Index Astartes: Angels of Malediction

[Hrvat]

Reserved for the finished product...

 

 

 

 

 

[Hrvat]

Hello and wellcome to a project I will be undertaking over the coming weeks/months. I haven't been very active in the community over the last year and a half but that is about to change since now I have more time for myself. So I have decided to update the background of my army as I am about to take up the brush once again (haven't touched the army since completing the first model back in January 2012 but that is soon to change since I plan to paint the dual fist sargeant tomorrow ).

The background will try and reflect certain themes I want to see in my marines but also to complement the modeling side of the project. I absolutely love kitbashing and my guys are a mix of all sorts of bitz. In addition one of reasons I have a DIY is so that I can play whatever SM Codex I feel like and I would like to incorporate reasonable explanations into the background why a certain thing from e.g. Blood Angels or Space Wolves exists within my chapter.

And so we begin...

Chapter name: Angels of Malediction*

*They are a Dark Angels successor so the word Angel feels natural, while Malediction is both a representation of what they are - a curse on the enemies of the Imperium - and a throwback to the name of the ceremonial feast held by the Dark Angels that comemorates their founding by the Emperor prior to the Great Crusade

Founding: 26th (738.M41)*

*I am usually drawn to the older (most commonly 2nd) foundings that allows me to write some kind of origins story linked to marines that took part in the Great Crusade. This time I have decided for a breath of fresh air so to speak, to have a "young", vibrant chapter while at the same time being fully avare how long a period of time two and a half centuries is (a fact often forgotten by many people enjoying the 40k setting).

Home World: Arak*

*The place is located between galactic arms, on an important warp lane. So I took a name of an oasis in Syria since in a way it would be located in a galacitc "desert". Also the real world Arak was a Roman Empire outpost at the very "edge of civilisation". It is in the far west of segmentum Solar along the direct line connecting Terra and Macharia.

Fortress Monastery: The Vault

Gene-seed: Lion El'Jonson via Guardians of the Covenant*

*I allways had a special thing for Dark Angels and their successors.

What I have in mind is a chapter that has both an angelic and knightly theme but the knightly theme is closer to a crusader conqueror knight than to an arthurian questing knight. At the same time they would recruit from a nearby Hive World from what the world's governer describes as "scum of humanity" and internally be a no-nonsense type of people not given much to prayer and such things prefering to venerate the Emperor in a simpler form of crushing foes and wining battles.

Chapter's marines would suffer from a form of PTSD due to a malfunctioning catalepsean node and some would come to relly on combat drugs to boost their performance.

Thier main foes will be Orkz of Calverna, Saggitarians CSM (DIY - operating from Gates of Fire warp storm), Paladins of Khaine Eldar corsairs (DIY).

Organisation will be slightly divergent akin to other Unforgiven but with a difference.

Well that's it for now, further content will follow over the coming days.

[Hrvat]

Here is some progress...

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f355/Giladis/40k%20stuff/ProgressionChartAoM_zps4ebadb14.png

 

 

Supplicant - kids that go into the trails - 12 years old

Serf - failed supplicants

Squire - chapter serfs who through dedicated service are promoted to personal attendants for individual marines

Servitor - serfs who have performed some transgression and were punished with lobotomisation

Aspirant - kids that undergo traning and surgery - 12-16 years old

Neophyte - young warriors attached to squads of marines to earn the right to wear power armour - 16-18 years old

Initiate - young space marines - 16-20 years old

Scout - young space marines who excell at infiltrating and reconnaissance - 16-20 years old

Knight - standard space marines - 20+ years old

Ranger - standard space marines who excell at infiltrating and reconnaissance - 20+ years old

Gallant - exemplary members of the chapter aka sargeants & veterans 

Zealot - exemplary members of the chapter who start on the path of chaplaincy & members of the chaplain's retinue

Huscarl - exemplary members of the chapter who serve as companions to chapter's leaders

Seneschall - junior leaders in command of Quests

Master - leaders in command of Orders

Grand Master - lord of the Chapter

[Quozzo]

I like it so far, whenever i think of angels and knights i always get an image of the Rapture, at least the aftermath where angels and daemons have a battle which obliterates the earth. However in your progression chart you forgot about interrogator chaplains if they're privy about the fallen and i think the techmarines and above (or below in the chart) need to be moved down so that their rank is the same in the hierarchy as the apothecaries, libbys and chaplains.

[Hrvat]

I like it so far, whenever i think of angels and knights i always get an image of the Rapture, at least the aftermath where angels and daemons have a battle which obliterates the earth. However in your progression chart you forgot about interrogator chaplains if they're privy about the fallen and i think the techmarines and above (or below in the chart) need to be moved down so that their rank is the same in the hierarchy as the apothecaries, libbys and chaplains.

The omission of Interrogator chaplains is intentional as is standing of "mech-marines" within the chapter in corelation to other specialists.

 

 

Next update: Origins and Battlecry

 

ORIGINS

When the High Lords of Terra decreed in 738.M41 that a new founding of Space Marines would occur, the Inner Circle of the Unforgiven gathered, to discuss the future additions to the lineage of Lion El’Jonson. One of the conclusions of the conclave was that First Sergeant Barachiel of the 10^th company of the Guardians of the Covenant would be tasked with overseeing the creation and training of one of the new Chapters created from the Dark Angels gene-seed. Unlike his peers who were given the same duty the Inner Circle had a special mission for Barachiel. In the decades prior to the conclave a faction had grown within the Inner Circle concerned over the scrutiny the Unforgiven were subject to by various Imperial institutions as well as growing mistrust from other members of the Adeptus Astartes . Though adamant in their belief that loyalty is its own reward they managed to convince the conclave action was needed to prevent potential hostile action by the Inqustions or other Space Marine Chapters against the members of the Unforgiven, for real or imagined breaches of the Imperial Law. So this new Chapter would be the eyes and ears of the Inner Circle within the Imperium, all the while maintaining a high profile, drawing attention to themselves from the rest of the Unforgiven.

 

The exact fate of Eylon Barachiel was not decided at the conclave and the prospect of his further elevation within the Inner Circle was postponed for a future date. As far as the Grand Masters were concerned the leadership of the new Chapter needed not be burdened with knowledge, beyond the fact that the Fall of Caliban happened and Fallen Dark Angels exist, during the Chapter’s formative years. Joined by two dozen other operatives drawn from the Guardians of the Covenant, now Master, Barachiel set of for Mars to retrieve the initial batch of organs needed to create the new Chapter. Designated Chapter 986 by the Adeptus Mechanicus they were sent by the High Lords of Terra to reinforce the Ingolfur Expanse and secure a vital jump point along the Solar-Macharia warp route in the Eris system. Being an expert at deception was the main reason why the Inner Circle appointed Barachiel for the task and he went into his role with gusto. The name and heraldry for the new Chapter were chosen after a lengthy consultation with his associates and so the Angels of Malediction were born. There would never be any doubt to which bloodline they belonged and their name would proudly proclaim what they do, brining the curse of the Emperor upon the foes of humanity.

 

 

BATTLECRY

“Emperor wills it!”

[Tiger9gamer]

Awesome job :D

[Hrvat]

I am having a bit of writers block to put my thoughts in an artful manner into the article but I can at least show in an un artful way how this is progressing and what I am thinking about.

 

So...

 

- the Angels of Malediction have been created during the 26th founding and were assigned a duty by the High Lords/Administratum to bolster the defences of the Ary Belt

 

- they were given the Hive World of Eris IV as their recruiting grounds, to keep Eris IV safe they construct their fortress monastery on planet's moon Arak

 

- Arak is arid and lifeless but not airless

 

- Eris IV has a number of Hives and slum wastelands in between, densely inhabited areas made out of shanty towns

 

- Gang members are inducted into the chapter, preferably orphans

 

- recruitment has been expanded to some other worlds within the Eris sub-sector but only at times when chapter
sustains above average casualties

 

 

 

- the first Grand Master was 1st sergeant, 10th company Guardians of the Covenant

 

- other initial marines were drawn from across the Unforgiven based on their demeanour, serious but vibrant jovial personalities mostly at odds with the general mien of the average Dark Angel

 

- the behaviour of Angels of Malediction ranges from cordial to friendly when corresponding with other Imperial forces

 

- they maintain cordial relations to all Imperial institutions to better keep an eye on them

 

 

 

- their battle doctrine is based on the teachings of the Lion and Codex Astartes

 

- but it has been steered to put more emphasis on infiltration and reconnaissance coupled with standard SM shock and awe

 

- the chapter is used by the Inner Circle as their eyes and ears among other Imperial forces

 

- the chapter is also a strategic reserve of the Unforgiven with more than average amount of heavy equipment including some stuff not usually available to SM chapters like Medusa and Colossus

 

 

 

- the chapter on paper follows Unforgiven modified codex organisation with veteran, recon, 3 battle, 4 reserve and scout company

 

- membership in the veteran, recon and scout company is real while the rest is only nominal since the chapter is also divided doctrinally into

 

- 4 Orders - Bow(Scout), Sword(Assault), Lance(Tactical), Hammer(Devastator/Tank)

 

 

So the chapter roughly looks likethis

 

Grand Master's Household

Grand Master, Masters, Seneschalls + 1st Company members aka Huscarls + Dreadnoughts

 

Order of the Bow aka recon order

Master, Rangers(full marines or veterans), Scouts (young marines good at infiltrating)

 

Order of the Sword aka cc order

Master, Gallants(sergeants), Knights(marines), Initiates (young marines)

 

Order of the Lance aka mid range fire fighting

Master, Gallants, Knights, Initiates

 

Order of the Hammer aka long range/heavy weapons support

Master, Gallants, Knights, Initiates

Barracks

Master, Rangers, Gallants, Neophytes

 

Forge

 

Librarium

 

Apothecarion

 

Reclusiam

 

 

- operationally the chapter gets divided into two ad hoc formations - the Quest =1-5 squads+command+veterans - and - the Endeavour =2-5 quests

 

- each Quest is led by either a Gallant, Huscarl, Seneschall or Master (though only rarely) who will select/be assigned by superior warriors/squads best suited for the mission at hand

 

- Seneschalls(rarely), Masters and Grand Master lead Endeavours

 

- Librarians, Chaplains can be given command over Quests and Endeavours if Inner Circle/Grand Master decides so

 

- in addition to that there is the Crusade = whole chapter mobilised for war - hasn't happened yet in their history

 

 

- the Angels of Malediction fight either as vanguard or strategic reserve of other Imperial forces, most often alongside Imperial Guard, followed by other Space Marines

 

- larger chapter formations fighting on their own are rare though individuals, individual squads of scouts/rangers do fight on their own, acting as outriders of the chapter

 

 

- the 2nd company of the Chapter is known as the Wraithwing and it is they in addition to the Inner Circle who know of the existence of the Fallen

 

- elevation to the first company does not bring automatically introduction into the Inner Circle, though many eventually become members

 

- when a Fallen is reported nearby a Quest will be formed from the members of the Wraithwing from across the Household and the Orders + Inner Circle members

 

- most members of the Wraithwing are from the Order of the Bow and the Lance

 

- Angels of Malediction feel no need to extract a confession or repentance from a Fallen

 

- if a Fallen can be captured he will be sent to the tower of Angels, though more often he will simply be killed

 

- this has led to some friction between Angels of Malediction and Angels of Redemption

 

 

- the chapter is extremely active and has high attrition rates

 

- in order to preserve combat strength they "refined" the transformation into a space marine into a period of just 4 years (12-16 years of age)

 

- such methods along with over exposure to combat have eroded the functionality of the Catalepsean Node

 

- as a marine ages it stops working so marines are prone to using stim shots aka combat drugs to keep their effectiveness

 

- this over time influenced the Omophagea creating an addiction

 

- these two events result in PTSD SM style

 

- use of combat drugs influences Melanochrome turning marine complexion swarthy

 

 

- To the outsiders the Angels of Malediction are very keen to present themselves as zealous knightly warriors not very different from Black Templars

 

- In really it is just a rouse to better spy on others and keep opponents wrong footed,

 

- most of the battles done by the chapter (when not acting a support element) are performed by the members of the Order of the Bow with battles conducted by members of other orders though important are usually just killing blows

 

- this isn't to say that Angels of Malediction shy away from direct "unprepared" assaults if the need dictates just that they prefer to dismantle the foe without the allies or the foes knowing they are actually fighting with the remaining engagement mostly for show when the conclusion is forgone

 

 

- the spy/deceptive aspect has been weakening since the founding as under their own influence on their home world the new recruits growing up with a false image have over time slowly been altering the chapter to actually become what they at the beginning were only
acting to be like

 

- riding a bike like a knightly steed is a favourable prospect in the chapter as is the use of jump packs which is reminiscent of their evocative name Angels of Death

- have only a few Dreadnoughts mixed feelings about them

 

- a small supply of Terminator armour kept for use only for the members of the Inner Circle

 

 

- due to the feud between Space Wolves and Dark Angels the Angels of Malediction have often petitioned Wolf Lords to fight alongside them, to better keep an eye on them, which became a competitive "friendship" for a lack of better word

- the relationship has lately been soured by use of battle hounds by the Angels of Malediction, specially breed hounds (more hyena than hound) to try and copy SW bond in an attempt to become even closer, obviously it backfired

- the Blood Legion and Angels of Malediction share a mutual "understanding" when several members of the Angels of Malediction during a prolonged conflict alongside Blood Legion suffered a "breakdown"

 

- at the moment in time there is only one marine older than 120 years - Venerable Sergeant Nestor, Gallant Superior of the Order of the Sword

- as far as their beliefs are concerned Emperor and Lion are not given praise, deeds are simply dedicated to them since over the years a notion has spread through the chapter it is unbecoming of a knight to ask for "divine" assistance

- the chapter maintains only rudimentary praying facilities, chapels in use by visitors, Angels of Malediction do their "worship" on the field of battle

- in spite all very protective of humanity, value mortal life over marine live, a belief also brought in over time by successive generations of recruits

- even gangs on the planet over the years though still savage have been transformed into "honourable" groups trying to help "their own"

 

 

edit: so many spelling mistakes o.O I'll correct them in the morning

 

edit 2: edited