Shadow Falcons

[Ekim_Trub]

Here i go again trying to develop the IA for my Chapter to a point of accepted completion.

Thankfully, several members of the Liber have helped me along the way with it, for without them, i think this IA would of died a long time ago.

As always, c&c is greatly desired and welcomed.

Origins

R

aised as part of the Fifth Founding from the geneseed of Corax, taken from the stocks of the Revilers Chapter, The Shadow Falcons were created to combat the ever increasing number of Ork and Chaos Warbands assailing Segmentum Pacificus.

The Chapter was guided through its infancy and early history by Lucius D'Ken, former Captain of the Revilers 2nd Company, who had led the initial training cadre provided by both the Revilers and Raven Guard. It was under his decisive leadership and expert tutelage that the Shadow Falcons established themselves as surgical strike specialists, famed for their high use of air assault tactics. A speciality that was to serve them well, for a lot of their early operations consisted of supporting other Chapters and the many Explorator Fleets of the Adeptus Mechanicus operating within the Segmentum.

The Shadow Falcons favoured method of warfare was best demonstrated during the liberation of the research moon, Sylvaan, by the 5th Company under Captain Trajan after it fell to the forces of Chaos. Faced with superior numbers but blessed with the element of suprise, the 5th were able to use the speed and precision they are famed for to quickly ensure Imperial rule was restored.

After deploying the entire Company quickly to secure key positions, the Companies Thunderhawks provided close fire support and destroyed carefully selected targets saw the enemy thrown into a state of confusion and disarray which enabled their mission to be accomplished quickly.

However, the Chapters history is not all famous victories and glorious battles, for in M.35, upon the world of Sesharrim the Shadow Falcons suffered their worst defeat to date. Both the 6th and 9th Companies were deployed alongside elements of the Angels Of Redemption to eradicate the Ork menace that plagued the planet. After a long and ardous campaign came what would of been the decisive battle to achieve the worlds freedom, without any notice or explanation, the Angels Of Redemption withdrew from both the battlefield and system. This left the Shadow Falcons at the mercy of the enemy, and although they fought valiantly, both Companies were utterly destroyed, leaving no survivors. Which has led to the Chapter to refuse to take to field alongside any Chapter bearing the geneseed of Lion El'Johnson, and has even seen them remove themselves from any Imperial Campaigns in which these forces, who they view as unforgivable, has joined.

It was only through the strength and resolve that the Adeptus Astartes are known for, was the Chapter able to recover from this devastating and horrendous loss and continue on in their duty to the Emperor and the Imperium.

Over the millenia since their creation, the Shadow Falcons have proven themselves to be true sons of Corax, excelling in their application of stategy and tactics, and with their ability to adapt and overcome any changes to the battlefield in order to achieve victory.

Appearance

T

he Shadow Falcons wear Adeptus Battlegrey armour with their left arm, right kneepad and helmet painted white. As to be expected, a Falcons head is used as the Chapters badge.

It has also been noted that the Chapter does not make use of Company colours, but instead distinguishes between them with the use of high gothic numerals upon their right kneepad.

Homeworld

E

ver since their creation, the Shadow Falcons have been a fleet-based Chapter operating solely within Segmentum Pacificus. Whilst other Chapters would view this as a disadvantage, for they have no permanent gene-pool to recruit from, the Chapter has instead turned this to an advantage. Instead they will select the best recruits from the many Feral and Feudal worlds throughout the Segmentum, drawing upon the hardy stock that they are home to provide genetically pure and strong recruits. However, this does pose a problem in itself, for there with so many recruits hailing from so many different cultures, there is inevitably clashes. The task to overcome this falls to the Chaplains who make great use of education and utilise the common bond that they all share- their upbringing as warriors and their knowledge of war- to achieve this. Ideals that are further developed within the training barracks aboard the Angelus Additum, where under the tutelage of the Reclusiam, they will undergo the long and ardous training programme required to become an Astartes.

As I look upon you, all I can see are mere men. An men gathered from across several worlds. But rejoice! You have been judged worthy to join the ranks of Adeptus Astartes, the Emperor's Finest! Look around yourself. You shall call these your new family, your long-lost brethen. From now until death, you shall call yourselves the Shadow Falcons! You will fight together! You will bleed together! And you WILL die for each other! This all for our father, the Emperor of Humankind.

Cmdr. Orius addressing new recruits

And althought most will succeed and join the Chapter's ranks as a Battle-brother, there are those who will fail, be it to injury or other reasons. However, this need not be the end of their service to the Chapter, for most will go on to become Serfs and serve the Chapter in a support role. Those that do, will take up a position that they showed promise in during their training. Amongst those who fail are those unfortunate enough to suffer serious injury, these poor souls shall go on to become Servitors, but only in the direst of cases- for it is the Chapter's belief that a trained man is equal in worth to ten Servitors. The lack of homeworld also allows the Shadow Falcons greater strategical flexibilty to respond to threats, but does not hamper them by giving their enemies a static target to attack.

Most fleet-based Chapters are forced, through neccessity, to spread their forces across numerous ships, however the Shadow Falcons are fortunate enough to possess the vast Battle Barge, Angelus Additum, which is capable of housing the entire Chapter if so required and is believed to date back to the Great Crusade itself. Yet, as vast and powerful as the Angelus Additum is, they are known to possess at least four Strike Cruisers, (all of which are permanently allocated to each of the four Battle Companies) and numerous other smaller Escort ships.

Beliefs

A

s with almost all of the older Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes, the Shadow Falcons do not view the Emperor as a god, but instead regard him as the greatest man to have ever lived and offer him due reverence as both the founder of the Imperium and master of mankind. Reverence is also offered to the Primarchs, for they are seen as the pinnacle of mankind and the standard to which all Astartes should look to attain to. The base ideals of the Great Crusade are also held in high regard by the Chapter, for they still believe that it is mankinds destiny to rule the stars and theirs alone, thus all Xenos species should be eradicated in order to achieve this goal.

Followers Of The Edict

The Shadow Falcons are one of the few Chapters who do not make use of Librarians, instead choosing to follow the Edict of Nikaea, as was laid down by the Emperor of Mankind. However, this has led to the Shadow Falcons leaving themselves vulnerable to enemy psykers upon the battlefield, yet somehow, they almost always seem to triumph over them. Many rumours exist as to how this is possible, the chief one being that the Chapter maintains many "untouchables" within the ranks of their Chaplains, which would help explain why they are almost always present upon the battlefield.

A very pragmatic and realist Chapter, the Shadow Falcons view the hours spent by their more zealous brethren in worship or ritual as time wasted, for this time would be better spent improving their martial training or furthering their knowledge. For it is their belief, that the best way to truly serve the Emperor is to the greatest warriors possible and to be found taking the fight to the enemies of the Imperium- for that is the sole reason that they were created. As a result of this, the Codex Astartes is not seen as a holy tome to be adhered to, but instead, a guide to warfare open to both interpretation and expansion- a view that does not sit well with some Chapters, notable the Ultramarines and their many successors.

The brothers of the Shadow Falcons are known to be disdainful of their more zealous brethren, regarding them as less dedicated to their duties than themselves. And as such, they take very little to do with the Ecclesiarchy, for they regard their duties as more important than them. Yet, any who have seen the Chapter in battle cannot question their loyalty, but this has not stopped some calling for Inquisitorial investigation.

Whilst the Chapter is regularly found to operate alongside other Imperial Forces, they will often remain independent, carrying out the missions assigned to them without any support, unless it is from other Astartes. Although their assistance is greatly welcomed by Imperial Commanders, for it vastly strengthens their forces, there are some who see their attitude as disrespectful and dismissive.

Combat Doctrine

U

nlike most Chapters that trace their genetic legacy back to the Raven Guard, the Shadow Falcons very rarely make use of stealth or guerilla tactics. Instead they are masters of air assault tactics, heavily utilising the high number of Thunderhawks they possess to deploy (and re-deploy if neccessary) their forces, as well as to provide close air support.

Typically, Infantry is deployed ahead of any other units in order to secure a landing zone that will allow for safe delivery of other units to the battlefield. These Infantry Squads will usually deploy via one of two options, either via Jump pack from low altitude or via airlandings, which sees the Thunderhawks land for mere seconds while the Squads within deploy with well-drilled precision. Once a secure perimeter is established, vehicular support is then delivered by Thunderhawk Transports. This enables the Chapter to engage their foes quickly, without having to fore-go support and thus, eliminate the risk of isolation.

Due to their pragmatic nature, the Shadow Falcons undergo many extensive training programmes in the attempt to hone their skills to a level above that of other Chapters, which results in greater mission efficiency and minimal collateral damage, something the Chapter strives to due when operating upon Imperial worlds.

As another result of their pragmatic attitude, Bolter-based weapons are highly favoured for their reliabilty, their need for less maintenance than other technologies and because they can be easily produced by the Chapter's Forges. These factors and because Ork hordes are a common foe, has led to the Heavy Bolter being the first choice heavy weapon amongst the Battle-brothers- althought the Missile Launcher is close second due to its ability to fulfil dual roles.

Organisation

A

s laid down in the Codex Astartes, the Shadow Falcons are structured into ten Companies with the only minor divergence applied to the four Battle Companies, with each now possessing a Veteran Squad and two Scout Squads, thus turning them into self-contained battle forces. Each Company is also allocated their own armoured units aswell as a number of Thunderhawks, which enables them to operate independently without additional support for longer periods of time, thus allowing then greater scope to respond to any threats that arise without delay.

A Warriors Peace

Aswell as not utilising Librarians, the Shadow Falcons do not possess any Dreadnoughts either. This is due to the belief that it is disrespectful to allow such loyal warriors to be entombed in such a manner, where the slow descent into delirium and madness begins.

Interestingly, the First Company, often referred to as the "Shadow Company" has been noted as favouring the role of Sternguard, relying heavily upon their trusty Bolters and bayonet attachments to deal death to the Emperor's enemies. It has also been noted that the Chapter only has limited access to Tactical Dreadnought Armour, owning as few as only 15-20 suits. As such, the suits of TDA they do possess are only ever used in close-quarter fighting and boarding actions as Assault Squads, this is done to maximise the killing power of these powerful relics, but also to prevent them being lost to the big guns of the enemy.

Geneseed

A

s bearers of the geneseed of Corax, they too suffer all the problems associated with it, However, due to reasons unknow, the mutation of the melanchromic Organ has become more advanced, leading to an Initiates skin turning as white as snow, and both his hair and eyes turning jet black within hours of implantation. Yet this is not seen by the Chapter as a curse, but instead a blessing, for it lends them the appearance of their revered Primarch.

This advancement in the organs mutation has caused some concern amongst other Factions within the Imperium over their millenia long history, most notably the Imperial Guard and the Inquisiton. It was found that their "ghostly" appearance left any Guard Regiments the Chapter served with more afraid of them than the enemy. This led to strained relations for a few centuries until a ruling was past that no member of the Chapter shall remove his helmet in the presence of someone from outwith the Chapter. However, this in its own way has led to many wild rumours circling in regards to their appearance under the helmet, some even going as far to say they appear as corpes and that they have no face to see.

Understandably this has raised some concerns amongst some members of the Inquisition and eventually led to an investigation, but having passed strenous checks, the purity of their geneseed is without question- however, both the Ad Mech and Inquisition continue to monitor the Chapter for any sign of further mutation.

Battlecry

T

he Shadow Falcons are known to use a two-part battlecry representing their fundamental view of war , with the first spoken by the Commander or Squad Leader and the second by the assembled Battle-brothers.

"Kill quick, Kill clean".

[Captain Juan Juarez]

Appearance

T

he Shadow Falcons wear Adeptus Battlegrey armour with their left arm, right kneepad and helmet painted white. As to be expected, a Falcons head is used as the Chapters badge.

 

It has also been noted that the Chapter does not make use of Company colours, but instead distinguishes between them with the use of roman numeral upon their right kneepad.

 

Grey and white isn't very shadowy.. To me anyway.

 

A falcons head? So it'll look like the Raptors symbol then? :pinch:

 

Who or what are the Romans?

[The Shiny One]

Haven't read the IA jet, but i like the color scheme very much!

[Aegnor]

If they're pragmatic and unimpressed by superstition, why the adherence to the edict of Nikea? Wouldn't the pragmatic thing be to use whatever tools promised results?

[Ekim_Trub]

Captain Juan Juarez: I see what you mean by not being shadowy- however, wearing grey and white can leave you hidden in shadows because they are not always a solid, deep black. Also when advancing through areas with shadow and lights areas, it is possible to blend in using the said colours.

 

As for the romans- they were a people that left a type of numeral behind as a legacy. (What would you call them instead?)

The Shiny One: Thank you, it is the second colour scheme i have developed for them, and i really dig it too.

 

Aegnor: Although they are pragmatic and it would make sense to utilise Librarians, they won't go against a direct decree from the Emperor himself!

[NightrawenII]

Although they are pragmatic and it would make sense to utilise Librarians, they won't go against a direct decree from the Emperor himself!

Well, right now we don't know how exactly was the Edict of Nikea overwritten, so I would postpone any decision until we see the details.

[Ekim_Trub]

I am working unde rthe assumption the Decree still stands, but if it comes to light and can be proven as lifted, they shall indeed make use of them. (Personally though, i just can't take to the models.)

[Captain Juan Juarez]

Although they are pragmatic and it would make sense to utilise Librarians, they won't go against a direct decree from the Emperor himself!

Well, right now we don't know how exactly was the Edict of Nikea overwritten, so I would postpone any decision until we see the details.

 

The Edict, as far as I'm aware, was never technically recinded.

 

As for the Roman thing; so much for Old Terra was lost - would they know who they are?

[Ekim_Trub]

So, how would you describe roman numerals then? Because saying "numerals" just means numbers, and that isn't what they are.

[Captain Juan Juarez]

So, how would you describe roman numerals then? Because saying "numerals" just means numbers, and that isn't what they are.

 

I admit, I'm being picky but they wouldn't know of the Romans, most like so call them *Language name Here* numerals, for the language of the Homeworld

[Heru]

I'd call them High Gothic Numerals...

[Captain Juan Juarez]

I'd call them High Gothic Numerals...

 

And thus I am Flailed into oblivion again :P

[Ekim_Trub]

Consider that idea stolen!

[Octavulg]

Raised as part of the Fifth Founding from the geneseed of Corax, taken from the stocks of the Raptors Chapter, The Shadow Falcons were created to combat the ever increasing number of Ork and Chaos Warbands assailing Segmentum Pacificus.

 

...Why is everyone a Raven Guard successor today?

 

And Raptors successors, at that. I mean, you did it before a lot of the others, but it's still odd.

 

* * *

 

Though I admit I did not read it as closely as I possibly should have, it looks pretty solid. However, it also looks a little short. Not really sure where to add details, though.

 

Had you considered trying a FWIA? Since they're not a particularly unusual chapter and don't have an overlong story to tell or a lot of details, it might be a good format for you. Let's you talk about battles a bit, too.

[Ekim_Trub]

I actually changed them from a Revilers successor to the Raptors because they favour ranged combat as my Chapter do. But due to the new colour scheme and all those who are on the bandwagon at the moment- i shall be promptly flipping on that idea.

 

Excuse my ignorance, but what does a FWIA look like? I have no access to any of their books so haven't seen one.

 

I too am struggling a bit to see where to add to the IA, and i'm starting to feel it'd be adding for adding's sake.

[Octavulg]

Adding for adding's sake is often bad, but not if it can be worked in naturally. Still, you've got a definite point. Not sure what to do on that one.

Oh, as a note, when we've got a picture of the color scheme, the appearance section starts to become extraneous.

Dig up the Avenging Lions. The format basically looks like that.

Basically (remember, if you quote my post you can steel the BBCode):

CHAPTER NAME

CHAPTER NAME: .............. CHAPTER NAME

FOUNDING: .................. #^th

CHAPTER WORLD: ............. WORLD NAME

FORTRESS MONASTERY: ........ MONASTERY

GENE-SEED (PREDECESSOR): ... SOURCE (TRAINERS)

KNOWN DESCENDANTS: ......... NAME(S)

QUOTE

-Source

History/Explanation of Character/Home World

The thing is, you aren't obligated to put any of that in. You put in what's necessary. I've written one that barely even mentions the chapter's home world, and it manages just fine. This section basically boils down to: How did the chapter's character develop?

Organisation

Organization/Further Development of Character/Beliefs

Again, you aren't obligated to put in any of this. This boils down to: And what does that character look like?

If you want to directly compare the two sections to an IA, the first should/could contain: History, Home World, Geneseed. The second would contain: Organization, Combat Doctrine, Beliefs. There's some flexibility between those two, mind. And you don't have to really have any of them.

SELECTED BATTLE HONOURS

This contains one to four examples of the chapter fighting. Examples that demonstrate their character are good, but not strictly necessary. Note that this is about the same length - it's the number that changes.

Badab War Disposition

This section obviously doesn't work for most Chapters. The question is what to turn it into. Several options would exist: some other campaign intimately linked to their presentation (not likely, but possible), their relationship with the Legio B&C, leaving it out, or something else I haven't thought of.

Purties[/i]

This format will also tend to contain a page or three of pretty color scheme examples. One page is more usual - so four examples.

Note on Sidebars:

Sidebars in this format are seldom, if ever, narratives, and are usually in-universe accounts of stuff. Think of them as appendices or footnotes.

[Ekim_Trub]

So i am i right in doing it as below? Then i presume i shall just add the rest of the sections in as normal below it?

SHADOW FALCONS

CHAPTER NAME: .............. The Shadow Falcons.

FOUNDING: .................. 3^rd.

CHAPTER WORLD: ............. None, Chapter is Fleet based, but operate exclusively in Segmentum Pacificus.

FORTRESS MONASTERY: ........ The Angelus Additum.

GENE-SEED (PREDECESSOR): ... Raven Guard through the Revilers.

KNOWN DESCENDANTS: .........None.(S)

QUOTE

-Source