chapter ideas based on gene seed mutations.

[NurseNinja]

Blood Angels: Black Rage and the Red Thirst.

Imperial Fists: Missing Betcher's Gland and Sus-an Membrane.

Space Wolves: Enlarged canine teeth and Mark of the Wulfen.

Raven Guard: Missing Mucranoid and Betcher's Gland. Pale skin and dark eyes.

Blood Ravens: Can't experience R.E.M. sleep and have perfect recall.

Salamanders: Onyx black skin and bright red eyes. (Malfunctioning Malenochrome gland)

Blood Drinkers: Having blood-drinking rituals and suffer a literal blood-lust, due to a mutation.

Black Dragons: Ossmodula makes bony crests on their heads and blades at forearm and elbow

 

 

So. I was thinking a defunctioning or abnormal mutation in one of the gene seeds of a space marine might make an interesting starting place for chapter creation. here is a list thanks to lexicanum official mutations for reference and a list of the organs the gene seeds make below.

 

I suppose the challenge is to make small 'non-chaosy' 'non-the-inquisition-would-burn-them' mutations that change the culture of a chapter without being too over the top.

 

Ive got only a few ideas but I figured I could add to the list other peoples ideas as they come in!

 

Secondary Heart

Phase 1: This simplest and most self-sufficient of implants allows a Space Marine to survive his other heart being damaged or destroyed, and to survive in low oxygen environments. Not just a back-up, the secondary heart can boost the blood-flow around the Marine's body

 

 

Ossmodula

Phase 2: A small, tubular and complex organ, the ossmodula secretes hormones that both affect the ossification of the skeleton and encourage the forming bone growths to absorb ceramic-based chemicals that are laced into the Marine's diet.1 This heavily alters the way the Space Marine's bones grow and develop. Two years after this implant is first put in the subject's long bones will have increased in size (along with most other bones) and the rib cage will have been fused into a solid mass of bulletproof, interlocking plates.

 

 

Biscopea

Phase 3: This small, circular organ is inserted into the chest cavity and releases hormones that vastly increase muscle growth throughout the marine's body. It also serves to form the hormonal basis for many of the later implants.

 

Haemastamen

Phase 4: Implanted into the main circulatory system, this tiny implant not only increases the haemoglobin content of the subjects blood, making it more efficient at carrying oxygen around the body and making the subject's blood a bright red, it also serves to monitor and control the actions of the phase 2 and phase 3 implants.

 

Larraman's Organ

Phase 5: A liver-shaped organ about the size of a golf-ball, this implant is placed within the chest cavity and connected to the circulatory system. It generates and controls 'Larraman cells' which are released into the blood stream if the recipient is wounded. They attach themselves to leucocytes in the blood and are carried to the site of the wound, where upon contact with air they form a near instant patch of scar tissue, sealing any wounds the Space Marine may suffer.

 

Catalepsean Node

Phase 6: Implanted into the back of the brain, this pea-sized organ influences the circadian rhythms of sleep and the body's response to sleep deprivation. If deprived of sleep, the catalepsean node cuts in. The node allows a Marine to sleep and remain awake at the same time by switching off areas of his brain sequentially. This process cannot replace sleep entirely, but increases the Marines survivability by allowing perception of the environment while resting. This means that a Space Marine needs no more than 4 hours of sleep a day, and can potentially go for 2 weeks without any sleep at all.

 

Idea: Space marines who cant sleep / rarely sleep. Their nodes are always on, so as a result they...? OH! perhaps as their brain cycles different lobes into sleep cycle they experience visions, with a high incidence of foresight and predictions of the future (especialy amongst librarians ), they also consider things in ways other marines might never. IE higher functions are sleepy, consider basic old fashioned approach, emotions are sleepy then a cruelly logical approach might prevail.

 

Preomnor

Phase 7: This is essentially a pre-stomach that can neutralise otherwise poisonous or indigestible foods. No actual digestion takes place in the preomnor, as it acts as a decontamination chamber placed before the natural stomach in the body's system and can be isolated from the rest of the digestive tract in order to contain particularly troublesome intake.1

Omophagea

 

Phase 8: This implant allows a Space Marine to 'learn by eating'. It is situated in the spinal cord but is actually part of the brain. Four nerve bundles are implanted connecting the spine and the stomach wall. Able to 'read' or absorb genetic material consumed by the marine, the omophagea transmits the gained information to the Marine's brain as a set of memories or experiences. It is the presence of this organ which has led to the various flesh-eating and blood-drinking rituals for which the Astartes are famous, as well as giving names to chapters such as the Blood Drinkers and Flesh Tearers. Over time, mutations in this implant have given some chapters unnatural craving for blood or flesh.

 

Cannibals from outer space! this chapter each their own dead (after removal of progenoids) this might result in the the shakes, Kuru/ Book of eli style or maybe a zombie like aperance... either way, I smell emo, I smell blood angels.

 

Multi-lung

Phase 9: This additional lung activates when a Space Marine needs to breathe in low-oxygen or poisoned atmospheres, and even water. The natural lungs are closed off by a sphincter muscle associated with the multi-lung and the implanted organ takes over breathing operations. It has highly efficient toxin dispersal systems.

 

Occulobe

Phase 10: This implant sits at the base of the brain, and provides hormonal and genetic stimuli which enable a Marine's eyes to respond to optic-therapy. This in turn allows the Apothecaries to make adjustments to the growth patterns of the eye and the light-receptive retinal cells - the result being that Space Marines have far superior vision to normal humans, and can see in low-light conditions almost as well as in daylight.

 

Lyman's Ear

Phase 11: Not only does this implant make a Space Marine immune from dizziness or motion sickness but also allows Space Marines to consciously filter out and enhance certain sounds. The Lyman's Ear completely replaces a Marine's original ear. It is externally indistinguishable from a normal human ear.

 

Sus-an Membrane

Phase 12: Initially implanted above the brain, this membrane eventually merges with the recipient's entire brain. Ineffective without follow-up chemical therapy and training, but with sufficient training a Space Marine can use this implant to enter a state of suspended animation, consciously or as an automatic reaction to extreme trauma, keeping the Marine alive for years, even if he has suffered otherwise mortal wounds. Only the appropriate chemical therapy or auto-suggestion can revive a Marine from this state. The longest recorded period spent in suspended animation was undertaken by Brother Silas Err of the Dark Angels, who was revived after 567 years.

 

Melanochrome

Phase 13: This implant controls the amount of melanin in a Marine's skin. Exposure to high levels of sunlight will result in the Marine's skin darkening to compensate. It also protects the Marine from other forms of radiation.

 

Oolitic Kidney

Phase 14: In conjunction with the secondary heart this implant allows a Space Marine to filter his blood very quickly, rendering him immune to most poisons. This action comes at a price, however, as this emergency detoxification usually renders the Marine unconscious while his blood is circulated at high speed. The organ's everyday function is to monitor the entire circulatory system and allow other organs to function effectively.1

Neuroglottis

 

Phase 15: This enhances a Space Marine's sense of taste to such a high degree that he can identify many common chemicals by taste alone. A Marine can even track down his target by taste.

 

Mucranoid

Phase 16: This implant allows a Space Marine to sweat a substance that coats the skin and offers resistance to extreme heat and cold and can even provide some protection for the marine in a vacuum. This can only be activated by outside treatment, and is common when Space Marines are expected to be fighting in vacuum.

 

Betcher's Gland

Phase 17: Consists of two identical glands, implanted either into the lower lip, alongside the salivary glands or into the hard palette. The gland works in a similar way to the poison gland of venomous reptiles by synthesizing and storing deadly poison, which the Marines themselves are immune to due to the gland's presence. This allows a Space Marine to spit a blinding contact poison. The poison is also corrosive and can even burn away strong metals given sufficient time.

 

I love this gland!!! Over active betchers gland resulting in dinosaur-on-Dennis-Nedry-in-jurassic-park like habbit, maybe they even modify their jaws to enable this better... maybe use the vampire head from chaos marines... maybe equip them all with hand flamers.

 

 

Progenoids

Phase 18: There are two of these glands, one situated in the neck and the other within the chest cavity. These glands are vitally important and represent the future of the Chapter, as the only way new gene-seed can be produced is by reproducing it within the bodies of the Marines themselves. This is the implant's only purpose. The glands absorb genetic material from the other implanted organs. When they have matured each gland will have developed a single gene-seed corresponding to each of the zygotes which have been implanted into the Marine.

These take time (5 years in the first case, 10 in the latter)1 to mature into gene-seed. The gene-seed can then be extracted and used to create more Space Marines. See main article: Progenoids.

 

Black Carapace

Phase 19: The most distinctive implant, it resembles a film of black plastic that is implanted directly beneath the skin of the Marine's torso in sheets. It hardens on the outside and sends invasive neural bundles into the Marine's body. After the organ has matured the recipient is then fitted with neural sensors and interface points cut into the carapace's surface.1 This allows a Space Marine to interface directly with his Power Armour.

[soddinnutter]

Secondary Heart

 

Too simple to go wrong. It either works or it doesn't.

 

Ossmodula

 

Boney Crest has already been done but could have a parallel incident in another gene-strain. Flexible bones allow some really messed up octopus ninjas. Could have caused a reaction with the Black Carapace or Melanochrome that allows them to cultivate a hard shell to replace the skin on the non-joints parts of the body.

 

Biscopea

 

Messed up moods. Always depressed maybe? overly aggressive and boisterous? Happy all the time? emotionally dead? Less muscle-mass? more muscle-mass resulting in slow but unstoppable juggernauts of death and beligerance?

 

Haemastamen

 

Carries something else around the blood instead of more hemoglobin. Toxic blood perhaps. anti-freeze blood maybe. chlorophyll? A chapter that lives under water can store more oxygen maybe.

 

Larraman's Organ

 

Functions better but marines prone to blood clots? Functions worse so the marines try to kill things at range?

 

Catalepsean Node

 

Sleep deprivation because it won't switch off, have to use the Sus-an membrane to get a good nights sleep. Distorts the brain functions as you have already stated resulting in chapter wide aptitudes and aptitudes. some sort of obsessive disorder? predisposition towards some form of Meme-virus?

 

Preomnor

 

Too simple, like the extra heart, to mess up. It works or it doesn't.

 

Omophagea

 

Cravings.

 

Multi-lung

 

Can breathe different atmospheres if mutates with the Haemastamen. Can work better under water but worse in polluted hive-smog or vice versa.

 

Occulobe

 

Wider visual spectrum, longer range vision, lower levels of light needed. the disadvantages could be narrower visual spectrum, shortsightedness, snow-blindness.

 

Lyman's Ear

 

perhaps it allows a wider range of frequencies to be heard, perhaps it can pick up smaller sounds, perhaps it cant block out background noise, perhaps it's stopped working altogether.

 

Sus-an Membrane

 

may have atrophied like the children of Dorn. May activate at inconvenient moments. may be something in between.

 

Melanochrome

 

Could be anything from works too well (children of Vulkan) to doesn't work at all (children of Corax). Could protect against differing types of radiation to better or worse.

 

Oolitic Kidney

 

Better or worse at varying types of poison or toxins. or it could have stopped working.

[ANGRYMARINE]

A couple other chapters with odd mutations, possibly not related to any of the organs though... but maybe:

 

Flame Falcons: Covered in Flames that do not burn the wearer.

Sons of Antaeus: They basically have metallic bones.

[soddinnutter]

The Mucranoid of the Flame Falcons could be responsible for the flames.

 

If they started to sweat something flammable, ethanol perhaps, and the fumes connected with the weapons discharging the result could be that they set on fire. Them not burning could be because they are Astartes and it just wasn't hot enough to bother them.

 

the Ossmodula could be responsible for the hard-as-nails reputation for the Sons of Antaeus. It could be forming the bones out of Adamantium. The Apothecaries could have done this on purpose.

 

Here are some ideas.

 

A chapter that has spent 4,000+ recruiting and living on a planet in a tide-locked orbit of a neutron star is all but immune to X-ray and Gamma radiation and are massively resistant to all other forms of radiation. the downside is that after the age of about 200 they need this type of radiation in order for their metabolism to function efficiently in the same way that plants need sunlight. Their Power Armour could have built in radiation emitters and they never take it off unless on their heavily radioactive home-world.

 

Or they could live on a really bad Hive-world and the pollution has done the same to them. They always wear modified osmotic-gills designed to give them their fix of the sulphur, carbon and arsenic compounds they crave.

 

Or they could be the natives of a world with 2 white dwarf stars which are close twins. every day their is the blinding cancerous light of 2 baleful suns that strips away eyesight and burns the skin. The plant life was gene-sequenced back in the Dark-Age but the settlers were not. As a result they live underground and only come out at night. They have brilliant low-light vision abut get snow-blind on an overcast winters day. Occulobe implant seems to have exaggerated this trait, both strength and weakness.

 

Ossmodula causes odd silicone crystalline structures to form in the bones of the marines. they can detect and even interpret radio transmissions.