Index Tratoris: Heralds of Salvation revised

[Plaguecaster]

After a brief hiatus from 40k I have decided to try get the motivation to get back into it, I have always been obsessed with a zombie space marine chapter so thought I would try and completely flesh out a chapter I have been drafting for the last few years here is the revised version of The Heralds of Salvation well their Origins at least, hopefully I can get some feedback on them so far which I can use to expand on their more detailed background including tactics, beliefs and other stuff. I intend them to be a chapter that is completely wiped out only to return from the grave as zombie marines who worship Nurgle as the God of Death. I welcome any feedback and will try add more as I go

Heralds Of Salvation

The Dead do not rest easy

Warlord: Michael Vilepox

Colours: Pale blue

Founding: believed to be .M34

Geneseed: Iron Hands

Allegiance: Traitoris extremis

Homeworld: Original Homeworld purged now fleet based

Known Ships: Slaughter class Cruiser "Spectral Revenant"

Believed Strength: 140 Traitor Astartes, ~ large unknown number of zombie thralls and daemon engines

Speciality: Terror, Boarding actions, , Forbidden Archeotech, Necromancy

Battle Cry: Death Beckons Us!!!

Fall from grace

Founded in the early 34th Millennium it was believed the Heralds of Salvation were solely formed to further the goals of the Adeptus Ministorum, they were their executioners against heretics and those who stood against the Ecclesiarchy in its rise of supremacy. Due to their feral home world, the chapters began to develop a morbid worship of Death devolving into more savage practices and rituals that had many imperial branches questioning the chapter’s Geneseed and loyalty. Founded as part of a initiative by the Imperium to reclaim dozens of worlds fallen to heretics, the chapter became even more merciless against their enemies using terror tactics striking fear in their enemies. Whilst the Ecclesiarchy were disturbed by the chapter’s strange ideologies, the chapter's use far outweighed their questionable tactics resulting in them turning a blind eye to the chapter as this was era with the rise of the Ecclesiarchy as long as the Heralds served them unquestionably they did not care. This ultimately protecting the chapter as well as ensuring the chapter was well supplied and equipped compared to other chapters in their early stages of being created, however the chapter grew the stigma of being over zealous fanatics by other Imperium forces. Their pride and fanatical zeal would be their downfall as their unwavering nature would leave deep wounds within the chapter that would eventually fester and rot leading to their demise.

Due to their fanatic devotion the the Ecclesiarchy during the Reign of Blood unlike most chapters the Heralds supported Gorge Vandire's ascension. They saw Vandire as a visionary and dedicated to purging the unworthy within the Imperium. The chapter unleashed a brutal campaign of terror upon those who opposed Vandire committing brutal purges against those who were deemed heretics, this ultimately led the chapter to come into conflict with other chapters who opposed their wanton destruction. With the Death of Vandire and rise of Sebastian Thor the Heralds, who were far from Terra during the second siege of Terra became hunted by those they previously attacked. Labelled as heretics and cut off from the support of the Ecclesiarchy the Heralds continued their war of faith refusing to believe that they were wrong for siding with Vandire.

Eventually their crimes would catch up with them as the entire chapter which had surprisingly remained at full strength through the reign of blood, was lured to an Ecclesiarchy sub- sector under the pretence of reclaiming what they had lost. However this was a pretext devised by those who had sworn revenge and a mighty Imperium force comprised of by several elements from different chapters ambushed the Heralds in order to destroy them, though they fought with a fanatical resolve the Heralds were massively outnumbered and were nearly annihilated with barley 300 marines left . They would of been utterly destroyed had the inquisition not stepped in demanding the Heralds surrender and face judgement for their crimes, escorted to Terra in chains the chapter with only a damaged Strike Cruiser left to carry them of the as the remainder of the chapter’s fleet was destroyed or taken as spoils of war along with most of the chapter’s relics. Brought before the new High Lords of Terra, the Heralds were charged with crimes against the Imperium for aiding Vandire following him blindly. Whilst many called for the chapters destruction for their atrocities against the Imperium and siding with Vandire, the chapter was instead sent on a penitent crusade to the far reaches of the Segmentum Pacificius until they could redeem themselves. To add further cause of shame, the Herald's home world was destroyed with all traces of it expunged as well as being forbidden to recruit until absolved of their heresy, this was effectively a death sentence as without the ability to recruit the chapter would slowly diminish to nothing especially with their weakened forces. Slowly doubt began top creep into the minds of the chapter they started to believe that they had been abandoned and betrayed by corrupt forces within the Imperium they had sacrificed so much for. Only their morbid faith kept them going as it began seeking a way to transcend death so they would be able to fight to protect the Imperium from outside enemies as well as the corrupt fools who would destroy it from the inside for all eternity.

Joining forces with an exploratory fleet of the Mechanicius under the pretence continuing their penitent crusade, the Heralds sought rumours of an ancient STC that could revive the dead in their quest to transcend death. On an abandoned world known as Orcus the Heralds found their prize, a strike force led by Crypt keeper Michael joined the Explorator Magos as they searched for the STC. In the abandoned mausoleum city they uncovered the STC for the Sarcosan wave form generator, an ancient piece of Areotech that was forbidden millennia ago by the Emperor and Priesthood of Mars millennia ago that could bring the dead back to life through the use of warp energy. When the Magos and his forces tried destroying this forbidden tech for its heresy against the Omnissiah, they were massacred by the Heralds who cut them down with no mercy to protect what the chapter saw as their salvation. Acting quickly the Crypt keeper sent a signal to the rest of the chapter in orbit who opened fire upon the explorator fleet, whilst they were outnumbered the Heralds managed to destroy or capture the majority of the fleet. This was mostly achieved though both surprise and treachery when corrupt elements within the explorator fleet turned on their comrades allying with the Heralds in their goal to transcend Death. However this betrayal could not go unnoticed as moments before the last loyal elements were destroyed they managed to send out a warning to the nearest imperial world through Astropaths. Using the discovered STC, the chapter created a gigantic wave form generator (Anima Chorus) right in the centre of the city which began to bring the dead back to life, through sorcery and forbidden Archeotech the Heralds assembled a massive army of undead including a large amount of corpse thralls, constructs and undead marines of the Heralds which were slain before their censure but whose remains were kept as their chapters cult decreed.

Eventually word of their heresy reached the Imperium with a massive crusade fleet assembled to wipe out the newly declared Heretic chapter, elements of nearly all branches of the Imperium were part of the fleet as all had a reason to see the Heralds destroyed. The Mechanicius who wanted to punish the chapter for their tech heresy, those chapters who originally decimated them to finish the job and the newly formed Adeptus Sororitas of the Eccelesiarchy led by inquisitors who were keen to purge the stigma the chapter represented to the Ecclesiarchy through their previous crimes. Even chapters who once sought vengeance for the Herald's past crimes during the Age of Apostasy were once again keen to fully destroy the traitors finally seeking justice against them. Whilst their undead forces and devastating tactics made the chapter deal serious casualties to the crusade fleet, eventually one by one the Heralds were slain as well as their undead army destroyed with Crypt Lord Michael and the chapter's remaining veterans slain making a last stand defending the Sarcosan Wave Generator. Imperial forces destroyed the chapter's forbidden Archeotech however this released a shock wave of pure warp energy which engulfed the entire planet and surrounding fleet as the thin barrier between the immaterium was torn asunder. A warp storm created from the unleashed energy descended upon the sector utterly destroying ships as well as opening small warp rifts from which poured hordes of Nurglite Daemons decimating the the crusade fleet which were desperately escaping from the grasp of the warp. Only a few ships of the mighty fleet survived the devastation, the remainder engulfed by the fury of the warpstorm created by the destruction of the Anima Chorus which sealed off the entire sector for centuries, eventually the Heralds of Salvation passed into myth as all trace of their heresy was purged in order to prevent any from following in their footsteps, however they would not stay dead and would finally transcend death to take their vengeance against the living.

Coming Soon!!!!!!

The Corrupted

Believed to be founded during the start of the M34, it was believed that the Herald's were founded in an attempt by the Ecclesiarchy to create chapter's that were loyal only to them following the church's rapid rise to power and complete control of the High Lords of Terra. Ultimately believed to be of the Iron Hands Geneseed it is unknown which successor chapter they were founded from as even before the purge of the chapters history by the Inquistion. Whilst their predecessor were pure without any mutation the Geneseed of the Heralds became debased and impure resulting in their hyper stimulated Omophagea which became corrupt in the chapters early history. Over time the chapter became addicted to the processes of the Omophagea, actively consuming the flesh of their fallen enemies which began to be ritualised by the chapter seeing it as becoming one with death as well as denying the souls of their enemies an afterlife. Another mutation the chapter suffered in their geneseed was that every Battle Brother over a few years of being inducted into the chapter began to pale taking on a corpse like pallor further deepening the suspicion the Inquisition had about the chapter as well as other chapters that fought alongside them. With the extinction of the Heralds of salvation and the warp rift being unleashed by the destroyed Anima Chorus, the barrier between the Immaterium was shattered enabling the foul energies of the Chaos God Nurgle to rebirth the Heralds into unholy life as decayed revenants. Their forms have become truly corrupt and decayed with foul warp sorcery sustaining their diseased forms.

COMING SOON!!!!!!

A Growing Threat

It is believed that the Heralds of Salvation have little in the way of fleet capacity as there has only been a few ships recorded to be used by them. However with the unholy rebirth of the Heralds the numbers of zombie ships reported in the sectors around the edge of the Segmentum Pacificus has disturbingly been rapidly increasing. These ships to all purposes are devoid of all life filled to the brim with corpses these desolate corpse ships will drift aimlessly through the regions like some mobile graveyard floating through space. To greedy What is most alarming is that the dead on board do not stay dead, if these "corpse ships" are boarded then the the dead are reborn through foul sorcery as shambling zombies. Seemly controlled by an malignant intelligence these decayed monsters will overwhelm those foolish enough to board their ship with even the most determined foe dragged down by the undead's all consuming hunger for flesh. Successful boarding and destruction of zombie ships have led the Inquisiton to believe that the Heralds of Salvation are the cause for this filling captured ships with the dead as well as daemon engines. these daemon engines have limited control of the desolate ships they infected guiding the ship towards the living. Bound with foul sorcery and dark Archeotech the daemon engines contain a wave form generator which reanimates the dead through foul necromancy. There have even been reports of zombie ships crashing into imperial worlds which cause those zombies to survive intact to attack those who investigate the wrecks with zombie outbreaks spreading across the Segmentum Pacificius

"Spectral Revenant"

http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/mediawiki/images/9/9b/Slaughter_Cruiser.jpg

Slaughter Class Cruiser

Dimensions: Approximately 5 kilometres long, 0.8 kilometres abeam.

Mass: Approximately 28.5 Megatonnes.

Crew: Approximately 140 plague marines with 50 000 plague zombies including daemonic support

Acceleration: 2.4 Gravities maximum acceleration.

A heavily modified and corrupted ship this once proud vessel once served as part of the Imperial Fleet that was sent to destroy the Heralds of Salvation for their crimes against the Imperium, before it's fall it was once known as the "Heretics bane" with a noble history which has now turned black. With chapter's dark rebirth this vessel dubbed the "Spectral Revenant" has become feared as a silent hunter of Nurgle which preys on ships along the edges of the Segmentum Pacificius spreading death and decay. Being masters of undeath this ship serves as the flagship of the Heralds with a crew made entirely of the undead which shamble around the ship's confines, these mindless zombies crew the ship through foul sorcery as well as acting as a limitless defence against enemy boarders.

Modified to have Torpedo tubes replacing the ships standard prow weapon this fast and deadly ship has been known to ambush other ships in hit and run attacks with its deadly short ranged weapons that can leave larger ships crippled or destroyed.

A disturbing tactic has been observed that the Spectral Revenant uses blasphemous boarding torpedoes filled with deadly plagues and zombies inside. When these torpedoes penetrate their target they release a cloud of noxious gas which kill those within the blast radius, zombies which were crammed within the tubes swarm the interior of the ship so plague and undeath take a deadly toll on the ship's crew. Fitted with ancient Archeotech it features a Sarcosan Wave form Generator that sustains the undead on board through the sorcery of the warp as well as bringing the dead back to life nearby, built within the ship's Warp Field Generator as being undead means the heralds have little to fear from the denizens of the warp. The Spectral Revenant is believed to house an ancient Teleportarium from which squads of Plague marines and worse launch raids against key targets on board other ships or even planets.

The Lost Graveyard

There is a myth whispered in hushed fearful tones by both Rogue traders and the Imperial Navy of a massive graveyard of ships that lies hidden along the edges of the Segmentum Pacificius known as the fabled Lost Graveyard. It is believed that the area of space was sight to a forgotten fleet battle long ago which mysterious left both sides utterly destroyed leaving the desolate ships to drift within the graveyard. Whilst it is rumoured to be a treasure trove of technological and scientific bounties it is also believed to be haunted by the dead who lurk within the graveyard with those foolish enough to enter never leaving alive again,however in truth it is far worse. The Heralds of Salvation and their armies of the undead have made the graveyard their base of operations within a crippled Repulsive Grand class cruiser acting as their stronghold. The Graveyard's defence lies not only in the horror stories that keep nearly everyone away but those foolish enough to enter the graveyard find their greed be the death of them as they are overwhelmed by the undead which roam the countless desolate ships that drift aimlessly within the graveyard.

[ThroneWarden]

Hi teutonicavenger,

 

Like the idea generally, but some things stand out.

 

Even before the Sisters of Battle were formed I don't think a space marine chapter would be founded solely for the Adeptas Ministorum. I could very well be wrong but no precedent comes to mind.

 

Some of the sentences could be cleaned up. For example:

 

Due to their fanatic devotion the the Ecclesiarchy during the Reign of Blood unlike most chapters the Heralds supported Gorge Vandire's ascension  , they saw Vandire as a visionary who was dedicated to purging the Imperium of the unworthy.

 

This could be two sentences. For example:

 

Unlike most chapters, the Heralds fanatical devotion to the Ecclesiarchy lead them to side with Goge Vandire during his Reign of Blood. The Chapter saw Vandire as a visionary and dedicated to the purging of the unworthy within the Imperium.

 

Or however you decide to word it.

 

There are other places that could use periods etc.. It just makes your origins a little easier to read.

 

Good luck with the rest.

[Plaguecaster]

Hi teutonicavenger,

 

Like the idea generally, but some things stand out.

 

Even before the Sisters of Battle were formed I don't think a space marine chapter would be founded solely for the Adeptas Ministorum. I could very well be wrong but no precedent comes to mind.

 

 

Thanks I have given it a little bit of a tidy up.

 

I can see your point I was intending that they originally founded to combat the rising number of heretics however since their founding was around the time that the Ecclesiarchy was rapidly growing in power that the Heralds would become a de facto force entirely under the control of the Adeptus Ministorum who would use them in their war against heretics. I don't know if that would make sense or not I just assumed that since most chapters have contracts or oaths/ vows leading to aid a certain organisationthen it wouldn't be too hard to believe a chapter becomes entirely under a another branches control due to a debt or something.

[Plaguecaster]

Recently added some more info  to my chapter mainly fleet, geneseed and base of operations info working on beliefs and combat doctrine

[Draakur]

A question: how did the geneseed mutate, exactly? If I'm reading right, it just sort of went from fine to not fine at all, for no reason? I feel like putting some plot in here will help this part along a bit in terms of believability, while also providing an opportunity to develop their history and character a bit.

 

I dig the idea of consuming an enemy's flesh denying them an afterlife - super badass, wish I'd thought if it :p Good stuff!

 

Also, and this may well be just me, but I can't help but find the font colour and centre-justification a bit jarring and off-putting. Totally understand the desire for thematic presentation, and would not want to deny you your enjoyment of that part of the writing etc, but might be worth keeping in mind - it's a big part of why it took me as long as it did to get through this.

[Plaguecaster]

How would you suggest a believable reason for it to mutate? I was thinking that since they have their chaoter cult with eating the dead flesh of their enemies then maybe is the reason for the mutation like how in most fantasy novels With ghouls how they are originally human but by consuming too much human flesh it changes them.