The Doom Skulls

[darth_giles]

Ok, so the IA is going to be in Post 2. Post 1 is reserved for the time being, so I can ask how people feel about this chapter. This is the result of a thought experiment about trying to play a Night Lords army using the Codex Blood Angels, and eventually wondering why not just make a thoroughly evil loyalist chapter. The idea I'm going for is that these guys are just as evil as the Chaos Space Marines, but that they perform their evil firmly and squarely in the name of the Emperor and might be just a little too useful for the Inquisition to dispose of.

 

After all, its evil babies of heretics and daemon worshippers they're eating. That means they're on our side, right?

 

So my question is, is this chapter a little *too* grimdark in the era of sparkly gold Blood Angels and Grey Knights who operate more like a regular Space Marine chapter than a dedicated Inquisitorial hit squad?

 

Index Astartes

<<Chapter Badge>>

 

The Doom Skulls Space Marines Chapter

A battle-brother of the Doom Skulls. Note squad marking

on the left shoulder pad inset, the white band chapter marking

around the battle-brother's left wrist, and the "red lightning"

terror-markings.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v245/darth_giles/Blood%20Angels/spacemarine-1.png

 

Origins

The Doom Skulls chapter's origins are somewhat mysterious. There are rumors surrounding it, although most are completely ludicrous. One of the most popular (and somewhat believable considering there is no record of the Emperor or the Highlords ordering its founding) is that the Doom Skulls is a fragment of the Night Lords legion which somehow remained loyal. Other rumors include that they were a splinter of the Blood Angels or Grey Knights, as the chapter uses Stormraven gunships and tactics favoring a fast, extremely violent assault. Yet more say that the Doom Skulls is really a pawn of Chaos, summoned by Xanthite inquisitors for some nefarious end. This last theory is also somewhat believable, because there is no record of the Doom Skulls as a Space Marine chapter before M41. There is a fragmentary manuscript from the Great Crusade which suggests that a unit of Night Lords, no larger than a battle company, operated under the same name, but the manuscript also suggests that it (along with a similar unit of Salamanders) was lost in battle centuries before the Warmaster fell to the Ruinous Powers.

 

Whatever the case, the Doom Skulls is proven to be loyal to the Emperor, as far as the Inquisition can tell. It is one of the few Space Marine chapters that specializes in performing Exterminatus upon a world, and in that a specific form of violent Exterminatus in which the planet is isolated and its citizens slaughtered over the course of several months. As panic spreads across a world marked for destruction, the Doom Skulls become increasingly violent. The last few days of the planet's life invariably show the survivors being herded together where they can be slaughtered in rites to the Emperor that the Ecclesiarchy finds repugnant at best.

 

Home World

The Doom Skulls claim to have a homeworld, but refuse to divulge anything about it, save that it was a world of eternal night and it is no longer inhabited. The chapter operates from a vast fortress-monastery, which was partially carved out of an asteroid from the Nemesis Tessara system. While warp-capable, this fortress- monastery has moved less often than the more popular Ramilies- class Star Fort. It spent most of the 41st Millennium in orbit around the chapter's adopted homeworld of Nemesis Tessara; it orbited Mars briefly in the 6th century of M.41 for upgrades and repairs to its warp-engines, then returned to Nemesis Tessara. Fifteen years before Abbadon launched his Thirteenth Black Crusade, the entire chapter was relocated to an Inquisition stronghold planet in the Segmentum Pacificus, near the border of the Halo Zone. The official reason was so the Doom Skulls could bolster the Sabbat Worlds Crusade with their trademark Exterminatus techniques.

 

The Doom Skulls recruitment practices are unknown, although there is no shortage of scouts; indeed, its scout company is full to overflowing. Rumors abound as to where and when they recruit. A fairly unpopular one is that they have adopted the recruiting practices normally followed by a crusading chapter. Another is that they recruit while purging a world, seeking out those willing to overcome their fear, and then psycho-indoctrinating heresy from them. A particularly laughable one is that the Doom Skulls are daemons bound to empty suits of armor by daemon-worshipping Chaotician and Xanthite Inquisitors, and thus have no need for actual recruiting.

 

Combat Doctrine

Doom Skulls combat doctrine is based upon two things: slow Exterminatus (at least slow compared to virus-bombing or the use of cyclonic torpedoes) and fear. Individual squads of battle-brothers are well- trained in the use of close combat tactics and jump packs, allowing them to fight in close quarters and redeploy swiftly to the next target. They also have a strong preference for flamers of all sizes, over the more ubiquitous meltagun. Due to geneseed mutation, the Doom Skulls prefer to attack at night or under cover of darkness, and use thick dark lenses in their helmets when forced to fight in normal lighting.

 

Their Exterminatus always begins by blanketing the planet within a psychic shroud powerful enough to cut off Astropathic communication. Local communications are jammed shortly thereafter, and the planet is quickly blockaded. The Doom Skulls then cripple the planet's defenses using orbital and later air strikes to wipe out any armored defense. After these initial steps are taken, landing craft perform air drops high in the planet's atmosphere dropping assault marines and smaller assault craft such as Stormraven and Stormtalon gunships.

 

Instead of wiping out the remaining military targets, however, the Doom Skulls invariably attack shelters containing refugees. By slaughtering the noncombatants first, the Doom Skulls seeks to demoralize the remaining inhabitants of a planet. After the slaughter of the noncombatants, they then move to mopping up isolated pockets of resistance, before herding the remaining survivors into one area for the final slaughter. The Doom Skulls then performs auspex- sweeps of the world to ensure there are no survivors before finally lifting its blockade and departing as swiftly as it arrived. The entire process takes no less than a month, but often serves as a more effective deterrent to neighboring worlds than mere bombing from space.

 

The defference between the Doom Skulls' Exterminatus and virus-bombing or the use of cyclonic torpedoes, is the difference between the Eversor and Vindicare temples of the Officio Assassinorum. The Vindicare assassin is a nameless, faceless killer who is never seen. The Eversor is a whirlwind of death and destruction.

Brother-Captain Perobas, called "The Blood Thirster,"

Wearing tattooed human skin robe commonly used in debased ritae

dedicated to the Emperor. Note personal heraldry on left shoulder.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v245/darth_giles/Blood%20Angels/spacemarine-captain-1.png

Organization

The Doom Skulls's organization follows the Codex Astartes reasonably well, however there are noticeable variations. The most obvious is the lack of distinction between Tactical and Assault Marines; all battle- bretheren are expected to train equally with the Bolter as well as the pistol and Chainsword.

 

Instead of maintaining a dedicated Veteran Company which trains with Tactical Dreadnought Armor, each battle- company provides at least one squad of warriors for training in Terminator armor. There is no stated reason for this deviance.

 

The Doom Skulls is only five battle- companies strong at this time, and while those numbers are growing, it remains smaller than the average Space Marine chapter. The fourth company is the most recently established, and provides the chapter's Devastators. The fifth company is the training company, and as new battle companies have been established this company's number has been adjusted downward appropriately. The Doom Skulls has a hundred and twenty scouts as of this writing, in various stages of training.

 

The Chapter Master maintains an elite guard equipped with power weapons and artificer armor. These elite warriors rarely number more than thirty, and are part of the chapter headquarters instead of being assigned to a specific battle- company.

 

The Doom Skulls does maintain the usual workshops and forges of any Space Marine chapter, although there is a distinct preference for archaic- styled armor. The bulk of the chapter is equipped with Mk.II Crusade armor or Mk.III Iron armor, instead of the newer styles. The chapter retains five suits of Mk.I Thunder armor which are used by the Chapter Master, Master of the Forge, Chief Librarian, Grand Chaplain, and Master Apothecary on extremel rare ceremonial occasions- they have been seen once in M.41 during a ceremony in which the Doom Skulls renewed its vows to the Emperor and Highlords of Terra.

 

Insignia

The Doom Skulls never wear their chapter badge; a simple white wristband with the inscription "Doom Skulls" is their only chapter identification. Their left shoulder pad bears a circle with a squad number, which is usually assigned based upon role in battle.

 

As per the Codex Astartes, the right shoulder pad is dedicated to the Marine's squad identifier; Command, Tactical, Assault, and Devastator. As the Doom Skulls have no dedicated Tactical or Assault marines, these two also tend to be assigned based upon a squad's role in battle. Only one Doom Skulls veteran squad has been observed; this was a Vanguard squad, which wore the Crux Terminatus badge instead of the usual Assault squad marking.

 

Battle- brothers assigned modern jump packs (which are a minority compared to those using jump packs made following patterns not used since the heresy) have recently begun painting their squad identifiers on the upper side of the jump pack's intake vents. This appears to be derivative of the chapter's Terminators, who paint their squad number on the back of their armor.

 

Officers and commanders- the Chapter Master, Captains, Librarians, Chaplains, Standard Bearers, Company Champions, Apothecaries, and Techmarines- are permitted to display their personal heraldry on their back banner and left shoulder pad, instead of a squad icon.

 

The Doom Skulls have a system of identifier shields which they bolt onto the fronts of their Rhino and Razorback transports, which match those assigned to the squad it transports. They also follow the Codex Astartes system of painting Titan- readable markings on the top hatches of their Rhinos. This appears to be done only in observance of the Codex, as the Doom Skulls have never fought alongside the Adeptus Titanicus in their (short) recorded history.

 

What a Doom Skull assigned to the Deathwatch would wear, is up for speculation. None of their battle- brothers are known to have served in that august body.

 

The Doom Skulls don't award honor- markings in the way normally awarded by Codex chapters. They award terror- markings, usually red lightning bolts. The custom of awarding red lightning bolts appears to be a new practice considering how many of the senior Doom Skulls wear blue lightning bolt terror markings, although no new blue lightning bolts are being awarded. Another terror- marking which they no longer award is the skull- faced bat. This was removed due to the potential for confusion with the Night Lords traitor marines, particularly considering it was to be worn on the left shoulder pad in place of a squad number, and was awarded to entire squads at a time.

 

Other popular terror markings include robed skeletons and flames.

 

Beliefs

The Doom Skulls's worship of the God-Emperor is notably debased compared to that of other Space Marine chapters. Blood drinking rituals are quite common, as is the consumption of the flesh of the Doom Skulls's victims during the heat of combat. The chapter's Apothecaries assist the Chaplains during these rituals, and notably carry blood chalices along with their usual equipment.

 

The Ecclesiarchy dislikes the Doom Skulls's iconography. Even the most liberal priests are disturbed to find renditions of the Emperor with pale skin and robed in darkness, being followed, perhaps escorted closely or shrouded by by a shadowy creature with glowing red eyes. He is usually depicted drinking the blood of his vanquished enemies from a highly decorated chalice, and in one banner which is rarely displayed he is actually seated at a feast table, while the shadowy figure is placing a huge platter of human body parts in front of him. There is look of unmistakable delight on the Emperor's face in that banner that brings a shudder to even the most unfeeling Inquisitor.

 

Most surprisingly, there are no images of the Doom Skulls's primarch to be found anywhere that the Inquisition has been able to visit. Even chapters of uncertain founding usually have a shrine to Guilliman, but the Doom Skulls maintains no such shrine. Its worship is focused solely on the Emperor. A few of the more conspiracy theory- prone members of the Inquisition have suggested that the shadowy figure shown escorting the Emperor in all Doom Skulls banners may perhaps be Night Haunter, but such theories are improbable given the lack of verifiable connection between the Doom Skulls and the fallen Night Lords.

 

It is worthy of note that while the Ecclesiarchy refuses to provide a Rosarius to any chaplain of the Doom Skulls, however no chaplain has ever been observed without one. These Rosarii are perhaps heirloom items, passed from chaplain to chaplain.

 

Gene-seed

While the Doom Skulls does complete its tithes to the Adeptus Mechanicus with astounding regularity, there is no data on its geneseed purity. The assumption amongst ranking Inquisitors and those more resistant to conspiracy theories is that, were the Doom Skulls geneseed impure, the Adeptus Mechanicus would have said something.

 

Dissection of a deceased Doom Skulls space marine, done at the order of Inquisitor Valthek, has revealed that the chapter's Preomnor has mutated in a fashion which suggests weak psychic sensitivity, below the threshold of making the individual marines into actual psykers. The chapter's Occulobe has similarly mutated, and is unable to reduce sensitivity in normal lighting. There was also no evidence of a Melanochromic Organ at all, although the marine's body had serious injuries where that organ would have normally been.

 

Anyone who has information about the whereabouts of Inquisitor Valthek is asked to please contact the Ordo Hereticus office on Nemesis Tessara. There is a reward for anyone who can find him or his remains.

 

Battle-cry

The Doom Skulls has no single battlecry, and prefers to attack in almost total silence. Individual units may amplify the screams of their recent kills through local com channels and through vox-casters.

 

Using a Doom Skulls army in 40,000

 

Use the Codex: Blood Angels with a noted preference for flamers. The Sanguinary Guard is a 0-1 choice, and there is no Death Company.

[Ekim_Trub]

Possibly a bit Grimdark, but instead I would be more concerned with people being funny about them due to their historical inspiration.

[darth_giles]

Possibly a bit Grimdark, but instead I would be more concerned with people being funny about them due to their historical inspiration.

Would it be the same if both wrists were grey and the white wristband (note, not an armband and there are no logos on it) was gone? The historical reference is supposed to be a lot easier to miss than just that.

[Blackrat]

The historical reference is supposed to be a lot easier to miss than just that.

I think it's really hard to miss because of the name of the chapter, not because of colors. The name really means just "skull", or more literally "Death Head", so how about you work with that and create a more unique name? "Flayed Skulls" for example, just to throw a lousy example for you.

 

Anyway, other than that, I love this. You've brought marines back to the psychotic murderers category that they used to be in. Real grimdark, and actually believable as an inquisitorial sanctioned spec ops chapter.

[Lucien Eilam]

"Totenkopf" and that symbol are way too strongly associated with the SS to use like this. Just like nobody thinks of Hinduism when they see a swastika any more. Space Marines might all be Imperial space fascists, but you can't be this blatant.

 

Even just using the English translation would be better. The Death's Head Space Marine Chapter, with a different skull and crossbones logo, wouldn't have the immediate Nazi connotations of using the German term.

[darth_giles]

The historical reference is supposed to be a lot easier to miss than just that.

I think it's really hard to miss because of the name of the chapter, not because of colors. The name really means just "skull", or more literally "Death Head", so how about you work with that and create a more unique name? "Flayed Skulls" for example, just to throw a lousy example for you.

I'd considered calling them the "Doom Skulls" and using variant-color Night Lords iconography, but I was trying to downplay that aspect and divert attention elsewhere. Guess I did too good of a job of doing it, and distracted everyone too far the other way.

 

I'll get an updated version sooner or later; I'm on the laptop and don't have a copy of the original source code for the IA.

[Ecritter]

Well, the name says SS to me ... since I've studies alot of WW2 history. But for me that isn't a bad thing, cause I know more about the SS then the average person. The SS Divisions weren't the evil demons that most make them out to be, they had nothing to do with all the real horrors of the war.

 

Now, seeing the name and emblem of the SS ... does kinda break it for me. Cause I don't see Space Marines ... yeah I put what I know of them into it when I read it. Using "Death's Head" would do the same thing for me too. In the same way a "Jolly Roger" chapter using skull and crossbones will always say pirate.

 

I say you can get the idea/feel without either the name or the badge ... are they really needed?

[Blackrat]

I'd considered calling them the "Doom Skulls"

Now that one I like. It's very space-marine-like name and fits with the original idea without giving the same questionable connections. As for symbol, how about going just with the basic skull you can find on all 40k transfer sheets. Or the crux terminatus.

[darth_giles]

Ok, updated it a bit. The chapter logo is still pending, and will probably involve a skull of some kind. Changed all references to the "Totenkopf" to the "Doom Skulls," and added an option like the old BA Lords to allow each Captain to use their own personal heraldry. It just so happens that Captain Perobas' insignia is a Blood Chalice; what a coincidence. I'm also working on an explanation for the lightning bolts.

 

I still don't have a Chapter Badge, unfortunately.

[fivepointedstar]

for your chapter symbol why not use the skull with lightning for crossbones. kinda like this really horrible version I made:

http://i863.photobucket.com/albums/ab196/DeathKnight2000/icons/skull.jpg

 

P.S it a horrible drawing that I did with my at-work PC.

[darth_giles]

for your chapter symbol why not use the skull with lightning for crossbones. kinda like this really horrible version I made:

 

P.S it a horrible drawing that I did with my at-work PC.

I've done worse. You should've seen the pic I did to suggest how an Ork player could salvage the boom gun on one of his wagons, or the one that I did of a "hermit crab"- themed Tyranid monstrosity that had denned up in a wrecked Rhino.

 

I'm considering two possibilities here for miniatures. One of them is to use these guys from Forge World. Expensive, but they'll bring home the fact that they're using (and in fact still making) archaic- style armor like the Imperium hasn't really used since early on in the Great Crusade.

 

Another option would be to use head like these, on top of a standard GW body and arms. It won't be "true" Mark II armor, but they will give an unusual look. I'd also swap the legs, but I don't want to be too converted for tournament use. The rule is that the "majority" of the parts have to be GW, right?

 

I'd also like to do something along the lines of turboprop jump packs, but I don't have a reliable source for them and Forge World doesn't make them available separately. So I might be stuck using modern jump packs whether I like it or not. The Ad.Mech probably sent a nasty letter to the Master of the Forge for making too many vintage-style parts or something.

[Arthanor]

An interesting idea but I don't know how grim dark you've made them. To me, part of it is "normal crazy BA" while others are GrImDaRk, said in a spooky voice and not really believable. It seems like keeping them as "crazy BA"+1 would do you better than going with the cannibalistic emperor with dark figure and glowing red eyes, or the marines wearing skin.

 

Another comment that applies throughout: I've always taken IA to be written as a descriptive, out of universe document, but that might be just me. The constant references to the Inquisition as the intended audience is a bit weird. Otherwise, I missed the reference to the SS while reading the IA as it is now, so I guess it's well hidden now.

 

Origins

One of the most popular (and somewhat believable considering there is no record of the Emperor or the Highlords ordering its founding) is that the Doom Skulls is a fragment of the Night Lords legion which somehow remained loyal.

That's actually one of the most far-fetched possible origin. Loyalists got slaughtered by their brethrens or would have been persecuted and disbanded by the Imperium. If you really want ot mention that, you should say that it comes from the gullible guardsmen who see them in action and are scared of them, not that it is a sensible idea.

 

Other rumors include that they were a splinter of the Blood Angels or Grey Knights, as the chapter uses Stormraven gunships and tactics favoring a fast, extremely violent assault.

BA sounds sensible, GK don't really have successors (except maybe the Exorcists?) and the only similitude is the Stormraven.. GK are not particularly fast, they're elite, teleporting demon killers.

 

Regarding the Exterminatus, that sounds like a very long winded way of killing everything.. And only really works if the Exterminatus is called against humans, as it won't be good against the likes of a Tyranid infestation. Maybe they specialize in "Exemplary disposition of heretic elements" instead? Also, the Imperium is a state in which Lastrati and its plains of bones, hills of skulls and miles long trail surrounded by gibets was considered a high point in devotion. I'm not sure what the ecclesiarchy would really find repugnant at best unless you turn them into cannibals rites, maybe.

 

Home World

The IA is supposed to be informative, not make the reader feel cheap/cheated.. The two rumors are nice though.

 

Combat Doctrine

Details of the Exterminatus are cool, I still think it is more making an example than exterminatus, the later being supposed to destroy all life and I don't see them going after rabbits (although a bunch of rabid marines running after rabbits with chainswords does conjure an entertaining image). Saying that they arrive/depart swiftly for a procedure that is essentially super slow also sounds unnecessary.

 

Organization

I don't think the rank of Lieutenant exists amongst space marines, it seems to go from sergeant to captain directly.

 

The skin thing is weird but why not? There's lots of marines covered in bones..

 

Beliefs

Space Marines tend to consider the Emperor an extraordinary human instead of a God, but I guess that makes your chapter stand out.

 

You've made them into cannibals! haha :D Do note that carrying a chalice full of blood is very cumbersome on the battlefield.. I can'tquite picture how the BA do it.

 

It is worthy of note that while the Ecclesiarchy refuses to provide a Rosarius to any chaplain of the Doom Skulls, however no chaplain has ever been observed without one.

You need to remove either while or however from this sentence.

[Arkangilos]

There really can't be "rumors" that they are of Blood Angels. It is pretty clear who are and who aren't of the Blood Angel decent. They all have the curses.

 

 

Unless it is rumored by other people, and the Doom Skulls know exactly who they are.

[darth_giles]

Unless it is rumored by other people, and the Doom Skulls know exactly who they are.

Oh, the Doom Skulls know exactly who they are. They just aren't telling. Neither are the two or three Inquisitors who know the whole truth about them. When they die, the Doom Skulls will be the only ones who know their own story, if the Highlords weren't informed. Knowing the Inquisition, they might not have been.

 

After all, how many space marine chapters with unaccounted-for origins and unknown foundings are there? What's one more?

[Arkangilos]

Unless it is rumored by other people, and the Doom Skulls know exactly who they are.

Oh, the Doom Skulls know exactly who they are. They just aren't telling. Neither are the two or three Inquisitors who know the whole truth about them. When they die, the Doom Skulls will be the only ones who know their own story, if the Highlords weren't informed. Knowing the Inquisition, they might not have been.

 

After all, how many space marine chapters with unaccounted-for origins and unknown foundings are there? What's one more?

 

Right, but Blood Angel origins are among the easiest to know. So I don't see how this can be "rumored."

 

Do they have the urge to drink blood? Do they suddenly experience flashbacks where they believe they are Sanguinius? If not, then there is no way they can be of Blood Angel decent. And there is nothing to really point at them being either. To the common Imperial, the difference between a Blood Angel and an Ultramarine are color schemes. To the upper ranks of the Imperium, they already know.

[darth_giles]

Right, but Blood Angel origins are among the easiest to know. So I don't see how this can be "rumored."

 

Do they have the urge to drink blood? Do they suddenly experience flashbacks where they believe they are Sanguinius? If not, then there is no way they can be of Blood Angel decent. And there is nothing to really point at them being either. To the common Imperial, the difference between a Blood Angel and an Ultramarine are color schemes. To the upper ranks of the Imperium, they already know.

They sure as hell drink a lot of blood and eat a lot of flesh. Their apothecaries even carry blood chalices, cause you never know when a fallen battle-brother might just need a little pick-me-up to get back into the fray.

[darth_giles]

Developed this chunk to describe their markings. I needed a fluff justification for easily being able to identify squads in game.

 

Insignia

The Doom Skulls never wear their chapter badge; a simple white wristband with the inscription "Doom Skulls" is their only chapter identification. Their left shoulder pad bears a circle with a squad number, which is usually assigned based upon role in battle.

 

As per the Codex Astartes, the right shoulder pad is dedicated to the Marine's squad identifier; Command, Tactical, Assault, and Devastator. As the Doom Skulls have no dedicated Tactical or Assault marines, these two also tend to be assigned based upon a squad's role in battle.

 

Battle- brothers assigned modern jump packs (which are a minority compared to those using jump packs made following patterns not used since the heresy) have recently begun painting their squad identifiers on the upper side of the jump pack's intake vents. This appears to be derivative of the chapter's Terminators, who paint their squad number on the back of their armor. Only one Doom Skulls veteran squad has been observed; this was a Vanguard squad, which wore the Crux Terminatus badge instead of the usual Assault squad marking.

 

Officers and commanders- the Chapter Master, Captains, Librarians, Chaplains, Standard Bearers, Company Champions, Apothecaries, and Techmarines- are permitted to display their personal heraldry on their back banner and left shoulder pad, instead of a squad icon.

 

The Doom Skulls have a system of identifier shields which they bolt onto the fronts of their Rhino and Razorback transports, which match those assigned to the squad it transports. They also follow the Codex Astartes system of painting Titan- readable markings on the top hatches of their Rhinos. This appears to be done only in observance of the Codex, as the Doom Skulls have never fought alongside the Adeptus Titanicus in their (short) recorded history.

 

What a Doom Skull assigned to the Deathwatch would wear, is up for speculation. None of their battle- brothers are known to have served in that august body.

 

The Doom Skulls don't award honor- markings in the way normally awarded by Codex chapters. They award terror- markings, usually red lightning bolts. The custom of awarding red lightning bolts appears to be a new practice considering how many of the senior Doom Skulls wear blue lightning bolt terror markings, although no new blue lightning bolts are being awarded. Another terror- marking which they no longer award is the skull- faced bat. This was removed due to the potential for confusion with the Night Lords traitor marines, particularly considering it was to be worn on the left shoulder pad in place of a squad number, and was awarded to entire squads at a time.

[Ecritter]

They may not display it, but they should still have one. How about this?

 

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c162/ecritter/Space%20Marines/DoomSkulls.png

 

As to what would happen to loyal Night Lords after the Heresy, most people just throw out what would happen now without considering that since no Legion had ever gone Chaos at the time of the Heresy ... there was no standard response to them. I dealt with this alot when I was working on my White Hand Chapter. Loyal Marines from a Fallen Legion could end up any way you can write them if its plausible. So I say go for it ... and have fun.

[darth_giles]

They may not display it, but they should still have one. How about this?

I'll take it under consideration. I know that they have one, but I just haven't gotten around to designing it. Not enough room on the mini what with the tactical icon *and* squad numbers.

 

As to what would happen to loyal Night Lords after the Heresy, most people just throw out what would happen now without considering that since no Legion had ever gone Chaos at the time of the Heresy ... there was no standard response to them. I dealt with this alot when I was working on my White Hand Chapter. Loyal Marines from a Fallen Legion could end up any way you can write them if its plausible. So I say go for it ... and have fun.

Well, one thing I had in mind was the possibility of time shenanigans involving the Immaterium, some Tech-Adepts who were very eager to get their hands on Heresy-era technology, and the rare Inquisitor who tests purity before opening fire. But that's all I'm going to say on the matter.

 

I rewrote the section on the chapter's homeworld. I like the idea of having a fortress-monastery built out of an asteroid, after seeing some BFG models of The Rock. That and I'm a little tired of hearing about Ramilies- Class Star Forts.

 

Home World

The Doom Skulls claim to have a homeworld, but refuse to divulge anything about it, save that it was a world of eternal night and it is no longer inhabited. The chapter operates from a vast fortress-monastery, which was partially carved out of an asteroid from the Nemesis Tessara system. While warp-capable, this fortress- monastery has moved less often than the more popular Ramilies- class Star Fort. It spent most of the 41st Millennium in orbit around the chapter's adopted homeworld of Nemesis Tessara; it orbited Mars briefly in the 6th century of M.41 for upgrades and repairs to its warp-engines, then returned to Nemesis Tessara. Fifteen years before Abbadon launched his Thirteenth Black Crusade, the entire chapter was relocated to an Inquisition stronghold planet in the Segmentum Pacificus, near the border of the Halo Zone. The official reason was so the Doom Skulls could bolster the Sabbat Worlds Crusade with their trademark Exterminatus techniques.

 

The Doom Skulls recruitment practices are unknown, although there is no shortage of scouts; indeed, its scout company is full to overflowing. Rumors abound as to where and when they recruit. A fairly unpopular one is that they have adopted the recruiting practices normally followed by a crusading chapter. Another is that they recruit while purging a world, seeking out those willing to overcome their fear, and then psycho-indoctrinating heresy from them. A particularly laughable one is that the Doom Skulls are daemons bound to empty suits of armor by daemon-worshipping Chaotician and Xanthite Inquisitors, and thus have no need for actual recruiting.

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Good profile, overall. However, the Exterminatus ideas need work.

 

1) Killing people in the manner described, will affect the Immaterium in a way that makes it hazardous to navigate (see Void Stalker for an example). That can NOT be good for the Imperium, e.g., if it intends to send reinforcements.

 

2) Committing massacres, and THEN performing Exterminatus? That's a waste of time- time better spent in battle with enemies that can FIGHT BACK. The Voice of Reason says, "Just destroy the planet, and get on with it!"

 

3) I abhor the idea of killing non-combatants, not only from a moral POV, but from a practical one. Unless this is a tactic to draw out what family members the non-combatants have among the opposing forces- i.e., people who can FIGHT- you're wasting time, time better spent getting to the next battle. Terror tactics can backfire, encouraging resistance instead of deterring it- prolonging a campaign and wasting more time. Also, I think a planet's population is better cowed if you kill the combatants first, letting the non-combatants (who likely outnumber the combatants by a magnitude) know their defenders can no longer protect them.

[darth_giles]

Good profile, overall. However, the Exterminatus ideas need work.

 

1) Killing people in the manner described, will affect the Immaterium in a way that makes it hazardous to navigate (see Void Stalker for an example). That can NOT be good for the Imperium, e.g., if it intends to send reinforcements.

 

2) Committing massacres, and THEN performing Exterminatus? That's a waste of time- time better spent in battle with enemies that can FIGHT BACK. The Voice of Reason says, "Just destroy the planet, and get on with it!"

Why would the Imperium send reinforcements to a world slated for Exterminatus? We're talking about heretics and traitors here, and enough of them that someone wants to make an example out of a given world.

 

3) I abhor the idea of killing non-combatants, not only from a moral POV, but from a practical one. Unless this is a tactic to draw out what family members the non-combatants have among the opposing forces- i.e., people who can FIGHT- you're wasting time, time better spent getting to the next battle. Terror tactics can backfire, encouraging resistance instead of deterring it- prolonging a campaign and wasting more time. Also, I think a planet's population is better cowed if you kill the combatants first, letting the non-combatants (who likely outnumber the combatants by a magnitude) know their defenders can no longer protect them.

Well, I did set out to create an *evil* Space Marine chapter.

 

That having been said, the goal here is to inflict terror. You have to suitably pulverize a world's defenses from space before you can start inflicting terror. And they have their reasons for wanting at least a few combat units still active at the very end. Better offerings for the Emperor during the formal blood drinking and flesh eating ritae.

[Ecritter]

Only one problem with creating terror in this way .... once you kill everyone, who's left to spread the terror? :lol:

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Why would the Imperium send reinforcements to a world slated for Exterminatus? We're talking about heretics and traitors here, and enough of them that someone wants to make an example out of a given world.

What if the planet in question is a forge world whose output is critical to the Imperium's war efforts? (See Graia in Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine.) What if the planet provides adamantium or other rare metals to such a forge world? In these cases, the planet is too useful to simply destroy and then forget about- even after you've killed everyone, reinforcements are necessary to re-occupy the planet.

Well, I did set out to create an *evil* Space Marine chapter.

You have to restrain the Doom Skulls a bit, so they don't fall into the "Evil is stupid" category. The ends do NOT justify the means when the means are counterproductive to the ends.

[darth_giles]

What if the planet in question is a forge world whose output is critical to the Imperium's war efforts? (See Graia in Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine.) What if the planet provides adamantium or other rare metals to such a forge world? In these cases, the planet is too useful to simply destroy and then forget about- even after you've killed everyone, reinforcements are necessary to re-occupy the planet.

If their chapter Librarians can fog up the warp enough to jam Astropathic communication, they can defog it when they're finished. Librarians can do more than just Smite things these days. For bare survival, any chapter's Libbies have to be at least as powerful as the weakest Chaos Sorcerer coven. There's also good evidence they have different lore; the BA have different lores from the DA, and the SW have those wonky runes and everything.

 

Plus, being Inquisition lapdogs they probably have access to training techniques that aren't part of the common regimen anymore, but aren't flat out prohibited.

 

You have to restrain the Doom Skulls a bit, so they don't fall into the "Evil is stupid" category. The ends do NOT justify the means when the means are counterproductive to the ends.

I edited the OP a little to address some of your concerns. They aren't "stupid evil" by a long shot.

[Bjorn Firewalker]

I edited the OP a little to address some of your concerns. They aren't "stupid evil" by a long shot.

Okay, I re-read the fluff. It's better, although there remain questions of plausibility. For example, if the Doom Skulls attempt to wipe out a hive world- or even an individual hive, the population of which can reach MILLIONS- even with a 1000:1 kill ratio, attrition will wipe out the Doom Skulls first. Best give the Marines techniques and tactics to handle something like that.