The Black Scorpids (previously The Emperor's Sting)

[Bloodfinger]

So here is my first attempt at the background for my Space Marine chapter, the Black Scorpids (originally called The Emperor's Sting). Please let me know what you think:

The Black Scorpids

Origins:

The Black Scorpids were created in the Twenty sixth founding as a mobile strike force to provide rapid counter attacks against the Ork forces ravaging the eastern edge of the Imperium. Mathias Clance, a rabidly xenophobic captain from the Novamarines chapter was given the honour of selecting a cadre of his battle brothers to lead and mentor the newly formed chapter. Clance remains the Chapter Master of the Black Scorpids, although after their initial duty was done approximately half of the cadre returned to the Novamarines, as they were angered by what they saw as the new chapter’s failure to adopt all the doctrines of the Codex Astartes.

Home world:

The Black Scorpids are based on the feral world of Samarene on the eastern edge of the Ultima Segmentum. A mountainous, rocky and arid world with high temperatures the planet is populated by semi-primitive clans who exist in a perpetual state of warfare over control of the holy sites of the various sects and cults they worship, as well as access to the few lowland coastal areas that are more habitable. The chapter recruits the best young warriors from all the clans, and in return does not interfere in the wars unless one clan begins to become too dominant, which would threaten the continued supply of recruits. Once inducted the neophytes are rapidly psycho-indoctrinated to forget all clan allegiances and customs and serve only the Emperor. Most members of the chapter have almost no contact with the native population, as they are taught that as space marines they have risen far above the common man and should be concerned only with battle and the will of the Emperor.

Combat Doctrine

The doctrine of the chapter was developed during their first great campaign against the Orks of Warboss Gulraak on Kallida Prime. Fighting alongside the assault squadrons of the Red Templars they a won a series of vicious, bloody close combat engagements as they fought their way slowly through the endless hordes of greenskins occupying the narrow valleys that lead to Gulraak’s fortress. While the Templars exulted in the gory thrill of close combat, Mathias was appalled by the filthy orkish blood that stained his skin the jagged rends the orks’ crude weapons gouged into his holy armour. After each battle he ordered lengthy rituals of purification and ablution and decreed that none of his brothers should end the day with orkish blood upon him.

Finally reaching Gulraak’s fortress, Mathias demanded that Red Templars followed his strategy for the final engagement of the war. While the vastly outnumbered Templars feigned preparations for a frontal assault, Mathias called up the entire strength of his ninth company devastators, who until that point had seen limited action, and positioned them in firing points around the fortress. As the Red Templars advanced on the fortress the Orks emerged in a frenzied wave, and charged towards them. The Scorpids watched and waited as the Templars fell back, drawing the orks into their killing zone, then unleashed their full might with a firestorm of missiles, heavy bolter and plasma fire that slaughtered the green skins in their thousands. When the orks finally reached the Templars less than a third of the strength remained and their Warboss was little more than a fine green mist. The battle was a massacre, but not the one the orks had been expecting.

Since that time, the Black Scorpids doctrine has developed around precision strikes by heavy weapon tactical and devastator squads, terminators and dreadnoughts, inserted close to the enemy’s strongholds by drop pod or Thunderhawk gunship and supported by mobile bike squads. The chapter has few tanks or heavy armoured vehicles, preferring to place their faith in the superiority of each individual marine and the weapons he carries. Their aim is to engage the enemy hordes at range and avoid close combat, where they would risk being outnumbered and overrun, and worse still being polluted with the foul xenos blood of their enemies

Further details of tactics and history to follow, depending on the outcome of battles yet to be fought!

Organisation:

The Black Scorpids are organised in line with the Codex Astartes with only minor deviations; they have a greater number of devastator squads and fewer assault squads than laid down in the Codex and the first company does not maintain any Vanguard squads. Due to their success at the battle of Kallida Prime, membership of the ninth company is regarded as particularly prestigious, second only to the first company.

Markings:

Power armour is orange except for the right leg, groin, left shoulder, backpack, helmet and right shoulder trim which are white. Squad markings are on the right shoulder in white and the chapter symbol is a black scorpion on the left shoulder. For members of the first company the colours of the legs and shoulder pads are reversed. Sergeants wear blue helmets with veteran sergeants also having blue shoulder trim. Company is denoted by the colour of the chest eagle, following the codex colours except for the fourth company which use dark red, as green is the colour of the orks and is forbidden throughout the chapter except in depictions or (rarely) trophies of dead orks.

Beliefs

The chapter’s belief’s are driven by the reason for their creation, to take the fight to the rampaging ork hordes, and the personal motivations and drive of their chapter master. These are a fanatical hatred of all aliens, particularly orks, unshakeable faith in the superiority of the space marines as the living embodiment of the Emperor’s will and dedication to completing the mission at hand. Their hatred of aliens is so great and their belief in their own superiority so intense that they are loathed to sully their hands in melee combat and always seek to destroy the enemy with ranged fire before they get close. Before and after battle the Black Scorpids engage in solemn rituals of cleansing and purification so that their bodies and armour remain as clean and pure as their souls. They are also meticulous about maintaining their weapons and equipment and spend their spare time endlessly repairing, cleaning, painting and polishing it, all the while chanting blessings and devotions over their most holy possessions.

Compared to most chapters the Black Scorpids have little interest in honour, glory or their place in history; loyalty to their battle brothers and all members of the Adeptus Astartes is paramount, but they have little desire for accolades or declarations of respect. Equally, they have a distaste for those chapters that engage in brutality, excess or superstition for its own sake. They maintain good relations with the Ordo Xenos and have fought alongside the Deathwatch on several occasions; few members of the chapter have yet been admitted to the Deathwatch but to be so called is regarded with particular pride within the chapter. Those remaining members of the chapter who joined from the Novamarines are respected for their experience and importance to the founding of the chapter, but they are not afforded special status nor do they maintain the beliefs of their former comrades, for example they do not add to their tribal tattoos and no longer believe in their protective power.

Geneseed:

The chapter’s geneseed is from the Genesis chapter (Ultramarines) and remains pure. There have been rumours of the loss of function of the Omophagea implant however investigations by the Inquisition and the chapter’s apothecaries have shown these rumours to be untrue, arising only from the chapter’s dislike for the practice of eating the bodies of the dead. Under no circumstances would a Black Scorpid consume the flesh of any xenos species and would be revolted to see another marine defile his body in this way.

Battle Cry

The battle cry is chanted or spoken only once before each battle. The senior officer present states “Emperor!” and the battle brothers respond with “We are thy sting.”

[CKO]

Pretty good start, the main problem I have is the name! Also you need to add more information, what makes them different is the question you should be constantly asking yourself. As of now the only difference is their combat doctrine.

[Codicier Lucion]

This is just passing on information advised to me previously, but I would suggest expanding upon beliefs. Include things like chapter traditions, rituals and things which help build up their character a bit. But besides that, and possibly the name, I do like what's been written thus far a lot.

[PyronusSouria]

I like the idea that belonging to a company other than the 1st is prestigious, but I would like to know why in greater detail. They seem to be very xenophobic and elitist, you can probably tie that in to their desire for ranged combat; maybe they don't want to be "contaminated" by being touched by xenos or their blood. While they don't follow any rituals and aren't very savage or excessive in their violence, maybe they can be excessive in their desire to be clean, leading to them constantly cleaning and repainting their armour.

[Bloodfinger]

Thanks for all your comments, I’ve edited my original post to include these ideas which really fit well with what I was aiming for with my chapter. I’ve also renamed them, as I agree it didn’t sound quite right before. Scorpids is a bit of a Warcraft reference (sorry!) but I thought it sounded better than the Black Scorpions, which is too similar to the Red Scorpions.

 

Please keep the comments coming as this is still a work in progress and there’s always room for improvement.

[Chaplain Rourke The Fanged]

Seems pretty good. I am not sure on this but I think that the training cadre and the gene-seed generally come from the same chapter. Don't quote me on this.... especially when the Ultras are involved, they have so much gene-seed flying around I don't think the Ad-Mech even knows.

 

"Hey, who is this batch from?"

 

"I don't know it is another Ultramarine chapter"

 

"Let's just call it from the Doom Eagles"

 

"OK sounds good to me"

[PyronusSouria]

I personally prefer the Black Scorpions, there's plenty of Chapters with similar names, Blood and Dark Angels, for example.

 

Also, if they're going to be the Black something, shouldn't they be black? :P

[Chaplain Rourke The Fanged]

I was wondering that myself but I wasn't going to say anything. :P

EDIT: In reference to the color.

 

 

To reinforce the name part there is the Red Wolves who have absolutely no connection to the Space Wolves another being 2 SM chapters. So you can name them Black Scorpions if you'd prefer.

[Chapter Master Ignis Domus]

Where's the black? Anyways, on the marine painter, you just right-click the left side of the belt, body and neck. More later.

[Lysimachus]

To be fair the Red Scorpions aren't red, just their badge. Maybe theirs is black?

As a side point, if you're going with a split scheme, it works better if the colours have some symmetry, how about something like this:

[Bloodfinger]

The Black part of the name comes from the colour of the Scorpion symbol (and the decals I'm planning to use for them). It also sounds cooler than the Orange Scorpions :D

 

The Red Scorpions don't have any red in their colour scheme either, apart from their badge, so it's not unprecedented (as Strike Captain correctly pointed out 3 minutes before me! :) )

 

I've edited the image to show the colour scheme correctly; the idea of the non symmetrical split scheme is that the eye is drawn to the diagonal lines of the colours, which I think looks more dynamic than the vertical lines you see in a halved or quartered scheme.