WIP: Knights of the Obsidian Grail

[Valgan]

Emperor be praised, brothers.

I've been quite a while in the world of warhammer, and played different armies, though it was always tempting to create my own chapter. I formed up some idea, but it's all but incomplete, and I would like you to help me finish it. Now there'll be a flow of thoughts I hope you , faithful brothers, will help me to sort out.

The chapter was created around 33rd millenia, as a force to guard a sector of agriworlds. they were based on a temperate medieval world, taking recruits from warring orders of knights and ruling it distantly. The geneseed is that of Dorn.

Name of the chapter is taken from an ancient relic bestowed upon it in the time of it creation. At some stage the chapters homeworld was destroyed, and this relic was stolen from them, and they were beaten bad. Now they are a small crusading fleet - based force, hunting this relic and the thiefs, because before that their honor is stained beyond measure

 

Questions I would like you to help me with are :
1. Nature of the relic. Is it an archeotech with magnificent capabilities or just a chunk of metal , which was at some point marked as HOLY (in any case, its a goddamn grail)

2. Who and why would attack a homeworld of a chapter, in what force and why would they need that relic
 

I bet more questions will arise as we go on, but these are main.

Thanks for attention, let the Emperors' guidance be with you.

 

P.S. Here the color scheme!

https://pp.vk.me/c407921/v407921777/8287/3kEznQlw_08.jpg

https://pp.vk.me/c407921/v407921777/8280/L1UhwDznrKQ.jpg

[Firepower]

Fun color scheme.

 

A question I'd like to raise, which I can't answer myself: what are the odds a feudal medieval styled planet would be in the neighborhood of settled, modern agriworlds?  As I understand it, worlds like that exist because of isolation from the more modern Imperium.

[Olis]

Questions I would like you to help me with are :

1. Nature of the relic. Is it an archeotech with magnificent capabilities or just a chunk of metal , which was at some point marked as HOLY (in any case, its a goddamn grail)

 

My apologies for answering your question with a question but just how literally do want this "grail" to be what it says on the tin? Would you want something that's largely metaphorical in nature or would you be prepared to have an item that's essentially a bauble?

 

2. Who and why would attack a homeworld of a chapter, in what force and why would they need that relic

 

Well, the obvious go to answer would be renegade/traitor marines but quite literally anybody (with the exception of 'nids) could be after this supposed relic. Hell, even other Imperial forces could be the culprits here. In any case there would have to be quite a large force needed to batter it's way into a fortress monastery if only brute force and ignorance is employed. If the attackers are more cunning, well, it'll depend on the story, then.

[Valgan]

 

 

 

 

 

My apologies for answering your question with a question but just how literally do want this "grail" to be what it says on the tin? Would you want something that's largely metaphorical in nature or would you be prepared to have an item that's essentially a bauble?

 

 

Well, that depends upon modelling. I was going to use some Blood Angel bits adorning my marines with pots and chalices of all kind. So I suppose it should be exactly what it says on the tin. But that is only because I'm not quite sure how will it stack if I use something metaphorical, and than suddenly the chalice upon shoulderpads of my marines, though this relic is no chalice at all.

 

 

Well, the obvious go to answer would be renegade/traitor marines but quite literally anybody (with the exception of 'nids) could be after this supposed relic. Hell, even other Imperial forces could be the culprits here. In any case there would have to be quite a large force needed to batter it's way into a fortress monastery if only brute force and ignorance is employed. If the attackers are more cunning, well, it'll depend on the story, then.

 

 

I thought of that, but that should be pretty damn large force of traitors, maybe a large part of the Black or Blood Crusade even. I thought of Iron Warriors, as this chapter are descendants of Dorn (and my metagame everyday enemy is an IW and Slaaneshi player :P), though I'm not sure is that possible for them to gather such force and destroy chapters homeworld in one big blow. Though that could be any other wardband, more subtle in approach, guiding most of the chapters' forces out from the chapter monastery, and that stealing the relic away unseen. But that leaves my chapter with homeworld intact, and I would like them to be homeless knights errant.

 

I also considered the idea of them being fleet - based from the very beginning, and their battle barge bearing the relic being boarded and the treasure carried away.

 

 

Fun color scheme.

 

A question I'd like to raise, which I can't answer myself: what are the odds a feudal medieval styled planet would be in the neighborhood of settled, modern agriworlds?  As I understand it, worlds like that exist because of isolation from the more modern Imperium.

 

Well, I agree with you, I think, it should be so. But if it's a system where are , for example, three planets, and two of them are situated closer to the sun, and one of them is farther. first two planets would be developed technically and frequently visited by starships, but the last may be left as it is. But that , I think, should be only if the planet cannot be used for any good purposes (a death world, or a wasteland world) ... Though I read that Rogue Traders and Imperial Navy, upon discovering a planet, after checking it for any resources and capabilities, check for being viable recruiting ground for Space Marines Chapters, and such planets are listed and granted upon the chapter creation.  Maybe this world was uncovered along the first two, and marked as "reservation order"?

[Wulfebane]

First thing that came to mind was a necron artifact taken by Trazyn the Infinite. Maybe it is roughly the shape of a chalice, maybe it's caked in mud or rust or something otherwise marring its surface. Despite that, maybe its so revered that the ecclesiarchy refuse to allow the admech to inspect it. Maybe its a power source and hums with energy, or lies inconspicuously dormant. Maybe it hides a key within it. Whatever it is, Trazyn wants it... for science!

 

Alternatively, maybe its a chalice-shaped object that conceals an ancient tesseract keeping a greater demon imprisoned and a chaos warband seeks to release it.

[Valgan]

First thing that came to mind was a necron artifact taken by Trazyn the Infinite. Maybe it is roughly the shape of a chalice, maybe it's caked in mud or rust or something otherwise marring its surface. Despite that, maybe its so revered that the ecclesiarchy refuse to allow the admech to inspect it. Maybe its a power source and hums with energy, or lies inconspicuously dormant. Maybe it hides a key within it. Whatever it is, Trazyn wants it... for science!

 

Alternatively, maybe its a chalice-shaped object that conceals an ancient tesseract keeping a greater demon imprisoned and a chaos warband seeks to release it.

Oh, really, there's also Trazyn. I like the idea of him involved. I like two of the suggestions - the Grail being the holiest of the relics (can it be a grail from which Dorn himself drank on some celebration?) and I also like the idea of it being a key to smthing, that gives a space to developing the thought. Could it be the key to some treasury full of other archeotechs, and this chapter may look for it , because there are no hints? Or it may be a key to multiple small storages all around the Imperium?

[Valgan]

Any more ideas? please post, it'll really help the development of my chapter

meanwhile, an art from my friend :D

[Aegnor]

In terms of what a planet like that is doing near agriworlds, I don't see an issue with that. Planets are developed as required and 99% of people on any planet never get off world. A modern agri-world in the same sector as this home planet is, for most people on that planet, functionally as remote as Terra itself. The planetary elite are an exception, but in this case that elite is the chapter itself and maybe they keep it like that because they want it to be like that.

 

So long as they meet the Tithe and don't allow/commit heresy, planetary governors are free to run their planet pretty much however they like. And a Marine homeworld has even greater latitude.

 

I reckon keep the Grail as an actual chalice. Maybe it was a cup given to Dorn as an honour and used by him, and it was bestowed to your chapter as a founding gift.

 

I reckon a traitor band are the most plausible Grail thieves. Perhaps they were a chapter gone renegade whose treachery wasn't known to your chapter, so they tricked them Battle of Calth style. Maybe they used proxies, cultists or Orks or someone else they could manipulate into acting as cannon fodder while they stole it.

 

EDIT: ooh, somehow missed the suggestion that Trazyn stole it to add to his collection. Go with that I reckon. Necron super-tech teleporting/stasis freezing the defenders explains how the chapter's most precious relic got stolen while members of the chapter still drew breath.

Will watch with interest. :)

[TrashMan]

If the artifact is a chalice. ..or chalice-shaped. Think of what could it possibly hold to be so valubale or considered holy.

 

 

The blood of Dorn?

Or the Emperor?

 

Or some genetic sample or something.