Keepers of the Seven Keys

[Rasclomalum]

So, I've embarked upon the quest of writing some detailed fluff for a Chaos Warband. They are latest founding, of Imperial Fists stock, and what I've detailed here is a brief overview of the chapter's history from their creation up to their fall to Chaos. Much still needs fleshing out, so consider this the Cliff Notes version. The grammar is probably off in some places, a regrettable consequence of English not being my mother tongue.

 

I wish to thank the Nephilim for all his help and input. 

 

Keepers of the Seven Keys. 

 

http://i1039.photobucket.com/albums/a473/rasclomalum/militarymarine_zpsc14567c8.jpg

 

Originally known as just Mergus, Sanctum Mergus is an Imperial Shrine World in the Scarus sector. It is a planet sprawling with cathedrals and shrines dedicated to the worship of the God-Emperor and his saints, notably Saint Iemmi, who far back in that world's history is said to have cleansed the planet of a plague caused by the emergence by the Great Unclean One Gra'bonet in M33. This was a dire time in Mergus' history, and as infections reigned supreme and mad cultists roamed the streets chanting ”Disease, disease, disease my friends, for this whole world's in Nurgle's hands”, Iemmi bravely led his followers to confront the greater daemon itself. Armed with nothing but a chainsword and his unshakeable faith in the Emperor, Iemmi is said to have sent Gra'Bonet back to the warp himself, sacrificing his own life in the process, but dealing the Chaos forces a terrible blow that took the edge off of it and invigorating the resistance, eventually ending the Nurglite incursion.

 

As Imperial peace returned to Mergus, the Ecclesiarchy declared Iemmi a saint. His shattered remains and the chainsword he used to kill the Greater Daemon were declared holy relics, and were interred in a grand cathedral built to Iemmi' honour in the Mergus capital of Megdeth. These seven relics became known as the ”Seven keys of victory”, and as such the cathedral complex became known as ”The Rainbow Cathedral”, each of its resplendent spires in one of the sevenfold colours of the rainbow. The annual festivity known as the ”March of the Saint”, to commemorate the day when Iemmi vanquished the daemon, brought pilgrims to the planet in the millions.

 

Pilgrims soared to the Cathedral, and Mergus came firmly under the control of the Ecclesiarchy, and was declared a Shrine World and renamed ”Sanctum Mergus”. Over the centuries, countless more cathedrals and shrines were built. However, it was clear by 658.M41, Sanctum Mergus had increasingly became the target of a growing Ork menace, and the planet's PDF struggled with containing the problem. Though the Shrine World was safe for the time being, it was feared that the planet would be completely overrun by Orks within a few centuries at most, were current trends to continue.

 

As Exterminatus was considered unacceptable considering the holiness of the planet, the Ecclesiarchy requested a Space Marine Chapter be created to help defend the sacred sites from the intermittent onslaught of the Greenskins. The High Lords of Terra, recognising the value of the Shrine World, granted the request. Imperial Fists geneseed was deemed appropriate, and eventually in 738.M41, the Chapter known as The Keepers of the Seven Keys had been created. The entire chapter was created using Mergusian stock, ensuring the chapter's loyalty to their planet.

 

The Keepers of the Seven Keys were effective in their role as planetary defenders, and fought back the Ork menace whenever it emerged. It was believed the problem could be contained and kept at a tolerable level, but somehow, an Ork Warboss by the name of Deesnaga Snidgrim had managed to amass a Waaagh under the radar of the planet's defenses. In 965.M41, a large force of Orks overrun the perimeter defenses of Megdeth in a lightning strike, slaying thousands of Imperial Guardsmen and obliterating the entire 7th Company of the Keepers of the Seven Keys (also known as The Seventh Sons of the Seventh) that had been on garrison duty, and lay siege on the holy city. The main Space Marine Force, having struck down a smaller Ork incursion on the southernmost parts of the continent (which may well have been a diversionary move by Snidgrim), receive the calls of distress and rush back to the holy city to aid in its defense. 

 

Fighting in Megdeth is fierce, and countless Imperial Guardsmen die as they desperately try to hold the streets against the Orkish advance. The Space Marine force reach the city just as the Orks prepare to assault the Cathedral of the Rainbow, and here the unstoppable force of the Orks reach the immovable object that is an entrenched Astartes chapter. The battle rages on for days, with waves of Orks hurling themselves at the Space Marine defenses, only to be cut down by the holy bolter and chainsword. Snidgrim, unable to accept the standstill, on the fifth day spearhead the final attack himself, intent on slaughtering the space marines and claiming the city for himself. 

 

If the four days of battle that Megdeth had seen before had been fierce, it was nothing compared to the brutal hammer that was the fifth day. The Keepers of the Seven Keys sustain heavy losses, and find themselves pushed further and further back, having to abandon line after line of defense. Several of the spires of the Cathedral have now fallen, and as a victorious Snidgrim enters the inner sanctum, Chapter Master Patricius Dio orders the Cathedral to be destroyed. Having previously ordered that hundreds of melta bombs be placed within the cathedral in the event that it should be overrun, he orders them detonated. As the city itself quakes at the destruction of the great cathedral, Snidgrim and his Orks are buried under tons of marble and granite, crushing the main Ork force. Echoing Iemmi's cleansing of the Chaos incursion millennia earlier, the death of their leader breaks the spirit of the Ork Waaagh and allows the torn and ragged defense forces of the planet to drive the greenskins back. Peace had returned to Sanctum Mergus, albeit at a terrible cost.

 

The Keepers of the Seven Keys were victorious, but had lost an entire company, and none of the remaining companies was intact. The original 1000 Space Marines had become 666 – losses that Inquisitor Furnier Van Halford of the Ordo Hereticus found unacceptable. Unacceptable, because Chapter Master Dio had chosen to spare his Chapter further losses by destroying a sacred site of the Imperium. Cowardice, treason and heresy were the charges. The anger and despair this caused the Keepers of the Seven Keys made them doubt their allegiance to the Empire, the Empire they'd fought and died for that had now turned against them. When the Inquisition attempted to sequester the chapter for interrogation, the Chapter revolted against the injustice and during a brief battle that saw the Ordo Hereticus force sent to the Chapter cut down to a man Inquisitor Van Halford found himself on the receiving end of the cannons of Predator Tank 5 (from that moment on known as ”Communication Breakdown”). The Chapter, now firmly declared Excommunicate Traitoris, then fled Sanctum Mergus with their fleet, just one step ahead of the Inquisition. Heading for the Eye of Terror, the bitterness and resentment the Keepers felt towards the Kingdom of Madness that was the traitorous Imperium eventually saw them turn to Chaos worship.

 

Warband Strength: 666 marines at the time of their fall.  

 

Fleet: Two Battle Barges, and whatever number of Strike Cruisers, Vanguard Cruisers and other vessels a standard Chapter should have access to. 

 

Homeworld: None. They currently operate from their ships. 

 

Notable characters: 

 

Chapter Master (now Chaos Lord) Patricius Dio: Terminator Chaos Lord, leads the Terminator squads of the former 1st Company, known as the War Pigs. 

 

One: Formerly known as Apothecary Stein of the 1st Company. Happened upon an Orkish landmine during the cleansing of Blazebay in 802.M41. Blind, deaf and limbless, he was interred in a Dreadnought. 

 

References: 

 

*Saint Iemmi is the love child between Lemmy and Iommi. :-D

 

*Cathedral of the Rainbow, because Rainbow.

 

*Keepers of the Seven Keys - Helloween reference, the chant of the Nurgle cultists is taken from 07:05 in that song.

 

*Sanctum Mergus is also Latin. Means ”Holy Diver”. Inflection is probably off. 

 

*Gra'bonet is a reference to Graham Bonnet. Maybe should rename him "Grahm'bonet". 

 

*Megdeth = Megadeth.

 

*Deesnaga Snidgrim = Dee Snider

 

*Okay, 666 space marines is a bit campy, isn't it? But hey, Number of the Beast and all. 

 

*Kingdom of Madness is a song by Magnum. 

 

*One - Metallica's song One. Apothecary Stein - Dr. Stein by Halloween. 

 

*Patricius Dio - a Paddy such as myself naturally wants to insert himself into the chapter, and Dio is self explanatory.

 

*Deesnaga Snidgrim - Dee Snider.

 

*Seventh Sons of the Seventh - Iron Maiden reference.

 

*War Pigs - Black Sabbath reference.

 

*Blazebay - Blaze Bayley.

 

*Communication Breakdown - a song by Led Zeppelin.

 

*Inquisitor Furnier Van Halford - Yeah, Alice Cooper, Van Halen and Rob Halford all rolled into one.

[The Nephilim]

Looks good. I'd break into sections mirroring that of an official IA article, but that's just my own neuroticism. There's some grammar errors, but I can't address them properly with my phone. Hopefully someone on can help with that.

 

Like I said in PM, I really like the old school heavy metal undertones.

[Stercus]

Love it. The "chapter wronged by a sanctimonious and obnoxious inquisitor" is not a new theme, but you've pulled it off well. And the heavy rock references made me chuckle. Good work sir.

May I suggest at least one company of your chapter should have a banner featuring a couple of bolters and some flowers... Lets say roses for argument's sake?

[The Nephilim]

Anyone know where to find a link for the heavy metal marines someone did eons ago?

 

Banners done in classic album covers would be sick as :cuss.

[Rasclomalum]

I'd never thought of that, it's an amazing idea, thank you!