IA: Ash Phantoms

[Messor]

In the Urn, Awaiting Cremation: The Ash Phantoms

Origins

Opening Notes, Memoirs of Hasheel

Having been granted the Chapter Master's blessing on the condition that I do not leave the fleet, I begin my record of the Ash Phantoms. The Regimental Commissar on Murkaia said that the Chapter was strange. There was an uncomfortable shift in his eyes when he spoke of them. The way they would stare, the repeated, identical vox transmissions. I doubt even I would have known what to make of them. But I never would have expected this. It is no wonder the trail goes cold with them.

T

he ill-fated nature of the Ash Phantoms’ known history, and their particularly grim outlook has led some to believe that they bear the “Curse” of the 21st Founding. At the very least the Chapter has its constant struggle for survival in common with much of the 21st Founding. Other clues, specifically fragments of surviving service records, and redactions with the seals of unknown Inquisitors, suggest that the Chapter may have been founded during the Dark 13th Founding. Credible histories of the Chapter are scant, and the Chapter has intermittently been completely lost to the Imperium at large, even presumed destroyed, only to appear fleetingly in the records of a Guard detachment or another Astartes strike force from whom they answer a call for aid. Only recently, due to the efforts of a curious Inquisitor, has earnest documentation of this Chapter begun.

For their part, the Phantoms look past the dismal fate that looms persistently before them, towards what glory they can purchase for the Emperor with their blood. Many of them are resigned to the not the idea that they will never know their history, due in large part to a catastrophic genetic flaw. The Catalepsean Node produced by their gene-seed is flawed in such a way that it interrupts the normal activity of the cerebrum, destroying the marine’s ability to form new memories, and in the worst cases, shutting the brain down entirely. Though they diligently submit tithes in the hopes of finding a cure, or shedding some light on their origins, all they have been able to ascertain for sure is that their genetic material comes from the White Scars.

Home World

Mysteries to Themselves, Memoirs of Hasheel

The only records they appear to have are associated with visions of the Librarium. They are full of endless, vague references that could mean anything, few attached to actual events. The most tempting to the Chapter itself, and of course to me, is that of the home world they supposedly once had. But no real evidence exists in their records to confirm the veracity of that belief. They do not even know the secret they keep.

T

he Chapter is largely confined to it’s small fleet, which stays closely connected, lest the flaw separate them forever. This is the only home the Phantoms know, but there are long-running rumors of an ancestral home world which have proved a subject of frequent debate among them. The belief hinges on ancient references made in their records to “the urn” from which they came. What few Chapter records have endured little more than cryptic notes left by Librarians centuries past, some little more than gueses, and all fighting against their affliction to leave the Phantoms with some sense of legacy. The notion that a homeworld might exist, a place containing records of their early history, or perhaps even untainted gene-seed, is one that almost every marine entertains, for at least as long as they can remember it. The Chapter’s Librarium is perpetually divided between trying to prove the existence of a home world and quelling the rumor and its distraction once and for all.

Recruitment

Refusal to Fade, Memoirs of Hasheel

Since learning the extent of their condition, I have wondered to myself why they insist on preserving their dwindling line. I do not raise the question to them, as I have my doubts that I would survive such a line of questioning, but also because I cannot say for certain they are wrong. On one hand, is such an existence not a waste of Imperial resources? On the other, the Emperor gave them life, and they have come this far enacting His will. And of course, I can’t let them fall before I’ve found what I need.

T

he flaw never ceases to exact its toll on the Phantoms. Losses in almost any given engagement far outstrip the average of what almost any other chapter experiences, while sudden and unpredictable brain death, often among the eldest marines, chips away at their numbers even off the battlefield. On top of already staggering casualties, each brother in the Chapter is only one faulty vox transmitter from being forgotten in the area of operations and being listed MIA.

The only counter the Phantoms have against their attrition rate is aggressive recruiting. Even here, though, the Phantoms face obstacles. The unease they tend to instill in those unfamiliar with their peculiarities, especially civilians, makes willing recruits difficult to come by. On the other hand, forcefully abducting recruits puts them at risk of censure at best and an excommunicate traitoris edict at worst. At the best of times, they have only been able to steady their numbers, but not grow them, and now their recent association with the Inquisitor Hasheel has made the Phantoms all the more cautious about how and when they recruit.

If any notification has reached the Phantoms of the Ultima Founding or the advent of Primaris Astartes, it has failed to be recorded and, apparently, been forgotten. Consequently, there are no Primaris units or equipment in the Chapter as it stands.

Combat Doctrine

Still Angels of Death, Memoirs of Hasheel

I understand now what Commissar Gelbright meant. Their genetic issue manifests clearly in their method of war. They are among the more brutal Astartes I have seen in combat, and with no apparent sense of self regard. They throw themselves headlong into melee, perhaps assured that by doing so they won’t hesitate in battle when their flaw strikes. Though I now have context for their repeated call-outs, they remain somewhat disconcerting, like a battlefield of violent echoes. I believe I will be able to use it to my advantage.

M

uscle memory is the only art that the Ash Phantom’s truly know. Though they remain formidable in combat, their inability to recall the points of finesse of anything from martial technique to a tactical maneuver result in decidedly brutal conflicts. For this reason the Chapter eschews weapons that require more careful control. Power mauls and thunder hammers are taken in lieu of swords, and flamers and heavy bolters see more use than lascannons or sniper weapons. The Phantom’s seek to end battles quickly and decisively to protect their numbers, but the finer reflexes that would be necessary to pilot the rapid transports that would complement this strategy are beyond them. Bike squadrons are their risky compromise, granting them speed and maneuverability, if not to the degree they would like, and at the cost of exposure and more limited access.

Most marines begin and end each engagement on foot. The minimal use of transports stems not only from the inherent challenge in piloting them, but also from the delayed reaction a battle brother may suffer upon emerging into the battlefield as his memory fades. A marine already on the battlefield is much more likely to continue fighting without missing a beat. The frequent use of flamers and plasma guns is a side effect of the battle brothers often finding the enemy closing the distance without being able to remember how.

The Chapter’s heavy support comes primarily in the form of Predator tanks, which are much more forgiving than faster vehicles when the flaw strikes. Despite having a pair of Dreadnought sarcophagi, no marine has ever been interred, due to a simple, brief note in their records warning succinctly: “No Dreadnoughts.”

Organization

Self Injury, Memoirs of Hasheel

Completely unheard of, a Chapter led by initiates. I can see the lines along which they reasoned, now that I understand their affliction better, but I am inclined to believe that they would reconsider their organization if they could but remember what happened to the 8th Company, or the battle at Udonanai Hive. It is clear from these wasteful losses that the Phantoms strive on borrowed time. I can only hope to finish my work before that time expires.

T

he Ash Phantoms attempt to follow the Codex Astartes as one of the few forms of guidance they can rely on. The Chapter has only five companies to field, though the Scout Company sees very little combat and it is there that first signs of divergence from the Codex become apparent. Uncharacteristically for a Chapter of Astartes, the Ash Phantoms’ Scouts are held in equal regard with full battle brothers, and are perhaps disproportionately regarded as the Chapter’s legacy. About three fourths of the Chapter’s initiates serve in the Scout Company. The remainder, always chosen from the most promising recruits, form the Chapter’s leadership.

The Chapter Master, Company Captains and many of the Sergeants are young marines, chosen for demonstrating the greatest balance between natural skill and lasting memory. Their lack of experience is viewed by the Librarium as a necessary cost for maintaining that vital command structure. However, the inexperience of these young marines has cost the Phantoms dearly on multiple occasions. As marines grow older, they descend the ranks and are sorted by the skills they retain. As a result their Devastator and Scout veterans are exceptionally skilled, but are accompanied by some of the youngest Sergeants to ensure their skills are applied to the right targets. No marine has been known to have any conflicts with demotion, though this is likely because no brother remembers being demoted. The battle brothers of the Chapter identify each other by rank only, both on and off the battlefield; though some marines can remember the names and faces of brothers that came from the same recruitment and training pool, it is otherwise fruitless to try learning the identity of their brothers.

Beliefs

Acceptance, Memoirs of Hasheel

Total resignation is the only way to describe their attitude towards their condition. I was personally surprised how aware they are of the costs their condition has incurred on the Chapter. Rather than a chain of despair, these beliefs are an anchor for them. They see it simply as their lot, that has no bearing on the Emperor’s Will. Though I am inclined to think them forsaken, I cannot help but respect this commitment. If only they’d let me speak with the recruits, before the subtler details of their philosophy are lost, philosophy which may illuminate part of that which I seek.

T

he body of the Chapter Librarium is small, as Psykers have proven more likely to succumb to the most severe symptoms of the flaw. The Chapter’s records are likewise limited. Current Librarians surmise that attempts to record the Chapter’s contemporary history were abandoned centuries ago. Instead, they took heavily to divination. Though it is frequently impossible to distinguish between visions of the past, present and future, they could at least be recorded in real time. The interpretations of these cobbled together visions make up the bulk of the Chapter’s histories. From among these emerged the first rumors of a Chapter Homeworld, and each time they are reviewed the debate rekindles, some elements calling for expeditions to pursue every lead that could uncover this lost world, while other elements bristle at what they perceive to be a false hope that should be striken from their history. The factions maintaing both positions are as impermanent as any Ash Phantom’s memory.

There is another dark facet to the Librarium’s methods. The Chapter maintains the bare minimum of serfs required to support their operations, as visions of the Librarium, both modern and ancient, have cast a pall of doubt on the loyalty of serfs. The matter has occasionally become so serious that it has resulted in a complete purge of the Chapter’s serfs. It has never been established what decetion they are guilty of or what threat they pose; the Phantoms simply cannot accept the risk from the humans closest to them, who can remember things that the Astartes cannot.

The Chapter’s recruits and scouts hold special importance to and spend a great deal of time with the Librarium. The last memories that the Phantoms hold onto are those prior to beginning the implantation process, so as much as possible of the Chapter’s identity and knowledge is imprinted on them before then, and because of their longer memories, they are better able to help the Librarium focus its efforts over time.

The Chapter’s enduring beliefs revolve around their duty to the Imperium. Great honor is viewed in a martyr’s death, and it is considered a noble release from their affliction. To complete this release, after a marine’s progenoids have been extracted, his body is burned in his armor by means of incinerators built into each suit. Until another marine dons the armor, it will hold the ashes of the brother who died in it in a very literal sense. The ashes will still be inside when the new marine first puts it on. Over the centuries the original blue and orange trimmed suits of armor have acquired gray stains, concentrated around the hands, feet and torso where the ashes often filter out.

Unable to form any sort of significant attachment to their own brothers, and resigned to the fact they will neither remember nor be remembered, the Phantoms exhibit an eerie level of detachment both on and off the battlefield. They are equally somber regarding the Imperium at large, content in knowing they have a very simple role to play, and this at least, they could never forget.

Gene-seed

Private Examination, Memoirs of Hasheel

They would surely kill me if they knew I had taken a gene-sample, but it was worth it. My preliminary analysis shows markers that one does not find in stable White Scars genes. Some of them are familiar to me, but not from that legion. Others don't seem natural at all, though. Each discovery is a confirmation of my suspicions I must check the Librarium again. The secrets lost to the Ash Phantoms, left by my forebears, are ever more within my grasp.

T

he Chapter’s genetic material is almost completely whole, save for the corruption of the Catalepsean Node. The level of degradation varies from marine to marine, lapses occurring anywhere between every few hours to every couple of days. Initiates suffer the least, some able to recall anything from an entire week or more, while the most veteran marines may lose their memories in a matter of minutes. To the brothers of the Ash Phantoms it makes little difference, for once gone, the past is lost forever.

Battle-cry

If a war cry existed at some point, it has been lost to the Phantoms. Edited March 12, 2020 by Messor

[Nakuth]

I like the idea. The flaw is suggestive of a tragedy in the chapter's history that was so great, it effected the memory of those yet to come. a bit like the children of Sanguinius after his death.

 

The initial query that the memory loss throws up is: how is the chapter governed? If more veteran members lose their memories at a faster rate, it would seem difficult for any of appropriate 'experience' to be able to lead a chapter. My guess would be a form of leadership council might work.

 

I look forward to what else you come up with for these guys, especially if there is going to be a story/stories woven into it.

[Lysimachus]

Very nice idea, I'm assuming that their earlier memories and therefore the core of who, what, etc they are remains intact? Seems odd that they then can't remember their training with weapons/vehicles? Might work better if it's just their short term memories?

 

Reminds me of the Bourne Identity (book more than film) where he has no idea who he is but all the combat and manipulation skills and geographic, language, etc knowledge are still there.

 

Now that's a scary thought, Marines who as they age lose none of their skill at arms, but gradually lose all sense of who they are, why they fight for Mankind. You'd end up with veteran units going off the rails unless their younger brethren kept an eye on them, and eventually having to put their former mentors down. Now that's grimdark.

 

Stream of consciousness stuff, feel free to ignore or use anything that works.

 

Keep up the good work!

 

Lysimachus

[Lotaurus]

Sounds good...

The only thing that bothers me is the fact that even though we're in the 41st Millenium, cloning still fails miserably. So you might reconsider how your chapters grows.

If cloning would even work a little there'd be thousand clones of the God-Emperor!

[aznviking]

I like the idea alot, only thing im not sure off his the frequency of memory last. 4-5 times a day seems a little harsh and would probably stop them from being productive at all. Maybe the memory loss could be triggered at certain times when the marines are put under stress ?

 

Love the cremation idea btw. 

[elohimalpha]

Woah, that's BLEAK! I like it. It's like a further extension of the AdMech - they're not really sure what's going on, but they've got ancient plans and they're sticking to 'em. Reminds me of "Memento", but with super-human killing machines. I can imagine these guys on the battlefield, needing constant audio/video reinforcement on what they're supposed to be doing.

[Messor]

Thanks a lot for the positive feedback so far! Let me see what I can remedy right now.

I like the idea. The flaw is suggestive of a tragedy in the chapter's history that was so great, it effected the memory of those yet to come. a bit like the children of Sanguinius after his death.

 

The initial query that the memory loss throws up is: how is the chapter governed? If more veteran members lose their memories at a faster rate, it would seem difficult for any of appropriate 'experience' to be able to lead a chapter. My guess would be a form of leadership council might work.

 

I look forward to what else you come up with for these guys, especially if there is going to be a story/stories woven into it.

 There are still decisions to be made about the exact cause of the flaw and their leadership. For the sake of having options I'd like to imagine some sort of battlefield command structure, but also how they might fight if they were no more than loosely bound squads under a sergeant that pointed them in the right direction. I'm also toying with the idea of leadership beginning with recruits, those having the longest memories. I imagine they'd make a lot of mistakes, which might be another factor in the chapter's small numbers.

 

Very nice idea, I'm assuming that their earlier memories and therefore the core of who, what, etc they are remains intact? Seems odd that they then can't remember their training with weapons/vehicles? Might work better if it's just their short term memories?

 

Reminds me of the Bourne Identity (book more than film) where he has no idea who he is but all the combat and manipulation skills and geographic, language, etc knowledge are still there.

 

Now that's a scary thought, Marines who as they age lose none of their skill at arms, but gradually lose all sense of who they are, why they fight for Mankind. You'd end up with veteran units going off the rails unless their younger brethren kept an eye on them, and eventually having to put their former mentors down. Now that's grimdark.

 

Stream of consciousness stuff, feel free to ignore or use anything that works.

 

Keep up the good work!

 

Lysimachus

 Exactly, they can remember everything prior to the implantation/activation of the Catalepsean Node. So yeah, it's a lot like Bourne meets Memento, where they can recall the skills they learned as Initiates and through indoctrination, but the finer things, making improvements, is difficult. My solution for things such as pilots would be for them to receive the bulk of their training before being implanted with the flawed organs.

 

Sounds good...

The only thing that bothers me is the fact that even though we're in the 41st Millenium, cloning still fails miserably. So you might reconsider how your chapters grows.

If cloning would even work a little there'd be thousand clones of the God-Emperor!

Right, that's not meant to be there, it's a reference to something later on. I'll add in a specification that they recruit normally.

 

 

I like the idea alot, only thing im not sure off his the frequency of memory last. 4-5 times a day seems a little harsh and would probably stop them from being productive at all. Maybe the memory loss could be triggered at certain times when the marines are put under stress ?

 

Love the cremation idea btw.

Good points. Balancing the lapses between being appropriately debilitating and over the top has been hard to gauge, that will likely change. It would be easier to have a trigger for it, but then it wouldn't get in the way of things like record keeping or interaction between brothers.

 

 

Woah, that's BLEAK! I like it. It's like a further extension of the AdMech - they're not really sure what's going on, but they've got ancient plans and they're sticking to 'em. Reminds me of "Memento", but with super-human killing machines. I can imagine these guys on the battlefield, needing constant audio/video reinforcement on what they're supposed to be doing.

That will definitely be an important element. Like Leonard's tattoos in Memento, they'll keep reminders close by to help them stay on track, and add to them as they find clues about how they came to be what they are now.

[Messor]

I'm focusing next on hammering out the leadership, and I'd love some input. I'm deciding between four ideas:

 

1) A Chapter Master who is essentially a figurehead. As an older marine, his memories don't last long and the best he can really do for the Chapter is to prioritize what missions to accept/requests to respond to. Interesting concept, I thought, but lame life for a CM and post-human warrior. Then again, that may be what they're reduced to.

 

2) Led by the youth of the Chapter. The highest ranking members are drawn immediately from the recruits with the most promise, and marines descend the ranks with age. Lots of trial and error learning, and another reason for their small numbers.

 

3) No leadership. The Phantoms decide that the risks and hassles of trying to install any kind of permanent leadership aren't worth it. They just move from place to place as a Chapter, doing what they do best.

 

4) Some sort of council. This seems the most realistic for their situation, alongside the no leadership thought. The hard part is still figuring out where these marines are drawn from to best represent the Chapter. It could just be the Librarium, if their visions are trusted. Could be one or two Librarians, an elder and an initiate. All elders? All initiates?

 

Their affliction causes them to value memory, but I need to pin down how that extends to leadership. Is experience as valuable without the memory of it, and vice versa?

[Malthe]

How about having them be lead by a machine-spirit-like, wired-up, AI-ish, Oracle of Delphi, memory bank, Master of the Forge-type character? It's heresy, but it's fun and might work very well.

 

Either that or option 2. It might not be the greatest idea in the world, but it certainly is the most interesting!

[Messor]

I really like that idea, but I might try to apply it to the Basilisks, instead. They're more tech oriented (it actually gives me an interesting thought about the "cut off the head" saying).

 

I've tentatively rolled with the command by initiates idea for now (I like the feel, but not 100% sure how I feel about it yet), and attempted some fitting sidebars.

[Lord Marshal Ragnrok]

this is definitely the strangest chapter iv yet read about

[LongGone]

Tattoos!!! After reading Death of Integrity, Astartes and tattoos seem like something that should happen more often. Tattoos are huge in the modern military, with 'moto' tats all over the place. That's moto, as in motivation, not motto. Hell, even I have 'USMC' across my shoulders. Momento-esque tattoos done by chapter serfs immediately after a battle. A brother's history is literally written on his skin.

 

This is most definitely a unique idea. I like it! I don't know if you plan on adding more, but I'm looking forward to seeing where you take these guys.

 

Edit: Also, could you help me with how to do sidebars? I've tried a couple times to add some to my own IA, but it keeps showing up as just the code jibberish that I've copied from the templates provided.

Edited December 10, 2013 by LongGone

[Lord Marshal Ragnrok]

the coding here is a pain in the butt. make a copy of large posts like your IA. because it will get messed up or lost in a site update.  it saves you so much work

[Messor]

I appreciate the feedback. I will be adding more, LongGone, though when is not certain. I may combine the idea of serfs tattoing acts right on the Marines after a battle with a distrust that the Chapter as a whole has for its serfs(I can't remember if that's present right now, but it will make an appearance). Some Marines go for it, others wouldn't be willing to disarm around the serfs. I will, however, swing by the IA for The Host for to help with the coding, sooner rather than later.

[JeffTibbetts]

I have to say that this is much, much cooler than I thought it was going to be the first time I read it. The way you've fleshed it out makes it much more believable. I'm still not so sure it would be viable long term, so I feel like the chapter needs more of a spiraling-into-doom feel. As if it's not bleak enough...

[Uberlord Gendo]

What if not everyone is quite so forgetful as they appear.

eg Alpha Legion has infiltrated the chapter and is manipulating them into attacking certain targets to further Alpha Legion's long term goals.

[JeffTibbetts]

What if not everyone is quite so forgetful as they appear.

eg Alpha Legion has infiltrated the chapter and is manipulating them into attacking certain targets to further Alpha Legion's long term goals.

 

Hahahahaha! That's just mean… But seriously, what's to stop something like this from happening? Perhaps it might be something more like the Blood Angels, where it's not something that afflicts everyone right away? Maybe it creeps in over time, or some marines will suffer an event, and after that their brothers have to sort of handle them? That would suck if you were a captain and then this happened, sending you back to the rank and file because you could no longer command. Might make for good veteran squad fluff? A chaplain could ride with them and make sure they had a constant update for their objectives. 

[Guest big-bang-attack]

I liked the idea of this chapter the more I read! Quite a unique twist As for the command structure , my personal preference would be for a small council of 4 or 5 Librarians who are the only ones in the Chapter who have"Total Recall" but at the price that it takes all their psychic abillities just to focus on retaining their memories. i.e I wouldd have no Librarians in the chapter other than the council., they are either so brillaint that they become the next member of the council or their mind wipes, creates warp portal etc. As for the serfs , you could have something really grim like after every battle the serfs supporting are all lobomised and made into servitors so that no human has more knowledge of the chapter than the marines, Keep up the good work Brother, I look forward to seeing how you develop the Chapter

[Disruptor_fe404]

What if not everyone is quite so forgetful as they appear.

eg Alpha Legion has infiltrated the chapter and is manipulating them into attacking certain targets to further Alpha Legion's long term goals.

 

Such a harsh suggestion. Fitting from someone named Gendo...

 

This Chapter as cool as all get-out though! I love the tragedy of it. Would be cool to see these guys on the table too...

[Messor]

Rekindling work on this project to hopefully circumvent the current writer's block, and because I always felt like these guys deserved to be more finished. So far I've only done some refining of existing material, begun work on an emblem, and added recruitment, but it already feels in a better place than it was before.

[Brother Lunkhead]

Catastrophic flaw indeed..... nice one Brother Messor

 

The side boxes really add depth to your IA.

[Messor]

Another round of refinements, to give the Phantoms' struggle a bit more direction (hint, it's down), and to better establish the intentions of their "observer." Though I have a fairly clear plot in mind for where they go from here, I'm still mulling over how much is worth putting to page, and what form it should take.