More Gimmicky Chapter Ideas

[Consul of Scorpions]

Just a couple of rough ideas.

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Linnaean Hydra

The gene-seed of the White Gorgons Chapter has mutated in an exceptional way, instead of degrading and becoming useless almost every organ descended from the White Gorgons stocks suffers from hyper-metastasis, growing out of control and eventually killing or, in what might hesitantly be considered a lucky case, only severely crippling the initiate. Early in their history, when the disease had begun to manifest in the Chapter’s third generation of geneseed, its leadership struck a deal with a nameless entity in order to save their fledgling chapter. The Linnaean Hydra is a semi-organic, xeno-type symbiote bonded to a White Gorgon Marine’s developing organs, stabilizing their normally hyper-accelerated growth. The symbiote is the first organ implanted and requires several years before it can fully infiltrate an initiate’s systems, during which time neophytes are placed in stasis sarcophagi to wait out the process. Despite the stasis field surrounding an initiate and slowing his bodily functions to a mere fraction of normal, the hydra seems to flourish in such an environment and quickly spreads through the body unimpeded by the neophyte’s immune system and eventually adapts to it; indeed, a Linnaean Hydra rarely survives to maturity outside of such conditions.

The benefits of symbiosis with the hydra are manifold. In addition to impeding cancerous growth within its host, a Linnaean Hydra also seems to be attuned to space marine gene-seed and drastically decreases instances of rejection of the implanted organs. The probability of such a thing occurring naturally is so slim as to arouse suspicion among the White Gorgons, though they have little choice when survival is on the line. The symbiote is also naturally redundant and widespread within the host, allowing the hydra to recover from all but total annihilation. Furthermore, it displays a high degree of autonomic control and responsiveness, increasing the host body’s response time to injury and infection as well as boosting the regenerative properties of developed tissues. As such, very few White Gorgons have been entombed in a Dreadnought’s war casket and none but the most critically injured have required bionic augmentation, and even then only temporarily, which might take as long as several decades to fully heal.

The Chapter’s relationship with the Martian Priesthood is rocky, to say the least, as their genetic tithes to Sol always catastrophically metastasize when genitor magi attempt to vat-culture their own stocks. This has led to calls by the Priesthood of heretechnical blasphemy against the White Gorgons, though the Chapter has gained a modicum of support from the Ecclesiarchy who believe the White Gorgons have survived thanks to the Emperor’s beneficence, something the Chapter’s leadership is keen on preserving. As a result or perhaps as the cause of this good will from one of the most murderous Imperial Authorities, Chaplains of the White Gorgon, as well as many other members of the Chapter’s leadership down to the level of squad sergeants, have adopted the teachings of the Imperial Faith over the traditional Primarchial Cult common to a grand majority of Space Marine Chapters. By hiding behind the Imperial Faith, which is taught to initiates as if it were a tactical doctrine, with all the precarious nuance between the multifarious sects of belief, the Chapter has ensured a level of political clearance for their clandestine consortia with a xenos species, though the wrong word or deed could quite easily destroy the support of their Ecclesiastic supporters and turn them into the worst of their enemies should their actions become fully known.

While the White Gorgons boast the most robust of marine fighting forces, they are loathe to risk themselves in dirtside engagements, for fear that one of their number become lost or fall into the hands of enemy or ally and the Chapter’s secret be revealed. Additionally, as the medical procedure to create new marines requires a great deal of time, the Chapter marshals what strength they have carefully lest a disastrous engagement leave them waiting for the next generation of recruits to become viable, bringing the eyes of suspicion upon them. The Chapter favors fleet engagements, where the fate of their brothers is tightly controlled by the deadly nature of the void itself. One is generally most certainly alive or most certainly dead, with little question as to the state of either metaphysical disposition. This view imparts a stoic and grim demeanor upon the White Gorgons despite their tendency towards amicable cooperation with other Imperial Forces.

Though the White Gorgons might disdain planets, they have been stalwart in their boarding actions and have, many times, graciously captured vessels long lost to the conniving grasp of recidivists and pirates, returning them, with proper cleansing rites, to the faithful service of the Imperium. Borne to a water planet before the genetic plague struck them, the White Gorgons have maintained several eccentricities of their once-homeworld, including the symbolism of healing and rebirth held by water in cleansing and initiation rites. The Chapter also makes frequent use of drowning up to the point of requiring resuscitation when punishing or questioning individuals.

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Rogue Eidolon

The Dominos Chapter has suffered its excommunication from the Imperium with good humor, vexing their pursuers’ efforts while lending aide to the society that cast them out, even going so far as to bait the tempestuous nature of their former masters and comrades in order to accomplish their obscure plans. While sharing a great deal behaviorally with the accursed Eldar, whose technology was the cause of the Dominos’ ostracism, the Chapter remains unswervingly loyal to their human charges under the thumb of the Imperium. Noted for their extravagant and unabashed use of xenos technology, the Dominos Chapter has been known to strike jester’s bargains with haughty Eldar and righteous Tau, waving the puritanical charade of their former masters like a Dlrexaen Matoro’s cape flashed before the eyes of a charging grox.

The Dominos favor feinting strikes supported by unassuming forward recon units that make an appearance of their own in a volley of strategic fire to cripple or hinder an enemy asset at the right moment to determine the course of the fight. Endeavoring to be away from the fight once the enemy is ready to engage, the Dominos have earned the ire of many Imperial Captains, Ordo Hereticus Inquisitors, and Guard Commanders after leaving them with nothing but an empty field, now-useless objectives, captured men left unharmed but for their naked pride, and taunting graffiti befitting the juves of particularly delinquent hive gangs. The lucky few regiments or strike teams that have managed to bring the Dominos Chapter to a stand-up fight have found these excommunicate heroes wielding the same alien technologies that doomed them to this half-life of service in the first place. Seemingly having grasped tenants of technology lost to Mars for millennia, the Dominos have also suffered their sport of hide-and-seek upon Explorator teams intent on discovering their means of success, despite its heretical origins.

Barely a company in strength and thought to be dwindling with each report of battle, the Dominos are seen as a miniscule, if irritatingly resilient and mobile, threat to Imperial sovereignty, though the truth is far from such optimistic logistry. The Dominos Chapter remains close to seven hundred-strong after several centuries of banishment, though greatly dispersed along the rim of the galactic West. As the fabled honest pirates of ancient Terran legend, the Dominos chapter emulate the mythic hoodlum-hero, Robert the Knave, who thieved from the corrupt and illicit and gave to the good honest folk; though Imperial Authorities take their usually dim view of any who support such heretical notions even if the Chaos-worshippers also want to see the Dominos suffer. And within the twisted circles of the Inquisition, some Lords and Ladies are beginning to wonder if stamping out the growing rally cry of Domino supporters in the Halo stars is worth an unholy alliance with Horus’ thrice-cursed progeny.

[NightrawenII]

White Gorgons

The symbiote is the first organ implanted and requires several years before it can fully infiltrate an initiate’s systems, during which time neophytes are placed in stasis sarcophagi to wait out the process. Despite the stasis field surrounding an initiate and slowing his bodily functions to a mere fraction of normal, the hydra seems to flourish in such an environment and quickly spreads through the body unimpeded by the neophyte’s immune system and eventually adapts to it; indeed, a Linnaean Hydra rarely survives to maturity outside of such conditions.

- The stasis field stops the flow of the time.

 

The benefits of symbiosis with the hydra are manifold. In addition to impeding cancerous growth within its host, a Linnaean Hydra also seems to be attuned to space marine gene-seed and drastically decreases instances of rejection of the implanted organs. The probability of such a thing occurring naturally is so slim as to arouse suspicion among the White Gorgons, though they have little choice when survival is on the line. The symbiote is also naturally redundant and widespread within the host, allowing the hydra to recover from all but total annihilation. Furthermore, it displays a high degree of autonomic control and responsiveness, increasing the host body’s response time to injury and infection as well as boosting the regenerative properties of developed tissues. As such, very few White Gorgons have been entombed in a Dreadnought’s war casket and none but the most critically injured have required bionic augmentation, and even then only temporarily, which might take as long as several decades to fully heal.

- Reading the Nekroscope serie too much lately? ;)

 

In all honesty, if the Techpriests sniffle something fishy about the Chapter gene-seed, then it's only matter of time before the Inquistion begin to poke its nose into this.

Second, the Rites of Initiation article in the Index Astartes book suggests that there are regular checks of Chapter's gene-seed practices.

 

Rogue Eidolon

And there was once a Black and White Space Marine on a Black and White bike, and being the hero type person he was, wanted to marry the Chapter Master's daughter... Sorry guys, I couldn't resit. ;)

 

... the Dominos Chapter has been known to strike jester’s bargains with haughty Eldar and righteous Tau...

- Using righteous and tau in one sentence is only appropriate with statements like "... and he was smiting these tau-reprobates with rigtheous fury of the Emperor's Finest."

 

Please, no Joke-Chapters. April is still far away. :tu:

[Consul of Scorpions]

White Gorgons

The symbiote is the first organ implanted and requires several years before it can fully infiltrate an initiate’s systems, during which time neophytes are placed in stasis sarcophagi to wait out the process. Despite the stasis field surrounding an initiate and slowing his bodily functions to a mere fraction of normal, the hydra seems to flourish in such an environment and quickly spreads through the body unimpeded by the neophyte’s immune system and eventually adapts to it; indeed, a Linnaean Hydra rarely survives to maturity outside of such conditions.

- The stasis field stops the flow of the time.

yup, you got it

 

- Reading the Nekroscope serie too much lately? :)

the what?

 

In all honesty, if the Techpriests sniffle something fishy about the Chapter gene-seed, then it's only matter of time before the Inquistion begin to poke its nose into this.

Second, the Rites of Initiation article in the Index Astartes book suggests that there are regular checks of Chapter's gene-seed practices.

I'll have to read it (just got the book, too). Really, the ecclesiarchal support is flimsy, I'll probably have to make it a renegade chapter in order to write a proper arcticle.

 

Rogue Eidolon

And there was once a Black and White Space Marine on a Black and White bike, and being the hero type person he was, wanted to marry the Chapter Master's daughter... Sorry guys, I couldn't resit. ;)

 

... the Dominos Chapter has been known to strike jester’s bargains with haughty Eldar and righteous Tau...

- Using righteous and tau in one sentence is only appropriate with statements like "... and he was smiting these tau-reprobates with rigtheous fury of the Emperor's Finest."

mm, point, 'righteous' isn't exactly the right word

[NightrawenII]

The Wamphyres in the Nekroscope books share *suspicious* similarity with your Linnaean Hydra. ^_^

[Consul of Scorpions]

It's a parallel evolution, I swear!

[Hubernator]

Please, no Joke-Chapters. April is still far away. B)

Christmas is nearly here, and we can always do with some good humour around here every once in a while. Don't be so sour :cry:

 

To the OP; I'v only read through the Dominos Chapter since that one stuck out first. Oddly I thought of the pizza company first than actual dominoes... is that bad? :cry: Anyway, I think it can work but it will need some good refinement. For example, the idea that they taunt their opponents is not marine-ish in any sort, especially if it's against the Imperium. From what I gather, they ally freely with Tau and Eldar and get their hands on tech from both races - surely this is literally begging for the =][= to strike them down fully and confiscate it all before the AdMech do it first. And the AdMech would be all over them like *insert a simile here*. Having the idea that they are hiding their numbers isn't a wise move I would've thought, I'd rather they just had rather small numbers due to the fact the Imperium doesn't want them around anymore for their heresy. You could adapt this sort of ideal to how they fight - mainly aiding their Imperial Allies then leaving when the battle is a certified victory, and keeping out of their way so they aren't shot at as well.

[Reyner]

I like the idea of the first Chapter, sounds like the Goa'uld and the Jaffa.

[Consul of Scorpions]

Heh, this is mostly just to pass the time until *somebody* starts giving feedback on the Cremators again.

 

 

Pointless Commentary:

The Gorgons are something of a cursed founding, in that they turn into piles of mushy goo if they don't bond with an alien critter that literally covers them head to toe *on the inside*. I'm a sucker for creepy-crawley parasite type deals, especially because its freaks me out. They've got THINGS inside them!!! Weird Things! Keepin' 'em alive, yeah, but who knows what else!

 

The Dominos are... actually, they are a bit of a joke chapter, the paint scheme is supposed to elicit comments like "My brain! My Eyes! MY BRAIN!"

 

Forgive my semi-lucidity, it's been a long morning.