Questions about the Executioners

[Darrell]

I would like to preface this by saying I have fallen in love with the Executioners. They're the first official chapter I've felt really strongly about; they have a good blend of honor, humanity, duty and savagery that I think makes them my ideal Chapter. It's a little strange loving an official Chapter, since I've long had a DIY streak in me, but that's alright.

 

I'm reading through the IA 9 and 10 as we speak, as well as already having read through various internet wikis and sources about them, but have a few questions pertaining to the Executioners' role in the Badab War. I'm hoping to get a discussion going to find some answers.

 

Firstly, it is clear from the beginning of their involvement that the Executioners do not approve of the Tyrant's motives and actions. They refuse to submit to his direct authority, they do not hold ground and they stick to military targets. The Chapter Master "retired" after giving the order to aid the Astral Claws, so no one else in the Chapter could be held responsible when the fallout came. I understand that the general theme here is repaying an old honor debt to the Astral Claws, but if they knew the cause was not just then why did the Executioners support the secessionists? Wouldn't the oath to the Emperor take precedent over the oath to Huron's predecessors? Secession isn't as bad as heresy, sure, but the Executioners claim that their sole purpose is to hunt down the foes of the Imperium (Another bit of fluff that I like about them). When Huron claims to no longer be part of the Imperium, would that not make them enemies?

 

My second question, which is slightly related to the first, is what exactly did the Executioners know about Huron's intentions? Kane's interactions with the Salamanders during the Red Hour indicates that the Headsmen didn't know about the Tyrant's attempt to resurrect a Legion, or the Tyrant's heretical thoughts. But, did the Executioners know about the Tyrant's secession? On the one hand, it would make sense if the Executioners didn't know the Tyrant was now claiming independence of his system that they would support him. On the other hand, it would be odd to commit to a cause you did not fully try to understand. But, maybe it was a case of deliberately avoiding looking under rocks that are hiding things you don't really want to know about.

 

Finally, is there any indication of the Executioner's strength in the present timeline? It's been almost 90 years since they began their penitent crusade and, without the ability to replenish their numbers, I'm curious to know if the Chapter still exists or has been lost to the annals of history.

 

I hope some fellow lovers of the Emperor's Headsmen can give me some outside insight into what makes the Executioners tick.

[Olis]

Although I cannot claim to be a Headsman myself, I shall try to answer your queries as best I can, brother.

 

1) Afaik or as far as I could tell, the Executioners weren't told the whole truth. Thus when they answer the Astral Claws plea to square their honour debt, they respond. Granted, they knew that the Astral Claws were treading dangerous ground with inter-astartes fighting (hence the CM 'retiring' and the Executioners fighting on their own terms and not the Tyrants) but, at least at the start, it wasn't beyond the pale. I think, to start with, Huron wasn't fully seceeding from the Imperium - he was attempting to create a domain similar to Ultramar, with a side objective being to purge the Maelstrom with a non-codex compliant, enlarged chapter. The secession, I think, came after things started to go downhill (after the Kathargo trade convoy debacle). After the Executioners became fully aware of the Astral Claws 'sins' (the Red Hour incident), they were not happy. Iirc, they slaughtered the Astral Claws at the incident without mercy and then played no meaningful part in the war after that when they were, willingly, taken prisoner back to Nocturne.

 

2) Er... see number 1.

 

3) I think there isn't any official say on the current status of the Executioners. I would presume they are still active, personally.

 

 

Hope this helps (however accurate it may be). :)

[Cretheus]

Welcome to the ranks of the headsman Brother!

 

Basically it all comes down to the chapters own doctrines versus the the right thing.

It would have been a break of honour for them to refuse the blood debt. from the jist of it the executioners had an idea that huron was doing against the imperium, hense why the chapter master left! but the debt had to be paid to uphold the chapter own doctrines. Obviously when they found out about the stealing of gene seed the worst heresy against another space marine chapter the went MENTAL!

So to answer the questions.....

They new about the secession but chose to stay apart from it only taking on military targets to aid them

and one of the joys of playing/collecting this chapter is that there is now info onwards..... so its upto you what you do with them they could be like the crimson fists rebuilding or almost completely eradicated or you could imagine they have endured their penitent crusade well only hanving lost a company or two. the only restriction i would give if i were you is the inclusion of scouts as they aren't aloud to take on new recruits and they wouldn't sway that much from the codex as they very firmly believe in honour....... though 90 years is a long time!

[Race Bannon]

I think this is the start of the official Executioners thread?

 

Darrell, you ask great questions! Not a Headman myself, I have also chosen an official Chapter because of the same IA books (:tu:) so I have read as much as I can related to the event.

 

Having said that, I think Olisredan did a bang up job answering your concerns! To back him up, if the CM was not revealed the "Truth", then it's a simple matter of honor to repay a debt and this was an opportunity to cleanse the slate, so to speak. From Huron's point-of-view, ridding the Maelstrom of the Emperor's enemies fits into the Executioner's modus operandii. SO, 1+1=2.

 

I can't add further to answer #2.

 

As for #3, don't worry about now. Just build the army you want. Time is irrelevant on the tabletop. ^_^

[Yogi]

Executioners are pretty cool.

 

They are honour before reason, honour before anything, you know proper honour not the flexible crap of many other chapters (ie it actually causes problems). They also see everything as either honourable or dishonourable. I also really love there extreme understanding of violence, that it is to the death or maiming or you weren't trying hard enough.

 

 

This was a huge debt to repay, Astral claws prevented the Exe's annihilation. Innocent til proven guilty.

 

And I would say the Executioners are under strength but still kicking.

 

So basically the Executioners are not rational or logical or anything like that. They are honourbound to their rather harsh code. Killing enemies and adhering to this code is all that matters everything else is completely immaterial. The only reason they feel allowed to break their oath to huron is because he clearly acts in a dishonourable manner and while doing so breaks the fresh oath to spare the salamanders. You don't get in between the Executioners and their word.

[Crusader of Dorn]

It's been a while since i read the books but i think i still know the jist of the story.

 

The Executioners were outsiders to the region and knew nothing of the true nature of Hurons intentions (nor did his close allies, Mantis Warriors, Lamenters..). I think they undoubtedly knew what they were getting into was going to be quite bad in a political sense and perhaps hoped it might not escalate further. Throughout the books the chapters mood changes as they realise the tyrants true intentions and they try to withdraw further from his manipulations, of course leading upto the Red Hour when the astral claws heresy is unveiled.

The Executioners are honour bound yes, like many other chapters but i dont think they are a particularly pious chapter. They see the Imperial church and its creed to be petty and supersitious and prehaps they believe in their own interpretation of the Emperors will (and the oath the made to serve him) over the demands of Imperial authorities?

 

As for knowing of Hurons intentions, they knew very little. The chapter had never served with the Astral Claws berfore other than being aided by them during the siege of the Darkenvault. They didnt know Huron (and very likely didnt care about him or his cause). If Huron could keep the secrets of his heresy from close and long serving allies like the other rebel chapters, the executioners certainly wouldnt have known much, especially if they were keeping the tyrant at arms length.

 

I believe the Executioners would survive their penance, their too tough, too stubborn and too cunning to fold. I expect they fought/are fighting hard, have taken their fair share of casualties and are looking forward to their return to the Darkenvault to replenish and resupply then get back out to take some heads on their own terms.

[Deiros]

As an almost headsmen (I went Carcharodons Astra instead), I think the Chaplain was there to represent the Executioners CM, as he held the Axe that is a relic and badge of office for a CM of the Executioners. I do also recall Sharks and the Headsmen had a lil' bar fight at some space joint that they wrecked pretty badly (Corcyran Massacre).

 

About your chapter strength, its the 42M so I think there has been time for them to recover some of their loses during their crusade and are still in the process of rebuilding recovery, besides the Salamanders had the Executioner's backs and protected their twin worlds during that time, so now the Executioner's have a new debt with the Sallies. So the Executioners at least had a chance to keep their homeworlds instead of having them forfeit like the other Chapters.