are those who voice this doubt, suicidal are those who voice this to Lord Viktor himself.

The first Spectres were trained by the Inquisitor Corbett Augustus in complete secrecy, with each swearing never to reveal his teachings to those who are not worthy. High Spectre Corinn now teaches aspiring Spectres, having taken over from the Inquisitor. Despite being blind, Corinn has the ability to see the world as shifting spirits, a gift believed to be bestowed upon him by the Emperor’s might spirit itself so that Corinn may wreak his revenge.

Chaplaincy:

The Chaplains of the Phantom Paladins are known as Revenants, taking up the post of teaching the new recruits the ways of the chapter, and also acting as an ear for even the veterans. High Revenant Carmane is rumoured to have become a marine alongside Lord Viktor, and is often called upon by the chapter master to hear his thoughts and lend his own words. Whilst the bond shared between Viktor and his chapter is strong, the bond between him and his honour guard is ten fold stronger, with the bond he and Carmane share being nigh unbreakable.

Aspiring Revenants are taught by Carmane, though his teachings are a mystery; each revenant takes an oath to never reveal how they are taught. Multiple theories currently run through the chapter and Imperium about their teachings, one such theory being that they are actually ghosts, the spirits of fallen marines so determined to continue serving the Emperor that they persist in the material world. Other theories contain binding shadowy daemons to each Revenant, chaotic practices or even the reading of mystical Eldar scriptures. However, each and every theory is dismissed by the Order of the Revenant.

In battle, Revenants lead the Phantom Paladins through swathes of enemies, their very presence distorting the air around them. Where they once were a second ago may not be where they are a second later, and you may be left stabbing at something that had long since moved to another side of the fray. Records from survivors of Revenant-led attacks speak of shadowy hazes, amnesia and dizziness. They also speak of moving ghosts, striking out of the shadows and disappearing. Bolter shells coming from nowhere and ghostly whispers taunting them.

These accounts however, carry limited credibility; this is largely due to the fact that survivors of Revenant attacks have long gone insane, often found emotionless, in foetal positions or speaking gibberish in the middle of forgotten battlefields.

Despite multiple investigations, no trace of anything, whether it is poison, hallucinogen, or psychic power, can be found. It is assumed that the presence of the fervent Chaplain and his squad simply demoralises the enemy, the Phantom Paladins causing mere psychological damage through presence.

Inquisitor Corbett Augustus:

His reputation is one that strikes fear into the hearts and minds of all men. Ruthlessly effective at rooting out and destroying corruption, he has earned himself respect beyond that of a normal Inquisitor. However, it has also earned him more enemies than normal.

His current link to the Phantom Paladins, a chapter that has been under the watchful eye of the Inquisition since conception, is one that it questioned; though all questioning is done in secret. Unlike other Inquisitors, who would prefer to stay in the background and watch with an ever open eye for signs of corruption, Corbett Augustus has an active role within the chapter, leading to theories that he may be trying to earn their trust to root out a strong corruption, or that he himself is corrupt and is working to gain the chapter’s allegiance.

Whatever his motives, he has proved to be an strong advocate of the chapter, praising the chapter master Lord Viktor and the actions and faith of the Phantom Paladins as a whole. He has overseen a large amount of growth within the chapter, having a hand in the creation of its Chaplaincy, and a large part in the training of its psykers.

Despite his deep ties with the chapter gathering suspicion, his detailed and perfect past as an Inquisitor leaves any accuser or judge of his actions without any precedent or grounds to base their cases on; whilst many will secretly doubt his motives, exceedingly few will openly voice them, should they draw his attention. Famed for providing strong evidence for even the loosest and baseless cases, nothing escapes his attention, which is all the evidence he needs to shout down his opposition. However, in the 41st Millennium, your case is much stronger if delivered from the shell of a bolter.

It is for this reason that many believe he has approached the skilled assassins of the Phantom Paladins, not only for safety, but also to eliminate his opposition, in return perhaps for protection against those who wish to dismantle the whole chapter for its ‘gift’.

Radical as people may think him to be, he is a pillar of unquestionable faith that few can hope to topple; especially now that he has augmented himself within an Astartes Chapter.

Battle Cries:

When led by Lord Viktor:

“The Shadowlord has come for you!”

“The Emperor watches us, brothers; do not fail him!”

“Repent, heretics, and your deaths will be quick and painless!”

When led by a secondary commander:

“For Lord Viktor!” to which the marines reply with “For Terra!”

“The Phantoms of the Emperor come to deliver his judgement!”

“What good are your fortifications against the Phantom Paladins, the ghosts of the Imperium?”

Main Battle Cry:

“Listen to the shadows; hear them whispering your death!”

Notable Armoury Items:

The Retributor - A force weapon of unknown origin, gifted to High Spectre Corinn by Inquisitor Corbett upon attaining the rank of High Spectre. It takes the form of a slender spear; its shape taking advantage of Corinn’s enhanced senses.

Terror – Lord Viktor’s modified bolter, aptly named for its ability to sow the seeds of fear and disarray into enemy lines. Designed and manufactured by Inquisitorial Decree, it houses a telescopic sight and lengthened barrel, along with a less blocky build and the ability to load and fire most types of shells. It does, however, give up rate of fire and ammo capacity for increased potency, making it nigh unusable for extended fire-fights.

Duskbringer – Lord Viktor’s power sword; requisitioned by the Inquisition (or Inquisitor Corbett to be more precise) on account of his tireless war-efforts against the Chaos warband plaguing the Terrix system. The blade itself is precisely etched with oaths and prayers to the Emperor, and has been anointed with holy oils. Some say it holds the power to sever the very essence of Chaos itself, others suggest that it merely repels taint. Whatever its special properties (if any) may be, it is inarguable that the weapon is devastatingly effective in Lord Viktor’s hands.

The Emperor’s Gavel – A Crozius Arcanum crafted in the shape of a gavel, requested and named as such by High Revenant Carmane when his original Crozius was lost whilst duelling a beast of Khorne. It is said that the Emperor’s spirit has blessed the weapon and its bearer with the power to smite all but the most tainted of foes with his holy judgement. Whilst plausible, even Inquisitor Corbett has dismissed the possibility, stating that it is Carmane’s devout faith in the Emperor that brings judgement upon his foes; for how, some say, could such a blessed weapon possibly fall into the hands of a mere Chaplain and not a pious inquisitor?

Quick Reference for Titles and Squad Names:

Codex to Chapter Translation:

Chapter Master = Shadowlord

Chaplain = Revenant/High Revenant

Librarian = Spectre/High Spectre

Honour Guard = Shades

Apothecaries = Wraiths/High Wraith

Sergeant/Captain = Phantom

Any marine of Phantom Paladins = Ghoul

Chapter to Codex Translation:

Zombie = Derogatory term for a heretic, derived from how they mindlessly follow the false gods.

[CKO]

Wow, I actually read all of it!

 

When writing an IA, there is a format that most people go by or is used to reading and yours is different from that, you can check the DIY Guide for a better explanation.

 

The actual parts about your home world, in the home world/Chapter Master section is fine as you describe the planet and its history well, but the Chapter Master part is taking away from that. I think you should just make an entire section for your Chapter Master as you mention him over and over again, almost to the point where it is to much. I know he plays a large part in your chapter but this is suppose to be about the chapter not the individuals in it. Making a story about him is fine but if it doesnt fit into the portrait of the chapter dont add so much him.

 

The gene seed mutation is strange how does metal become camoflauged?

 

The combat doctrine is good, sabotauge then bam ruthless assault really cool, but once more you have to mention Viktor with his dreadnaughts(neat idea though).

 

Campaign section showing records of their battles is nice, shows you put alot of thought and effort into your IA.

 

Unique librarian powers and the chaplain section is fine, but whats up with the inquisitor?

 

I like the list of rare items in the chapter aswell, battle cries need some help though.

 

Overall it is good and you can tell you spent alot of time on it, but you need to focus more on the Chapter then Viktor. Also the camoflauge skin, chaplain secrets, and all the mystery with Viktor you might be trying to do to much simple is sometimes better, cant wait to see what changes you make or atleast your response.

[The Shadowlord]

Thanks for the feedback =)

 

I had a huge headache yesterday (still got remnants of it today) so I really wasn't up to putting into into a BBcoded format, i'll see what I can do about it later or tomorrow.

 

Focussing on the chapter is relatively hard, but broadening a few select people's backstories is easier (I did write up Viktor's whole backstory in note format instead of story format (which I was planning to place it into using the notes) but it's so long and untidy that I decided against adding it to the IA). I could expand a bit on the Dreadnoughts and the High Revenant/Spectre, but I can't think of many other people that I could expand on without having them appear in a short story that I write.

 

The camoskin is something that other people have had trouble with to, but it's something that I want to keep as it really helps to distance my chapter from the norm and make them more of a secretive bunch. I also don't want to explain how it completely works, as nobody knows how it can expand to cover armour, and I want to try and let little bits about it out with certain "breakthroughs" by the Apothecaries studying it.

 

The Chaplain secrets are just that, spilling the beans would ruin the mystery that surrounds them. For example, it might not be just mere presence that makes people who fight against them go insane, there might be something under it all that hasn't been found, or has been intentionally hidden.

 

The mystery with Viktor is again revealed in his extended backstory, which was supposed to be released seperately in story format. I could probably compress it a bit but it'd lose so of it's impact, though it would be easier than having to wait.

 

The Inquisitor i've saved till now because he's the vital link in the chain, if that link breaks, it all falls apart. He's the only person that stands between the chapter and extermination due to their 'gift' (people have told me that they'd be killed for having it because of what could happen if they fall to chaos (which they won't, but it's a 'what if?') and a radical Inquisitor was the only thing that allowed me to keep it whilst not losing a whole chunk of what I wanted them to keep). He's also the one who taught the Spectres their unqiue powers (I have backstory for this if inclusion is necessary) and the one who oversaw a degree of the Revenant training (what else bar a more powerful Inquisitor could prevent a full blown investigation into their practices?).

 

I did saw he was radical, and that he's a shining example of an Inquisitor, being ruthless in his job and exceptionally good at doing it (through ways unknown, perhaps he's just good at it, perhaps he's got more knowledge than he's letting on), so naturally he's not going to be doing all this for free, but being good at the Inquisitorial stuff is bound to earn you enemies. You're an Inquisitor who's confiscated limitless amounts of objects from all ends of the galaxy, brought people down in crushing accusations of heresy and now has too many enemies to count; and you happen upon a chapter with a unique gift allowing them to blend into the shadows, a gift that, if investigated by the wrong people, could mean their destruction. Naturally you step in, using your authority and reputation to gain entrance to high places.

 

You oversee their teaching, make sure that everything they send off is offical and squeeky clean, even if a bit of paperwork is fudged here and there. You give them artifacts from your travels to enhance their abilities, and you train them in ways no purist Inquisitor would even dream about. Ater they've reached their pinnacle, you lay down what you want. A few key 'enemies' go missing or are found mysteriously dead, others suddenly change their minds about opposing you, and your investigations bring up several key confessions that appeared out of the blue.

 

The Inquisitor gave me extra leeway and excuses for some of what they have, as well as back up for why they have them. You wouldn't send in your best assassin without giving him top-range training and state-of-the-art equipment, would you?

[soddinnutter]

Battle cries are too long. All the best battle cries in history have been very short. Something you can yell in the red hot rage of conflict, something short you don't have to waste brain power remembering.

 

Their abilities could be a result of the light bending around them to an extent, in much the same way that it bends around the Hrud. Although to a lesser extent, obviously. Gift would become diminished the larger the object that is being hidden because the light has to bend further and further. For instance the Scouts could manage it with form fitting flack armour, the Veteran Scouts could manage it with the extra bulk of carapace armour and the really old Battle Brothers, the ones who have been practicing for the better part of forever can just about pull this trick off in Power Armour. Terminator Armour..... no, just no.

[The Shadowlord]

I have to be honest, i'm more of a battle speech guy (see: Braveheart) than a battle cry guy; i'm one of those people who doesn't see the problem in running at someone, swirling a sword around and screaming RAAAAAARGH! at the top of your lungs. So i'll need some help there.

 

I was reading up on the Hrud and found it intresting. Since the gift is activated by a xeno gene thought to be exctinct (since the Hrud were assumed eradicated by Astartes) could it be possible that it's a Hrud gene?

[soddinnutter]

Could be Hrud taint.

 

Some of them did use extremely awesome biological weapons during the Great Crusade. If one of them got infected by a virus and the virus assimilated the gene responsible for the ability to bend light and then the virus with that gene infected a marine who, with his epic immune system, shrugged it off. Marine eventually dies, gene-seed returns to the chapter. Gets put on ice. Sent to Mars as part of the next gene-tithe. Gets used, like much apparently stable gene-stock, to spawn more gene-seed. Each of the new batch of gene-seed has the Hrud mutation. This particular batch is the one selected to found the chapter that would one day be known as the Phantom Paladins.

 

How would you tell if they were extinct? A species that is specialists in not being noticed, how would you tell they are gone?

[The Shadowlord]

According to Lexicanum (not a great source, but a source nonetheless) the hrud were thought to have been wiped out by the Iron Warriors during the Great Crusade. They've popped back up now and everyone knows they're not exctinct, but they were once thought to be.

[The Shadowlord]

Okay, version 1.1 of The Phantom Paladins is up an running:

 

Changelog:

Added BBcode formatting

Breakthrough! - Vitus Iredae and his team of Apothecaries have discovered a resemblance between the xeno gene that causes the camoflage and the current gene code of the Hrud. Whilst stocks of data from this elusive xeno species are low, Inquisitor Corbett Augustus has managed to obtain access to them (through means unknown, but unquestioned by the Ordo Xenos), allowing for further research into the similarities. The current theory is that an exctinct Hrud species or subspecies once infested the Terrix system, leaving viruses or bacteria that chose Imperial Colonists as hosts.

 

Reports from that system suggest that if true, the virus had an extremely low mortality rate, with the leading cause of deaths from illness being attributed to other well documented diseases as opposed to minority bugs or infections.

 

Other theories suggest that the Hrud simply evolved and moved on, suggesting that their metabolism is constantly changing, or that this was a subspecies that had this ability.

 

To do list:

Battle Cries

Chapter Motto

Fixing the damn formatting on the chapter colours

Chapter heraldry

[CKO]

It is so far from a normal IA, that it is hard to critique. I mean it is almost to unique, they have an Inquisitor, they have camoflauge, and their psykers are different. I have never seen a chapter where they treat their Chapter Master as if he is their primarch, they have different battle crys when he is on the field and they praise him when he is not there. There are to many reasons for this chapter to be under investigation and 1 inquisitor can not hold back the fury of the Imperium. Especially when chaos has invaded the system several other factions would rush to the system when they hear that chaos is attacking and the only thing stopping them is a small chapter who's gene seed has mutated.

[The Shadowlord]

It is so far from a normal IA, that it is hard to critique. I mean it is almost to unique, they have an Inquisitor, they have camoflauge, and their psykers are different. I have never seen a chapter where they treat their Chapter Master as if he is their primarch, they have different battle crys when he is on the field and they praise him when he is not there. There are to many reasons for this chapter to be under investigation and 1 inquisitor can not hold back the fury of the Imperium. Especially when chaos has invaded the system several other factions would rush to the system when they hear that chaos is attacking and the only thing stopping them is a small chapter who's gene seed has mutated.

 

They don't 'have' an Inquisitor. He doesn't fight beside them or order Grey Knights to fight at their side. He's like the equivilant of the modern day mafia; they scratch your back and you scratch theirs. He ensures that everything that could possibly flag them up (the camoflage) as a danger to the Imperium if they're unstable (they aren't, but for the sake of argument they could be) is fudged and comes out clean. He also teaches them a few tricks to help them in their fights (and his) and gives them a few things to whet their appetite. After all this, he calls on the chapter one day and asks for a favour, such as offing a rival or infiltrating somewhere. If they refuse, he shouts heresy and they go down like a lead balloon. If anything, the Inquisitior has them; he offers an apsiring chapter with a unqiue ability the chance of survival in return for eliminating people who have their noses too far into his business.

 

Psykers being different was something I thought about. My initial idea was using recovered ancient texts discovered by the Inquisitor. He teaches the Psykers these new powers, who then pass them down. If they try to call shenanigens on the Inquisitor, he claims that he confiscated the tomes and uses his reputation as a devout follower of the Imperium to land the blame on the chapter. I also didn't think having different psykers was a huge thing. They're already mistrusted, and their powers aren't fully recognised. The Inquisition has different powers, as does the Adeptus Sororitas and the Space Wolves, why not another chapter? Does it all have to be uniform?

 

They don't treat the Chapter Master like a Primarch. They simply see him as a good man of great faith. As for the battle cries, I said i'm not good at them and they need changing, so they're not the best source for chapter information as they stand.

 

The system isn't infested by Chaos really. Exceedingly early in Viktor's history, the Raven Guard 7th Company liberated what would become the Phantom Paladin's homeworld, and so it's fair to assume that they weakened Chaos' hold on the system from day one and fought them back with the help of other nearby chapters and Imperial forces as the chapter was still undergoing creation. It's not unsuaul for worlds to be hidden by the ruinous powers either, so reclaimation of the system bit by bit from a fortress world hidden during the purge by warp storms or other anomalies after the imperial forces had receeded doesn't seem like too much of a stretch.

 

The Raven Guard 7th Company are also still based around the system, and so aid the Phantom Paladins whenever possible. (It was the RG who intervened during the Cursed Assault with a well-timed drop pod assault, allowing Phantom Paladin forces to re-group and forge a new battle-plan with the support of the Raven Guard; although this was left out of the article because it's about this chapter, not the Raven Guard; and because the battles aren't fleshed out, they only show casualty counts and rates of sucess; should I put this extra information in?)

 

The threat of Chaos is still there, but in a lesser number than before. In a Segmentum where the main threat is from a Black Crusade, and chaos is everywhere, a system previously purged and slowly re-taken due to lack of traitor numbers and imperial garrison is likely to be left to as small of a force as necessary. In this case, the Raven Guard and the Phantom Paladins + whatever Imperial forces they have with them should suffice, considering that the only bastion of chaos left in the sector now is a minor fortress world where they make their strikes from.