IA WIP: The Crimson Spears (The sons of ________)

[Justcar]

Hello all!

 

I am new to this, and want to create my own space marine chapter!

 

This is what I have so far:

 

Background:

 

m. 37/23rd founding. It is shrouded in mystery as "the calamity" (Rephrasing to sound cooler (suggestions?)) reduced their chapter to a little more than 300 battle brothers. They also lost much of their records and all data relevant to their founding (geneseed: unknown).

 

After this, they rebuilt their chapter, but were forced to adopt non standard tactics in order to deal with their situation. They found that they were able to fight far more effectively in this manner and decided to permanently change their battle doctrine.

 

Several times since their chapter has nearly been annihilated. A massive invasion of their home world by eldar of the Saim Hann craftworld came first. Their new battle tactics and combat doctrine were greatly influenced by this event. They held them off at huge cost to the chapter and have still been fighting off saim hann raiding attacks ever since.

 

The most recent was when the Angels of Fire chapter turned to chaos and stabbed them in the back (I don't think that that is an official or Index Astartes chapter...). Suffered heavy losses, but later hunted down and utterly destroyed the traitors. They have since taken over protection of the territories that the AoF were supposed to protect. (They have not recruited from that world for obvious reasons)

 

This series of events have given them the reputation as "the cursed" chapter. However, every time that they have been near destruction, the chapter survives and comes back even stronger.

 

Despite these setbacks the crimson spears have built a name for themselves that is synonymous with tactical brilliance, a fluid and dynamic fighting style, and punishingly efficient campaigns.

 

 

 

Homeworld:

 

The name I have not decided yet. Something Roman (Suggestions?)

 

It is a beautiful world in the north west of segmentum pacificus. It is filled with forests, oceans, and gleaming citadels of marble.

 

The population are refugees that fought for their homeworld against the tyranids and was relocated to settle an unexplored planet (??? Does that come across well, feels kind of iffy)

 

Little did they know that the planet was a maiden world of the Eldar (explaining why they have been fighting the eldar for a while)

 

The chapter is very close to the population and values their lives greatly. They are a productive, educated, self-reliant, and disciplined people.

 

a warrior of the chapter usually is present at every city, as the warriors of TCS are very learned and teach and guide their charges to greater understanding.

 

Several veterans squads are left on planet to compile the wisdom of their companies and train new recruits.

 

 

 

Combat Doctrine:

 

They believe in a fluid and balanced fighting style, winning the day by outsmarting and outthinking their enemies. TCS utilize all forms of stratagems (orbital strike, fast moving raids, stalwart defense, hit and run, etc. ) and each captain is versed in all forms of combat, able to change the pace and tactics they are using at a moments notice. They have begun with the codex and added on (it is required for every captain to pass on some tactical insight into their great grimoire, in order to ascend to that rank).

 

Furthermore (due to the necessity of their earliest moments) each battle brother is trained to be able to take on any battle field role. A marine of TCS is just as effective as an assault marine as he would be as a devastator. They take on battle field roles only during an active mission. When they are not active, they train in both long range and close quarters combat, in order to be as effective as possible.

 

They also believe in utilizing the divine strike, a pre-imperial battle technique that focusses on honing a particular strike to such lethality that the opponent would be instantly slain and have no way of blocking or countering it. In fact, it is an unwritten rule that in order to become a veteran, one must kill an enemy on the battle field using this technique. Captains also view this as a tactic that can be applied to the battle as a whole and will often use his brother marines as a weapon to release a divine strike on his enemy.

 

When not at war, the brothers are either training, meditating, or learning. They value knowledge as much as combat prowess and it is the captains duty to not only train his brothers battle skills, but also their minds. It is not uncommon for the captain and his company veterans to battle their younger brothers in strategic wargames, in order to enhance their strategic insight or for the chaplains and librarians to engage in socratic discussions with battle brothers.

 

Psyonics: as a side note, TCS focus on tactics and strategy make them value divination and telepathy more than direct damage psychic powers.

 

 

Organization:

 

The chapter has nine battle companies, each an autonomous unit (slightly more than a battle company in size) with their own veterans, scouts, equipment, and armored vehicles. Captains have FAR more authority and autonomy that normal captains do. In addition, the chapter has no fixed chapter master and any one of the captains can initiate the "rites of succession." Any of the captains that wish to take command of the over all force in any multi-company campaign will participate. The process is presided over by the master of sanctity and will always include an ceremonial duel as well as one challenge posed by each candidate.

 

Their overall forces are organized by the grand strategium at their fortress monasteries. In addition, each librarian is trained to communicate with their brethren as a method of last resort.

 

They also have slightly more tanks, thunderhawks, and ships due to the fact that so few were destroyed during the millennium (the catastrophe(?) left them wit a huge fleet and only three companies to utilize them, so much of the chapter fleet has been saved the ravages of war)

 

They are also often sent into the battles where it is impossible to gain intelligence on the nature of the enemy. This is due to their ability to adapt and react with fluidity and precision to changing battle field situations. They can face any enemy and be prepared.

 

Reputation:

 

They are a relatively young chapter, but they are rising in renown. They have good relations with many chapters, as they are amicable, effective, and powerful warriors. They are, however, most sought after for their tactical insight. A single CS captain in the strategium can reduce casualties to a great degree. As such, many imperial commanders have asked for their assistance in recent years, asking them to take command of one theater or another. In addition, many of the chapters captains and veterans have been seconded to other chapters, to share knowledge and build relations.

 

They are a young, and ambitious chapter that is hungry for glory.

 

They are viewed in high regard by every chapter that has fought along side them.

 

Honors:

 

The chapter has a great emphasis placed on low casualties. This was necessary at their founding and imperative to their survival. As a result they have created the victorex perfectam to award captains and commanders that have prosecuted a battle with no casualties. While rare, it has happened enough that several of the current captains have the blazing sun of the victorex perfectam marked on their armour.

 

Beliefs:

 

They believe that the emperor did not want the era of stagnation that the imperium represents. They believe that the only way to fulfill the emperor's wishes is to change, to improve, and to prefect the imperium. As a result, they place a great amount of effort into educating and enriching the lives of the normal population. They have seen what they can do (their homeworld is a paradise) and wish to spread their work to other systems in time. They believe that it is their calling to usher in an age of prosperity, enlightenment, and freedom for mankind (as the emperor would have wanted).

 

Major figures:

 

Chapter master ______________ (name starting with and A?) was the one who rebuilt their chapter.

 

 

Colors:

 

Darkish red battle plate (brown mixed with blood red)

 

White shoulder guards and backpack vents (like black templars but a shape of red instead of black)

 

Chapter symbol:

 

A red spear running through (vertically) a white skull (may change depending on how it looks)

 

So Thoughts? Suggestions? Criticisms?

 

Theme:

 

Vaguely roman

 

Problems I have been having is the background. I want their geneseed to be a mystery and I want them to have fought the eldar over their homeworld. The problem is I feel that it almost comes across as two backstories. If anyone has an idea of how to implement these two ideas into a consistent story thread, I would be very thankful!

 

Also, I don't know a good name for their homeworld!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Thanks so much, hope to hear back from you all!

 

Daniel

[CantonWC]

Hello, I will throw in my two pennies. Be warned, I am not pleasant to deal with.

 

m. 37/23rd founding

 

We have no definite date for most of the Foundings. So, refrain from assigning a date.

 

It is shrouded in mystery as "the calamity" (Rephrasing to sound cooler (suggestions?)) reduced their chapter to a little more than 300 battle brothers.

 

Oh boy, yet another Chapter "shrouded in mystery" :D This gimmick shows up a lot on the Liber.

 

They also lost much of their records and all data relevant to their founding (geneseed: unknown).

 

No.

 

After this, they rebuilt their chapter, but were forced to adopt non standard tactics in order to deal with their situation. They found that they were able to fight far more effectively in this manner and decided to permanently change their battle doctrine.

 

Oh boy, yet another Chapter that got totally pwned and used this occasion as an excuse to reform their military doctrine. Yeah, this one shows up a lot too.

 

Several times since their chapter has nearly been annihilated. A massive invasion of their home world by eldar of the Saim Hann craftworld came first. Their new battle tactics and combat doctrine were greatly influenced by this event. They held them off at huge cost to the chapter and have still been fighting off saim hann raiding attacks ever since.

 

These guys really have it tough, hmm? Why do Saim-Hann want to kill them? Is this their second military reform?

 

The most recent was when the Angels of Fire chapter turned to chaos and stabbed them in the back (I don't think that that is an official or Index Astartes chapter...). Suffered heavy losses, but later hunted down and utterly destroyed the traitors. They have since taken over protection of the territories that the AoF were supposed to protect. (They have not recruited from that world for obvious reasons)

 

Okay... So far I just see a lot of stuff happening. I don't yet have an idea of what these guys are like. The average reader would be pretty bored by now.

 

The population are refugees that fought for their homeworld against the tyranids and was relocated to settle an unexplored planet (??? Does that come across well, feels kind of iffy)

 

Yours are 23rd Founding. The Tyranids have arrived only recently. So there is a time line snarl here.

 

They believe in a fluid and balanced fighting style

 

Well, that's what the Codex Astartes has always emphasized.

 

The chapter has nine battle companies, each an autonomous unit (slightly more than a battle company in size) with their own veterans, scouts, equipment, and armored vehicles. Captains have FAR more authority and autonomy that normal captains do. In addition, the chapter has no fixed chapter master and any one of the captains can initiate the "rites of succession." Any of the captains that wish to take command of the over all force in any multi-company campaign will participate. The process is presided over by the master of sanctity and will always include an ceremonial duel as well as one challenge posed by each candidate.

 

I've never understood the fascination with 9-10 Battle Companies. 4-5 makes more sense. If everyone is in a battle company, when they get mauled they have no reserves to draw on. And why no Chapter Master? What brought about this change?

 

In addition, each librarian is trained to communicate with their brethren as a method of last resort.

 

Isn't this what every librarian can do by default? Psychic communication over long distances?

 

They also have slightly more tanks, thunderhawks, and ships due to the fact that so few were destroyed during the millennium (the catastrophe(?) left them wit a huge fleet and only three companies to utilize them, so much of the chapter fleet has been saved the ravages of war)

 

I don't get this. They get pwned early on but their equipment mostly survives intact?

 

They are a relatively young chapter, but they are rising in renown

 

I don't particularly get this sentiment. They've been around since M37, they're no longer young. Even the youngest, the 26th Founding Chapters, are about as old as the United States as a country.

 

They believe that the emperor did not want the era of stagnation that the imperium represents. They believe that the only way to fulfill the emperor's wishes is to change, to improve, and to prefect the imperium. As a result, they place a great amount of effort into educating and enriching the lives of the normal population. They have seen what they can do (their homeworld is a paradise) and wish to spread their work to other systems in time. They believe that it is their calling to usher in an age of prosperity, enlightenment, and freedom for mankind (as the emperor would have wanted).

 

Some would not agree with this sentiment. Particularly the Adepticus Mechanicus, who see innovation as heresy.

 

I want their geneseed to be a mystery

 

Just don't.

 

I want them to have fought the eldar over their homeworld

 

Don't have any suggestions at the moment.

 

That's all for now.

 

CWC

[StGene]

I agree with CantonWC on most of his points.

1. Saying that a Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes, who recruit the most physically and mentally fit children they can find, just "lost much of their records" is ludicrous. Just losing the data relevant to their founding is more plausible.

2. As for all the times the Crimson Spears have been almost destroyed, I would either cut it down to one or work in some kind of curse motif (ex: every 789 years the Chapter loses exactly 789 marines in one day/campaign/battle).

3. The idea of "reserve companies" never sat well with me. The Lexicanum article on the Codex Astartes says that "These forces are held in reserve to be deployed at the discretion of force commanders as tactical situations evolve, often to bolster weak points or aid in breaking through enemy lines at specific locations." This says to me that there are about 400 fully-trained Marines being handed out piecemeal among the four Battle Companies (500, including First Company). It would seem more efficient to convert at least two Reserve Companies to Battle Companies. Attrition can't be very high, these are Astartes we're talking about. I would make it eight Battle Companies, and two Reserve Companies, evenly spreading the scouts and veterans between the Companies.

4. I like the name a lot. Keep it plz.

Other than that, a solid first effort!

[CantonWC]

3. The idea of "reserve companies" never sat well with me. The Lexicanum article on the Codex Astartes says that "These forces are held in reserve to be deployed at the discretion of force commanders as tactical situations evolve, often to bolster weak points or aid in breaking through enemy lines at specific locations." This says to me that there are about 400 fully-trained Marines being handed out piecemeal among the four Battle Companies (500, including First Company). It would seem more efficient to convert at least two Reserve Companies to Battle Companies. Attrition can't be very high, these are Astartes we're talking about. I would make it eight Battle Companies, and two Reserve Companies, evenly spreading the scouts and veterans between the Companies.

 

I don't think that's how it works. The Reserves are where the younger Marines are, training until they're drafted into the Battle Companies. Alternately, some of them may be experienced Veterans in specialized roles (Assault or Devastator), kept back until they're needed.

 

When The Battle Companies take casualties, they draw reinforcements from the Reserves. If you have all Battle Companies, you have nowhere to draw reinforcements. Unless you want to combine depleted Battle Companies, but I don't think that would work particularly well. Additionally, a typical Chapter has 2 Tacticals, 1 Assault and 1 Devastator. So just two Reserves I think is not enough.

[NightrawenII]

3. The idea of "reserve companies" never sat well with me. The Lexicanum article on the Codex Astartes says that "These forces are held in reserve to be deployed at the discretion of force commanders as tactical situations evolve, often to bolster weak points or aid in breaking through enemy lines at specific locations." This says to me that there are about 400 fully-trained Marines being handed out piecemeal among the four Battle Companies (500, including First Company). It would seem more efficient to convert at least two Reserve Companies to Battle Companies. Attrition can't be very high, these are Astartes we're talking about. I would make it eight Battle Companies, and two Reserve Companies, evenly spreading the scouts and veterans between the Companies.

You are looking on it from wrong angle, thought.

The Battle Company is organised into 6 Tacticals, 2 Devastator and 2 Assault squads.

The Reserves are divided into 2 Tactical (One could be deployed as Biker the other as Land Speeder squadron(s).), 1 Devastator and 1 Assault Company.

 

Thus:

6 Tacticals squads - 2 Reserves Co. with additional roles

2 Assault squads - 1 Reserve Co.

2 Devastator - 1 Reserve Co.

 

Edit:

The 8 Battle/2 Reserve ratio is off, don't forget the Scout and Veteran Co's.

[Justcar]

Thanks for all the help thus far!

 

I would just like to clear up a few things:

 

1. agree on the founding thing, I'll just stick with m. 37

 

2. What I actually meant by "shrouded in mystery" is:

 

The crimson spears were nearly destroyed. Only a few of the chapter survived, and they vowed to never speak about the incident ever again. It was then deleted from their chapter history.

 

The REAL reason I wanted to add this is because I wanted to have a plausible explanation for using any codex I wanted. :P

 

Though I think I agree that I should probably simplify the story.

 

Also, even though YOU may see some of this alot, I would ask that you judge things based on how it fits with the theme of the chapter and not based on how often you see something (though feel free to say that you do see it often, I will keep this in mind).

 

3. I need some reason to change their tactics! Why not coming back from the brink of destruction? Also, this didn't cause the change, it reinforced their existing mindset and pushed them farther into enlightenment! ;)

 

4. Saim Hann want to kill them because the chapter's homeworld is a maiden world that the Saim Hann want to preserve.

 

5. Did not know about the tyranid time rift I had created. I will indeed fix it!

 

6. The codex emphasizes it, but many chapters do not do this. The salamanders are a mid range defensive force, the White Scars are a fast attack force, and the Raven Guard emphasize stealth operations. So a chapter can be codex adherent and not fight with balance or utilize all forms of combat.

 

7. It is a tradition that evolved from necessity. They have 9 battle companies and a zero company located on their home-world. Each company has its own scouts, which they train and upgrade into adeptus astartes. They can get additional troops from their homeworld, an incredibly effective recruiting operation. (Also, the space wolves (to my knowledge) do not have reserve companies and they get along just fine)

 

8. I just included the thing about the psyonics to clarify how autonomous companies coordinate their actions. The captains communicate and plan as a governing body. This was not intended to mark them as special (though i do not believe the space wolves use telepathy (I haven't heard of it)).

 

9. The equipment was just something I wanted to express (the warriors did not originally die from battle) as an idea. I will probably just include it in their armory numbers and not mention it.

 

10. The idea was that the chapter was relatively young because they ARE compared to chapters that have been around since the Great Crusade. AND they have been incapable of fighting for a very long time while they have been rebuilding. Also, it takes a VERY long time to train the populace into an astartes chapter.

 

11. It is OK to me if the adeptus mechanicus doesn't like to innovate. They don't preach changing technology. They teach that it is the chapter's duty to elevate mankind above the miserable place in much of the imperium. It is their duty to protect them and teach them so that they can live happily. (Pretty much the Thousand Sons philosophy during the great crusade)

 

12. Why can't their geneseed be unknown??

 

13. It took me forever to come up with the name! :D

[Brother-Sergeant Bohemond]

You woul.d have to tread a fine line with your 'enlightenment' talk. Humanity needs to know 2 things, mate.

 

1) The Emperor is their Lord and Master and their god

2) They are surrounded by enemies who want to kill them as painfully and horribly as they can and to rebel against the Imperium is to court damnation.

 

Thats the mankind needs protecting party line talked by the =][= and everyone else really... not to say they cannot be enlightened, whats elightnement anway?? Your interpreation?? Anyway, innovation is allowed, kinda, just have to be careful. remember the razorback, crusader, promethues were all improvements on the base model. So, you can be innovative as long as your careful and avoid spreading your talk with certain Inquistors and the AdMech who are grumpy at the best of times!!

[Justcar]

You woul.d have to tread a fine line with your 'enlightenment' talk. Humanity needs to know 2 things, mate.

 

1) The Emperor is their Lord and Master and their god

2) They are surrounded by enemies who want to kill them as painfully and horribly as they can and to rebel against the Imperium is to court damnation.

 

Thats the mankind needs protecting party line talked by the =][= and everyone else really... not to say they cannot be enlightened, whats elightnement anway?? Your interpreation?? Anyway, innovation is allowed, kinda, just have to be careful. remember the razorback, crusader, promethues were all improvements on the base model. So, you can be innovative as long as your careful and avoid spreading your talk with certain Inquistors and the AdMech who are grumpy at the best of times!!

 

But of course! :P

 

I want the chapter to be somewhat optimistic about the future of mankind. They have been able to hold off the aliens that want to kill them and have given them a prosperous, peaceful life. They believe that the other chapters can as well, given enough time. The chapter innovates in the ways of tactics, strategy, and philosophy. They don't really specialize in tech improvement, thought they wouldn't be too upset about using storm ravens, or variant land raiders.

 

Mostly, I want to have a chapter that feels like it is putting humanity back on the path to its manifest destiny. I want it to almost have a pre-heresy renaissance feel. I want them to care about the normal humans. I want them to be young, idealistic, and building, not static and stagnant. Even if others might come to see them as naive or too idealistic, they believe that it is a goal worth risking EVERYTHING for.

 

They are also very careful about who they talk too about their philosophy and beliefs. They mostly discuss tactics and only begin discussing beliefs with those that they feel would be sympathetic. They are not trying to spread or convert others to their way of thinking, but they do want to express these sentiments in the hopes that others would listen.

 

If it gives them a slightly heretical twinge to them, i'm fine with that. As of now, their loyalty is unquestioned. Maybe they might be deemed heretical in the millennium to come, but they would be destroyed while wishing to restore the imperium to glory. (How ironic :3) This might give an element of tragedy and reinforce the grim darkness of the 41st millennium. But as of now, I want them to be a fragile spark of light in the grimdarkness.

 

Also, I decided that their founding would be in the 39th millennia now!

 

That is where I am at right now.

 

Thanks once again for comments and support! :D

[CantonWC]

The crimson spears were nearly destroyed. Only a few of the chapter survived, and they vowed to never speak about the incident ever again. It was then deleted from their chapter history.

 

I will just say that this has been done a lot. It has been done so much it is considered a cliche.

 

"lol we're the spess mareens. Oh noes we got totally pwnt in some mysterious incident. We will nver discuss it again."

 

What does this add to your Chapter, since you probably won't tell us what this incident was about in the first place.

 

The REAL reason I wanted to add this is because I wanted to have a plausible explanation for using any codex I wanted. tongue.gif

 

You are doing what I think is a mistake, directly equating fluff to rules. Background can influence rules, but not vice versa, in my opinion.

 

As an example... I have a Raven Guard army (not really, it's just an example). Does this mean I cannot use the Blood Angels rules ever, because my Raven Guard are not Blood Angels? No... If I think Blood Angels rules can accurately represent the character of the Raven Guard, then I will use that. Counts as and all that. As long as you are not doing it from a power gamey perspective, I do not think there is anything wrong with using one codex to represent a different Chapter of Astartes.

 

3. I need some reason to change their tactics! Why not coming back from the brink of destruction? Also, this didn't cause the change, it reinforced their existing mindset and pushed them farther into enlightenment! msn-wink.gif

 

Because it has been done to death and is a cliche.

 

The notion of having to reform military doctrine because of some military disaster carries the underlying implication that the Codex Astartes is flawed in some way, which completely flies in the face of logic. We believe that the Codex is an all-encompassing work; we do not believe that the Codex is hidebound, restrictive and uncreative, as GW seems to believe.

 

If anything, a miltary disaster should logically happen because the Astartes in question were completely incompetent, not because of some inherent flaw in the Codex.

 

6. The codex emphasizes it, but many chapters do not do this. The salamanders are a mid range defensive force, the White Scars are a fast attack force, and the Raven Guard emphasize stealth operations. So a chapter can be codex adherent and not fight with balance or utilize all forms of combat.

 

These Chapters are simply fighting according to their preferences. The Codex is a broad work, so they are not necessarily diverging at all.

 

7. It is a tradition that evolved from necessity. They have 9 battle companies and a zero company located on their home-world. Each company has its own scouts, which they train and upgrade into adeptus astartes. They can get additional troops from their homeworld, an incredibly effective recruiting operation. (Also, the space wolves (to my knowledge) do not have reserve companies and they get along just fine)

 

Chapters like the Iron Hands or the Space Wolves will have Great Companies or Clan Companies, which are effectively self-contained fighting forces. Each Company as a result is going to be much larger than a standard Company, which is a major deviation from the dictates of the Codex, because the overall Chapter will be much larger than the norm.

 

12. Why can't their geneseed be unknown??

 

Because it is cliche and has been done to death, so no one takes it seriously anymore.

 

Also because it flies in the face of logic. There are only 9 loyalist Primarchs, many of whom have distinct characteristics in their gene-seed. Saying that you have unknown gene-seed implies that the Mechanicus is too stupid to do a simple test and comparison to figure out which Primarch they descended from, which makes no sense.

 

"But CWC, there are the Traitor Primarchs..."

 

Don't even go there. I'm not saying it can't be done, because anything is possible. But most new writers don't have the skill to overcome such a massive breach of traditional fluff conventions like traitor gene-seed.

 

And sorry if I sound like a ****, it's just how I speak. I have no use for dissembling or political correctness.

 

CWC

[NightrawenII]

2. What I actually meant by "shrouded in mystery" is:

 

The crimson spears were nearly destroyed. Only a few of the chapter survived, and they vowed to never speak about the incident ever again. It was then deleted from their chapter history.

 

The REAL reason I wanted to add this is because I wanted to have a plausible explanation for using any codex I wanted. ;)

 

Though I think I agree that I should probably simplify the story.

 

Also, even though YOU may see some of this alot, I would ask that you judge things based on how it fits with the theme of the chapter and not based on how often you see something (though feel free to say that you do see it often, I will keep this in mind).

Considering, you don't expalin the cause of the destruction and the reason for change....

 

3. I need some reason to change their tactics! Why not coming back from the brink of destruction? Also, this didn't cause the change, it reinforced their existing mindset and pushed them farther into enlightenment! ;)

What change are you talking about? You are perfect example of Codex Chapter. :(

 

6. The codex emphasizes it, but many chapters do not do this. The salamanders are a mid range defensive force, the White Scars are a fast attack force, and the Raven Guard emphasize stealth operations. So a chapter can be codex adherent and not fight with balance or utilize all forms of combat.

Assumption without real proof.

 

7. It is a tradition that evolved from necessity. They have 9 battle companies and a zero company located on their home-world. Each company has its own scouts, which they train and upgrade into adeptus astartes. They can get additional troops from their homeworld, an incredibly effective recruiting operation. (Also, the space wolves (to my knowledge) do not have reserve companies and they get along just fine)

What necessity? What incredibly effective recruiting operation?

 

8. I just included the thing about the psyonics to clarify how autonomous companies coordinate their actions. The captains communicate and plan as a governing body. This was not intended to mark them as special (though i do not believe the space wolves use telepathy (I haven't heard of it)).

All psykers can use telepathy to some degree.

 

Btw, Angels of Fire.

 

Edit:

12. Why can't their geneseed be unknown??

Because the gene-seed doesn't represent just a useful tool in creation of superwarriors, but it's also spiritual link to the days of Great Crusade, to the Primarch, your genetic father, and consequently to the Emperor.

Forgetting the origins of your gene-seed equals to losing this heritage and makes the Chapter a social outsider.