Some rough start to a chapter, for fun

[Skritz]

I've been off the tabletop Warhammer 40k for years now, but that hasn't stopped me from beign a fan thanks to the RPG lines and the videogames (there is more than one way to enjoy the setting, after all). Recently I was digging trough my old things and found some scribbles where I've apparently laid down some ideas for a homebrew chapter. I don't really recall WHEN I wrote that but since I've read it the ideas for that chapter came back to me. While I'll probably never field an army of these marines, there's always Deathwatch for me to use setting material.

 

The basic idea is thus;

 

The marines of this chapter sacrifice all identity when they leave the scout company. They instead assume the name of a fallen hero of the chapter. From now on the marine relinquish his identity and strives to become like his lengendary namesake in as many ways as possible. These marines have a dour and sinister demeanor, considering themsleves 'dead' or 'ghosts' as their bodies are nothing but the current incarnation of a far older legend. They see themselves as merely holding the spirit of a legendary hero and when they die they become part of the hero's legacy. The tradition started when the chapter was devastasted during it's most daring campaign/crusade. It suffered crippling losses, nearly wiping out the chapter. When the chapter re-emerged centuries later, it had changed name and livery and had become this unusual chapter. It is believed this odd tradition was inducted into the recruits during their rebuilding period; some sort of extreme expression of their home planet's ancestor worship. The names of the legendary heros are those of former company captains and first-company veterans from the chapter's past as well as the names of all those who have fallen in the chapter's darkest moment.
 

[Nakuth]

An interesting idea; somewhat taking the 'Notables' concept of the Iron Snakes to another level. I can immediately think of two ways your could impliment it:

 

1. The chapter ha excellent records of their dead heroes, so that the scouts could more accurately take on their character, etc.

 

2. Maybe the chapter librarians place the initiates into a trance, and it is here they have visions of their new namesake?

 

Additional: It is likely the chapter would keep concise records of which neophyte receives the geneseed of which fallen Astarte. This could be the way they decide which name they take? It may require a contingency for those times where geneseed is lost.

 

 

As another thought: They could really take this to the extreme, and either a) never remove their armour/helms amongst mortals, especially amongst those who may have encountered the previous bearer of that name; thus propogating the 'immortal warriors' stereotype; or b) they could undergo extreme surgery to ensure they physically look like their namesake.

[Skritz]

I was not aware of the Iron Snakes when I wrote this down. As for the ideas you mentionned;

 

Option 2 seems more interresting and 'mystical' but it isn't to say option 1 isn't also possible to a small degree. Say brother Something-icus (yeah I know, I don't feel like writing an actual name so early in the morning) was a renowned ork slayer. An initiate who show similar zeal in elminating orks could be 'awarded' the name of this former ork slayer. As for surgeries I'm not sure, somehow that seems too petty and cosmetic for marines (but it isn't to say the more extreme members of the chapter don't do so) but I do dig the idea of never removing their armor/showing their faces, especially in the presence of ordinary humans. As for the geneseed, yes that was more or less what I intended. Perhaps the name is 'lost' alongside the geneseed? Or a new legacy is created from the name of a dead marine of the chapter's old day who hadn't been used yet.

 

I also think they would never field Dreadnought as it goes against the the chapter's way of immortalizing their heroes.

[soddinnutter]

I would leave it a mystery.

 

They claim to be possessed by the honoured dead. Most of the Imperium believes that they are not. Oddness happens when a marine starts to know things they could not possibly have known.

 

One example of this could be if Brother "Titan Slayer" David was fighting along side the Grey Knights. He and the rest of the rest of surviving marines are mind-wiped at the end of the campaign. 700 years and 2 incarnations later David is fighting alongside the Knights again. He calls to them by name.

 

Maybe they could have a number at the end of their name. You could have Chapter Master Zakharov XXVII. He is not the 27th Chapter Master called Zakharov but is in his 27th incarnation.

[Skritz]

Given the secrecy of some chapters, wether or not it's just an act or something more (claims of visions? Psychic imprint?) would probably a mystery known only to those well-versed into the chapter's deepest secrets.  I suppose no one would feel like arguing with a Space Marine who claim to be the nth incarnation of a hero of his chapter. It would probably be disrespectful to go "Yeah you guys are just loonies". Then again, in the Imperium, I'm not sure it would appear too far-fetched a belief as there are chapters and worlds with some truly odd traditions. So I guess most would just shrug.

[Nakuth]

I was not aware of the Iron Snakes when I wrote this down. As for the ideas you mentionned;

 

Option 2 seems more interresting and 'mystical' but it isn't to say option 1 isn't also possible to a small degree. Say brother Something-icus (yeah I know, I don't feel like writing an actual name so early in the morning) was a renowned ork slayer. An initiate who show similar zeal in elminating orks could be 'awarded' the name of this former ork slayer. As for surgeries I'm not sure, somehow that seems too petty and cosmetic for marines (but it isn't to say the more extreme members of the chapter don't do so) but I do dig the idea of never removing their armor/showing their faces, especially in the presence of ordinary humans. As for the geneseed, yes that was more or less what I intended. Perhaps the name is 'lost' alongside the geneseed? Or a new legacy is created from the name of a dead marine of the chapter's old day who hadn't been used yet.

 

I also think they would never field Dreadnought as it goes against the the chapter's way of immortalizing their heroes.

 

Maybe run with a combination of the geneseed & visions? For example, the chapter may (one would expect) have a 'back-log' of geneseed, ready for implanting. When a a recruit is deemed worthy of receiving the sacred geneseed, a member of the chaprter librarius (alternatively, it could be a member of the apothecarion using appropriate drugs....) induces a trance in the candidate, and when in this trance, they have a vision of one of the chapter's past heroes. It is through this that the 'correct' geneseed is determined. It could also be determined through use of the Emperor's Tarot, or some other, more esoteric, practice.

 

I once had an idea slightly similar to this, for the Angels Apocrypha. Using the old White Dwarf BA codex, the members of the chapter never removed their helms/armour around outsiders, and never spoke to them, either, not even to identify themselves. The Death Company was represented by the fact that, through some flaw, members of the chapter would have visions of their own demise/know when they were soon to die/etc, and were determined to die a heroic death. It was only these members of the chapter who were 'allowed' to remove their helms in the presence of outsiders, and these were the ones who would speak on behalf of their chapter.

 

I hope that helps you with your ideas. It's an interesting concept, and I look forward to seeing it develop.

[kdruthless]

Perhaps they could imitate the Persian immortals and never leave a body on the battlefield as well. There is a nice connection there...

[Skritz]

Thanks for the input guys, I might start writing a rough draft of their IA soon.

[Skritz]

Here's a placeholder and rough version of what I have so far. Lot's of placeholder names and empty stuff but it's a start.

Origins
Earliest records of the Marines Eternal (then named the ???) date back to the 34th Millenium. While there is information regarding the Chapter’s early days, they are nothing truly unique or notable. The (Chapter’s Old Name) fought many battles against the Imperium’s many foes, notably Orks and a few minor and primitive xenos races which were wiped out by the chapter. Their skulls still decorate the inside of their Fortress Monastery.

Marines Eternal have a most peculiar belief; the members of this chapter sacrifice all identity when they leave the scout company. They instead assume the name of a fallen hero of the chapter. From now on the marine relinquish his identity and strives to become like his legendary namesake in as many ways as possible. A number is added at the end of the name to signify the current incarnation. The origins of this tradition go back to the (placeholder name) Crusade; in the 37th Millenium. The most important campaign in the chapter’s history yet, the (placeholder name) Crusade mobilized seven companies into battle and fought alongside other chapters as well as Imperial Guards regiments. They suffered severe and crippling losses and eventually withdrew, nearly presumed lost or crippled beyond recovery by the rest of the Imperium. Centuries later, the chapter re-emerged with a new name, a new livery and the unusual belief that they are the dead heroes of the chapter reincarnated.

Organization
In both it’s incarnations, the chapter never maintained a full standing force of 1000 marines. The few Dreadnoughts they have left are as old as the chapter, as they no longer intern their venerated members in Dreadnoughts, since it would go against their reincarnation beliefs.

Beliefs
Each Marine Eternal believe himself to be a hero of the chapter, reincarnated. Their homeworld of (placeholder name) has a strong history of ancestral worship and supposed communion with the dead by shamans but the marines take this a different level. Upon leaving the scout company, the marine relinquish his name and identity and takes on the name of a fallen hero of the chapter. In most cases, he will not be the first one to take this name and will identify himself with a number added to his new name (such as Battle Brother, Somethingicus XI, meaning he will be the 11th incarnation of Somethingicus). How each marine is assigned such a name is a subject of great mystery and is a well-kept secret of the chapter. Some theorize they are often given the name of the Marine which they inherited the geneseed but this theory break down when closely examined as each Astartes produce two geneseeds. Other theorize that it could be anything from a vision to the name being selected by a Chaplain based on which hero the Marine most closely resemble in personality. Ultimately it remains a mystery.

Once the name has been taken, the Marine has to strive to live to up to his legacy, as he consider himself the newest incarnation of a great hero and thus has to continue the work of his predecessors. Often, Marines Eternals appear as quite dour or even sinister to those who have met them as they see themselves as dead In their minds, their bodies and previous lives mean nothing as they are now inhabited by the spirit of a great hero. This is taken to such an extreme that they hide their faces behind silvery masks when in the presence of people outside of the chapter. This has often helped perpetuate the legends of their supposed immortality, although anyone sufficiently educated and versed in the basic history of the chapter knows about their name-taking practices. Still, the Marines Eternal will stand their ground in their belief to be reincarnations and will often defend this claim with their lives. They will also do everything to recover the bodies as to give the impression none of their battle-brothers die.

 

Geneseed

Three contenders here, as BA and DA are too gimmicky to use as a base;

-Ultramarine

-Imperial Fist

-Raven Guard, thing is; are all Raven Guards sucessors suffering from the specific color mutation of the Raven Guards or are there variations? I might consider making them sucessors to the Raven Guards as striking from the shadows goes well with the whole 'ghost' theme.