IA: The Sons of Colombo

[A_POINTED_STICK]

One Part Manifest Destiny, One Part Zealous Crusader, Two Parts Ridiculous Accent, and an Almost Fanatical Devotion to the Ecclesiarch. Yes, this may be my best idea yet.

From their base on their Battle Barge The Fortress of Tranquility, the twelve companies (or Banderas) of the Chapter are led by their Capitan and a pair of Chaplains on loan from the 13th Bandera, an unusual formation entirely consisting of chaplains and those in training for the position. This was born of an incestuous relationship between the Chapter and the Ecclesiarchy. The Sons of Colombo receive large "gifts" from the Ecclesiarchy in exchange for their zealous defense of Cardinal and Shrineworlds. Their organization consists of a roughly standard ten company chapter (with the scout company being made up of full battle brothers) and two specialized companies consisting entirely of Sergeants at Arms who are dispersed among Imperial Forces as Liaisons and Commanders (Tyrants Legion Options) or lead the chapter serfs and neophytes. Finally the 13th company is a formation of chaplains and their retinues who sometimes make use of artificer armor incorporating force field generators at the cost of mobility (Legion of the Damned units) or operate as an Attack Company specializing in brutal assaults (Death Company.)

So Essentially:

HQ

1 Veteran Company --> Senior Marines who carry out hard hitting operations.

4 Attack Companies --> Four Experienced Companies who do most of the fighting.

4 Reserve Companies --> Receive the New Marines from Training Companies.

1 Scout Company --> Senior Marines who act as Guerrillas to aid the the Veteran Company.

2 Training Companies --> Operate as Training Cadres for Recruits and attached Imperial Forces

1 Reclusiam Company --> Operate as a Hard Hitting Force as well as Clerics preaching faith to Imperial Troops and operating Mission-Abbeys on various recruiting worlds.

I was going more for Columbus/ Columbia rather than Columbo the detective. However it's just silly enough to work. Maybe I'll have Inquisitor Pieter Faulkner of the Ordo Hereticus attached to the chapter to do due diligence keeping track of the relationship between the Ecclesiarchy and the Chapter. After all, the Hereticus watches the church for Heresy, so if they get on "too well" with the Sons of Colombo perhaps they need to be watched.

[Donkey Kong]

I feel so ... underwhelmed.

[Ring-around-the-roses]

er, we kinda need..more. Look up the guide to DIY'ing IA's, can't find the link right now, someone help!

[vipertaja]

I admit that the first thing I thought of was a trenchcoat and a glass eye. :(

 

Anyway, if this will be a serious attempt at a DIY chapter I can see how it could turn out interesting.

As pointed out though, this needs a tad bit more. ;)

[Lysimachus]

You have to include a sidebar with a scruffy Inquisitor asking 'just one more question'!

 

 

Seriously though, it sounds like an idea with some potential. Needs some work on the colour scheme though, even if just a different colour for the soft armour?

[A_POINTED_STICK]

Sorry there was something wrong when I first put it up and I double posted and I guess I lost some or something. That's why there wasn't much of anything really. And there isn't soft armor, it's more like Lorica Manica, tons of little plates that overlap. I put up some quick notes.

 

It's not meant to be a finished IA. Am I not supposed to put IA in the title until it's more shaped up? I'm familiar with how they go, I'm just not there yet.

[vipertaja]

Ah, that's better. ;)

 

I like it. I think it's an awesome concept.

 

I assume that either the chaplain company doesn't itself go to war (a company full of chaplains is too overpowered)

or only some of them are actual fullblown chaplains? Making the rest essentially just zealous marines? I think that would be cool and workable.

 

As for the company structure, keep in mind the ~1000 marine limit for a chapter.

You could still have the 13 companies I guess, just smaller ones.

(only a couple of exceptions exist in official background and I don't think a DIY chapter should have more than 1000)

[A_POINTED_STICK]

Yeah I'm thinking 80 man companies work. 40 Tactical Marines, 20 Assault Marines, 20 Devastator Marines. Mirrorred by the Reserve Companies being 2x80 Tacticals, 80 Assault, and 80 Devastators.

 

They're not all Chaplains. But the chapter has more than 40 chaplains. 2 per company (24) plus 15 in the 13 company: 8 Sergeants and a Command Squad of all Chaplains led by the High Chaplain. So that's 39 in the regular chapter and several more overseeing their Abbey system directly. The Marines of the 13th company (entirely dressed in black) are veterans covered in bones and blood and hellfire. Basically a mix of Legion of the Damned (which I'm sure will be switched to Finecast eventually so I can cut them up) and Death Company guys for maximum carnage.

 

Command Squads will have white helms but the first company vets will be in all white (if only so the Terminators look like Astronauts but in universe for purity) Otherwise I'm shooting on pretty orthodox Codex Markings.

[vipertaja]

One thing I'm rather interested in is if you'll tie in the Conquistador theme somehow visually, through armour or the chapter symbol. In particular I think the Conquistador helmet or something similar could be worked into a character (or several) or the iconography of the chapter?

[Ring-around-the-roses]

How about as a theme. They land, kill everyone, take their resources then leave them to haemoraghe out(metaphorically, and sorry about the bad spelling)

[A_POINTED_STICK]

I was thinking it could be more of a taste thing with Spanish names and such. I might take some Spanish folklore stuff for the characters. I'm thinking of a Don Quixote character. I'm sure I'd do some high gorgets. The majority of Marine Helmets already have a Comb on them so I'm not sure I'd need to emphasize that too much. I'm kind of tempted to base them on the Space Wolves and give them Mounted Units and Warhounds. Massive Bear sized Mastiffs, some with armor (Cyberwolves) are actually a noted terror weapon of the Spanish Conquistadors, and the idea of megafauna horses the size of a Megatherium or elephant would be awesome and make a lot more sense than riding giant wolves...

 

Their Symbol I think will be a Ship. However it will be a small black Inversed Omega with a White Square sail as a stylized Carrack. Companies would be marked by the color of the sail.

 

And yes Ring Around the Roses, they'd basically be fire and brimstone types who appear from the heavens, blow resistance to pieces and pillage the crap out of the "enemy" under the Letters of Marque of the Ecclesiarchy and Inquisition. They basically show up and demand port and supply and if they are refused they shell them until they stop refusing.

[A_POINTED_STICK]

In the style of Rites of Battle:

 

Name: Sons of Colombo

Founded: 37th millennium (22nd Founding)

Reason for Founding: Putting down a rebellion of Heretics still loyal to Goge Vandire in the Valladolith Sector.

 

Progenitor: Ultramarines (Howling Griffons)

Gene-Stock: Pure

Codex Demeanor: Ambiguous

Chapter Characteristic: Zealous Crusaders

 

Figure of Legend: A previous High Chaplain

Deed of Legend (relates to Figure): Rose from the dead and single handed slew several Chaos Space Marines who sought to defile his body. When his brethren fought their way to him his armor was empty, taken directly to the Emperor.

 

Home World: Maintains a Mission-Abbey in several systems of the Valladolith Sector. Namely Goam, Kyush, Alleph, Lizstom, Ynqa, Narbon, Valenz, and Vesigo. (Goa, Kyushu, Allepo, Lisbon, Inca, Narbonne, Valencia, and Visigothia)

Home World Terrain: Generally Earth Like; but the land on Kyush is mostly cold and mountainous and Alleph is very dry but not exactly a desert world by any means.

 

Relationship with Home World: Worlds are left feudal. However the Chapter directly sows the seeds of war through it's control of the Imperial Cult on those worlds. This makes the worlds good sources of recruits.

 

Codex Organization: Divergent

Beliefs: The Emperor is God made flesh, the Primarchs were flesh of his flesh and blood of his blood, and the Marines are the flesh of their flesh and the blood of their blood. The Chapter hold all the Primarchs to be holy and consider the fallen Primarchs to have been part of his plan, however mysterious it may be. They do not shirk in their duty to destroy the fallen, nor do they expect the enemy to repent or give them quarter. Chaos is strong, they recognize as much, but they do not fear Chaos, and they do not fear death. They believe life is a test of devotion and in the manner of their death the Emperor will judge them. They also believe the Fallen will be redeemed of their sins in the afterlife and that they are already in Hell (the warp) now. However they believe in granting their foes an honorable death. They do so with joy, for in doing so they liberate their brothers of their affliction. There is no redemption by the Emperor for the Xenos though, they have their own heathen Gods and the Sons of Colombo will gladly send them to them. The Galaxy belongs to the Emperor.

 

Special Equipment: Ferocious Mastiffs the size of grizzly bears and Carnivorous Warhorses (rarely used in battle but every marine has a horse and hound and numerous servants. )

 

Chapter Status: Full Strength due to recruiting on 8 worlds.

Chapter Friends: Ecclesiarchy

Chapter Enemies: Alpha Legion and Word Bearers

[vipertaja]

I can never remember the post heresy timeframe very well, but I like that you bring up a faction still loyal to Vandire.

Fun stuff.

 

I also kind of like that each marine has a horse and a "doggie" (and of course the servants but that's pretty standard).

A nice bit of extra background there.

[A_POINTED_STICK]

Well the companies spend their down time competing in jousting, falconry, dueling with sword and pistol, wrestling (eye gouging is a fan favorite), and hunting. They regularly duel each other with pistols to first blood which is unthinkable to regular humans but for a space marine it's a rather painful but non life threatening thing. They test each other's nerve provoking each other. The winner had the better shot, the closer to a "kill shot" without a fatality. Although fatalities are rare since it's not that severe of a wound and their apothecaries are on hand as judges. There is an argument as to whether shooting first or second is the more noble thing to do. Taking a shot before firing is considered manly and conservative but there's a cavalier thing about being quick on the draw and accurate. The Sons of Colombo shoot first and don't ask questions, so either way it's a fair thing to do. It's how they settle arguments over things. Often entire tournaments are arranged to settle disputes or trivial insults and the entire company will take sides and they'll be fighting among each other for weeks or months. Some feuds have gone on for years, even decades. Sometimes it's reached open warfare and the Chaplains have to sort them out, as their Commandant and Capitans actually encourage it.

 

They're sort of like Space Wolves only instead of being viking stereotypes they're a mix of hot headed Spaniards and Southern Genteel Americans. They're a rather tough lot. I imagine them looking like a crossbreed between Jesse Ventura and Danny Trejo but meaner and actually killing the crap out of the Predators because he's bigger, stronger, and six times more insane.