Index Astartes: The Enlighteners

[Tian Shan]

The Enlighteners

Enlightener

Founding:
Gene-seed: Primarch Roboute Gulliman
Homeworld:
Symbol: Eagle with wings of flame
Battlecry:

[Tian Shan]

Reserved for expanded content

 

 

With some spare time I have just began to lay the groundwork for my IA and will add more content inn the near future.

[KhorneFlakes]

I like where you are going, really cool idea. 

[Olis]

Not a lot to talk about yet but I will say this; if you have a Prognosticator as one of the founding members of this new chapter then I must ask if the chapter still follows in his footsteps? Do they read the future in some way like the Prognosticators of the Silver Skulls?

 

Also - the Silver Skulls are known to tattoo themselves heavily - will the Enlighteners also carry on this tradition? Will they still take skulls/trophies from their most worthy enemies?  

[Conn Eremon]

You have no home world section yet, so it's possibly too early for me to comment on this, but I'd like to point out that the first thing I'm interested in seeing is just what kind of world this Chapter is based off of, to have its philosophical beliefs so supplant the original beliefs of the Prognosticator, formerly of the Silver Skulls, especially when it was this Prognosticator that refined these philosophical beliefs into something more palatable to the Chapter. It sounds like a very major shift. I'd rather assume that this Prognosticator doesn't previously show doubt on the beliefs of his former Chapter, else why would they select him to aid in a new Chapter's Founding?

 

It isn't that I don't believe it can't be done, I'm sure it can, I'm just curious to see the home world or history expanded on so I can better understand the 'why' of it.

[Welcheren]

Perhaps there is a way in which the influence of the Perennial Way over the chapter could come about as something of an accident?

 

As a thought: the Prognosticator could investigate the Perennial Way in its original, perhaps more inchoate, form for a completely different reason. He could examine it in order to get a sense of what the world's inhabitants are like and then refine it as a means of controlling the population and, moreover, in order to create a culture that could offer better recruits for the new chapter. 

 

Following the death of the Prognosticator, new recruits forget or misinterpret his original intentions (besides which they might feel a need to maintain some links with their former life) and thus the Perennial Way comes to occupy a more central position in the chapter cult than first envisioned.

 

I am sure there are far better ways of addressing this point. Maybe this helps. 

[Tian Shan]

@KhorneFlakes - There is only one true path all can take of course!

 

@Olis - I would have liked to add more in one sitting but it took me an embarrassingly long time to sort out the BBcodes (coloured text, darned coloured text). I am currently envisaging the Chapter to be influenced by their forebears in the regards of prediction, yet without the religious undertones of the Silver Skulls. I am considering them being People of the Book/Scroll, where their internalisation and debate of historic scenarios convinces them of the future (but not necessarily fate) when assessing present situations. They know what they want and (supposedly) whether they will get it by how things have gone so far.

 

I immediately did not want tattoos, I feel that it is a direct link to Varsavian tribal culture. Instead of the skulls of enemies, I feel that the honouring of the skulls of those that are deemed Enlightened (their brothers, or the elite amongst them?) would be gilded in gold leaf and treasured objects. This feels like it fits comfortably with what we know, gold seen as more precious than silver, which their brethren use for worthy foes, then gold for worthy brothers and allies. What do you feel about the decapitation of a marine from another Chapter...?

 

@Conn Eremon 

@Welcheren - Thank you, you draw upon the main issue with this first round of content. I added a Prognosticator to the pioneer team due to it feeling more weird for the Skulls to not to, both from their ideological view and a logistical view for the implementation of a new Librarium regime. How would a Prognosticator (more so than another Chapter's librarian) deal with sudden independence from the Prognosticatum and Chapter body? I feel that the group-think influence on him would steadily moderate his views, and so, his visions become more moderate in that they show regard for the Homeworld's civilsation.

 

I ask you, how seriously have you taken Prognosticators' claims to seeing the future? I feel it is similar to the Machine Spirit, more superstition than real power. But then the tradition has long been in place without any known misgivings..

 

I am currently reading Sarak Cawkwell's Silver Skulls: Portents. So far at the start, the way that the prophetic abilities are presented within the Chapter feels like any other kind of psychic power, yet this is shown to be viewed with much suspicion by the Ordo Hereticus.. (and so the real enlightened institution, of course!)

[Olis]

@Olis - I would have liked to add more in one sitting but it took me an embarrassingly long time to sort out the BBcodes (coloured text, darned coloured text).

Ah, I see. Well, there's one of two things you could do to help: One, looking at this thread and using parts of it to help you refine the BBCode you are using, and two, 'borrowing' usable BBCode from already posted DIYs by judicious use of the quote button. It's kinda cheating but it gets the job done until you can reliably use the right coding yourself. ^_^

I am currently envisaging the Chapter to be influenced by their forebears in the regards of prediction, yet without the religious undertones of the Silver Skulls. I am considering them being People of the Book/Scroll, where their internalisation and debate of historic scenarios convinces them of the future (but not necessarily fate) when assessing present situations. They know what they want and (supposedly) whether they will get it by how things have gone so far.

Ah, so they compare and contrast with past visions and past experiences, do they? Are there any specific processes that they go through, any 'ritualised' tasks or what-have-you that they believe facilitates predictions?

And what of current-day visions? Are they noted, recorded and filed away for later? That would imply they have a sizeable archive and perhaps a well organised Librarius (or not, as the case may be). Any thoughts towards this?

I immediately did not want tattoos, I feel that it is a direct link to Varsavian tribal culture.

I'd say that's a good call - a decision early on about this means you have a fairly well defined idea on where you'd like to take the chapter. Are there cultural influences from Tian'Jia

Instead of the skulls of enemies, I feel that the honouring of the skulls of those that are deemed Enlightened (their brothers, or the elite amongst them?) would be gilded in gold leaf and treasured objects. This feels like it fits comfortably with what we know, gold seen as more precious than silver, which their brethren use for worthy foes, then gold for worthy brothers and allies.

Aha. So they'll have a reverence for their 'Enlightened' and to a lesser degree, I assume, of their ancestors in general.

What do you feel about the decapitation of a marine from another Chapter...?

On a reasoned note, it would depend on the circumstances. On a slightly bloodthirsty one: Ooh yes, please.

I love inter-chapter warfare, call it a leftover from reading the Badab War books too much, and drawing up conflicts with other ostensibly loyal astartes (be careful not to name-drop) is great fun when exploring the relationships between certain chapters/Imperial factions and the Imperium in general.

But, onto the head-choppery itself: Would the head taking be done for a mere trophy or something more meaningful? Perhaps a focus for visions?

[Draakur]

Really like what you're doing here, seems like a lot of potential in your core concepts. I'm a big fan of the Silver Skulls too, I like very much where you've taken their influence so far with the somewhat more "positive" place of ritualistic head-taking and skull-flensing in their culture. 

 

I'm assuming their position on choosing not to act (when their understanding of the future/past visions etc dictate this) gets them in the bad graces of other authorities, who have found themselves in need of help but not had their pleas answered by the Enlighteners? 

 

And just out of curiosity, are the green armour plates a metallic green to match the gold (I assume that's gold?) sections, or a normal non-metallic shade?

[Tian Shan]

Olis: A pleasure to read your response, the gilded head was going to be a focus for meditation/ reflection, yet I need to keep throwing things around with the head choppery business. I just didn't want an overly-shiny Chapter!

 

Draakur: Thank you sir, I am imagining that they will not commit much (if anything) in scenarios that they deem as hopeless and with little objectives other than killing a fraction of an innumerable horde: logic, yet not as mathematical as, say, the Mechanicus. I would like their to be friction between Imperial factions, ohhh yessss.

   The green I am going for is a deep jade colour, jade being a symbolic material and colour in China. And yeah gold, I was originally after this fellow's look (Qianlong Emperor, a very interesting piece by a Western artist in the mid-1800s or so) , but the blue and gold looked too much...

 

http://i62.tinypic.com/33jhlza.jpg

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Hello everybody, I have been busy running around south China, which has influenced this update (Homeworld section) quite a bit. I am addressing you for any thoughts on this section, which has continued the development of everybody's favourite Way, and also any areas that can be added as I do not feel it is complete by any means (yet have hit a temporary road-block).

 

I can imagine one or two chunks of this ending up in the following sections. I wanted an ironic schism between the supposed civilised land and the uncivilised, which could later be a cause for friction. I am envisaging the Eighth Company (assault) is dominated by the ferocious clan-warriors, which in turn is the exact number celebrated in China. Probably nothing important in 40k, but just a nice reference which fits in well... After some thought, 8 could be the symbol of wisdom in the culture, as it could be seen to show/symbolise the head - 8, top half is the brain/thought, bottom half is the mouth which imparts the knowledge/wisdom. Hmmmm

 

I have addressed the concern over the Prognosticator changing Silver Skull creed by having a battle of influence between the two leaders of the Chapter's inception. In the end it is the Captain who limits the influence the psykers gave over Chapter direction.

[Welcheren]

The shape of the horse's head certainly looks like Western style of the time.

One angle you could consider is how the Chapter considers EVERYONE else as less civilised (if not exactly barbaric) compared to themselves. There is potential here for conflict with the White Scars or with certain Guard units. But I am posting BEFORE I have actually read the new additions. Will do so right way.

[Welcheren]

Okay. Read it.

 

 

Maybe my brain is a little slow (reading this on the go at work), but I had a spot of trouble understanding this bit:

 

"Prognosticator Y, originally selected for his pragmatism as well as gift of foresight, had specifically deemed the warring clans to also be used in the selection pool, but only to a particular quota so that the civilised nation remained tempered in some hardship every generation, as had been the case for time immemorial."

 

This is quite nice:

 

"X named the dynasty Ke’jia, after what the locals were calling the marines, Those not from Home, and so the name of the planet was also decided upon, Home of Heaven, Tian’Jia."

 

Having you home world surrounded by rings is also quite cool. You could consider having these rings hinder travel to the world unless one knows... the way through them. That way, you could have a Chaplain spout something about the marines guarding the Imperium, as the gold-and-jade rings ward off unfriendly travellers to their home.