The Grail Wardens: a Liber Astartes Group Project

[Minigiant]

The Ravagers already exist in canon. I know that there are possibilities of having several armies with the same name, but still...

 

Since the Knights Resplendent are already a renegade chapter, I'd rather see an example of a "classic" warband, that is constituted of members of several different legions or chapters, as this seems closer to the "norm" than full renegade chapters...

It also seems a bit too easy for a chapter (or part of one) to fall to chaos just because their planet has. It would seem to me that they'd have a better grasp on their population, preventing them from falling to chaos.

However, that doesn't mean they can't have a Space Hulk as base of operations, which they manoeuvre into orbit when they smell the pervasive stench of Chaos hanging around the planet.

 

Great points, I agree a 'classic' warband maybe better suited

 

What if we went sort of Alpha Legion style, and they orchestrated it all

[Doctor Perils]

Good idea, but I'm not necessarily a fan of "orchestrating absolutely everything": yes, they may have orchestrated the downfall of the Red Crusade, but perhaps they didn't expect the Librarians to overcome the Daemons on Golgotha, and so they are now doing everything they can to make sure their plans were not all for naught, even if fruition comes several thousand years later. Just as long as the plan itself doesn't span Millenia. If that's not how Abaddon works, then a lesser warband shouldn't either.

[Minigiant]

I am thinking along the same lines, the warband orchestrated the chaotic uprising within the Segmentum Pacificus with Golgotha being their greatest achievement. They did not possibly think they could lose until 'The Grail', at that moment they fled and disappeared. A 1000 years later an opportunity presents itself (The disappearance of the grail) to finish what they had started all those years ago

 

Edit: Additionally, maybe the assault on the moons isnt supposed to be such a one way ticket, but the chaos warband make good their escape by blowing them up to cause a diversion. Killing all the marines that landed their. Just floating an idea with this one

Edited May 10, 2016 by Minigiant

[Doctor Perils]

I am thinking along the same lines, the warband orchestrated the chaotic uprising within the Segmentum Pacificus with Golgotha being their greatest achievement. They did not possibly think they could lose until 'The Grail', at that moment they fled and disappeared. A 1000 years later an opportunity presents itself (The disappearance of the grail) to finish what they had started all those years ago

 

Edit: Additionally, maybe the assault on the moons isnt supposed to be such a one way ticket, but the chaos warband make good their escape by blowing them up to cause a diversion. Killing all the marines that landed their. Just floating an idea with this one

That sounds about right, though I get the impression it is closer to 2000 years between the Red Crusade and the Burning of Golgotha.

 

I agree with your idea, I can't see even a chapter as brutal as the Flesh Eaters/Tearers making a suicide attack that would condemn the whole chapter.

Additionnally to this idea, perhaps a hundred or so of this chapter survive the "Kablooie" part, but they know that they can never regain their numbers, and only now do they go on a Berserk Crusade, to restore the honour of their dead brothers ?

[Kelborn]

I prefer that idea. Would be easier to explain how they went down.

Let's be honest, a WE DIE FIGHTING! end is badass. ;)

 

Alpha Legion could have even wanted that they succeed and close the rift. ;)

[Doctor Perils]

I prefer that idea. Would be easier to explain how they went down.

Let's be honest, a WE DIE FIGHTING! end is badass.

 

Alpha Legion could have even wanted that they succeed and close the rift.

tbh, I'd rather like minigiant said a warband that acts a bit like the Alpha Legion, but not the Alpha Legion.

[Sir Perfluous]

This warband would be Slaaneshi, I presume?

For the Kablooie moment, I was thinking along similar lines - it wasn't meant to be a suicide mission, just to provide an opening for the other chapters to reach the surface. But something went wrong on one of the moons, the marines attacking it went silent and so the chapter master - on the other moon, which has been cleared out - makes a snap decision, as the moon is turning its gun on the fleet. Once it gets shooting, the entire crusade is doomed. And thus, kablooie.

As to how they manage to steer a moon, I'm still working on it. It's too awesome a moment for me to abandon, though.

Oh, and Minigiant, if you write in a different colour, could you use red or something? White doesn't show up on the mobile background and I thought my internet was playing up for a moment. Thanks!

Edited May 10, 2016 by Sir Perfluous

[Minigiant]

 

I prefer that idea. Would be easier to explain how they went down.

Let's be honest, a WE DIE FIGHTING! end is badass.

 

Alpha Legion could have even wanted that they succeed and close the rift.

tbh, I'd rather like minigiant said a warband that acts a bit like the Alpha Legion, but not the Alpha Legion.

 

 

Yeah just Alpha legion esq

 

This warband would be Slaaneshi, I presume?

 

For the Kablooie moment, I was thinking along similar lines - it wasn't meant to be a suicide mission, just to provide an opening for the other chapters to reach the surface. But something went wrong on one of the moons, the marines attacking it went silent and so the chapter master - on the other moon, which has been cleared out - makes a snap decision, as the moon is turning its gun on the fleet. Once it gets shooting, the entire crusade is doomed. And thus, kablooie.

 

As to how they manage to steer a moon, I'm still working on it. It's too awesome a moment for me to abandon, though.

 

Oh, and Minigiant, if you write in a different colour, could you use red or something? White doesn't show up on the mobile background and I thought my internet was playing up for a moment. Thanks!

 

Hmm I am not sure if it needs to be Slaanesh

 

Now if we got them to make good their escape after the survivor runs out into the street screaming about the grail, it would explain why they know. As the Chapter on the moon(s), their CM would be on the ground so they would have the leadership to not go gently into that good night. With the moons rigged to explode, the resulting explosion could send debris into the fleet, causing radar and movement impairment.

 

Sorry about that, I C&P from other places, it went multi coloured and thought it was a quick fix. I havent figured out how to set back to automatic yet

[Sir Perfluous]

Do we have any suggestions as to how a moon (a death-moon / fortress-moon) might be steered? I'm trying to write up a draft of a narrative but I can't work it out. Something fairly imaginative and not to contrived, though what exactly eludes me. Ideas?

[Doctor Perils]

Do we have any suggestions as to how a moon (a death-moon / fortress-moon) might be steered? I'm trying to write up a draft of a narrative but I can't work it out. Something fairly imaginative and not to contrived, though what exactly eludes me. Ideas?

With Imperial Technology ? Aetheric Propellers are out then ^^

 

We can always say that it is some sort of StarFort, of a different class to the Ramilies even (I have conceived the Syracuse-class Starfort for personnal use, though that may still be a bit small for what you are planning I think.) Or a Space Hulk ? Or another, ancient starship design bought over by the Chaos Warband ?

Edited May 11, 2016 by Lord Thørn

[Sir Perfluous]

I really had my heart set on a moon - the Astral Knights have the monopoly on crashing spacecraft into things, I think. Though a space hulk might work . 

 

Some sort of propulsion, but why put propulsion on a moon? Gaah! I'm certain there's some really clever solution to this but I can't think of one!

[Olis]

Do we have any suggestions as to how a moon (a death-moon / fortress-moon) might be steered? I'm trying to write up a draft of a narrative but I can't work it out. Something fairly imaginative and not to contrived, though what exactly eludes me. Ideas?

 

Does it matter how it gets from Point A to Point B? If not, I suggest going the same route as Titan and transport it (maybe only briefly) through the warp. Or, new thought, use pre-imperial technology that breaks on the first go but does the job. 

[Sir Perfluous]

A Warp shunt is probably the best way to go about it. It'd look awesome as well.

 

Now to work out why there was a moon-sized Warp Drive lying about. Maybe the warband who called the moon home used it like the Rock, zipping about in it. Maybe, as you say, it was an ancient relic that the warband stumbled across and now used in much the same was as Titan, to shelter it from realspace, and the chapter could overload it to make a short hop to crash into a moon.

[Minigiant]

Do we have any suggestions as to how a moon (a death-moon / fortress-moon) might be steered? I'm trying to write up a draft of a narrative but I can't work it out. Something fairly imaginative and not to contrived, though what exactly eludes me. Ideas?

Well from my understanding, moons stay in orbit because of gravity. Have a remotely controlled gravity resonator on the surface

[Minigiant]

So no posts in a day and a half, I have been quiet because I felt like I was taking over, and well it is a group project.

 

Do you think we should create an online poll for this forum to vote on our collaborative chapter and warband?

 

Hows the back story to the Knights Resplendent coming?

 

Hows the moon catastrophe story coming?

[Sir Perfluous]

Along. It's coming along. The reason I've been quiet so long is that I've been working on it, inbetween doing real life things, which seem to be becoming ever more pressing. It's going to be a busy weekend - I doubt I'll have much time but I'll see what I can do. I want to see this project through to the end. 

[Machine God]

I really had my heart set on a moon - the Astral Knights have the monopoly on crashing spacecraft into things, I think. Though a space hulk might work . 

 

Some sort of propulsion, but why put propulsion on a moon? Gaah! I'm certain there's some really clever solution to this but I can't think of one!

"That's not a Space Station!"

[Minigiant]

Chaos Warband name suggestions:

 

Hydras of Pacificus

Denizens of the Deep

 

Possible shortcut:

http://www.heresy-online.net/forums/showthread.php?t=93501

Edited May 14, 2016 by Minigiant

[Doctor Perils]

Good idea. So this warband would be more directly opposed to the Order of the Abyss, or would they be unrelated completely ?

 

For the "Sacrificial" chapter, how old could it be ? Because I wouldn't mind having one or two in the training cadre for the Crimson Host, to enhance their "savage" side.

[Doctor Perils]

So I've just tried some rolls, and here's a more narrative presentation of my results:

Warband formed around an Ultramarines warlord and his two lackeys, a Black Legion corrupted Techmarine and a World Eaters warrior. The Ultramarine traitor maintains a grasp of iron over his marines from diverse backgrounds through a rigidly structured organisation.

Absolutely focused on the Annihilation of the week, they are seen as traitors even among the ranks of the Chaos Space Marines.

They have Warped Reflexes, notably because of zygotic degeneration of their Lyman's Ear.

 

This fleet-based warband are especially well known for having defeated Craftworld Es'kandarea, sacrificing any and all survivors in the name of their patron god, Khorne.

 

Though they are currently under-strength after the Liberation of Golgotha during the Red Crusade, their Armoured Assault tactics are rightly feared throughout Segmentum Pacificus, especially because of their use of ___s, special assault vehicles that are terrifying to behold.

 

 

I'm really pleased with some of the combinations I had: an Ultramarines Chaos Lord that maintains an Ordered Warband is great, and Special Vehicle can be really cool for an Armoured Assault based army can offer some great opportunities for developping new vehicles :)

I wasn't quite as pleased with the Eldar and Ork main ennemies, but that can easily be changed.

 

What can be even more fun is that since they are fleet-based, the names Minigiant proposed can work :)

[Minigiant]

Good idea. So this warband would be more directly opposed to the Order of the Abyss, or would they be unrelated completely ?

 

For the "Sacrificial" chapter, how old could it be ? Because I wouldn't mind having one or two in the training cadre for the Crimson Host, to enhance their "savage" side.

 

I think they should have interests that oppose the non warden side, so that the Knights Resplendent oppose the warden side. No idea what all these interests could be, sure we can think of something.

 

As is Sacrificial, I am sure we can make it whatever way works best for you. I would say not 2nd founding as that can get complicated I have heard. Would 3rd work for you?

 

I'm really pleased with some of the combinations I had: an Ultramarines Chaos Lord that maintains an Ordered Warband is great, and Special Vehicle can be really cool for an Armoured Assault based army can offer some great opportunities for developping new vehicles

I wasn't quite as pleased with the Eldar and Ork main ennemies, but that can easily be changed.

 

What can be even more fun is that since they are fleet-based, the names Minigiant proposed can work

 

I already have some ideas and conversions for the vehicle. Thinking Rhino sized FW Gorgon, with individual dozer blades for each track. I am getting off track, we can sort that out later.

 

The fluff rolled for is quiet good. The Khorne bit would need to reflect the Daemon prince allegiance, that we still havent settled on. And you are right, the Eldar and Ork bit is a bit meeeh

 

I am glad you liked the name, I suggested Denizens of the Deep as a Chapter name on here to someone wanting a oceanic based chapter, it was not used, so glad it could be recycled.

[Doctor Perils]

 

Good idea. So this warband would be more directly opposed to the Order of the Abyss, or would they be unrelated completely ?

 

For the "Sacrificial" chapter, how old could it be ? Because I wouldn't mind having one or two in the training cadre for the Crimson Host, to enhance their "savage" side.

 

I think they should have interests that oppose the non warden side, so that the Knights Resplendent oppose the warden side. No idea what all these interests could be, sure we can think of something.

 

As is Sacrificial, I am sure we can make it whatever way works best for you. I would say not 2nd founding as that can get complicated I have heard. Would 3rd work for you?

 

1. Seems reasonable
2. Since the Crimson Host is only 14th founding (early M36 I've understood), anything before M35 should be good enough for me.

A Rhino-sized gorgon could be quite fun, though I had been thinking of some kind of walker transport. Of course, those ideas are far from incompatible

 

EDIT: as the Crimson Cohort (the "new" Host) are also a mechanized infantry force, this could induce some pretty interesting battles!

Edited May 14, 2016 by Lord Thørn

[Minigiant]

A Rhino-sized gorgon could be quite fun, though I had been thinking of some kind of walker transport. Of course, those ideas are far from incompatible

 

EDIT: as the Crimson Cohort (the "new" Host) are also a mechanized infantry force, this could induce some pretty interesting battles!

 

 

I am so excited for this project!

 

While we are on the custom rules topic, if we go the way of writing a full fan made Imperial Armour (I really hope we do), I highly suggest we all write up some special characters with stats for our own armies. That we can add to it

[Doctor Perils]

 

A Rhino-sized gorgon could be quite fun, though I had been thinking of some kind of walker transport. Of course, those ideas are far from incompatible

 

EDIT: as the Crimson Cohort (the "new" Host) are also a mechanized infantry force, this could induce some pretty interesting battles!

 

 

I am so excited for this project!

 

While we are on the custom rules topic, if we go the way of writing a full fan made Imperial Armour (I really hope we do), I highly suggest we all write up some special characters with stats for our own armies. That we can add to it

 

Now, while the idea of creating an imperial armour-style book is great, I think you might be setting your ambitions a bit too high. As you have noticed, it is hard enough to keep people on course for a single project for several weeks at a time, and an Imperial Armour book takes people working full-time jobs in their main, trained profession upwards of months, if not years, to put such a book in place. I have to admit, I'm not ready to make such a large commitment.

 

If the rest of you do wish to, then brilliant. I will be happy to give input and a bit of work, but the Grail Wardens for me is primarily a fun side-project to a DIY chapter I wanted to create fluff for, which even then is far from being my main DIY chapter.

 

I'm sorry to be as blunt as I am, but I'd rather you don't get disappointed because the project doesn't get that far. It is a word of caution if you will.

 

 

 

On a more positive note, I would be interested in trying out some rules and fluff for a character or two, and possibly some wargear and such. I also think that this project could move into being some kind of supplement, as I get the impression that supplements and warzones are much less fleshed out, and so require less work.

 

If you want, here's a list of characters and wargear I'd be ready to try and flesh out more:

- Chapter Master Levan;

- Forge Lord Cnaeus and the Red Company;

- [Telestine] weapons.

[Kelborn]

I agree with Thorn.

Sorry for saying that, but for me it is a funny side project besides some other project I got.

I'm involved in the Brotherhood of the Lost project of creating an alternate Heresy era. Luckily for me, they don't need my Knights right now so I got time to work on them. Besides this, I do have a project of my own: creating a whole sub sector including a Household, a chapter, enemies and so on.

 

I'll let one of my Households participate in this project. But beside that, I'm not able to do more for it, sry.