Rounding out my IF successor chapter fluff

[Redfinger]

Please bear with me, this is VERY rough and just an outline of the idea for the origins of my chapter. Some parts have "INSERT" typed, this is merely a place holder for future material.

 

I have a poor understanding of how the Warp works and since a significant part of my back story is based on that, I need some help from some better lore educated people to round it out. Please, take a look.

 

- While on patrol near INSERT, the Imperial Fist cruiser, INSERT, suffered a catastrophic event. One of the astropath on board was found in his chambers screaming uncontrollably, repeating the phrase, "the reaper has come, the reaper has come..."

 

- Additional astropath confirm that a warp storm located in the INSERT system had occurred and a strong presence of chaos could be felt.

 

- The INSERT and her associated battle group (4 ships in total and 65 marines) change course to investigate. A message is relayed to the main Imperial Fist fleet to request support.

 

- Upon arrival in the INSERT system, IF forces encounter a sizable chaos force near the 9th planet.

 

- Fragmented IF records indicate the INSERT system dates back to pre-heresy days and possibly contains an ancient temple or citadel on the 4th planet. This is assumed the possible reason for the chaos invasion, to secure possible equipment left at the citadel.

 

- Believing the citadel to be the objective of the invasion, the INSERT makes a direct line toward the 4th planet using her support craft as to delay the chaos fleet.

 

- A small scout squad dispatched ahead of the shifting battle confirms the location of the citadel.

 

- In a desperate act the INSERT launches her remaining marines (30 in total) via drop pod onto the 4th planet to defend the citadel until reinforcements arrive. The 30 marines join the scouts that are already planet side. The INSERT is destroyed and the small force on the planets surface are left to defend themselves.

 

- IF forces mount an impressive defense of the citadel, lasting 162 days and at the cost of all but 12 marines and 10 scouts. 1 additional battle brother was able to be stabilized from his wounds but later was interred into a dreadnought sarcophagi. A mixed force of IF, Ultramarines and Black Templars arrive and destroy a significant portion of the chaos fleet that has become known as the Doomreaver's. Though crippled they are not broken and with the help of their leader, known only as the "Reaver" they retreat back into the warp.

 

- With the conclusion of the battle a further assessment of the citadel is conducted. It is determined that this was more than a shrine or temple to honor the emperor. It was in fact a great Moslem housing the remains of heroes from many of the original legions. Additionally there was found deep in holds of the citadel a sizable supply of armor, munitions and other equipment hat would have greatly benefitted the Doomreaver's. This great mosleum and this system had been forgotten with time.

 

- A portion of the IF fleet is left in orbit of the system and the 10 marines and 12 scouts insist on staying planet side to guard the temple. They are reinforced by the Ultramarines and IF's.

 

- The Inqusition INSERT learns of the historical find and dispatches a force to secure the planet.

 

- With the inquisition and 2 Astrades fleets in orbit around INSERT tensions run high as it is determined what is to become of the temple, planet and system.

 

- Tensions peak when a spy is found wondering the halls of the INSERT. Accusations abound and the inquisition flag ship is boarded by IF marines. The Inquisition backs down on their demands and agrees to the forming of a new chapter. Much of the equipment in storage is seconded to the new chapter but portions are divided among the ultras, if's and Bt's. Other chapters are made aware of the location of the chapter so that they may come to honor or move heroes from their past. Many choose to leave the fallen in the catacombs.

 

- The Temple Guard is founded during the INSERT founding. The original 22 IF survivors are seconded into the chapter as is Brother INSERT as the chapters first dreadnought. A small number of Additional Black Templars and Ultramarines that were present at the original battle were also allowed to be seconded into the Temple Guard.

 

- Additional information gathered from with in the archives of the temple identify further systems and other temples that have been forgotten with time.

 

- The temple guard maintains open relations ships with many SM chapters. Particularly those from the early foundings letting them come and honor their fallen and view the banners that hang in the great hall.

 

- The Temple Guard continues to maintain a relationship with the inquisition. As the Guard investigates information and locations. This relationship is looked on poorly by some chapters but understood as needed, because the Guard have always insured that relics, remains or equipment that is found is always returned to the second founding chapter of origin when possible. Other such equipment that can not be returned is honored and stored within the walls of INSERT or returned to Tera to be placed in the emperor's palace.

 

- Since their founding the guard continues to investigate information that is recovered from their records. They have participated in several crusades that have identified forgotten systems and lost worlds. A larger portion of their forces are fleet based, searching for what has been forgotten.

 

- Specialize in drop pod warfare, drop pods as singed to squads, not kept in the armory.

 

- Orange and grey colors

 

- Have a sizable number of tech marines to assist in the gathering of info and the locating of relics.

 

- Sizable fleet broken into 3 watches. Once a place has been discovered the watches rotate between checking in on them.

 

- Works openly with other chapters and when possible invites delegates from them. Particularly when items from that chapter have been located, they are invited to participate in the fight.

[Bishoujo]

I like the idea of finding something cool on a previously thought to be lost planet/system. It's not common, but it does happen and is believable fluff for sure. However, I feel that your combination of your discovery being pre-heresy, having significant historical ties to multiple of the original legions and full of pre-heresy weapons and tech is a bit too special snowflake for my tastes. Even before the Heresy, the legions were all about their own brothers and customs and I find it highly unlikely for there to be a shared mausoleum between them outside of maybe something very special on Terra. Finding a pre-heresy weapon cache is a HUGE deal. The amount of venerable, ancient equipment still in use by current Astartes Chapters is tiny, and they are all treated with reverence.

While it is certainly not unheard of for new Space Marine chapters to be created due to a need for additional Astartes presence in a valuable area of space, it's never done on a whim and almost never done for just a single chapter. An Inquisitor would not have the authority to approve a new chapter founding. Chapter foundings tend to be major events, planned in advance. A new Chapter Master tends to be chosen from existing Captains from the parent Chapter, and the marines that accompany him in order to train and build the new chapter are chosen very carefully. It takes a long time for a Chapter to go from new founding to combat ready.

http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Founding

New Space Marine Chapters are not created piecemeal as required by the Imperium of Man's strategic needs, but rather in deliberate groupings called "Foundings." The process by which a new Founding's creation is approved by the Imperial government is mysterious and arcane, subject to decades or even centuries of planning before it is announced. It is only by an edict of the High Lords of Terra that such an undertaking as the creation of new Chapters can be instigated, for it requires the cooperation and mobilisation of countless divisions within the Imperium's monolithic and vast governmental organisations. Establishing new Astartes Chapters on an individual basis is nigh impossible -- the mobilisation of such vast resources is beyond the ability of any single segment of the Imperium.

You also mention that your forces boarded an Inquisition ship and forced them to back down on their demands for the planet. Inquisitors hold a ton of power, often rivaling or exceeding that of Space Marine Chapter Masters. They don't tend to back down in these sorts of situations, especially not to a random squad of marines. I don't expect they take kindly to having their ship boarded and accusations thrust upon them. It tends to take an Inquisitor to confront another Inquisitor like that. Lesser Chapters have faced grave punishments for far lesser transgressions against the Inquisition. Being an original founding Chapter certainly holds some weight, but I have a hard time imaging your marines not being charged with treason unless the guy leading the charge was someone with the reputation of a Darnath Lysander.

I'm sorry to be critical and I don't want to put you down. I think you've got some cool ideas and I love seeing people flexing their creative muscles. I always feel that it's better to create something that can be a plausible addition to the fiction that we all enjoy. At the end of the day though, it's your army and you've gotta go with whatever path makes you happy. We spend too much time and money on these armies for someone else to tell us what to do.

[Redfinger]

Thanks for the feedback! I don't think your being critical, I posted it for feedback. I think your points are valid. I am not versed in 40k lore very well so I am kind of grabbing at straws and running with things.

 

With the critiques you offered do you have any suggestions for replacing them with plausible concepts?

 

Btw I do realize that chapter creation is a long term thing, those marines that were part of the original group defending the citadel would have asked to stay until a chapter was organized. In my mind I am thinking that would be 100 years or so? Maybe sooner if other chapter personal were seconded in.

 

Finding a cache of pre-heresy equipment I can see as being a bit of a stretch. What would you think reasonable? A relic? A unquie pattern for a predator or transport?

 

In regards to the Mausoleum, I was going for something that would provide a unifying factor for some of my favorite chapters. Eventually I will be running a crusade army that will have squads from several vanilla marine chapters, representing a crusade force. This background would tie into the background of that crusade.

 

So again thanks for the feedback, I would love to hear any suggestions of what to replace it with.

 

Ashton.

[Brother Sgt Kartr]

One thing you could do on the Founding side, is have your chapter start out as a fleet chapter. Being a new chapter they would hold closely to the Codex Astartes which could be your tie in with the Ultramarines as they are Ultracompliant since it was their Primarch who wrote it. This lets you easily integrate the Imperial Fist aspect (through founding) with the Ultramarine aspect (by being ultra compliant to the Codex Astartes).

 

Then while early in their history the events at the mausoleum happens. They and the Black Templars respond and by being the junior and a very new founding your chapter allows the Black Templars to take charge of the combined forces and by dint of close association and working under the direction of the Templars your chapter begins to absorb some of their mentalities and doctrines while also forging strong ties to the Templars.

 

As for the mausoleum, instead of being a massive shrine to many First Founding legions/chapters, maybe narrow it down to just the Imperial Fists. A giant fortress constructed by an Imperial Fists household right before the legion was recalled to Terra. Lost shortly after the Scouring its greatest treasure is a truly ancient copy of the Codex Astartes, believed to have been penned by Robute Guilliman himself, at the very least a a first generation copy. This gives you powerful reasons for it being a shrine to the Imperial Fists, Black Templars and the Ultramarines.

 

I'd drop the whole Inquisition boarding line, it doesn't feel necessary and the only reason the Space Wolves got away with something like it was because practically their whole legion was there. That and they're the Space Wolves and the Inquisitor who wanted to Exterminatus Armaggedon was a trigger happy jerk the Inquisition isn't particularly fond of and is actually being hunted by another Inquisitor.

 

One suggestion for figuring out names for planets and especially for characters, is to find an ancient earth culture that you can borrow from. I use the Celts because Julius Caesars report on how they fought using a Covinni of three chariots to insert and extract warriors from a fight meshes perfectly with my chapters preferred method of using 3 Rhinos to insert and extract 2 squads of tactical Marines and 1 squad of Sternguard.

[Redfinger]

Those a re some great ideas and spark some thought on where I can go.

 

I like the Codex part, but is it ok for a chapter to be "codex" compliant but still differ slightly? For example, my chapter is orange and grey bathe trim on the shoulders is grey while the right knee bears the company color, number or symbol. It is a minor deviation from the norm and I wonder if acceptable.

[Bishoujo]

Those a re some great ideas and spark some thought on where I can go.

I like the Codex part, but is it ok for a chapter to be "codex" compliant but still differ slightly? For example, my chapter is orange and grey bathe trim on the shoulders is grey while the right knee bears the company color, number or symbol. It is a minor deviation from the norm and I wonder if acceptable.

It is absolutely OK for your chapter to deviate from the codex astartes! You are still considered to be a codex compliant chapter while changing small things here and there. Almost every chapter has their own little quirks. Take the Crimson Fists - their 1st company has 118 members instead of the standard 100. Outside of that, they're pretty much by the book and considered to be a chapter that adheres closely to the codex.

I like Brother Sgt Kartr's idea about finding an old Fortress instead of a mausoleum. Maybe an old Imperial Fist chapter relic is housed there. It makes sense that this fortress would be standing after 10,000 years, as the Imperial Fists pride themselves on that sort of thing. Maybe have this discovery be a major point for your custom chapter's history, but not the reason for it's founding. Maybe you're a fleet based chapter that happens to occupy space somewhat near this system when it re-appears from the warp. It's certainly a situation where an Astartes presence is going to be required to go and investigate. Then you find this fortress, realize it has ties to your parent chapter, and feel honor-bound to occupy and defend this fortress and relic.

As you mentioned a crusade force, maybe you finding this fortress is the foothold into this lost but now rediscovered system. As you continue to investigate this and the surrounding planets, it's possible you find chaos / daemons / corruption / etc. Having been lost in the warp, it's likely that these places are crawling with bad things. Maybe the decision is made to bring in forces from several chapters in a group effort to cleanse this system. Some of your more veteran chapters will be there and will be leading the charge, but your chapter gets to be involved as you have the most experience in this system and you're manning the fortress that can be used as a staging area for this joint mission.

Random thought, but once upon a time, the Crimson Fists and Black Templars joined together to stop an Ork Waaagh and they were super outnumbered. As they were facing such an overwhelming foe, they needed to lean on each other for support more than ever. They ended up running mixed units, with members of both chapters in the same squads. The Templars painted their left fists red and the Crimson Fists painted a Templar cross on their left knee pad. I've always thought that the shared iconography was really cool.

As for the models on the table, what does your chapter specialize in? Are they defense and siege specialists like the Imperial Fists? Maybe they are the type that uses a lot of drop pods instead? Or maybe they're a jack of all trades? If your end goal is to run a mixed chapter crusade force, then first I'd try to decide on your chapter's identity from a tactical perspective. Let's assume you want your guys to be siege specialists. Maybe your guys are bringing the Whirlwinds, Thunderfire Cannons and Centurions to the party. Now that you've got your role covered, decide what else you want in the list and then find the chapters that you think would be a good fit for those types of units. Maybe your tactical squads are Ultramarines. Maybe there's a drop pod full of Crimson Fists sternguard, or a Land Raider full of Black Templars. Once you figure out who you are, and who you want your allies to be on the table - THEN I'd find interesting ways to work those chapters into your fluff. Maybe you've fought beside Black Templars in the past, but this is your first time working with Salamanders or something?

If the fortress and relic you find are pre-heresy, then they belonged to the Imperial Fist Legion, not Chapter. That means that it would hold significance to the Imperial Fists as well as its multitude of successor Chapters. That's a good way to have this discovery be important to a variety of chapters but still be believable vs the multi-legion mausoleum idea. Maybe this whole system was Imperial Fist Legion territory back in the day, and your combined marine force working to re-capture it is made up entirely of Imperial Fist successor chapters like yourself. That gives you several unique 'big name' chapters to use, with the Imperial Fists, Crimson Fists and Black Templars. But, it also gives you some very cool but less known chapters like the Astral Knights, Celestial Lions, Executioners, Fire Lords, Iron Fists, etc. The Executioners have history that I find particularly interesting - specifically their involvement in the Badab War. Give their wiki page a read sometime if you're bored and not familiar with them.

Keep working on this idea. I'm excited to see how it turns out!

[Redfinger]

I am sitting down tonight to put some of thoughts that have been generated down on paper.

 

A few more points...

 

One primary reason I am doing a DIY chapter is so if one game I want to play White Scars, boom I have them, if I want to play Ultramarines, they are suddenly a "vanilla" chapter. This being said though, I really like IF and my vision for how I would assemble the core of my army would be drop pod assault.

 

As far as my "crusade" army. This was going to be a little more fluffy and require my opponent to be ok with things. For example if I was to say run a squad of IF with my chapter and a squad of Ultra's, for the purpose of that battle I would probably treat them all as vanilla marines just to keep things simple. I am also having some decals made up, including a crusade badge that will be displayed on each marines left shin. Part of the reason I am also doing this is that I tend to get bored with painting, so taking a break and painting up some Ultramarines or some Crimson Fist stern guard would be a nice break.