WIP IA Seraph Encarmine

[Anver Cassiel]

This is my first attempt at an IA and I have to admit, I'm posting after work and I am shattered. Still any C&C would be very welcome, as this is the first homebrew chapter that I've made and will be using as the basis for a brand new space marine army to get me back into the hobby after a long hiatus.

 

Cassiel

 

 

Edited to flesh out the character of the chapter more.

 

Edited it again to trim some fat and in response to comments.

 

 

Seraph Encarmine

 

Chapter name: Seraph Encarmine

Founding: 23rd Founding (37th millennium)

Chapter World: Canaan Secundus

Fortress Monastery: The Hall of Angels

Gene-seed (predecessors): Blood Angels (Angels Encarmine)

 

"Your deaths will be glorious! For they are given for the Emperor!"

Eremiel Maliki, High Chaplain, at the battle of Achaia Prime

 

The Seraph Encarmine are successors of the Angels Encarmine, and thus descended from the Blood Angels and the Primarch Sanguinius. The Seraph Encarmine were founded in the 37th millennium in the 23rd founding, in bid to extend the power and reach of the space marines.

 

The Seraph Encarmine are largely codex adherent, as their founders were, yet maintain several variances that have developed over the course of the chapter's development. The badge of the Seraph Encarmine is a single large red blood drop with a smaller blood drop to either side, most often displayed on battle brother's left shoulder guards. The Seraph Encarmine have a split colour scheme of dark red and bone, honouring not only their founders but also their fallen brothers. Company colours are displayed on the right knee pad. Like the Angels Sanguine the Sanguinary Guard of the Seraph Encarmine have armour of alabaster White, however like other sons of Sanguinius the Death Company of the Seraph Encarmine maintain armour of black, in mourning of their Primarch.

 

Home world

"The Emperor works all things for good."

Gadreel Dumah, Chapter Master, The Purging of Canaan Quintus

 

The Seraph Encarmine chose the volcanic, arid planet of Canaan Secundus as their homeworld. Adriel Kiraman, after helping purge an Eldar conclave found on the planet Kiraman saw the harsh environment of the planet bred a hardy people, who's resolve and fortitude impressed the Astartes warriors.

 

During the campaign against the Eldar the populace of Canaan Secundus came to see the Seraph Encarmine as the Emperor's angels and this belief persists to this day. The population of Canaan Secundus is tribal and often fight over the scarce resources. Over time they have come to see that by fighting, the Seraph Encarmine will "descend" and choose the worthy to join the Emperor's side. As such, martial strength is valued above all else within the tribes of Canaan Secundus and when not fighting each other often, the tribes often hunt the feral shadow cats as a show for the "Seraphim."

 

The Seraph Encarmine maintain their fortress monastery in the northern hemisphere in the only stable region, in the hollowed out mountain of the Red Tear. The Hall of Angels is a huge base, mostly hidden beneath the surface of the planet, yet sprawls through the planets crust with subterranean tunnels and chambers. Chambers are dedicated to heroes of the chapter, whether their bodies are interned for eternity.

 

At the peak of the Red Tear is the Hall of the Fallen. Home of the Reclusiam, the Hall of the Fallen is often shunned by brothers of the Chapter, as it is whispered brothers who have finally fallen to the curse are taken their to receive judgement.

 

However, although Canaan Secundus is the official homeworld of the chapter, due to the planet's environment, population and technological/ideological status the chapter relies on the industrial support of Canaan Quintus. In order to continue efforts in the remote sector of the galaxy, the Seraph Encarmine rely on the supplies, ammunition, personnel and heavy armour that Canaan Quintus provides. Because of this relationship with such a close proximity imperial planet the Seraph Encarmine exchange vows of support with the planetary governor, offering the chapter's support in exchange for continued provision of supplies and personnel.

 

History

"A darkness rages within us, yet after millennia here we stand. Still we stand, fighting for the Emperor and never shall that change."

Brother-Sergeant Anver Cassiel, Campaign on Yrair, to 4th Company 3rd Squad "Indomitable Sorael"

 

The Seraph Encarmine were founded in the 23rd founding, in the 37th millennium, using geneseed from the Angels Encarmine, submitted to the Adeptus Mechanicus as tithes. The chapter's founding master was 6th Captain Adriel Kiraman of the Angels Ecarmine. Along with several other veterans, Kiraman trained the first intake of neophytes and began the formation of the new chapter. These newly recruited space marines were blooded in a crusade through the edge of the Veiled Region whilst the Adeptus Mechanicus requisitioned the armour and munitions needed to found a chapter of the Adeptus Astartes.

 

Over the course of five decades, whilst the Hall of Angels underwent construction along with the fleet that would be gifted to the Seraph Encarmine, Kiraman built his chapter, recruiting the necessary number of initiates to muster his chapter to full strength. Finally on the fiftieth anniversary of the first day of building, the Hall of Angels was completed and deemed ready for use by the Adeptus Mechanicus. Kiraman decided that after overseeing the Halls open to the Seraph the Chapter must spend time, training harder on their new homeworld.

 

Much like all Angels Encarmine, Kiraman felt that the only way to mediate the rage within was for Brothers to challenge themselves. However, although physical challenges were obviously important, Kiraman felt that spiritually, through violence, the rage of his brothers could be satiated and kept at bay. The brothers of the Chapter loosed themselves on the planet, learning how to live on their new home world, learning the ways of the Canaan tribesmen and how to best the trials that the planet had developed to oppose the humans.

 

The year passed and all brothers emerged stronger, better able to hold back the rage that warred inside them. Kiraman felt the time had come to mobilise the chapter properly as the Seraph Encarmine and take the fight to the enemies of humanity. The chapter was involved in several campaigns across the Segmentum Pacificus and beyond.

 

The chapter fought off the Night Lords on Pacific Ultima, but suffered huge losses and developed a huge hatred of the Night Lords above all Chaos legions. The Seraph Encarmine also fought the Dark Eldar in the Pithom Field and the Orks of Waaagh! Grubluk whose crusade reached across most the entire southern realm of the Segmentum Pacificus. During the Cantos Campaign in the closing years of the 37th millennium, the Seraph Encarmine fought against a chaos warp fleet of the Emperor's Children. Adriel Kiraman led the campaign which culminated in Kiraman leading a boarding assault on a chaos battleship and personally slaying the commander, a chaos champion of the Emperor's Children. Kiraman suffered a grievous wound during this engagement and was interned in the sarcophagus of a dreadnought. Yet his sacrifice led to the reclamation of an apocalypse class battleship, that once purged, the Seraph Encarmine re sanctified and claimed for their battle fleet.

 

During these initial crusades the Seraph Encarmine proved themselves worthy successors to the Angels Encarmine, assisting their proginators in the purge of the Zoat species in the late 38th and early 39th millennium as well as defending the Helica Sector against Abaddon's 10th Black Crusade. The Seraph Encarmine garnered a reputation as defenders of the Segmentum Pacificus, but do not limit themselves to their home Segmentum and often send forces to other regions in times of need. The Seraph Encarmine also aided in the defence of forge world Columnus, where the Chapter was abandoned by their allies, the Iron Hands, who withdrew their forces under mysterious circumstances. Almost 200 battle brothers fell in the following battle. This led the Seraph Encarmine to swear against the Iron Hands and all their successors as dishonourable and ignoble.

 

Recently the Night of A Thousand Rebellions, in which the Chapter had to lead a purge of rebellious cultists on their sister world of Canaan Quintus, which struck at the Chapter's pride and severely diminished the chapter's source of ammunition, supplies and support personnel. This has led to a recent decline in the Chapter's activity, as it is forced to rebuild Canaan Quintus before the Chapter can regain fully operational status. Still Chapter Master Dumah believes that following Adriel's teachings, the Chapter must continue to face the foes of the Imperium. Although fully half of the chapter remains in system to assist the relief efforts of Canaan Quintus, the rest of the chapter remains out among the Segementum, fighting against the xenos and heretic. A full quarter of the Chapter was sent to aid the Blood Angels in their struggles with the Tyranids and Daemons in the Baal system, out of reverence for their geneseed kin.

 

Organisation

"We are not children of Guilliman, nor of Dorn. We are Sanguinius' sons, angels of death. And we will act as such!" Penniel Ophir, Chief Librarian, Zeist Crusade.

 

The Seraph Ecnarmine largely adhere to the codex Astartes but over the millennia have come to recognise that blindly following Guilliman's words is not the way of Sanguinius' sons. As such the Seraph Encarmine are organised into 10 companies, but instead of four reserve companies and four battle companies all 8 within the Seraph Emcarmine are organised as battle companies, with 1 veteran and 1 scout company.

 

The masters of the chapter often inform others that this is to allow the Seraph Encarmine as much freedom as possible in the deployment of their forces and allow many battle companies to operate independently without the need for reserve companies to provide support. However it was Adriel Kiraman who initialised this practice feeling that it allowed all battle brothers the chance to fight against the Chapter's enemies and thus hold the rage within them in check. Kiraman felt that without the opportunity to confront the enemy, more brothers would succumb to the curse, a great fear of all within the upper echelons of the chapter.

 

As such it is brothers who show the greatest control over their anger that are inducted into devastator squads as these are the brothers who are most needed to restrain themselves when engaging the enemy. Only those brothers who can overcome the urge to charge the enemy lines and maintain their position are trusted with the heavy weapons of the armoury.

 

Being a fairly new chapter the Seraph Encarmine have fewer relics than other chapters and this is apparent in their armoury. Although they maintain a strong force, the Chapter has fewer than twenty tactical dreadnought suits and every one is highly valued. Similarly the suits of power armour the Chapter has access to are often millennia old, dating to before the chapter's formation and are revered for their history. Likewise originally their fleet only had 5 strike cruisers and one battle barge (as well as other support ships) but the Chapter has since reclaimed an ancient Apocolypse class battleship that has been refitted as the Chapter's flagship; the Angel's Fury.

 

Combat Doctrine

"Forward brothers! Forth to the Field!" Veteran Brother Sariel Marsellus, Exalted Sanguinary Guard, Battle of Furos Lexid

 

The Seraph Encarmine, like many Blood Angels successors adhere to the tactics laid out in the Codex Astartes however they do prefer and often resort to assault based plans when engaging the enemy as most brothers are predisposed towards these actions. Although they maintain the same proportion of tactical and devastator squads as other codex chapters, these squads are often outfitted in such a way that means close quarters attacks are advantageous or easier than range based attacks. The Sanguinary Priests and Chaplains of the Chapter agree that this trend of engaging the enemy physically is an effective method of satiating and holding back the rage that dwells within each battle brother as a result of their geneseed.

[NightrawenII]

Hmm, It's already week and no reply? Ok, I'm going to bite...

 

First thing first, your article contains a lot of pretty words but... nothing substantial so to speak. It also suffer from ugly toad syndrome*. Yes, the Space Marines fight, that's why they were created in the first place. No need to mention their battles or campaigns if it doesn't have some kind of profound impact on the Chapter in the long run.

 

Second, the first Chapter Master's visions; Why should reader care? You don't say anything which would warrant attention. Also, if he doesn't talk about them how the others knows he has a visions. - circular logic.

 

Homeworld section is the place to introduce the culture you are taking inspiration from and how it affects chapter. 'there is a hot lava' is no good.

 

Oh, I almost forgot. Why veteran sergeant? He has no expererience in leading anything large than demi-company. It's precarious to give him command of entire chapter. 

 

Organisation section is sort of meh. How come everyone think the reserve companies sit at the Fortress-Monastery and poke in their noses or something? The codex structure allows more flexibility when it comes to combat scenario, moreover it means the brunt of fighting is carried out by the veterans, who have proven their mettle instead of inexperienced soldiers.

 

 

 

* That's term of my invention and it is used to describe things, which exists solely for the sake of existence. It's like toad sitting on the well.

 

 

~ NightrawenII

[Anver Cassiel]

First, thanks for replying. I was worried it was so bad no one could even read it :/

 

Secondly After reading your comments i fully agree with some of your points, especially with regards to the cliche visions. So i just chucked all of it, helped trim some fat of off it too.

 

I tried to explain further some of the effects the various campaigns had on the development of the Seraph Encarmine, but also prefer to have minor details, but not necessarily fully developed areas as i tend to hate reading "and they campaigned for ages."

 

I also tweaked the organisation section to explain better the reasoning for 8 battle companies. I feel it would spread the new recruits amongst the veterans better and with the chapters philosophy on the rage it just seems to work better. I don't disagree with the idea of reserve companies but with this chapter and their method of coping with the rage and thirst i think this works better.

 

Cassiel

[Harlan Skorus]

Stuff, and things.

 

Because of this relationship with such a close proximity imperial planet the Seraph Encarmine exchange vows of support with the planetary governor, offering the chapter's support in exchange for continued provision of supplies and personnel.

 

This strikes me as an odd dynamic. Partly because shouldn't the Adeptus Mechanicus be doing this? And mainly because I'm not sure why the planetary governor would be stupid enough to require vows of support from Space Marines before helping them - I'd have thought that a planetary governor now willing to help them out of 'generosity/respect' could just be got rid of in short order?

 

using geneseed from the Angels Encarmine, submitted to the Adeptus Mechanicus as tithes.

 

See the bolded above for example of something that adds little more than words - you don't really need to state that they came from tithes, it's to be assumed unless explicitly stated otherwise.

 

Yet his sacrifice led to the reclamation of an apocalypse class battleship, that once purged, the Seraph Encarmine re sanctified and claimed for their battle fleet.

 

Something about this strikes me as fishy, but I can't find anything to directly contradict it.

 

Note number one: Apocalypse class battleships aren't generally found in Chaos Fleets, so how/why did this group have one?

 

Note number two: Is there any amount of purging that would make this ship safe for use?

 

The Seraph Encarmine also aided in the defence of forge world Columnus, where the Chapter was abandoned by their allies, the Iron Hands, who withdrew their forces under mysterious circumstances. Almost 200 battle brothers fell in the following battle. This led the Seraph Encarmine to swear against the Iron Hands and all their successors as dishonourable and ignoble.

 

Mystery for mystery's sake - why did the Iron Hands withdraw? Also, you may want to elaborate on what exactly the Seraph Encarmine have sworn. I think this is one of those things where you probably know what you mean, but it perhaps isn't being communicated effectively.

 

 

This has led to a recent decline in the Chapter's activity, as it is forced to rebuild Canaan Quintus before the Chapter can regain fully operational status.

 

See a few points above - why not the AM?