Haldar Warfather Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 The Lupine Claws Space Marines Chapter "I see you, my brothers, standing before me. And there, across the ridgeline, lies our enemy, a foe who lacks nought in numbers nor courage. I have seen hundreds of years of war and thousands of battles, I have watched my brothers kill and I have watched my brothers die. If today so happens to be the day that the Emperor sees fit for us to die, then so be it! But let it never be said that we flinched, or faltered, or retreated! Let them sing songs of our battles, let them sing of our bravery, let them sing of how, even in the face of utter annihilation, we rained fire and lightning upon our foes until not a single one of us was left standing! ENSLAVE THE FURY! -Chapter Master Haldar Warfather, rallying 1st Company hours before his victory at Iacton VII Battle Cry Enslave the Fury! Founding 26th (ca. M41) Successors Ultramarines Successor Chapters None Chapter Master Haldar Warfather Primarch Roboute Guilliman Homeworld Caledonia Fortress-Monastery Ulster Keep Strength Nominal Allegiance Imperium Colours Bone and Red with Gold Trim, Green cloaks for officers INTRODUCTION ------------ The Lupine Claws are a 26th Founding chapter, formed in 738.M41 and declared fully self-sustainable and operation-ready before the turn of the next century. They are of pure gene-stock taken from the Roboute Guilliman geneseed line, and their first senior officers were veterans seconded from the Space Wolves chapter, including their current Chapter Master, Haldar Warfather. Being a very young chapter, they are quite eager to prove themselves and carve their names into Imperial legends, and this exuberance for battle is subtly encouraged by many of their ranking officers. The Lupine Claws have an abnormally large psyker presence within their ranks, with many aspirants showing signs of psychic ability very early on in their development. This likely stems from a decade-long warp storm that ravaged their home world hundreds of years ago whose effects still resonate throughout the planet's population. As such, the chapter builds their combat doctrine around the presence of overwhelming psychic power on the battlefield, backed up with the feral savagery passed onto them from the Space Wolf brothers-in-arms. Many an unsuspecting foe has fallen into what appeared to be a poorly-defended position, only to be utterly decimated at close range by the crackling of psychic lightning and the roaring of chainswords. Their tendency to rely on psychic prowess has put them at odds with other, more Codex-adherent, Space Marine chapters, but otherwise, the Lupine Claws are known to be fearsome warriors and amiable allies both on and off the field of battle. HOMEWORLD --------- Type: Hive World Orbital Radius: Unknown Gravity: Approximately 1 G Temperature: Temperate Population: Between 30,000,000,000 and 40,000,000,000 Segmentum: Segmentum Obscurus Sector: Jarlheim Sector Sub Sector: Prettania Sub-sector System: Caledonia System Caledonia is a Holy Terra-sized planet deep in the heart of Segmentum Obscurus. It boasts a mostly temperate climate and regular seasons in its year-round cycle around its sun. It is largely covered in vast oceans which separate the five main continents from each other. Caledonia Prime, the largest of the continents, is home to several hive cities that are ruled by the Caledonian nobility. It is from these hives that the Adminstratum draws the ranks of the Caledonian Imperial Guard, a large army of millions upon millions of fierce and loyal soldiers. Most Caledonians consider time in the Imperial Guard to be the second-highest honor a man can achieve in his lifetime; the first being acceptance into the ranks of the Lupine Claws, the demigod-like beings that mysteriously appear to induct the planet's best warriors. The Caledonian guard regiments are almost religiously loyal to "their" Astartes and are often seen fighting alongside the armor-clad supersoldiers. Many noble sons are trained from childhood to be warriors and knights in preparation for the day that the Angels of Death descend from the skies and take with them the planet's strongest and fiercest combatants. The other four continents are a completely different story. Far from the miles-high spires and the enormously dense population of the hives, the rest of the planet's inhabitants are all part of a barbaric culture which has no knowledge of the Imperium whatsoever. In fact, the majority of the plains-dwelling tribes are largely unaware of the Caledonian hive cities, and those intrepid few that have made the journey across the oceans to the primary continent have never returned. Caledonia Prime is held in superstition and fear by the rest of the planet. These technologically-backwards tribes dot the landscape of the planet, usually numbering no more than a couple of hundred and certainly no more than a thousand. Most of the tribes tend to center around "Shamans," the tribal leaders who are rumored to have magic capabilities, capable of wreaking enemy tribes to pieces with a single word. In reality, these shamans are mere mortals who have begun to exhibit minor psychic potential, making them prime targets for the Lupine Claws recruiters. The tribes wage constant wars against one another, often with their shamans leading from the front lines. Caledonia breeds some of the hardest soldiers mankind has to offer, and no sooner do battles end than a Lupine Claws Thunderhawk roars down from the skies and takes away the best warriors, alive, wounded, or inches from death. The Thunderhawk vanishes, never to be seen again. FORTRESS-MONASTERY ------------------ One of the five moons of Caledonia used to be a small agri-world, responsible for supplying material for the Imperial Tithe, but also for supplying food to the residents of the hives. For centuries, Caledonia and her moons lived in relative peace (at least, as peaceful as one can be in the 41st millenium). All of that changed almost a thousand years ago. A devastating warp storm emerged out of nowhere, swallowing entire planets whole and cutting off the Caledonian system from the rest of the Imperium. Supplies could not come in and no one could escape. The planet's and her moons' billions of inhabitants slowly starved to death as production and industry ground to a halt. Years passed, and still the great warp storm raged in the cold void of space. It became clear to planetary governess Boudicca that the system had been abandoned and could not possibly support the planet and all five of its moons. She reluctantly made a fateful judgement call: Caledonia was capable of feeding and saving only one of its sister moons, and the other four would be left to their own destinies. With a single transmission, she decided to save the agri-world and sentenced the other moons to death. The transmission came as a complete shock. In desperate outrage, the other four moons mobilized what transports and military forces they could. The shipping lanes around Caledonia became thick with fleeing civilians, jostling to get to the main planet before space ran out. The Caledonian navy began escorting the agri-world's ships to the planet surface, destroying any unauthorized spacecraft en route. The rebels fought back with their own paltry fleets. Millions perished in the struggle. Their lives in jeopardy, the four rebel moons played the last card in their hand and changed the system forever. They united and descended upon the agri-world, who had only managed to ferry a third of its population away. The agri-world was laid to waste from orbit as the rebels launched a planetwide firestorm, burning the atmosphere away and razing the cities to the ground. Billions died as the moon burned, becoming nothing more than a charred, black hunk of rock. The rebels then turned their guns and armies to Caledonia herself, embroiling the planet in full-scale civil war. By the time the warp storm ended and an Imperial fleet made it through to see if the system remained intact, Caledonia had been at war for a full decade and all but one of its continents had been utterly destroyed. The war ended in a single day and the planet's remaining populace was saved. When the High Lords of Terra convened to declare the 26th Founding, Caledonia was singled out as a likely candidate for a recruiting world. The Lupine Claws built their fortress-monastery upon the ashes of the burned agri-world in remembrance of the billions of innocents that had died. The Ulster Keep, as it is named, is built underneath the plateau where the first nuclear bombs dropped at the start of the civil war. Before their final induction into the Lupine Claws, aspirants make a pilgrimage to the highest point on the plateau so that they can stand vigil for a full day and night over the ruins. RECRUITMENT ---------- The Lupine Claws select their aspirants from all members of society, from the plains-dwelling primitive warrior clans to the highest knights in the hive cities' nobility to the bloodthirsty, murderous gang members of the underhives. They are particularly keen on taking the young shamans from the warrior clans, who are ferocious warriors coupled with the potential for psychic prowess. Imperial scholars believe that Caledonia's abnormally high presence of low-level psychic ability comes from the warp storm that raged nearby for a solid decade. As such, the chapter is constantly under the watchful eye of the Inquisition and other Space Marines chapters. The Claws make their recruiting runs constantly, but once every seven years,the hive cities' noble families gather for a month-long tournament display of power and influence. Representatives from the Lupine Claws are always present at this event and every single one of the tournament's participants seeks their favor. Following the month's festivities, parades, bloody melees, and other gatherings, the Lupine Claws' representatives depart the planet with many hundreds of recruits in tow. Youths who are born in conjunction with the seven-year tournament are often raised from birth to be noble fighters, their families hoping and praying that their offspring may one day be accepted into the ranks of the Astartes. There is no greater honor on Caledonia than to have a son leave the homeworld to be a part of the Imperium's finest warriors. Those youths that miss their chance in the tournament often go on to become officers and commanders in Caledonia's Imperial Guard regiments. Many an Imperial guard officer has fought alongside an Astartes battle-brother that bested him in the tournament decades earlier. THE LONG CLIMB -------------- Upon being taken from their home planet, recruits are immediately shipped to Burnt Moon that plays host to Ulster Keep. The recruits are stripped of all of their belongings save for a plain tunic, leather boots, a dagger, and a three-day supply of water. They touch down on the barren wastelands beneath Ulster Plateau; a huge geographical obstacle that towers above the landscape. The recruits' first trial is to reach the top of the plateau. It is a grueling, deadly climb that takes a full week to complete. Recruits are purposely given no food and not enough water to reach the top of the cliff, forcing them to forage, steal, and if necessary, kill. Fully half of the recruits perish on the climb, and the survivors are often exhausted, dehydrated, famished, and bloody. THE DANCE OF BLOOD ----------------- They receive no mercy, however. The Astartes training regimen is more brutal than any other in the known galaxy. Aspirants are taught all manner of necessary skills for Space Marines over the course of several years. About halfway through the training, they are all put through the infamous Dance of Blood: a small gladiatorial pit marked with the bloodstains of thousands of aspirants. The aspirants are given a pair of stone knuckledusters shaped into wicked claws like that of a wolf. Two at a time, they enter the ring and engage in a bloody melee under the watchful eye of the Master of Recruits. What he looks for in a recruit, none can say. The only thing anybody knows is that the fight is only over when the master says it is, and many times the end result is the death of one of the recruits. Those that pass move on in training. THE TEST OF INGMAR ------------------ The final test is administered by the Chief Librarian of the Lupine Claws. The surviving aspirants are brought before him and are psychically assaulted by him and the rest of the Librarium. The object is not to kill the aspirants, but to test their character. Following an hours-long trial of physical and mental agony, the aspirants are released and formally welcomed to the Lupine Claws. They complete their silent vigil over the ruins of Ulster Plateau and the next day are sent to report in to the Lupine Claws 10th Company. COMBAT DOCTRINE --------------- The Lupine Claws put an emphasis on close-range combat supported by the deadly powers of their Librarians. A favored tactic of the chapter is to hit the enemy at a distance with long-range firepower that forces them to advance, then lay an ambush at a spot of their own choosing where they can surround an enemy force and destroy it at will. A terrifying warcry erupts from the enemy's surroundings, accompanied by a lightning strike of melee combatants and the chapter's Librarians walking to and fro, cloaked in the crackling energies of the Warp. Many of the chapter's enemies fall before the roaring of chainswords and the thunderous booming of psychic power. Despite the chapter's preference for close-quarters combat, they do not underestimate the power of ranged fire. Their battle-brothers are well aware that the best time to attack an enemy man-to-man is when that enemy is already reeling from a sudden burst of concentrated fire that disorients them and makes them vulnerable. The chapter's tactical squads typically deploy in a gun line in front of their waiting assault squads, unleash close-range bolter fire, then charge into the fray as the elite assault squads make impact into the enemy lines. Above all else, the Lupine Claws respect their Librarians and use them as mobile close-range artillery, devastating enemy forces before the screaming, berzerker-like charge. ORGANIZATION ------------ The Lupine Claws follow a relatively Codex-adherent organizational scheme with only a few notable exceptions. The entirety of their 7th Company is devoted to siege warfare and contains most of the chapter's armored assault capability. The company is led by the chapter's Master of the Forge Alister Ironclad, a gruff companion but a brilliant tactician. The chapter's 10th Company, led by their Master of Recruits Dyllon Fireclaw, serves not only as the Claws' eyes and ears but also their special tactics division. Some veterans of the Lupine Claws volunteer to go back and serve in the 10th company's first and second squads as elite shock troops, ready to bring destruction wherever they are needed. The chapter's biggest deviation from the Codex lies in their abnormally-sized Librarium. Only the Librarium and the Chapter Master himself know exactly how many soldiers make up the unit, and it is otherwise a closely guarded secret. The Lupine Claws view psykers as valued brothers in arms and the current pinnacle of human potential, provided that they learn to harness their gifts and keep the daemons at bay. The Librarium is home to the chapter's Retainer Squads, who are veteran soldiers who have left their brothers in order to fight alongside, protect, and die for the Lupine Claws librarians, if necessary. These silent warriors wade into combat with deadly efficiency with both bolter and blade, and make for a fearsome sight indeed when seen in the presence of the Librarians to whom they have pledged their lives to. BELIEFS ------- Most of the Lupine Claws' culture centers around their homeworld beliefs, tempered by the hypno-indoctrination that they go through during training. Their Great Hall bears ancient totems and banners of warriors dead and alive. Most of the Claws wear personal totems into battle themselves, believing that they grant the bearer the might of his ancestors. The marines also participate in ritualistic tattooing, adorning their faces and bodies with symbols from their homeworld before going into battle. They live and fight for glory, spending their time in between battles telling great (and often exaggerated) tales of their exploits. Battle-Brothers who die in the field of battle are brought back to the Fortress-Monastery and formally laid to rest in their Hall of Heroes. Here, the brother's squadmates stand reverently as they set their comrade's body alight on grand funeral pyres, each Astartes offering his own silent prayers. The ashes are interred in ceramic jars blessed by the company chaplain and placed in individual vaults with the slain warrior's totems placed with him. The chapter's librarians are held in a place of honor second only to Chapter Master Haldar himself. They stay in their own section of Ulster Keep, practicing their talents and keeping mostly to themselves. They adorn themselves in the same manner as the warrior shamans from their past lives, driving their enemies before them with holy flame and rune-inscribed weapons. Wind kicks up their hair, giving them a daemonic appearance that is emphasized even more by their tattooed faces. All Lupine Claws are taught that psykers are the future of mankind, and therefore, it is essential to protect them at all costs. Every single battle-brother would willingly endure an eternity of torture than to allow one of their librarians to die. There are several accounts of entire Lupine Claws squads abandoning their current objective to save one of their own. The chapter, although young, is still steeped in tradition. Although well-versed in all manner of close-combat weapons, the preferred instrument of choice in melee is a shortspear, a Lupine Claws weapon with a a ceramite shaft and an adamantine mono-molecular head, tipped with a diamantine stabbing point. A Lupine Claw can wield a shortspear with deadly efficiency, making it just as effective in their hands as a standard chainsword. Officers within the chapter wear shortcloaks over their armor, a sheet of fabric adorned with totems and symbols that is draped over the left shoulder and clasped over the right. BATTLE-CRY ---------- "Enslave the Fury!" FORCES OF THE LUPINE CLAWS -------------------------- Coming soon! Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/267136-ia-lupine-claws/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uberlord Gendo Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 Quick thought, unless I am much mistaken, Space Wolves don't really like psykers too much, so having them help out with or be currently involved in a chapter that heavily uses them seems a bit odd. If you're going for a Space Wolves feel with an Space Marine Codex, you could probably do this with feral world origins and the aid of an intermediate agent. Else, it could be a force that once had much Space Wolves involvement but has developed an uncomfortable relationship since then due to the difference of opinion on psykers. That or you use rune priests, which raise eyes from the other Ultramarines are cool by the Space Wolves. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/267136-ia-lupine-claws/#findComment-3253658 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wulfebane Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 Quick thought, unless I am much mistaken, Space Wolves don't really like psykers too much, so having them help out with or be currently involved in a chapter that heavily uses them seems a bit odd.If you're going for a Space Wolves feel with an Space Marine Codex, you could probably do this with feral world origins and the aid of an intermediate agent. Else, it could be a force that once had much Space Wolves involvement but has developed an uncomfortable relationship since then due to the difference of opinion on psykers. That or you use rune priests, which raise eyes from the other Ultramarines are cool by the Space Wolves. Should the Rune Priests' spiritual enlightenment versus warp-born(/tainted) Librarian psykers debate become too much of a sticking point, you could easily swap out Wolves for White Scars and keep on truckin'. Khan's tactic if hit-and-run is one of many hunting strategies historically seen in tribal societies like mongolians or native americans. And during the American Revolution, it was native american practices of guerrilla warfare that inspired american forces to break from rank and file regiments. While I found the IA a good read, I did start to wonder about the need to have SW members in high-ranked and/or leadership roles. Other than the OP's name, I didn't see any other connection. Many armies are capable of guerrilla tactics, if that were the reason (Raven Guard come to mind), and due to Grey Knights or even Blood Ravens there is now a popular theme for heavy psyker use (my own wip IA will boast a large amount also) . So I think you could safely venture from needing Wolves in your army. However if you absolutely must have a SW Haldar Warfather, what I would do is have him a former Deathwatch marine that has spent too long from Fenris and no longer has a pack to call his own. I wouldn't necessarily make him a chapter master though.. seems ill-fitting for any stray SW regardless of origin. I would probably make him a wolf priest (or chaplain depending on codex) that can now carry out these ambush missions thru the use of SotH. It could be the Priesthood's traditional fenrisian practice to claim battle heroes, alive or dying, that Haldar reestablishes as the first master recruiting figure for the chapter and develop into the seven year war (maybe that's how long a standard fenrisian year is - haven't looked) , etc. Or perhaps a rune priest who has taken to screening all these would-be psykers as he is wary of their warp-tainted ways and makes use of hallucinogenic vision journeys to test their souls to be free of Chaotic lures. Anyways, just my two cents. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/267136-ia-lupine-claws/#findComment-3253685 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haldar Warfather Posted December 5, 2012 Author Share Posted December 5, 2012 Thanks for the response, guys, I appreciate the feedback! This whole IA spawned from my love for psykers and my love for Space Wolves...kind of a difficult concept to work with, so I anticipated a lot of refining and hard work before this things is ever ready. I want to play it out of the Space Wolves 'dex but (shh, it's a secret!) I plan on the chapter eventually going renegade due to their higher presence of psykers and their "psychic power is the best!" mentality. At that point, I want to be able to run it as Wolves or CSM depending on the game. Any help in that area is also appreciated! First off, you're both absolutely right: Space Wolves and psykers don't get along. At all. I thought I might be able to work with it due to the Lupine Claws's more shamanistic approach to psychic ability, rather than a straightforward "Oh, I'm going to open a whole into the most dangerous area in the known universe and summon some fire and hope I don't unleash a daemonic incursion in the process!". Maybe it doesn't work as well as I was hoping and I should rethink it. It's funny that you should mention that Haldar should be former Deathwatch, because he was actually a Rune Priest that I played for a long time in an ongoing Deathwatch campaign my friends and I had! I didn't see a need to include his whole backstory in my IA, but I have it on paper back home. I always thought it'd be awesome if I fielded my old DW character on tabletop, especially since some of my buds built armies around their characters as well. Needless to say, my Spess Wolves Rune Priest and our Black Templar Apothecary didn't get along, and my friend and I have some old grudges from our DW game to hammer out on tabletop, mano y mano... I think I could work with Haldar taking up the spot of Chief Librarian for a while (or Chief Rune Priest, lol) until the chapter eventually falls to Chaos and he can assassinate the current Chapter Master and lead the Claws on an unholy crusade of sheer awesome. Thoughts, comments, concerns? Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/267136-ia-lupine-claws/#findComment-3253695 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uberlord Gendo Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 Given Haldar being Deathwatch and having him start off as Rune Priest, perhaps you can have them take a very rune priests approach to their sorcery-- I'd expect Haldar to be more open about that sort of thing if he's Deathwatch, particularly if he thinks he can train them to do it as Space Wolves. This breaking away from the Codex could lead to internal dissent. In the mean time, they help out with some crusades etc, etc, and eventually a contingent is liberating the same chaos infested planet as a bunch of BT. They retake the city and the BT round up all the psykers to kill them. The Claws are furious, and a fight nearly breaks out, particularly since the Black Templars don't like the Lupine Claws much anyways. Someone breaks them up though, perhaps an Inquisitor or a Shadow Captain that happens to have helped out and the psykers live. The Black Templars are pissed and so they ask an inquisitor to keep tabs on them. Turns out that there was a cultist amongst the psykers and they summon a daemon. This arouses actual suspicion, since 'divergence from codex', while quite able to piss people off, is not the sort of thing that creates heretics. From there, perhaps they get sent on a penitent crusade and get turned in the process of that. Either way, you've got to have a bit where the BT apothecary and Haldar duke it out. Perhaps the Burning of Prospero comes up somehow as an internal thing, the chapter master might get replaced because they are too divergent--to bring them back in line and this new guy is a Space Wolf, from a different pack than Haldar and hates psykers with a burning passion. He's also is succumbing to the whole Helix Canis instability, getting irrationally aggressive. He snaps and tries to lead a group in repeating the burning of Prospero. Enraged, Haldar pulls a Magnus. Perhaps he can't quite believe what he's done and so the now rouge Lupine Claws try helping the Imperium and perhaps it even looks that way for them, but because they are pawns of Tzneetch, they always fit into plans and end up making things worse somehow, even if it is years down the line. Perhaps defeating an Eldar attack on a hive world lets the Necron Tomb there awaken and they rise and kill everyone, messing with supply of the nearby forgeworld, leaving an entire sector undersupplied, so that when the Thousand Sons attack, there aren't enough tanks to repel them. Just as planned. (And yeah, I get you. I'm running a missionary in a rogue trader game. Long story but he may have just convinced the admiral to give him command of a Sisters of Battle battalion. He also has a pet project to become an inquisitor. If it works and I have the time, I may make the resulting force.) Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/267136-ia-lupine-claws/#findComment-3253733 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haldar Warfather Posted December 6, 2012 Author Share Posted December 6, 2012 Given Haldar being Deathwatch and having him start off as Rune Priest, perhaps you can have them take a very rune priests approach to their sorcery-- I'd expect Haldar to be more open about that sort of thing if he's Deathwatch, particularly if he thinks he can train them to do it as Space Wolves. This breaking away from the Codex could lead to internal dissent. In the mean time, they help out with some crusades etc, etc, and eventually a contingent is liberating the same chaos infested planet as a bunch of BT. They retake the city and the BT round up all the psykers to kill them. The Claws are furious, and a fight nearly breaks out, particularly since the Black Templars don't like the Lupine Claws much anyways. Someone breaks them up though, perhaps an Inquisitor or a Shadow Captain that happens to have helped out and the psykers live. The Black Templars are pissed and so they ask an inquisitor to keep tabs on them. Turns out that there was a cultist amongst the psykers and they summon a daemon. This arouses actual suspicion, since 'divergence from codex', while quite able to piss people off, is not the sort of thing that creates heretics. From there, perhaps they get sent on a penitent crusade and get turned in the process of that. Either way, you've got to have a bit where the BT apothecary and Haldar duke it out. Perhaps the Burning of Prospero comes up somehow as an internal thing, the chapter master might get replaced because they are too divergent--to bring them back in line and this new guy is a Space Wolf, from a different pack than Haldar and hates psykers with a burning passion. He's also is succumbing to the whole Helix Canis instability, getting irrationally aggressive. He snaps and tries to lead a group in repeating the burning of Prospero. Enraged, Haldar pulls a Magnus. Perhaps he can't quite believe what he's done and so the now rouge Lupine Claws try helping the Imperium and perhaps it even looks that way for them, but because they are pawns of Tzneetch, they always fit into plans and end up making things worse somehow, even if it is years down the line. Perhaps defeating an Eldar attack on a hive world lets the Necron Tomb there awaken and they rise and kill everyone, messing with supply of the nearby forgeworld, leaving an entire sector undersupplied, so that when the Thousand Sons attack, there aren't enough tanks to repel them. Just as planned. (And yeah, I get you. I'm running a missionary in a rogue trader game. Long story but he may have just convinced the admiral to give him command of a Sisters of Battle battalion. He also has a pet project to become an inquisitor. If it works and I have the time, I may make the resulting force.) All great ideas, I'm definitely thinking about working some of them into my history! Let me ask you if this is at all plausible: I love Haldar and I have no intention of getting rid of him. Is it feasible that after centuries of service, an outstanding battle record, and considerable time in the Deathwatch, that the High Lords would grant a Space Wolf rune priest leadership of a chapter? My original intent was for him to be made Chapter Master of the Claws specifically because he was an experienced leader as well as a powerful psyker, making him a perfect match for a chapter founded from a society that based a lot of its culture around shaman tribal leaders. I'm not above changing it, and I would like to keep everything as "realistic" as I can given the fluff's accepted parameters, but it would require a bit of work to change. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/267136-ia-lupine-claws/#findComment-3254924 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wulfebane Posted December 6, 2012 Share Posted December 6, 2012 While I can't say true or false that they can or not, I just can't wrap my head around ANY Space Wolf being granted the position of Chapter Master for anything... they'd likely be too unorthodox for the High Lords or powers that be to permit. Space Wolves have always gotten around successor chapters by having lost companies and the 12 wolf lords, but hearing of any Wolves in someone else's chapter, it's always (to my knowledge) been the role of veterans or advisory. Additionally, Rune Priests in particular are revered in the Fang as much as any Wolf Lord, and are a huge boon for the Great Wolf as advising council and diviners. I would think allowing one to branch out after the service of Deathwatch to go lead their own chapter is a bit of a stretch without extenuating circumstances that kept the RP from being able to return (tragedy, exile, or flat tire, etc), but I don't think high praise from the Inquisition would be one of them. Speaking of Inquisition and Deathwatch, I find your story a bit odd. For starters, Rune Priests believe (whether true or not) that they gain power thru the spirits of Fenris, not the warp. Secondly, as part of the Deathwatch, members interact with the Inquisition habitually, and likely screened just as often, which means the members are perhaps the most pure of all the Astartes, discounting Grey Knights. I'm a bit troubled as to how a venerable Rune Priest (who already knows ways to defend against the taint of Chaos) that has joined the Deathwatch and had "exemplary" service would somehow suddenly fall to Chaos after being given a chapter, despite all eyes being on him throughout said DW service. Renegade loyalist, perhaps.... where this rift/grudge with BT or whomever becomes such that they murder/retaliate against them, earning them excommunicate traitoris by the inquisition, despite their loyalty to the emperor and imperium (after all, as the Rune Priest likely knows all too well, the Emperor is the greatest psyker of all, so how can psykers be all bad?). Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/267136-ia-lupine-claws/#findComment-3255020 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beachymike123 Posted December 7, 2012 Share Posted December 7, 2012 i don't mean to put a downer on things either but you say that your chapter is an ultramarines successor with guilliman as their primarch but you have space wolves as the training officers? its always been my understanding that the training cadre is made up of veterans from the founding chapter so as to help with and establish the chapter's identity. but this is the 41st millenium and anything is possible. with that in mind, i put forward a suggestion. at the end of the horus heresy, leman russ led some wolves into the eye of terror to hunt down the traitors (established fluff). one of these wolves was your named character and eventually he led his own lost company of wolves. after millenia in the warp and fighting the forces of chaos, his men have dwindled to barely a handful, although he does possess a few specialists (ie wolf priest, rune priest etc). he emerges from the warp several millenia later, a hardened veteran at the onslaught of the lupine claws' first major chapter campaign. the ultramarines captain/veteran/chapter master and his high command have had their command position infiltrated and destroyed by the forces of the great enemy. seeing a chapter about to crumble without a leader, haldar warfather seizes communications of the lupine claws and begins directing their efforts, his insight into the enemy unmatched by those present. at the end of the battle, warfather was granted nominal leadership of the chapter due to his expertise and great leadership but does so in secret. a captain from among the lupine claws themselves serves as the face of the chapter, and warfather is left in a unique position being able to not be seen in and from the public eye so to speak. this has led to tensions with inquisition forces when they try to investigate rumours of members of other chapters being present, but so far nothing has been proven. this could lead to an interesting honour guard squad should you ever choose to follow this path, as well as creating a mystery the chapter is trying to keep hidden, but bear in mind it may mean having to explain what would happen if one of the wolves died (would their geneseed be harvested and if so, who would receive it? lupine claws or a mystery gift to the space wolves?). hope this helps matey and good luck with the chapter. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/267136-ia-lupine-claws/#findComment-3255300 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Messor Posted December 7, 2012 Share Posted December 7, 2012 i don't mean to put a downer on things either but you say that your chapter is an ultramarines successor with guilliman as their primarch but you have space wolves as the training officers? its always been my understanding that the training cadre is made up of veterans from the founding chapter so as to help with and establish the chapter's identity. but this is the 41st millenium and anything is possible. with that in mind, i put forward a suggestion. at the end of the horus heresy, leman russ led some wolves into the eye of terror to hunt down the traitors (established fluff). one of these wolves was your named character and eventually he led his own lost company of wolves. after millenia in the warp and fighting the forces of chaos, his men have dwindled to barely a handful, although he does possess a few specialists (ie wolf priest, rune priest etc). he emerges from the warp several millenia later, a hardened veteran at the onslaught of the lupine claws' first major chapter campaign. the ultramarines captain/veteran/chapter master and his high command have had their command position infiltrated and destroyed by the forces of the great enemy. seeing a chapter about to crumble without a leader, haldar warfather seizes communications of the lupine claws and begins directing their efforts, his insight into the enemy unmatched by those present. at the end of the battle, warfather was granted nominal leadership of the chapter due to his expertise and great leadership but does so in secret. a captain from among the lupine claws themselves serves as the face of the chapter, and warfather is left in a unique position being able to not be seen in and from the public eye so to speak. this has led to tensions with inquisition forces when they try to investigate rumours of members of other chapters being present, but so far nothing has been proven. this could lead to an interesting honour guard squad should you ever choose to follow this path, as well as creating a mystery the chapter is trying to keep hidden, but bear in mind it may mean having to explain what would happen if one of the wolves died (would their geneseed be harvested and if so, who would receive it? lupine claws or a mystery gift to the space wolves?). hope this helps matey and good luck with the chapter. ...wow, that's one of the most masterful ideas for SW influenced Chapter that I've ever heard. Props, brother. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/267136-ia-lupine-claws/#findComment-3255339 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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