UPDATED 2/12--21st Founding chapter: The Voices Within....

[XKhalilX]

History

The _____ were created in the infamous 21st Founding, created the largest founding since the breakup of the great legions. The Founding was an experimental one, using questionable sources of geneseed, as well as genetic manipulation and splicing. Each chapter from the founding was gifted with both extraordinary abilities as well as drawbacks. Some were declared a failed experiment and exterminated. Others remained stable though negative consequences seemed to shadow all chapters from the notorious 21st Founding.

The chapter was deemed the "Dream Child" Experiment. The High Lords and Ad Mech's goal was to create a superior astartes off the standard template. With the ever increasing threats pouring forth from the Eye of Terror, countless xenos incursions on the borders of the Imperium, more astartes were needed, and the possibility of improving the Emperor's finest warriors was greatly needed.

The chapter's geneseed was a heavily guarded secret. Only the most senior authorities of the Imperium of Mankind were aware of the genetic source from which the chapter was derived.The Tech priests analyzed the genestock, theorizing ways to increase the mental capabilities of an astartes. Through painstaking splicing of the genetic chains of geneseed, they believed they could create a more refined genetical material. Whatever the source the tech priests used, it was heavily scrutinized, and considered a highly pure stock. They constantly monitored the geneseed for any signs of mutation or genetic irregularities.

Under the authority of the High Lords of Terra, the chapter was to be given experimental physical and psychological conditioning. The methods of hypnotherapy utilized not only training of the physical body, but the experimental methods were primarily directed at the initiate's training of the subconscious psyche. Given this experimental technique, the High Lords ordered the initial training cadre include a small contingent of Librarians. Captain Qiyaz of the Raven Guard would oversee the physical training of the recruits. Lexicanum Octavian of the Ultramarines would oversee the hypnotherapy and psychoanlysis of the recruits.

Once established, the hypnotherapy was enacted on the first generations of recruits. Collected from a vast array of worlds, the cadre was given the directive to recruit as many viable sets of twins and triplets as possible. This was to test the effects of the psychological training using a base template to work from. Given the identical genetic makeup of twins and triplets, any effects shown in one twin and not the other (or others in regards to triplets), would be considered an anomaly to be noted during the process.

The method focused on a collective hypno-indoctrination rather then the individual, which was the standard training procedure in astartes chapters. Broken into teams of five, the recruits would be forced into a semi catatonic state through manipulating the Sus-an membrane of each initiate. This caused the mental barriers to soften, and allowed the Librarians a deep probing into the subconscious of all five recruits simultaneously. The goal was to mold the collective mind of the team, not the individual.

For reasons unknown, the implantation phase for a recruit to mature to full astartes status took twice as long as that of a standard astartes development period. Due to the slow maturation rate, it took the chapter longer then expected to build in strength.

After several hundred years, the chapter was at full strength and battle readiness, officially cleared for combat duty. Chapter ____ was officially named ____.

Echoes from the Past....

Working in squad and kill-team formations, they garnered many accolodes and success on the battlefield. Their loyalty to the Imperium and the Emperor were unquestioned.

After a millenia however, the chapter began experiencing a mutation in the Omophagea organ effecting their mental capabilities in vast new ways. For reasons unknown, the Omophagea began to mutate, likely due to the innovative psychological training and the genetic splicing during the chapter's nascient stages of creation.

Whatever the case may be, individual brothers began experiencing mental fluctuations. Initially, a brother would describe what he called "ghost echoes," momentary voices that would come and go in the blink of an eye. Over time, these ghostly whispers would begin to formulate into thoughts. While the brother would state the thoughts were his own, an other worldly feeling would consume the thought mentioned, giving the brother an eerie sense of psychological invasion.

Initially thought to be "ghostly echoes" of one of the voices of the chapter's Librarians who were the creators of the messages, it became apparent to the chapter that it was much more.

The Great Awakening

Over the next several generations, the mutation in the Omphagea caused the organ to malfunction. It's original function in an astartes is to absorb genetic material when consumed by the marine. This consumption would be absorbed and the Omophagea would transmit the consumed genetic material as a set of memories or experiences. This was used by astartes in the battlefield for example, when consuming a sliver of an adversary's flesh. The marine would be able to know the final thoughts of their enemy, hoping to gain valuable information on enemy formations and battleplans.

For the ____, the Omophagea mutated from its original purpose altogether. Rather then absorbing genetic material and hence memories and experience from enemies, it somehow physiologically reacted within the marine himself, causing a retroverted reaction. In essence, all thoughts and memory of the brother would be absorbed and stored within the Omophagea and geneseed in his body. Simply put, their Omophagea was no longer capable of external absorption.

When a brother died in combat, his geneseed and organs would be salvaged to be implaneted into a new initiate. The memories and experiences of the previous brother were inherited by the new initiate. The Apothecarium concluded that the "ghost echoes" were in fact the beginning whispers of the many voices of dead brothers, expressing their thoughts and memories within the new host body. Their personality lived on in remnants from generation to generation. Thus an individual marine was a genetic tree of countless personalities and experiences.

The mutation caused permanent abnormalities within their behavioral patterns. At first it was minor in detal, such as completing one another's sentence, common vocal patterns within verbal communication, even such peculiarities as scratching one's head in the same area that a team mate would feel an itch. In time, these patterns began to unfold and develop further during combat and physical training. A squad member might grab for his brother, before he actually fell, his hand seemingly at the right spot seconds before the imminent misstep.

As time went on, it was discovered that squad mates were able to "mind-meld" on some intuitive level, where their thinking, reactions, and abilities not only complimented one other, but were instinctive in nature. The brothers connected on a subconscious level that was outside the psychic threshold, but far above that of closely bonded astartes. Their individual identities had somehow amalgamated into a collective personality, whereby they were both simultaneously individual and unfied. The chapter deemed the psychological symbiosis a "micro-hive." They were all part of one another in some way that could not be explained, even by scientific standards.

A squad shifted in battle formation without a verbal command or hand signal. When recon and surveillance were needed, a brother seemingly took point without being assigned. They moved as one, but not in a way that one assumes is due to years of training and comraderie. It was beyond that. They would move and react on an instinctual level, an intelligence split off into separate bodies.

Burdens of the Dead

For some, the echoes increased substantially. No longer momentary whispers, the voices had become amplified and given subtle clarity. Designated as "Ghost Speech," brothers could hear fully expressed thoughts and memories that were both disnticly their own and others. The most exceptional cases were essentially receptacles of the past, channeling phantasmagoric memories to be understood by the living marine.

Those hearing the "ghost speech" were unknowlingly merging their identities with those who had carried the geneseed before them. A brother suffering from the phantom voices might for example, take apart, clean, and inspect his weapon in a way that was reminiscent to that of a past brother. Another might develop a certain accent, or recite a litany known to be penned by a brother from amongst the chapter's history. Simple mannerisms crept into their demeanour as well. Tapping one's boot on the ground, rapping one's knuckles, or obsessively checking their weapon before engagements. These were signs of known brothers from the past that had slowly coalesced with the personality of the present individual.

In a short period of time, brothers began bonding with others outside their team. It became apparent that these brothers somehow shared familiar ancestral identities. They were consumed with those within, losing their former self identity in the process and becoming reclusive even from their own squad mates.

Those who could not take it were driven mad by the trespassing voices. Some were removed from their squads and performed as lone operatives, finding solace in the brothers within them. For many, the internal chatter was too much. Unable to function, the chaplains simply granted them the Emperor's Mercy.

Other fought against the mental cacophany, and with an iron will they learned to cope with the psycholigical intrustion. Calling themselves "Ghost Talkers," they formed up new squads with others whose own inner brethren were team mates in the past. They excelled in their new formations, for within each Ghost Talker was centuries of experience in war, philosophy, and tactics.

Their former squads were brothers suffering only the minor echoes by the mutation. To fill the void of team members who had become Ghost Talkers, newly promoted battle brothers would join the squad. Like them, he would be afflicted with the ghost echoes of the past. These former squads would suffer from an incomplete bond as the new brother would slowly meld with his squad mates, acclimating into the mirco-hive of the team. In times of war, this would sometimes cause miscommunication and error on the battlefield, often with fatal consequences.

As the geneseed was passed on, generation to generation, the number of those suffering from Ghost Speech increased, with less resiliance then the previous generation. The Chaplain's were granting the Emperor's Mercy more frequently and emergency council amongst the chapter's senior command was held.

In a chapter report dated M39.597, approximately 50% of the chapter suffered from "Ghost Speech," with the rest of the chapter afflicted with the minor ghost echoes of the past. The chapter's squads would time and time again have to reorganize to accomodate their abnormality, or be forced to suffer mass hysteria and psychopathic episodes. More and more brothers succombed to the voices, and few amongst them were able to handle the psychological intrustions.

After centuries of refinement, the combined efforts of the librarium, apothecarium and reclusium have managed to control the number of brothers falling insane to the voices. By the mid 41st millenium, the number of brothers being given the Emperor's Mercy has decreased dramatically. While the acts of fratricide have decreased, this turn in fortune has not come without consequence.

The implantation phase and development to full astartes has tripled in time compared to other chapters. This is due largely by the apothecarium meticulous planning and catalouging the geneseed, as well as further mutation of the Omophagea. As it currently stands, over 75% of the chapter are organized into Ghost Talker squads. The lengthy process has made losses in war a severe hindrance in maintaing chapter strength. As it stands in M41.999 the chapter was at approximately 482 brothers.

Beliefs

The chapter deeply reveres their geneseed, for it houses a remnant of their dead who fought and died honourably for the Emperor. The Apothecarium excercises great care with each viable geneseed and organ. The Apothecarium and Librarium work closely together, noting and catalouging members of each squad, being attentive to to ensure they would be reunited again in new initiates joining the Ghost Talkers.

This is a painstaking process, since the new initiate would likely suffer from the same ghostly voices as those who carried the geneseed before him. It became a sacred duty for the apothecarium, for when a brother lay dying on the battlefield, the apothercary was looked at as more of a priest and less of a medic. He was the carrier of lost souls, a porter of the dead. They knew that when the Emperor's Mercy was granted to them by their beloved apothecary, they would see him again, recognizing him in a new body in some intuitive manner.

For others, the intrustions into their mind are too much to bare. Unable to function, they begin to babble, conversing with the thoughts in their head. Lost in the web of thoughts that are both their own and from others, they become pyshologically unstable. These poor souls are taken into the Reclusium chambers, and granted final rites of passage. The Chaplain from their company grants them the Emperor's Mercy at the conclusion of the rites. The company Apothercary extracts the geneseed and gives it a special designation, a warning indicator of a possible flaw in the geneseed. While the reasons for the fall to insanity are unclear, the apothecarium thoerizes that it is a flaw in the geneseed and not individual behaviour exhibited by the brother.

Overtime the reclusium strategized new ways to instil an inner fortitude to acclimate to the voices within. Rather then fighting the voices, the chapter began seeing them as a gift from the Emperor of Mankind. They held a unique bond amongst their chapter, tying their past and present together, interwoven through thousands of years of memory and experience. They taught the brothers to let the thoughts flow freely, to let them cascade against the ebbs of the brain, rather then fighting them, causing them to crash like waves to rock. In time, the philosophy ingrained itself into the chapter, always changing and simultaneously attached to the past.

The chapter feels no fear of death given their mutation. For as they fall on the field of battle, they will join the choir of voices held within them. Breathing their last, they will rise to fight again inside the body of a new brother. The chapter pays respect to their dead in great ceremony in the aftermath of battle.

If possible, the body is brought back to the Chapter Monestary and placed in an ever expanding hall known as the Ossuarium. A massive complex with vaulted ceilings, it is here the dead are laid to rest and the living pay tribute. Each fallen brother is placed in a opaque sarcophagus installed with a stasis field. The body will not age or deteriorate, and it will be displayed for all to gaze upon and remember. The bodies are organized by squad and generation as much as possible to maintain the familiar ties of brotherhood within each unit. Before any engagement, brothers will gather at their designated chambers and stare reverently at the bodies of their dead. Reflecting silently, each individual brother feels nostalgia, an inner sense of looking into a mirror of their own self, and at the same time gazing upon the preserved embodiment of an ancestor.

The Reclusium performs incantations and rites daily in the Ossuarium. Each company Chaplain makes his rounds, performing the Rites of the Dead over each squad and unit designation within the company he oversees and shepherds. In battle, the Chaplains refer back to the great heroes of the chapter, reminding the living of the glories of the past, and that honour and loyalty are never forgotten or laid to rest.

Idividualism and Belief amongst Chapter, Company, and Squad

The chapter holds a unique view of personal identity. The Omophagea mutation has granted them a universal indentity, housing many personalities within one. Each brother is essentially a micro-hive, housing dozens of personalities. Their individualism is blurred, part and parcel of a sub conscious collective.

The brothers feel a psychological bond with their squadmates. They react, think, and take action almost to the point of singlemindedness. The individual micro-hive of each member is coalesced into a squad based hive. This mentality has instilled in them precognitive abilities in the heat of battle. They move as if formed from one mind and body.

Each team is also partially self-isolating. While the entire chapter holds a bond beyond that of a standard astartes chapter, the individual teams are where they feel most at ease, sensing one another as if it were an extension of their own mental and physical bodies. Each company carries its own roll call of glories in battle, and each bares its own subculture and traditions housed within the heritage of the Chapter.
Within the company, each team carries its own personal traditions and philosophies. The company Chaplain learns to shepherd to each team with its many nuiasances that makeup the culture of the company as a whole.

This inclusive doctrine holds that all members of a given team are granted a simple alias, with the team name as their given name, followed by a numeric designation. Names such as "Nova One," "Theles Four," and "Alpha Two" are just a few examples brothers use when dealing with brothers outside their team, as well as other astartes chapters. Only within a single team do the brothers know one another by their true names.

All senior command are known by their true name. The Chapter Master, and all members of the Apothercarium, Librarium and Reclusium bare no alias. Each company's headquarters (Captain, Apothecary, Chaplain) know the true names of all the men under their command. Only in private matters such as team briefings and personal communication do the headquarters staff address the men by their true name. Given the their psychic abilities, all Librarians know the true identities of each member of the chapter, and maintain the protocol followed by company and chapter headquarters.

Organization

Infiltration of ___ Hive

During a mass uprising on ____ Hive, the chapter was tasked with infiltrating the rebellion, discovering its headquarters and command chain, and effectively destroying it down to the man. The chapter sent ____ squad to investigate the uprisings and break apart the organization and Nova squad to infiltrate command.
They learned that a traitor marine by the name of Kornos was the mastermind behind the escalating rebellion. His intention was to eradicate the ____ system through rebellion and war starting with the systems most populated world of ___ Hive. Over a billion of its people were members of one hive gang or another. For centuries they fought one another in bloody street wars until Kornos unified them under the influencing power of Chaos through the powers of Khorne.
___ squad slowly managed to infiltrate Kornos' command structure, assassinating key leaders in strongholds throughout the massive Hive city that encompassed the world. In time, the organization collapssed, and the world was awash with blood. Some of his own men turned against Kornos as he made for the world's government complex in the capital city of ____.
The ___ sent two companies to quell the rebellious population, butchering them to annhilation. While his plans were failing before his eyes, Kornos was ambushed by Nova Squad. Posing as a detachment of the warlord's honour guard, they slowly ascended to the highest echelons of his personal guard retinue. After several months they had the traitor in a vulnerable position. As Sergeant Nova One enacted the command trigger, the squad revealed themselves and butchered Kornos and his remaining bodyguards.
The world was awash with blood, and smouldered with ash from the blackened husks that were once massive buildings housing the world's people. New colonists would settle on ____ Hive with a permanent detachment of Imperial Guard to watch over the world.
None were spared from the chapter's wrath, save the small children. The girls were taken by Imperial authorities while the boys were taken into the chapter's recruiting pools. In time, many of the young boys would grow up to become a member of the ____, the saviour of ____ Hive.

The brothers work in squad and team formations, rarely fighting as a unified company. Most organize as kill teams of five to six brothers, with more severe engagements in squad formation. Those suffering from the "Ghost Speech" of their dead ancestors are organized into squads where ties of ancestral kinship are acknowledged, reunited in a new generation to fight under the Standard of the Emperor of Mankind.

Ghost Talkers are highly effective, comprising thousands of years of combat experience housed within each of them. As a team, they are the epitome of a highly trained warrior; specialists in recon, deep infiltration, tactical and assault prowess. They have an unbreakable bond of kinship. The team member's personalities coalesce, deriving characteristics and behavioral traits from each member of the team that in itself is composed of hundreds of battle brothers and their collected experiences.

Those who suffer most severely from the voices and are unable to cope are singled out and assigned as lone operatives. Becoming elite lone operatives who are a essentially a one man squad, given the centuries of voices rattling about in their minds. They are deadly assassins, performing recon and deep infiltration duties with great success. They will perform their duties until the day comes when the madness drives them to breaking point. On that fateful day, the operator "dials out," as the Chaplain of his company performs the Emperor's Mercy upon him.

Combat Doctrine

The _____ specialize in recon, deep infiltration, and guerilla warfare. They are masters of deep striking behind enemy lines, picking their adversaries apart in carefully planned coordinated attacks. They strike like lightning, preferring close melee combat. The chapter seems to favour night time engagements and challenging feats of infiltration. They have been noted for infiltrating chaos cults and several chaos marine warbands.

Geneseed

The geneseed is not known by the chapter. Always in search of their origins, they have found no Imperial records detailing their creation, it has been either lost, discarded or classified. All is known is they were born out of the infamous 21st Founding, and like their cousins from this Cursed Founding, they suffer in ways other astartes chapters cannot fahtom. They continue to search for their history, in hope of discovering who their father Primarch is, and a possible connection to the origins of their abilities.

Battle Cry

Spiritus Dividus, Com Individus (divided spirit, together as one)
***Frater Spiritus Dominatus (Ruled by the Brother Spirit)
****Voc/Vox Dominatus (Ruled by the Voice)
Dividus Spiritus Dominatus(Ruled by the divided Spirit)
Voc/Vox Spiritus Dominatus (Ruled by the Spirit voice)
Eternus Antecestres Dominatus (Ruled by the eternal ancestors)
Voc/Vox Dominatus (Ruled by the Voice)
Voc Spiritus Ascendus (Rise the Spirit Voice)
Vox Frater Ascendus (Rise the Brotherhood's voice)
Vox Ancestres Ascendus (Rise the Ancestor Voice)
From the many, rises/comes the One

****Im inclining towards these ones, what you think?

The english translations are not perfect, im no latin expert and if its off i dont care its 40k!

[XKhalilX]

as you can see much is not yet named or flushed out, but this is the basic outline thus far

[MordentHex]

Why does it say Alpha Legion in the title then? Its misleading and a bit confusing. Personally, I find the story to stretch the leniency of the inquisition a little to far.  If i was an Inquisitor and i knew of these happening, i would have them put to the sword.  Space marines are dangerous, An Insaine or unstable space marines Chapter that brings back the secrets of the dead is nothing but bad juujuu. The past speaks for its self but a chapter that has a genetic memory of such potiency would not be tolerated and be declared  mutant abominations and purged.  Although i know the Blood Angels and there decendent chapters are also unstable its harder to write them off than it would be a 21's founding chapter. I do not mean any of this to come off as harsh or to critical, just my point of view. If i was an inquisitior i would be a "nice guy" and even then this is too much. Tone it down a bit is my advice.

[XKhalilX]

tone what down to be exact?

 

and if the voices are able to be controlled as seen in the Ghost Talkers, would it not be a valuable asset according to the Imperium to have thousands of years of combat experience wrapped up in a brain, let alone 2/3 of a chapter? Those going insane, perhaps i can write in that they are secreted away from the rest of the chapter and all those watching (if anyone) and given the Emperor's Mercy behind close doors?

 

The Black Dragons are far more an abomination, and seem to roam free without threat from the Inquisition. The only reason i tied the inquisition into the chapter is the fact the chapter would be using Alpha Legion geneseed, though that will not be stated in the IA. I would assume that using such geneseed, there would be an Inquisitorial presence watching over them. At least in the initial stages.

 

perhaps i could say the Inquisition was there at the nascient stages, and simply observed the micro-hive behavioral and psychological patterns that occurred, think nothing of it. The mutation of hearing the dead doesnt occur until several millenia later. By that time the Inquisition might have simply moved on seeing for thousands of years the chapter remained pure and dedicated to the Emperor, gaining accolodes in countless battles.

 

and perhaps the mutation is not a physical one shown in the geneseed, but perhaps more of a chemical reaction within the brain and the geneseed. Im not sure how to go about explaining it.

 

 

I will remove Alpha Legion from the title however.

[Dominion]

The Black Dragons....like the spacewolves don't flaunt their mutations around. usually keeping them hidden from the inquisition. on top of that the Black Dragons have given geneseed tithes that have proven pure(although it is suspected they gave the geneseed tithe from a different source). 

 

Just my opinion but No inquistor would ignore this chapter, they might as well be renegade if you truly wanna make it believable. and even then its still stretching it.

 

Messing with memories is more along the lines of Blood Angel geneseed. Eating people for information is definitely epic win.

 

Despite my increasing doubts I say good luck with your chapter, ideas are ideas... you just gotta squeeze them, cut them, and then paste them back on.

[XKhalilX]

the Black Dragons arent exactly low key with their mutation, having spikes on their heads and 2-3 foot long spikes protruding from their forearms hahaha.

 

well soul drinkers ate enemy brains to get into their minds, but as i said in my previous thread, i despise Dornian geneseed.

 

Its not if my guys are running around talking to themselves per say, but that they simply can hear the voices of the dead for those who are touched by the geneseed mutation-evolution. while the standard ones simply have a semi like hive state where they are thinking as if on same wave length.

 

havent you ever bonded with someone that you could complete their sentences, know their mannerisms, etc? its like that but on a deeper psychological mental level. Its intuitive, like Alpharius and Omegon, they feed off one another, know each other, two minds melded as one. More akin to that, and just like Alpharius and Omegon, its not a telepathic bond.

[Dominion]

Blood Gorgons...cursed founding that share organs that cause them to be bonded to their battlebrothers more than usual. The Blood Gorgon book might be just for you, Henry Zhou did a fantastic job on them.

 

also the Black Dragons keep their Dragon claws hidden for the most part depending on how bad they are mutated.

[XKhalilX]

i read the lex article on the BG. it sounds like their bond is more emotional-emphatic. im going for a psychological-mental one. Its like in Star Wars, the Force Meld ability, just without having outright telepathy.

 

 

is the book just called Blood Gorgons. They sound awesome. I wonder if their Iron Hands simply cuz of the Gorgons thing.

[Dominion]

I bet they are a mixed geneseed. either way its a great read. and until my internal lore inquisitor calms down Imma keep a distance from your thread. good luck.

[Madwolf Shadowmane]

I think your belief section is really light.  To me this is the section that tells us the most about who your chapter is.  Everything else in the IA just reinforces this.  Just my two cents. 

[XKhalilX]

I have updated the article, did a mass overhaul on it, trying to get my ideas more together. C & C MOST WELCOME. PLEASE! :-)

[XKhalilX]

wheres the C & C?