IA: Aurochs Chapter

[Andrew J]

The most up to date version below. Thoughts and Ideas wanted. I added some more to the New Order section based on ideas from destecado. Also moved some things around and Changed fortress monastery to Islands in the Sky.

 

Let me know what you think!

 

C&C Welcome

 

Aurochs Chapter

 

Origins:

 

At the beginning of M33 after the 3rd Black Crusade of Abaddon the High Lords of Terra decreed another founding in order to bolster the Imperium’s defenses from such tragedies. This founding was to be known as the 7th founding. Among the many chapters to be born during such a period of conflict, the Aurochs Chapter was established from the noble Gene-seed of the Ultramarines to defend the northern region of the Ultima Segmentum from any future advances of Chaos from the Eye of Terror. Captain Eos of the White Consuls was given the honor to lead the Chapter to greatness and sought out a world that would be suitable for recruitment. He was given Achaea by the High Lords of Terra, which had only recently been brought into the Imperial fold after millennia of war and isolation. The planet had devolved into a feral society during the Age of Strife with little in the way of technology, warriors fighting with swords and shields.

 

First Chapter Master Eos named his newly founded chapter after the aggressive and dangerous auroch that roams the islands of Achaea. Eos was impressed by the ferocity of its attacks which are unparalleled in violence and intensity among any creature of Achaea. The animal is respected by the citizens of Achaea as both a source of food and a creature of sport. A male auroch is a fierce beast whose razor tusks and sharp horns can easily kill a man.

 

Leaders of Achaea:

 

Viewing the world from orbit reveals a world covered by water dotted with clusters of mountainous islands. The climate is varied, cold at the poles and warm around the equator. These islands are home to city-states that constantly fight each other for resources. The city states are advanced enough to have metal making skills and use weapons like swords and shields. The constant struggle to survive was an ideal composition from which to recruit as Achaeans are devoted and skilled warriors who hone their skills from an early age.

 

The Aurochs, upon claiming the world as their own, went about shaping the world to their needs. A strong belief in the Emperor and the Imperium was instituted. The wars that raged constantly were seen as favorable to the Aurochs and slowly the chapter started to meddle in the affairs of its people. The Aurochs spread various small fortress-chapels scattered among the islands to interact with local Achaeans. They are centered among the largest cities and Achaeans from all the islands were brought to the chapels for recruiting. A large network of government is run from these chapels that work in the everyday lives of the people. Chapter serfs and personal equerries of the highest commanders run this civilian government for the chapter with input from retired and heavily wounded veterans of the chapter.

 

The Aurochs Chapter has not allowed the population to advance technically from their warrior roots, as they cultivate the rich warrior traditions that have been a part of the culture for millennia. Achaeans look up to the Aurochs as near gods, with their advanced technology and ability to fly among the stars. The chapter looks to encourage this view at all times. This level of control extends from the dark period of the chapters early years, when it was essential that the chapter intervene in the lives of its citizens. It was during this time that an unspeakable betrayal was made that has shaped the chapter to what it is today.

 

Trial of Purity:

During this time the Aurochs followed their leaders unquestioningly. This was seen as an admirable trait by most Astartes as orders were followed unflinchingly and in the heat of battle their great leaders were able to turn the pitch of battle in their favor with daring commands. One of the first recruiting classes had a remarkable psyker by the name of Nesoi who went on to become a powerful Librarian in the chapter. Nesoi was one such leader and had led the Aurochs to victory in some of their most notable battles with the traitor legions often using his psychic powers to wipe whole squads from the battlefield. In the end that would be his undoing.

 

Nesoi fell to the false promises of Chaos and led many of his brothers into the traitorous legion of a powerful Sorcerer, who perverted his love for his dying brothers into accepting a pact to save them. It was the ultimate twist of irony that in order to save the brothers of his company he had to fall to Chaos. Not all of the Aurochs fell to his influence, a few squads led by Captain Comus managed to escape the fate of their brothers and report back to the Chapter. Nothing is known of what happened to Nesoi and his traitorous brothers.

 

Once Comus returned he reported to Chapter Master Eos the events that had unfolded. Eos went to his chambers to meditate and decide what to do with the survivors. Many days later he emerged and assembled the remaining Aurochs from that fateful mission.

 

The survivors were to go on a penitent crusade. They would die in the service to the Emperor or not return. Psykers would never be allowed in the chapter again and Chaplains were to be ever more vigilant to maintain the purity of mind required. He gave Chaplains ultimate authority to dispatch any hint of psychic taint associated with the warp. He decreed that the days of blind obedience were over and brothers must demand personal accountability from each other and watch over one another lest another incident occur.

 

Achaeans were to suffer the most. Eos decreed the “Trial of Purity” to root out any mutant traits in the population. Any detection was condemned to death. An emphasis was placed on lineage. If one family member was found with a mutant trait the entire family was executed to preserve only the most pure of heart and mind. Some Achaeans rebelled at this new law and the Aurochs crushed them, slaughtering them all in what is now know as the Massacre of Patras Square.

 

The New Order:

 

The Aurochs set up a system of government in which they were the unquestioned rulers. They expanded the chapels to serve as government centers for the people and set about culling the weak and tainted from the population. Thousands of Achaeans were removed from the cities and sent to farm the land. The reasons for this were twofold. First, the cities were seen as corrupt breeding grounds for mutants and had to be purified of the taint of mutation. Secondly, the Aurochs believed that a simple life of subsistence farming led to less temptation from the warp as most of the mutation seemed to center around large groups of people. Finally, Achaeans were to regularly send their children to be put through the “Trial of Purity” at the fortress-chapels to ensure that the family lineage is not corrupted in any way and will ensure the highest rate of success for future children to become recruits as the lineage will not be corrupted.

 

Among the many laws that were enacted in this period, the Aurochs sought to instill some order in the ways of war. The days of barbarism and self rule were over. Eos published many works during this time his grandest being the “Rule of War.” It was a simple tome outlining the many honorable and lawful ways to conduct war. It was one of the many layers of society that was essential to control to enact the will of the chapter on the people. The most important of these rules was the honor rule of Indentured Servitude. Prisoners of conflict were to be honor bound as slaves for twenty years, upon reaching twenty years honorable service they were to be freed and return to their homelands or could join their captors. In this way excessive conquest, such as beating and pillaging a whole people, would be avoided and not lead anyone down the path towards Chaos.

 

As the millennia since have worn on Eos has grown into a near god among the people, mentioned among many in the same breath as the Emperor. Like the Greek gods of yore he is both worshipped and reviled at the same time. He is recognized as the man who brought culture, order, and science to the people while at the same time demanding they adhere, on pain of death, to the strict edicts brought about by such change.

 

Islands in the Sky:

 

A ring of asteroids orbits the planet. Among the Achaeans these asteroids are known as the islands of the gods, for it is here that the Aurochs rule and govern this world as masters of Achaea. Only those deemed worthy enough by the Aurochs are allowed to work as servants and equerries on the largest asteroid, Propylaea. Known as the “Gateway to the Stars,” Propylaea is filled with miles of tunnels and large cavernous spaces that have been filled with ammunition depots, training spaces and many other operations that are essential to the chapter. The surface of the scarred asteroid is covered in gothic towers and defense batteries. Thousands of Achaeans call the fortress-monastery home as they serve as servants and serfs to maintain the day to day activities of the chapter keep. It is seen as the highest honor among Achaeans to be moved to service among the islands of the gods. It has served the chapter as a redoubt to launch their operations from for millennia.

 

Recruits are drawn from the population as the locals bring their most promising sons to the local fortress-chapels to be tested. Being accepted by the Aurochs is seen as the most glorious accomplishment a family can achieve as they will move on to the Realm of the Gods and live among the islands in the sky. Families gain status and prestige among the locals for having sons inducted into the recruiting class. The initiates go through many torturous and grueling tests, both of mind and body over many weeks. The final test a potential recruit has to pass is what is known as the “Tauromachia”, where he is put into a pit with a raging auroch armed only with a sword and spear. In order to move on to the next level of training he must kill the beast.

 

Organization: Codex Adherent

 

Combat Doctrine:

 

The Aurochs have a single minded purpose of total destruction of their enemies. Their basic combat doctrine is what some Astartes call the “Bulls Horns”, direct frontal advance drawing the enemy in and a quick flanking attack from both sides with their assault squads once the enemy has committed. Other Astartes question whether they would go to such lengths in their battle planning. Their stubbornness and willingness to commit their total resources to the task at hand has led some to question whether they disregard most tactics when in the heat of battle. Really they employ very simple tactics and tend to deviate from them rarely. They will often wade into battle with only this basic tactical planning, save to kill as many of the enemy as possible. They tend to let their brute strength and superior martial skills overwhelm the enemy with firepower and ferocity. They have a preference for infantry and heavy weapons. Assault squads tend to use two close combat weapons eschewing their bolt pistol. Even though they are rare, Land Raiders are most commonly used in combat operations because of their heavy armor and brutal weapons capacity.

 

Beliefs:

 

The Aurochs chapter cult believes that the fate of mankind teeters on the edge of death and destruction and will stop at nothing to ensure mankind’s survival for another day. They believe as most Astartes do that the Emperor is a man who is to be honored and defended and fight to preserve the Emperor’s realm. The citizens of Achaea follow the chapter cult and they view the Aurochs as the Emperor’s will and revere their fighting prowess and martial skill. The chapter is viewed among their brother Astartes as pious and simpleminded, yet many respect the chapter for their direct approach and unwavering loyalty to each other and the Emperor.

 

The Aurochs despise all mutants and heretics and therefore have no librarians among their chapter. They believe like the Black Templars before them that the mutant trait of psykers brings anyone too close to the taint of the warp. They violently suppress any hint of psykers detected in their realm, only grudgingly using Astropaths and Navigators as they are a necessary evil that must be closely watched.

 

They are fanatical in their beliefs of brute force and martial skill over strategy and witchery. They seek out combat and are among the first into battle. Other chapters clash with the Aurochs because of their single-minded and crude combat tactics. Many vowed to never again fight alongside the chapter. Some Astartes may look down upon the chapter for their ways but they are well respected for their brutal efficiency and willingness to take on the most impossible of tasks.

 

The Aurochs believe so fanatically in martial skill that there is an emphasis on individual achievement, honor, and glory. The belief is that if every brother strives to be the best it will only enhance the effectiveness of the chapter in battle. Chaplains are the physical embodiment of this ideal and are the most fanatical and skilled of all brothers. Chaplains lead the chapter into battle with their combination of righteous zeal and unrivaled skill. This is shown upon their armor as each brother has personalized their armor with rites of battle, citations and honour badges earned in the fires of combat.

 

Gene-seed: Ultramarines Successor – White Consuls

[soddinnutter]

Maybe the combat specialists could be armed with two close combat weapons and a jet-pack. They charge with two horns.

[Warp Angel]

Heh... your IA sounds very similar to the Minotaurs chapter as detailed in the Badab books.

 

Violent, revels in combat, seeks it out, doesn't play well with others...

 

I guess everyone thinks of angry cows pretty much the same way.

 

I'm the wrong person to be saying this maybe (because the IA for the Warp Angels has been denied inclusion in the Librarium more than once), but I would suggest taking a look at the format and content of accepted IA articles to flesh out a few details. Looking good though.

[NightrawenII]

Battle of Isandlawana - The traditional 'Head of Buffalo' formation of Zulu in play.

The Minoan Crete - bull-leaping.

 

Just saying. :jaw:

[Andrew J]

@soddinnutter - Thanks for the idea. I will definitely use it if you dont mind.

 

@Warp Angel - I totally agree with you about the traits of angry cows. Dont own the IA books as they are ridiculously expensive for americans, and somehow still ended up with the same thing. I guess there is only so much you can do with the idea.

 

@NightrawenII - Thank you for the suggestions. I totally forgot about the bull leaping. I think I will use that as part of the initiation ritual for recruits. I also like the tactics described in the battle. I may use that as a basis for some ideas I have floating around.

 

On another note I have struggled to come up with a color scheme but have narrowed it down to two that I like. Let me know what you guys think looks better. Ice blue and redgore or enchanted blue and sunburst yellow. I will put up a couple painter picks soon.

[Warp Angel]

Some things to think about...

 

"Bull and Horns" used by the Zulus are a tactic they reinvented that was widely used in ancient warfare, including by the Greeks and is still part of today's military tactics. It works.

 

Essentially - strong, solid, slowly advancing/static/slowly retreating center with rapid strike wings (bulls horns) that draws the enemy to the middle before an envelop and collapse around the enemy. The Romans always left a hole for the enemy to retreat so they wouldn't fight to the death and could be run down at the leisure of the cavalry, but other cultures closed the circle and turned the battle into a last stand as a matter of doctrine.

 

If you're going with a Greek theme, you might want to consider bronze as a primary armor color. It's hard to work with, but contrasts well with red (Spartans) and with the blue you're already looking at.

[Andrew J]

@ Warp Angel - Thanks for the additional info. I have added and subtracted a little from what I have and will post what I have at the end of the day. Concerning colors, that is essentially the Minotaurs now and I would like to be a little different from them. Though maybe I can use bronze instead of silver for the chest eagle and other tertiary colors. Thanks for the thought.

Did make up a couple painters to show ideas. Thoughts welcome.

C&C welcome.

[Warp Angel]

I've never been a fan of "split" color scheme Marines. Personal preference.

 

Have you considered yellow with blue trim or blue with yellow trim rather than the split?

[Olis]

How about using the second set of colours but instead of splitting them at the waist you could split them down the middle?

[Andrew J]

@Warp Angel and Olisredan - I realize you may not be a fan of the split scheme but I want to be a little original and tend to see the vertical split often. I also feel that gives the chapter a medieval touch. I actually got the scheme from the Imperial Castellans and have grown to like it.

 

Warp Angel the solid color with different trim looks too much like either the Imperial Fists or UM or CF in my opinon. Thank you for your thoughts though.

 

 

So I worked on the IA some more and have come up with this so far. I tried to keep asking why? and I feel like it is more cohesive now with a few new ideas.

 

Aurochs Chapter

 

Origins:

 

The Aurochs chapter long lost the official records of their founding for they neither care for nor worry about such trivial matters. Their gene-seed is pure and they know their only purpose is to rid the galaxy of heretics and xenos and that is all that matters to them. The only known facts that have been passed down through the generations and spoken of only by Chaplains is a noble Ultramarines primogenitor granted them their gene-seed during what is believed to be the 7th founding. This has never been verified as the records have been lost to time.

 

The Aurochs have a single-minded purpose of war and destruction and they will not hesitate if anything gets in their way including civilians and Imperial Guard. Fanatical in their beliefs of brute force and martial skill over extensive planning and witchery they actively seek out combat and are among the first into battle. This has led to many clashes with other chapters because of their single-minded and crude combat tactics, some of whom vowed to never again fight alongside the chapter. Even though many chapters may look down upon the chapter for their ways, they are nonetheless well respected by most for their brutal efficiency and willingness to take on the most impossible of tasks.

 

Homeworld: Achaea

 

Achaea is a feral world by classification. It is dominated by a single large ocean with mountainous islands covering large patches of the planet’s surface. This has led to a fractious alliance among many of the islands people. Some small nations exist but most islands are dominated by their city-state. Warfare is quite common as each island tries to gather as much resources as possible with land being so scarce. The temperament of Achaeans is ideal for the Aurochs. They are a moody aggressive lot prone to violence from the near constant warfare raging between the city-states. In this the Achaeans resemble the dominant animal of the islands known as the auroch. It resembles a terran bull only known of in tales and ancient pictures but is much larger with sharp horns and a belligerent attitude. The ferocity of its attacks is unparalleled in violence and intensity; as such it has no natural predators except humans.

 

The Aurochs rule and govern this world as masters of Achaea and the Adeptus Astartes watch over Achaea from their fortress-monastery in orbit, Propylaea, the gateway to the stars. Once a large asteroid, it has been hollowed out in the millennia since and serves the chapter as a redoubt to launch their operations from. They interact with local Achaeans often through various small fortress-chapels scattered among the islands. Recruits are drawn from the population as the locals bring their most promising sons to the local fortress-chapels to be tested. Being accepted by the Aurochs is seen as the most glorious accomplishment a family can make and the family gains status and prestige among the locals for having sons inducted into the recruiting class. One of the final tests a potential recruit will have to pass is what is known as the “Tauromachia”, where he is put into a pit with a raging auroch armed only with a sword and spear. He must kill the beast to pass on to the next level of training.

 

Organization:

 

Codex Adherent

 

Combat Doctrine:

 

The Aurochs have a single minded purpose of total destruction of their enemies. Their basic combat doctrine is what they call the “Bulls Horns”, direct frontal advance drawing the enemy in and a quick flanking attack from both sides with their assault squads once the enemy has committed. Their stubbornness and willingness to commit their total resources to the task at hand has led some to question whether they disregard most tactics when in the heat of battle, when really they employ very simple tactics and tend to deviate from them rarely. They will often wade into battle with only this basic tactical planning, save to kill as many of the enemy as possible. They tend to let their brute strength and superior martial skills overwhelm the enemy with firepower and ferocity. They have a preference for infantry and heavy weapons. Assault squads tend to use two close combat weapons eschewing their bolt pistol. Even though they are rare, Land Raiders are most commonly used in combat operations because of their heavy armor and brutal weapons capacity.

 

Beliefs:

 

The Aurochs believe that the fate of mankind teeters on the edge of death and destruction and will stop at nothing to ensure mankind’s survival for another day. The Aurochs despise all mutants, heretics and therefore have no librarians among their chapter. They believe like the Black Templars before them that mutant trait of psykers brings anyone too close to the taint of the warp. They violently suppress any hint of psykers detected in their realm, only grudgingly using Astropaths and Navigators as they are a necessary evil that must be closely watched. They prefer to rely on their fanatical belief in martial excellence and brute force to rid the galaxy of the enemies of man. The chapter has no tolerance for religion, believing to be a crutch of the weak; therefore they have clashed with the Ecclesiarchy and are constantly watched over by the Inquisition. They are always one wrong step away from angering the wrong Inquisitor with their uncompromising views of how things should be.

 

The Aurochs believe so fanatically in martial skill that there is an emphasis on individual achievement, honor and glory. The belief is that if every brother strives to be the best it will only enhance the effectiveness of the chapter in battle. This is shown upon their armor as each brother has personalized their armor with rites of battle, citations and honour badges earned in the fires of combat.

 

Gene-seed: Ultramarines

 

Keep it coming as I will probably order some stuff monday next week and get started soon. Let me know if anything doesnt make sense or need clarification once again.

[Warp Angel]

Looking good.

 

Another consideration for color scheme - have you considered using the one in your avatar?

[Destecado]

It could be because the person sitting in the cubicle nest to me has a can of Red Bull sitting on his desk, but that’s the first thing that popped into my head when is saw the red and blue color scheme. Not saying that’s a bad thing. As for the two tone color scheme, it seems a little off symmetrically.

 

If you want everything above the waist one color and everything below another, you may want to replicate the color scheme on the arms, with the upper part of the arm and elbow pad matching the color of the upper body. The forearm and gauntlet would match the color scheme of the lower body.

 

I know that horns are typically considered as a mark of chaos space marines, and on your standard marine they might be out of place. They could however be used to give a unique look to commanders or special characters in your chapter. We are of course talking bull’s horns, not something that looks demonic…maybe a helmet that looks like a stylized bull’s head.

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Does your Chapter have Chaplains? Or do they see "Chaplains" as being too similar to Ecclessiarchy priests, and like psykers, a pathway to damnation? (It'll be cool to see bull skulls for the Chaplains' helmets, though they'll be difficult to model.)

[Andrew J]

@ Warp Angel - Thanks. I really like how things are coming along. I have thought about using the scheme for them. I do like the how they look.

@ Destecado - You almost made me laugh out loud. I never put that together. I will definitely have to figure out the colors and paint up a couple guys to test the scheme. I was looking at Beastmen on bitzbarn last night and there are a few skull that look pretty good and the horns for Minotaurs look pretty cool and might look good on backpacks. There are also multiple loose horns that might work as accessories especially if I try to make them look as little like chaos as possible.

@ Bjorn - Funny enough I was planning on having a lot of chaplains because they are hands down my favorite SM, and I thought I had something in the IA but must have lost it in the editing. Either way I need to add that in there and work it into the fluff a little more. Thanks for the thoughts, they are really good things to consider. I will try to see if I can find a bull skull. That would be awesome. I saw daemonclaws space wolves where he modeled the wolf skull from the kit on one and he looked awesome. I think the problem will be finding one small enough to not dwarf the top of the model. Maybe I can find one to make a termi chaplain, which I have always wanted to make.

I made up a couple more ideas for color scheme.

Bronze and silver

light brown and boltgun metal

Red gore and gold

Let me know what you think. I actually like all of them but am leaning more toward the 1st one right now. Let me know if you like the scheme better too.

[Destecado]

I'm liking the new color schemes, where the core of the body is one color and the extremities are another. Not sure though if two metalic colors (bronze and silver) will look good together when you paint them up. You may just want to go with a brown to make it look like the tanned hide of an auroch. It would give it the look of reminiscent of an armored breast or carapce with lighter armor on the extremities...kinda remindes me of Spanish conquistadors. To add depth to the brown (and give it the llok of metal) you could strat with a base of Tin Bits and the drybrush on the tan or brown.

 

BTW, I like the red polarized lens for the eyes. Not sure if that was intentional or not, but it fits in well with the idea of a bull "seeing red" and charging.

[Andrew J]

@Destecado - Yeah I think I decided on the scheme. I am gonna go with that. Now just have to figure out the color scheme.

Got 2 more. I have loved the Storm Giants scheme for a long time. Going to use the Rotting Flesh as a base. Now the choice of boltgun metal or bronze for the chestplate.

bronze

boltgun

Also worked in the Chaplain part into the beliefs. Edited the 1st post with the most recent update. I am thinking about trying to get this into the Liber Honouros Index. Let me know what you think I need to add to make it good enough.

[Destecado]

The rotting flesh looks good, but I’m not sure about the color of the torso. I think you need a darker color to add contrast. Below is a mockup with an earthier tone. The color is Catachan Green, which is more of a brown than green. To add depth you could start with Tin Bits and then drybrush on the Catachan Green or a similar earthy tone. The hoses and joints are done in Dark Flesh, which is somewhere between a red and brown. I used it the tie together the red used in the eyes and the earth tones of the torso.

I haven’t had a chance to read the fluff on the Chaplains. When I do, I will edit this post with my comments.

[Andrew J]

Thanks Destecado. I think that might be too much red for me. I was planning on using red for veterans and sergeants. I do like the darker color for the torso so I made up one with tinbitz. I like it a lot. I will have to paint up one of each and post them soon.

I just added a couple lines in the beliefs section. Let me know what you think.

I did some digging around for bitz and the more that I looked at the beastmen bitz the more I was thinking about just using the Minotaurs iconography from FW and keep it more of a greek look.

[Destecado]

Looks good. Below are some comments on the developing IA for the Aurochs...

 

Codex Adherent

 

Were you going to use the standard Space Marine codex or Codex: Black Templar? You may want to consider using the Black Templar codex. You don’t have to use the trappings of the Black Templars, just the rule set.

 

Example: I don’t have the codex at hand but IIRC, if Black Templars fail a leadership role, they charge toward the nearest enemy unit rather than falling back. For the Aurochs, this could characterize a tendency to “stampede”, rather than fall back.

 

I’ll have to review the codex for other examples of how the Black Templar rules would benefit the Aurochs.

 

 

The Aurochs have a single minded purpose of total destruction of their enemies. Their basic combat doctrine is what they call the “Bulls Horns”, direct frontal advance drawing the enemy in and a quick flanking attack from both sides with their assault squads once the enemy has committed.

 

I’m reminded of a two quotes:

 

No style whatsoever.

But neither has an anvil.

He hits like a hammer.

 

And

 

My daddy always said "When you want to hammer a nail into a piece of wood, don't do anything fancy. Just get a hammer and pound the son of a bitch."

 

I’m thinking that this might best describe the tactics of the Aurochs…sustained Assault to trample their enemies into the ground. It’s not fancy, but it gets the job done. The commanders (with their higher leadership) are there to reign in the Aurochs natural tendency to “Scream and Charge”.

 

 

Beliefs:

 

The Aurochs believe that the fate of mankind teeters on the edge of death and destruction and will stop at nothing to ensure mankind’s survival for another day. The Aurochs despise all mutants, heretics and therefore have no librarians among their chapter.

 

There should possibly some reason for this culling in the Chapter’s back story or maybe that of the planet from which they come. Maybe mutation or chaos possession on the planet was at one time rampant, possibly almost overrun by chaos. The chapter has since taken a stance of zero tolerance to prevent such events from happening again.

 

Siring and lineage become important, because if one gives birth to a tainted child, then some taint must exist within the parents. This would again reinforce the importance families place on providing successful recruits to the Space Marine chapter. Having a son inducted into the Aurochs reinforces the “purity” or superior quality of your progeny. My though is that the culture might also be insular (like a herd), making them a little bit xenophobic.

[Andrew J]

Destecado I like your thoughts especially the beliefs part. I will work that in this week. Just got my first order from GW today. Waiting on the shoulder pads from FW. Hope that comes in next week.

[Andrew J]

Just updated the IA. Please look over and C&C are welcome.

 

Started putting together some guys. Still waiting on FW to come to get anything done. Thanks!

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Although the rogue Librarian's actions have bred an understandable reluctance to use psykers, culling your homeworld of entire families for spawning one psyker, is extreme- at the very least, this would destroy many potentially useful astropaths, Inquisitorial acolytes, and sacrifices needed to sustain the Emperor's life. Perhaps you can set up a treaty between your Chapter and the AdMech, wherein the Black Ships come to Achaea more often than usual.

[Destecado]

Achaea & Aurochs….

 

I think you might be limiting yourself going with just islands…depending of course on the size of the islands and their proximity. You could possibly have had a climate change where lower lying areas have been inundated over time by rising water, so that low lying grasslands and valleys now form lagoons and harbors between some of the islands. The loss of land mass need not only come from rising sea levels. Subsidence, either natural occurring or manmade, could also be at play. You might be able to work in the concept of a mythical sunken city or continent, borrowing parts of the Atlantis myth. The technologically advance city sank beneath the wave or crumbled in on itself, while those that were considered hicks or backwards savages lived on.

In a major catastrophe, it is usually the more technological advanced cultures who falter first. Cities are generally not self-sufficient. They rely on the influx of food power and other staples to continue working. The loss of any of these necessary resources can cause a city to die.

 

Related articles, for your consideration….

Subsidence

 

Mexico City Sinking Into Depleted Aquifer

 

As for the Aurochs (the animal, not the chapter), you may want to give them some atypical characteristics that might point to some evolution or genetic modification, which distinguishes them from terran ancestors. Fenrisian wolves are a potential example of a transplanted terran species that was either intentionally genetically modified or evolved to adapt to their environment. When settling a new world, it is generally more cost effective to modify the colonists to fit their new environment than to terraform the planet. This could provide a potential explanation for the various sub-races or abhumans…but that’s a discussion of a different thread and possible a different forum.

 

Suffice to say though, you may want to consider some modifications to the Aurochs. Maybe they were genetically modified to be able to digest the local flora. This would allow them to take advantage of the local food sources, while also providing a natural means to “trim back” the local ecosystem. It might be that over time, this genetic modification began to evolve…although the colonists may have considered it a mutation. The aurochs switch from being herbivores to becoming omnivorous. You may want to consider meshing characteristics for the Aurochs that are somewhere between cattle and pigs, especially wild boars, which are intelligent, cunning, dangerous and which have become a major problem in parts of the Southern United States.

 

They are big, mean and nasty and are known to attack domesticated livestock and even humans. And being omnivorous, if they can catch and take you down, they might just eat you. Other characteristics that may have developed could be toughened skin or a whip-like tail which helps the animal deal with local insects…. The tail might also be strong enough to strike like a whip, if someone is standing in the wrong position…like being in the wrong place, where you are in the striking range of a horses hooves or head (being bitten by a horse is no joke). You of course don’t need to include the entire back story of where the Aurochs came from or how they evolved, but adding so of these additional characteristics help to reinforce the alien environment and the progression of time from the current strain of cattle. Making them mean nasty creatures that don’t back down from a fight…more likely to charge than run, also make them a better icon / namesake for the chapter.

 

Fortress Monastery:

 

I like the idea, but I’m not sure if in orbit of the planet works. It all depends on the size of the object. The size, speed of rotation and proximity to the planet may prove problematic. You may want to consider placing the fortress monastery at one of the Lagrange Points within the planetary system. Lagrange points are locations in space where gravitational forces and the orbital motion of a body balance each other. Such a stable point might provide the optimal location for the fortress monetary to not only keep watch over the planet, but also defend any attack on the planet’s moon(s) if it has any.

 

Given the tech level of the planet (feral world) having an asteroid moved into orbit, seems to indicate that there may have been a higher tech level on the planet at a previous time. That is of course unless it was your intention for the Chapter to have been the ones to move the asteroid into orbit. Given that the planet is dominated by oceans, accessing natural resources might be more difficult. It might be easier to mine asteroids than to extract raw materials planet side and carry them into orbit.

Here again, the Lagrange points might work best for whoever moved the asteroid(s). Being fairly stable points, asteroids could be “herded” into these points and corralled…set aside for future mining. Moving such asteroids into position could have taken place for several reasons. Depending on where the system is located, the outer reaches of the solar system may be harder to defend, instead of having far flung mining communities the inhabitants might find it easier to move the resource ladened asteroids into a more defensible position.

 

The mines of these asteroids could also be used as internment camps for rogue psykers. This would allow them to be kept in a centrally located facility that was removed from any other population center and most importantly, not on the main planet.

 

Nesoi

 

Again, this is a good idea, but I’m not too sure about him just turning “ashing” the battle brothers closest to him. What about having him subvert their wills, making them turn on their fellow battle brothers. You could use this as the catalyst for a fundamental shift to occur in the psyche of the chapter and possibly of the planet.

 

The old way was to not question authority. Follow your commander’s / elder’s decree to the letter. Such blind faith and loyalty can easily be abused and twisted, which is what happened with Nesoi. This old doctrine, which in a way, mirrors the structure of many of the organizations within the Imperium is replaced with a new doctrine. This doctrine demands personal accountability. Respect your elders, but think for yourself. Blind obedience is not a virtue. To mirror the idea of vying for dominance with a herd of Auroch, anyone marine can challenge for command. There may even be a ritualized form of dueling for such challenges. This latter doctrine may be what the chapter has adopted or is in the process of adopting. This change in world view may also explain their derision of many of the institutions of Imperium. Events such as the Age of Apostasy would only reinforce this belief.

 

Just to reference the Nesoi backstory again, if you go with the idea, that Nesoi affected the minds of the battle brothers around him, rather than turning them to ash, then what if all those that he made attack his fellow brother did not die. The shame and embarrassment once they were no longer under his ‘spell” would have been immense. It could be these battle brothers who took it upon themselves to undertake a penitent crusade among their own populace to hunt down and eradicated any person possessing powers such as Nesoi.

 

I hope these comments help. Will add more later.

[Andrew J]

Wow. Destecado its like you are in my mind. Almost psyker like.... haha jk. Anyway I really like your thoughts and they are very helpful for me to flesh out my IA and give the chapter some more depth. I dont consider myself the most creative in any way and having another mind help with new ideas is great.

 

Edited the first post with the newest additions.

 

Thanks again for the ideas Destecado.

 

C&C Welcome

[Andrew J]

Went through the IA today and cleaned up a couple things. I actually condensed the homeworld section and I am going to write a Fall of Nesoi short story that is near complete. I will add that up to here soon.

 

Also working on another short story for these guys to help flesh out the chapter in my mind.