How does a new Chapter get founded?

[Brother Xiggy]

Firstly, I would like to state my appreciation for all the posts and shared resources on this forum. I am a noob to tB&C, but I have really enjoyed reading through many of the topics.

 

Secondly, on the topic of DIY chapters, I am interested in trying my hand at creating a DIY chapter. I want to establish a strong, plausible foundation. I am of the belief that any background concept is made that much more appealing when it is grounded in congruence and relevance with existing cannon and "fits" into the realm of believability. To that end, I have a few inquiries which I want to pose for discussion;

 

How does the initial inception of a Chapter begin?

Does a powerful Inquisitor issue a decree? Is it mandated by the Administratum? Is there an entity which governs, supervises, monitors or in some capacity administers the process?

 

How are the resources obtained?

Is it simply requisitioned from the Mechanicum? Are there stores of unused caches from before the Heresy? Are they confiscated from another chapter?

 

How are the gene seed resources chosen?

 

How are the first generation of Marines trained?

Since there is no existing infrastructure and no existing chapter marines to train the first generation of recruits, how do they get trained? I can imagine in cases where the new chapter is a direct descendent of an existing chapter, then they could pull a few marines from the "parent" chapter to either 'train' the first generation or form the nucleus of the new Chapter itself. How is this accomplished when a chapter is of an "unknown" gene lineage? Is there a "training" chapter? Are there ways in which new marines could be trained when no parent chapter is known or available? I know some of this will be pure conjecture, but it is an interesting topic nonetheless..

 

If any of these topics have been previously discussed, then I will beg for forgiveness, and I would appreciate a link to anything relevant.

[Master Of Malfeasance X]

Inception:

Not much is published about the thing you are asking. It is written in the Dark Angels Codex that Azrael specifically requested the High Lords of Terra create a Chapter. The Inquisition has not much to do with it except to vote yay or nay when it comes time for a founding. Large foundings usually happen after large scale events change the landscape of the Imperium (Horus heresy, reign of blood, interregnum of Nova Terra, etc)

 

How are resources obtained?

Again, not much printed on this, but according to the Fantasy Flight Deathwatch books, the Mechanicus stockpiles a small percentage of what they produce and when that stockpile hits a critical mass, they will either set it aside for a future founding, or use it immediately for a smaller founding. It never says, but from what has been written about Space Marines in other books, it appears that chapter masters and techmarines receive a certain investiture of power armor, bolters, knives, chainswords, jump packs, Rhinos and other basic equipment. Exotic wargear must be purchased with favors and promises of defense and support, which, if you read between the lines, is the economy that fuels all peers of the Imperium. An Inquisitor confiscates parts for terminator armor. He certainly can't sell them, who would buy them? Instead he trades them to the Soul Drinkers for the use of two tactical squads in an upcoming raid in which he is participating. Forge worlds need protecting, what Magos Senioris wouldn't offer a million bolt shells to a chapter that would patrol the space around his homeworld?

 

How are the gene seed resources chosen?

All chapters must tithe a percentage of their gene seed to the mechanicus for purity testing and stockpiling (when they don't, the Badab war happens). When the call comes to found a chapter, the mechanicus set aside the purest gene seed and pull from their own worker population the most ideal candidates for implantation. The cursed founding happened when they tried mixing individual organs from different gene stocks, so reading between the lines, if the mechanicus does not have enough gene seed from one chapter, they simply substitute whole gene seed from another, but the entire host of organs is used instead of mixing and matching. According to Lexicanum, the mechanicus will also use slaves to create more geneseed.

 

Who trains these lunatics?

Again, Deathwatch, with supplemental material from one of the older SM codices states that there are instances where space marines end up alone in ones or twos or occasionally as a squad. The most common are the Blackshields; Deathwatch marines whose chapters have either died out or been declared heretics. These otherwise loyal marines give up their chapter colors and serve in the Deathwatch permanently, or will be singled out to train and lead a new chapter. Periodically, chapters that bite off more than they can chew are whittled down to just a few warriors. I have no idea what they do while they're waiting for a founding, but they, too, may end up training new marines or standing up new chapters. Finally, a new chapter can be trained and stood up by an older chapter booting a few of its less popular or liked warriors into the new one.

 

Again, reading between the lines, chapters who list their progenitors as 'unknown' have had their genetic history wiped out by their own intent. There is no other explanation. It takes approximately four syllables to tell a neophyte his progenitor chapter and space marines take that information VERY seriously. If it has come to the point where not one battle brother in the chapter knows who the progenitors are, it means that the Chaplains and training sergeants have stopped telling the trainees where they came from AND all died out AND burned every reference AND had so little contact with the rest of the Imperium that even their progenitors have forgotten them. Chapters who report no progenitors do so very much because they have something to hide.

[Messor]

Have you explored the B&C's DIY Resources? Detailed answers to all of your questions await!

 

Short answers:

Chapter are/were created at the orders of the High Lords of Terra, almost exclusively during one of the 26 foundings. Reasons for creation vary from 'Strategic Prediction' of a future threat, to countering an existing threat, to crusading or guarding a specific region.

 

It takes many decades for a Chapter to reach nominal combat strength, and during that time the Mechanicus is constructing/collecting their equipment.

 

As Master said, efforts are made to use the purest available geneseed to found new Chapters, which is why the ultramarines have the highest proportion of successors, and less stable Chapters like the Blood Angels have few successors. Others, like the Black Templars and Space Wolves don't sire Chapters because of codex adherence or other differences.

 

And you got it right, generally new Chapters are trained by a cadre of warriors from the Chapter who sired them. Usually, if you encounter an 'unkown gene-seed' Chapter, its the result of lost/corrupted records. When a Chapter is first created there is little to no reason they won't know who their primogenitors were, but sometimes thousands of years of warfare can errode a Chapter's record keeping.

[Wulfebane]

Usually, if you encounter an 'unkown gene-seed' Chapter, its the result of lost/corrupted records. When a Chapter is first created there is little to no reason they won't know who their primogenitors were, but sometimes thousands of years of warfare can errode a Chapter's record keeping.

 

I've spent the last few weeks poring over this sub-forum in preparation to play my hand at a Blood Raven DIY chapter. I don't want to get into semantics regarding the legitimacy of Blood Ravens having successors in this thread, however, the quote above begs a question:

 

For chapters with unknown primogenitors/heritage -

1)What is expected of them regarding tithes to Admech

2)What level of involvement do the Inquisition apply and

3)How is their gene-seed handled from reintroduction to the Imperium to subsequent foundings?

[Brother Xiggy]

Usually, if you encounter an 'unkown gene-seed' Chapter, its the result of lost/corrupted records. When a Chapter is first created there is little to no reason they won't know who their primogenitors were, but sometimes thousands of years of warfare can errode a Chapter's record keeping.

 

First, thank you to those who have responded so far.

 

Second, The quote above is exactly why I asked the question. I must beg to differ with Messor's response. IMO, it goes against established fluff for any space marine chapter to "forget" or "loose track of" something so ingrained in their indoctrination. Gene legacy is such a deeply held element of a chapters identity; from Philosophy and Combat Doctrine, to Traditions and Pride/Honour. To imagine a successor of the Imperial Fists for example, to suddenly, or even gradually loose their "identity" and "gene heritage" is incredulous in the least.

 

As it is, I can only humbly imagine a scenario whereas a chapter is established by (insert influential entitiy[ies] of the imperium here) with the intent at the outset to obfuscate the gene heritage of the chapter. Why this would happen is open to conjecture. Perhaps the chapters gene heritage would put them at odds with the intended function which the chapter is intended to fullfil, or perhaps there is a standing history of hinderance or animosity between the entity which is "founding" the chapter and the progenitor chapter.

 

any thoughts?

[Messor]

For chapters with unknown primogenitors/heritage -

1)What is expected of them regarding tithes to Admech

2)What level of involvement do the Inquisition apply and

3)How is their gene-seed handled from reintroduction to the Imperium to subsequent foundings?

 

These are my opinions/conjectures but:

1) The same tithe would be expected. Considering how many Chapters (mostly DIY, but official as well) have lost the knowledge of their Primogenitors, I'm confident that the AdMech doesn't care much who they come from, as long as the tithes are given. Its mostly for the purpose of making sure the Chapter isn't mutating into heresy.

2) Again, I think the Inquisition is more concerned with what the actual Chapter is doing than who they come from, since they know that the 'troublemakers' don't really spawn successors. If your Chapter does suspicious things, the =I= will have an eye on 'em.

3) Not sure I follow this one. You mean if your successor sires a Chapter? I think it would be the process as usual...if unknown gene-seed Chapters are allowed to have successors. Again, it will probably a question of if/how much they are mutated.

[Ecritter]

I suggest you look at the following: Space Marine Foundings

[No Foes Remain]

Or this, its the best you will be able to get as to how SM chapters are founded.