The Nightwatch (for C&C etc)

[TheDane]

Early stages of writing first IA. I could do with some ideas to carry it on. Sections within <> need expansion, and all unknowns need names.

 

The Nightwatch

 

Origins: The Nightwatch are believed to have been part of the 20^th Founding, late in the 35^th Millennium, as part of a bulwark against an envisioned ork Waaggh. In an attempt to maximise the effectiveness of the Astartes potential, the High Lords of Terra decreed that this Chapter would use Dark Angel gene-seed, but would be established and trained by a team of Salamanders veterans. The training cadre, led by the new Chapter Master Unknown A who had been a long-standing champion of the Salamanders, cut ties with their parent chapter, and became the first Nightwatch-men. The
Chapter Creation Order also decreed that the new chapter would be based on Home World, in System Unknown in Sector Unknown, as this was close to the centre of the predicted Waagghh.

Home World: Desert planet close to sun, with rotation period of one day – cool night side, hot day side. Day side covered in gullies and wadis which look as though they were once water-filled – unknown catastrophe has caused rotation and possibly location of planet to alter. Night side has five
Hive-cities, two of which are close to the poles, and are mining hives. The other three hives are manufacturing hives.
Fortress-monastary is on the equator, about a days travel on foot from the day/night line. Not direct rulers of planet, but rule via a stewardship. Population of planet knows Nightwatch are their protectors and benefactors. Next planet in system (Planet 2, uninhabited world, many ruins, any attempted terraforming/colonising fails) has moon (Feral Ork Moon) with a small remnant feral ork population.

 

History: The predicted Waagghh did not eventuate, due to aggressive patrolling and pre-emptive strikes by the Nightwatch. As the identity of the potential Waagghh boss was not known, action was taken to remove any and all Ork leaders within the sector which would also cause the orks who had been left leaderless to turn on each-other. This was a long series of small engagements, and casualties were taken, such that by the end of the campaign, only 3 of the active marines in the training cadre remained, Chapter Master Unknown A, First Company Captain UnknownE and Chaplain Unknown B.
 

The last significant Ork WaagghhBoss removed was UnknownOrk who was developing a power base on AplanetOrMoon, (? now Feral Ork Moon). The battle was hard fought, and although losses were light, UnknownE was lost to UnknownOrk. He was avenged by UnknownC, who was the first squad sergeant of the first company. UnknownC received a battlefield commission, and was promoted to be Captain of the First Company.

 

While the other companies returned to Homeworld first company stayed behind to meditate and prepare for the coming ceremony, as the first company were the last to have a 'home-grown' captain. A rip in the fabric of reality caused by the death of an ork psyker allowed a Chaos Marine raiding party to arrive above AplanetOrMoon and their sudden landing caught first company, and UnknownA who had stayed to mentor UnknownC
on his new role, by surprise. UnknownA prepared to hold the Chaos Marines at bay, and sent UnknownC back to organise his new company to counter-attack. Daemon Prince UnknownD led the raiding party, and it was his blade which slipped under the guard of UnknownA.

Enough time had been bought, and First Company was ruthless in their vengeance, as they forced their way to the place UnknownA had fallen. UnknownD laughed over his body, and UnknownC bellowed a challenge of settling. In his white-hot rage, UnknownC, though bloodied and battered, slew his foe and First Company chased the fleeing traitors until they vanished back into the warp. UnknownC brought his charges back under
control, loaded them aboard the vessels and returned to Homeworld.

 

On their return, their was uproar for multiple reasons: Were First Company tainted? And what was to be done to replace the Chapter Master? UnknownE had been the groomed replacement for UnknownA, but he was also gone.

UnknownB counselled the nine other captains to look to their own companies while First were investigated, which was done in concert with the Librarium. The truth of UnknownC's account was verified within hours, and the longer term problem of succession became foremost.

Unknown C was honoured as the young chapters greatest hero, and it was suggested he may be able to take on the role. He was unwilling as he believed he needed to find and destroy the chaos warband which had so traumatised the young chapter. The nine other Company Captains decided, in a meeting that lasted into a third day, that Unknown B must take on the combined roles of Chaplain and Chapter Master until the remainder of the Chaos warband had been discovered and destroyed.
 

 

<Because of achievements of UnknownC, no other captain is willing to become Chapter Master. UnknownB was interred in a dreadnaught after grievous injuries then, after many years, UnknownC vanished during a battle. Dreadnaught/Chaplain/Chapter Master all in one. Now so old, spends most time in stasis. Whole company hates all Chaos Marines.>
 

<Friends with Inquisition- how and why?>

 

Combat Doctrine:  See but don't be seen. Stand alone. Terror. At nominal strength.

Aspirants who survive exposure trial are trained using raids on feral orks on nearby moon before being selected to join companies as full scouts.
Raids are essentially used as population control, but never eradicated to allow future training.

 

Organisation:  Company led day to day by the council of twelve – Ten Company Captains, Current Head Chaplain and Current Master of the Forge. UnknownB only woken in times of crises. <Even when woken, doesn't act as Chapter Master, just casting vote or advisor. Why/How?>

 

Each company can operate completely independently – they each contain a mix of tactical, assault and devastator squads, while the first squad is the company's veterans. Only first five companies have access to terminator armour for their veterans at this time. The Nightwatch is currently at nominal strength. Companies draw scouts from a pool of aspirants, who then become part of that company for life. Company commanders can choose to alter the mix of their company – giving it a slightly more assault or ranged emphasis. As far back as memory remains, 10^th company has had an emphasis  on mounted warfare, and have used bikes, attack bikes and speeders. While each company also has access to Rhinos, Dreadnaughts and drop-pods, heavy armoured vehicles are controlled centrally, but are available at all times to the company commanders on an “as-needs” basis.

 

Beliefs: Very devout and introspective. Due to loss of UnknownA and recovery period under UnknownB more initiates are drawn to Chaplaincy roles. Chapter practises Bolter drills combined with prayers to God-Emperor. Revere the Primarchs (of Dark Angels & Salamanders.) - <? Lion and Fire-drake.> Honour their wargear – <links between chaplains and techmarines>

 

Gene-seed:  Pure Dark Angels. Due to training cadre being Salamanders, The Nightwatch are not considered part of the Unforgiven, and are barely recognised by the Dark Angels and their other successor chapters. Some individuals have a genetic anomaly in the oolitic kidney, which combines with the lack of daylight radiation to give their skin a blue tint.

 

Battle-cry: No battle-cry as such, but chapter meetings begin and end with a call and response:
        Call “Nos possident nox” (“We own the night”)
        Response “Nos sumus nox”(“We ARE the night”)

 

Sidebar: Aspirants often hive-gangers. Planetary Police sweep underbelly of the hives when requested by the chapter. Arrested gangers are tested
using an exposure trial. Aspirants delivered through old mining tunnels to day side of planet. Given a map, knife and small quantity of water. Need to find way to chapter fortress-monastary. Distance varies depending on urgency of need to replenish numbers.

 

 

Unknowns
– UnknownA: First Chapter Master from training Cadre

- UnknownB: First Chaplain (becomes Chapter Master/Chaplain) from training Cadre

- UnknownC: First Company Captain not from Training Cadre

- UnknownD: Daemon Prince

- UnknownE: First Company Captain from Training Cadre

- Homeworld: Needs Name only

- Hives – names for 2 mining and 3 manufacturing hives
- System

- Sector

- Planet 2

- Feral Ork Moon <?is this now APlanetorMoon>

- Unknown Ork

 

Happy with (but can expand on and tidy up) – Origins
                        - Gene-seed
                        - Battle-cry

 

[Messor]

I like what you're working towards, and hopefully tomorrow I have time for a more in depth reply, but it won't be til then. One thing that sticks out to me right away was your mention of recruits: In order to receive implants, recipients must be no older than 12-14ish when they begin the process, so you'd have some young hive gangers. Like I said, I'll take a deeper look tomorrow.<br /><br />Also, many thanks for giving your article effective tags!

[Messor]

Alright, to business.

 

First, how badly do you need all those names? I would agree with the first Chapter Master, the Captain who becomes Master in his stead, and the Chaplain-turned-dread who still serves as 'Chapter Master'. Most of these names will really only carry impact in a more descriptive, story setting, rather than the informative style article of an IA, especially in regards to the locations. Its fine knowing the homeworld/system, but you can probably refer to most of the rest as hive-of-homeworld and moon-of-homeworld, etc. That's up to you, of course. Naming can be a challenge, is all. On that note, I hope you planned to name most of these things on your own. Getting input from the Liber is awesome for ironing out fluff and all, but I feel like you'll lose something if you get others to name all these for you.

 

In terms of fluff, what made you (personally) decide to do a DA successor with SL training? I think you'll need some stronger reasoning than 'Terra said so' for the actual fluff, as I doubt such combinations are common. Perhaps something prevented the DA from training their gene-successors, or maybe the other way around, they were meant to be Salamanders, but problems plagued the fleets carrying the seed. Whatever you go with, I think you can give a more intriguing reason. As it stands now (I know its only an outline at the moment), there is no discernible theme to the Chapter. We only know they use stealth tactics because you say so; it's not reflected in the rest of the background. I also wonder how a Chapter that is more or less disowned by the DA and raised by Salamanders comes to practice stealth tactics.

 

To finish with some lesser things, you mention the first company hating chaos, which is pretty much a hardwired reaction in every Space Marine. I would find a way to amp that up in the final draft if you want it to be distinguishing somehow. While understand the bit where the first company is called into question because of potential taint, I think that would be a short term, screening kind of thing many a Chapter would do after a battle with Chaos. I mean it makes sense, but I doubt it would be a huge deal. I don't think marines are usually suspect of taint simply because they battle chaos.

 

Hope this helps, and keep it coming.

[Octavulg]

You know there is a chapter called the Night Watch, right? They're part of the Astartes Praeses.

 

There doesn't seem to be much of a cohesive theme here - no one thing ties the chapter together. Were you intending there to be some defining traits or elements you wanted to bring out?

[TheDane]

I had a few basic ideas, which added to more ideas I got from the Deathwatch rulebook. The matched very well giving this really interesting (to me & my mates) beginnings of a chapter.

 

Messor - the names are useful for me for backstory etc. I have friends who may end up doing traitor warband and or orks. The note on names is for me and them (I just did a straight copy/paste from our planning page, sorry). Some of this may end up as sidebars, some will not be included.

              -With respect to the differing successor/training, I thought it an interesting concept to work with. We know in 40K fiddling with genes goes wrong. If the 21st founding played with genetics, and it went bad why not have a 20th founding attempt to look at learned and inherited traits - the DA being liable to up and leave a battle/campaign if something else comes up compared to the SL need to look after people. The 21st fiddling of genetics is an attempt to improve on that. While it may be a little unusual, I've seen nothing in fluff to say that HLoT can't and wouldn't interefere in that way.

              - The fact that the Nightwatch has become adept at stealth is a learned trait - needed from their early days to break up a potential Ork Waarghh while increasing their own numbers (ie needing to avoid casualties). They also train and recruit from a night-world, so sneaking and hunting in the dark comes more naturally. That sneaking will link into their ability/trait of terrorising enemies by making portions of the enemy army disappear. This will be expanded in combat doctrine and organisation.

            - The query on the first company taint probably won't make it into a final draft - it's a very short term thing, but useful for me as part of the chapter history.

            - The hatred of chaos will be explored by the continued hunt for the traitor raiding party throughout the chapters history (although this is not allowed to interfere with any current task. It is only ever carried out when resources are not required for other things.).

 

Octavulg - In the nicest possible way, don't care about Astartes Praeses and the Night Watch. This chapter is the Nightwatch. Maybe it's semantics, but it's my chapter.

               - The Nightwatch are not a 'themed' army, like pirates in space, or vikings in space, or romans in space. They are, instead, a chapter with an interesting history and a slightly different organisation and way of making war. They were inspired (a little) by Rembrandts painting of the same name.

[Octavulg]

Octavulg - In the nicest possible way, don't care about Astartes Praeses and the Night Watch. This chapter is the Nightwatch. Maybe it's semantics, but it's my chapter.

True, and if it was just some guy's DIY it'd be less of a concern. However, the Night Watch are an official GW chapter. One of the lower tier ones that gets mentioned in the fluff occasionally but lack a color scheme, but they still have a home world (Silence - and we know where it is), a name, some history, and a mission (fighting Chaos). That's more than many. Hell, it's currently more than you. Take a look here.You can ignore them, sure (though you could also co-opt what there is and build on it, which'd fill many of your gaps and avoid the issue altogether). But at least know what you're ignoring.

- The Nightwatch are not a 'themed' army, like pirates in space, or vikings in space, or romans in space. They are, instead, a chapter with an interesting history and a slightly different organisation and way of making war. They were inspired (a little) by Rembrandts painting of the same name.

First, a theme isn't limited to a culture. The Imperial Fists have a theme, despite not being "particular culture in space" - they're stubborn. The Night Lords are about terror. My Stone Hearts are commercial. That sort of thing is a perfectly valid theme. And, of course, you can have multiple themes at once (which tends to make the chapter seem much more well-rounded).Second, that's not entirely what I was getting at in any case. History and organization are nice, but if the chapter isn't interesting they're not interesting either. So what is the chapter like? Who are they? What do they want? What kind of people do you want your Marines to be? Their goals, their dreams, etc. What makes them different from Marines of other chapters? Drop an Imperial Fist, an Ultramarine, a Salamander and a White Scar naked on a mountain and tell them to conquer the planet and they'll all do it different ways, and with different priorities. And that's not just about their chosen tactics, it's because their mentalities are different. Their tactics just reflect their personalities.So: what are your marines like? What are the unique things about your chapter that shape how your marines think? Not their history, but what they're like now.

[TheDane]

Fair enough Octavulg -   The part my mate & I are trying to work out how to put into this is the chapter (& marines) love of humanity, but viewed from the outside looking in. The chapter and marines KNOW they are not just humans, and cannot live a normal life. They don't feel emotions the same way, they know what they have lost to become who they are (Salamanders training cadre got deep into them). They know that humans aren't strong enough or warrior enough to hold back the tide, so they will. When not at war, they live vicariously by watching the people of their planet. They know there can be temptation to Chaos in this, but because they are so well chaplained, they haven't fallen. (?yet) They may never fall, but they are always aware how easy it would be to (and that may be why they haven't fallen)

 

I've pulled these bullet points out as these are the parts needing expansion that will answer your questions. I've just noticed I haven't made clear that the fortress/monastary is on the night side of the planet (which will be significant when I draw these parts together.)

Combat Doctrine:  See but don't be seen. Stand alone. Terror.
Beliefs: Very devout and introspective. Chapter practises Bolter drills combined with prayers to God-Emperor. Revere the Primarchs (of Dark Angels & Salamanders.)

Organisation: Companies draw scouts from a pool of aspirants, who then become part of that company for life

 

So, the marines are part of their company for life. This makes for a close brotherhood and meritocracy. As a collective, they stand apart from others imperial forces - they will work with them, but not mix and mingle. Like any marine, they are super-soldiers, adaptable, flexible and fatal to their enemy. They excel at subterfuge and (due to their ranks coming from a population that lives at night) are brilliant in night conditions.  They tend to terrorise their enemy by removing portions of the enemy force in small, quiet night actions - minimal noise, maximum mess.

They pray to the Emperor, knowing that without him Chaos would be ascendant, and they revere and remember the primarchs of their two founding legions. How this is done (whether it be in the form of the fire-drake and the lion, or in another way is up for discussion).

 

Also, I think the homeworld will be named Stanegate.

[Brother_Kovasir]

So I just got done reading and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Of course the confusion of UnkownA/B/C/D bit was annoying but small. I think its a great start for a DIY chapter. Especially so seeing as how my own chapter follows closely, disturbingly close actually, in its history and founding. Hell even its founding chapter, to some extent. 

 

One of my concerns for you DIY, like Octavulg has pointed out, is that there already exists a Night Watch. (Funny enough I know someone who has a small army of Night Watch marines. ( Granted I haven't seen him field them in forever.) But they exist.) Keep in mind this is also a GW chapter which means in the future if they decided to go in depth with this chapter, or someone writes about them you're going to have a hell of a time explaining a divergence. Granted I would argue its worth the risk, just something to keep in mind as you write up the army.

 

Again, as Octavulg has stated, there is a lack of a theme here. There needs to be something to tie this otherwise interesting chapter together. 

 

I look forward to seeing this chapter mature!

[TheDane]

First, thanks for reading. I'll get together with my mates and get some names nailed down at some point. Kind of weird to have someone else thinking along our lines.

 

With regards to the GW Night Watch, I accept they exist. In a universe this big, I see no problem with my chapter (The Nightwatch) existing on the opposite side of the universe to the Night Watch and having a similar but subtly different name.

[Octavulg]

Fair enough Octavulg - The part my mate & I are trying to work out how to put into this is the chapter (& marines) love of humanity, but viewed from the outside looking in. The chapter and marines KNOW they are not just humans, and cannot live a normal life. They don't feel emotions the same way, they know what they have lost to become who they are

One of my favorite themes in Space Marines. Hard to express, mind you, but nice.

(Salamanders training cadre got deep into them).

By the way, why the different geneseed and training cadre? Why not just be Salamanders? Or even straight Dark Angels (obsessed with atoning for all the non-Space Marines who died on Caliban)?

They know that humans aren't strong enough or warrior enough to hold back the tide, so they will. When not at war, they live vicariously by watching the people of their planet. They know there can be temptation to Chaos in this, but because they are so well chaplained, they haven't fallen. (?yet) They may never fall, but they are always aware how easy it would be to (and that may be why they haven't fallen)

The Salamanders live among the people.

Combat Doctrine: See but don't be seen. Stand alone. Terror.

That seems a little incompatible with a close relationship with the people. Not entirely, but a fair bit. You could get some milage out of that dissonance.

Organisation: Companies draw scouts from a pool of aspirants, who then become part of that company for life

Might want to expand the idea of lifelong bonds to other aspects of the chapter.

So, the marines are part of their company for life. This makes for a close brotherhood and meritocracy.

Really? I would have expected it to encourage a lot of politicking and patronage.

As a collective, they stand apart from others imperial forces - they will work with them, but not mix and mingle.

Why? These other forces also have things the Nightwatch have lost in becoming who they are.

 

Regarding the name...they don't feel very "watchy" (either of the night or from the night). I'd also throw the possibility of Nightwatchers out there, since it sounds very similar but also, I think, a little creepier (plus, you've got those who watch the night and those who watch from the night, in the same term).