Dire Drakes and Warp Phantoms

[The Shiny One]

Edit:

 

Hello again,

 

for better overview I posted the IT, I am working on in the OP.

 

Index Traitoris: The Warp Phantoms - Disclosing a Mysterium

Only little is known to Imperium about the mysterious Space Marines called Warp Phantoms. This is the story of there Origin as the philanthropic and brave Dire Drakes and there transformation in daemonic entities of the warp.

 

Origin

 

Around the 13th founding the High Lords of Terra decided that it was time for the mighty Salamanders to train a new vulkanian chapter called the Dire Drakes.

The training of the new Chapter went on without any complications and after only a century the Dire Drakes where able to begin there task of protecting the colonies of the Imperium in the northern fringe of the Ultima Segmentum.

After defeating innumerable Xeno traits without a challenge, they had there first encounter with a merciless Eldar Craftship, which lead to there first retreat. this lead Chapter Master Vek'tur Pyrok to the decision,that it was time for the Dire Drakes to settle on a Homeworld to secure there survival and a steady supply of gear and worthy recruits.

Shortly after, the fifth company discovered a Planet called Khalantar. A Deathworld ruled by a more primitive kind of Eldar, which had enslaved early human settlers century ago to work in there mines of exotic minerals. The brutal cleansing of the vicious Eldar was more than satisfying to overcome the dishonor that laid upon the Chapter. The freed humans slaves were perfect candidates for recruitment because only the strongest and resolute had survived over the centuries of hard physical labor and rearing of the Eldar. Futher the megadons, the big reptile animals of the primitive Eldar, reminded Vek'tur of the beast, he defeated before becoming a Firedrake. So Khalantar seemed perfect as a Homeworld for the Dire Drakes and the chapter started immediately constructing there Fortress Monastery in the middle of the main continent. Further they started teaching the people of Khalantar of the great Emperor and the arts of metalworking in form of the Promethean Cult. They even started to build machines that would help mine the minerals in a more civilized way.

 

Fall

 

Over the next centuries Khalantar grow to be the centre of its Sector and the Dire Drakes engaged in numerous battles and campaign and proved themselves worthy. Though the new recruits from Khalantar seemed to react not as good to the vulkanian Geneseed the Apothecaries hoped. There skin seemed to get more darker and harder over time and looked more like the scales of the megadons than that of a human. Nevertheless this Marines were more promising than any other recruits the chapter had before they settled on Khalantar and there was no apparent taint in there Geneseed. Therefore the Chapter Council decided not to victimize them, but swore to find a cure for there brothers. Being on the fringe of the Imperium the eyes of the Inquisition were not able to spot this heresy right on. Nonetheless the Dire Drakes know that they were on shaky grounds and decided to mask themselves to hide ones with mutated skin to prevent unnecessary investigations in the future. While the Techmarines were crafting masks for every one of the thousand brothers, the apothecary and the librarians started investigation in the geneseed and planets history. Unfortunately it was harder to find a cure than they thought and the research took more and more time and focus from the chapter and the answered fewer and fewer calls from the Imperium. They even started researching with forbidden technologies and alien artefacts.

Finally after there inactivity grew so much suspicion that the inquisition had to intervene. When Inquisitor Leonardt van Stharck arrived at the Fortress Monastery on Khalantar, the Dire Drakes welcomed him with open arms, because they didn't felt they didn't done much wrong. Though van Stharck was one of the puritan inquisitors in his sector and was not deranged by the masks. After he left the Dire Drakes on seemingly good terms, he convinced the Inquisitorial Council to excommunicate the Dire Drakes. So when the Grey Knights attacked Khalantar, the Dire Drakes were caught by surprise. Unable to save the people of Khalantar from the wraith of the mighty Grey Knights the Chapter Council decided to honor the peoples of Khalantar by surviving, instead of just falling onto the nemesis swords of there opponents. Though the mightiest of the Chapters elite the First Company and most of the higher officers stayed and fought of the Grey Knights to by there Battle Brothers the time they needed to board the fleet. Before they could start there warp engines most of the fleet got struck by torpedos and the cruisers started to crash into each other. Fortunately the warp engines had all ready started and the damaged fleet disappears into the warp and was never seen again.

In the warp jump the fleet merged into one big space hulk. The few Dire Drakes that survived this event had to reclaim to there basic teachings of self-sufficiency and what they discovered researching the forbidden technologies. Its not clear what kind of dealings they made with the inhabitants of the warp to survive over the 5000 years trapped on there Space Hulk, but it definitely changed there character and nature. There is now nothing left of the kind and noble Space Marines they once were.

 

 

Homeworld

 

Before the Rise of Slaanesh an enclave of Eldar chooce Khalantar as there exile because it lay in a far away and quite place of the universe and had a great world spirit.

But over the millennia even this remote sector got invaded by countless traits. The most persistent of this seemed to be the humans. To make the best use of this constant flow of invaders, the Exodites started to enslave them. During the Horus Heresy the interest of the Imperium in this sector decayed but the slaves stayed.

The planet itself is mostly covered with forests and plains. Almost all of the planets water is found in the air and under the surface Khalantar bears an almost endless supply of minerals.

The Space Hulk the Warp Phantoms are now calling there home is a dreadful place, but its the only thing that has a sentimental value for the Warp Phantoms after they swore of the Imperium. It is populated not only by the Phantoms but also by different kind of lesser warp creatures and demons. As the Space Hulk is drifting randomly through warp and real space, which shortens the time the Phantoms have for there missions to find a way to control the Space Hulk itself.

 

Combat Doctrine

 

In there early years the Dire Drakes trained in every kind of combat and choose the right tactic for the right circumstances. There only really focus lay in there urge to be more self-sufficient an independent and every Battle Brother was responsible for his equipment.

Now over the millennia the Warp Phantoms had to adept to there circumstances and have perfected there shock attack guerilla warfare. With no supply of tanks and shuttles the Warp Phantoms are pure infantry force. To overcome these deficits they reached into some of the darkest technology and magic the warp has to offer, which made them more self-sufficient, than what they ever could have dreamed of. They even seem to have mastered a way of teleportation, seemlier to the Grey Knight or the Eldar Warp Spiders. If severely wounded they just disappear and its almost impossible to find remains after a fight, because the other Phantoms will try to gather every last bit of a fallen brother. Its not unusual that lesser warp creatures appear together with them, creating disorder and chaos.

 

Organisation

 

Before there fall, the Dire Drakes where a rather codex adherent Chapter. They had the official ten companies structure, not the seven the Salamanders use. However like there parent Chapter they adopted the Promethean Cult, and even brought it to Khalantar and since they settle there Marines, who wanted to join the 1st Company, had to slay a megadon without any weapons, just like the Firedrake do on Nocturne.

About the organisation structure of the Warp Phantoms is almost nothing known. In battle they seem rather self-sufficient and almost acting without a commander of some sort but are somehow able to time there strikes precisely nonetheless.

 

Beliefs

 

The Dire Drakes were not the most zealous Space Marine Chapter but instead one of the more humanitarian. They never took the easy way out by just executing whole planets but tried to save as many people as possible not regarding there own casualties.

The Warp Phantoms on the other side seem only interested in themselves and there survival. They seem more like beast on a hunt than like people with a sense of honor now. And until today no imperial agent was able to decipher why and where they attack. They only discovered that even other traitor marines are save from there mayham.

 

Geneseed

 

The Dire Drakes share the Geneseed of the great Vulkan. Seemliar to the Salamanders there Geneseed seems to react with there planet and there skin seems to transform into dark scales. An other theory among the Librarians of the Dire Drakes was, that the Eldar had perhaps reared something into there slaves to make them more durable.

After there disappearance it is not know how far the mutations went on, but it seems like the Warp Phantoms fused with there Armor and Weapons replacing there skin all together.

 

Battle Cry

 

The Dire Drakes just shouted: "For mankind and the Emperor"

Now when the Warp Phantoms appear, there is just a strange silence surrounding them, that seems to suck all noise out of there environment. Only interrupted by the explosions of their strange weapons.

 

 

 

Old entry:

 

Hello B&C,

 

I think I finally got a good idea, for a chaos warband, that I like to develop: The Warp Phantoms. And now I want to hear what other people think of it?

 

My goal here is to have a small but capable Chapter of silent (perhaps telepathic), teleporting space marines in colorful shifting metal armor, build in energy weapons and whit a great urge for power trough technology and sorcery.

So you can imagine them as thousand sons without all the egyptian stuff mixed with a little bit of Eldar Harlequins, the Obliterator Virus and Necronlike Combat Style. Tzeentch seems like a god chaos god for them with all the magic and change stuff, but I think perhaps the Dark Mechanicus road could work too.

 

And here you can now read, what I have so far:

 

Origin:

- 13th founding, or earlier. (I quite like the Dark Founding-mystery-side of it, but in the end it doesn't matter that much...)

 

Homeworld:

As Dire Drakes

- Death World

- previously inhabited by some Eldar Exodites. Purged by the Dire Drakes in one of there first tasks as a full grown chapter

- Fortress Monastery is build an ancient ground > webway portal, necron tombworld structures (perhaps there was a Eldar-Necron-war on the planet or something)

- Store/collect Artifacts of all kind of previous civilizations in there fortress

- Recruting from human feral tribes, who lived there peacefully with the Exodites

- Test recruits in forest agains Exodite creatures

As Warp Phantoms:

- Space Hulk out of there warped fleet

 

Combat Doctrine:

As Dire Drakes

- close range (Bolter/Flamer/Melter)

As Warp Phantoms

- rely on there superior warptech weapons

- heavy use of teleportation

- hit and run

 

Organisation:

As Dire Drakes

- pretty codex like

- each Marine is responsible for his gear

- Techmarines not that much involved with the Adeptus Mechanicus

As Warp Phantoms

- Anarchic structure, no leaders, transcendent to higher form of being > collective/brotherhood over individuals

 

Beliefs:

As Dire Drake

- want to improve themselves, hide/correct there physical failure

- strive to be better/mightier space marines then every one else

As Warp Phantoms

- there goal is to eliminate the borders between magic and technology, warp and real space.

- Don't pray to chaos but encourage the use of it

- Don't hesitate to kill innocent to power weapons/engines etc.

- hate pretty much every one for there stupid beliefs, imperium and primitive chaos worshippers alike.

 

Geneseed:

- Salamanders

- mutation: scalelike skin

- they wear white masks to hide there appearances

 

Fall:

- new recruits from the Exodite world start to have more and more mutated skin, but otherwise seem very powerful warriors

- chapter start isolating themselves because of there mutation

- every Marines (even the ones without mutation) start very a mask, so no outsider discovers there secret

- the librarians and Techmarines start research in unauthoriesed rituals, sciences, magic and technology

- borders/guidelines of the Imperium seem more and more random with growing knowledge

- fewer and fewer activity to help the Imperium

- after investigation the Inquisitors sends Grey Knight to purge them

- 1st Company and HQ sacrifices itself, so Battle Companies can flee into warp

- the remaining fleet forms over time into one space hulk

- they have now more powerful weapons and mastered teleportation and warp travel.

 

 

I know it comes of as a little bit all to powerful, but I guess it fits the hole Elite of the Elite theme the hole 40k universe is going through right know...

 

Please let me know what you think of it, and any suggestions are welcome!

[Shinzaren]

My goal here is to have a small but capable Chapter of silent (perhaps telepathic), teleporting space marines in colorful shifting metal armor, build in energy weapons and whit a great urge for power trough technology and sorcery.

This entire sentence reads as M.I.S.S. (Me? I'm. So. Super.) They are telepaths, they can teleport, they have built in energy weapons, and they have high technology. Any one of these would be a bit on the powerful side, added all up it is far and away M.I.S.S. As DAT(Dark Apostle Thirst) can attest, teleporting marines will run into a LOT of problems. Not to mention built in energy weapon. (Seems a bit Protoss to me, SC&SCII anyone?)

 

Homeworld:

As Dire Drakes

- Death World

- previously inhabited by some Eldar Exodites. Purged by the Dire Drakes in one of there first tasks as a full grown chapter

- Fortress Monastery is build an ancient ground > webway portal, necron tombworld structures (perhaps there was a Eldar-Necron-war on the planet or something)

Why build your fortress on a tainted Xenos site?

 

- Store/collect Artifacts of all kind of previous civilizations in there fortress

Heresy!

 

- Recruting from human feral tribes, who lived there peacefully with the Exodites

Heresy! Not to mention that the Eldar view everyone that isn't Eldar as a lesser being. They could co-exist, but the Eldar would see it as a Master/Slave relationship, or a Man/Animal relationship. Either way, heresy for not wiping them out at first glance.

 

- Test recruits in forest agains Exodite creatures

As Warp Phantoms:

- Space Hulk out of there warped fleet

? They have a Space Hulk? How do they guide it?

 

Combat Doctrine:

As Dire Drakes

- close range (Bolter/Flamer/Melter)

As Warp Phantoms

- rely on there superior warptech weapons

- heavy use of teleportation

- hit and run

What is Warptech? I am guessing it is high technology, warped by Chaos, but what is it exactly? Teleportation is dangerous in the extreme, even for traitors and Chaos agents.

 

Organisation:

As Dire Drakes

- pretty codex like

- each Marine is responsible for his gear

- Techmarines not that much involved with the Adeptus Mechanicus

As Warp Phantoms

- Anarchic structure, no leaders, transcendent to higher form of being > collective/brotherhood over individuals

Who holds the egos and collective will to be the best in line? What do you mean by transcended to a higher form? Who is in charge? How do they determine where to go and what to kill?

 

Beliefs:

As Dire Drake

- want to improve themselves, hide/correct there physical failure

- strive to be better/mightier space marines then every one else

As Warp Phantoms

- there goal is to eliminate the borders between magic and technology, warp and real space.

- Don't pray to chaos but encourage the use of it

- Don't hesitate to kill innocent to power weapons/engines etc.

- hate pretty much every one for there stupid beliefs, imperium and primitive chaos worshippers alike.

I like this bit. Want to see more on that.

 

Fall:

- new recruits from the Exodite world start to have more and more mutated skin, but otherwise seem very powerful warriors

Why? How are they powerful?

 

- chapter start isolating themselves because of there mutation

- every Marines (even the ones without mutation) start very a mask, so no outsider discovers there secret

Don't people start to get suspicious?

 

- the librarians and Techmarines start research in unauthoriesed rituals, sciences, magic and technology

- borders/guidelines of the Imperium seem more and more random with growing knowledge

- fewer and fewer activity to help the Imperium

Good. I like this.

 

- after investigation the Inquisitors sends Grey Knight to purge them

- 1st Company and HQ sacrifices itself, so Battle Companies can flee into warp

- the remaining fleet forms over time into one space hulk

- they have now more powerful weapons and mastered teleportation and warp travel.

The rest is good and cool. I like the Space Hulk formed the fleet. The bolded portion just screams M.I.S.S. to me. Seems pointlessly overpowered without a drawback.

 

 

I know it comes of as a little bit all to powerful, but I guess it fits the hole Elite of the Elite theme the hole 40k universe is going through right know...

Eh, as DIY go, we haven't exactly hit on that trend yet. The ideas are all very workable, but I suggest a downside to balance the overwhelming "Our tech and power is better than yours" thing. Perhaps the reliance on tech and their weaponry means they are actually less skilled than others. With their weapons and tech they are amazing, but if they get caught without them, they lack a strategic mindset or any skill in close combat. They seem crazy awesome at first, then when you look closer you realize they rely on tech so much that they are much much weaker without it. That, or some other drawback, as right now it reads as being crazy OP.

 

Please let me know what you think of it, and any suggestions are welcome!

Done and done :D

[The Shiny One]

@Shinzaren:

 

Thank you for your thoughts, and I am glad that you liked some parts of it. And i like your suggestion about making them weaker and depending on there technology.

 

I guess the hole M.I.S.S. situation evolved, because I like them to be like the Legion of the Damned (forgot to mention them in the OP), but with my own esthetics and not just fire and bones.

 

Your points about the eldar and xeno site will be considered. There were just ideas and in the end not that importend to the feel of the chapter.

 

 

 

So considering your points I will try to outline the core story elements:

 

- Quite normal Salamanders Successor frees Exodite Slaves.

- Make this planet there Homeworld.

- Geneseed mutates, but only on surface (only harder skin, so no real handicap other than looks)

- Perhaps out of humanitarian reasons they dont kill the mutated ones, but want to cure them.

- Shame > Research > Heresy

- Excommunication, 1st Company sacrifices itself, Battle Companies flee into warp.

- Fleet transforms into space hulk (perhaps they have no control where it goes, drifting trough space)

- With no ressources, they have to tap more and more into dark mechanicus, and chaos deals etc.

=> so now they are depending on technology/magic, to compensate there weaknesses (no Armory/Fleet and perhaps not that skilled in CC) and technology/knowledge becomes there hole purpose of being.

[The Shiny One]

Here are some visuelle aids for you (in a little desperate attempt to get some more comments ^_^ ).

This is how I imagine the original Dire Drakes, I really like the Deathwatch armor style, so i ripped of the metal arm. The white on the lower right arm is the DDs place for there squad and company markings.

This is the design for the transition part: they just changed the helmets to white masks, kind of like the Blood Angels Sanguinary Guard Deathmasks without the crown/halo element. Unfortunatly my photoshop skills aren't good enough to edit it that way, so you have to use your imagination!

And this is there final version now in the 41st millenium. There armor is all soft metal, but has a glowing, shifting, colorful shine to it. (This is unfortunately the best way i could create it). And instead of Spikes and such decore, they just removed all symbols but kept there white Masks to symbolize there fate and therefor call themselves the Warp Phantoms.

I also worked a little more on the fluff:

I would like them to start as a humanitarian chapter with good crafting skills (quite like the Salamanders themselves). They save some human tribes from Eldar suppressors and make this planet (Valdokat?) there homeworld. Unfortunately there geneseed reacts strange with new recruits/homeworld (makes them more dragonlike). So they want to find a cure, which drives them out of the imperial grace, there dependes on dark technology grows more and more, and in the end, its becomes all that is left for them and there only reason of existence.

So the Story tells a shift from humanitarian to selfishness, but also from serious to fun, and close minded (loyal) to open for new things (chaos). Its basically, how I imagine Salamanders turning bad.

Do you have any ideas for a good origin story? Should I keep it simple7short? Make the Salamanders there Training Cadre? Or invent a new one?

And what do you guys think of the following? Is it possible that the humans on the Exodite World worked there in mineral mines for the eldar? I dont know if Exodite Eldar would take slaves for mining?

[The Shiny One]

As the IT stands now (I edited the first post), I based the Dire Drakes on a dragonlike mutation. Though after reading the the wikipedia entry about salamanders, I am more drown to a amphibious one, like transparent skin that could fuse with there armor or something like that.

 

And after finishing the IT this way, I am not sure if the focus lies to much on the Dire Drakes and not so much an the Warp Phantoms. On the other side keeping the Warp Phantoms mysterious appeals to me very much.

 

The next thing I am unsure about the article, is the hole transformation from humanisme to selfishness. By using the Iron Hands Geneseed, I could instead make the transformation more about the restrictions on technology and ideology.

 

So now I need some input and help from you out there, to decide in what direction I should go! And of course to bring them in line with the universe, I am sure I made some mistakes!

 

Thank you for reading!!!