My second try, very basic outline

[Octavulg]

- When the supreme grand master of the Dark Angels (of that time) orders them to withdraw their forces from a major conflict to support the DA in hunting a small group of Fallen, the chapter's grand master refuses, reasoning that 1. the chance of his support making a difference in the hunt is small, 2. the whole crusade would falter without them and 3. committing a new sin to hush up an old one won't do before the omniscient judgement of the emperor.

- That hunt is a disaster, the chapter's grand master is summoned to the rock. He explains his reasoning to the supreme grand master, but is judged a heretic by the latter, and executed as such.

- News of that reach the chapter via a Master of the Dark Angels chapter, who is sent to take command of the chapter because the supreme grand master does not trust the former grand master's designated successor to be loyal.

- The chapter's masters however rally behind that designated successor, overwhelm the Dark Angel and send him back to The Rock via the next rogue trader with a message that the chapter will not continue committing more sins in order to cover up an old sin and that they consider the Dark Angel chapter heretics and traitors.

- Contingents of the Dark Angels and several successors attack the chapter's homeworld in order to destroy them; the chapter asks an other, 'normal' chapter for help, the DA try to destroy those, too, still trying to cover it all up, but when a second chapter comes to assist and my chapter threatens to reveal the DA secret, the DA accept a truce.

 

- Said truce says that my chapter will not tell anyone of the secret, but will continue keeping that secret via several ranks of initiation, both as the chapter's tradition and as a safety against further DA aggression. They will not otherwise meddle in Unforgiven affairs anymore.

 

- The chapter now consider themselves the only loyal remnant of the 1. Legion. To make up for the DA legion's sins in their own way, they decide to embark on an eternal crusade of penitence, each strike force only visiting their homeworld for resupply and repairs, and for taking on new recruits.

- Since they do not hunt for the Fallen anymore, they do not employ Death- or Ravenwing formations, but follow the codex organisation pattern in this regard.

 

Interesting. Could work if you write it well. Could fail utterly.

 

The threat of revealing the DA's crimes to the Inquisition would seem an obvious thing to hold over the DA, yet they didn't whip it out at the first opportunity.

[Wolf Priest Haelaeif]

Hey folks, I just had a nice and internet-free weekend, so a belated thanks for your replies, Octavulg and BloodWulf.

 

I'm still not convinced, name-wise. I think anything with 'Knights' in it might sound to much like the Grey Knights. It does sound good, though.

 

As for the storyline, I have thought a bit over the weekend, and while I don't see a problem about having a (short-ish) war between my chapter and the Unforgiven, what I do wonder is if they use the threat of revealing the secret to make sure their safety, how would they keep the DA from just waiting for a chance to utterly destroy them? Never commit the whole chapter to a war or crusade so they cannot be wiped out all at once?

 

So do you think it's feasible that my chapter and the DA have a schism as described above, ie mine say:

"Committing more sins while hunting the fallen is wrong, so we'll just stop hunting them and instead crusade around for penitence, thus doing good deeds in the name of the divine emperor"

The DA say "You are wrong and evil, and by the way, the emperor is no god, too, but as long as you tell no-one, fine. Now off!"

 

And then that's basically it, no war or anything. Or do you think the DA would definitely attack them in such a case?

 

@Octavulg: I might not write it at all, not as an IA as such, but keep it limited to a short summary in the style of the badab war chapter descriptions, because I don't think I'll enjoy all the detail work once the basic idea, ie what's in this thread, is good to go. And that summary would not really have more info than the bit you quoted, only a bit more tidily written.

[BloodWulf]

I think schism is easier to explain and work with than war. as well as a good bit of character for your chapter. Think of a teenager who thinks their parents are overbearing and "don't know anything". I can see your chapter getting away with telling the DA that your chapter doesnt believe the DA are pious enough and that perhaps the DA take this whole hunting the Fallen thing too far.

 

I think that as long as you dont make a threat of exposing anyone and at least pay lipservice to hunting the Fallen your Chapter will be ok with being a bit rebellious.

 

again, just my thoughts.

[NightrawenII]

The Angels of Absolution don't hunt the Fallen as the atonement for the sins of their forefathers, but because the existence and knowledge of the Fallen is dangerous for their own existence.

 

This chapter could be the same.

[Wolf Priest Haelaeif]

Hey,

having brooded over my ideas and your comments for a while now, I have come up with a few new twists that might make the chapter 1. more interesting and 2. more believable.

 

So let's say the homeworld population was in fact very religious, but the chapter, trained by DA, did at first not believe in a divine emperor. Then they witness something they consider a miracle (an idea for that follows below, but it need not be specific just yet) and because the roots are already there in their homeworld culture, they 'convert'.

 

This conversion leads to a schism with the DA/Unforgiven, because a divine emperor would also be omniscient, therefore while hunting the fallen is fine because they are enemies, it does not help in redeeming the DA Legion. They decide to crusade instead to make up for what their ancestors did wrong. There may be a tense phase where a war between them and the DA is an option, but in the end they agree that my chapter stops hunting the fallen actively, but still shares any info they find about possible fallen involvement with the DA and they act if they happen upon any fallen by chance.

 

Believable?

 

As for the miracle, I think it must be a rather major thing for space marines to start worshipping the emperor as a god. What came to mind where the Adaptae Sororita, whose faith (which, I think, is just their combined psionic strength given form, fluffwise) could lead to a miracle happening.

 

Say there's a major assault by enemy forces and the Adaptae, together with maybe two companies of my chapter, desperatly try to defend a shrine world or some such, ie a place important to the imperial cult. It looks like they are going to be overwhelmed because the enemy have something like titans, which the combined sm/as forces lack. The willingness to die for the place in spite of overwhelming force manifests in one of the girls, maybe a seraph, who starts to glow in a golden light and to grow to be some kind of avenging angel who then proceeds to destroy all the titans, making the battle an even match (not a walkover). She obviously dies instantly after her mission is accomplished, the battle is hard-fought but won, the enemy is routed and my chapter start believing in the emperor's divinity.

 

What do you think?