Bit of fluff for new chapter

[Stercus]

I've decided that my Imperial fist derived Gatekeepers chapter need some allies to fight alongside and after a bit of brainstorming I've come up with a bit of fluff for a new chapter: I give you the Sons of Aetius.

A quick wikipedia search will yield plenty of info about the legendary figure of Flavius Aetius who I have chosen as an inspiration for this roman-themed ultra successor.

 

Sons of Aetius

 

The Sons of Aetius are a codex chapter proud to be descended from Ultramarines geneseed. They follow the codex astartes in almost all respects, except that their veteran company is divided into two parts; eighty veterans are deployed as sternguard squads, with the remaining twenty formed into a Praetorian cohort who operate on a specific task unique to this chapter.

The Sons of Aetius are unusual in that upon their founding, they were fortunate to be equipped with a full hundred suits of terminator armour, and justifiably proud of this honour, frequently fielded the entire first company as a battlefield formation to devastating effect. After several centuries, on a dark day for the chapter, the space hulk Glory of Hatred translated from warpspace into the Sons of Aetius home system.

The chapter master at the time; Ravenna, resolved to destroy this threat and ordered the deployment of the full terminator clad first company to board the hulk. The campaign was a disaster. While the vast vessel was eventually destroyed, it's deadly cargo of genestealers wrought a terrible toll. Only eleven of the first company escaped, the remaining Terminators having either been dragged down in combat or trapped aboard the disintegrating hulk as it phased back into the warp and imploded.

Ravenna was so humiliated by this failure that he gave up his command and served out the remainder of his life as a blackshield in the Deathwatch. In penance for the loss of so many treasured relics, the chapter refused all offers of resupply for their tactical dreadnought armour, and vowed to never lose another suit. This is the origin of the praetorians, the elite of the veteran company who swoop in as a lightning assault force to recover any terminator suit whose occupant is slain in battle. Equipped with great power weapons and crackling storm shields, these furious warriors charge into the thickest fighting, heedless of danger in their zeal to recover their chapter's sacred relics and maintain their honoured vows.

Over the years, no terminator suit has since been lost, although two have been damaged beyond the ability of the chapters artificers to repair. Of the remaining nine, two are worn by the senior chaplain and librarian of the chapter, and seven form an elite squad used in only the most desperate missions. By tradition, the chapter master and captains of the Sons do not utilise terminator suits, in order not to follow in the misfortune of Ravenna.

 

I've tried to go for a story that gives a little extra background and allows me to devise quirky lists. I don't want to make excuses as to why my chapter has extra stuff that they shouldn't have so have tried the opposite approach and deliberately placed a restriction on my list building.

Any comments/criticism gratefully received.