IA: The Seraphic Host

[TDF]

Index Astartes: The Seraphic Host

Perhaps no other Chapter embodies the epithet 'Angels of Death' as much as the Seraphic Host.

Origins

A Seraph of the 4th Company

Like many Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes, the exact founding date of the Seraphic Host is missing from official Imperial records. Therefore the savant is forced to trawl through the vast and varied volumes of Imperial military history. This is made easier if the Chapter in question has a distinctive name such as the Praetors of Orpheus or the Brazen Minotaurs. However, such is the ubiquitousness of angelic imagery across the Imperium that it is hard to identify whether a reference to angels or seraphs is a poetic metaphor for Space Marines in general, another Chapter with a similar name, such as the Angels of Damnation, or to the Seraphic Host in particular. In fact, some accounts of angels in history books, such as Manuel's History of the Veritz War, appear to refer to genuine supernatural or psychic interventions in the material realm. Nevertheless, the earliest mention of the Seraphic Host Space Marine Chapter is widely regarded to be Father Gregory d'Abetañus' greatest work, The True Account of the Fourth War for Abetañus, which was published in 483.M36 and recounts events that occurred just under a century earlier.

This date indicates that the Seraphic Host was founded sometime around the Age of Apostasy, which would certainly help explain why the exact details are missing from the official record. Many records were lost or destroyed during this chaotic period of history, creating an endless source of frustration for historians across the millennia.

The most significant source of information about the Seraphic Host is the Tragedy of VanOsten. This treatise detailed the ill-fated VanOsten Crusade into the Dark Reef and was written by an anonymous author with access to the Warmaster's personal memoirs. It details his fury that the Host had refused his request to join the crusade, despite holding a long-standing grudge against the Eldar inhabiting the Reef. It also compiles all the known information about the Chapter, naming them as descendants of the Angels of Redemption and thus ultimately descendants of the First Legion – the Dark Angels. Curiously, however, the Seraphic Host are never recorded as referring to themselves as 'Unforgiven', unlike most of the Chapters who carry the geneseed of Lion El'Jonson. The Tragedy also names over a dozen worlds the Host was known to recruit from, details of their fleet composition, notable heroes of the Chapter and a long list of campaigns the Host had taken part in. In the subsequent four millennia no one document has contained so much information about this secretive Chapter.


Despair filled General Salis as the traitors attacked. With the heresy of Vile-Traitor Marshal Durmen finally revealed, victory seemed impossible. Screams filled the air as the Imperial battle line collapsed on all sides. Salis drew a meltabomb from his belt. He thought that his death must be inevitable but refused to allow the forces of darkness to take his corpse as a trophy, as they had done to so many others.

But even as Salis began a final prayer for forgiveness, the skies above the battlefield began to glow with a heavenly light. Then, with a sound like a thunderclap, they parted and a mighty host of the Emperor’s seraphs descended like a thousand bolts of lightning. They wore golden armour that shined like the sun, and wherever they landed they brought death to all who had betrayed the Emperor of Man with blessed bolter and holy chainsword. Among the ranks of the seraphs stalked black angels of death - those who personified the steady inevitability of the grave. In the air above and on the ground below more black angels swept hither and thither, bringing a death that was sudden and unexpected.

In mere minutes the vast armies of the Arch-Traitor Cardinal Heng and the Vile-Traitor Marshal Durmen were destroyed by the seraphs. The Arch- and Vile-Traitors themselves were captured and taken away to suffer eternal punishment for their many sins. General Salis was also taken to be chastised for his lack of faith. In contrast, the last five members of Father Danyell’s Children’s Army were chosen to join the ranks of the seraphs themselves and be holy warriors of the God-Emperor across the galaxy. For He On Earth is generous with His punishments and His rewards, and gives to all that which they most deserve.

The True Account of the Fourth War for Abetañus
Father Gregory d'Abetañus
483.M36

Homeworlds
The Seraphic Host is a fleet-based crusading Chapter. As such it has no one planet where it recruits its neophytes and maintains a fortress-monastery. Instead it recruits from scores of worlds all across the galaxy, although most are situated in the Ultima Segmentum where the Host primarily operates.

The recruiting worlds of the Host cover all classes and geographical type; from the mountainous feral world of Sciffia to the frozen death world of Nuran XIII to the ocean hive world of Gerapolis. They all, however, share a common theme. All were saved by the Host from the grip of traitors or xenos; and their populations regard the Seraphic Host with awe – even worship. For a young man to join the Host is the highest honour one can achieve for he has joined the ranks of the demi-gods, the Emperor's most favoured servants.

Should a recruiting world of the Host lower its level of respect for the Chapter then it is struck from the Host's records and abandoned to its fate. In the best case scenario it is merely ignored, any subsequent call for aid going unanswered. If the planet actually denounces the Seraphs then it is regarded as heretical and the full wrath of the Host descends upon it. In such circumstances there can be no true forgiveness for the population. An acceptable show of penitence may spare their lives, but never again will one of their sons become a Seraph.

Beliefs

The Hunt continues

The bodily functions of the prisoner chained to the wall were automatically maintained by the machinery he was wired into. Nevertheless, he had still managed to soil himself. Interrogator-Chaplain Zebedaois had been in cells where the smell had been far worse, but that didn't make this one any less unpleasant.

The only light in the cell was a flickering candle held by a servo-skull hovering behind Zebedaois' right shoulder, but to the augmented eyes of the Interrogator-Chaplain it was as bright as day. The prisoner, having spent the last nineteen days in pitch blackness, would be blinded by the light. That served Zebedaois' purposes exactly.

“What do you know of an individual calling himself 'Avun Peredur'?” he asked, although the sound came from a vox-horn embedded in the ceiling, and was an octave deeper than Zebedaois' normal voice.

“Nothing... I don't know... nothing...”

“You were found in possession of a weapon bearing his symbol.” This time the tone had been modified differently to give the impression of multiple interrogators, and came from a vox-horn in the corner of the cell.

“Bought it... man in a back alley... didn't see... his face...”

“You lie!” This was from a vox-horn situated centimetres from the prisoner's left ear, and was at a volume loud enough to cause temporary deafness.

Zebedaois thumbed a rune on the control wand in his hand. With a hum the electro-clamps attached to sensitive areas of the prisoner's body activated, one by one.

In the cell next door the prisoner shuddered as the chorus of screams was joined by a new voice.

Like their parent Chapter, the Angels of Redemption, the Seraphic Host believe that they have been forgiven for the sins of their forefathers – although like the Angels of Redemption the reason for this belief is not known outside of the Chapter’s Inner Circle. As a result their pride and self-confidence are uninhibited by guilt or doubt. The Seraphs see themselves as angels, elevated above mere mortals. When an aspirant is chosen to become a neophyte he is seen as being reborn into an angel. Until this process is complete he is referred to only by a designation. Upon his promotion to Initiate he is given a new angelic name in the style of long lost Caliban.

The best examples of this are the way that the Seraphs view their first and second companies: the Deathwing and Ravenwing. These are both regarded as literal Angels of Death, although each embodies a different aspect of death. The Deathwing wear black Terminator armour, which renders them virtually immune to small arms fire at the expense of speed. They are seen as a personification of slow, relentless and inescapable death. On the other hand, the Ravenwing, which are equipped with bikes, land speeders and aircraft, are seen as a form of death that strikes swiftly and with little warning.

Combat Doctrine
The Host prefers to launch brutal planetary assaults. Its aim is to strike with such force that only one strike is required. There is typically little warning before the golden drop pods begin to fall from the heavens. Dozens will die before the Seraphs have even deployed; crushed to death by the force of the drop pod landings. Hundreds more die moments later when the hatches crash down and bolter fire pours out. Whilst this is happening Thunderhawk Transporters deploy heavy armour onto the field of battle, the Ravenwing swoops in and the Deathwing make a teleporter attack on the enemy leadership. This style of battle is most effective when the enemy is gathered is a single location, often during an attack on other Imperial forces. As a result the Host has been accused on many occasions of causing excessive Imperial casualties by deliberately delaying its assaults.

Of course, the Seraphic Host is not tied exclusively to one type of battle. It has won countless victories in every field of warfare, from sneak assaults involving a handful of scouts and Ravenwing bikers to meatgrinder sieges involving their entire Chapter strength. The Host won many plaudits for its conduct during the siege of the Presidential Palace on Akra, where over one hundred Seraphs died in a successful attempt to overload the void shields and allow the Deathwing to teleport in and capture the entire enemy government alive.

Geneseed
The arrogance of the Seraphic Host means it generally has poor relationships with other Imperial institutions, and the Adeptus Mechanicus is no exception. Nevertheless, the Host has always met its geneseed tithe requirements to the letter. Its geneseed is stable and free of flaws, as is the case for most descendants of Lion El'Jonson.

[TDF]

Greetings Liberites!

I have an idea for a new Chapter called the Seraphic Host, descended from the Dark Angels. Here's the key points I've come with so far:

* Descended from the Angels of Absolution, so they consider themselves to have been forgiven. They hunt the fallen because it is their duty, not because they seek redemption.

* Very much see themselves as angels, elevated above mere mortals. They're very arrogant and look down on all non-Astartes, and most Astartes who aren't descended from the Lion.

* The Deathwing and Ravenwing both wear black armour. They are seen as different aspects of death personified: slow, relentless death and swift, unexpected death.

* They're a crusading Chapter, operating mostly in the Ultima Segmentum. They only recruit from worlds they have saved, where they are given the correct level of awe by the populace. They regularly return to worlds where they are held in particularly high esteem.

* Recruits are seen as being reborn as an angel, and are given a new Caliban-style name when they become an Iniate. Before then they only have a designation (Neophyte Alpha-25, etc)

* They prefer swift planetary assaults, desiring to strike only once, but so hard that they don't need to strike again. Some have accused them of deliberately delaying so they can wipe the enemy out all at once - at the cost of Imperial lives.

I've written a colour-piece for them. I'd appreciate any feedback on it or any of my other ideas.

Despair filled General Salis as the traitors attacked. With the heresy of Vile-Traitor Marshal Durmen finally revealed, victory seemed impossible. Screams filled the air as the Imperial battle line collapsed on all sides. Salis drew a meltabomb from his belt. He thought that his death must be inevitable but refused to allow the forces of darkness to take his corpse as a trophy, as they had done to so many others.

But even as Salis began a final prayer for forgiveness, the skies above the battlefield began to glow with a heavenly light. Then, with a sound like a thunderclap, they parted and a mighty host of the Emperor’s seraphs descended like a thousand bolts of lightning. They wore golden armour that shined like the sun, and wherever they landed they brought death to all who had betrayed the Emperor of Man with blessed bolter and holy chainsword. Among the ranks of the seraphs stalked black angels of death - those who personified the steady inevitability of the grave. In the air above and on the ground below more black angels swept hither and thither, bringing a death that was sudden and unexpected.

In mere minutes the vast armies of the Arch-Traitor Cardinal Heng and the Vile-Traitor Marshal Durmen were destroyed by the seraphs. The Arch- and Vile-Traitors themselves were captured and taken away to suffer eternal punishment for their many sins. General Salis was also taken to be chastised for his lack of faith. In contrast, the last five members of Father Danyell’s Children’s Army were chosen to join the ranks of the seraphs themselves and be holy warriors of the God-Emperor across the galaxy. For He On Earth is generous with His punishments and His rewards, and gives to all that which they most deserve.

The True Account of the Fourth War for Abetañus

Father Gregory d'Abetañus

483.M36

[Hrvat]

I like your theme very much, nothing at the moment seams overboard. The arrogant trait is an interesting one to pursue.

 

Will they be dark yellow or is that a metalic colour?

 

Keep up the good work.

 

Cheers 

 

Hrvat

[TDF]

It's metallic. They're super human death angels, blingy armour is their birthright!

[Quozzo]

I know little of the Angles of Absolution, so forgive my ignorance in advance.

 

Do the Seraphic Hosts still make use of interrogator chaplains, or are their specific talents no longer required.

 

Do the Deathwing still include a retinue of Deathwing Knights, armed with Maces of Absolution and Flails of the Unforgiven, or do they follow a different path and instead bear weapons to bring a swift death, like force scythes or other exotic weaponry.

 

Do the ravenwing employ darkshrounds, hiding the Seraphics Hosts force from the opponent until the time to strike is near, or do they let the foe see the unmistakable Angels of Death approaching to their position, filling them with fear before meeting their fear incarnate.

 

Are they worshipped by any worlds and do they punish those who don't. Do they fight for worlds that have not heard of their name, if so, do they seek retribution if that world disregards their "higher" status afterwards. Has this particular view led them into confrontations with the Inquisition or other Imperial body.

 

Do they take prisoners (as suggested in your excerpt) as I would assume the Angels of Death takes only the lives of others, even if capture was the objective.

 

 

I think it's a really good concept and I like the way you have taken the deathwing and ravenwing and turned it into something else not associated with the Dark Angels. I look forward to seeing how this turns out.

[TDF]

Thanks for the questions, Quozzo.

 

1) Yes, they still capture the Fallen and try to get them to repent so Interrogator Chaplains are very much part of their command structure.

 

2) The Deathwing are steady, inevitable death because of the slow, relentless nature of the terminator armour they wear. There aren't any particular weapons that they prefer to use. I imagine there would be at least one squad of Deathwing Knights.

 

3) I haven't got the 6th edition DA codex, so I'm not entirely sure about the origins of the Darkshroud. Lexicanum implies there's only 10 of them, which makes it unlikely that the Seraphs would have one. As to whether they let the enemy know that they're coming, that will depend on the enemy and the circumstances. Sometimes a sneak attack is best and sometimes letting the enemy be terrified for a bit is best.

 

4) Yes, they are worshipped on some worlds alongside the Emperor and the Saints. I'm not sure they demand worship as such, just awe and respect. They're happy to fight for worlds that don't know them - how else would their fame spread? If they were actively denounced they would see that as heresy and act accordingly. If they were just forgotten they would probably just be less likely to defend the planet in future. I imagine that there'd be some in the Ecclesiarchy and Inquisition who would be uneasy at the worship of a SM chapter, but I haven't planned any major confrontations.

 

5) They take prisoners for interrogation about the Fallen and to set an example. In virtually every case they will kill the prisoner, just slowly and after much torture rather than a quick death on the battlefield.

[NightrawenII]

3) I haven't got the 6th edition DA codex, so I'm not entirely sure about the origins of the Darkshroud. Lexicanum implies there's only 10 of them, which makes it unlikely that the Seraphs would have one.

According to codex, there are only ten statues from which the Darkshroud gets its strange power and they are product of the Fall of Caliban.

As to whether they let the enemy know that they're coming, that will depend on the enemy and the circumstances. Sometimes a sneak attack is best and sometimes letting the enemy be terrified for a bit is best.

That's not answer for what he is asking, though. He is asking whether the Seraphic Host uphold the image of Emperor's Angels who descend upon the heathens to smite them like the mighty smiters they are.

~ NightrawenII

[TDF]

NightrawenII, on 26 Sept 2013 - 11:14, said:

Tdf4638, on 24 Sept 2013 - 17:19, said:

As to whether they let the enemy know that they're coming, that will depend on the enemy and the circumstances. Sometimes a sneak attack is best and sometimes letting the enemy be terrified for a bit is best.

That's not answer for what he is asking, though. He is asking whether the Seraphic Host uphold the image of Emperor's Angels who descend upon the heathens to smite them like the mighty smiters they are.

Well in that case, yes they do.

[TDF]

I've put up a first draft of the IA. I'm not entirely happy with it; it seems to be lacking a certain something...

 

Anyway, c&c is very much appreciated.

 

Edit: Does anyone know the bbcode to put the first colour piece in a nice box? Like the second one, but covering the whole width of the page - not a sidebar.

[Prefect Apollyon]

Great start. Destroying recruitment worlds that insult them is excessive, and would be questioned by the Inquisition, but otherwise sounds very believable.

[TDF]

Yeah, when you phrase it like that it is pretty questionable.

In my mind if a planet starts saying the Seraphic Host is bad then usually that'll go alongside some sort of criticism of the Emperor (and the Host will claim that criticism of them is criticism of the Emperor by proxy) so they'll be more likely to get away with being harsh. I imagine them as leaning more towards the black-and-white view of the galaxy and being unafraid to massacre worlds if they deem it necessary. I meant to include that in the IA but I appear to have forgotten.

Thanks for bringing that up, Apollyon.

[Prefect Apollyon]

As said, minor nit-picking.

 

Very good start so far! Keep it coming.

[NightrawenII]

I've put up a first draft of the IA. I'm not entirely happy with it; it seems to be lacking a certain something...

Well, of course, they are lacking the origins of their traits...

 

Onto c&c:

You origin section doesn't match the second paragraph of combat doctrine and, to be honest, the overall theme of your Chapter, they are hell-bent on glory and awe... Why should they be secretive Chapter?

 

Which brings me to another point. Observe:

"They do not seek glory or the adulation of the masses, but are instead consumed with punishing transgressions and delivering the Emperor's vengeance."

~ Codex: Dark Angels 6th edition

 

= your Chapter is personification of everything the Dark Angels are not. Why?

 

 

~ NightrawenII

[TDF]

I must admit, the origins section is one of my least favourite. I was trying to go for 'they don't bother giving out details of their past to mere mortal historians, they have more important things to do' but you're right in that the way it comes across contradicts their general theme.

 

As for going against the DA, the Seraphic Host considers itself forgiven for the sins of the Fallen so they feel no shame or need to hide themselves away. They also think of themselves as something close to demi-gods, so accepting awe/worship follows on from that. Over time they come to expect it, so if it doesn't happen then in their minds something is wrong.

 

 

I'll rewrite the origins section. I've put them down as being founded sometime around the Age of Apostasy, so I'll have them fight in a few big battles where religious imagery is close to the surface. That helps to shape the worldview of the young Chapter.

 

Thanks for the c&c, it's really helpful to refine my ideas and get them across in the IA. :)