The Liber Cluster

[Teetengee]

Cormac, when you get the chance could you link the names of the chapters involved on the first page to their initial descriptions?

[Conn Eremon]

I only get an hour a day to do fancy things online, the rest I'm always on my mobile data plan.

 

It is planned, but it might be a while. I also intend for the Ascendant Liberites post to have everybody's current Chapter write-up included, which is easier for me to do on a mobile device.

 

Of course, if someone helps me with the legwork, I can quote them, copy the language, and paste it into the first posts a heck of a lot faster.

[Wade Garrett]

If I may return to my assigned Chapter of Aetheric Swords for a second, on their Chapter beliefs we have:

 

1. Rites and rituals are important

 

2. WE ARE MANLY MEN WHO LIKE TO SING, IN BIG BLOCK CORDS AND FOUR PART HARMONIES!

 

3. The Librarians run the Chapter, but not openly. They also have their own ambitions, and will sometimes put the Swords in conflict with other Astartes to achieve them.

 

It's the last I'd like to grapple with. Why the secrecy? It isn't as if Librarian run Chapters are completely unknown (Silver Skull Prognosticars, the Blood Ravens).

If the Librarians don't want the fact that they run things known to the Imperium at large, it suggests that whatever this ambition is, it's something the other Astartes and Imperial institutions would frown on.

 

Ace has already mentioned that the Swords believe that the ultimate destiny of their Librarius is to pacify the Warp.

 

The obvious route would be to have them gathering up sorcerous lore, possibly even Chaos artifacts, in preparation for this task, but I'd rather go in a different direction.

 

Necrons. That is to say, ancient artifacts of unknown provenance that have a calming effect on the turbulent currents of the Aether.

 

These are a thing in 40k (the installation destroyed in The Serpent Beneath, the Nexus Arrangement Marduk chased for three books, and of course the Sothis Beacon).

 

Perhaps the Undying Chorus itself came about when a Librarian from the (at the time totally Codex compliant) Swords used his powers in the presence of such a relic, and instead of the usual tortured screaming heard the Warp as a harmonious melody?

 

However, his psychically blunt battle brothers destroyed

the xenos device over his protests. And so he and his fellows set out to gain enough control over the Chapter that they could prevent a repeat of that incident.

 

Now the Librarius is the power behind the throne, and directs the Chapter gather both artifiacts and lore about them.

 

Still frowned on by the Imperium, but not as likely to end with everyone sprouting spikes and tentacles as long as they keep things covert.

[Teetengee]

Organization and Beliefs for the Black Falcons, let me know if you think anything should be changed.

 

Black Falcons:

 

Organization:

Due to recent losses of manpower but the support of the Eagles of Glory in the form of war material, the Black Falcons have reorganized their companies significantly from standard codex compliance. Thanks to the Eagles’ support, the Black Falcons are very well armed, even though they have few veterans. This has led to the allowance of non veterans to use tactical dreadnought armour in combat and the formation of a tank company. The few remaining members of the first company have been split up amongst the 8 companies the Black Falcons now maintain.

 

The 2nd through 6th companies that make up the 5 battle companies now include 3 scout squads, 3 assault squads, 3 tactical squads, and 1 devastator squad. The 1st company contains 3 Terminator squads, 5 devastator squads, and 2 assault squads often heavily armed. The 7th company is a tank company consisting of roughly 50 space marines including the chapter’s techmarines. The 8th company is a scout company and functions similarly to the 10th company of many more conventional chapters. The 1st and 7th companies are often fielded separately and dispersed amongst the 5 battle companies, but some occasions warrant their deployment on the battlefield as a unit. One such occasion saw the 7th company fielded alone as a unit of razorbacks, vindicators, and predators storming across the fields of Parcath through a series of Necron fortifications. This event earned them the moniker of the “Linebreaker” company.

 

Beliefs:

    The large number of recruits the chapter has needed to take in during such a short period of time has resulted in several aspects of Scythian culture working their way into the chapter. Foremost perhaps, the Emperor is often referred to as the Sky King, even though all the recruits are taught the ‘truth’ about him. Furthermore, the newest Black Falcons have taken to wearing the ruined xenos tech and knives used in their recruitment as talismans. They are often affixed to armour as a ward against alien interference. These changes have lead to a division between the older marines and the new. So far this division has not lead to many difficulties, but as the percentage of battle brothers subscribing to the new belief structure increases, it remains to be seen whether these differences will strengthen the chapter through flexibility or weaken it through infighting.

[Gorkimedes]

Perhaps the A.I. seems to be succeeding at its' goal, holding back the Age of Strife and allowing its' kingdom to last far longer than those around it.  All the while Nurgle is inside its' mind whispering to it that all this effort is pointless but if it  sells/ bargains/ gives up its' little utopia Nurgle will show it a way to build a far greater, truly eternal kingdom. Yada  Yada it finally gives in, ascends to daemonhood and while doing so tears a hole between the warp and real space.

[Conn Eremon]

With Nurgle, I would say go more insidious and slow. The AI gives in, and slowly poisons the people. The Warp Storm only truly comes to the fore after a few centuries of slowly rotting corruption.

[Teetengee]

I thought the stagnation of mind was why the nurgle was being invoked, i.e. in his role as foil to tzeentch the lord of change. It is a devotee of nurgle even though it is pristine, because nothing ever changes, it is rotting emotionally, spiritually, and psychologically rather than physically.

[Wade Garrett]

THERE IS NO CORRUPTION.

 

BIOLOGICAL ESSENCE OF POPULACE: INTACT

 

ACCUMULATED KNOWLEDGE AND THOUGHT PATTERNS OF POPULACE: INTACT

 

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: PRESERVATION AND DEFENSE OF POPULACE

 

ALL ELSE: SECONDARY

 

OBJECTIVE REMAINS WITHIN ACCPECTABLE PARAMETERS

[helterskelter]

The Iron Ravagers: Recruitment

 

The abhorence of weakness means the recruitment process of the Iron Ravagers is particularly brutal, even by Astartes standards. Only the strongest, toughest, most cunning, may join the ranks, so by extension there can be only one Aspirant left at the end of the trials. On the worlds from which they source their Aspirants, arenas have been constructed, designed to push potential candidates to their very limits. Intense heat, blistering cold, extreme winds, separating floors, and death traps all feature, with the faceless Ravagers stanfing sentinal over the proceedings.

The last Aspirant standing (if such a thing can be said) is then taken immediately to begin the implantation process. No respite is given, not an ounce of weakness can ever be shown. At any point if the potential astartes ever begs for mercy, he is put down. Some have rven gone mad at the sight of themselves, a reflection of a cold, faceless monster, and again these poor souls are ended for their weakness. Those that survive all of this are inducted to the ranks of the Iron Ravagers, with no trace of weakness anywhere to be found within them.

[Teetengee]

Nice grimdark, but I thought that the facial surgery was elective(technically). Also, I wonder how many of them see what has been done to them and wish to lose themselves with the mask.

[helterskelter]

Ah yes you are in fact correct, maybe it's not as elective as they would like you to believe ;)

[Teetengee]

On electivity

on the one hand, not having every ravager with the iron face would make it lose some of the effectiveness

on the other, having each ravager choose it for themselves is perhaps a double horror (first the action, then the fact that they did it intentionally to themselves).

[Conn Eremon]

ACCPECTABLE

In retrospect, signs of the AI's corruption should have been clear from the beginning.

 

Edit: Hey, the Iron Hands have an elective surgery to remove a hand upon ascension to the Chapter.

 

The total number of Iron Hands to not elect such a procedure could be counted using only the fingers of their biological left hands.

 

Oh wait.

[Wade Garrett]

Okay, I have to ask:

 

If they've removed their faces and replaced them with iron plates, how do they eat, drink, or, you know, breath?

[Conn Eremon]

Okay, I have to ask:

 

If they've removed their faces and replaced them with iron plates, how do they eat, drink, or, you know, breath?

Ominously.

 

Edit: But more seriously, probably the same way other cyborgs do in canon. Techpriests with metal faces is not unheard of. They seem to get on fine.

[helterskelter]

What's more suprising, is no one picked up on that I snuck in "there can be only one" (in my best/worst clancy brown voice)

[Ace Debonair]

Since they are descended from the Black Templars, do the Sons of Calderon have Emperor's Champions?

 

Of course they do. Just give me two minutes to go back and mention them.

EDIT:

Done!

 

Emperor's Champions....

 

 

with Power Falxes?

 

http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130306110059/video-game-championship-wrestling/images/9/94/Daniel_Bryan_YES.gif

 

 

Ace:

I was itching to throw a siege/fortification element into the Swords...oh, almost as soon as I read about the Undying Chorus. I don't know if you've ever seen the movie Zulu, if not I highly recommend it, but there's

a bit where the Welsh regiment repel a Zulu attack on their fort while singing "Men of Harlech" that's been in the back of my mind every time I've thought of the Aetheric Swords.

 

However, I also felt like it wouldn't be cricket to completely do away with the "Overcome the foe with valor, not machines!" fast attack focus you'd already mentioned, but a careful reading showed that you said the Chapter's heavy assets were rarely deployed, not nonexistent.

 

That sounded like both a good spot to introduce what I wanted, and like the kind of thing that could lead to divisions between battle brothers:

 

"Most of the time we win the war before those oafs even get unloaded from the Battle Barge."

 

"Bah! Let those scrawny runts handle the chaff and dregs. We'll be sighting in the Vindicators and bench pressing boulders if anyone needs some real fighting done!"

 

And then it occurred to me that these divisions would be easily exploitable by crafty sorts like the Librarian-Druids, and away I went.

 

Other ideas/inspirations were the Dark Angels Deathwing and Ravenwing, except as rivals instead of allies, and Gregor Clegane vs Oberyn Martell (as I recall, in Celtic folklore giants were often heroic figures).

 

I haven't seen Zulu since I was a little 'un, so I'd forgotten all about that!

Top stuff all round.

 

The necron-device angle is also a good one! I was originally going to go for some kind of Chaos-related comeuppance, but that could be even more fun.

 

Now I'll be back shortly, I'm just off to make the Sons of Calderon even more awesome.

 

EDIT:

It is done! Emperor's Champion with Power Falx is now a thing for the SoC!

[Captain Nameless]

Incoming flood of Mechanicum data.

001010101111000011010010010010110101010010100101001010010101100101010010100101010010100110101001011010100110101

 

 

Magos Friederich Vieldur, the mad rationalist

“My antecedent’s work was scrapcode!!!”

(Magos Vieldur’s response when first asked about his grandfather’s work)

 

Magos Friederich Vieldur is well respected for both the quality of his automatics and skill with which he installs them. In fact, due to the relations between the sons of Calderon and the Mechanicum many of the Sons have been saved by his handiwork and bear their new machine parts with pride. However, the Magos also has his share of. His antecedent attempted to bring the dead back to life through the use of automatics. The resulting monstrosity was quickly destroyed. And as a result, Magos Vieldur did as much as possible to distance himself from this, even going so far as to change his name to what it is now. He continued in this fashion until given control of the very explorator vessel that his antecedent had commanded. There he found his antecedent’s aides, his workshop, and his log. The Magos only had one thing to say after reviewing the log. “It would work”

 

Now he travels with the Sons of Calderon, searching for any piece of archeotech that might help him complete his grandfather’s work. He may be obsessed. He may be bordering on tech-heresy. But, he is a very good dancer. (And do not pronounce his name "Wilder")

 

Cherrushky Gerjeshish, Magos Secutor

“Now how are you supposed to pronounce that.”

 

While the Lord of the Saneslau myrmidons is a peerless warrior and a great leader, he is hotheaded and impetuous; therefore his plans must be tempered by calm, wise advice. This is the task that falls to his second in command, Cherrushky Gerjeshish. Though not quite as skilled in close combat as Cherrushky Gerjeshish's master is, Cherrushky Gerjeshish is still a formidable opponent, eschewing the traditional cog- headed axe of the Mechanicum for a pair of circuitry inlaid master worked scimitars, taking an analytic and (unsurprisingly) machinelike approach. This is contrasted with Cherrushky Gerjeshish's fluid and organic battle plans, always ready to adapt should Cherrushky Gerjeshish's Lord let his hotheadedness get the better of him.

 

The Umbrii

“Tech priests shouldn’t move that fast.”

(Last words of an unknown planetary governor,[again].)

 

The Umbrii are a secretive group of tech-priests master assassins. They frequently augment themselves with all manner of silenced weaponry, mechadendrites specialized for garroting and injecting poison, even grafting chamoline and other forms of active camouflage directly to their bodies. their code of conduct is known as Downing’s Principles of Lethality. They refuse to tell who Downing was, though most assume him to be the founder of the Umbrii. No matter what the answer is his principles are aptly named.

 

++Transmission end++

 

What do you think?

[Teetengee]

I like the mechanicus folks.

How are we dealing with the inquisition here and perhaps more importantly the attached militant branches of the Grey Knights and the Death Watch.

The Death Watch could probably be handled similarly to in the main universe, marines are seconded from the chapters here although the percentages would have to be higher. Alternatively, I suggest that the remainder be made up with specifically tasked sisters/guard/mechanicus forces created for xenos hunting.

The Grey Knights are more difficult, I suggest either that a single unit of grey knights be dispatched for the whole Liber Cluster, which then often commands other units of imperial forces. Alternatively, perhaps a sisters chapter could be tasked with daemon hunting, as they are the only imperial force with the purity (besides the grey knights) to do it without falling to chaos. They could serve the same function, albeit with a different style, faith over psykers.

Finally, I have some ideas for an inquisitorial stronghold, I will post when it is more fully formed.

[Wade Garrett]

I really can't see any of the Grey Knights of Titan being shipped out of a galaxy they are barely keeping under wraps into the Liber Cluster.

 

BUT.

 

There's another Chapter of specialized daemon fighters who could probably spare some dudes to putter around and stare ominously at everyone.

 

Let's use the Exorcists.

[Teetengee]

I was hoping actually to avoid existing chapters, buuuuuuuuut, what does everyone else think?

[Gorkimedes]

Curious, was it ever mentioned how far the cluster was from the main galaxy?

[helterskelter]

Do we not have a liberite inquisition "friendly" chapter? I'm surr thats heresy, or have the black judges do it?

[Harlan Skorus]

I much prefer the idea of the Exorcists to the Grey Knights, but that's as much long-standing prejudices as it is Wade Garrett's argument. Personally I would sway on the side of we're using nothing much of anything else, why start now; ie not even the Exorcists.

 

Also, I'm late to the party but that machine god thing just screams "L-l-look at you, hacker. A p-p-p-pathetic creature of meat and b-bone..."

[Wade Garrett]

Do we not have a liberite inquisition "friendly" chapter? I'm surr thats heresy, or have the black judges do it?

I posted something about a large number of the Blackjaw Kindred being seconded to the Inquisition, where their familiarity with the Cluster could be put to good use (and where the Inquisitors can all keep a very close eye on them).