Memento Mortis

[Optimat_prime]

+ MEMENTO MORTIS +

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Origin:

It is well documented that the Iron Hands, among others, were a scattered force in the wake of the Drop site Massacre. What has become more apparent over the years since is that the ‘Hands were not keen to reunite with the Imperium of Man. Read this not as an act of Heresy, for it was only the desire to remain independent and strong in the face of their realities that drove this logic.

Among the scattered forces were those who reunited under the banner of the new Iron Hands as they had become, literal machines of war. Uncompromising and relentless, they embody every modern literature reference to this once glorious legion, and as such they kept their designation and roots as the First Founding Chapter of Iron Hands.

Do not be fooled into thinking this was true of all the former legion brethren. There were those who were even more reluctant to accept the fate of their Primarch, those that were secretly removed from History by the shattered but functioning imperium.

The members of the Iron Hands that became the Memento Mortis chapter are loyal, however they derive from those which struggle to come to terms with the way their legion has been transformed. Once discovered by the broken Imperium after the Heresy, they were granted the promise of a separation from those who have given their souls to the machine, their name translated originating from “Remember Mortality”.

Members of the Memento Mortis chapter strive to resolve their physical weaknesses through the embracing of the Omnissah, but contrary to their First Founders, are not pre-disposed to the replacement of otherwise healthy limbs. Most importantly, the Memento Mortis chapter is keen to retain their living souls, seeing it as a power to be harnessed in the same way other loyal chapters might. Such passions are a scale, however, and while members of the Memento Mortis chapter disagree with complete transformation, they should not be considered akin to the Codex chapters – simply less obsessive than their Founders.

Their Chapter Master, Darrus Osidian, was an Iron Hand captain in the days of the Legion. Acting on behalf of the ships under his command he ordered, as did many loyal survivors of Istvaan, that his remaining loyal brothers engage the Traitorous legions using Guriella tactics. They ran a number of successful supply line attacks during the Heresy.

Upon reuniting with the Imperium, it soon became clear that to return to the Iron Hands under the rulings set out by the Codex Astartes was not effective; it was not uncommon to read reports of heated inter-chapter feuds reaching fever pitch. Fearing for the future of his long-time isolated battle-brothers, Darrus held numerous meetings with both the High lords of Terra and the Iron Council of his brethren to determine what the future held. Eventually, it was agreed that his men that believed as he did would be granted the responsibility of their own Second Founding Chapter.

The Memento Mortis Chapter are stubborn and battle-hardened warriors, whose tactics lean towards their apathetic nature, earning them the derisive nickname “Imperial Hands” between those of the First Founding. Their battles almost always become the nearest Space Marine equivalent of an attrition war, where siege weapons and tactics are re-purposed to combat foes who typically find themselves pushed back and dug in.

The Chapter is, in comparison to the Iron Hands, Codex Compliant; examples include: their companies are numbered instead of named, and they follow semi-regular armour livery guidance. However, there are some deviances they attribute to their Founders. For instance: Each of the 10 Companies is of the Battle Company layout, and in charge of their own Veteran and Scout forces (much like a Clan Company), and the Headquarters staff of the company includes a rank equivalent to Chaplain (known as a Reaper) whose job within the Company is to ensure his brothers do not stray down the cold path of their Founders.

My Collection focuses on the 3^rd Company of the Memento Mortis Chapter.

I have envisioned Darrus Osidian – Chapter Master (which I think is very important for a customer chapter)

Underneath him, my collection will eventually include the non-core-army-list characters of:

• Marbel Simitar – 3^rd Company Captain
• Garbel Issence – 3^rd Company Librarian
• Ruben Lysar – 3^rd Company “Reaper” (Chaplain)
• Yosa Mako – 3^rd Company Techmarine

And the core-army-list characters:

• Gersa Voss – Chapter Iron Father (Master of the Forge)

And within the core-army-list of 1,500pts:

• 2nd Tactical
• 3rd Tactical
• 5th Tactical
• 2nd Devastators
• 2nd Scouts
• Whirlwind
• Stormraven
• Stormtalon
• Razorback
• Rhino
• Drop Pod

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[Lysimachus]

Sorry it's taken a while to reply to this, I've looked in a few times but it's taken me a while to put thoughts in writing.

 

Overall I like the idea, but there are some questions to answer. For example, a lot of material suggest that the IH view of weakness is gene-coded into them, and the resultant 'itch' to replace flesh with bionics is likewise a part of them.

 

However, I'm inclined to think that there would be variances in how strong that impulse is and that it might be affected by conditioning within the Chapter (nurture as opposed to nature, if you get my meaning), so I can see potential for an IH Successor that focuses on the strength of the Emperor's gene sons and doesn't feel as obsessed with replacing stuff.

 

Perhaps it's worth using the bit from the start of Wrath of Iron where Ferrus Manus (supposedly) says that he wants to wean the IH off of their reliance on bionics, that it diminishes them. Maybe this Chapter follows that piece of writing?

 

Edit: Couldn't remember the name of them, checked, it's the Neimerel Scrolls.

 

 

As an aside, I'm not sure on the name. It might be better to use the nickname as the Chapter name as it flows better, and use the Latinesque bit as some kind of motto (or even their war cry)?

[Doctor Perils]

Very sound fluff you seem to have here, I like it, and I like your colour scheme.

 

I like the idea of the Reapers who are like the chaplains. What I'd be interested to know is whether they also use the Iron Fathers like the Iron Hands do (appart from the Master of the Forge)? I think that factions within an army, vying to take control over it, always add character and flavour to it, so you could have some tension between the Reapers and the Iron Fathers.

 

I do also agree with LySiMachus's comment about the name. "Memento Mortis", while cool, seems slightly difficult to pronounce. Perhaps you could use this as their formal name, and use an english (or "low gothic") name as their commonly used name, like the chapter formally called the "Carcharadons Astra" are commonly known as "Space Sharks", or the "Vlka Fenryka" are commonly called the "Space Wolves". I can offer the name "Mortal Legion" ? Mortal in both senses : deadly to the enemy, but touched with mortality (if you take my meaning)...