Chapter "X", Version 3.0, "Grey Spears"

[Captain Juan Juarez]

The Grey Spears

Origins

With the Great Heresy still an open wound and the Scouring still taking place throughout the Imperium, the Second Founding would take place with the Imperium having almost been destroyed by the treachery of Horus. With traitors punished wherever they reared their heads, the High Lords decreed that now was the time to rebuild and retake what was lost; now those worlds lost to the myriad foes of Man would be reclaimed as the Imperium once more sought ascendancy amongst the stars.

The Chapter that would later become known as the Spears would form, led by Arvan Saard of the Imperial Fists Twelfth Chapter, and would be tasked with reclamation of the Vassan Cluster from the ravages of Eldar raiders. Saard was amongst the highly regarded commanders of Dorn, with a reputation amongst his peers as a capable if somewhat reckless leader, and he brought with him his own personal heraldry and the name of his Chapter; he Grey Spears.

Homeworld

Denoria is a temperate world of forests, rolling grasslands and deep blue seas located deep within the heart of the Vassan Cluster on the eastern fringes of Segmentum Pacificus.

During it's early history the world was the subject of numerous raids by Ork slavers, the planets gunpowder-age technology no match for the Xenos as they sought fresh meat. As communities isolated themselves in a bid to avoid attention, technological progression halted almost entirely and the Denorians drifted back into technological obscurity; forced to defend themselves from the predations of the Orks with spear and axe. As raids continued the Denorians took to more drastic measures, raiding each other for slaves to leave as offerings in the slightest hope that the providers would be left in peace. Such offerings were always accepted, even just for sport, but those who sacrificed their own people would still be hunted like animals.

As the Adeptus Astartes cleansed the Vassan Cluster of a Xenos presence they fell upon Denoria in force, hunting down the last vestige of an Ork fleet bent on bloodshed and destruction. As Asatrtes met Ork upon the coast of the Sea of Dreams, the local Denorian tribes took a more proactive hand in their destiny; choosing to finally marshal themselves - even as individual groups - to finally meet their foe in battle with spear and axe.

In the aftermath of the battle the unity that was achieved would fall away like dead leaves from a rotting tree as those who hunted their own people were hunted in turn, now the tribes were free of the menace of the Orks. Impressed by the courage and fury of the Denorians, both in battling the Orks and against each other, Arvan Saard claimed the world in the name of the Chapter, choosing to recruit from the youths of the warbands and their future offspring. Tribal warfare has formed the basis of life since the time of the Orkoid opression, the original cause of strife long forgotten as slights both real and imagined bring new blood feuds even as they settle old.

The Spears would eventually absorb much from the Denorians such as their belief in the Life Chain and the Iron Price, but by far the biggest impact would be upon the way the Chapter wages war.

Beliefs

At the core of the beliefs of the Spears, drawn solely from the native culture of Denoria, is the Life Chain; upon Denoria the Chain is what ties a man to life and gives a purpose to that life. For the Chapter such beliefs have changed to fit both the needs and the altered perceptions of the Battle-Brothers.

Upon induction as an initiate each Denoria ceremonially severs a chain as a way of breaking from their old, Human, lives and if the achieve the honour of being inducted into the Chapter proper they do so again, signalling the start of a new existence.

For a full Battle-Brother the Life Chain is a physical ideal, used as both a reminder of the ties that bind the Chapter and its Brothers to the Imperium and as a record of the deeds of its Marines. Each Battle-Brother forges the links for his own chain, the links symbols of different degrees; links can be forged for years of service or promotion and even for notable actions or campaigns, with each link inscribed with data about it. Such inscriptions provide an in-depth look at the career of the Marine, links forged for campaigns and victories small histories in themselves. Only in death does the forging end, some veterans possessing enough links to forge entire suits of mail of the kind used by the Denorian tribes.

Kyton

The Kyton play a dual role within the beliefs of the Spears, drawn in part from the early mythology of Denoria and also from the early history of the Chapter itsself.

For Denorians the Kyton are beasts of myth who cut short the Life Chain of men. It is said that they are attracted to the life of men that burns so brightly in their senses that they are driven almost to madness to possess it as their own.

"Kyton" is also the name given by the Chapter to their oldest enemies, the Ork. The Orkish race is every ready to steal that which does not belong to them, though even their passion for paying the Iron Price does nothing to lessen the ire of the Chapter.

The term Kyton is also the basest insult that could be spoken by a Brother of the Spears to another. Whilst duels are common within the Chapter, use of this insult is one of few occasions where duels to the death are not only permitted but readily encouraged. No Brother could live with the stain to his honour of being dubbed Kyton.

Upon the death of a Battle-Brother, the Herald of his Warband will ritually sever his Life Chain and inter it into the Long Hall - a special tomb where the links of the fallen are displayed to honour their memory and inspire those they leave behind. Each initiate is required to make a pilgramage to the Long Hall to seek wisdom from the fallen.

Dreadnoughts are Brothers who are both hated and held in awe within the Spears. The hatred stems from the belief in the Life Chain and its ties to duty and service; those who are interred within a Dreadnought chassis being freed from that service and duty when their Life Chains are servered by their Herald. The awe that each Dreadnought recieves is due to that fact that though they are free from the ties that bind them, they still choose to serve the Emperor and fight alongside their Battle-Brothers.

Often the Dreadnoughts of the Chapter will fight in a single formation, known collectively as the Unchained, as this mitigates the distrust that can sometimes fester between some of the more superstitious Battle-Brothers.

The other core aspect to the Spears beliefs is based around the Iron Price and the Gold price. The Iron Price is what is paid in blood and toil to aquire or achieve something, in counterpoint to the Gold Price of something which is what is paid or bartered for it.

The Iron Price can be any form of action or physical endeavour, from slaying an Ork Warboss to swimming across a predator-infested ocean. To pay in Iron is the ultimate aim of a warrior, lesser men will pay in Gold to achieve their ends but shedding blood is a sign that such a victory is worth dying for. Any Battle-Brother would rather pay Iron for a world, than Gold for a system.

"Paying the Iron Price" is a common phrase throughout the Spears, oft used at the end of a hard campaign or action.

Organisation

Combat Doctrine

Geneseed

The geneseed of the Spears is from the line of Rogal Dorn, direct from the Imperial Fists Legion. There are no known mutations beyond what is typically associated with the geneseed of Rogal Dorn.

Battlecry

"We Do Not Yield!"

[Captain Juan Juarez]

So, I once again become the cannibal for my previous Version and move onto this!

 

The Changes:

 

Out go the attempts to make them even vaguely Saxon, because I suck.

 

Moved from Third Founding to the Second - this is less plausible I know, but it works better for me.

 

No more Khan, now they come from Dorn - boo, hiss, yada yada yada.

 

Name change - I still have a spear obsession, which combined with the CNG gave me "Grey Spears".

 

Out goes some of the organisation and recruitment ideas I had.

[Heru]

Moved from Third Founding to the Second - this is less plausible I know, but it works better for me.

How does this work better for you?

[PyronusSouria]

I thought GW had the Second founding locked down?

[Ecritter]

I'm still lost as to where the Life Chain belief came from for the natives of the homeworld. Its something you're really gonna have to push past ... come up with something plausible for a basis for this belief.

 

Remember all humans originated on Terra. They were gun-powder age, then reverted. They were an Imperial world at one time (I'm guessing) but perhaps not, perhaps colonists from long before the Imperium .. but then they had space travel capability. I just can't come up with a good basis for this. Sorry.

 

Also, where exactly did the myth of the Kyton come from? Was it a real creature at one time or just an old tale told to children that has somehow over the years taken on a much great meaning?

 

EDIT:

 

You could always go the "origins are lost in the darkness of time" route. Its not the best but it may work.

[NightrawenII]

Asatrtes - typo saved for later use. :)

 

The Orks aren't the best foes, since they are angry and nasty ecosystem.