IT: Iron Cherubim

[The Shiny One]

This is my first try at an organised IT, till know its only the origine of the traitors that will be a small army of something like psykic obliterators. I hope you have fun reading it.

Origin:

The high lords of terra founded the Iron Cherubim to protect and secure the south-eastern regions of the Ultima Segmentum and to protect the imperium from new threats out of the eastern fringe. They decided to use the iron hands genseed for there deep devotion to fulfill such a task as good as possible.

The new chapter was trained by original Iron Hand Veterans and the mighty Ironfather Grarek Blentor. He suggested that a fleet based organization would fit the task of protecting such a empty sector better, than a fixed homeworld. The Adeptus Mechanicus agreed to transfer the battlefortress Thestonia and two smaller forgeships to the new chapter, because the Ironfather Grarek had never disappointed them. To make sure that they would not regret this, they suggested in return to the Iron Cherubims to adopt the Ironfather tradition instead of the chaplain, to honor there great teacher. The Iron Cherubim were more than willing to do so, and felt honored themselves to bear on the great relationship to the Adeptus Mechanicus. There colorscheme is a expression of this.

They executed there task very well, and fought glorious battles against the all kind of xenos and renegades that would cross there path.

Because they encountered so many different xenon on there crusade on the fringe of the Imperium, a group of Xenarite began to take an intreats in them. In return for xenon artifacts they thought the Cherubim some of there knowledge about the alien and there technology. The Cherubim were pleased with this arrangement, because it helped them to defeat the aliens even better, with lesser casualties.

Homeworld:

Instead of a homeward the Iron Cherubim have the mobile fortress-monastery Thestonia with to separate forgeships to secure a steady supply for operating on the borders of the Imperium. For recruitment the Iron Cherumbim have developed a unusual way. They started recruiting from all kind of worlds they pass by. To improve the recruitment process the Librarians have developed a network of agents to keep informed what great warriors fight on the worlds around them. Instead of taking the great warriors for aspirants, the cherubim will take there sons on board the Thestonia. If they are old enough the Librarians start testing there strength of physic and will. If they pass the tests, they are worthy of becoming a space marine and the process begins. If they should fail, they will become servitors and serve the chapter anyhow. The Cherubim know that this is not the most efficient recruiting process, but they belief that it produces better Space Marines than other chapters, who rely on only one source and lead the rites of there homeworld taint there chapter.

Organisation:

Like the Iron Hands the Cherubim have Ironfathers, which combine the roll of techmarine and chaplain. In all other aspects they keep close to the Codex.

Beliefs:

The Iron Cherubim belief heavily in there duty as a warrior for mankind. They see the Emperor and Ferrus Manus as there holy fathers and the greatest warriors of man. The Ironfathers is a symbol how the Cherubim honor and worship the Iron Hands and the Cult Mechanicus.

The fear of weak flesh is not as strong as the Iron Hands, but they are eager to improve there bodies and minds how they possible can. Therefore they welcome knowledge in any form because they belief only awareness builds a strong mind, which is necessary for being a great warrior. The alliance with the Xenarite is only a example of this. Because of there many encounters with unknown civilizations and xenon they are not afraid of the unknown. There only concern is the weakness that lies in others, which results in brutal slaughter, should anyone show weakness before them.

Combat doctrine:

The Iron Cherubim belief in striking the enemy as hard as possible and crushing them with pure willingness to battle to the end when necessary. They don't prefer any kind of warfare or weapons because they want to be able to adept if the situation recommends it. Therefor they stick to the codex, because its the best knowledge a marine can get. There forgeships enable them to fight as brutal as they have to, so there is no holding back. If supplies for the forgeships are needed, they simply will demand them from the planets they pass by.

Geneseed:

The Iron Cherubim use the Geneseed of Ferrus Manus. They don't feel the need to replace there flesh and bodyparts as strong as the Iron Hands, which is seen as an improvement by controlling organs of the Imperium. The recruits from different worlds seem to make the Iron Hands geneseed altogether more stable. Other than that there are no known major mutations. If an aspirant should show unrepairable mutations there fait as an servitor is sealed.

Fall:

The Fall of the Iron Cherubim began on the quite friendly exodite-world Khalantar. They 3th Company started purging the planet of all elder-xenos as usual. The weak exodites had no chance with there primitive weaponry against the supreme power of the Iron Cherubim. This genocide of the elder was so merciless that the craftworld Iyanden could hear the crying souls of there brothers and sisters and decided therefor to end it immediately with full force. The 3th company was virtually overrun by the craftworlds first wave, but they were able to send a distress signal to the Thestonia. The Cherubim retaliate directly and send five companies to direct course to Khalantar. They battled the craftworld with all they got but were unable to accomplish any ground against there relentless Wraithgurads. After one month of battle all strike cruisers were destroyed and barely a houndred Marines left on the surface of Khalantar. The Iron Cherubim on the Thestonia decided to rescue there brothers by risking there fortress-monastery. With the enormous weapons of the Thestonia, it was possible to cover the landing of the Thunderhawks to rescue there brothers in an epic battle against the Iyanden Wraithguards, which lead to the first real retreat in the chapters history.

This battle cost the Iron Cherubim the whole first company, including there chaptermaster, who died on a boarding mission on the craftworld and almost four further companies. Under the survives was Epistolary Rakhiv il-Vek. Rakhiv was a Deathwatch-Veteran and had experians how to fight the eldar successfully. Through his psychic talent he was able to withstand the powers of the runeseers and lead his remaining brothers in a guerrilla-war on the planets surface.

The Ironfathers suggested to make Rakhiv the new Chaptermaster, because he had shown worthy and foreseeing. The Chief Librarian and the captains, were sceptic to announce a psyker Master of the Iron Cherubim, but there was no one other more worthy them him.

Rakhiv il-Vec had now the difficult task to rebuild the chapter. As a psyker he know how essential this ability was against fighting the eldar and so he instructed the Librarium to search for warrior- and psychic-aspirants. This lead over the next few centuries to a rather large Librarium for such a low numbered chapter. Obviously they had to disorganize the companies. They dissolved the scout company and integrated the new recruits in to the three reserve companies. This companies would call themselves reserve, but would fight almost just as the three remaining battle companies.

The biggest change in the chapter went through there belief system. Impressed by the relentless power that the bodiless wraithguards showed on the battlefield the Iron Cherubim seek answers in there teachings. Going back to the silver hands of Ferrus Manus, the Cherubim understood know the need to replace there body parts with metal and the advantages in battle that the Iron Hands and the Adeptus Mechanicus sees in them.

...

This is what i have so far. For there future i see them exploring with alientech and encountering necrons, which will lead them to discover living metal, which reminds them of Ferrus Manus. As the experiments from the ironfathers will lead no were in controlling it, they turn to the Librarians, and they turn to dark magic (Tzeentch), bringing the "curse of living (in) metal" to all librarians of the chapter.

This are the colorschemes i though of. The arm is silver to honor Ferrus, the head is white to represent the strong mind. The half black schemes would also honor the Iron Hands. And the gold seemed a good alternativ to blue, and made them more metal loving. (they could become the Golden Cherubim)

So whats your thoughts on it? Any Criticism, bring it on!

[SecretStamos]

Is the black and gold color scheme for the chapter officers?

[The Shiny One]

No its not intended to be worn by officers. I havent decided which of the 3 would fit the best for the chapter. And wanted your opinions on it? but forgot to write this.

 

Since there are so low hits on this, is the name "Iron Cherubim" so bad?

[The_son_of_Dorn]

i like the colours, unusual but not vulgre, as for the rest id say your on th right lines, im a maore laid back fluf fanatic nice to sed some varitation :tu:

[Captain Juan Juarez]

Of the three, the first is the best though I'm not really a fan.

 

For the other two, there are just two many colours going on; at most you want two prime colours and maybe a secondary or two for accents.

[The Shiny One]

I continued with the fall of the Iron Cherubim. This is what i have so far, its just a draft, and i would really like to hear what you thing of it:

 

 

After there great defeat by Iyanden, the Iron Cherubim, began to search the Ultima Segmentum for ways to improve there armor and bionics. They started to encounter with Necrons and became more and more obsessed with the power of this beings, and the necrodermis, because it reminds them of the hands of Ferrus. Eventually they were able to capture a few of them, by isolating them with the psychic powers of there growing Librarium (i am not quite sure if this is possible). The Adeptus Mechanicus demanded that they would give over this pressures xeno-artifacts, but they refused. The inquisition started investigating and declares them excommunicate, because of there dangerous, heretic obsession with knowledge (xeno and chaos). After fighting of imperial armies, they flew into a warp storm (maybe maelström). In there they encounter the dark mechanicus and see that they have quite a lot in common. Knowing that they cant fight the Imperium with no resources they search for a way of using the mighty necron technology. On of the Dark Magi knows a Great Demon (possibly Tzeentch), who was quite interested in this subject too. They agree to a pact with the demon, to give him some of the necron-technology and fighting for him in exchange for the promise to be able to use the tech for themselves. The demon tells them to each eat a tiny bit of the necrodermis and than they start with help from the dark magos a arcane ritual. After the ritual the armor of the iron cherubim start to close itself and becomes somehow liquid and living. At first it seemed the ritual had worked fine, but than the Iron Cherubim became aware that only the marines with the strongest mind (which meant mostly psychics) where able to sustain there will and souls. The other ones turned into metallic chaos spawns that were controlled by the Great Demon itself. The surviving Cherubim escape to there ship and swear themselves to revenge there brothers.

 

 

Is the whole necron mcguffin fluffwise ok, or is it a no-go?

If it is, i could imagine just a demonic possession, but it would be great if the Cherubim got betrayed by the demon, and therefore are now doomed to this state of being, but are not pleased with it, and possible hate chaos for it.

 

C&C very welcome!