Liber Astartes: Nova Slayers

[Cpt. Tiberious]

NOVA SLAYERS

"Pray not to your gods for mercy, for none will be given" - Chapter Master Soloman Tannis

 

PARENT CHAPTER: Imperial Fists

PRIMARCH: Rogal Dorn

FOUNDING: 23rd Founding (788 .M37)

CHAPTER MASTER: Lord Argent, Soloman Tannis

CHAPTER ROLE: Former Crusade Chapter, now rule Imperial world

HOMEWORLD: Dolsia (Segmentum Pacificus)

FORTRESS-MONASTERY: The Argent Keep

COLORS: Grey with dark blue shoulder pads

SPECIALITY: Close-range fire fights, Armored Raids

STRENGTH: Under strength following the 3rd War for Armageddon

BATTLE CRY: "Honor to Dorn! Praise to the Emperor! Death to our enemies!"

 

 

============================= ORIGINS and HISTORY =============================

Founding

The Nova Slayers were one of the many chapters created during the 23rd founding of late M37, and as such were founded to recoupe losses sustained during the difficult times in the preceeding millenia. Wanting to create chapters that had very low chance of mutation prompted the High Lords of Terra to select gene-seed from only the most pure stock on hand. The most applicable candidates were cultures taken from the gene-seeds of Rogal Dorn, and Roboute Guilliman. The former was chosen in the case of the Nova Slayers, and new sons of Dorn were born. Brother-Captain Anton Tiberious, of the Crimson Fists 3rd company was chosen as the first Chapter Master of the Nova Slayers.

 

Gene-Seed

Being spawned from the gene-seed of Rogal Dorn, the Nova Slayers share the stoicism and dicipline of their parent legion. They also share the same biological anomalies as their brother chapters, such as a nonfunctional Sus-an Membrane, and Betcher's Glands. Behaviorally, the Nova Slayers do not display the same self punnishing mindset as the Imperial Fists, and seem to be of a more even temperment. This level-headedness is however dotted with moments of extreme zeal and ruthlessness when engaging a particularly hated foe. Marines from the Nova Slayers chapter will sometimes enter a seemingly blood-drunken state, and will systematically eliminate opposing forces until they are all destroyed, regardless of orders to the contrary. While this is frowned upon ,to date this "quirk" has yet to result in accidental death of allied forces or non-combat personnell, so it is largely overlooked by the Adeptus Ministorum.

 

The Crucible of the Firstborn

A mere 23 standard years after the chapter was officially declared ready for combat operation by the Adeptus Mechanicus, the Nova Slayers cut their teeth during the 7th Black Crusade of Abaddon the Despoiler. Being a fleet based chapter in its infancy, the Nova Slayers were just beginning a self appointed crusade known in chapter history as The Crucible of the Firstborn. While the chapter was conducting cleanse and purify missions in the western part of the Segmentum Obscurus, Abaddon led his legions through the Eye of Terror and the battle-brothers of the Nova Slayers were some of the first astartes to arrive to halt his advance on holy Terra.

 

Though the chapter was young and sustained heavy losses in the openning skirmishes, they fought with the zealousness and skill of the Imperial Fists themselves, and did their part to make Abaddon pay for every mile of Imperial space he invaded. The decades went on and the Nova Slayers continued their crusade in the name of the Emperor, helping to reclaim worlds and quell invasions. These years of service began to mold the chapter into true angels of death, and one hundred of the most skilled astartes of the chapter's various battle companies were hand chosen by the chapter master to be the initial members of his first company. Of these chosen one hundred, ten were appointed the task of leading and teaching the chapter's remaining companies. The Crusade Company of the Nova Slayers was born, and was to be led by Chapter Master Tiberious himself.

 

The Bellrath Crusade

The Nova Slayers were one of the eight Adeptus Astartes chapters to participate in the crusade to liberate an area of space in the Segmentum Pacificus designated as the Laanath Rifts. The crusade however began to falter after it's 50th year, when Imperial forces began to receive heavy resistance from a previously unknown xeno species, the Hellgrimmites and their hideous bio-mechanical warmachines. In an act of unparalelled heroism, the collective might of the Sons of Medusa chapter of the Adeptus Astartes spearheaded an orbital assault on the xeno throne-world, with other Imperial elements holding their ground against the harrowing enemy.

 

Brutal fighting ensued for days on end, and the Nova Slayers yet again spilled blood in the name of the Emperor, all the while hoping their battle-brothers from the Sons of Medusa would strike the fatal blow to the alien's command structure. The seige on the throne world finally ended in victory on the 32 day, and with their leadership destroyed, the Hellgrimmite forces were quickly dispatched and turned to little more than small refugee bands fleeing for their lives from the might of the Imperium.

 

The homeworld long deserved

In early M39, after centuries of crusading, the Nova Slayers were finally granted stewardship of an Imperial mining world called Dolsia located in the Segmentum Pacificus. First contact with the people of Dolsia was made in no subtle fashion. The Nova Slayer fleet broke orbit and newly appointed chapter master Radimus Kreath and his honor guard decended upon the planet's most populated capitol city in a thunderhawk gunship. Upon exiting the giant aircraft, the astartes were greeted by the awestricken stares of hundreds of bewildered imperial citizens. Sorbo, looking around at the now whispering crowd, removed his helmet and stated in a stern but reassuring voice, "Citizens of the Imperium. By order of him on Terra, the Emperor of Mankind, you are now under the protection of the Nova Slayers of the Adeptus Astartes." Blank stares turned to tearing eyes and jubilent smiles as, all at once, the gathering crowd fell to their knees in reverence to their newly appointed guardians.

 

 

============================== COMBAT DOCTRINE ==============================

 

The Nova Slayers specialise in high speed raids on enemy objectives carried out aboard armored personnel carriers, and infantry fighting vehicles. These raids are usually spearheaded by Predator main battle tanks or Dreadnaughts.

 

Rhinos carrying tactical squads attempt to breach the enemy's defensive line, while Razorbacks and any heavy armor take up position in adjacent cover to provide fire support. Once the enemy's lines are broken, the squads disembark and engage the enemy in brutal and surgically accurate close quarters fire fights, usually culminating in bloody melee combat. Sternguard Veterens are often deployed along with a quick reaction force of assault marines equiped with jump packs, or veterens in terminator armor to deal with more seasoned melee threats.

 

Once a defensive firing line is established and any objectives are securred, the Nova Slayers press forward upon the enemy, dispatching them without remorse until none are left alive to be taken prisoner.

 

 

================================= HOMEWORLD =================================

 

Dolsia is an Earth-like imperial mining world loctated in the galactic south of the Segmentum Pacificus. The planet's six major land masses consist of mostly mountainous terrain, dotted with verdent forests, and separated by vast expanses of saltwater. The day is roughly 34 standard terran hours long and gravity is comparable to that found on Earth. The air is breathable, albeit polluted by the constant mining of the planet's abundent metal ore mines.

 

Althought the tithe grade of the planet is officially Adeptus Non, Dolsia exports the raw ore it produces to neighboring forge worlds to aid in the construction of weapons, armor, and vehicles for the Imperium. This is done as penance following the event now known as The Plague of Unbelief in which Dolsia was made part of a corrupt empire, and forced into slave labor by the Apostate Cardinal of Gathalamor, Bucharis through deceit and coercion.

 

The 10 billion people that populate Dolsia are independent and wary toward outsiders, but hold reverence for the Emperor and the Imperium. This is due to the guilt felt by Dolsia's people for letting themselves be decieved by a false prophet, and their determination to never repeat that mistake. This is a trait the Nova Slayers see as an advantage, and as a result most of the chapter's neophytes are recruited from Dolsia and it's neighboring worlds.

 

The chapter's fortress monastery, The Argent Keep, is built into the stone of the Gallowspire mountain range. The monastery was givin it's name because of the high silver and iron ore content of the mountain. The location of the structure offords it two advantages, the mountain acts as additional protection, and the iron content of the rocks make orbital scans almost useless. This means would-be attackers would have no way of knowing that Dolsia was an Adeptus Astartes homeworld, until making landfall.

 

 

================================ ORGANISATION ================================

 

The Nova Slayers, like their parent chapter the Imperial Fists, follow the Codex Astartes fairly rigidly with a few divergences. These divergences are mostly reflected in the chapter's uniform such as company numbers and colors not being displayed. Squad leader designations are still present but in a slightly altered variation of those used by more Codex compliant chapters.

 

One notable divergence is the Crusade Company, named for the chapter's original crusading nature. Similar to their brother chapter, the Crimson Fists, the Nova slayers' first company is called the Crusade Company and is comprised of 90 of the chapter's most battle hardened and often eldest veterens. It is led by the chapter master and his honor guard, and are designated by golden chest aquillas and shoulder guard rims.

 

The Crusade Company is used to suppliment elements from the chapter's battle companies with leadership and specialist units during combat operations. Each battle company is appointed a captain chosen from the most skilled of the Crusade Company's warriors. It is the duty of this captain to not only lead his brothers on the front lines, but to impart his centuries of knowledge to them, that they may better defend the Imperium from its enemies. This ensures that no matter what form the enemy takes in the dark days to come, the battle-brothers of the Nova Slayers will be ready to face them on all fronts.

 

It is the goal of every initiate to one day be counted among the ranks of the crusade company, and in turn impart their knowledge to future generations of the chapter.

 

 

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Only slight modifications were made to the above text. A few small additions were made as well. Still working on the more fluffy bits, and I'll update this page when I get it done.

[Tonal]

Really nice work! Simple but well executed, I quite look forward to seeing more.

[Malthe]

I agree, they seem alright :)

 

However the Beliefs section is arguably the most important section of in IA, and your article is sorely lacking one.

As of now we don't know who your Nova Slayers are, or what they think of themselves. We only know some of what they have done, but not why, and how it affected them.

Think of an IA as an examination of your chapter's culture. This is harder, but much more rewarding than simply figuring out their history (which you have done quite well).

 

Some concrete questions:

 

1. What do the Nova Slayers think of their home world?

- did they pick it themselves (or was it a punishment)?

- are they ashamed of its history?

- have they forgiven the planet for its former heresy?

 

2. Why does the chapter favour speedy armoured assaults?

 

3. How about the chapter's gene-seed?

- all fine and dandy?

 

4. Who are the three most important Nova Slayers? (characters can add a lot of... character!)

- past/present

 

5. How and who do the Nova Slayers recruit?

- and why do they do it like that?

 

6. If the Nova Slayers could do anything they wanted, what would they do? (this ties in to the Beliefs section.)

 

I know that you're not finished with your article and I hope these questions will help you along.

 

Please don't missunderstand me; I like what you've got, now you just need to make it meaningful ;)

[Cpt. Tiberious]

Thank very much for the comments both of you. I've been trying to come up with a beliefs section for a while, and unfortunately I haven't had as much time as I'd like to work on it. But these guideline questions will help tons to structure my work when I finally get to it lol.

 

Again, thanks. Hope to update this article soon with more content.

[Veteran Sergeant]

My only issue is with Chapter Master Warrick Sorbo. 

 

 

I keep envisioning him as Hercules, with Willow Ufgood's head, or even more hilariously, a midget with Kevin Sorbo's head.

[Cpt. Tiberious]

Well that name has to be changed immediately. The image you just just described is now burned into my mind, and I cannot remove it lol. Thanks a lot for that man lol.

[Malthe]

I once named a character 'Kunto'. Somehow the americans found a way to spoil that for me... ;)

[Cpt. Tiberious]

This probably necroposting at this point, but I'm still working the details out on my chapter. Will more than likely post a more updated and streamlined article when It's done.

 

Oh and Malthe, sorry bout that. We americans can pretty much ruin anything if givin enough time lol.