Storm Knight Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Haven't played in almost a decade, and back then I was an Ork. I've got a hankering, though, and have just started purchasing models for a SM force. I want a DIY chapter, and so I'm starting with some history. I meant to post some rough notes, but I got carried away, and now it's definitely TL:DR material. If you do bother to read it, feedback is welcome. As are suggestions for symbols - I'm leaning towards a variant of Black Templar style cross, because it fits Knights and I'd like to get sculpted shoulder pads. Name: Storm Knights Founding Chapter: Storm Callers Founding: 23rd Chapter Master: Arcturus Nevin Home World: Beithir Fortress-Monastery: The Cloud Fortress Colors: Dark Blue, Off-White, Gold Origins: The Storm Knights were founded as part of the 23rd founding, around the beginning of M38 (107.M38), using Gene Seed from Storm Caller tithes. Homeworld: Beithir is a temperate planet near the outer border of Segmentum Obscurus and Ultima Segmentum. Its inhabitants are mystics, with a belief structure similar to the old Confederation of Light, preaching humility, sacrifice, and quiet duty to the God-Emperor. Beithir's population is known for facing misfortune with a stern calm that belie their true strength and ferocious tempers. Beithir's mystics hold great reverence for astropaths, Librarians, and other Sanctioned Psykers, believing them to have a greater ability to commune with the Emperor. That's not to say that Beithir has an abundance of Psykers – the diocese of Beithir complies with all regulations for the reporting of and dealing with discovered Psykers. But those Psykers that do emerge safely on Beithir, or those that visit its emerald forests during the course of duty, are treated to unaccustomed respect by the planetary inhabitants. The wind-swept coast on Beithir's smallest continent, Auch, is home to the Storm Knights, who find ideal recruits among the disciplined, pious people of their Homeworld. Beithir's inhabitants know the Storm Knights' Fortress-Monastary as the Cloud Fortress, for the perpetual mists that surround it. Beliefs: Storm Knights believe that piety and discipline produce calm and wisdom, and that said virtues are the best way to protect the Imperium. They know that their wrath is only a weapon for the good of man so long as it is tempered with faith and restraint. Storm Knight commanders are calm leaders, cordial diplomats, and calculating strategists, until the reach the battlefield. In the heat of combat, the Storm Knights unleash their full fury, thundering down on their enemies in a tempest of fire and blood. The Storm Knight's share their Homeworld's respect for Psykers, believing that their Librarians have the potential to more closely commune with the Emperor himself. While they are aware of the dangers of the Warp, Storm Knights respect the discipline a Psyker must employ to stay untainted by the Warp, and have more empathy for Psykers than mistrust. Of course, such feelings have never altered the Storm Knight's duty or vigilance in the slightest, and in the end it matters little to a witch whether it is a bullet of hatred or mercy that ends their heresy. The other notable distinction of the Storm Knights is their facial hair. On much of Beithir, the length and style man's facial hair is a symbol of his status and history. Storm Knights continue this tradition even after their ascension, so that scouts are not permitted to grow facial hair, assault marines must shave their head save their beard and moustache, Librarians must tie their beards in braids according to their rank, and so forth. The style of facial hair can indicate a Storm Knight's age, preferred combat style, rank, honors achieved, and more all at once. While their hairy appearance often earn the Storm Knights comparisons to the Space Wolves, nothing could be further from the truth; a Space Wolf's beard is a sign of individual expression, while a Storm Knight's is as much a part of his uniform as his purity seals or badges of honor. Organization: The Storm Knights largely adhere to the Codex Astartes, with the notable exception of the Librarius. The Storm Knight's Librarius is slightly larger than normal for most chapters (34 members in all, including Adeptum.) Most within the Adeptus Astartes believe that this discrepancy is due to the disciplined nature of the recruits of Beithir, for while many still cannot survive the training to become Librarians, the rate of success is a full twenty percent higher than that of most chapters. Additionally, the first five companies of the Storm Knights have a Librarian assigned to them, just as they have a Chaplain and an Apothecary. The Storm Knights of a battle company believe that the psychic visions of their Librarian are messages and orders from the Emperor, and honor their battle-Librarian with almost as much respect as their beloved Chaplain. Though all the members of Librarius are combat ready, Company Librarians are meant to represent the finest warriors among their number, and each has proven a boon on the battlefield many times over before he is assigned a Company. History: The Storm Callers are most renowned for their near-failure in the Tananim Crusades, when many among their number turned traitor. While the Storm Knights were created from the gene-seeds of loyal Storm Callers, and the traitor Storm Callers were executed over two millennia before the Storm Knights' founding, not all have forgotten that they came from a stock that nearly fell to Chaos. Their unfortunate lineage, along with the Storm Knights' abnormal Librarius and unusual appearance, has led to much suspicion and two formal reviews by the Inquisition. Neither found any substantive evidence of heresy. The Storm Knights history is akin to most chapters': filled with glorious deeds and heroic victories and terrible sacrifices. Highlights include protecting the valuable Dimmarch system from a band of Dark Eldar raiders in 890.M40, the purging of the Slaanesh-worshipping Cultus Delectatio from Hive World Morgas, and the eradication of a genestealer colony on Augnar IV. The darkest moment in the Storm Knights' history came when fighting the Ork Warboss Zugnar Mo'Dakka in 213.M39. As a small force of Orks was routing, Captain Dorius Gavin of the 3rd company was commanded to hold his position by then-Chapter Master Hectar Krell. When the retreating Orks desecrated an Imperial Shrine, Gavin's discipline broke in favor of his zeal, and he ordered his battle brothers forward. Though they wiped the retreating warband out, the 3rd company was no longer in position to intercept the Warboss himself, and Mo'Dakka escaped with a sizable fighting force to sack three more Imperial worlds. As a penance for Gavin's foolhardiness, the 3rd Company was sent on a crusade to eradicate Mo'Dakka once and for all. They did so, but at a great cost. Captain Gavin was redeemed only in death, falling along with a quarter of his company in the final battle with Mo'Dakka. The tale is still recounted to recruits, reminding them that breaches of discipline always carry dire consequences. One well-known story of the Storm Knights' sheds light on their character. After the defense of Dimmarch Prime from a Dark Eldar force, Planetary Governor Haurel Glaust leveled accusations of sorceries and pacts with the enemy against the Storm Knights. The Governor summoned an Inquisitor to hear testimony against the Storm Knights' first company and their Chief Librarian, Magnar Blackwood. Blackwood allowed himself to be taken into custody and put on trial. He listened to a litany of lies, to the same tired accusations of a faulty gene-seed, to the pointed remarks on the Librarians' role within the Storm Knights, to a farcical trial that lasted for three days. In the face of such slander, the Chief Librarian sat in total silence, his face unmoving, his eyes stoically resting on the corpulent form of Glaust. When the Inquisitor finally demanded a response, Blackwood pointed to Glaust and said, softly: "Third inner pocket, left side." A quick search of the protesting Governor's pockets uncovered a tiny icon of Tzeench, exactly where Blackwood saw that it would be. By the time the traitorous men of Dimmarch Prime realized their plot had been exposed, Gaust was dead at the hands of the Chief Librarian, and the skies were already thundering with incoming waves of Storm Knights. The Cult of Tzeench was purged within a fortnight, and the honor of the Chapter was upheld yet again. Notable Figures: :) Chapter Master Arcturus Nevin has led the Storm Knights for two hundred years. Nicknamed 'the Eye of the Storm', Master Nevin is known for fighting with eerie calm, his steely gaze never flinching as the battle thunders around him. Chief Librarian Magnar Blackwood is assigned to the Storm Knights' First Company, and no other Librarian in the Storm Knights has seen half as much combat as he has in over three hundred years of service. A man of few words, it is said that when he speaks in battle, he does so with a voice of thunder before unleashing sorcerous lightening on his foes. Revered Brother Molach, Chaplain of the Storm Knight's 3rd company, was blessed with Dreadnaught Armor following the campaign against Warboss Zugnar Mo'Dakka in 218.M39, and now serves with honor as the chapter's most venerable dreadnaught. 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CKO Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Bravo! Bravo! Bravo! Great piece, I like it alot only thing I dont like is that they dont keep that calm serenity in battle, I think they should. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/249619-storm-knights/#findComment-3023745 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storm Knight Posted March 25, 2012 Author Share Posted March 25, 2012 Thanks! I chose to have them unleash their fury to fit with the 'Storm' theme, like a build up of a thunderhead before the thunder hits - they're always 'the calm before the storm,' so to speak. And I don't mean to implay they go Blood-Angels nuts, just that now their willing to stop holding back and give it their all. Does that make sense, and if so does it need more clarification in the fluff? I also worked up a color sceme over the weekend. They kind of look like a cross between Crimson Fists (deep, dark blues), Ultramarines (codex color schemes, blue and 'white'), and Space Wolves (beardy.) Throw my three favorite-looking chapters in a blender, and you have the Storm Knights. :jaw: 2nd Company Tactical Marine: 1st Company Veteran: Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/249619-storm-knights/#findComment-3023846 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grey Hunter Ydalir Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Great piece, I like it alot only thing I dont like is that they dont keep that calm serenity in battle, I think they should. If this is the theme, it should be that they try, that makes them interesting, being fallible and trying to attain what is for them something great, a goal that they strive for. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/249619-storm-knights/#findComment-3023914 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace Debonair Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Well, short of some minor presentation stuff, I don't really see anything that needs C&C. I quite like pretty much everything about this Chapter. Good stuff! Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/249619-storm-knights/#findComment-3023935 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storm Knight Posted March 25, 2012 Author Share Posted March 25, 2012 Well, short of some minor presentation stuff, I don't really see anything that needs C&C. I quite like pretty much everything about this Chapter. Good stuff! Wow! Thanks very much! Presentation critique welcome as well. Not sure how best to format this. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/249619-storm-knights/#findComment-3024216 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aqui Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 I haven't had chance to fully digest this yet, but it seems good ^_^ Couple of things: You say they are descended from the Storm Callers. Are these the same ones that have (reputedly) fallen to Chaos? If they are, what is their reaction to their Parent Chapters' fall? Anger? Despair? Might be good to have a little bit about their reaction ^_^ About the Chapters Emblem. I'm no good at drawing, but what about the BT Cross, with a lightning strike in front of it? Just a suggestion mind ^_^ I'll have a proper read tomorrow when I get home from work (early start, grumble, grumble :lol: ) Forgot: Here is a little bit about BB codes for formatting your IA ;) Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/249619-storm-knights/#findComment-3024238 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storm Knight Posted March 26, 2012 Author Share Posted March 26, 2012 You say they are descended from the Storm Callers. Are these the same ones that have (reputedly) fallen to Chaos? If they are, what is their reaction to their Parent Chapters' fall? Anger? Despair? Might be good to have a little bit about their reaction :P About the Chapters Emblem. I'm no good at drawing, but what about the BT Cross, with a lightning strike in front of it? Just a suggestion mind ^_^ Thanks! The source I saw said that the Loyalist Storm Callers won and wiped out the renegades. The Storm Knights were founded a couple of millennia after that civil war within the Storm Callers. At least, thats the version of events represented above. I like the emblem idea. Hmmm... :) Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/249619-storm-knights/#findComment-3024291 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace Debonair Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 Wow! Thanks very much! Presentation critique welcome as well. Not sure how best to format this. No worries. The best bet, presentation-wise, is to use the flashy BBCode stuff that Aquilanus linked in his last post to give yourself big, eye-catching section dividers. If those prove too awkward or you simply don't like how they look, press enter after your section headers, for example, the bit that says 'Origins:'. It'll look a bit less like a list that way. :D The other reccomendation I have is combining the 'origins' and 'history' sections, since the first one is a single sentence, and putting them both at the top. Actually, I'd also change the name of Magnar Blackwood a bit, because it's a lot like Ragnar Blackmane of Space Wolf fame. :drool: Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/249619-storm-knights/#findComment-3024830 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Juan Juarez Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 It'll look a bit less like a list that way. The Wall of Text should be the next purge, after the Typo. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/249619-storm-knights/#findComment-3024845 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace Debonair Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 It'll look a bit less like a list that way. The Wall of Text should be the next purge, after the Typo. Confused Liberite Requires Clarification. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/249619-storm-knights/#findComment-3024863 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Juan Juarez Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 It'll look a bit less like a list that way. The Wall of Text should be the next purge, after the Typo. Confused Liberite Requires Clarification. You note about his work looking like a bit of list, well one of the major factors that puts people off reading/replying to forum posts is the Wall of Text. I was tying in the Liber-thingy, whilst also thinking myself amusing.. /fail :P Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/249619-storm-knights/#findComment-3024867 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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