IA: Martyrs Vermilion 4.0.

[Epistolary Exander]

[clearfloat][/clearfloat]

DUELLING CULTS.

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ith the chapter’s obsession for close combat with the Great Martyrs foes the Martyrs have developed a number of different and varied close combat regimens, which can only be learnt from the associated duelling cult. As each duelling cult’s combat regimen reflects the cults own unique bias of its cultists.

For Martyr marines who are gregarious and zealous even by the chapter’s extreme standards would join a duelling cult who exclusively practices a whirling aggressive combat style. Each duelling cult therefore encourages its cultists to practice tactics and strategies which would allow them to execute their skills on the Great Martyrs victims.

It is believed it is up to the individual Captain-Librarians to decide on his squads composition with it either being a mix of different duelling cults or to have squads entirely of a single duelling cult. It is known that some of the chapters battle companies have a predisposition towards a specific duelling cult based on its Captain-Epistolary’s bias. This is certainly reflected in the chapter’s 3rd Company as Captain-Epistolary Exander’s direct approach to combat in recent centuries have led to his Martyr Marines being over zealous cultists.

As with the Excoriators the Martyrs Vermilion novitiates are given a duelling blade to mark their journey into the chapter’s doctrines. However the duelling blade is viewed with scorn by the Martyr marines of the duelling cult, this is because once a novitiate is allowed the final grace to be a Martyr Marine he must choose a duelling cult to join. Upon joining his new brotherhood the novitiate must mark his ascension by shattering his duelling blade across their knee just as Rogal Dorn had done before him and from then he most must embark to master a new weapon with the aid of his peers. These duelling weapons are then carried into combat by the Martyr marines and are reverently used in the Martyrs honour duels used to settle disputes within the chapter.

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he Martyrs Vermilion has been observed to be a divergent codex chapter. This is because chapter’s beliefs and regular combat theatre have influenced the chapter’s unit composition.

The Martyrs Vermilion has a single Veteran Company and 9 Battle Companies, with no scout company being observed as with each Battle Company is responsible for the induction of its own neophytes. This is because each battle company operates autonomously in the surrounding areas of the Eye of the Terror for extended periods. It is known that each aspirant progresses along the path of scout, devastator & tactical marine before being allowed to join the privileged martyr squads. The squad markings of each marine is known to be applied to the left knee plate of each battle brother, with the specific colour from the Codex Astartes being used to donate the company the marine is from.

The bulk of the chapter’s combat strength is made of its zealous assault squads, which are called Martyr Squads. The Martyrs are known to have a limited number of devastator squads with the chapters fire support usually supplied by various chapter surf crewed vehicles. The Martyrs use codex weapon load outs for its squads.

Each battle company has been observed to have its own veteran cadre to provide its captain with an elite warrior element. Despite this adaptation the chapter’s 1st Company is the only company which utilises the chapter’s TDA suits.

The chapter’s biggest & highest profile departure from the Codex Astartes is in the chapter’s command structure. The chapter is ruled exclusively by Librarians, fitting in with the chapter’s belief in the supremacy of psykers.

For each company of Martyrs Vermilion is led by an Epistolary-Captain. The chapters’ 1st Company forms the personal household of the Chapter Master, which means the Martyrs have no 1st Company Captain.

The Martyrs Vermilion Librarium has been amalgamated with the Reclusium, creating a larger entity meaning that the chapters Librarians have the dual roles of a chaplain & librarian. This means that each company often has a couple of Librarians seconded to it, to monitor its spiritual wellbeing and to record the chapter’s righteous deeds. The chapter’s rank & file revere the seconded Librarians within their midst as living demi-gods.

The Librarium has a substantial cadre of pious battle brothers called the Vermilion Guard. It is a great honour for a marine to be selected to join the vaunted ranks of the Vermilion Guard, for the Vermilion Guard are the custodians of the Librarium & its holy Librarians. The Vermilion Guard are known to be equipped with special bolter ammunition created by their psychic masters. It is quite common for each marine of the Vermilion Guard to have many bionic implants, due to the many serious injuries sustained while they lay down their lives protecting their avatars. These bionics are painted crimson to reflect the sacrifice made in service to their avatars, and it is from this practice that Vermilion Guard has earned their name.

The battle companies are each led by a Captain-Librarian who is separate from the Librarium. Each Captain-Librarian as part of his duties selects a neophyte from the Librarium to train to succeed one his peers open their untimely death. In this manour the politics of chapters command echelons are kept independent from the Librarium and vice versa.

The highest rank a non-psyker can achieve is to be the Chapter Champion. To achieve this rank a brethren must win a series of ritual hour duels from the amongst the chapter’s veterans. It is a great honour for a veteran to win the tournament for the chapter’s Librarians seek the advice of the Chapter’s Champions opinions on many issues. The current Chapter Champion is Siegfried who is equerry to the Chapter Master Arvada.

The Martyr’s techmarines are the only members of the chapter’s head quarter staff who are non-psykers and are known to have little influence on chapter policies. The techmarines are ostracized from the bulk of the chapter. This is due to the techmarines affiliation with the Mechanicum, for who the bulk of the chapter holds in contempt. For their part the chapter’s techmarines carry out their tasks in diligent solitude, with the blood red of the Mechanicum proudly gleaming off their right shoulder pouldron. Despite this burden the Martyrs Vermilion armoury are responsible for the manning and operating the chapter’s fleet because of this it is believed that the number of techmarines within the chapter must be a few dozen in order to effectively fulfil their duties.

The Martyrs Vermilion vehicle pool has evolved to reflect the specialist nature of the chapter’s combat environment and the reduced support from the Mechanicum. The chapter is known to operate a reduced number of vehicle frames compared to most chapters, with the chapter heavily relying on its versatile flying units to support most its combat deployments. The limited specialist vehicles such as Whirlwinds and Vindicators are only deployed over extensive campaigns when the individual Battle Companies rendezvous to support each other.

The Martyrs Vermilion has only been observed to utilise small numbers of venerable dreadnoughts. This can be accounted for because the all the Martyrs brethren endeavour to commit martyrdom. A Martyrs Vermilion marine cannot countenance being imprisoned into a dreadnought sarcophagus, viewing the act like the heinous insult the Great Martyr suffered at the hands of the Adeptus Mechanicus. The Martyrs dreadnoughts are known to be bitter but efficient individuals, lacking the fervent faith of the general chapter. This is because the incumbent marines are from the time before the chapter developed its radical beliefs. It can only be imagined how the many Martyrs dreadnought pilots have handled waking up to see their beloved chapter descend into witch worshipping zealots.

The chapter is known to have a large number of chapter surfs for which the chapter uses to crew its vehicles and to man its extensive fleet. It is the greatest honour for a serf to be part of the crew for the chapter’s vehicles, to carry and support their masters in their holy task of exterminating the Great Martyrs enemies.

Due to the Martyrs crusading nature the chapter has a large and established fleet, which is poses a potent threat to any renegade elements operating around the Eye of Terror. This is because the chapter has been observed to have over a dozen capital ships with a sizable escort fleet. The overall composition of chapter’s fleet is eclectic as the Martyrs Vermilion often have to seize replacement vessels from enemy forces as the Mechanicum rarely provides replacement vessels lost in action. Despite this each Battle Company has its own capital ship the battle barges His Will and Crimson Death are possessed by the chapter’s first 2 companies respectively. Due to the scarcity of resupply of equipment by the Mechanicum the Martyrs Vermilion are known to have a few forge ships with the Red Dorn, Ardent Sacrifice, Ruby Calypso and Fabricator Pilgrim amongst them. The Venerable Battle Barge His Will is known to be the chapter’s Fortress Monastery & is often observed accompanied with either of the Forge Ships Ardent Sacrifice & Red Dorn. Reports suggest that the Martyrs Vermilion have one other battle barge in addition to His Will, the Crimson Death since the destruction of the Prodigal at the hands of the Frozen Talons. The only other recorded battle barge the chapter was known to possess the Demetrius Katafalque has not been observed for in over a few millenia, it is assumed the ancient vessel was destroyed combating some especially nefarious enemy of the Great Martyr. A few of the chapter's strike cruiser assets observed by local Imperial Navy forces are; Alexis Polux, Clarity in Red, Blood Diamond, Sigismund and Protégé .

To cope with the random composition of the Martyrs Vermilion capital ships the chapters fleet combat wing has been standardised into traditional navy roles. With the chapters Thunderhawks becoming heavy bombers, Storm Eagles acting as assault boats and Storm Talons fulfilling the role of fighter- interceptors. It is believed this compromise has been achieved by stripping the launch catapults and retrieval cradles from the chapters launch bays and using the vertical take-off and landing capability of its flying units to maximise the number of air frames present on each ship.

LEGION OF THE DAMNED: THE ETERNAL MARTYRS.

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ver recent decades puritan elements of the inquisition have grown increasingly anxious at the rising reports of the Martyrs combat actions. The reason for this is because many of the reports include mentions to marines ethereal in nature, which bear resemblance to the mysterious Legion of the Damned. This in itself would not normally be an issue except the combat reports in recent years all contain references to the Legion of the Damned being present in the Martyrs battles.

In the reports the Legion of the Damned appears close to the proximity of the Martyrs squads present & actively engage the Martyrs enemies in a reckless blasé manour. It is inferred from these reports by some esoteric inquisitors that the Martyrs have in recent years begun the process of summoning these lethal warriors to aid the chapter in their ceaseless battles.

This theory is not implausible as the Martyrs Vermilion are led by librarians which are known for the radical thinking and their unique manor of reverence to the Emperor for which they call the “Great Martyr”.

If it transpires that the Martyrs Vermilion are performing summoning rituals of the Legion of the Damned, the consequences for the chapter would be dire as the inquisition would not rest in their efforts to reign this way ward chapter of Adeptus Astartes.

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he Martyrs are known to be progeny of the Imperial Fists, through their sires the Excoriators. The chapter showing common characters of the lineage of Rogal Dorn. The Martyrs are known to field an Emperor’s Champions, along with the chapter’s extremely stubborn nature are a common traits that are found in Dorn’s progeny.

It is known that the Martyrs Vermilion geneseed is highly stable & has no noticeable signs of mutation. It is believed that the Martyrs lake the zygotes for the Sus-an Membrane & the Betchers Gland, as is common with all the progeny of Rogal Dorn.

The chapter’s brethren quest for martyrdom has been attributed by some scholars to their heritage. The act of martyrdom can be viewed as the absolute act of self-harm may possibly be a perverse extension of the Excoriators attrition based combat doctrine and beliefs system. If this theory is true, it would mean that all of Dorn’s progeny have slightly mutated geneseed. The Martyrs excessive use of honour duels is believed to be partly caused by a slight mutation present in the chapter’s geneseed.

The Black figure stalked his way along the darkened corridor towards a deep bright blue slabbed portal. As the figure approached the entrance way he could make out the gold etching of the 8 pointed star shimmering before fading away with the blue bulkhead.

The figure emerged into a wide dimly lit circular chamber that was unmistakable as a bridge of a star ship. All around the sides of the room were hulking individuals clad in blue terminator armour. The black figure concentrated on the Renegade Marine to his immediate left, noticing intricate gold etching slither over the marine's armour suit.

“Have you completed your task?”

The black figure’s concentration on the terminator was shattered at this, the terminators form returning instantly to shades of blue. The black figure spun round in reply seeing blue giant emerge from shadows of contours of the room, his form becoming more complex with each loping stride towards the visitor.

“It is done; the False Emperor’s grey mages have received the vision of the fake future.” The black figure replied in a tortuous voice issuing from his vox grill.

“Stop talking in half answers Zarasphiston; will the False Emperor’s grey mages destroy the picket of zealots before the promised time?!” The blue giant retorted back as he began to circle the black figure.

The black figure focused his gaze on blue giant as he maneuvered around him, like a circling predator eyeing up its prey.

“The grey mages will not countenance allowing the zealots to survive. It is time for you Nashgad to fulfil your oath to The Despoiler!” Zarasphiston replied his voice clinging to the walls around the room with the implications of what was just said…

“Bye His Will”.

[Messor]

This is a great IA, I really enjoyed the characterization of this Chapter. There were plenty of unique aspects, most notably in my mind the worship of the Emperor, but it wasn't overdone, not to mention it inspired a couple of ideas (I've a chapter that may just look to the Martyr's examples of a well executed boarding action). One problem you do currently have, though, is a truckload of grammar/spelling mishaps, scattered throughout. It didn't interrupt the flow of the article too badly, but they still stick out.

[Epistolary Exander]

This is a great IA, I really enjoyed the characterization of this Chapter. There were plenty of unique aspects, most notably in my mind the worship of the Emperor, but it wasn't overdone, not to mention it inspired a couple of ideas (I've a chapter that may just look to the Martyr's examples of a well executed boarding action). One problem you do currently have, though, is a truckload of grammar/spelling mishaps, scattered throughout. It didn't interrupt the flow of the article too badly, but they still stick out.

 

I have just spagged it, hopefully I have removed most of the glaring ones. lol.

 

Thanks for the feedback :angry:.

[Epistolary Exander]

Is the B&C coding still the same as before the switch over? When I tried to format my saved versions of the IA using the coding from the 101 tutorial I was not getting the same results as before, admittedly this was a few months ago mind. Cheers :).

[Messor]

Yep, should still be the same.

[Octavulg]

It's not. All the codes are much more finicky. If you use sidebars or captions, for example, make sure to use line breaks before and after the tags (ESPECIALLY if you're using any tags within the caption or sidebar). Using line breaks usually avoids most issues. And make sure you're composing your work in a program outside the board, and saving it there. The software WILL screw it up eventually.