IA: The Emerald Slayers

[Daemon Smith]

:PThe Emerald Slayers

“Trust not the xenos, for he shall twist you. Trust not their gods, for they shall steal your soul. Trust not the voices in your mind, for they will lead you to treachery.”

Chaplain Kaliman of the Emerald Slayers

 

Origins:

In 893 M.40 The Poisoned Swords Chapter, stationed on the far galactic Noeth-west, headed an assault on the Eldar Craftworld Yme-Loc. A full two-thirds of the Chapter was committed to the attack, with the remaining three Companies left to protect the Imperial Hive-world of Avignor from any counter attack. The entire seven Companies committed to the assault and fully half of the Helican Hell-raisers Imperial Guard Regiment was destroyed.

 

Such was their shame that the three remaining companies stripped their heraldry, cut off all records of their failure and severed their ties to their home world of Naogeddon. They began re-building their Chapter on Cestus, the moon of Avignor, using the frost-resistant population of the planet as new recruits. Within fifty years, the Emerald Slayers were born.

 

The Slayers quickly organized a crusade against the vile xenos that dared to humiliate them. They conducted raids on outposts and cargo ships and fought back any attempts of invasion. They developed a secure perimeter to guard against the three Craftworlds surrounding their home world. They stood valiantly in the face of hardship for three centuries. But their days of glory were soon to pass.

 

As they fought against the vile Eldar, Chapter Master Daigon began to grudgingly recognize the superiority of the xenos weapons above their own. He began to fascinate over them, trying to fathom the means by which these weapons were manufactured and functioned. He would have the Techmarines scavenge the weapons off fallen Eldar warriors and vehicles, and instruct them to study them as best they could. Though they warned him of the scrutiny that would come from such practices, the Forge masters grudgingly obeyed him. The Emerald Slayers began to take to the field under supporting fire from massive plasma weapons, vibro lasers and powerful star cannons. They were rewarded with countless victories, minimum losses and the pleasure of smiting the cursed Eldar from the battle fields of the system.

 

Their undoing came when they were obliged to aid a neighbouring Guardsmen regiment to fight off an Orc incursion. The Commisars attached to the regiment were horrified to see the alien weaponry utilized by the Chapter. They sent an immediate report to the Ordo Malleus, who in turn sent an Inquisitor to inspect the nature of the Chapter’s infringement. He declared that the use of alien weaponry to be heretical, and that the Chapter must disband it’s use or else be declared renegade and be subject to Exterminatus. Daigon swiftly agreed and grudgingly issued orders for the alien weapons to be destroyed.

 

The loss of the Eldar guns was a blow to the Chapter, as they had relied on them for so long. They began suffering defeats more often, as the Eldar were able to bring their witches to the fore without the fear of their precious leaders being slain by the devastating parody of alien armament. The Slayer’s armies were battered by volleys of psychic energy, and they were often left in disarray, easy prey for the Eldar’s deadly Banshee-masked warrior women.

 

To counter the terrible powers of the Eldar psychers, the Emerald Slayers expanded on their Chapter’s Librarium, bringing more psychers to battle than before. These brother Librarians protected their fellow Marines from the psychic onslaught employed by their foes. But though the effects of the powers were diminished, the constant contact with the psychic realm still affected the battle-brother’s minds.

 

After a few decades of fighting the Eldar, the Brother-marines of the Emerald Slayers began to hear whispering voices. At first, the voices were muffled and the marines could ignore them. But after a few more years of over-exposure to the warp, the voices increased, and began promising power to the brothers, but they went to the Chaplains and were safeguarded from the treacherous nature of the warp. However, there were some Battle-brothers stationed away from any comforting Chaplains, and they began to go insane from the constant sound of voices echoing in their heads. They turned on their brothers in bouts of madness, slaying each other in fits of violence, and then turned on themselves in an attempt to end the voices.

 

As the casualties mounted, Chapter Master Daigon decreed that every Battle-brother was to submit themselves to at least two hours of prayer a day. This prevented all but the oldest brothers succumbing to the madness, and they were put quickly out of their misery before they could lose themselves completely. And so the Chapter has carried on up until the present day.

 

Homeworld:

Avignor is a frozen world. No life is possible on its surface, but under the layers of ice lives many billions of the Emperor’s citizens. The underground is riddled with tunnels and caves in which the hard-bitten populace lives out a tough existence. The humans of the world make perfect recruits for the Emerald Slayers, for each day they must face the bitter struggle for existence as they are assaulted by the harsh environment and savage tunneling fauna at the same time.

Avignor is so far separated from the rest of the Imperium that the only influence it has there is the Adeptus Arbites and planetary governor, but they are more like a silent and unseen bringer of justice than rulers. The Ecclesiarchy can be noticed in a few of the more densely populated areas of the hives, bringing the Emperor’s light to the dark underground environs that the people live in.

 

The Fortress Monastery of the Emerald Slayers sprawls over the dark side of Avignor’s third moon, Cestus. It’s mighty planetary defence laser systems have guarded Avignor from many would-be invaders. Like Avignor, most of the Fortress Monastery is buried under the ice, in the warmer climates under the earth. The frozen environments of Cestus and Avignor do not suit very well for combat training, and so deep below the main quarters of the Monastery lie acres upon acres of training ground, designed to replicate surface-environs like jungles, deserts and temperate plains.

 

The only contact between the Emerald Slayers and the people of their planet is the occasional recruiting parties, and they generally target the fringes where the most stalwart warriors are produced battling the subterranean creatures that attack the hives. These parties consist of two to five un-armoured marines, one of whom is generally an Apothecary, and they seek out the strongest and most hard-bitten fighters. They will approach such men, usually just after a battle, and offer them the opportunity to come with them and serve the Emperor in their ranks. Most of the men have no family ties and agree almost immediately, but occasionally they will refuse, upon which the recruiters will take them by force. Such things give the recruiting parties a bad reputation, and some fringe settlers will flee their town if they hear word of the group of giants who take away strong men.

 

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Battle Brother of the third Company of the Emerald Slayers

 

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Chapter Symbol of the Emerald Slayers

 

Combat Doctrine

Because they spend most of their time fighting the Eldar, the Emerald Slayers have an unusually encompassing Librarium, in which they train large amounts of Librarians. Each company will usually have three Librarians attached to it at any one time, and usually one Chaplain will accompany each as well, to ensure that the Battle Brothers get their required amount of prayer.

 

Chapter Master Daigon believes that the best way to counter an enemy offensive is to replicate it, and to this end he strives to ensure that his warriors are as mobile as their Eldar enemies. Every tactical squad has some form of transport, be it a Rhino, Razorback or Drop Pod. Also, although the Chapter possesses a few suits of prized Tactical Dreadnaught armour, they are not used except in the direst of circumstances. Bike squads are used aplenty, and Land Speeders see thorough use, unlike some of the heavier vehicle, which tend to be kept in the Chapter’s Reliquaries, and are only used in drastic times when artillery is desperately needed.

 

Organization:

Although the basic organization of the Codex Astartes is upheld in the Emerald Slayers Chapter, it is interpreted in a slightly different manner to most other Chapters. The basic ten companies comprised of one hundred Battle Brothers is maintained, but each of the five Battle companies assigns ten warriors to bikes, maintaining flexibility and maneuverability in the force. Also, because of the continuous engagement with the Eldar psychers, the Librarium (headed by the Chief Librarian Maledictus) maintains a bare minimum of 35 Brother Librarians.

 

The warriors of the Librarium perform a slightly different role than that of normal Librarians. They are very much front-line warriors, and they often lead assaults on enemy armies. In contrast, they use their psychic abilities in a more defensive role, protecting their brothers rather than assaulting the enemy with psychic attacks. This more warrior-orientated role is represented by the use of the Chapter’s colours rather than the traditional blue of the Librarium.

 

Beliefs:

The Slayers hold a special loathing for all things alien, especially Eldar. They count ever Eldar killed by them, and relish every one.

 

The Crusade:

The Emerald Slayers remember the loss of their brothers at the hands of the Eldar when the Poisoned Swords attacked an Eldar Craftworld. Each new recruit pledges to fight in the Crusade against the xenos until three times the number killed by the Eldar has been repaid.

 

The Madness:

Over time, each Battle Brother is affected by their close contact with the psychers on their battle fields. At first the symptoms are minor; the Brother experiences whispering voices coaxing him with all manner of promises of power, but these voices can be quelled by the frequent preaching of the Company Chaplain. But after seventy or so decades of service, the voices become unbearable and the Brother must be put at peace before he attacks his fellows in a frenzy of insanity. The Slayers blame the Eldar for this curse, as it was they who forced them to employ far more psychers than usually necessary.

 

The Secret:

Having learned from the experience with the alien weapons, Daigon never commits his marines to battle alongside any other Space Marines, and very rarely the Imperial Guard. This rightly leads the other Imperial forces to believe that the Slayers are very secretive. Daigon knows that if the Madness was ever discovered by the Inquisition they will surely follow up on their previous threat of Exterminatus.

 

Geneseed:

The Emerald Slayers’ geneseed is that of the Primarch Robute Guilliman, but the Madness is a constant hindrance to the maintained purity of the geneseed. The Apothecarium always makes sure they send young and untainted seed for inspection, lest the taint be discovered. They never use the seed of those who have fallen to the madness, moreover they keep it suspended in a stasis field. They have not yet discovered a way to cure the geneseed of the madness, but they work ceaselessly to discover the cure.

 

Battlecry:

Force Commander:

“Slay them, Brothers!”

Battle Brothers:

“Slay them for the Emperor!”

Battlecry referring to the Chapter’s name.

 

“Slay them for the Sword!”

Battlecry used when fighting Eldar. Refers to the destruction of the Poisoned Swords at the hands of the Eldar.

[CantonWC]

Hi. Just as forewarning I pull no punches with my critiques.

 

In 893 M.40 The Poisoned Swords Chapter, stationed on the far galactic Noeth-west, headed an assault on the Eldar Craftworld Yme-Loc. A full two-thirds of the Chapter was committed to the attack, with the remaining three Companies left to protect the Imperial Hive-world of Avignor from any counter attack. The entire seven Companies committed to the assault and fully half of the Helican Hell-raisers Imperial Guard Regiment was destroyed.

 

Alright, I think the last time the Imperium tried something like this, they lost nearly a whole Sector Fleet. On another occasion, the Invaders attacked a severely weakened Craftworld and still sustained horrible casualties. I'm just saying, where the heck is the support for these guys? 7 Companies and one IG regiment doesn't seem nearly enough.

 

Such was their shame that the three remaining companies stripped their heraldry, cut off all records of their failure and severed their ties to their home world of Naogeddon. They began re-building their Chapter on Cestus, the moon of Avignor, using the frost-resistant population of the planet as new recruits. Within fifty years, the Emerald Slayers were born.

 

Changing a name is a pretty big deal, and I don't think this really qualifies. The Crimson Fists are still recovering from their near wipe-out and they haven't changed their name. What are they doing attacking the Eldar anyway? They must have had a good reason to stage an attack on a Craftworld.

 

They developed a secure perimeter to guard against the three Craftworlds surrounding their home world. They stood valiantly in the face of hardship for three centuries. But their days of glory were soon to pass.

 

Three Craftworlds a bit much? They couldn't even take out one Craftworld before.

 

As they fought against the vile Eldar, Chapter Master Daigon began to grudgingly recognize the superiority of the xenos weapons above their own. He began to fascinate over them, trying to fathom the means by which these weapons were manufactured and functioned. He would have the Techmarines scavenge the weapons off fallen Eldar warriors and vehicles, and instruct them to study them as best they could. Though they warned him of the scrutiny that would come from such practices, the Forge masters grudgingly obeyed him. The Emerald Slayers began to take to the field under supporting fire from massive plasma weapons, vibro lasers and powerful star cannons. They were rewarded with countless victories, minimum losses and the pleasure of smiting the cursed Eldar from the battle fields of the system.

 

Most Chapters seem to do just fine against Eldar with their standard weapons. I don't see how fighting fire with fire is going to change their fortunes so dramatically. And somehow I doubt it's as simple as just reverse engineering the tech and slapping new batteries in. This is technology designed by and for a highly psychic race, the nitty gritty details of which are likely not well understood by the Imperium.

 

Their undoing came when they were obliged to aid a neighbouring Guardsmen regiment to fight off an Orc incursion. The Commisars attached to the regiment were horrified to see the alien weaponry utilized by the Chapter. They sent an immediate report to the Ordo Malleus, who in turn sent an Inquisitor to inspect the nature of the Chapter’s infringement. He declared that the use of alien weaponry to be heretical, and that the Chapter must disband it’s use or else be declared renegade and be subject to Exterminatus. Daigon swiftly agreed and grudgingly issued orders for the alien weapons to be destroyed.

 

This is obviously tech heresy, so why are they going around showing people the kinds of guns they use? They're proud or something?

 

In any case, this kind of thing would fall under the jurisdiction of the Ordo Xenos.

 

To counter the terrible powers of the Eldar psychers, the Emerald Slayers expanded on their Chapter’s Librarium, bringing more psychers to battle than before. These brother Librarians protected their fellow Marines from the psychic onslaught employed by their foes. But though the effects of the powers were diminished, the constant contact with the psychic realm still affected the battle-brother’s minds.

 

So, just by having more Librarians around, they're suddenly more vulnerable to the Warp? I don't find this very plausible or convincing.

 

As the casualties mounted, Chapter Master Daigon decreed that every Battle-brother was to submit themselves to at least two hours of prayer a day.

 

Two hours of prayer a day keep the daemons at bay?

 

These parties consist of two to five un-armoured marines, one of whom is generally an Apothecary, and they seek out the strongest and most hard-bitten fighters. They will approach such men, usually just after a battle, and offer them the opportunity to come with them and serve the Emperor in their ranks.

 

Chapters recruit young boys because the gene-seed is designed to work with male hormones caused by the onset of puberty.

 

That's all for now.

 

CWC

[Daemon Smith]

7 Companies and one IG regiment doesn't seem nearly enough.

 

That is a very good point. Would support from a few more Chapters suffice

 

Changing a name is a pretty big deal, and I don't think this really qualifies.

 

Good point number two. What sort of thing do you think would qualify? Perhaps the Chapter should not be the offspring of a destroyed predecessor, instead be the same. But may I point out that the Luna Wolves were re-named the Sons of Horus pretty much at the drop of a hat, and that was a Legion.

 

What are they doing attacking the Eldar anyway? They must have had a good reason to stage an attack on a Craftworld.

 

Would it be good enough to say it was part of a crusade, or should I flesh that out a bit more?

 

Three Craftworlds a bit much? They couldn't even take out one Craftworld before.

 

If you look at the map, there are literally three Imperial worlds guarding that border. Someone has to weather the storm.

 

Most Chapters seem to do just fine against Eldar with their standard weapons. I don't see how fighting fire with fire is going to change their fortunes so dramatically. And somehow I doubt it's as simple as just reverse engineering the tech and slapping new batteries in. This is technology designed by and for a highly psychic race, the nitty gritty details of which are likely not well understood by the Imperium.

 

Now that I look back at it, that doesn't really make sense at all. Cut it out?

 

In any case, this kind of thing would fall under the jurisdiction of the Ordo Xenos.

 

Agh, you're perfectly right, I completely forgot what that branch was called!

 

So, just by having more Librarians around, they're suddenly more vulnerable to the Warp? I don't find this very plausible or convincing.

 

Meh, makes sense to me! The idea is less to do with the Librarians than simply the sheer volume of psychic power unleashed across the battlefield, and to the less psychically-adept Battle Brother it is really not so great for the brain. A bit like how the Rubric of Ahriman only affected the non-sorcerers.

 

Two hours of prayer a day keep the daemons at bay?

 

Yeah, maybe a bit longer would help! And maybe even a particular prayer.

 

Chapters recruit young boys because the gene-seed is designed to work with male hormones caused by the onset of puberty.

 

Really? I didn't know that!

[NightrawenII]

Welcome in the Liber.

 

In 893 M.40 The Poisoned Swords Chapter, stationed on the far galactic Noeth-west, headed an assault on the Eldar Craftworld Yme-Loc.

- 1st off, it's better leave the official factions out of DIY.

- 2nd, the Eldar Craftworld is hard to find in the first place. As for the attack itself. Alright, I think the last time the Imperium tried something like this, they lost nearly a whole Sector Fleet. -> This is correct. The Invaders were simply lucky and we still don't know how they managed to do that.

 

Such was their shame that the three remaining companies stripped their heraldry, cut off all records of their failure and severed their ties to their home world of Naogeddon.

- Hmm, I have seen Naogeddon before. Yup, Naogeddon.

 

They began re-building their Chapter on Cestus, the moon of Avignor, using the frost-resistant population of the planet as new recruits. Within fifty years, the Emerald Slayers were born.

- Wait, they didn't went on Penitent Crusade? Why did they leave the Naogeddon then?

- Chapters don't rename themself. It's insult to their predecessor and Chapter's heritage.

- What is the point in renaming them?

 

But may I point out that the Luna Wolves were re-named the Sons of Horus pretty much at the drop of a hat, and that was a Legion.

- They were renamed in honour of Horus, the First among the Primarchs.

 

If you look at the map, there are literally three Imperial worlds guarding that border. Someone has to weather the storm.

*facepalm*

Man, your Cartography-fu is pretty weak.

 

Most of the men have no family ties and agree almost immediately, but occasionally they will refuse, upon which the recruiters will take them by force. Such things give the recruiting parties a bad reputation, and some fringe settlers will flee their town if they hear word of the group of giants who take away strong men.

- They refuse to join the ranks of Emperor's blessed Angels of Death? Hmmm, strange. On other planets people kill for such honour.

 

Because they spend most of their time fighting the Eldar...

- Eldar are one of the least common foes of Imperium.

 

headed by the Chief Librarian Maledictus

- Is the Maledictus title or name? If the later, then it's a little cheesy.

[CantonWC]

Good point number two. What sort of thing do you think would qualify? Perhaps the Chapter should not be the offspring of a destroyed predecessor, instead be the same. But may I point out that the Luna Wolves were re-named the Sons of Horus pretty much at the drop of a hat, and that was a Legion.

 

Bad example. The Luna Wolves were renamed by the Emperor himself, and you don't contradict the Emperor. Later on they were renamed by Abaddon, and you don't disagree with Abaddon unless you want to die.

 

It really takes something earthshaking, like if you decide to defect from the Imperium and throw your lot in with the Ruinous Powers.

 

Would it be good enough to say it was part of a crusade, or should I flesh that out a bit more?

 

The Eldar must have done something pretty serious, like attack some vital Imperial targets, to piss off the Chapter enough to make them come after them. Just a suggestion.

 

If you look at the map, there are literally three Imperial worlds guarding that border. Someone has to weather the storm.

 

I don't understand what you mean.

 

That's all for now.

 

CWC