Bright Blades

[Sobansa]

Bright Blades

 

Bright Blades

Bright Blades Color Scheme

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t275/asoban/spacemarine9-1.jpg

 

Active: 021.M31 to Present

Allegiance: Imperium of Man

Founding: Second

Branch: Space Marines

Size: Chapter

Parent Chapter: Ultramarines

Motto: Nos sum Imperator Mancipia – We are the Emperor’s Slaves

Insignia

Shoulder Badge

Battle Map Abbreviation: SMBB

 

 

Formation and History

The Bright Blades were formed early in the Ultramarines history. They were responsible for the subjugation of many sectors during the Great Crusade. They were on the far edge of the galaxy during the Horus Heresy. The sector they were in was surrounded by wide expanses of wild space. Heavily embattled to protect the sectors from the Chaos empowered forces, they were unable to make significant contributions to the war effort except to join the main fleet of the Ultramarines during the final days of the conflict. After the Heresy, they assisted in destroying the chaos forces that remained outside the eye of terror. After the second founding, they assigned themselves the responsibility of protecting and expanding the sectors that they had been charged with at the end of the great crusade.

 

 

Chapter Traditions

As they are fleet based, they use the imperial method of counting time with one thousandth of a year being a shift. A marine has a cycle of one thousandth of a year dedicated to battle training, a shift dedicated to the Tactical and Strategic briefings, and a shift for the marine to use on for their own.

 

Tactical and Strategic briefings are at the heart of the chapter. A Tactical and Strategic briefing is when a brother is asked to brief the whole watch on some issue that their commander finds important. The brother will research it thoroughly and make a tactical and strategic briefing to his brothers. The brothers will then ask questions and have an open discussion about the information presented. Every member of the chapter is routinely asked to brief the watch on an issue. These briefings are arguably the chapter’s cult because they believe in the imperial truth that the emperor taught them.

[Shinzaren]

“When I was a child, I walked with my father down a beach strewn with miles of millions dying starfish. He would pick them up as he walked along and threw them back in. I asked him why he did this. He bent down, picked up another one and tossed it into the sea. He then said, ‘I made a difference to that one’.”

- Omid Arrian - First Chapter Master of the Bright Blades

Space Marines are hypno-indoctrinated from when they are like 10 onwards. Most wouldn't remember much of their former lives. Even if they did, this seems very humanitarian, and not like the Astartes at all.

 

History

The Bright Blades were a chapter that served the in the Great Crusade with distinction.

The Great Crusade was undertaken by Legions, not chapters; 20 in all. They are:

Ultramarines, Imperial Fists, Salamanders, Raven Guard, Death Guard, Night Lords, Emperor's Children, Space Wolves, Luna Wolves, Iron Hands, Iron Warriors, Dark Angels, Blood Angels, World Eaters, Word Bearers, Alpha Legion, Thousand Sons, and White Scars. The last two legions have been purged from the records and are generally considered off-limits for IAs, barring extremely good explanations as to what they did and where they have been for 10,000 years. The Bright Blades therefore, were not apart of the Great Crusade.

 

They were one of the most victorious chapters and had one of the highest casualty rates. By the second founding they were devastated, and unable to muster even a full company.

As explained above. No.

 

Because of this they were attached to a successor chapter of the Ultramarines. However, it was with the understanding that they would become independent and a new chapter as quickly as possible. The Bright Blades underwent a crisis of faith as well as they realized what had truly happened to the galaxy and to the Imperium as a result of the lies of the Emperor.

What? What lies? What are you cyphering here Jethro?

 

The imperium seemed to turn away from the vision of the Emperor and to reject everything he ever taught. The Bright Blades decided that in the end the emperor had been right, the warp was too deep for them to delve into with the wisdom that they had. He had been right to keep the knowledge from them and from the Galaxy. His vision had been correct and what he worked for the destiny of mankind. They came out of this time stronger in their faith in what the Emperor had planned then when they had gone in

You just said he lied. Now I am confused.

 

The third founding saw the Bright Blade’s return to the galactic stage. They declared themselves to be on crusade and began to fight relentlessly. They would arrive at a hot spot, fight fiercely to turn the tide and then just as quickly as they had come to leave once again. No one seemed to take notice that after they were gone that many of the remaining scientists and books on topics were gone.

On what topics? Why are stealing scientists? Not to mention that scientists is a bit of a misnomer in the 41st millennium, as anything tech or science based is the sole purview of the Adeptus Mechanicus, and they don't share. With anyone.

 

They were written off as the losses of war. Slowly, they began to create ships dedicated to research and learning as the sentiment of the galaxy changed to hating science and reason in exchange for blind faith in a far off deity.

See above. They didn't build ships. The AM builds ships. If you invent anything significant outside their jurisdiction, they will take it from you by force, and will then determine if you are guilty of techno-heresy, following which you may be destroyed entirely for your sins.

 

In early M32, as they began to decide that their current numbers were too small to accomplish their objectives. A request came in from one of the high ranking Historitor in the Historical Revision Unit of the Administratum that his homeworld was soon to be under attack by a Waaagh! Knowing they would need allies in the Administratum, they rushed to the defense of the world and saved it.

What is a Historitor? What is the Historical Revision Unit? Why would Space Marines want to be allies with them? Why? That question is going to come up a lot. Everything needs a why, and stuff not generally known in the 40k universe (like Historitors) also need a what.

 

In gratitude the Historitor formed a pact with the Bright Blades, he would help mask their true numbers and in return they would assist him in “correcting” errors in history. This pact worked to the Bright Blades advantage, they would learn what the Administratum wanted to be secretly destroyed and they would destroy it most of the time, but could if they wanted to save it for their library.

Umm? Who is this guy? How is he hiding things from the Inquisition, who cut through red tape like it was well... tape. I don't really see any of this working.

 

Over the next several thousand years they gained allies and both saved and destroyed many books. However, eventually a Inquisitor decided to examine them in detail.

Sooner rather than later.

 

Knowing that their cooking of their books would bite them hard, the Chapter Master of the Bright Blades devised a plan to plant flase evidence of corruption and heresy that would point to the Inquisitor being corrupt. Then he died in a mysterious accident.

... really? You are engaging in warfare against the Inquisition? When one dies, another comes looking at the same stuff the first looking at, and the second usually looks harder, and with more men...

 

While the Inquisition feels that there was something wrong with what happened there is no proof and so have been trying to take a look deeper into them. They look for evidence of xenos contact or mutation as that is what the inquisitor seemed to be corrupted by. So far this ruse has been successful, however, if the Imperium, the Adeptus Mechanicus, or even their allies within the Administratum ever found out their true secret they would instantly be Excommunicated and hunted down despite their massive contributions to the Imperium.

If the Inquisition thought something was wrong and that your chapter was behind the death of one of their Inquisitors, you can bet your titanium boots that they will find out. They will grill, torture, murder, coerce, and crush anything that gets in their way until they find what they want, and when that happens, they will call up the Grey Knights, or any one of a thousand others forces capable of dismantling you, and they will take you apart, piece by piece; brick by brick. They will expunge your every deed and work from every history and record until all that remains is a crumbling rumor of a Chapter that once turned traitor and waged war on His Imperium.

[Shinzaren]

Beliefs

They believe that the Emperor was a great man and a powerful psyker. They believe in his vision of science, truth, and reason being dominant across the galaxy. The Horus Heresy shook this belief to the core. The chapter spent many years in deep soul searching to find the truth that they would follow. In the end they accepted that although it was at times inexplicable to them, the warp and everything in it could be explained by science. The Emperor had told them that they were not ready for the truth of the warp and he had been right. Because of this, they are wary of psykers and those that would delve too deep into the warp. Their own psykers are considered by other chapters to be under trained.

An under trained, under strengthened psyker is the most dangerous kind. Especially one blessed with an Astartes constitution. You might as well paint a bullseye on their mind saying 'Possess Me'.

 

They are fleet based in the extreme. Their fleet is massive even for fleet based chapters. It is completely self-contained and is able to supply the Bright Blades with all of their needs without any assistance from beyond the fleet.

M.I.S.S. (Me? I'm. So. Super.) Where did they get this massive fleet? Who built it? Why would the AM continually supply you with things if the Inquistion suspects you, and more importantly to the Mechanicus, if you are holding sacred knowledge from them.

 

 

While the Bright Blades fight, their mining ships will mine asteroids, the agricultural ships will make food, the forge ships will makes weapons, armor, and ammunition.

What? They are Astartes. They make War. They don't mine or harvest. You can't be self-sufficient in the Imperium, especially not without drawing powerful and suspicious eyes onto you. This whole premise is flawed.

 

They rarely call on others for any of the needs that they have. Hidden deep within the sheer size and numbers of the fleet is the dark secret of the Bright Blades. Ships dedicated to research and development. Each one of them works on a specific project, escorted by several ships that are to never have physical contact and are there to blow it up if chaos takes a hold on the ship.

Screw Chaos, you need to be more worried about the Imperium. Your fleet is literally one boiling pot of Heresy and Treason to them.

 

A more public and valuable ships that they have are their dozens of library ships that contain millions of books and information on combat and the enemies that the imperium faces. Hidden deep within those libraries are books on science and what they had discovered. The Library ships employ thousands of scribes to copy new books and information for the Bright Blades to use in their tactical and strategic briefings.

Your fleet is going to get murdered by a combination of the Ecclesiarchy, the Administratum, the Inquisition, the Adeptus Mechanicus, and your fellow Astartes; all of whom have pretty solid grounds to blast your heretical chapter in half.

 

Their organization differs little from the codex except in that they do not consider scouts to be marines yet and so they are scattered to the various companies. Each company also does not specialize in one area or another, they are all trained to be able to take up any role that the company needs. They are also larger than a normal chapter because they count only the most basically ranked space marine against their thousand. So techmarines, librarians, apocataries, scouts, ect. are not counted in their thousand.

This is actually true from most Chapters, so the 1000 man chapter is a bit off. The actual number of marines, give or take, ranges from 1200-1300 marines, including the armory, the Librarian, the Reclusiam, and the command staff.

 

They also tend to have more of them rather than less. In particular, they have more techmarines than most regular chapters. The actual number of marines including them hovers closer to between seventeen hundred and two thousand. They also tend to have heavy casualties in the double digits every year.

How would you have Tech-Marines? The Adeptus Mechanicus will want to have a long talk with you about all your science and tech, and this talk will include fists and guns. Techmarines don't seem viable, especially in great numbers. 2000 marines, yet another mark of your heresy. Once again, the Inquistion would like a word.

 

Their culture is also very different then the codex. They shun the more religious practices preferring to focus on the more concrete. Because they are not linked to any planetary cycle, they use the official time keeping system of the imperium. A day is three one thousandths of a terra year long.

I'm not super familiar with timekeeping in the Imperium, but I would assume that an Imperial Day is a day on Terra which is 1/365th of a year... Where is the 3/1000th coming from?

 

One thousandth is allowed for personal matters, one thousandth is for battle training, and one thousandth is for tactical and strategic briefs and the like.

Sleep and meals fall where...? Personal time I would imagine?

 

The tactical and strategic briefings are at the core of the culture of the Bright Blades. They are more than just a reading of what one person thinks that they are going to be up against, they are hotly debated and collaborated on. Every marine in a company is given a tactical and strategic issue to cover and how he is seen within the company and chapter as a whole is based on how well he is able to put one together and handle objections and whatever can be thrown at it.

? So everyone is a general?

 

Combat Doctrine

The Chapter’s combat doctrine is mostly codex, they depart from it fairly regularly. Every member of the Bright Blades is required to know it backwards and forwards because it is one of the most influential works ever written on combat.

So we use it... but we don't...

 

However, they also use many other works including translated xenos books on combat and strategy to form their combat doctrine.

You use Xenos books and strategies, which would be written and developed for Xenos warfare and biology? I feel like most of that would be useless to you, even more so if it relies on alien tech.

 

They also tend towards hard and fast strikes against heavily defended locations. They also use aerial and drop pod insertion into combat more than a regular chapter would.

Aerial/Drop Pod is the standard deployment technique for Space Marines entering combat. Using it more than the standard just seems... unnecessary. Also, more M.I.S.S.

 

It also emphasizes a strong offense rather than defense.

This is how 90% of Chapters fight.

 

In joint operations with other chapters they are rarely given command, with that honor being given to a more important chapter.

I think this is less about other chapters being more important, and more about how all the other chapters would wanna murder you for your heretical ways. Could just be me though...

 

The Bright Blades tend to advise the commander of the joint forces on strategy and tactics. They are often requested by other chapters to join them in battle because of their tactical and strategic acumen.

And they listen to heretics because...? Also, M.I.S.S.

 

 

I'm guessing this is the first draft of your first IA. Which I just tore to pieces... Sorry about that. Its not the basic concept isn't good. It is. Knowledge hoarding marines isn't really new, but the idea that you worship science and progress is one that don't recall seeing before. However, it needs work. A lot of things seem to be a lack of knowledge on the universe of 40k, for which I can only recommend reading the Octaguide and the DiY Guide, as well as any source material you can get your hands on. The more you know and all that. As far as the IA itself goes, interesting premise, needs work. Looking forward to seeing them come together though.

[Zynk Kaladin]

There's not much I can add to what Shinzaren said other than you have a lot of work ahead of you. Being that I was in your shoes last week, all I can say is don't get discouraged. However, you have to be prepared to think long and hard about revamping your chapter's fluff. For reference, here's the Octaguide.

 

I dig the color scheme :D

[Tyther]

The first reply covered a lot of the stuff, so that doesn't need repeating. However...

 

So far this ruse has been successful, however, if the Imperium, the Adeptus Mechanicus, or even their allies within the Administratum ever found out their true secret they would instantly be Excommunicated and hunted down despite their massive contributions to the Imperium.

This is somewhat superfluous. Your chapter would hardly be unique if it was declared Excommunicate Traitoris 'despite their massive contributions to the Imperium'. This is the Imperium here- no matter HOW large your contribution, if you ever present a potential threat, in any way, shape or form, the Inquisition comes down on you like ten tons of ceramite. It's unnecessary, except for the part about the ruse being successful, but (looks at first reply post) yeah...

 

A more public and valuable ships that they have are their dozens of library ships that contain millions of books and information on combat and the enemies that the imperium faces. Hidden deep within those libraries are books on science and what they had discovered.

 

This is their public face? First off- they are Space Marines. Their Librarium is a Chapter resource- it's not a public library where you can just walk in and peruse to your heart's content. So it wouldn't be public at all. But if it was, there'd be an even bigger problem, since...

 

However, they also use many other works including translated xenos books on combat and strategy to form their combat doctrine.

 

Anyone with access to their records (and the Inquisition can demand access if need be) will know they've been using xenos texts. That's heresy, treason and Excommunication right on the spot. And since it's apparently public, it shouldn't be all that hard to find out. Space Marine Chapters trying to cover their tails and prevent any possibly damning rumors aren't that rare, but Chapters who shoot themselves in the foot in presenting their public face are a little less common.

 

They are more than just a reading of what one person thinks that they are going to be up against, they are hotly debated and collaborated on. Every marine in a company is given a tactical and strategic issue to cover and how he is seen within the company and chapter as a whole is based on how well he is able to put one together and handle objections and whatever can be thrown at it.

 

Blessed is the mind too small for doubt. That's an Imperial maxim. 'Debate' in the Imperium is a fancy way of saying 'disobeying orders'. In the Imperium (the spirit of which the Astartes are meant to embody), a strategy is developed by the command elements, and then carried out. If it comes to the point where low-ranked elements are doing the planning, the Imperium construes that as a failure on the part of the command staff. Since the Astartes are meant to self-regulate, this isn't as much of a problem, but it's still very risky, because the plans are debated 'hotly'. That implies differences of opinion. Most Astartes chapters only have room for a few viewpoints. If every single plan is debated, how does the chapter ever get any fighting done? What about the Marines who don't approve of the plans, even after the debate is supposedly settled? How are the debates settled?

 

 

They are often requested by other chapters to join them in battle because of their tactical and strategic acumen.

 

No. Just- no. Even the First Founding Space Marines don't get asked to do this. What's more- Astartes are fantastically proud, and every Chapter is competent in its own right- they wouldn't ask for help unless it was absolutely necessary, and even then they would contact the nearest chapter or chapter fleet for assistance. Besides, 'purity' is a big thing among the Space Marines, so associating with a xenos-influenced, borderline-heretical, implicated-in-the-death-of-an-Inquisitor, Codex-violating, Adeptus-Mechanicus-kidnapping chapter isn't exactly going to be something the Battle Brothers remember fondly. Above all things, the Imperium is suspicious and xenophobic. They would celebrate a victory alongside a rabidly anti-alien ally gladly, no matter how thick their leaders were, and on the flip-side, they would view their allies suspiciously if they showed heretical tendencies, even if they were strategic masterminds. Your Chapter may not share this view, but if that's the case, then it has that in common is very few others.

 

Finally, the Chapter cannot be a First Founding Legion- already covered, I know, but it's a big, big deal. It simply cannot be from the First Founding. That's messing with the GW-established canon. On the plus side, making it a successor chapter and identifying it with one of the loyalist Primarchs would help give this chapter a legacy to follow and iron out some of their other problems- they could be an Ultramarines successor and take it upon themselves to master the understandings of tactics that Guilliman put down in the Codex Astartes, or they could be an Imperial Fists successor chapter, and try to shake off their progenitors' reputation for defense instead of attack. They could even be a Dark Angels successor chapter, and their knowledge-hungry tendencies can be secret, just like the DA hide the existence of the Fallen Angels. Putting a name to the Chapter's ancestry would really help, and going further and putting in a few influential figures would show how the Chapter has developed over time- famous Chapter Masters, renowned heroes, even well-known traitors. The history of your chapter will shape why it is the way it is, and there's not much in the way of that right now. What the Chapter needs is some slight toning-down, and some fleshing-out.

 

If this seems too negative, I apologize. I don't mean to insult the work, since I love Space Marines and the idea of new chapters as much as the next guy. This needs some ironing out, though. I wish you luck in developing the Bright Blades.

[Sobansa]

I do want to think you for your thoughts and insights. I will give them consideration as I work on it again. A few notes however, about it your reviews.

 

The AM builds ships.

 

I need some better sourcing on that, from what I understand is that although the AM does build ships it is not exclusive to them. A ship can be built by a feral world if need be.

 

Where is the 3/1000th coming from?

 

see this thread In short, the official time keeping breaks the year into 1000 equal parts. this amounts to about 8.75 hours. Give 8 hours for the actual activity and the remained to move from activity to activity you have a good working schedule considering that marines only need four hours of sleep.

 

They've been using xenos texts. That's heresy, treason and Excommunication right on the spot.

 

Given how much xenos tech gets used, I doubt it.

 

Blessed is the mind too small for doubt. That's an Imperial maxim. 'Debate' in the Imperium is a fancy way of saying 'disobeying orders'. In the Imperium (the spirit of which the Astartes are meant to embody), a strategy is developed by the command elements, and then carried out. If it comes to the point where low-ranked elements are doing the planning, the Imperium construes that as a failure on the part of the command staff. Since the Astartes are meant to self-regulate, this isn't as much of a problem, but it's still very risky, because the plans are debated 'hotly'. That implies differences of opinion. Most Astartes chapters only have room for a few viewpoints. If every single plan is debated, how does the chapter ever get any fighting done? What about the Marines who don't approve of the plans, even after the debate is supposedly settled? How are the debates settled?

 

Their not so much as specific plans as tactical briefings. A specific plan for a specific battle or war is came up with by the command teams. A tactical and strategic briefing is where a brother is asked to prepare a briefing on a subject. The Marine is then to find out as much as they can and to brief their brothers on what they find. The brothers then ask questions and discuss the subject. A tactical and strategic briefing and the debate the follows it is their religion. they don't pray, they don't worship, they do what the emperor commanded. They protect the ideals of the Imperial Truth through war and their only religion is doing it better.

[Shinzaren]

The AM builds ships.

 

I need some better sourcing on that, from what I understand is that although the AM does build ships it is not exclusive to them. A ship can be built by a feral world if need be.

A Feral World is defined as Pre-Gunpowder to Pre-Stone Age. I would like to know how a planet without the tech to make gunpowder is making ships that travel the Warp. All technology in the 41st millennium is based on the STC technology, the Standard Templace Constructs. These templates contain the working knowledge of all mankind up to the Dark Age. From these the Imperium can build tanks, planes, guns, buildings, ships and more. The Gellar Field, which is used to protect the ship from the Warp, is a complex device, and the Adeptus Mechanicus is the only group that has access to that technology. While other 'shipyards' might be able to build ships that do not achieve warp travel, only the Adeptus Mechanicus makes the vessels that can achieve warp jumps; the ones that the Navy, the Mechanicus, the Navigator Houses, the Rogue Traders use.

 

They've been using xenos texts. That's heresy, treason and Excommunication right on the spot.

 

Given how much xenos tech gets used, I doubt it.

Yeah, I don't doubt it at all... Most use of Xenos tech is hidden, completely. If the Ordo Xenos finds out that you are using Xenos tech, or more importantly to them, Xenos texts, they will completely and utterly annihilate you, for fear that you have been corrupted. After all, what true Astartes of the Emperor would use the tactics and works of the hated Xenos instead of the codified works of the great Primarch, the direct descendant of the Emperor? And if you use Xenos tech, the AM will be jumping down your throat for not using the approved works of the Omnissiah, and they will kill you. The Imperium is the least forgiving place in the history of mankind, and it is the most brutal and close minded regime imaginable. You toe the line, or they cut off your toes.

[Sobansa]

IN the BFG rulebook, it gives and example of a Lunar Class cruiser built over a feral world.

[Ace Debonair]

Dude, cool-looking marine. ^_^

 

I stopped reading the IA when I read your marines were around in the Great Crusade, though.

That's pretty darned unlikely and would take a literary miracle to make us Liberites think otherwise. :P

 

I'll heartily reccomend the DIY guide stickied at the top of the forum if you need a clearer picture about how Chapters come into existence. It's also a wealth of other, really useful information and a great reference point when creating a Chapter. :D

[Shinzaren]

IN the BFG rulebook, it gives and example of a Lunar Class cruiser built over a feral world.

Built OVER a Feral World, not BY a Feral World. Ship Yards are in space, for obvious reasons, so the planet they orbit doesn't really matter all that much, as all the construction takes place off world.

 

EDIT: The book actually states that the primitive tribesmen were 'influenced' to mine the ores and what not required, and it was then taken to the 'sky temples' where it was lifted into space. The Feral World didn't build it. They dug up all the required stuff and sent it to space where the ship was constructed, over the course of 11 years.

[Octavulg]

Actually, the materials were provided by the residents of the Feral World...

 

The craftsmanship, mind you, not so much.

[Shinzaren]

Actually, the materials were provided by the residents of the Feral World...

 

The craftsmanship, mind you, not so much.

 

Yeah, this.

[Sobansa]

I would like to thank everyone who replied for your thoughts. I decided to go more bare bones with asking how best to expand it rather then giving it in expanded form and asking for thoughts.

 

Bright Blades

 

Brght Blades

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t275/asoban/spacemarine6.jpg

Bright Blades Color Scheme

 

Active: 021.M31 to Present

Allegiance: Imperium of Man

Founding: Second

Branch: Space Marines

Size: Chapter

Parent Chapter: Ultramarines

Motto: Nos sum Imperator Mancipia – We are the Emperor’s Slaves

Insignia

Shoulder Badge

Battle Map Abbreviation: SMBB

 

Formation and History

The Bright Blades were formed early in the Ultramarines history. They were responsible for the subjugation of many sectors during the Great Crusade. They were on the far edge of the galaxy during the Horus Heresy. The sector they were in was surrounded by wide expanses of wild space. Heavily embattled to protect the sectors from the Chaos empowered forces, they were unable to make significant contributions to the war effort except to join the main fleet of the Ultramarines during the final days of the conflict. After the Heresy, they assisted in destroying the chaos forces that remained outside the eye of terror. After the second founding, they assigned themselves the responsibility of protecting and expanding the sectors that they had been charged with at the end of the great crusade.

 

 

Chapter Traditions

The chapter does not divide into companies like other chapters. Instead they are all a part of one of three fleets and each fleet has three watches. The watches consist of about a hundred and ten battle brothers. They also tend to have more specialists and ranked space marines who do not count against their thousand battle brothers. As they are fleet based, they use the imperial method of counting time with one thousandth of a year being a shift. A marine has a cycle of one thousandth of a year dedicated to battle training, a shift dedicated to the Tactical and Strategic briefings, and a shift for the marine to use on for their own.

 

Tactical and Strategic briefings are at the heart of the chapter. A Tactical and Strategic briefing is when a brother is asked to brief the whole watch on some issue that their commander finds important. The brother will research it thoroughly and make a tactical and strategic briefing to his brothers. The brothers will then ask questions and have an open discussion about the information presented. Every member of the chapter is routinely asked to brief the watch on an issue. These briefings are arguably the chapter’s cult because they believe in the imperial truth that the emperor taught them.

 

 

A fairly bare bones chapter history. What I would like to do is tie them into the Emperor's Vision of humanity and that they serve him and his vision. I would also like them to have a dark secret, preferably one that ties them into the first point. Third, as much as the Imperium sucks, honestly it is not the grim dark that I'm looking for my chapter. I'm looking more for the hope spot in the dark universe and fighting a losing war. It's an hall hands on deck to even managed to survive a few more years. The Imperium is not falling anytime soon, I think even if the emperor dies the imperium would hold together. No so for the Bright Blades. The Bright Blades need to be the light that shines in the darkness. They are a light to humanity in dark places, as all other lights go out. So that is where I would like to take them.

[PyronusSouria]

You still didn't remove them from the Great Crusade. Noone on this forum is going to let you tell them that this is one of the missing Legions ;)

[Shinzaren]

The Bright Blades were formed early in the Ultramarines history. They were responsible for the subjugation of many sectors during the Great Crusade.

No, the Second Founding took place AFTER the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy.

 

They were on the far edge of the galaxy during the Horus Heresy. The sector they were in was surrounded by wide expanses of wild space. Heavily embattled to protect the sectors from the Chaos empowered forces, they were unable to make significant contributions to the war effort except to join the main fleet of the Ultramarines during the final days of the conflict.

No, see above.

 

After the Heresy, they assisted in destroying the chaos forces that remained outside the eye of terror. After the second founding, they assigned themselves the responsibility of protecting and expanding the sectors that they had been charged with at the end of the great crusade.

Almost everyone was all about finding and destroying the pockets of Chaos resistance that remained at this point. Obviously you can't be guarding areas you liberated in the Great Crusade, because you weren't in the Great Crusade...

 

Chapter Traditions

The chapter does not divide into companies like other chapters. Instead they are all a part of one of three fleets and each fleet has three watches. The watches consist of about a hundred and ten battle brothers.

Why would a second founding Chapter of the Ultramarines bloodline, the most direct descendants of Gulliman possible, throw out everything their Primarch said and basically flip him the bird? It makes no sense that you just disregarded everything your Gene-Father told you.

 

They also tend to have more specialists and ranked space marines who do not count against their thousand battle brothers. As they are fleet based, they use the imperial method of counting time with one thousandth of a year being a shift. A marine has a cycle of one thousandth of a year dedicated to battle training, a shift dedicated to the Tactical and Strategic briefings, and a shift for the marine to use on for their own.

Why? Why do everything you can to make them flagrantly different with no character? Why increase the specialists without counting them on the 1000 man roster? Why the big deal with time? There are a lot of things that make Space Marines interesting. Their timekeeping isn't really one of them...

 

Tactical and Strategic briefings are at the heart of the chapter. A Tactical and Strategic briefing is when a brother is asked to brief the whole watch on some issue that their commander finds important. The brother will research it thoroughly and make a tactical and strategic briefing to his brothers. The brothers will then ask questions and have an open discussion about the information presented. Every member of the chapter is routinely asked to brief the watch on an issue. These briefings are arguably the chapter’s cult because they believe in the imperial truth that the emperor taught them.

Won't all this discussing and arguing get in the way of the murdering that every Astartes is created to do? You marines seem to have a lot of free time, far more than the average chapter, and they apparently are too busy talking to each other to bash the skulls of their enemies.

 

A fairly bare bones chapter history. What I would like to do is tie them into the Emperor's Vision of humanity and that they serve him and his vision. I would also like them to have a dark secret, preferably one that ties them into the first point.

Dark Secrets are a fairly cliched plot device... Not unworkable, just... common.

 

It's an hall hands on deck to even managed to survive a few more years.

What does this mean?

 

The Imperium is not falling anytime soon, I think even if the emperor dies the imperium would hold together.

Oh no, if the Emperor dies -truly dies- the Imperium will collapse near instantaneously. Warp travel will become completely untenable, and each of the systems will become isolated. Worlds like Armageddon will die in a matter of months, as the vital supplies like food and water will never arrive. The Garden and Agricultural worlds will be the most sustainable, but without the projection of the Imperium's fleets they will quickly fall to Xenos and Raiders. Forgeworlds will be the longest lived, simply because so much of their worlds don't need food or drink to keep 'living'. The major Segmentum Fortresses will last only as long as their local supplies hold. Basically the Imperium will break down in a bunch of independent kingdoms, and the only systems that will survive are those that have both a agricultural producer and a military presence. Even those will descend into anarchy when the realization that the Emperor is gone dawns on them.

 

No so for the Bright Blades. The Bright Blades need to be the light that shines in the darkness. They are a light to humanity in dark places, as all other lights go out. So that is where I would like to take them.

So the Blades wouldn't survive if the Emperor dies? Cause you said the Imperium would, then you said not so for your lads. I am very confused on where you want to take them.

 

 

This is a marked improvement over the first draft, but it is still fraught with holes and problems. Still, you are on the right path.

[Sobansa]

Thank you for your review. The second founding was made up of marines who had fought in the great crusade likely in the same organizational structure as before. That just makes sense. A second founding chapter does not appear out of thin air. Their not a missing legion, their ultramarines. I'm not trying to create a missing legion. (As fun as that might be.) What I'm doing is I am pointing out a contenuty of existance between the Ultramarine Bright Blades and the current chapter of Bright Blades to strengthen their ties to the Emperor and his way of doing things.

 

As for the Tactical and Strategic briefings getting in the way, it's a bit like saying that a regular chapter's payers and devotions get in the way. The Tactical and Strategic briefing, a way of analyzing the weaknesses of an enemy so that they can kill them better is much less of a waste of time rather then saying a prayer to the emperor.

 

 

 

Formation and History

The Bright Blades were formed early in the Ultramarines history. They were responsible for the subjugation of many sectors during the Great Crusade. They were on the far edge of the galaxy during the Horus Heresy. The sector they were in was surrounded by wide expanses of wild space. Heavily embattled to protect the sectors from the Chaos empowered forces, they were unable to make significant contributions to the war effort except to join the main fleet of the Ultramarines during the final days of the conflict. After the Heresy, they assisted in destroying the chaos forces that remained outside the eye of terror. After the second founding, they assigned themselves the responsibility of protecting and expanding the sectors that they had been charged with at the end of the great crusade.

 

 

Chapter Traditions

As they are fleet based, they use the imperial method of counting time with one thousandth of a year being a shift. A marine has a cycle of one thousandth of a year dedicated to battle training, a shift dedicated to the Tactical and Strategic briefings, and a shift for the marine to use on for their own.

 

Tactical and Strategic briefings are at the heart of the chapter. A Tactical and Strategic briefing is when a brother is asked to brief the whole watch on some issue that their commander finds important. The brother will research it thoroughly and make a tactical and strategic briefing to his brothers. The brothers will then ask questions and have an open discussion about the information presented. Every member of the chapter is routinely asked to brief the watch on an issue. These briefings are arguably the chapter’s cult because they believe in the imperial truth that the emperor taught them.

 

 

Now, how I want to expand is that I want them tied deeply into the the Emperor's vision for humanity and I want them to be a spot of hope in a dark universe. I want them to be even more constantly embattled and fighting for the lives of worlds. However, I want things to be less depressing then your average 40k fare. It's depressing becuase they are losing the war despite their best efforts. Not depressing becuase the good guys are genocidal maniacs.

[Freman Bloodglaive]

The two most scientific regimes in Earth's history were Nazi Germany, and Soviet Russia. Neither of which are candidates for bright lights in the firmament.

 

Just saying.

 

Also, the religious rituals that Marines learn serve to focus and calm their minds for combat. Something that is necessary for those preparing themselves to kill and die for a particular cause. Though Marines do not subscribe to every nuance of the Imperial creed, a non-religious Space Marine is practically a contradiction in terms.

[Shinzaren]

Thank you for your review. The second founding was made up of marines who had fought in the great crusade likely in the same organizational structure as before. That just makes sense. A second founding chapter does not appear out of thin air. Their not a missing legion, their ultramarines. I'm not trying to create a missing legion. (As fun as that might be.) What I'm doing is I am pointing out a contenuty of existance between the Ultramarine Bright Blades and the current chapter of Bright Blades to strengthen their ties to the Emperor and his way of doing things.

Then you are going about in an awkward way, which makes the reader think you had a new chapter during the Great Crusade. They were Ultramarines in the Crusades, after which they BECAME the Bright Blades. They weren't the Bright Blades of the Ultramarines before the Second Founding.

 

Formation and History

The Bright Blades were formed early in the Ultramarines history. They were responsible for the subjugation of many sectors during the Great Crusade. They were on the far edge of the galaxy during the Horus Heresy. The sector they were in was surrounded by wide expanses of wild space. Heavily embattled to protect the sectors from the Chaos empowered forces, they were unable to make significant contributions to the war effort except to join the main fleet of the Ultramarines during the final days of the conflict. After the Heresy, they assisted in destroying the chaos forces that remained outside the eye of terror. After the second founding, they assigned themselves the responsibility of protecting and expanding the sectors that they had been charged with at the end of the great crusade.

Try this instead, for clarity if nothing else.

 

"The Bright Blades are an ancient chapter of the Adeptus Astartes, able to trace their first members to the Great Crusade. The Bright Blades were formed during the Second Great Founding, and were made up of distinguished Ultramarines veterans who had battled through the Great Crusade and survived fires of the Heresy. Of the initial marines who would lead this new Chapter, nearly all were stationed on the far edge of the galaxy during the events of Horus's betrayal, and so nearly all shared a common view of the galaxy. Unwilling to embrace the new Imperial religious fervor, they dedicated themselves instead to the Emperor's great ideal of a galaxy built on knowledge and science. The stay true to his Vision even now, battling against enemies who would seek to claim the areas their forefathers had liberated in the Great Crusade millennia before."

 

Chapter Traditions

As they are fleet based, they use the imperial method of counting time with one thousandth of a year being a shift. A marine has a cycle of one thousandth of a year dedicated to battle training, a shift dedicated to the Tactical and Strategic briefings, and a shift for the marine to use on for their own.

Timekeeping... Still boring.

 

Now, how I want to expand is that I want them tied deeply into the the Emperor's vision for humanity and I want them to be a spot of hope in a dark universe. I want them to be even more constantly embattled and fighting for the lives of worlds. However, I want things to be less depressing then your average 40k fare. It's depressing becuase they are losing the war despite their best efforts. Not depressing becuase the good guys are genocidal maniacs.

Well that is a problem, because even the enlightened and open of the Legions still destroyed thousands of worlds and billions of lives during the Great Crusade. The GrimDarkness of the 41st millennia is just that. Grim and Dark. Even the good guys are complete monsters whose entire existence is wholly dedicated to destroying utterly any enemy who would raise arms against the Imperium. Space Marines are weapons. You don't ask a sword to negotiate. You don't ask a sword to solve problems. You use a sword to cut down your enemies. If you draw your sword, negotiations are over. If Space Marines are deployed, any hope of any solution but a bloody massacre is gone. There is only War.

[Chaplain Rourke The Fanged]

On the whole crusade era chapter thing. I know that the Word Bearers where divided up into "chapters" during the crusades. I am not sure if it was the same for the Ultras but it is something to think about. Whether or not the Ultras had "chapters" doesn't matter, perhaps your boys were attached to an expedition fleet that was sent way the hell out into the middle of nowhere. When the HH was over and done with and the legion was being divided up maybe it went a little something like this...

 

"Hey, you guys from the 678th Expeditionary Force, you are now your own chapter of Space Marines."

" OH sweet we will call ourselves the uh... Bright Blades. Right guys... that sound good to you?"

"Ya uh, whatever I don't care. Just go kill things in the name of The Emperor."