Chapter Location and Founding Dates?

[D3athduo]

So, I want to make a chapter that has a geneseed off of the Dark Angels. I've fleshed out some very basic fluff, picked colors, painted and detailed my figs, and I am starting on the technical stuff. I want to know how I can pick a date of their creation and homeworld from the information from the internet (i'm new and have only a small army of about 20-30 Marines and a single Rhino, buying books around christmas)... any ideas? Everyone keeps saying here that your Chapter must fit into the game, so I was wondering how I could do that if GW has their lore so locked down that I can't find a world to place my Chapter, or a time recent enough in the timeline to place thier Founding? I want them to be based very recently, within about any time that would put them at a strength of a few companies at the moment, btw what is the current estimated "date" in WH40k? Thanks!

[Olis]

Firstly, the current date in 40k is late in the year 999.M41. Second, if you want a very new chapter from a recent founding I suggest you make them a 26th founding chapter. That is the latest founding. Don't worry about which planet you stick them on so long as it's not an already established planet - which means just name the planet whatever you want. So long as it is a fairly hostile world and the native humans live in hardship you're halfway there. :D

 

As to other information I suggest you talk to the older players you know or get a hold of alot of the background material. Failing that just ask around here. :huh:

[Beachymike123]

"Firstly, the current date in 40k is late in the year 999.M41. Second, if you want a very new chapter from a recent founding I suggest you make them a 26th founding chapter. That is the latest founding. Don't worry about which planet you stick them on so long as it's not an already established planet - which means just name the planet whatever you want. So long as it is a fairly hostile world and the native humans live in hardship you're halfway there.

 

As to other information I suggest you talk to the older players you know or get a hold of alot of the background material. Failing that just ask around here."

 

just about everything this guy said. the idea of the dark angels is they are jacks-of-all-trades so the loyalist part of the legion had no problems with adopting the codex astartes, just that the successor chapter would have to help in tracking down the fallen, as is the legacy of the sons of the lion. aside from this, feel free to invent your own DIY chapter man, after all, you paid for the models, but your imagination is the only limit in regards to details of your chapter's world and personality.

 

hope this helps, and good luck with the DIY chapter.

[Dremen]

Welcome to the Unforgiven brother.

 

Theres a common tendancy amongst the Unforgiven to be Crusading Chapters in our hunt for the Fallen. That said a Garrison on a world in the galactic north would Give Supreme Grand Master Azrael, who is the head of the Inner Circle, a force up there to help with the hunt. Regardless, pick a world, or a fleet, and any founding after the second and run with it. We hold no qualms about our Blood-Brothers. As long as the hunt continues and the Lions Wrath is dealt to the Fallen all is well. Lionus Eternus! Glory to the 4th, The Lion and the Emperor.

[Grimdarkness]

The advice so far sounds good. There is a great deal of debate wether the newer chapters of the dark angels gene line know of the fallen.

[Dremen]

I wasnt aware there was. All the higher members of the Chapters form the Circles withing Circles. Even the Dark Angels standard Brother doesnt know of the Fallen. Only once they earn the trust of the Chapter do they know about it. One assumes the same is true for the successors.

 

Scout- Nothing

Battle-Brother- Maybe some hinting but nothing official

Sgt- Could Guess but has next to no proof of anything

Veteran- Basic knowledge

Deathwing- almost full disclosure

Inner Circle (Masters, Chaplains, Libbys)- More details

Supreme Grand Master- Full disclosure

 

I assume that is the general breakdown of it. When you consider that the Unforgiven hold tighter bonds to one another than most its not unlikely that the new chapters follow the same ideology in regards to our hunt. Rumor has it (GW put this in) That Azrael created a Chapter to hunt Cypher, which is all but unheard of. The inner Circle knows of the Fall and, in turn, the Unforgiven inner circle (Chapter Masters and Azrael) know more. Its all in how they deal with it.

[Gaeus Marius]

I would also like to welcome you to the Unforgiven. As to the debate about the newer chapters hunting the Fallen, never heard of it. As far as I know, the most recent successor chapter founded was at the Dark Angel Grand Masters specific request. the Dark Angels gene seed is not commonly used, which is a mystery due to the fact that they are one of the most genetically pure chapters. That could help with some of your back story. I think a fleet based chapter would be cool too, but that is just my humble opinion.

[Beachymike123]

@gaeus marius, you have some fair points there brother. i used to play as dark angels back in the late 90s, early 00s, and the general census then was that the dark angels and all 2nd founding knew the vsame same as each other, but you are right in that later foundings are cloudy as to what they know. just so as you know dude, i mean no disrespect as i don't knowhow long you have played for or with what army, i am just saying this as dark angels are one of the first chapters i got into to get into the game.

tbh, dremen gets it right with the levels, although in each successor chapter this may vary. you could, in theory, have a small chapter that knows everything,or a later founded chapter with barely any knowledge at all.

[D3athduo]

Thanks for the advice guys, really helped. I ended up using a fleet as base (Fleet-based Chapter), and am currently trying to find some themes to use and trying to write their history from origins to current. Hard with little knowledge about the scope of things currently. Anyone have any info about current engagements w/Chaos Space Marines near Warp Storms? Thanks again. :lol:

[D3athduo]

Thanks for the advice guys, really helped. I ended up using a fleet as base (Fleet-based Chapter), and am currently trying to find some themes to use and trying to write their history from origins to current. Hard with little knowledge about the scope of things currently. Anyone have any info about current engagements w/Chaos Space Marines near Warp Storms? Thanks again. :)

 

Nevermind about that above, I've redone my chapter off of a new concept I came up with. I didn't mean to copy anything from the Black Templars, which I actually just recently learned of, and no, I didn't even realize I named the Chapter after the Starcraft unit (Dark Templar) until after I named them. ;) Thanks for the input, and I hope to read more soon.

 

Origins

The Dark Templars were created in the 41st Century on the 26th Founding (738.M41).They currently have a force that consists of ten companies and a Chapter Master (Arald Nrast). As well as a Forge and Librarium on ships in their home-fleet. The Dark Templars started unofficially as a small group of Ultramarines who didn't like the structure and organization of the Imperium, and constantly voiced opinions on the Emperor and Inquisitors. After a while, they began feeling fed up with the Ultramarine's spewing nonsense and oppressive condemnation, so they left, and created a Chapter of their own, which was ruled by their own rules.

 

Setting Foundations

After their founding, the Dark Templars starting recruiting heavily to get to full strength as quickly as possible. The veterans began training new recruits while Arald Nrast (The new chapter's Chapter Master) tried to get funds for a battle-fleet that they could use as a home base and mobile strike force, as well as permission from the Mechanicus to use vehicles created by them. After about seventy years, the fleet was complete and the training was done, leaving the Chapter with all ten companies and a full fleet of three battle barges, 10 cruisers, and 12 escorts with 20 Thunderhawk Gunships and a force of about 15 Dreadnoughts and over 25 tanks. As soon as possible, they set out to patrol the far reaches of the eastern sector, Segmentum Pacificus, their designated region.

 

Multiple Wars

After several years of conflict with neighboring organizations, alien forces, and the Imperium (Notably the Inquisition), the Chapter had a landmark fight with Imperial Guard forces. Already on pins and needles with politics due to their rebellious nature, the Dark Templars had to watch their step with anything related to conflict with other Imperium forces because they might have been excommunicated. On Rynn, a planet not far from their own homeworld called Vlonn (A civilized forest world), the Imperial Guard's 139th Rydovin Regiment (Another creation of mine for my brother) was handling an attack from an Ork war-fleet. They were doing quite well and holding as many towns and cities on the planet, but were still losing, especially in the fight in space, so they called for the nearest Chapter, which were the Dark Templars. They arrived shortly, got rid of the menacing fleet above orbit quickly to allow the Imperium to pull back from the planet, who were also calling for help on evacuating the planet. Arald Nrast, the Chapter's leader, argued that he could hold off the Ork hordes long enough for the Guard and civilians to escape without loss, but the 139th's leadership declined and wished to help in the fight. Both leaders began a huge fight over the matter, and eventually they got so busy arguing that they failed to realize that both their forces were being slaughtered due to their lack of orders and the standoff between the two groups. At the end of the conflict, both sides pulled out, while the 139th took to guarding the civilians themselves, at a cost of many lives.

 

Banishment

After returning to their post, the leader of the 139th Rydovin turned to the Amalathian section of the Inquisition and reported the actions of the space marine chapter on that day on Rynn. In response, the Inquisition sent an Inquisitor to the leader of the Dark Templars to question him about his motives. After being asked why the Chapter Master countered the Guard's ideas, he responded as such: “Because the Guard are a group of cowardly fools, as is the Inquisition.” Naturally, the Inquisitor didn't take that well, and asked the Chapter Master to revoke that comment, which he didn't, so the Inquisitor had the Chapter excommunicated shortly after, stating that they were corrupted by greed and impudence.

 

The Long Road Home

After their banishment, the Dark Templars packed up whatever they could, and took to the stars, traveling all the way to the edges of Imperium space, in Segmentum Tempestus, dangerously close to Hivefleet Leviathan. From there they began roaming the Imperium, battling forever the enemies of their 'enemy', getting by the Inquisition by stealth, deception, and bribery, earning supplies and armament through merchants, thieves, and stealing from enemy forces or injured allies. They sometimes claim to be allies to the Imperium when the situation permits, but otherwise don't bother arguing over the technicalities of renegade status.

 

Homeworld

The old homeworld of the Dark Templars was named Vlonn, and was a civilized world at the time that the Space Marines occupied it as a base. The people were being oppressed by the local animals, who had been subject to strange experiments in the colony's labs, and then they had broken free and began attacking the colony every month after that day. The Templars agreed to protect the people from these creatures as long as they supplied provisions, recruits, and information. When the Chapter left after gaining their status as renegades, the people began their usual cycle of protecting their homes from the monsters, adding another planet to the list of complaintants about the Imperium.

 

Combat Doctrine

The Dark Templars are mainly an infantry-based force that use the support of several vehicles. They use basic weaponry, since they can't gain access to more sophisticated gear, but manage to scrounge up decent special weapons occasionally. They have a large fleet of 3 Battle Barges, about 10 Cruisers, and a dozen escorts, with the Barges acting as HQs and mobile fortresses.

 

Organization

The leadership of the Dark Templars is similar to the Codex in that there is a Chapter Master, and chain of command is the same, but There is no chapel or other religious place, and such things are only available if made personally by the individual Templar.

 

Beliefs

The Dark Templars see the Emperor as a caged leader, protected from the Imperium by his Inquisition zealots who prey upon the Imperium and on possible alliances with foreign organizations. They hate the Inquisition for excommunicating their chapter because of stupid circumstances out of thier control (from thier perspective) and for persecuting the populace, and think indifferently of the Inquisitions' war against aliens, just that it's the space marines' job to fight them, not the politicians.

 

Geneseed

The Dark Templars' geneseed originates from the Ultramarines, when a group of like-minded idealists broke off of the main Chapter to found their own. The chapter cares greatly for their geneseed, which has had no mutations since inheritance.

 

Battle Cry

“Down with the Inquisition!” when fighting with Imperial forces, or “Together!”

[D3athduo]

Also, sorry Gaeus Marius about the confusion, lol. :P :D Anyway, the Ultramarines geneseed and organization fit my Chapter's origins and early history better. ^_^

[TrashMan]

A new chapter that openly challenges the inquisiton? They just "walk away" and get a battle fleet?

 

I'm a bit confused...

[English Assassin]

I'm afraid your ideas fit rather poorly within established background. Space Marines do not, as a rule, get in a strop and say "Screw you, I'm going to found my own chapter! Oh, and #### the Inquisition while we're at it." The closest workable approximation I can think of would be for the Ultramarines to have used the necessity of providing officers, specialists and instructors to a new foundation as an opportunity to rid themselves of mavericks and troublemakers within their own chapter. Even that's pushing the bounds of plausibility, however. It's also worth bearing in mind that subsequent to the second founding, chapters seem in the main to have been created ab initio from the Administratum's geneseed stocks, not as subdivisions of extant chapters - there are canonical exceptions, however, such as the Sons of Medusa, a (borderline heretical) splinter faction of the Iron Hands.

 

There's also something rather horribly Mary-Sue about 'nice Marines' who defy the Inquisition and aren't hidebound by the strictures of the codex. Flaws, as a rule, make fictional creations more interesting, not less.

[D3athduo]

I wasnt aware there was. All the higher members of the Chapters form the Circles withing Circles. Even the Dark Angels standard Brother doesnt know of the Fallen. Only once they earn the trust of the Chapter do they know about it. One assumes the same is true for the successors.

 

Scout- Nothing

Battle-Brother- Maybe some hinting but nothing official

Sgt- Could Guess but has next to no proof of anything

Veteran- Basic knowledge

Deathwing- almost full disclosure

Inner Circle (Masters, Chaplains, Libbys)- More details

Supreme Grand Master- Full disclosure

 

I assume that is the general breakdown of it. When you consider that the Unforgiven hold tighter bonds to one another than most its not unlikely that the new chapters follow the same ideology in regards to our hunt. Rumor has it (GW put this in) That Azrael created a Chapter to hunt Cypher, which is all but unheard of. The inner Circle knows of the Fall and, in turn, the Unforgiven inner circle (Chapter Masters and Azrael) know more. Its all in how they deal with it.

 

Here, this proves it:

"This betrayal has tainted their honour in the eyes of the Dark Angels themselves. Given that the event was purely within the Legion itself, and was on a world far from Terra, nobody outside of the Legion knows it occurred. Within the Chapters itself, only the elite veterans are permitted this knowledge - in the modern Dark Angels Chapter, only the Deathwing and senior officers know this secret. The Chapter leadership will go to great lengths to ensure that this knowledge does not reach the Imperium at large, even at times going so far as to disobey direct orders from Inquisitors and cause overly curious individuals to "disappear". "

 

-From Lexicanum: http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Dark_Angels.

 

Also, I have finished my older Chapter, and after about half a year of research (lol), I've decieded to stick with the Dark Angels. I made a Fleet-Based Chapter, which was Founded on the latest founding.

"They stem from a small squad of Dark Angels infantry space marines, who called themselves 'The Blue Rose' (Their squad name), in honor of thier fallen sergeant, who had died fighting orks planetside in a small skirmish, who's armor had a blue rose added to his shoulderpad. The squad was later reduced to five members, who were made veterans. Afterwards a few years, one of the five survivers, known as Lucas the Black (for his black armor, scarred by a large fire in the station he worked in on a ship), asked permission to create the Blue Rose Chapter, which would take a station against the ork threat at an outskirted homeworld he had found years earlier. After a good sixty or so years, the Chapter was completed and began actively patrolling the border of Imperium Space for alien threats. There they stay to this day, little word is ever heard unoficially of the Chapter, which typically stays away from the capital and politics besides for a trip to Mars regularly and monthly status reports." Im still working on the fluff to integrate it completely but the main idea is that they're a fleet-based chapter that has roots based in infantry tactics, monumental/historic/minor legacy (The name and origins), and im also still working on history for the missing years from the Founding to current date.

Thanks for the input guys, appreciate it, and hope for more ideas from you. Any tips for history or fluff? Is there a way I can keep it minimal without lacking a basic overview?

[Castiel]

Here's a list of approx. founding dates:

 

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/index.p...p;#entry1428549

 

Hope it helps!

[Iron Lord]

From Deathwatch: Rites of Battle, there's a list of key events which might coincide with a founding:

 

31st Millennium: Chapter claims to be 2nd founding

32nd Millennium: in the glorious Age of Rebirth

33rd Millennium: at the height of the time of the Beheading

34th Millennium: alongside the honoured dead during the Year of Ghosts

35th Millennium: just prior to the Howling

36th Millennium: at the time of the Ur-council of Nova Terra

37th Millennium: soon after the culmination of the Reign of Blood

38th Millennium: just prior to the Great Cull of 020.M37

39th Millennium: half a millennia after the defeat of the Apostle of the Blind King

40th Millennium: as the Imperium slips into the Time of Waning

41st Millennium: 26th and last founding (738.M41)

[NightrawenII]

Ahem, Liber Astartes forum anyone?!?