IA: The Flowing Blades (Liber Challenge) - WIP

[Grand Master Belial]

THE FLOWING BLADES

SUMMARY

• GENE-SEED (PREDECESSOR): Ultramarines (Salamanders and Dark Angels)
• FOUNDING: 7th Founding
• CHAPTER MASTER: Shogun Don'angier
• CHAPTER WORLD: Nami
• FORTRESS MONASTERY: Four Winds
• MAIN COLOURS: Black w/ Blue & Tan
• SPECIALITY: Blade Masters
• BATTLE CRY: The Killing Blade is a Life-saving Blade
• CURRENT STRENGTH: 1,000 Battle Brothers
• KNOWN DESCENDANTS: Rumored to be one of the chapters behind the Mentors

 

ORIGIN OF THE CHAPTER:

The Flowing Blades originally started life as a template chapter using the Ultramarine geneseed and for a while was known only as chapter 7-78 until they could establish themselves and decide on a new name. Using unadorned armored, they fought alongside their brothers of Roboute Guilliman and were fervent followers of the Codex Astartes for nearly a century before they would eventually settle on the world of Nami. The world itself was unremarkable but the populace held unto knowledge that had been passed down through Millenia from ancient Terra. In particular the teachings of the nation state of Japan and their practice of honing their lives to a level of precision and perfection so that even simple tasks as pouring tea for a guest was both artful and precise. Chapter 7-78 admired the residents practices and saw the Codex Astartes in a similar light. 

 

The chapter transferred their homeworld to Nami and began to study the principals of the locals if for nothing else then to associate with them. However, the chapter would see that the local population were well versed in the fluid combat associated with fighting with a blade. Indeed most of their training revolved around the sharp blade. Adopting the same practice, the chapter grew more fluid in their combat practices to make them even better fighters and the wisdom of the Elders was compatible with the Codex. In time, they became the Flowing Blades for their efficient close-combat style.

 

CHAPTER HOME WORLD/FLEET:

Nami is a world with three large moons in orbit around the planet that subject the planet to incredible tidal events regularly. This is offset by the planet’s temperate climate making it a vibrant agri-world in the Imperium. This is most likely caused by the volcanic soil that forced enough magma to surface to allow the tectonic plates to settle and permanently lock into place but it now put most of the planet into the floodplain. By becoming a Chapter world of the Adeptus Astartes, they have been removed from the tithing rolls and serve only the needs of the Flowing Blades. The Blades interact freely with the populace and each one is considered a sensei or teacher to the locals but in many circumstances it is the locals who act as a sensei to the marines. With the strange tides of the planet, the locals have developed their ways to be fluid and move with the tides. Each structure is built on a series of pontoons so that the building would float when the tides are high enough to flood large portions of the planet. 

 

PRESENT ACTIVITIES:

The Flowing Blades have returned home and have rebuilt themselves to full strength. They continue to send small fleets to the outlying areas of the system and other nearby systems but have not yet been called to combat on a larger scale. They are far from the worlds of the T’au and there are no known Tomb Worlds in their area of responsibility. Their fights have been against the ever present Orks, the Eldar and the splinter fleets of the Tyranids.

 

COMBAT DOCTRINE: 

The Flowing Blades have taken up learning with the blade and how the principles of one form of combat can be applied to several different forms of combat. In addition, they have learned to move and flow with their environment and combat. Though they wear armor, they do not stand still and let their armor take the punishment. Their flowing movements have led them to be compared to the Eldar when well out away of their enhanced earshot. Even their own Devastators move more fluidly than would seem possible. However, the same could not be said about Tactical Dreadnought Armor. Terminator armor was designed to move that fluidly and the chapter has since retired what few suits they have back to their armory. In their place, the Veterans of the chapter wear Artificer armor. It is also not uncommon for full brothers to fight in scout armor because of the freedom of movement it allows over the power armor. 

 

The chapter also despises using chain weapons of any type. The moving teeth tend to interrupt the flowing motions of the marines as they fight in their battle drills and even on the battlefield. It has become one of the easiest weapons for the Flowing Blades to counter. In their place, nearly every brother has a curved sword in place of their combat knife and many of them are power swords as they have become the honored gifts bestowed on the marines for their valor in combat.

 

ROLL OF HONOR:

- The Battle of Five Relics

The Flowing Blades were tasked to stop the minions of Chaos from bringing together five infernal relics that would allow a warp rift to be opened on Kristophus Tertius. The four companies of samurai and an element of scouts surrounded one relic and denied all access to it to all other parties until a coded signal was received to vacate the area around the relic. Believing an orbital bombardment was imminent, the Flowing Blades gave all due space to the area about to be destroyed by a lance strike. Instead an unusual explosion occurred at the site and the fight went out of the enemy knowing that they had failed. When the Flowing Blades returned to the site of the relic, they found evidence that another party had teleported to the site and destroyed the relic. The large deep tread suggested that whoever they were, they wore the thick Terminator Armor that was shunned by the Blades.

 

- The Shinobi Strikes 

The Librarians of the chapter sensed the darkening of the warp indicative of a splinter fleet of tyranids in the area. After hearing about the exploits of the Dark Angel’s first company from their envoys sent to refine the skills of the chapter, the Flowing Blades sent teams of Senseis with Shinobi support to several worlds that could be likely places the extra-galactic aliens would strike. Indeed, several planets were found to harbor the presence of the genestealers or lictors. While the lictors were able to be brought down by the combined skill of the sensei, the Broodlord of the genestealers were proving more formidable and several Shinobi sacrificed their lives in a manner similar to the prior Ezekiel of the Dark Angels and to the same effect. 

 

CHAPTER ORGANIZATION:

The Flowing Blades continue to follow the dictates of the Codex Astartes and have organized themselves accordingly. In deference to their homeworld, the Chapter Master is known as the Shogun and is the supreme leader over the planet as well as the Chapter. The Shogun’s Officers are known as Daimyos and hold the rank of Captain to other chapters. Below them are the Sensei’s, they are both the Veterans and the Sergeants of the Chapter. Only amongst the Sensei’s are there any difference in terms of honor. The rest of the brothers of the chapter are known to the locals as Samurai even if they are a scout or a full brother. The one known deviation from the Codex is that there are no visual marks of rank present. Only by the personalized markings on the armor (or Mon) or the work of the artificers can an individual be recognized.

 

 

Were it not for the power armor and the enhanced size of the marine, the specialists of the chapter would in some cases be seen as second-rate warriors with the exception of the Bushi or Chaplains. The general distrust of psykers have led a Librarian of the Chapter to be known as Shinobi and while many of their skills mimic the abilities of the ancient warriors, the distrust ends at the chapter walls and they are free to move about the Fortress at will. As required by the Codex Astartes, they identify themselves by wearing blue armor section in place of the traditional tan used by the rest of the samurai brethren.

 

 

The Techmarines of the chapter follow the edicts of Mars more closely than the chapter and follow the normal Techmarine practice of wearing red armor. Likewise the Apothecaries identify themselves easily by the white sections of armor they wear in place of the darker tan.

 

 

BELIEFS:

Each Flowing Blade has a full sword given to them when they first join the chapter. In time they will learn to make their own blade and even convert it into a power sword. It has become a rite of passage for an aspirant to forge his own sword in order to join the ranks of the Scout Company. 

 

With such a strong emphasis placed on the blade, it is not uncommon for Blades to wield their sword in their dominant hand while their firearm is held in the less dominant hand and typically fired one-handed.

 

RECRUITMENT:

The Flowing Blades hold a place of high honor on their homeworld and the local populace strives to provide only the best candidates for acceptance to the chapter. Any young male may attempt to join the ranks of the Flowing Blades by showing their prowess with the blade. Those with enough skill are then challenged by a Bushi. This will be their only public trial where the aspirant can be seen by the locals. Should they be found worthy, there will be several more trials but they will be away from the eyes of the locals where the risk of death is much higher. At any one time their will always be a Bushi on the planet to watch and instruct the populace in the ways of combat. This not only helps prepare potential candidates at an even earlier age, but also gives the entire population a literal fighting chance should the planet ever come under attack.

 

LOCAL RITUALS:

Every marine no matter the rank participates in the daily kata rituals involving the sword when on the homeworld or not in battle. These take place three times a day, but the last kata can be changed to another weapon at the suggestion of the Bushi or the Shogun. This helps refresh in the minds of each samurai marine the skills they have learned with a lesser used weapon. Typically, this the longer pole arm, a powered Naginata, that is common for those samurai on guard duty or stationed to be bodyguards to a Daimyo or the Shogun.

 

Upon the death of a brother, their body and banner is typically burned and the ashes spread over the fields or on the flood waters to become a permanent part of the homeworld. Every warrior has a scroll dedicated to them and their exploits. Those of particular note are displayed in transparisteel cases and protected by a stasis field so that others may learn of their accomplishments. Brothers who have dishonored themselves and the chapter have their scrolls burned and their names struck from the records so that they are forgotten

 

CHAPTER BANNERS OR BATTLE STANDARDS:

The chapter badge of the Flowing Blades is basically some form of water feature with a blade at the end. This is because each brother upon joining the chapter are instructed to create their own design. The most common one is a wave with the curved sword in the breakers but a few have taken to using a river with blade at its head or an ocean with blades in the water. Every Brother is free to change their design and indeed it is the one piece of the armor worked on by the individual brother and not an artificer. 

 

The design is duplicated onto the marine’s personal back banner that faces to the sides instead of the front. The banner is the only indicator of the brother’s company and squad designation. The border is in the traditional codex colors with the number written in the ancient script of the terran warriors they are patterned after. 

 

The Daimyo’s and the Shogun also have separate banners held by a Banner Bearer but these are typically only displayed in a parade formation and rarely on a battlefield. The Bearers themselves will typically be the Daimyo’s second-in-command and replacement should the Daimyo fall in battle.

 

HONORS, RELICS, DECORATIONS AND AWARDS: 

The greatest honor any Flowing Blade can receive is a relic blade from the armory of the chapter followed by a master-crafted blade. As part of their training, they do not show off their awards in battle. Only the battle scenes painted on their armor or sculpted on by an artificer is the only distinguishing mark on the armor with the exception of a personalized Mon on each of the front trims of each shoulder pad and on the center plate of the backpack.

 

BATTLE CRY:

“The Killing Blade is the Life Saving Blade”

 

GENE-SEED:

Like many successors, the Flowing Blades hail from a gene-seed of Robute Guilliman and his Ultramarines. As per the Codex, once the chapter has been established, the chapter functions autonomously from the other sons of Guilliman, but they continue to send representatives to the Fortress of Hera. 

 

The Flowing Blades have also sent and received representatives from the Salamanders, Imperial Fists and the Dark Angels and their successors in an effort to hone their own skills and learn from some of the other lines of the Emperor.

 

CHAMPIONS OF THE CHAPTER:

• Daimyo Wilyams

In command of the Second Company, Wilyams was once thought to succeed the current Shogun. However the Daimyo sought to continue to refine the methods of combat and selected practices and introduce other styles of warfare incompatible with the flowing style of war that is the hallmark of the Flowing Blades. While these practices have seen the 2nd Company to victory on occasion, it introduces a layer of discord within the ranks. But no one can doubt that Wilyams remains one of the Chapter’s best warriors and has not been bested in single combat for nearly four decades.

 

• Sensei Garan

Garan is the second to Daimyo Wilyams and is only ever beaten by the Daimyo. Able to read a conflict before it even starts, Garan can see the potential flow of battle and withdraw if the battle does not seem favorable to the Blades and then redeploy in a more favorable location or formation. 

 

• Sensei Consales

Consales serves as Sensei to a squad of Tactical marines but his skill in tactics and logistics has him slated to become a Daimyo of the 9th Devastator Company. His ability to disappear under the pressure of an attack only to reappear and assault his attackers on their flank has been a cause of much discussion. 

 

• Sensei Rickards

Rickards is commonly found leading squads of Scouts in their battle drills and has taken several squads into battle. While the Scouts under his charge lack a layer of refinement, they are all proficient in acquiring new skills quickly and efficiently. This is mostly due to almost half of his body being bionic and that has never allowed him to be able to achieve the fluid grace of the organic limbs and lacks the sensitivity to detect minute changes that each Samurai learns to read in combat.

Edited November 4, 2015 by Grand Master Belial

[That Guy Matt]

There's a lot I like about this. As a big fan of Samurai I like your use of the old terms and titles and little things like not using chain weapons.

 

There's a few things that are a little odd though.

 

I've never seen anything about Chapters being formed with numbered in this way. I've always been under the belief that Chapters are assigned Homeworlds, names and insignia upon their formation by the High Lords. If they then choose to change this name and/heraldry later is up to them.

 

Nami sounds really weird. I'm not sure I can really picture it but it sounds kind of like a planet that is having a constant earthquake. I'm sure I must be misunderstanding because I couldn't see anyone settling their, let alone prospering.

 

I like the Astartes relationship with the Nami people though. It's good to see the imperfection in Space Marines and the humility of accepting that they can learn from mortal men and women. I'd generally keep it to philosophical, spiritual, ethical topics though. Things that Space Marines aren't typically inclined towards. They have a supernatural ability for combat. Once the first marines had learned any techniques the local people knew they'd surely surpass them in a short space of time and later generations will be better off learning from elder marines.

 

All in all though a good piece. Lots of thought has clearly been put into it, it has good ideas and plenty of character.

[Grand Master Belial]

I am patterning the chapter after my own studies of the Samurai arts which was Nami Ryu Aiki Heiho taught by James Williams so there is a lot of that in there. 

 

I am still working out some of the kinks of Nami since it means Wave and its application in combat has been interesting to say the least. So add in the Japanese perfection in things like the tea ceremony and you have a marine chapter that refines combat to a master art. This is oddly becoming a labor of love for me and I plan to work on them in more detail even though the time has passed for the challenge. 

[Grand Master Belial]

Well this well past the due date for the Liber Challenge but it is nearly complete by my standards and complete by the standards of the 7th Liber Challenge. Now to see if I'm going back to the 30th Millennium for the next Challenge.