IL XVII - The Warriors of Peace (thread 1)

[Sigismund229]

Mire fluff

 

When the Emperor came to Jin, he found a world which had been utterly transformed since the Jade General had taken over its leadership. Gone were the vast farms that supported only enough to support a few hundred people or the grossly inefficient mines of the past. In their place were small, productive fields capable of feeding thousands and mines that extracted ore on a scale that would have been unimaginable under the old kingdoms. Going hand-in-hand with this new development, the population of Jin had exploded and the people of Jin were starting to live in cities that were entirely self-sufficent and take their first steps into space. Seeing this and hearing of the being who had brought it about, the Empeor knew he must have found one of his lost sons. Accompanied by the I^st, IX^th and XVII^th legions the Emperor made planetfall upon the world, his sons Icarion Anasem and Kozja Darzalas by his side. Seeing the might of these newcomers, the Jade General did little to resist and instead bowed before the might of the Imperium, his clinical mind seeing no possible gain through resistance.

 

Where some of his brothers who were found earlier spent weeks feasting their father and brothers, there was little time for such festivities when the Jade General was found and nor was it in his character to do so. Instead, the Emperor called upon his son to immediately take command of the XVII^th legion. Where many of the primarchs discovered more quickly by the Great Crusade enjoyed the Emperor's personal tutelage, the Great Crusade was in full swing by the time the primarch of the XVII^th was found and so the Emperor gave tutelage of the Jade General to another primarch who shared his interest in matters of science: Kozja Darzalas, Primarch of the Warbringers Legion.

 

For the first years after the Jade General was united with his legion, they remained attached to rhe Warbringers. While the Jade General had set to work alongside Kozja to stabilise the Warriors of Peace gene seed and made significant progress and the Warriors of Peace's ranks were swelled with new recruits from Jin's expanding population, gene seed acceptance rates were still under 5% and the Warriors of Peace had numbered only a few thousand strong when united with their primarch. While their numbers increased, they increased slowly and it took almost a decade before the Warriors of Peace were able to campaign seperate from the Warbringers. Yet, despite the slow growth of their legion, that there was any at all filled the hearts of the Warriors of Peace with hope. For the first time in their legion's history, they were not on the brink of annihiliation. This hope is testified to by the number of compliances achieved by the XVII^th in their first three years independent of the Warbringers. While still relatively small, the Warriors of Peace achieved a number of compliances that, when their small numbers are taken into account, would have done any legion proud and was surpassed only by the Lightning Bearers and Halycon Wardens.

 

As for the Jade General himself, throughout the crusade he remained detached, seeing the Imperium's growth as a means to the end of acquiring more resources for his experiments and his legion as the ultimate testing ground for new military theories. He lacked the easy camraderie that some primarchs shared with their sons and had no close bond to any of them. However, those who adopted his own analytical and relentlessly logical approach towards warfare and mirrored and mastered the Jade General's principals rose quickly through the ranks and found great favour with their father.

[Sigismund229]

Section that needs a name and deals with the Warriors of Peace's siding with Icarion

 

The first blow to the XVII^th's loyalty came with the Vizenko Prosecution. With the judgement of the courts against experiments on the gene-seed of the legiones Astartes, many of the Jade General's experiments were now outlawed as were the methods by which the Warriors of Peace had stabilized their gene-seed since the Jade General's discovery. While he understood the reasoning behind this decision, the Jade General viewed the decision as a step back, for with only a limited amount of room for experimentation how could humanity ever move forwards? To the Jade General, the decision seemed to be an illogical one based upon superstition of the kind that the Emperor claimed he wished to banish.

 

If this had been the only mistep made by the Emperor, then it's likely that the Jade General would never have thrown his lot in with Icarion. However, the other mistep made by the Emperor of Mankind was his naming of Alexandros Darshan von Salim as Warmaster. While the Jade General respected Alexandros and the relatively cost free way he favoured for bringing world's into compliance, the Jade General believed that appointing a diplomat to leadership of what was, in effect, a military undertaking was a decision of questionable logic.

 

As the decades ground on, the Jade General saw the Great Crusade's pace slow as greater emphasis was placed upon diplomacy and the speed of conquests stagnated. Seeing this, the Jade General's apprehension at the Emperor's decision grew.

 

So it was that when the Stormborn came to the Jade General in search of support in a rebellion against the Emperor, for the Jade General it was a binary choice. Where many of his brothers desicions were based off of feelings of bitterness or respect for the Stormborn, the Jade General's desicion was taken by analysing the points in favour of the Warmaster and the Stormborn. Eventually, the balance logic swung in favour of the Stormborn. So it was that when the Stormborn called his allies to war, the Jade General's legion took up arms against the Emperor.

[~Drakzilla~]

So, it looks like I am the new custodian of the XVIIth Legion! To kick off this new chapter in the legion's history, I figured I should outline a set of goals that I want to achieve in the coming months, fluffwise and crunchwise.

Here they are, my goals for the Warriors of Peace in no particular order:

 

1. Finalize the Gun Kata marines. Not sure if their points cost has been set in stone or not. As for their name, how about Dragon Hawks? Yes, I know those are in WoW, but I feel like the name works well for a squad of gunslinging jetpack guys. Open to other suggestions.

 

2. Begin work on the legion’s special Pariah consul type. My idea was essentially Kungfu masters that use their pariah abilities to help in combat. Something like a close combat equivalent of a Moritat. Struggling to come up with a fitting name.

 

3. Begin work on another legion specific unit, thinking an elite cqc squad armed with power staffs. “The Iron Monks.”

 

4. Create a Rite of War along with whatever wargear the Warriors of Peace get. Probably going to need the most help with the RoW.

 

5. Introduce new and compelling characters, first in fluff, and then figure out who I want to get rules.

 

6. Flesh out the Jade General. Right now, from what I’ve read he seems like a very one dimensional character(no offense to anyone who’s done fluff for him), and that’s probably because there’s not that much written about him in the first place. To me, he comes off as a Spock rip off, but I think there’s a lot of potential for exploring his personality and motivations beyond the “unemotional scientist” trope.

 

So there it is! I hope I can live up to the expectations. And Simison, I especially hope you'll be satisfied with the direction I take the legion.

Edited August 11, 2016 by drakzilla

[Sigismund229]

I like the look of this. I look forward to seeing where you take them.

 

And also my services as a writer are always available should they be needed

Edited August 12, 2016 by Sigismund229

[~Drakzilla~]

Thanks Siggy! I will definitely call upon your skills when I inevitably need more fluff, as I write at a snail's pace. Speaking of fluff, though...

 

Despite being one of the 2,000 mortal auxiliaries aboard the battle-barge Tranquility, Yongfu rarely had a chance to see the Space Marines. His company was sequestered toward the stern of the warship, surrounded by the constant hum of its massive engines. Their days were spent in a rigorous cycle of training exercises and maintenance interspersed with brief break periods, usually lasting no more than half an hour. Thus, it was only on rare occasions that Yongfu was afforded enough free time to make the twenty minute trek to the Astartes’ training hall.

 

On this day, the room was alive with the sounds of a duel. The clashing of blades rang through the air amplified by a vaulted ceiling. Yongfu sat above it all, perched atop one of the catwalks that spanned the room’s width. Below, a crowd of legionnaires clad in lacquered black armor watched as two of their number sparred in a roped-off ring. Toward the outer edges of the room, even more congregated. Their armor was of a different make than their brothers’, the otherwise smooth plates of ceramite interrupted by exposed power cables and bonding studs. Yongfu recognised it as Mark V power armor, a detail that he had gleaned from one of the serfs on the vessel. Such knowledge made him feel quite smug, although he would never mention it to his squad-mates.

 

In the center of the room, the two warriors fought with a fluidity that belied their massive appearance. They flowed from one strike to the next, their weight shifting with each motion. Attack and defense blended together as they redirected hits and returned them with lethal precision. All the while they methodically paced around each other in perfect synchronicity. The glossy black of the pair’s warplate made them seem like two droplets of some ferric liquid, circling the ring as if moved by a magnetic force. To Yongfu, their grace was almost soothing. Many in his company would joke about the paradoxical name of the XVIIth Legion, but in watching the serene motions of the men below he knew that no title could fit the Warriors of Peace better.

 

A bulkhead opened at the far end of the room and a lone figure entered. The duelists paused and the hall fell silent as he strode in. He wore a full suit of archaic power armor with a fraying grey sash tied around its waist. The chestplate was inset with a circular metal casting of his legion’s symbol. Two glowing green eyes peered out from the studded faceplate of an otherwise featureless helm. As he made his way to the center the crowd parted, giving him a wide berth when he passed. He stood no taller than the other marines, and yet they moved around him as if he were a giant. At last the figure arrived at the forefront of the crowd, where Yongfu could see him more clearly and at last recognized him as Taskmaster Zhen. As Lord Preceptor of the Seventeenth, it was rumored that over a tenth of the legion passed through their initiation under his watch.

 

The Taskmaster surveyed the ring before turning his gaze toward the two warriors in the middle, both of whom were now kneeling. He spoke.

 

“Why did you stop?”

He motioned for them to rise. Slightly embarrassed, the marines obeyed. They assumed a combat stance and crossed blades before looking to the Taskmaster for confirmation. He gave them a slight nod and they resumed fighting, his emerald gaze following their movements.

 

Where before they fought in perfect harmony, this time one began to put more strength into his blows. Each time their blades met, sparks flew and the duel became a steady crescendo as the warrior advanced toward his foe. The other duelist was quickly put on the defensive, overpowered by the escalating barrage of blows. It wasn’t long before he was pushed to the edge of the ring, his power armored greaves digging into the stone floor as he struggled against the onslaught. The attacker at last summoned his strength for the coup de grâce. He surged forward while his blade made a beeline for his opponent’s torso. In an instant his foe sidestepped and grabbed his sword-arm, spinning around and redirecting his momentum to the ground, where he crashed in an armored heap. His weapon clattered away.

 

Seconds passed. Yongfu could practically feel the tension in the room as Zhen approached the downed Astartes. The warrior quickly picked himself up, then kneeled and hung his head low in front of the Taskmaster.

 

“That...was sloppy. Was it your intention to impress me with such careless technique?”

Zhen looked around and addressed the entire room.

 

“War is balance! Strength means nothing without control! You are Space Marines of the Warriors of Peace! You will either fight like one of us, or you will fail in battle as he failed today.”

He knelt and brought his helmeted face near the warrior’s.

 

“Do you consider yourself one of the Seventh Legion brutes?

Or perhaps you would like to join the ranks of the Peons?”

A few marines in Mark V grimaced.

Zhen extended his hand toward the bowed legionnaire’s chin and lifted the his head.

 

“I never forget a face. Yours is not familiar to me. Who trained you?”

“...My tutelage was under Lieutenant Fang of the Sixth Company, sir.”

“I see.

And I take it you know who I am?”

“Yes, sir.”

The Taskmaster leaned over and carefully picked up the fallen sword. Holding it by the blade, he thrust its handle before the kneeling warrior.

 

“Then keep training. Or I will personally see to your removal.”

Zhen calmly stood up and turned around to leave the training hall. The armored crowd dispersed out of his way.

 

“And tell the mortal that he is welcome to come down from the rafters and watch from the ground.

He may learn something.”

[MikhalLeNoir]

*applause*

[Nomus Sardauk]

Sublime work Drak, I love it. :)

[~Drakzilla~]

Thanks guys! I didn't want to dissappoint on my first fluff piece for the Warriors. Expect more to come, possibly featuring the Jade General himself, possibly introducing new characters.

 

With that said, the Taskmaster will be getting rules in due time :)

[bluntblade]

One thing that occurred to me watching The Assassin again was that the Lords never look at their inferiors when being addressed. I don't know if that really fits the Jade General, but it could work for Kozja

[MikhalLeNoir]

I see it working for both. But Kozja has a reason. The bling on his arm reminds him that there is someone more blingier^^ always!!!

[bluntblade]

And the General strikes me more as scrutinising anyone in front of him.

[~Drakzilla~]

Yeah I don't think the General would ignore his inferiors, if anything he'd be the guy to look them dead in the eyes.

[Nomus Sardauk]

Which would probably be even worse for them.

[~Drakzilla~]

So after some assistance from Grifftofer, I've whipped up a presentable ruleset for the Iron Monks, the XVII Legion's literal close combat beatsticks. Fluff on them will come soon, but for now I'd like to hear some thoughts on their rules.

 

Iron Monks:.........??? points

WS...BS...S...T...W...I...A...Ld...Sv

Iron Monk:5......4.....4....4...1...4...3....9.....3+

Guro:........5......4.....4....4...1...4...3...10....3+

 

Unit Composition: 4 Iron Monks, 1 Guro

Unit Type: Iron Monks: Infantry, Guro: Infantry (Character)

Wargear: Power Staff, Power Armor

Special Rules: Legiones Astartes(Warriors of Peace), Precision Strike, Honed Reflexes, We Seek No Glory

 

Honed Reflexes: The Guro and Iron Monks have a 6++ invulnerable save, which becomes a 5++ invulnerable save in close combat.

 

We Seek No Glory: A Guro may choose not to issue or accept challenges. If he refuses a challenge, he can still fight in the same phase, and his unit may also use his leadership in this phase.

 

Power Staff: S(X2), AP 6, Melee, Two Handed, Critical Strike

 

Critical Strike: Wounds generated by a To Hit roll of 6 gain Concussive and AP 2

 

Options:

The squad may include:

Up to five additional Iron Monks………??? points each

The Guro may upgrade to:

Artificer armour………10 points

Edited August 18, 2016 by drakzilla

[AlphariusOmegon108]

Very well balanced. I am pleased

[Slips]

For we We Seek No Glory, remove the Leadership clause since you're always using the units highest leadership as  default anyways unless you have an IC with higher LD attached to the unit, at which point you're using his.

[~Drakzilla~]

I included that because as far as I know, if a character refuses a challenge, the unit can't use his leadership that phase.

 

Any idea for the points cost of these guys?

Edited August 18, 2016 by drakzilla

[Grifftofer]

The only thing is that you haven't dropped the Iron Monk's Initiative to 4, like the Guro. I see you also decided to stick with the Stubborn too :)

[~Drakzilla~]

Derp on my part, forgot to take those out

[Slips]

They're PA Dudes on Foot with LD10 Stubborn and Two-Handed Thunderhammers on 6's to wound with 3A Each (which essentially bypasses the Two-Handed Rule since they have the same number of attacks as a Veteran with 2CCW) whilst also having Combat Shields under a different name and suffer no downside for ignoring challenges but have no shooting to speak of. They can also glance anything short of Av15 down due to S8 Melee.

 

Ehhh go for ~180 for 5 to start with and +15 per extra dude?

 

It feels quite weird to have an S8 Weapon with an Ap worse that 4, honestly, since even Power Mauls are Ap4. It basically means that they hit as hard as Power Fists but the power behind the blow can't crush Carapace Armour or even Imperial Guard Flakk? I find that hard to believe.

Edited August 18, 2016 by Slipstreams

[~Drakzilla~]

They no longer have Stubborn, that was leftover from an earlier draft.

 

On the Power Staffs: The AP 2 is on a 6 To Hit, not wound...which might be too powerful but I didn't want it to be too similar to Rending. Reason the staffs are two handed is because they will be one of the legion's wargear options available to characters.

Originally I had them at AP 5, which I could bring back if it makes more sense. In my mind, they'd be less armor piercing than power mauls due to not having a big, spiky/bludgeon-y head on the end. Plus, they already have the potential for a lot of AP 2 hits, so I felt like they didn't need much AP by default.

[Nomus Sardauk]

Have you considered giving the Power Staffs the Concussive rule to represent their force of impact rather than increasing their AP?

It makes sense since the Staffs are blunt weapon rather than sharp the force they deliver isn't focused onto a single point like a sword tip but rather spread across the surface area that connects with the foe, you see?

[~Drakzilla~]

Actually, they technically already have Concussive:

 

Power Staff: S(X2), AP 6, Melee, Two Handed, Critical Strike

Critical Strike: Wounds generated by a To Hit roll of 6 gain Concussive and AP 2

 

The way I saw it, if the wielder hits the target juuust right, the blow basically resonates through the armor and shatters it, while stunning the target inside.

Edited August 18, 2016 by drakzilla

[Nomus Sardauk]

Oh my bad, sorry, I completely missed that, my occulobe implant must be on the fritz again.

[Chief Captain Redd]

I'd say to honestly consider concussive as one of the base traits and not just on 6's.

Think of it this way; they're hitting at strength 8 which is stronger than an autocannon, so I imagine it's going to end up a lot like getting shot in a bulletproof vest, yes you're not going to bleed to death; but… you'll still get the wind knocked out of you and probably some broken ribs. Also I would bump the AP to 5, because while it's not sharp it'll cause massive amounts of blunt force trauma.

 

Otherwise I think these guys look like a great unit, fun to play with I think, and I can't really think of another comparable Astartes unit.