IA: Crusaders

[Kevin48220]

Index Astartes

The Crusaders

Origins

The Crusaders were established in the 26th Founding. Their purpose is to provide a well-rounded force that can operate on the outer frontiers of Imperial space, searching out and heading off xenos incursions and providing regular patrols on the edges of the Imperium. The High Lords of Terra ultimately determined that the chapter should be headquartered at Tarsus 4, a small planet orbiting the red giant M-78 in the Ultima Segmentum.

As a newer chapter, the Crusaders have yet to prove themselves in a decisive battle or spearhead a major campaign. They have provided supporting units and reinforcements in the campaigns to exterminate Hive Fleets Kraken and Behemoth, the Badab War, and the 13th Black Crusade.

Home World

Tarsus 4 is a planet roughly 75% of the size of Holy Terra. It is covered in desert, tundra, and mountains, with a generally moderate to cold climate, reflecting the fact that it orbits a cooling red sun. The chapter has established its fortress-monestary in a mountain range overlooking the planetary capital and spaceport, which operates as a central hub for trade and exchange. The capital and spaceport also contains the necessary industrial and support facilities to maintain the Crusaders' operations.

The planet's human population is largely nomadic and migratory. While they do not reject technology or the benefits of being part of the Imperium, they have maintained their tribal cultures and migratory pattern of life. Some tribes are stationary, devoting themselves to mining, agriculture, or other operations necessary to the support of the Crusaders, and provide many of the chapter's recruits. The Crusaders have developed a kinship and cooperative relationship with the native population based on their mutual and fervent religious faith.

The Crusaders are somewhat protective of the native population and their way of life, going so far as to prevent the development of the planet by other imperial agencies. They have permitted religious missions to be established, including the Adeptes Sororitas, the Inquisition, and the Ordos Mechanicus, but have prevented industrial and commercial development of the planet by outsiders.

Combat Doctrine

At this point, the Brother-Tacticians of the Crusaders focus on providing balanced and flexible combat forces which can adapt to conditions as required. The Chapter Master has made indications that a balanced approach in force composition, simplicity in tactical planning, and maximum adaptibility will likely be the hallmarks of the Crusaders' order of battle.

This is likely due to their relative isolation in their own area of control, which has forced them to be adaptible and able to fend for themselves. This has, over time, proven to be useful in their common assignment as support and reinforcement when coordinating with other chapters. On their own, generally, the Crusaders are zealous combatants, and neither ask nor give quarter to any opponent, particularly xenos species.

Organization

The chapter is organized on standard lines of organization. No significant deviations from the codex.

Beliefs

The Crusaders are noted for their devout religious practices and monastic sensibility. Indeed, it has been suggested that the Crusaders see themselves more as monks, or warrior-monks, than as soldiers. Their daily life is spent working on honing their combat arts and intense theological study. The chapter considers this part of their inheritance from the Black Templars, whom many honor by wearing a bronze cross as their personal iconography. The chapter itself does not have a particular symbol, instead encouraging each individual brother to develop or adopt a personal icon. This is tied in some fashion to the chapter's religious zealotry and in conjunction with the chapter's Chaplains.

The focus of the chapter and its brothers is on their religious practice and being of service to the Emperor. Many of the brothers are accomplished artists, whose paintings, sculptures, and other works are presented in the chapter's facilities and spacecraft. As a chapter, they are not concerned with being given a leading or supporting role in any engagement; their concern is to serve the Emperor and through that, to attain some level of communion with Him.

Gene-seed

The Crusaders' gene-seed was drawn from the Black Templars, which some have said is a major contributor to the Crusaders' deep religiosity and zealousness in combat. It has thus far shown no tendency toward mutation, failure, or dilution. However, the chapter is only a few centuries old and the majority of its Marines are first-generation. Hence, the gene-seed in each Marine is monitored by chapter apothecaries for any signs of long-term mutation or evolution.

Battle-cry

”Throne and Tarsus!

[Messor]

So it looks like beliefs are the defining feature of the Chapter so far. I've never heard of artistic marines before, but I've always imagined it was possible. I don't know the likelihood of it either, but it's an interesting inclusion. As warrior monks, would I be right to guess that some of their combat doctrine reflects their beliefs(or will in the future)?

[Kevin48220]

I actually need to clarify the artistic side of the chapter--they do religious art. Sculpture, painting, illuminated manuscripts, the sort of art that monks have done for centuries. I wanted something to differentiate them in some fashion, to show something of how they spend their time when they're not killing xenos or heretics. Expressing their religious devotion artistically as well as militarily seemed like an interesting thing to add to their background.

 

I'm working on their combat doctrine fairly slowly. I'm new to 40K (started playing with 6th) and still playing around with things.

 

Thx very much for your comments. Pics to follow soon!

[Wade Garrett]

Hmm...I'm not sure about their all brown color scheme. It doesn't really jibe with the artistic holy knights theme I am getting from the article.

[Erasmus of Baal]

It seems strange to me that Space Marines would spend their time illumining manuscripts. I'm used to this idea of what a Space Marine does with his time - which is, in short, fight, pray, eat, fight, fight, talk about fighting, fight, pray, fight, eat, sleep, rinse, repeat. I find it more likely that they, if artistically inclined, would attempt to make an art of their combat, much like how Ferrata or Aurelius Rex (I don't know which) wrote the Dornian Heresy Emperor's Children (sorry about the .pdf link, I can't find the original forum thread).

 

Also, be careful what you say - allowing the Adeptus Mechanicus onto the planet on a long-term basis (if they're even interested, which unless they want to make it a Forge World isn't normal) is, in fact, allowing the planet to be developed industrially by outsiders, even if only to a small degree.

 

It also seems strange that these giants - usually described as angels or demigods from a typical human's perspective - would be on such cordial terms with the native population. Also, I would think it difficult for places such as an Adeptas Sororitas mission to be established in relation to nomads.

 

Overall, you seem to have a a number of good ideas that simply don't merge well (or, at least haven't been merged well) into a single body. There doesn't seem to be anything unifying about the various elements that you have mentioned here. Any one or two of these elements could make a wonderful IA, but this many just makes the place seem impossible.

[Kevin48220]

Erasmus--thank you for your comments. This is a first pass, and I'm grateful that you took time to point out these inconsistencies. I'll be doing some revisions on this over the next few days, and I'll try to address your points.

 

Wade--I understand your comment. The color scheme looks much better--and more elaborate--on the actual models. I'll try to get some pics up soon.

 

I think that the actual ethic I wanted to express for them was that everything is a prayer to them. They could be fighting, illuminating a manuscript, or peeling potatoes--it's all the same; everything's a prayer to the Emperor. It's just how they approach their existence. Hence, an artistic work for a Crusader is an more of an act of worship than an expression of the individual's ego. I'll have to work on that a bit more, I think.

 

Thanks for your comment!

[Kevin48220]

Here's a second pass on the IA. I decided to just simplify it, and focus on the idea of these marines as warrior-monks. As before, C&C are welcome!

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Index Astartes

The Crusaders

Origins

The Crusaders were established in the 26th Founding. Their purpose was to provide a well-rounded force that could operate on the outer frontiers of Imperial space, searching for and heading off xenos incursions. The High Lords of Terra ultimately determined that the chapter would be a successor chapter to the Black Templars and would be headquartered at Tarsus 4, a small planet orbiting the red giant M-78 in the Ultima Segmentum.

As a newer chapter, the Crusaders have yet to prove themselves in a decisive battle or spearhead a major campaign. They have provided supporting units and reinforcements in the campaigns to exterminate Hive Fleets Kraken and Behemoth, the Badab War, and have a company battling in the 13th Black Crusade.

Home World

Tarsus 4 is a planet roughly 75% of the size of Holy Terra. It is covered in desert, tundra, and mountains, with a generally moderate to cold climate, reflecting the fact that it orbits a cooling red sun. The chapter has established its fortress-monestary in a mountain range overlooking the planetary capital and spaceport, which operates as a central hub for trade and exchange. The capital and spaceport also contains the necessary industrial and support facilities to maintain the Crusaders' operations.

Bastion, the planetary capital and spaceport, is the largest and most modern city on the planet. It operates as a central hub for travel, administration and commerce. Tarsus 4 has a population of 1.3 billion as of the last Imperial Census; around a quarter live in and around Bastion, while the remainder live in smaller towns, villages, and outposts scattered across the planet. The planet's rugged conditions make life difficult, and its population is hardy, pragmatic, and possessed of a strong devotion to the Imperial Cult.

This shared religious zealotry has been the basis of their relations with the Crusaders, who are seen as the living representatives of the Emperor. They are treated with equal amounts of deference and terror by the population, and command the population's absolute obedience. The chapter does the vast majority of its recruiting from the native population, and families live in equal amounts of hope and fear that a son or sons will be chosen for induction.

The Crusaders are respectful of the planet's rugged and desolate terrain, and have no desire to see their world turned into an industrial site. They have accordingly limited the development of industry to those necessary for the support of the chapter, maintenance of a planetary defense force, and providing important manufactured goods to the population. Attempts to further industrialize the planet, both native and non-native, have been repulsed violently.

Combat Doctrine

At this point, the Brother-Tacticians of the Crusaders focus on providing balanced and flexible combat forces which can adapt to conditions as required. The Chapter Master has made indications that a balanced approach in force composition, simplicity in tactical planning, and maximum adaptibility will likely be the hallmarks of the Crusaders' order of battle.

This is likely due to their relative isolation in their own area of control, which has forced them to be adaptible and able to fend for themselves. This has, over time, proven to be useful in their common assignment as support and reinforcement when coordinating with other chapters. On their own, generally, the Crusaders are zealous combatants, and neither ask nor give quarter to any opponent, particularly xenos species.

Organization

The chapter is organized on standard lines of organization. No significant deviations from the codex, save one.

The chapter had specific symbols and heraldry early in its history, but struck the image from its records after the chapter standard was destroyed in the Badab War. The Chapter Master declared that the Crusaders would not again bear an overall chapter standard or possess chapter heraldry until it had led and won a major victory for the Imperium. Individual companies still retain their standards and bear them in combat.

The Brethren are easily identified by their earth-toned armor and muted color scheme. The color scheme reflects the terrain of Tarsus 4 (basic tactical marine scheme shown here), and has variations to signify their unit designations and length of service. Further, each brother is allowed to wear personal iconography, which is chosen in conjunction with the Chaplains. Many honor their genetic inheritance from the Black Templars by wearing a bronzed variation on the Templar cross as their personal iconography. Others adopt different icons based on their combat assignment, spiritual attainment or achievements in battle.

Currently, the Crusaders are not a full-strength chapter. They have full 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Companies, which are actively serving in various capacities. Their 4th and 5th Companies are reserve companies generally charged with planetary defense and training duties. The 6th and 7th Companies are partial companies composed largely of trainees.

Beliefs

The Crusaders are noted for their devout religious practices and monastic sensibility. Indeed, it has been suggested that the Crusaders see themselves more as monks, or warrior-monks, than as soldiers. Their daily life is spent working on honing their combat arts and intense theological study. Each brother is expected to be a competent theologian as well as a first-class soldier, and charged with the duty of expressing their faith by creating one or more pieces of sacred art during their service to the chapter. This might be a painting, a sculpture, or an illuminated manuscript, crafted bit by bit over hundreds of years.

Gene-seed

The Crusaders' gene-seed was drawn from the Black Templars, which some have said is a major contributor to the Crusaders' deep religiosity and zealousness in combat. It has thus far shown no tendency toward mutation, failure, or dilution. However, the chapter is only a few centuries old and the majority of its Marines are first-generation. Hence, the gene-seed in each Marine is monitored by chapter apothecaries for any signs of long-term mutation or evolution.

Battle-cry

"Sedes et Tarsum" (Throne and Tarsus)