IA War-Fathers

[lothbrok]

Chapter name-War Father’s

Homeworld-Nerthus

Founding chapter-Rampagers

Chapter founder-Sigtyr Har

Genefather- Jaghatai Khan

Current chapter master-Hrothgar Drengr

Chapter strength-unknown

Notes- chapter shows marked tendency for close quarter combat as well as much of the savagery that has come to be associated with the sons of Jaghatai Khan. Beliefs are far from typical, worship of pagan deities suspected. Organization is extremely non-codex.

Origins

For almost seven millennia the War Fathers have stood as an indomitable bulwark against the greatest horrors of the galaxy. However, all stories have a beginning and the saga of the War Fathers’ is no exception.

Early in the 33rd millennia, a combined force drawn from the Rampagers and Dragon Lords chapters of the Adeptus Astartes hurled their combined might against the Waaaaaagh of warboss, Kruk Toofcraka . After a grueling and bloody campaign, the ork warlord was brought to heel and his fleet shattered in the otherwise unremarkable Vali system. However, at the moment of the great triumph it came to light that not all the Orks had met their end. An Ork cruiser felled in the opening moments of the engagement was rapidly breaching the atmosphere of a nearby feral world, known locally as Nerthus. Unwilling to allow any of the Xenos to live, the commander of the Rampager’s contingent led his warriors in a rapid planet fall to slaughter the last of the aliens.

Following a series of short and savage encounters, the Rampager’s tracked the last of the Orks to the ruins of one of the local villages. Amidst the wreckage they found a lone survivor; a young man near dead from blood loss, surrounded by the bodies of a half dozen dead Orks. Impressed by the obvious skill of the young warrior, the Rampager captain ordered the youth to be recruited for the chapter and join the ranks of the Emperor’s chosen. When the young hero awoke aboard a strike cruiser bound for the Rampager’s homeworld, he gave his name as Sigtyr of the Har. It was not long before Sigtyr carved out a name for himself, first as a battle- brother and then as the youngest captain in chapter history.

When the high lords issued the command for the ninth founding of Astartes, the Rampagers willingly dedicated their most illustrious captain to the cause. After having been supplied with a store of the blessed Khans gene-seed and with the raw materials necessary for the founding of a chapter, Sigtyr returned to his homeworld to fulfill his destiny. There he founded a mighty chapter with a legacy of victory.

It was at the siege of Zorn IV, sixty years after the chapter’s founding that the fledgling War-Fathers first entered the pages of Imperial history. The siege was going poorly for the Imperials. The traitors and their brutal overlords were doggedly holding their own, halting every attempt the Emperor’s warriors made to take the fortress city. When it seemed that the imperial guard might well be forced to abandon the city to virus bombing, Sigtyr and his warriors arrived. In a single night of brutal close quarter’s warfare, the War-Fathers crushed the traitors and their heretical masters. However, such a decisive victory comes with a cost. It was in this battle that the newly formed chapter lost many of its early veterans when the traitor’s leader, a terrible demon prince fell upon Sigtyr and his bodyguard of former Rampagers. Although Sigtyr eventually cast the fell traitor to the ground, he had lost many of his chapter’s founders and training cadre. Perhaps it is due to the chapter’s early loss of guidance that allwoed many of the new chapter members to so heavily shape the chapter's legacy and has led to many of its current deviances.

Homeworld

Nerthus

Along the rim of the Maelstrom lies The War Father’s homeworld of Nerthus, a feral world that raises folk of truly hardy stock. Nerthus is a study in contrasts that constantly baffles the minds of imperial scientists of every stripe. Great rivers of lava cut across winter locked tundra while mighty geysers spew sulfur-rich air across ice swept plains. Despite its contradictory nature the population of Nerthus continues to thrive

While the majority of the planet’s surface is bound in almost perpetual winter cut through by channels of molten rock, a great ring of temperate forests sweeps across the equator. Here can be found hundreds of species of rare plants and animals found no were else in the galaxy with fine arid land ripe for the taking. Yet despite the apparent bounty of the equatorial regions, few members of the world’s human population make it their home for its depths are huanted by foul twisted mutants and primitive orks. The hardy folk of Nerthus the denizens of the equator as weak and disgusting and no true son of Nerthus wouls ever come near those loathsome creatures. They prefer the harsh winter locked lands closer to the poles where mighty beasts stride through great jagged mountain chains and a man can truly prove his worth in the eyes of his gods and his ancestors away from the foulness of the equator. It is from these savage haunts that the human population of Nerthus defiantly clings to life.

At first glance Nerthian society appears to be simple and crude. However, it is only when one has resided amongst the numberless clans for many years that its true depth is realized. From the moment they take their first step, every man of Nerthus expects a violent end. Whether at the end of a foe’s blade or the claws of one of the world’s fearsome predators, each man expects to meet his ancestors with his wounds to the fore and a cry of defiance on his lips. Perhaps it is the realization that all life might end unexpectedly that leads Nerthians to be so prone to living in the moment. Almost as a whole, Nerthians are quick to laugh and love, to fight and die knowing that any moment could be their last. They wish only to live life to the fullest and leave a great legacy behind for they know the only thing that is truly immortal are a man’s name and deeds. This life view leads many Nerthians to find joy in most anything, whether it be hunting, drinking, or carving. However, there is nothing a man of Nerthus loves more than battle, believing that only in war can a lasting name be forged and true greatness achieved.

Organization

The War Father’s organization is far from typical. They care little for what the codex Astartes says on the subject of organization, preferring the follow a truly mighty individual . Instead of the standard ten company system employed by most chapters, the organization of the War Fathers’ system is based around a complex series of oaths and vows with each warrior swearing his support to a warrior of higher rank. A brother’s standing in the chapter is directly related to the number of his followers or oathmen. This system leads to constantly fluctuating numbers of companies, making it nigh impossible to determine the chapter’s true strength for only the chapter master knows the true number and strength of each war band.

The basic fighting force of the chapter is the warband. A warband is roughly equivalent to a standard company. A warband is led by a Jarl who gains his rank when he has amassed enough warriors to effectively lead an army into battle independent of support. Warbands grow in size as a Jarl amasses more and more of a reputation, with each new victory bringing more warriors to his standard. However, this system is a double edged blade as it causes the Jarls to constantly need to prove themselves in order to keep their warriors loyal. This is usually accomplished by the Jarl targeting enemy commanders in battle and has led to more than few mighty heroes being brought low by the blades of enemy warlords and generals.

A warband is further composed of smaller groupings known as fellowships. Each fellowship is commanded by a thane who holds the oaths of every warrior. A fellowship can vary hugely in size from only a few marines to a few dozen. Just as each member of a fellowship is sworn to the thane, the thane is likewise sworn to the service of the Jarl and through the loyalty of the thane, the Jarl commands the warriors of each fellowship.

The one exception to the War Father’s deviance from the organizational structure of the codex is the veteran company. This veteran company (referred to as the Household) is the only fixed company in the chapter and consists exclusively of the chapters greatest heroes’ veterans of a thousand campaigns on a hundred worlds. These warriors are known as Hersirs and are also the only warriors (with the exception of the senior commanders) who are trusted with the chapter’s priceless suits of terminator armor. Unlike a warband the household is not led by a jarl but by the Lord-champion instead. The Lord-champion is the greatest of the Hersirs’ and is the regarded as the mightiest warrior in the chapter (baring the chapter master himself). It is a rare battle where the household can be found fighting together; instead the household usually fights as individual squads attached to Warbands of specific Jarls as decided by the Lord-champion.

Progression of a marine

During the fiercest of battles on the darkest of nights beautiful and terrible maidens are seen. Clad in armor of burnished silver and polished bronze, these women silently observe the tides of war and choose the finest of the young warriors, whether living or dead, claiming them for the All-Fathers hosts. These women are the star-maidens, the servants of War-Fathers and the choosers of heroes. It is their sacred and blessed duty to choose the finest of the young men of Nerthus for the ranks of the chapter.

Once the Star-maidens have chosen him, a young warrior is taken to one of the training camps that dot the frozen northern plains. It is in these camps that the young men learn the skills needed to join the emperor’s elite and of the great destiny that has been laid before them. After many months of grueling training, the aspirants are taken to the chapter’s fortress monastery of Valhol. A soaring edifice carved from the heart of the greatest of the world’s mountain ranges and inaccessible to even the heartiest of mortal warriors, it is here that they undergo the numerous transformations needed to forge them into angels of death.

Once a warrior has been reformed in the image of the blessed Khan and due to the War-Father’s lack of a scout company, they join the retinue of a Gothi. It is here under the tutelage of an ancient and battle hardened veteran that the young warriors learn the skills they will need for a life time of war. These young warriors are famous for their fearsome nature, often times hurling themselves into almost certain death in order to carve their names in to the chapter’s rolls of honor. They typically take to the field armed with bolt pistols, chainswords and jump packs allowing them to quickly close with their chosen foe.

Once a warrior has proven himself before his Gothi he is elevated to the rank of Carl. These warriors form the back bone of a warband. Feared in both close combat and ranged warfare, Carls form the body of the spear that is a War Fathers’ army. Although Carls have been granted the use of the holy bolter, they steadfastly hold on to the pistols and blades they used in their early days with the chapter.

Although most members of the chapter meet their end as a Carl, there are a fearsome few who live on even as their brothers die around them. These mighty warriors either amass the necessary following to become Thanes or more frequently, become Huskarls. A Huskarl is an elite warrior handpicked by a Jarl. Huskarls serve both as a Jarl’s personal bodyguards and as potent squads capable of felling the mightiest of foes. These warriors are equipped with powerful and rare weapons given to them as rewards for mighty deeds in the service of their Jarl. It is from the ranks of the Huskarl’s that a new Jarl is typically chosen, if one is chosen at all. If a new Jarl is not chosen, then the warband usually dissipates and bolsters the forces of another Jarl.

If a warrior can somehow survive the near suicidal combat style expected of a Huskarl, then he may be offered the chance to join the Household as a Hersir. Although acceptance of the offer is not obligatory, refusals are exceedingly rare. As mentioned earlier, these warriors are the finest battle brothers of their generation. Each Hersir is a champion without peer and a hero of legend. Hersirs are equipped with the very best wargear, weapons forged at the dawn of the chapter and near irreplaceable suits of terminator armor. Hersirs are usually seen attached to a warband by squad to provide their valuable experience and hard won skill at arms to a campaign.

Specalists

The War-Fathers maintain all forms of Space Marine specialists, although not always in the way the codex intended. Both Techmarines and Apothecaries function in the same way as any other member of the chapter, swearing oaths of loyalty to a Thane and threw him to a Jarl.

The biggest example of this deviance is the Gothi. Although these warriors appear outwardly like Chaplains, the differences between the two ranks are substantial. Unlike Chaplains, Gothi are not selected for training after they complete their training in the Scout Company or retinue respectively. Instead, Gothi are universally battle hardened veterans chosen based upon their exemplar battle records and their charismatic personality. Gothi are not only charged with the safe guarding of their brother’s souls but also with the shaping and training of the chapter’s youngest warriors. Although Gothi like their brother Chaplains, are charged with the spiritual guidance of the chapter, they typically do so in a far less formal manner, preferring to lead their brethren in honoring the ancient ancestors of Nerthus than in open worship of the Emperor. The Gothi are further charged with the memorization and safe guarding of the chapter’s lore, including the sagas of its heroes and the legends of its homeworld.

They only other deviance of note amongst the chapter’s specialists is the Librarians. Known as Seidermen, the war-Father’s psykers draw their power from an innate understanding of the ancient rune script of Nerthus. Although all of the chapter’s warriors can read and write in the rune script only, the Seidermen truly understand the natural power intrinsic to each and every symbol of its alphabet. Although many of the War-Fathers view the Seidermen with suspicion and sometimes open hostility, none can deny their awesome battle field power. Calling upon the powers of nature itself, the War-Father’s potent psykers crush the enemies of the emperor and the chapter.

Beleifs

The beliefs of the War Fathers have been a subject of constant scrutiny by the inquisition for much of the chapter’s history. Unlike many of their brother chapters, the War-Fathers don’t view the Emperor as a deity. Instead they see him in much the same way as they would see many of the ancient heroes of their homeworld, (although obiviously far great than any such folk hero) as a model for a warrior to aspire to and a standard to measure one’s self against. It is this view combined with the chapters highly suspected worship of heathen gods that has led both the ecclesiarchy and the inquisition to keep such a close eye on the chapter and on their divergent beliefs. However despite several thorough investigations neither institution has yet found sufficient sign of heresy to condemn a chapter of the Adeptus Astartes who have proven themselves as loyal as the War-Fathers.

Much like the primitive clansmen of their homeworld, each and every War-Father desires to carve out a lasting legacy in the honor rolls of the chapter and to be forever remembered by their brothers and descendants. It is this desire combined with the natural Nerthian love of battle that causes the War-Fathers to so eagerly dedicate themselves to battles that would give even brother Space Marines pause. An extension of this belief is visible in the great stake that each and every battle-brother puts in their personal honor and in the honor of the chapter as a whole. Warriors will go to extreme lengths to preserve or restore their honor, often times going as far as to willingly engage allied forces when a slight or insult is perceived. Honor duels are a frequent occurrence amongst members of the chapter. On rare occasion such duels may occur with members of a long standing rival chapter.

Sacrifices to and rituals honoring the ancient gods of Nerthus as well as the ancestors of the chapter are extremely common before battle. However, despite appearances’ these rituals never ask the gods for courage, strength, or even victory. The warriors know that the gods will grant them victory until the day when they claim their souls to feast alongside them until the end days. Perhaps stemming from this fatalistic view, the War-Fathers believe that when a warrior falls in battle his soul is split. Part of it travels to the All-fathers corpse hall where they will feast alongside their ancestors until the end of time. However, the remaining part of the soul is believed to be reincarnated amongst the folk of Nerthus and will one day be reclaimed by the chapter. In this way the War-Fathers believe that their ancient heroes still bestride the stars and fight on in the name of the gods and the Emperor.

Apperance

The warriors of the War-Fathers take to battle clad in armor of a dull bronze etched in bone and festooned with honor marking and trophies of battle. Armor becomes increasingly more ornate as a warrior advances in rank. Carved with images of dragons, wolves, and runes, a Jarl’s armor is as much a masterpiece of the artificer’s craft as it is a functional piece of wargear. Trophies are frequently seen adorning the armor of the chapter’s warrior’s skulls, scalps, pelts, skins, and hides clad many of the War-Fathers in the legacy of their deeds and past glories. Such items are either taken from the corpses of slain foes or from the mighty predators that stalk the wastes of Nerthus. Older marks of armor and variant issue weaponry are also commonly seen amongst the chapter’s warriors. Taken from the bodies of defeated traitors and renegades, they serve to remind the warriors of the consequences for breaking with the chapter and the Emperor.

Allegiance to a specific Jarl is shown by the left shoulder guard bearing the chosen Jarl’s personal badge, and the right guard bearing the chapter symbol. In a similar fashion, the warrior’s fellowship is declared by his Thane’s symbol blazoned on the right knee guard.

Combat Doctrine

The War-Fathers believe that the only true way for a warrior to prove himself is in the fires of close quarter warfare with sword in hand and the blood of aliens and traitors spread across their armor. Over the centuries the War-Fathers have become masters of the armored charge. The assaults launched by the chapter are things of legend and raw savagery, warriors charging across the battlefield onto the pages of Imperial history. Due to the War-Fathers’ predisposition towards close combat, few of its warriors ever take to battle armed with the heavy weapons favored by many other chapters. Because of this, most of the chapters’ heavy support comes from the weapons mounted upon the hulls of battle tanks, most commonly Razorbacks and Landraiders. Although the chapter’s straight forward approach to war has led many other imperial institutions to view them as uncultured berserkers without even the most basic grasp of tactics, nothing could be further from the truth. When the War-Fathers take to battle, it is not a reckless charge of savages without any semblance of order. Instead, each charge is perfectly ordered so that the warriors are positioned in the way that will best crush the enemy formation with the Gothis’ and their retinues striking from the sky to excises key points in the enemy’s line. These charges are often combined with drop pod assaults by the chapter’s ancient dreadnoughts or warriors of the household. By the time the smoke has cleared little is left of any enemy, save broken corpses and great pools of blood.

Gene-seed

The War-Fathers bear the ancient and blessed gene-seed of the great Jagahati Khan. Although the successors of the White Scars are infamous for their savagery and bloodlust, the War-Fathers have manifested are renowned for their love of battle. Like most such things, this battle-joy (or as it is called by the War-Fathers “the swordsong”) manifests more strongly in some warriors than others. Those who bear the strongest manifestation of this quirk are known as Ulfsarks amongst the chapter and are renowned for their ferocity and skill at arms. Ulfarks are regarded as the chosen of the All-father and frequently take to battle without parts of their armor, most commonly on the right arm or head.

As a whole the warriors of the chapter also tend to be somewhat larger than the typical Space Marine. This difference is largely negligible and no evidence has been found that suggests this is caused by impurities in the gene-seed as opposed to just a quirk of Nerthian genetics.

Warcry

Ho la Odhinn! (Hail the All-father) or simply a roar of laughter

[Shinzaren]

Fix the BBC coding for size, then we'll talk. Yikes...

[Ecritter]

Actually delete all the size coding ... there's no need.

[NightrawenII]

Heh, so I'm the only one who is going throught the arduous task of reading this...

 

Origins

An Ork cruiser felled in the opening moments of the engagement was rapidly breaching the atmosphere of a nearby feral world, known locally as Nerthus.

- Ork Kroozer.

 

After having been supplied with a store of the blessed Khans gene-seed

-... of the blessed gene-seed of Jaghatai Khan. Khan is title, not the name.

 

There he founded one of the most ancient and illustrious chapters in the history of the Imperium.

- Oh, really?! :D

 

Although Sigtyr eventually cast the fell traitor to the ground, he had lost many of his chapter’s founders and training cadre. Perhaps it is due to the chapter’s early loss of guidance that has led to many of its current deviances.

- Except every Chapter owns a copy of Codex. So your explanation is somewhat wanting.

 

Homeworld

By all means, Nerthus should not exist. Yet not only does it exist, it thrives.

- *scratching on the head* Uhm, ok.

 

The hardy folk of Nerthus see life on the equator as weakening and nothing is so despised by the men and women of Nerthus as weakness. They prefer the harsh winter locked lands closer to the poles where beasts straight from human nightmares stride through great jagged mountain chains and a man can truly prove his worth in the eyes of his gods and his ancestors.

- ...

 

Organization

+

Progression of a marine

- Well, I really appreciate what you did here, but...

I don't like the obvious rip-offs of the real words, so huskarl, hersir and the like really irks me.

Another thing is that you didn't explain, why they have so radically different organisation.

To be honest with you, explaining in plausible manner the SWs, who aren't SWs, is perilous battle against impossible odds. :ermm:

 

They care little for what the codex Astartes says on the subject of organization, preferring the follow a truly mighty individual over one who merely holds the captaincy.

- I think you severely misunderstand, what it means to be Captain. :o

 

Specialist

Although Gothi like their brother Chaplains, are charged with the spiritual guidance of the chapter, they typically do so in a far less formal manner, preferring to lead their brethren in sacrifices to the ancient gods of Nerthus than in worship of the Emperor.

- I see HERESY!! Kill it with fire! :D

 

Belief

Instead they see him in much the same way as they would see many of the ancient heroes of their homeworld, as a model for a warrior to aspire to and a standard to measure one’s self against.

- This is worrysome even for the low standards of Astartes. All others at least put the Emperor above everyone else.

 

Sacrifices to and rituals honoring the ancient gods of Nerthus as well as the ancestors of the chapter are extremely common before battle.

- If single Inquisitor saw such thing, your Chapter will be welcoming the GK's Purgation Squad(s) in no time. SM Chapters were excommunicated for less.

 

Gene-seed

... the gene-seed stores of the War-Fathers have manifested a peculiar mutation that leads to the warriors of the chapter taking exceptional joy in battle and warfare.

- Oi! Oi! I smell heresy there.... :)

 

Those who bear the strongest manifestation of this genetic quirk are known as Ulfsarks amongst the chapter and are renowned for their ferocity and skill at arms. Ulfarks are regarded as the chosen of the gods and frequently take to battle without parts of their armor, most commonly on the right arm or head, thus illustrating their faith in the gods.

- Not only I smell it... I see it with my own eyes! :eek *Running away to call the Inquisition.*

[lothbrok]

I think i've cleared up all the mistakes you pointed out and clearified a lot of it.

 

And thanks to anyone who actually undertook the substanial efort of reading this.