+++ BROTHERHOOD OF ANGELS 2015 +++

[Greenz]

I'm definitely finding the IA much more stressful than getting my models painted. Ive never been much of a writer, so trying to put into words the ideas that have been bouncing around my head for 3 years is ridiculous.

[Olis]

I'm definitely finding the IA much more stressful than getting my models painted. Ive never been much of a writer, so trying to put into words the ideas that have been bouncing around my head for 3 years is ridiculous.

 

Here is one method that might help - now, the difficult thing is to get the main points across in a way so that you don't miss an important detail, right? I suggest listing the the main points (whether assigned to a place in the article or strictly as just a list) and try to keep them arranged so that they make sense. It doesn't matter in what way you initially write them out - just get them onto the page and you can refine things later.

 

Now fill in the blanks. Try to link each point to the next in their relevant areas or at least expand each point into it's own paragraph. Hopefully that will help. :)

[Greenz]

 

Here is one method that might help - now, the difficult thing is to get the main points across in a way so that you don't miss an important detail, right? I suggest listing the the main points (whether assigned to a place in the article or strictly as just a list) and try to keep them arranged so that they make sense. It doesn't matter in what way you initially write them out - just get them onto the page and you can refine things later.

 

Now fill in the blanks. Try to link each point to the next in their relevant areas or at least expand each point into it's own paragraph. Hopefully that will help. :)

 

Thanks Olis, I'll definitely put this to use. Most of it all is written up, just it's all on the notepad in my cellphone. Most of my thoughts I throw down while I'm at work or out and about. But what you say makes absolute sense. I'll grab a *gasp* paper notepad and start writing it out the old fashioned way

[Grand Master Belial]

I typically cut and paste the initial layout into a note and then add ideas to each section, but I've got Apple gear so most of my stuff transfers between devices pretty seamlessly.

[Volt]

I wouldn't say an IA is harder than the "normal" challenges (by far the worst is painting). The difficulty is just finding motivation to write, which for a melancholic like me, is a tad difficult as I succumb to a cycle of beating myself up as my work isn't perfect.

[Grand Master Aldric]

Well i think I'm done.

[Grand Master Belial]

Well i think I'm done.

Just post the final in this thread.

[Grand Master Aldric]

The Blood Hounds.

Edited July 11, 2015 by blood hounds

[teh_stwnerer]

I, teh_stwnerer, chapter master of the Scions of the Forest, in the name of the Lion, make this oath of moment to submit a complete history of my chapter and it's honored brothers.

Edited July 11, 2015 by teh_stwnerer

[teh_stwnerer]

CHAPTER NAME: Scions of the Forest   

 

 ORIGINS 

There are no precise records of the founding of the Scions. There are no records of them prior to M36. In the early years of the Age 

of Apostasy it is known that many new chapters were founded as bulwarks against the growing influence of the Ministorum as part 

of the ill-fated 21st founding. No records can be found of the exact origins of the Scions, presumably lost during Vandire’s tyrannical Reign 

of Blood. Tests of the Scions of the Forest’s geneseed shows it to to have originated from tithes submitted by the Angels of Absolution. The High Lords are typically 

reticent to make use of Dark Angels geneseed, despite its resilience and purity, because of suspicions about the close connections 

between the Unforgiven chapters, however at the time this may have been seen as an additional layer of loyalty in their 

oppositional role to the forces of the Ecclesiarch. 

 

From M36 the Scions of the Forest are recorded for valorous action in campaigns such as the Empty Exhumation and 

the Rebulus Cleansing. At the end of M36 they were instrumental in blunting Abaddon’s sixth Black Crusade,

 distracting the vanguard ships in an extended chase through the wreckage the Eltarix Cluster for 

months on end and buying Imperial forces precioud time to counter-attack. When the crusade was finally broken, the Scions pursued the retreating traitor ships and obliterated 

several vessels before they could flee intonthe warp.This engagement also yielded them secret spoils of 

impossible value, for the triumvirate of Dark Apostle, Warpsmith and Sorcerer commanding the 

battleship Deplorable Word were a group of Fallen who had pledged themselves to the dark powers, 

and were all defeated and delivered to The Rock. 

 

This would nearly be the destruction of the Scions of the Forest, for the Sorcerer Kastael had an apprentice; 

Xahizzar the Uninvited, who had escsped the boarding of the Deplorable Word and sworn bitter vengeance. 

Unlike the older chapters of the Unforgiven, the Scions' home world of Phaedos IV was not kept secret, and this 

gave Xahizzar a clear target. Like any Astartes homeworld, Phaedos was fortified with a ring of planetary defences 

and defended by the Scions' fleet. Xahizzar never even attempted to attack from space, instead he sacrificed an 

entire city of slaves on the dark world of Charn, in order to open a gate through the warp from within the Eye of Terror 

and to strike the surface of Phaedos without warning. 

 

The Librarians within Lion's Vigil, the colossal fortress monastery on the diminutive continent of Edenoi, and the 

navigators and astropaths in the orbiting fleet, all felt as one the tear in reality gouged by the entrance of Xahizzar's 

forces. The warp gate opened into a canyon, deep inland on the main continent of Mirinoi. A rapid reaction force of 

Nephilim Jetfighters dispatched from Lion's Vigil overflew the colossal chaos host, and fought a fierce aerial duel 

with monstrous Heldrakes to escape and relay their reconaissance back to the fortress.  

 

The wrath of the Scions was a burning mace, and they brutally assaulted their own world in a deployment of three 

full companies by drop pod, smashing into the heart of the foe and slaughtering thousands of mutants in a

 vengeful storm. All of this was part of Xahizzar's plan, as whilst the Scions were smiting his force in the canyon,

 smaller forces swept out across the length and breadth of Mirinoi. Xahizzar was under no illusions about his chances

 of defeating the entire chapter on their own world, but whilst they were smiting the bulk of the invading force, Xahizzar's

 outriders were destroying the chapter's future. The people of Phaedos were a feral culture, living in villages across 

the two continents. When the dark forces attacked, the Phaedon cavaliers mounted a valiant defence, but steel, 

valour and faith were pierced by energy weapons and crushed beneath corrupted tanks. With the warp obscuring

the bulk of communications and sensors across the planet, the Scions remained oblivious to the 

mass slaughter of their vassals. It was only when scouts discovered a train of refugees fleeing through 

the southern ice deserts that they discovered Xahizzar's scheme. By this point Xahizzar and his retinue 

had retreated through the warp and the remaining chaos forces had been reduced to scattered warbands 

who were mercilessly hunting the remaining 4 per cent of the population. One by one the Scions' Ravenwing 

destroyed these forces and uncovered the mass butchery that had occurred. Worst of all were the sites where 

some of the Phaedons had turned coat, murdering their fellows in the hope that they would be spared and 

prostrating themselves before the invaders. 

 

The Scions ultimately regained ownership of what remained of their world, having suffered relatively few 

Astartes casualties, but the loss of more than 99 per cent of their people weighed heavily on them. As an 

Unforgiven chapter, the near-loss of a world and its people represented an incredible cultural trauma. Grand Master Varahiel decreed 

that the chapter's soul would be decided in the fire of battle and that one way or another Xahizzar would

be brought to justice. The Librarius found that the surface of reality had been only thinly sealed, and

 managed to tear open a portal back to the dark world of Charn. The resultant crusade was notable for 

being one of the only instances in Imperial history where Exterminatus had been conducted without a

 space fleet, Charn was reduced to dust and ash upon the void and Xahizzar's skull was captured to 

sit in pride of place in the Sanctum Memoria at Lion's Vigil. The Scions of the Forest had redeemed

 themselves and rebuilt their shattered world. 

 

Homeworld 

Phaedos IV is a feral world within Segmentum Obscurus. When the Scions of the Forest were founded, 

they were gifted with Phaedos IV as a home and base for recruitment. The native inhabitants ranged

 across the continent of Mirinoi in villages and armoured towns, whilst nomadic tribes littered the plains.

 On Edenoi, where the fortress of Lion's Vigil was built, the entire continent was made arable, an entire 

continent of serfs tasked with growing food and cloth to keep the chapter supplied. 

 

After the horrifying invasion, which became known as the Breaking of Phaedos, the Scions underwent

 a major reformation and as they did so, they reformed their world. The global climate was altered to be 

warm, polar ice was melted with lance strikes. The entire continent of Mirinoi, from one side to the other, 

was seeded with innumerable trees, remaking the world in the image of the Unforgiven's long forgotten home 

world. The remaining native Phaedons were released and became lords of this new forest realm, their people

expanded by millions who were transported from other feral worlds across the Segmentum. The final step

 in the remaking of Phaedos was the importation of monstrous beasts from numerous death worlds; once

 again there was a world where humans dwelt within armoured enclaves surrounded by forest, and virtuous

 knights rode forth to slay the monsters at their beyond their gates. Chapter fortresses spread across Mirinoi 

to ensure that the Breaking could never be repeated. They keep watch upon the humans beneath their gaze,

 and have been known to brutally crush local lords who have turned from the path of righteousness. 

 

The continent of Edenoi, once entirely composed of farming communities, now lies near empty of human thought. 

The fields are still there, tilled by a tireless army of monofunctional servitors, and no human is now able to look up 

at the ironclad walls of Lion's Vigil. 

 

Organisation

When the chapter returned from their crusade of vengeance upon Charn, they were re-organised to allow them to better steward their world. It was decreed that no more would they stand resolute upon 

a single spot, rather they would spread across the world, to guard their people from themselves and the horrors 

beyond the skies. By this point the tenth company had ceased to be, all scouts having ascended to full-fledged battle brothers in the crusade. The remaining nine companies were reformed into the Nine Orders of the Scions

 of the Forest. Seven of these, the Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth and Ninth orders were settled in fortresses

 across Mirinoi, towering over the the forest and citadels of the humans. Nearly every human settlement on Mirinoi is in

 sight of a towering citadel of the Scions. Each of these companies recruits from their surrounding population, 

scouts inducted straight into their local order. Beyond their respective cohorts of scouts, each order operates 

according to the dictums of the Codex Astartes. The Third, Fourth and Fifth Orders are the chapter's mainstay forces, 

the Battle Orders, comprised of Tactical, Assault and Devastator squads. The Sixth and Seventh Orders are honoured

halls of venerable warriors, composed entirely of Tactical squads. The Eighth Order is the cutting

 blade of the chapter,

 a vanguard force of ten Assault squads, whilst the Ninth is the chapter's heavy firepower in the form 

of ten Devastator squads.  

As it is with other Unforgiven chapters, the First Order is composed entirely of warriors in hallowed Terminator plate,

 whilst the Second Order ride to warn upon Bikes, Land Speeders or within atmospheric fighter craft. Within the Scions, 

these orders consider themselves as brothers with the First and Second companies of the other Unforgiven, they

 consequently refer to themselves as the Deathwing and Ravenwing, bearing the same heraldry as those of the 

Dark Angels. The First and Second take no scouts into their ranks, instead they are formed of brothers advancing 

from the other orders. Lion's Vigil is now home to these orders, whilst the continent of Edenoi shudders with the 

roar of drilling Ravenwing Cavaliers. 

 

Fortress Monastery 

The bulk of the Orders live within the seven fortresses on Mirinoi, fortified towers stretching as mountains into the sky.

 Whilst not on the scale of a fortress-monastery, their construction is well beyond the comprehension 

of the humans of Phaedos IV. 

 

The ancient fortress-monastery of Lion's Vigil is home to the Deathwing and Ravenwing, though its halls can hold numbers 

well beyond their two hundred. Who knows what secrets may have grown to fill the void, in the spires 

of the Librarius or the catacombs of the Reclusiam? 

 

Recruitment 

Initiates into the chapter are recruited by the Seven Orders of Mirinoi. The forests are filled with

 terrible beasts, and when these stray too close to human settlements, it is the chance for the warriors

 to prove their mettle. A hunt will be called, and the warriors will beseech the nearest Order to 

observe their valour in battle. A single Astartes will travel wih these hunts, riding enormous

 steeds genetically engineered to bear the colossal weight. They ride with the hunts to observe

 the young warriors, and it is known that those who are found worthy are taken with the Angels to make

holy war upon the stars. 

 

A new recruit who survives the many trials to receive the geneseed will be inducted into the Scout 

cohort of his order, there to learn the ways of war with his brothers. In time he will earn the black 

carapace and begin service in a devastator squad, first in the Ninth Order and subsequently 

transferring to one of the Battle Orders. Once he has learned all there is from this, and judged able 

to proceed, he will advance to an Assault Squad in the Eighth Order, and in time advance to an Assault Squad 

in the 

Battle Orders. The final step towards full Knightly rank in the Scions is to be judged worthy to join one of 

the chapter's 

Tactical squads, and don the hallowed robes to commemorate the honourable dead of the vengeance upon Charn. 

From there on a brother can advance either to the hallowed position of an Order Veteran, to the lightning fury of a 

Ravenwing Cavalier or, the ultimate achievement, the indomitable brothers of the Deathwing. 

 

Combat Doctrine 

The Scions of the Forest fight, for the large part, with the balanced yet destructive force of the Codex Astartes. 

Most strike forces will be assembled around the core of a Battle Order, Tactical, Assault, Devastator and Scout squads. 

These will be supported with warriors from other orders, vehicles from the armoury, psychic might from the Librarius,

 the rapier swift Ravenwing and the mighty hammer of the Deathwing. The Scions have completed many famed 

planetary assaults, entire Orders deployed by Drop Pods and supported by Ravenwing aircraft and skimmers, 

as well as Deathwing Terminators delivered from the aether. 

 

Fleet Assets 

The Scions of the Forest possess: 

2 Battle Barges 

4 Strike Cruisers 

9 Frigates 

3 Girdle-class messenger ships 

34 Nephilim Jet Fighters 

7 Dark Talons 

16 Thunderhawk Gunships 

 

Beliefs 

The Scions of the Forest feel a great sense of pride in their ancestry, whichnismowed to their Primarch, 

to the Dark Angels and to the lost world of Caliban. They do not appear to have any closer 

links with the 

Angels of Absolution, their direct forebears, beyond their shared bond as members of the Unforgiven. 

When they capture the Fallen, they keep them isolated within stasis fields to be delivered in holy pilgrimage to The Rock. 

 

For those privy to the higher secrets of the Deathwing, the Scions believe some things that they do not share 

even with their fellow Unforgiven. They believe that when Lion El'Johnson returned to Caliban, he was seeking

 some secret in the deep forests, some memory from his childhood, that could heal the Emperor. This secret 

knowledge magnifies the considerable guilt and shame felt by the Deathwing, and they keep it within their 

Chapter to as not to inflict it upon their wider bretheren. 

 

Chapter Colours 

The Scions of the Forest wear armour quartered in Black and Green, the colours of the ancient Dark Angels 

and the forests of Caliban. Their shoulderplates are inset with purest white, upon which are mounted 

squad and chapter markings. 

The Ravenwing wear black armour with white inset shoulderpads, echoing the colours of the main orders. 

Honoured amongst the Ravenwing, the Cavaliers wear gold trim upon their armour. 

The Deathwing again wear quartered armour; the verdant green against the bone white of their brothers in the Dark Angels. 

 

Honours 

The Scions of the Forest have a strict hierarchy, with valorous service being the only route to progression. 

A recruit undergoing trials is an Apirant, once part of a Scout squad they are a Neophyte. 

After proving ones stealth and markmanship, a warrior will then be posted to a Devastator squad and granted the rank of Cuirassier,

 in honour of their hard-earned right to wear power armour. When judged worthy to advance closer in the theatre of war, a postee to an 

Assault squad is granted the rank of Initiate. If they then prove their consistent excellence in the melee and at range, 

and also understand when one is preferable to the other, then they are granted the rank of Knight and a place in a Tactical squad. 

 

The most notable of the Scions eccentricities is the strict rule on donning robes over power armour; only 

brothers who have advanced to the Tactical squads are permitted to do so. These are worn to honour the 

many warriors of the Sixth and Seventh companies who gave their lives in the assault on Charn. It is also 

considered in bad taste for a Sergeant or Veteran Sergeant to don these robes when leading an Assault,

 Devastator or Scout squad, as it indicates that one would rather serve elsewhere. 

 

Within the Scions, the most common reward for exceptional service is the right to bear the 

winged-sword symbol of the Dark Angels. This will of course not be upon the shoulder pad, 

but may be sewn 

onto robes or forged from iron and hung from a chain. A rarer honour, and one usually reserved for 

Veterans or Commanders, is the gifting of a master-forged winged sword, with a keen monomolecular edge and containing a crackling power field. 

 

Rituals 

Owing to the feudal culture of their world, the Scions undertake a great number of minor 

Knightly rituals, largely focused around vows and the dedication of armour. 

 

Roll of Honour 

 

²  The Empty Exhumation. The Scions were drawn into a civil war between two rival 

Necron dynasties that had left uncounted humans dead in the crossfire. After careful deliberation the

 Scions decided to strike and cripple the Ashtoth dynasty, using an unknown piece of archaeotech 

to overlord the tomb world’s systems, which sent all those on the world into stasis, leaving them easy prey for the Scions. 

This left the rival Sekhnex dynasty ascendant over the system, who luckily did not realise that the archaeotech weapon 

was unique and had been spent, in fear of it they withdrew to their tombs to await the inevitable extinction of mankind.

 

² Abaddon’s Sixth Black Crusade. The colossal fleet exiting the Eye of Terror was spearheaded by an armada devoted to 

Khorne. Left unchecked it could have swept all before it in a tide of axe and shell, however the Scions of the Forest 

managed to pique the attention of the fleet and lead them a merry dance throughout the Eltarix cluster, a 

dense asteroid belt.

 Fighting a hit and run campaign in the void, they drew the chaos forces into minefields or through gravity wells,

 picking off one ship at a time. In this manner, the Scions managed to not only hold back a force many 

times their

 own size, but to buy precious time for an Imperial armada to counter attack. Once the invasion had been 

repelled, 

the Scions were rewarded with pride of place and first choice of target when pursuing the fleeing ships. 

Their assault upon the Deplorable Word, and the ultiamte tragedy that came from this, was poor reward for their valiant campaign.

 

² The Scouring of Charn. Forcing open the portal that had been used to attack their world, the Scions 

retaliated in a brutal campaign that systematically eradicated the chaos forces from the planet. 

The culmination point of this campaign was when the Scions penetrated to the hollowed-out caverns beneath the planet’s core. Finding open seams and lave flows, the Scions set nuclear warheads

 at key points throughout the catacombs to set off a chain reaction of volcanic eruptions. 

A full forty-three Tactical marines gave their lives defending their weapons whilst their fellows escaped, a worthy sacrifice to ensure that their vengeance was complete.

 

² Waaagh! Rustbukkit. Rustbukkit, known to himself as “Da Biggest Mek”, had seized power over a 

number of tribes by wiring his brain into a Gargant, becoming an avatar of the Greenskins’ primal war lust.

 Some deep instinct drove his forces to Qualufrax, a key forge world that was unprepared for the tide of 

Ork titans sweeping through their defences. Everywhere he struck, 

Rustbukkit ordered his army of grots to attach stolen pieces of technology; Tech-Priest Rhuneth was said to have collapsed and wept at the sight of a Solar Refraxis engine 

smashed and dangling from the Gargant as a pendant. It had seemed that nothing could stop the 

Waaaagh until the arrival of the Fourth Order of the Scions of the Forest who, having assessed the 

war from orbit, took the decision that none of the Mechanicum could;. They unleashed a barrage of melta-torpedoes which reduced Rustbukkit, and much of the city he was pillaging, to a 

twisted pile of molten slag, ork biomatter fused to much of the metal. The Waaagh 

was then quickly broken, save for a few remnants which were being systematically exterminated 

by the radiation weapons of the Skitarii. However far from cheering their liberators the remaining defenders of

 Qualufrax saw this as an unforgivable assault upon their world and the machine god; a quick exchange of fire 

was only halted by an emergency signal order for the Scions to withdraw to pursue a priority target.

 

Present Activities 

At the close of M41The Scions of the Forest were deployed throughout Segmentum Obscurus, some part of the 

strike against the Craftworld of Alariend, others tracing flows of cultist uprisings from sector to sector. However, 

chapter command on Phaedos suddenly issued the order to withdraw from all battlefields and to mass at a point

 just outside the Cadia system. Oaths of moment for this journey all bear the identical addendum "We Stand as One". 

 

Grand Master 

The current Grand Master of the Scions of the Forest is named Borastiel. He has held his rank for one and a 

half centuries, and is renowned for his great skill at co-ordinating various strike forces across multiple warzones. He rose to power when his predecessor, 

Jehoshevah, was shattered by a Tyranid bio-monstrosity and allowed himself to be eaten to detonate a melta bomb from within the razor-edged jaws. Hive Fleet Tiamat was subsequently devastated when Borastiel led the Deathwing to the

 heart of the Hive Ship, where their power fists crushed sensory nodes, driving the 

ship into a sun-dive. Escaping via teleport, the ancient Dreadnoughts of the chapter unanimously declared 

Borastiel as the worthiest successor. 

When he marches to battle, Boarastiel is clad in a singular relic, the Seraphic Mantle, a suit of 

artificer armour forged upon the newly unified Terra in the Great Crusade, and gifted to the First Legion,

 which has found its way to the Scions of the Forest. This armour is bedecked with lightning bolts and 

roaring lions' features, and incorporates an ancient Storm Bolter which is mounted upon the shoulder. 

Nigh-incomprehensible sensors are build into the suit, relaying data to a machine spirit which guides the arm of the wearer. 

Wearing this, and wielding his relic mace, Borastiel is as capable of mowing down hordes of Orks as he is 

of cutting out the blackened heart of a Daemon Prince. 

  

 

Battle cry: The Lion bares his teeth! 

Edited July 12, 2015 by teh_stwnerer

[Epher]

I knew that I should have copied and pasted my final draft!!  Comple and nicely formated Blades of Oblivion... gone. 

[Olis]

I'm sure GMB will give you leave to get a replacement posted up if you want. It's unfortunate your entry was eaten by the internet beasties.

[Conn Eremon]

The purge took out GMB's request for feedback on the competition as a whole, but I remember a bit of it.

 

As for images, I think a change could be understandable. Images that represent the typical Deathwing/Ravenwing equivalent might be a better request than an image for a Terminator, for example. Asking for a Deathwing-equivalent kind of gets the same result, but is more encompassing for when you get different variations.

 

As for article layout, I would say keep it as is. I know I didn't follow it perfectly, and that I deliberately chose to do so, but that in no way reflects negatively on that which I excluded or made minimal. The layout is a good one, and really pushes people to truly consider all aspects of their DIY, even those outside the traditional IA.

 

That's good. This is a competition, in which we are challenging ourselves to meet these requirements for the said of a sig badge and an article we can be proud of.

 

That said, I came into this competition with the intent of using it as an excuse to buckle down and get one of my favorite DIYs on the board. I decided to use the layout as a guideline, and where my inspiration dwindled or where I felt my article should differ, I began to depart from that layout.

 

And if that means I failed the competition, that is fine. I have zero issue with that, because for one, I got what I wanted, and two, I didn't follow the competition's rules. If the consequence is to fail the competition, that is fine and understandable.

 

So don't feel like you need to change the rules, because I decided to mess around with them. It wasn't because I disagreed with them.

[Grand Master Belial]

I saw it on here last night so you are complete Epher. I also get immediate email replies set up so I at least have the text.

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------

BLADES OF OBLIVION

 

 

GENE-SEED (PREDECESSOR): Dark Angels, Angels of Ablsolution

FOUNDING: 23M28

CHAPTER MASTER: Grand Master Vengen, Keeper of the Grave of Caliban

CHAPTER WORLD: Iodofax Prime

FORTRESS MONASTERY: The Ghost of Caliban

MAIN COLOURS: Black, Blood and Bone

SPECIALITY: Fast Attack, Combined Assualt

BATTLE CRY: For Caliban you die!

CURRENT STRENGTH: 933 Battle Brothers

 

ORIGINS

 

In 973M37, the planetary systems due north of the Segmentum Obscurus in the galactic vicinity of the ruins of old Caliban were seeing an increase of Chaos activity. Raids were reported with increased frequency. Contact had been lost from some colonies. A call for help was sent out. The Dark Angels, compelled by their desire to destroy the forces of Chaos and to avenge the loss of their home world, answered the distress calls. The Dark Angels fought for 50 years but their enemy was relentless. Raid after raid came to greet them, all originating from what used to be their home system. The decision was made to found another chapter in the image of the Dark Angels. This chapter would protect these systems and lead the purge of the ruins of their beloved home world from evil of any form.

 

The process was started; the people of colonies that they saved were more than willing to bring the fight to their previous oppressors. The colonies swore their allegiance to the First Legion as their protectors and saviors. A fine stock of healthy men, seasoned through hardship of labour and defending the colonies from monstrous beasts, would be more than sufficient to provide the basis for this fighting force. The Dark Angels used their own gene-seed and the process began. So in 23M38, this successor was founded.

 

Scout ships where sent into the Caliban system. Azrael received reports of a massive buildup Chaos fleet units, a force too large to be handled by the Dark Angels alone. A call went forth to successors of the First for assistance in purging the Caliban system and for marines and equipment to build the initial fighting force of the newest successor. Detachments from the Angels of Vengeance, Angels of Absolution, Angels of Redemption, Guardians of the Covenant and other successor chapters soon arrived.

 

Azrael gathered all of the chapter masters to discuss the details of this founding. Acquired fleet assets included one battle barge and three strike cruisers and chapter present offered a company’s strength of marines. The result netted 60 suits of Tactical Dreadnought Armour, 70 bikes and sufficient marines and equipment to bring the chapter up to three quarters of normal strength. There was much debate amongst the chapter masters as to who was worthy to become the leader.

 

A tournament was held to determine who would be the founding Chapter Master of this new successor. A champion from the Dark Angels and each of its successors fought against each other friendly rivalry. In one unfortunate case a blow of a thunder hammer ended the life Gramius, the Captain of the 4th Company of the Angels of Vengeance. The final battle was between Librarian Cephas, Second in Command of the Librarium in the Guardians of the Covenant, and Vengen, the Company Master of the 3rd for the Angels of Redemption.

 

The two combatants faced each other in the arena before the Inner Circles of eight chapters. Reflections from the flaming torches glimmered off Vengen’s ancient Articifer Armour as he held his Thunder Hammer and Storm Shield firmly in his hands. Cephas across the ring, with force sword in one hand and the other hovering over an antiquated storm bolter, faint traces of his displacer field phased in the fire light. Azrael stood to his feet and addressed the crowd. “Many have fought in this arena to bring glory to the Dark Angels, to the Lion and all of his successors. But now, only two remain. To victor goes the command of a thousand battle brothers and a place amongst the centre of all of the Inner Circles. For the Lion!”

 

The klaxon rang, Vengen seized the initiative and raised his storm shield for the charge. Cephas unleased a volley bolts before sidestepping the advance. The bolter rounds merely ricocheted off the expertly crafted armour. Vengen in an instant heard a sound like no other and then felt a wave of energy pass over, his arm holding the storm shield felt shaken as it absorbed the impact of the psychic shriek. With his ears still ringing Vengen heard the faint crack of a force sword being charged. His storm shield met the arc of the Cephas’ blade and was able to deflect it. Vengen thrust his thunder hammer forward and with the flicker of the displacer field Cephas disappeared. Looking over his shoulder, Vengen caught sight of his opponent and quickly turned to face him. He braced his shield as another wave of psychic energy crashed into him but this time Cephas’ psychic shriek tore into him. Shaken but ready, Vengen charged in deflecting a hail of bolts with his storm shield. The thunder hammer arced downwards towards Cephas’ left pauldron but was met with a parry from the force sword. Vengen shouldered in a thrust with the massive shield pushing the librarian back. The thunder hammer arced but was once again deflected, Cephas slipped past the company master’s extended arm and readied his blade. Using the momentum of the hammer, Vengen spun around and crashed the shield into the librarian. The displacer field flickered but Cephas remained. The upward arcing hammer was not seen as it was hidden by the shield. The next sound Cephas heard was the deafening crack of thunder as the hammer collided with his leg. Ceramite shattered, bones snapped and Cephas was thrown across the arena from the force of the impact.

 

On his approach to the wounded librarian, Vengen noticed that Cephas was chanting healing prayers to control the bleeding. Cephas looked up to his battered battle brother and said, “By the Lion and the Emperor, you will be a fine Master of this new successor.”

 

Vengen reached his hand down to Cephas, “Never have I met any librarian as fierce as you. I would be honoured to name you Chief Librarian.”

 

“The honour will be mine.” Cephas replied. Their hands met and Vengen pulled him up. Apothecaries ran to meet them and helped Cephas away.

 

Azrael silenced the cheer of the crowed to address them. “My fellow Sons of the Lion, here is the Chapter Master of this new successor, Vengen! By what name shall you be known?”

 

“To the edge of oblivion we shall go to reclaim what is ours, the home from where the Lion was raised and made his mark. And from this edge and this darkness we will maintain our vigil. We then shall emerge and be known as the Blades of Oblivion!”

 

Home World

 

The Iodofax system includes the largest and most developed colonies that the Dark Angels rescued during the initial purge in 973M27. Iodofax Prime is the largest in habited planet in the system. The surface of the planet is mostly land with Isolated oceans. Due to the planet’s distance from the sun, it has a cooler climate with forests around the equator with large polar regions. Most of the water on this planet is at the poles in the form of ice. Most of the population is in the forested areas with mining centers in the vast grasslands and tundra planes. The planet has excellent elemental resources but with limited manufacturing capabilities. The colonists on the planet are well established and have been there for several millennia.

 

The wildlife on the planet is diverse. Some species of grazing animals have been domesticated as part of the colony’s food supply. At the top of the food web, before the colonists arrived, were many large and fierce predators. Winged creatures the size of Storm Talons soared the skies and beasts capable of toppling a dreadnought roamed the lands. This resulted in the construction of fortified settlements within the safety of the forest and culture forced to tame the planet.

 

The ruling aristocracy soon found itself overwhelmed with the hostile of the planet. Brave and courageous men stepped forth to protect the developing colony. As they learned about the predators, they turned the hunters into the hunted. The greatest warriors were able to tame some of these beasts. Few were suitable as steeds but most were use with guards and the hunt. The elite of the culture soon became the warriors, the protectors of the colony, and the aristocracy was then replaced. Now the inhabited land is much safer. Since the hunt has been ingrained into the ruling culture, wild life preserves have been created with large walls separating man from beast. All cities have armed towers to ward off the flying predators.

 

Fortress Monastery

Their fortress is hidden amongst the debris field that was formally known as Caliban, where they keep vigil over the remains of the home world of the Dark Angels. The fortress, the Ghost of Caliban, is similar to the Rock where it is a mobile asteroid. However, the Ghost of Caliban is still under construction and is not capable of leaving the system. The asteroid is not a fragment of planetary crust but a dense metallic globule of cooled planetary core. The smooth weathered surface has the appearance of ferrous oxide. Clever construction techniques maintained the exterior of the asteroid while keeping the massive fortress hidden beneath.

 

The purpose of the fortress is to watch over what was once their glorious home world, capturing any of the Fallen that feel compelled to return and to monitor the Ocularis Terribus providing an early warning for any forces of Chaos that may find their way out.

 

Chapter Colors

Completed Later

 

Organization

The Blades of Oblivion shares similarities with their founders, the Dark Angels. As with most chapters, there are ten companies of one hundred strong.

 

First Company maintains the Deathwing name. The Tactical Dreadnought Armour is painted in a similar manner but minerals taken from the core of Caliban are added to the paint. This paint mixture causes an eerie to the armour and gives them a ghost-like appearance. Functional TDA suits are limited and the Blades of Oblivion can only field 6 ten man squads. The remaining numbers are veterans.

 

The Second Company is known as the Black Lancers and is comprised of bikes and land speeders. They are all skilled in the hunt but the elites, like their Dark Angel cousins, are known as the Black Knights. Second Company works very closely with the Librarium. Neophyte librarians spend as much time in their studies as they do on bikes. There are four full squads of Black Knights, each trains closely with their Librarian Master and will never deploy without him. The rest of the company are full bike squads with attack bike and land speeder support. There are also several squads worth of heavy land speeders.

 

The Third Company sets the Blades of Oblivion apart from other Dark Angels successors. The third company is known informally as the Shadow Ravens and every one of them has a jump pack. Chapter doctrine places heavy emphasis on mobility and the hunt; therefore, assault marines will always accompany the deployment of the first and second companies.

 

Fourth, fifth and sixth are battle companies and the rest are reserves with the exception of tenth company, which is scout units.

 

Combat Doctrine

Mobility above all. First on the ground are always the Black Lancers, who are ready to bring the fight by bike or by land speeder. The Shadow Ravens will be called in as support or as part of an ambush.

 

When the Deathwing deploy, so do the Shadow Ravens. The Shadow Ravens will time their jump deployment with the teleporting terminators so that their arrival is masked. The bone TDA glowing eerily in the twilight visually shields the assault marines from their foes and in one moment as a wall of terminators fires and closes in the Shadow Ravens will vault over and behind giving their prey no chance to survive or escape.

 

Fleet Assets Fleet Assets:2x Battle Barge5x Strike CruisersUndisclosed number of Thunderhawks and landing craft

Beliefs

The Blades of Oblivion, like the rest of the Unforgiven, keeps its secrets within circles. The recruits choose to join to bring honour to their family and to protect their home world. The battle to purge the Caliban system held no significance to them other than to defeat their foe. As the elite become part of the Inner Circle, the secrets are slowly shared. But what makes the Blades of Oblivion different from rest of the successors is that they deemed forgiven as they had proven their worth by releasing what was formerly the Dark Angels’ home world from the control of Chaos.

 

Heroes of Note

Vengen Grand Master of the Blades of Oblivion

He is the first Chapter Master and was appointed to this position by winning a tournament to prove his worth among the Dark Angel successor chapters. A master tactician and fierce in battle, he is a true leader worth of the Lion.

 

Cephas Master of the Librarians

As the Master of the Librarians and a member of the Inner Circle, Cephas actively participates in the hunt for the Fallen. In order to maintain mobility with his Librarius Conclave, he rides upon a modified Dark Shroud land speeder. Instead of a relic from the remains of Caliban, there is a platform where he stands and from this vantage point he can oversee the battle and guide the four librarian riders with their Black Knights to ensure the capture of any quarry.

 

Notable Battles

23M28 – The battle to Reclaim the Caliban System

Grand Master Vengen lead the Blades of Oblivion with support from the Dark Angels and successors into the Caliban system. The Blades, along with the Guardians of the Covenant and Angels of Redemption, took heavy losses but with the combined effort and excellent tactics the forces of Chaos were purged.

 

 

Present Activities

The Blades of Oblivion maintain half of the fleet near the Ghost of Caliban to watch over the Caliban System and their home world. The other half of the fleet patrol the systems further out in the galactic north. They are always ready to assist the Unforgiven at a moment’s notice.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

[Knurd]

Finished with my entry. 

Edited July 15, 2015 by Knurd

[Grand Master Belial]

@Conn - You are complete.

Yeah, I would like competitors comments on likes and dislikes and things that they would improve upon.

I like the suggestion of rephrasing the Terminator and Scout Picture requirements to be Deathwing/Ravenwing/Scout equivalents.

I am debating requesting this be opened up next year to be forum wide so another possible suggestion was to offset the competition from the ETL.

Edited July 16, 2015 by Grand Master Belial

[Greenz]

I was just thinking that GMB. On the one hand its great having this competition when everyone is all hyped up for the ETL, but at the same time it's hard finding time for both.

[Grand Master Belial]

Since this is an involved writing exercise, I have tried to schedule it when those of us in school are on a break in both hemispheres. I was thinking of having it finish on June 1st when the ETL closes to new participants.

[Olis]

June 1st sounds like a reasonable closing date to me.

[Greenz]

Ah that makes lots of sense, that didn't even occur to me. That definitely sounds like a good idea

[Grand Master Belial]

The Liber Challenge - being a group effort - was completed on time but just not compiled in a single place because I was doing that so they have risen to the challenge and pulled off a squeaker of a victory but they have earned it. Here is the their work:

 

BLADES OF THE LION

http://i.imgur.com/rwszq0A.jpg

 

SUMMARY: 
▪ GENE-SEED (PREDECESSOR) – Dark Angels
▪ FOUNDING - 21st "Cursed" Founding
▪ CHAPTER MASTER - Jurn Reven-Wold
▪ CHAPTER WORLD – NONE (Fleet Based)
▪ FORTRESS MONASTERY - Battle Barge "Legacy of the First"
▪ MAIN COLOURS – Gray and Bone
▪ SPECIALITY - Quick Strike Force
▪ BATTLE CRY – “Unsheath the Blades!” Response – “And Let the Lions Roar!”
▪ CURRENT STRENGTH - 786
▪ KNOWN DESCENDANTS - None
  
ORIGINS:
The Blades of the Lion are a crusading, fleet based Chapter currently located in the Liber Cluster. The Blades are Dark Angels successors from an ancient founding who prefer to fight alone which has almost doomed them several times since they were created, they are prideful and will never ask for assistance even if they know they are doomed. Without a homeworld the Blades roam the Cluster in their Strike Cruisers attacking pirate and xenos strongholds wherever they find them, either dropping from the skies in drop pods or tearing through enemy ships in brutal boarding actions. Their leaders are master tacticians and take pride in surrounding the enemy and seeing utterly annihilated. The Chapter has a history of battling Orks in the Liber Cluster, matching the prowess of their bike mounted warriors against the Ork mechanized hordes but it is against Traitor Space Marines that the Blades fight the fiercest. The Blades are able to fully test their mettle when fighting foes comparable to themselves and relish believing themselves to be utterly superior to anything that isn’t a Space Marine.
 
To outsiders, the Blades of the Lion appear to strike at random then disappear into the void afterwards but in reality they are being guided by their Librarians who believe they are receiving visions from their Primarch in pursuit of the “Great Hunt”. Their Chaplains work alongside the Librarians in deciphering the visions and interrogating prisoners to find their next target. It is unfortunate if any of these visions strike during a battle as the Blades may suddenly redeploy before their quarry escapes – this makes the Blades a sometimes-unreliable asset in a large campaign but if they have the numbers they will endeavor to leave some marines behind so their allies are not overwhelmed.
 
The Blades will recruit from wherever they can, the Cluster is large enough for them to have plenty of recruiting worlds to choose from but they do not lay claim to any specifically. Once an initiate is taken in they are mind wiped and they will only know the Chapter. The “Great Hunt” is known by all of the Blades but only the high ranking marines know exactly what the Hunt is actually trying to achieve, the commanders know that the targets they hunt are the forever cursed Fallen. The rest of the Blades believe they are hunting traitors to the Emperor and are not aware that their targets were once or are still Dark Angel Legionnaires.
 
The Blades of the Lion are not trusted by most of the Liberite Chapters due to their isolationist attitude and tendencies to withdraw from combat without a word. The Blades rarely attend a Liberite Conclave but when they do their words are seldom ignored when planning assaults yet they will never offer themselves to be the lynchpin of a campaign, the risk of duty to the Imperium and the secret shame of the Great Hunt could spell disaster.
 

FLEET ASSETS:
The Blades of the Lion can lay claim to a fairly considerable fleet of ships. Though they have only a limited number of Strike Cruisers and Battle Barges, Chapter Serfs are billeted in a flotilla of smaller, purely non-combat ships that accompany the Blades' vessels like squires attending to a noble knight. 

 

Battle Barge "Legacy of the First" - An ancient vessel with its origins dating back to the Great Crusade. The vessel was thought to have been destroyed by the Night Lords in the running battles between the two primarchs and their legions. The Blades encountered the remnants of the vessel and realized that the vessel was not only salvageable but nearly battle ready with full complements of weapons and equipment. After honoring the fallen brothers still aboard the vessel, the Techmarines set to work to repair the damage done by the Night Lords. Within a Terran year, the vessel was back to full operation and with the discovery of chamber that bore signs that the Lion had spent time aboard the vessel, it was made the flagship of the Blades. With the chamber treated like a shrine to the Lion, the Blades are confident that the vessel will see them to victory into the far future.

 

Strike Cruiser "Wings of Caliban" -  acts as a recruitment vessel for the Blades, constantly scouring the worlds of the Liber Cluster for worthy recruits.

 

Other notable vessels:

The Bladed Trophy

Lion's Lodge

The Bladed Blind

The Relentless/Restless Hunter

The Calibanite Snare

The Path of Virtue

The Inescapable Hunter

The Herald of Honour

The Oath of Vengeance

The Merciless Wrath

The Lion's Roar

The Pride

 
PRESENT ACTIVITIES:
The Blades of the Lion are Currently active in the Liber Cluster in pursuit of the “Great Hunt.” The Blades rarely attend a Liberite Conclave but when they do their words are seldom ignored when planning assaults yet they will never offer themselves to be the lynchpin of a campaign, the risk of duty to the Imperium and the secret shame of the Great Hunt could spell disaster.
 
BATTLE HONORS:
The Blades of the Lion have taken part is innumerable conflicts in the furthest reaches of the Liber Cluster. While tales of the Great Hunt are confined strictly to the innermost vaults of this secretive Chapter, there are no shortage of glorious battles the Blades of the Lion have partaken in.

During the early years of the Liber Cluster, the Blades of the Lion were notable participants in the Eighteen Worlds Crusade, a bitter, gruelling war waged against a gang of renegade Astartes known as the Sereiki Lions.

Perhaps viewing the renegades' choice of name as a personal affront to all scions of the First Legion, the Blades of the Lion took several opportunities to strike at these foes alongside their brother Chapters, notably taking an active part in the purging of Heroda IV alongside the Black Judges and working alongside the Iron Ravagers in the Pacification of Tonagish.

Under the guidance of the Lion's Eye, however, The Blades of the Lion also turned to more covert actions, seeking to ascertain the true nature of the leaders of this warband. Thus, the Chapter's Reserve Companies found themselves being carefully deployed away from the primary battlefronts, fighting several low-key engagements at remote outposts to starve the traitors of valuable intelligence reports, isolate key figures in the enemy's leadership chain, or deprive the foe of useful resources such as recruitment grounds. Though the exact details of these missions have not yet come to light, the few outsiders that know of them simply see it as the Blades working hard to serve the Imperium.

Equally, the Blades of the Lion found themselves much involved in the Inquisition's 'shadow war' against the secretive, anti-Imperial organisation known as Penumbra. Shadows, secrets and lies are in many ways familiar to the Unforgiven, and the Blades of the Lion were skilled at seeing through the ruses and schemes Penumbra used to veil their presence.

Though much of the details of the Blades' participation in this conflict is either lost to time or deliberately erased, their willingness to lend aid earned the Blades of the Lion not only much goodwill from local Inquisitors, but saw a great many Penumbra operatives detained aboard the Chapter's Fleet, at the leisure of the Inner Circle.

The Blades of the Lion have also been at the forefront of combat against traitor marines over the centuries - taking action against rogue elements of the Blackjaw Kindred during the Burning Brothers Schism and clashing with the Black Legion and their minions during the events known as the Shadow Marches. Of particular note were the Blades' actions against the traitorous Angels Exultant chapter during the March of Ghosts, when the Unyielding Hate and the company of marines on board managed to destroy several times their own number even when confronted with the haunting spectres of their own dead obfuscating the enemy. For their actions during this battle, their leader was posthumously granted the Liber Falx by the Council, which has been handed down within the third company ever since.

More recently, the Blades have fought alongside the Scarlet Sentinels and Lords Inviolate against the seemingly-inexorable traitor horde known as the Ghoulknights of Throskaar, and their ninth Company was amongst those who made a desperate stand at Scythia against Waaagh Roksmasha. In each of these conflicts, the Blades of the Lion remained stoic, steadfast and resolute to their duty, demonstrating honour and valour worthy of the Lion himself.
 
CHAPTER ORGANIZATION:
The Blades of the Lion are, in many ways, built on honour and tradition. In few places is this more evident than within the Chapter's organisational structure. Like most Dark Angel successors, the Blades are broadly compliant with the layout advised by the Codex Astartes - ten companies, each a hundred Space Marines strong. It is only on a closer examination that the differences within that organisation become apparent.
 
Scouts, for example, are not permitted to bear the Chapter's full heraldry; they are instead given plain grey armour with bone pauldrons - enough colour to serve as an identifier of allegiance to the Chapter, but still visually distinct from true Battle-brothers of the Chapter.
 
Librarians are held in high regard within the Chapter. Their master of the Librarium is sometimes referred to as the Lion's Eye, for it is his counsel that guides the Blades in the Great Hunt. The Lion's Eye is given a very high level of respect, and in terms of authority is considered to rank only just below a Company Captain.
 
Amongst the rest of the Chapter, the First Company is informally known as the "Kingslayers", for their first campaign in the Liber Cluster saw them destroy a traitor marine known as 'Parsiel, King of Exiles' and his armies. As with the Dark Angels and many of their kin, the First Company is the exclusive home of the Chapter's Tactical Dreadnought Armour. Unlike other scions of Jonson, however, the sheer remoteness of the Liber Cluster from the rest of the Imperium means the Blades of the Lion only have enough functional suits to field three full squads of Terminators. The rest of the "Kingslayer" Company are made up of veteran marines, much like any other Codex Chapter.
 
The Second Company is almost entirely given over to the use of bikes and landspeeders, and is treated with very much the same respect and deference that the First Company is given. The Second Company is the Chapter's most formidable weapon in the Great Hunt - most frequently deployed as demi-companies alongside other Blades forces, they excel in pursuing and ensnaring fleeing enemies, forcing them to face destruction or capture.
 
The Blades of the Lion also field three conventional Battle Companies and four codex-approved Reserve Companies, each steeped in proud traditions. In true Dark Angel fashion, only the upper echelons of each Company are aware of the true nature of the Great Hunt, with the truth concealed by layer upon layer of secrecy and careful misdirection.

 
RECRUITMENT:
The Blades have been known to recruit from all manner of worlds - factory worlds, feudal worlds, even death worlds. If there is a set pattern to their choice of recruitment worlds, it is known only to the upper echelons of the Chapter. However, one interesting trend is that efforts to find viable recruits always seems to increase in intensity prior to the Blades embarking on the Great Hunt, leading to outsider speculation that perhaps the Chapter's Librarians have some say in where the Wings of Caliban travels.
 
CHAPTER COLORS:
The Chapter has kept its standard bone and gray color scheme since its founding through all of its companies. There are two areas of difference in the scheme. First is that the Kingslayers have bone in place of the gray on their Terminator armor similar to the Deathwing of the Dark Angels Chapter. The second is that the Scouts have their armor mostly painted gray save for the cauldrons which are the only areas painted bone. To an outsider, there is nothing significant to this scheme. But within the Chapter, the bone signifies their devotion to the Great Hunt even if the object of their Hunt varies. As the Kingslayers have more of the full knowledge behind the Great Hunt, they show more bone in their armor whereas the scouts know hardly anything. 

 

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The only other area of deviation is in the specialists of the chapter. Each Specialist has taken up the traditional look of coloring their entire armor to match their specialization. In this way, they symbolize to their brothers that they have left the Great Hunt to follow the path of their specialization.

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BATTLE STANDARDS OR CHAPTER BANNERS (OPTIONAL):
http://i18.servimg.com/u/f18/15/92/38/07/blades10.pnghttp://i18.servimg.com/u/f18/15/92/38/07/blades11.pnghttp://i18.servimg.com/u/f18/15/92/38/07/blades12.pnghttp://i18.servimg.com/u/f18/15/92/38/07/blades13.pnghttp://i18.servimg.com/u/f18/15/92/38/07/blades14.pnghttp://i18.servimg.com/u/f18/15/92/38/07/e_blad10.png

 

BATTLE HONORS/RELICS/DECORATIONS/AWARDS:
The Heavenfall Blades:
Each of the chapters descended from the Dark Angels are said to have a small portion of the obsidian meteor, which was used to forge the Heavenfall Blades so that they too might share through steel the legacy of their founders. Many legends surround Harbinger, a sword wielded by high-ranking members of the Blades of the Lion, but at the very least, we know that it is one of these such weapons.
 
Harbinger is a finely wrought power sword with a large red gem in the center of its cross guard. In addition, built into its hilt is a locator beacon. It is said that the sword often begins to hum and the red gem glows when danger is present, but whether this is just the result of the prudent wielder activating its internal beacon or some gift from the Emperor himself the Blades have never commented on.
 
COMBAT DOCTRINE:
There is little, in theory, to set the Blades of the Lion apart from other sons of the Lion once they are deployed on the field of battle. Enemies are met with an advancing, unstoppable force of Space Marines who adapt to any combat situation effortlessly, shrugging off enemy attacks and retaliating with punishing force. However, there are a few subtle quirks that make the Blades noteworthy.
 
The Blades set high value by facing down an enemy in honourable combat, but such honour is usually reserved for only the most veteran squads within a company. Squads of 'lesser standing' in a company are more usually tasked with the more mundane aspects of combat, such as flanking movements or intercepting enemy ambushes, leaving the way clear for the veterans to engage the enemy's strongest forces. Although it is unheard of for a squad of the Blades to directly disobey orders from their Captains, it is quite commonplace for squads of lesser standing to undertake acts of quite singular bravery and heroism on their own initiative to prove their worth and valour to the rest of the Company.
 
Another notable factor is that any Blades involved with the Great Hunt shed this seemingly ingrained competitive nature entirely. When the Hunt is on, the Blades shun personal honour completely, caring only for the larger victory, which will bring honour and pride to their Primarch and all their kindred.
 
BATTLE CRY:
“Unsheath the Blades!” Response – “And Let the Lions Roar!”
 
LOCAL RITUALS:
Tests of the Lion
 A tournament held within the chapter, the Tests of the Lion is a series of challenges held throughout the chapter, testing each marines skill with his guns, blades and strategic values. First the marine must face his brothers in his squad before progressing to facing the companies victors before finally facing the rest of the chapters victors. It is a usual sight for the challenges involving other companies to be held during the times where the chapter meets up. 
 
The most recent victor of the Tests, Valdos Tarroc of the Fourth Company, is has most recently been labeled as MIA after encounters with the Dark Eldar. If he is still alive, it is most likely he has been thrown into the arenas, to fight to his death.
 
BELIEFS:

"By what right does the wolf judge the Lion? By what creed can we be judged, save for our own?" - Brother Hastoc Daland's address to the Liber Conclave

 

The Blades of the Lion are, at their heart, a Chapter driven by dual obsessions. Firstly, the Blades are utterly dedicated to the cultivation and preservation of their Chapter's honour, and secondly, they are entirely devoted to the ceaseless pursuit and extermination of the Fallen; considered perhaps the only thing that can truly undermine the honour of not only the Chapter, but of all scions of Lion El'Jonson. 

 

Arguably, the Chapter's focus on honour and tradition is as much a guise to mask the true nature of the Great Hunt even within the Chapter as it is a way of life for the Chapter - very few Blades throughout the Chapter's storied history have been willing to defy deeply ingrained traditions for the sake of questioning their superiors or their motives.

 

The Chapter views the Emperor as the very pinnacle of nobility - matchless in battle, possessed of peerless wisdom and pure in both words and deeds. They fervently believe the Dark Angels - first amongst the Legions - were the Emperor's chosen, His finest creations, suffering from none of the inherent flaws of the other Legions. They see their Primarch, and thus themselves, as the true inheritors of The Emperor's greatness.

 

This, coupled with the Chapter's impressive list of victories in key battles in the Liber Cluster, has given the Blades of the Lion an overwhelming sense of pride. Indeed, the Chapter's pride in it's collective honour can at times give the Blades of the Lion an arrogant, sneering demeanour. However, every shred of that honour has been hard-won on the field of battle, and those few foolish enough to provoke a Blade into defending that honour quickly learn that their pride, though overbearing at times, is not misplaced. Their operation within the Liber Cluster is also seen as a special honour they share with no other son of the Lion, taking the spirit of the First to the furthest edge of the Imperium.

 

Even when dealing with other Chapters, there are few outside of the lineage of Jonson that the Blades of the Lion truly treat as equals. The Blades' respect must always be earned, and is never given easily. Even amongst the very limited number the Chapter shows any deference to, the Blades are always somewhat distant, constantly gauging how much others know or suspect of their secrets.

 
GENE-SEED:
Dark Angels
 
CHAMPIONS OF THE CHAPTER:
Brother Javin Gildred, Sworn Champion of the 2nd Company:
When the Great Hunt locates one of the Fallen in the Liber Cluster, the Second Company is the Chapter's first choice to intercept the traitor. Within that company, the task of facing down an armed, dangerous Fallen is almost always given over to their Company Champion, Javin Gildred.
 
Gildred is a hardened, merciless fighter, skilled in all forms of combat. While most of the Chapter believe Gildred always slays the Hunted, the truth of the matter is that he always leaves them barely alive, that the Chaplains and Chapter Master may set the captured Fallen on the path of repentance.
 
Gildred seems to harbour an especially strong hate of the Fallen, even for one of Jonson's sons. He treats the existence of the Fallen as a stain on his personal honour as well as on the entirety of Jonson's line.

 
Interrogator Urvin Thaen, Chaplain of the 5th Company:
A renowned breaker of men, Chaplain Thaen has brought five Fallen to the point of confession over his long life. Now in his fourth century, soon to be his fifth, the white haired astartes has seen captains and chapter masters come and go. But, for Thaen, it is not officers he is duty bound to. It is the Great Hunt. Eschewing the rank of Grand Master no less than four times, Thaen has poured his soul into his work. Many find him curt to the point of being rude and often find that he will wait for no man. This impatience has always been a trait of Thaen, which could also explain his methodology during interrogations. 
 
Not a particularly inspiring orator, Thaen will usually lead by example rather than attempt to inspire his brothers to greater acts in battle. Due his age and experience, Thaen is often treated as a tactical advisor. As any battle brother, he can handle himself on the battlefield - this does not make him special. What does, however, is his foresight. Thaen knows when particular enemies would choose to attack, when they would choose to defend and how they do so. Xenos hold no surprises for him and traitors find themselves cut down in an untimely fashion facing the interrogator. 
 
Thaen, as he proudly boasts to all who listen, takes special relish killing astartes of any stripe. Draw a blade or bolter against him and, as he always assures the listener, you won't be standing for long. Contemptuous, cantankerous and blunt, Urvin Thaen thrives on hatred.

Edited July 16, 2015 by Grand Master Belial

[Grand Master Belial]

Well the competition has come to an official end and a number of Warrior Scribes have managed to step and complete their submissions. They are listed below on the Roll of Honor. Great work to all of those who participated even if it was a partial WIP. 

 

For those unable to complete their submissions by the dead line, all is not lost. There is no banner of shame and the competition thread will remain open to those who would like to complete their submissions on their own time. Feel free to post WIP here or on your own thread to request assistance and help from your fellow Warrior Scribes. 

 

With a couple weeks left to go in the ETL, I hope that some of these chapters will be represented in the submissions to that competition as well.

 

Since it was wiped out in the Purge. I would like to hear comments and feedback about this competition and any suggested improvements.

 

OATH KEEPERS

• blood hounds - The Blood Hounds (Thread)
• Brother Arkley - Blades of Alaric - Sons of Thanatos
• Brother SP - Lion Warriors
• Conn Eremon - Knights Sovereign (Thread) - Blades of the Lion LIBER WIP (Challenge Complete)
• Epher - Blades of Oblivion (Text from before the Purge)
• Grand Master Belial - Brooding Swords, Blood Swords - Fortress Updates: Angels of Mercy, Angel Guard, 
• Grand Master Raziel - Night Angels
• jaxom - Lightbringers
• Knurd - Obsidian Lions (Thread)
• Moiamania - Tempest Sons
• Olis - Brotherhood of the Lion
• Sindiferous - Sentient Angels
• teh_stwnerer - Scions of the Forest

A Message from Brother Tyler (taken from last year's competition)

 

For all of those that haven't already done so, please submit your DIY Unforgiven Successors to the Tabula Astartes. The submission criteria can be found here (as far as I can tell, every Chapter with a completed submission for this challenge meets the criteria).

Note that this includes DIY renditions of official Chapters, such as my Angels of Vigilance submission. These DIY versions are listed separately from the official entries (so there is a canon Angels of Vigilance entry and a DIY entry - this is what we've done for a number of other DIYrenditions of official Chapters).

All you need to do to submit your entry is post a reply with the following information:

Chapter/warband name:
Creator: (only necessary if you are not the author)
Founding:
Gene-seed:
Predecessor:
Article link:
Image(s) link: (only necessary if the images aren't in the article)
Notes:

Note: If/when you submit your Chapter, please ensure that you provide a link that goes directly to your entry, either a dedicated topic or the reply in this topic in which your Chapter is presented. If you post a link to this topic, you can find your Chapter's post by right clicking on the post number that appears in the upper right, then copying the URL.

 

+++ NOTE TO MODS +++

I would like to leave this pinned until the end of July 2015, but will understand if it must be unpinned.

Edited July 16, 2015 by Grand Master Belial

[Father Mehman]

I'll give a comment. In the Cleric's thread I mentioned this already but I'll say it here as well: even though I had to bow out, this call for submissions/challenge really got me going again, mentally and otherwise. It was kind of like getting shocked by an AED and regaining sinus rhythm, in a way. My mind is safely back to its irregular pattern !

 

Index Astartes articles freak me out. They seem simple at first. "Oh yeah, I can make a Chapter. Simple: it's all in my noodle. All I have to do is hash it down on paper, er, the computer." Then you start to really read into what they are about and it's a slap in the face. Those things are daunting. As an introduction into the waters of the IA, this challenge calmed me down. Well, it actually had the opposite effect, but in a great way.

 

Let me explain. There are at least four note pads opened on my computer that all deal with my Successor Chapter. These notes range from an outline about outlining an IA to a list of Gnostic Angel names to rudimentary scribblings about the Saracens and all the exotic stuff that comes in between. Not to mention my Chapter has been fleshed out about as much as Tetsuo from Akira (I just want to know if someone gets that reference so badly...).

 

Does anyone want to know about the economic trade agreements between the noble families of Oran IV, the home planet of the Clerics? That's funny, I happen to have that information right in front of me. Will it ever see the light of day? Not unless I'm asked for it but that's not the point. It goes into what it means to be a dweller on a dismal planet in the galaxy forty thousand years in the future and that information shapes the recruits of the Chapter ever so slightly. That makes it important.

 

You see, challenges like this can start a brushfire in someone's mind. That small fire can be contained, sure, but what happens when it blazes out of control? That is something to be reckoned with.

[Conn Eremon]

Let me explain. There are at least four note pads opened on my computer that all deal with my Successor Chapter. These notes range from an outline about outlining an IA to a list of Gnostic Angel names to rudimentary scribblings about the Saracens and all the exotic stuff that comes in between. Not to mention my Chapter has been fleshed out about as much as Tetsuo from Akira (I just want to know if someone gets that reference so badly...).

 

Does anyone want to know about the economic trade agreements between the noble families of Oran IV, the home planet of the Clerics? That's funny, I happen to have that information right in front of me. Will it ever see the light of day? Not unless I'm asked for it but that's not the point. It goes into what it means to be a dweller on a dismal planet in the galaxy forty thousand years in the future and that information shapes the recruits of the Chapter ever so slightly. That makes it important.

Mehman, welcome to the family.

 

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[Grand Master Belial]

Perhaps the economic trade agreements may become a part of the Legends of the Angels submission later this fall. In that, it will not be an IA but a story about some character, squad, chapter of the Unforgiven. The ETL is great for promoting the painting aspect of the hobby and I try to promote the Literary aspect of the Hobby.