[IRON GAUNTLET 2017] Kraxan

[Dizzyeye01]

Good to see the Astral Reavers' about, I remember reading years ago when they had the ritualised masks of monsters and such. Anyway onto some feedback in terms of the ideas you're considering:

 

1. Mixing orks into the fray seems like a good way of giving the chapter more to fight and protect against. In fact, you could go on to say that perhaps the original reason (and more known about one to boot) is that the chapter was founded to help the group of systems with hurting the local orks and making sure a big enough Waaagh! is able to be mustered. Due to how close the chapter is to the civil war they get requests to help with the heretiks and you go from there.

 

2. It's certainly possible that while the Heretiks and the Imperial Sect were in fact allies, they chose to work independant of each other with the sect acting like a guerrilla force, converting people to their cause with the main ringleaders escaping when the wrath of tge Astral Reavers' showed up. This could undermine their relations with them as it's thought the space marines may of caused more collateral damage than needed due to how brutal they were.

 

3. Personally, I would say the Astral Reavers' relations would be good allies at the most, using oaths' made in the past to call on skills that they themselves may not personally have and in return providing their own skillset if the situation demanded so. I would mostly have factories and the Skitarii being the main focus of this while a knight house being one of the biggest relations there.

 

On the otherside of things, it makes sense to me at least that other sides of the Mechanicus that have faced the wrath of the Astral Reavers would be providing the bare minimum at what is asked for them at the very least with others who got bigger scars from them being more and more silent towards them and use every excuse in the book to deny the chapter without going to war.

 

4. Lastly, having a Ravenwing-esque company could be because of the ork idea discussed in point one. Due to being in constant fighting with orks there could mean that to slow the orks down they've been forced to adapt to the overhelming numbers and so make use of speed for hit and run attacks on ork groups building momentum.

 

Hope this helps out with deciding things on the chapter and with the Iron Gauntlet :)

[Donkey Kong]

Really can't thank you enough Dizzyeye, you have no idea how many holes that Ork raiding suggestion filled.

[Badass_Spaz]

Well well well, look what we have here... A not so Lovecraftian Astarte's Chapter, and I must say, this is borderline HERESY!

Anyway, dramatics aside, there isn't much to criticize or inquire upon that hasn't already been said. That said, part of me thinks you're putting a bit too much emphasis on their Iron Hands roots. To be frank, this is an off-shoot chapter from an Iron Hands successor, so that (to me) implies further deviation from their progenitor chapter.

I'd do without the Knight House and Skitarii relations. It feels a little snow-flakey and, sorry to say it, throws your chapter into the Iron Hands shadow. The conversations here seems focused primarily on distinguishing your Chapter from the Iron Hands so you're not a copy paste. However, I do feel you can still do this but take another, more Lovecraftian theme... And let me explain.

Your Space Murders live on a Sea Faring world with marches and swamps. Indulge those aesthetics, give your Tech Marines tendril, weaponized Mechadendrites. Cybernetics would appear rustic, grungy, absolutely worthless yet perfectly functional. Imagine an Astarte's contorted pincer hand splitting out and firing a dozen taser wires? You short out\paralyze the opponent and reel'em in. Perhaps they've taken to native weapons and employ serrated net guns for those, especially informed Hereteks.

... And it'd be pretty gnarly to have swamp residue decorating your Marines. Just imagine Plague Marines marching from the fog and suddenly pausing... "Brother?" One might gurgle but oh no, totally badass Mechadendrites wrenches off one Plague Marines arm and vicious cybernetic gun spews an acid-thrower. Yea, acid-thrower should be your thing, as well.

Weeeeelp, I dearly hope you use a couple of my totally metal idea's and good luck, my good man!

[Dizzyeye01]

Glad to be of assistance Kong. I'll keep my eyes on this and I'll be sure to provide more feedback in the future.

[Dosjetka]

 

MISCELLANEOUS INQUISITOR TWILIGHT SPARKLE & RETINUE ORDO AMICITIES

• Lady Inquisitor Twilight Sparkle, Alpha+ grade psyker, Emperor's favored, Harmonic Crown mastercrafted psychic hood. Inquisitorial Stormtrooper Captain Applejack & Apple Company Big McIntosh & Granny Smith. Magos Domina Fluttershy & Legio Cybenetica Robot Angel 1-3. Pinkamena Diane "Pinkie" Pie, Dæmonhost. Lady Rarity, Sanctioned psyker tele/geokinesis discipline. Living Saint Rainbow Dash. Custodian Companion Spike, appointed guardian. Lady Zecora, Sanctioned sorceress.

:blink:

[Donkey Kong]

You're shocked? I'm shocked. That's been there for Months now! No one has noticed. No one! I'm convinced that up until no no one has actually read the second post.

[Dosjetka]

I haven't touched your IA in... far too long. And the structure is different from what I remember so I think that proves just how long it has been.

Regarding that particular piece of... fluff, well, it's your Chapter. Do whatever the heck you want with it. :)

[Ferrus Manus]

Really nice to see these guys again! Can I just say, I appreciate the effort you've put in the names and linguistic elements here.

The Astral Reavers recruit their hopefuls from the tropical water world Patuger. Forgotten for millennia, Patuger quickly rose to prominence soon after it was rediscovered by Adeptus Mechanicus Explorators in (###).M34. On its surface an idyll paradise, the promise of countless secrets are hidden away beneath the waves in drowned hive necropoleis believed to date back to the Dark Age of Technology.

My big question I suppose is do the histories have an idea of how/ when the planet flooded or is it more like Baal where it's a distant legend kinda deal?

The Astral Reavers are tasked by the Fabricator General of Mars with eliminating Moirae Hereteks on world under their dominion. The Astral Reavers spend centuries fighting Moirae Hereteks and sympathetic factions.

This seems like a lot of influence for the Admech to have. I may be reading to much into this but even the likes of the Iron Hands are still very independent. There's a difference between having a close relationship and perhaps being commanded by. To be fair, it might just be the wording that's giving me this impression. Maybe if it was "requested for aid" rather than "tasked".

+++

There's some nice ideas here KHK, just needs some fleshing out I think

[Machine God]

Yes I think that the Orks certainly add something to the mix.

 

One thing or two.

 

I'm not a GoT fanboy but all the talk about Swamps and due to all the talk about the sea-farers wanting to trade with it seemed to me too much like Dry Land from Waterworld.

 

I'll cry if the Orks are the unintentional Smokers!

 

You've said that the chapter hate bionics as the would be heavy and sink, maybe your tech-raiding chapter have aquired supply of bioware to replace it with.

[Donkey Kong]

Don't worry too hard, Dos. I doubt it'll get past that little roster I've thrown down at the bottom. It really was just intended to be bait to see if anyone noticed (or cared). Albeit, I still think Inquisitor Twilight Sparkle, the Emperor's Favorite Student, her special Ordo of Friendship and her retinue including a Possessed and a Living Saint is hysterical. YMMV.

 

Hey Ferrus! I decided to put the how on the back burner. I tried it before, and who would have guessed that writing about pouring water on something would make everything feel diluted? For now, it's going to be distant legend, happening sometime in the Age of Strife. I'm with the idea of faction of the planet being descended from upperhivers to explain their more refined culture and with having different factions blame one another for the flood in the first place.

 

Thinking more about your point on the Fabricator General, I'm inclined to agree that it's a bad move, but for a different reason. I don't think it's out of the question for a Chapter to take an order from a High Lord of Terra, but being given the mission is a holdover from when the Moirae Hereteks were the Chapter's founding mission. I don't think the Astral Reavers would need an order to see the signals from Moirae, identify it as heretekal and attack the Forge Worlds themselves.

 

Thanks Scion. I don't think the Astral Reavers hate bionics as much as they don't go out of their way to give themselves bionics. And I like Wet Mad Max! I've put the swamp people to the side, but Smoker Freebooterz sounds fun.

 

Sorry I missed you before Badass_Spaz. They're not Lovecraftian. I toyed with a net weapon idea before, so sure. 40k already has webbers, it shouldn't be out of the question to throw them in the arsenal.

 

Because a few people are commenting on the swamp folk from before, I've been moving away from that direction. I felt that they detracted more than they added from cohesion. I update the second post whenever I make comments, and all of my working notes are there. So, if something isn't there, it isn't being considered or on my mind in terms of the IA. I should probably write a sentence or two about that there as well.

 

Thank you all again!

[Badass_Spaz]

Man, you gotta toy with weapon idea's even if they're not in established fluff. A million worlds- there's gotta be plenty of divergent pattern weapons. Still editing my own Chapter but they use purposely enlarged bolter so they can comfortable equip a Sarissa (Chain-blade bayonet) and drum magezine. Bismal Pattern Bolter! Do something similar starting with the serrated net gun. For use, try out that Mechadendrite idea for your Tech-Marines. An idea I thought was pretty gnarly were spiked, knuckle gauntlets. Your Marines appear quite hardy so capitalize on that. When the chain-swords teeth run dull and bolters go empty, they go full fisty-cuffs.

Don't be afraid to indulge your creative side, even if it's not official fluff. Your homebrew should invoke fear into heretics, xeno's, and mutants so make'em!

[Donkey Kong]

Okay, so I decided to have a little brainstorming session, and it spiraled out of control pretty quickly. If this goes well, the second post is going to have a need an overhaul. I'll be throwing out a lot of ideas. Hopefully most will be good, undoubtedly some will be bad. But, that's what I'm here for. Forewarning, I'm of the opinion that history is rarely, if ever, cut and dry, events intersect and multiple factors influence the outcome. Things are probably going to get repeated and tangled. My goal isn't to get rid of the knots, but to make them make sense.

 

This is mostly going to cover Origins into Homeworld. There might be some spill over into Combat Doctrine and Chapter Organization, but that's a consequence, not a goal. I'm content with my Chapter Cult and Gene-Seed for the time being, even if they are bare, the foundation direction are there.

 

ORIGINS

The Astral Reavers are founded in the 8th Founding, mid M34, so assume 500.M34. The founding of a Chapter is supposed to be a massive logistical undertaking, so, from charter to deployment I imagine that may be north of a century, give it 150 odd years and the Astral Reavers aren't fighting until 650.M34 or so. The Astral Reavers mission is to protect a sector (a sector that is still in dire need of a name, mind-small interjection, I'm godawful at names. If anyone wants to just start spouting gibberish at me to pick and choose from I'd really appreciate it. Names for anything and everything, Reavers, Adeptus Mechanicus, Imperials, Orks, whatever.) in Segmentum Tempestus that is particularly Forge World dense from nearby Orki empires. Exciting or not, the Chapter's first few centuries are defined by eliminating Ork leaders that threaten to amass sufficient strength to launch a Waaagh! into Imperial space. Other factors need to be addressed here as well, how long has the sector been a major Adeptus Mechanicus holding? How long have the Ork empires been there? Have they done damage in the past? When was the request for Astartes first sent to the High Lords of Terra? It's bureaucratic, arbitrary number crunching filler, but it helps illustrate the backdrop, which I think is a nice way to make a story come alive.

 

Since the Chapter spends its time fighting Orks, their combat doctrine is shaped accordingly. A fast attack company is made to execute hit and run attacks (this is the Second Company that is my pseudo Ravenwing). The rest of the Chapter is built to fight Ork Roks and Space Hulks using void hardened armor. I think that this makes sense as a consequence of their role. The Astral Reavers are named the Wardens of the Sector and the worlds and people therein are placed under their control/protection.

 

However, the Chapter's defining moment in history is the Moirae Schism in M35. The quick and dirty of it is the Forge World Moirae interprets signals from the Astronomicon on Earth that say the God Emperor and the Machine God are one in the same and begins spreading the word. I interpret this to mean that there is an effort to merge the Ecclesiarchy and the Adeptus Mechanicus. This plunges the Adeptus Mechanicus and their allies into a 900 year long theocratic civil war. An Iron Hands faction split and form the Sons of Medusa. The Red Talons purge their ranks. Moirae is destroyed. The Adeptus Mechanicus eventually wins and come M41 no one's the wiser. To make things more messy, this is all happening at the same time as the Nova Terra Interregnum in which the Ur-Council of Nova Terra attempts to secede Segmentum Pacificus from the Imperium. That's not important right now, though.

 

At this point in time, the Astral Reavers have been the Wardens of Sector Whatever for a few hundred years. They're a mainstay of the region. The Astral Reavers catch wind that there is a faction of Forge Worlds under their dominion that believe what the Moirae Hereteks are saying and they're not happy. For the sake of numbers, I've arbitrarily decided that there are 41 Forge Worlds in the sector. If a third of them turn, that's 13.53, and we round that down to 13 because numerology and symbolism. Given my interpretation and the absence of an example or counterexample from established lore, I will also make up a cluster of Ecclesiarchy worlds within the Sector that are interested in merging the Ecclesiarchy and Adeptus Mechanicus. The leader will undoubtedly fashion himself some title of God Machine Emperor Pope and be appropriately megalomaniacal as he amasses his force of Frateris Templar (remember the Sisters of Battle aren't a thing until M36).

 

To make things messier and more interesting for myself, I think it would be cool if there was an Ecclesiarchy world that was as upset as the Astral Reavers from the opposite side of things. They have a leader that may or may not be a living saint and together alongside the Astral Reavers the fanatical religious zealots campaign side by side in what may or may not be a crusade to purge the attempt to bastardize their respective faiths in the Sector. With both allies and enemies in the Ecclesiarchy, the Astral Reavers have reason to be weary of the Imperial faithful while also having respect for them.

 

Now comes the question as to how the conflict starts. The Moirae Hereteks can begin spreading the word that slowly but gradually causes instability and civil war to break out first on a planetary level and later throughout the sector. The idea I had that I like the most is that the Astral Reavers themselves instigate the war by attacking a Forge World or at least a leader that they know to be a Moirae Heretek. I especially like this one because it actively involves the Reavers going after a world that is supposed to be under their protection. The subsequent civil war that breaks out can be messy on all sorts of levels. The cleanest idea is that it's strictly Moirae Hereteks vs Martian Orthodox faithfuls. The messiest idea is that there are alliances and pledges between Forge Worlds that results in the Astral Reavers launching the functional equivalent of the First World War on an interplanetary level with a worlds being called to answer ancient pledges of fealty that result in Orthodox Worlds fighting alongside Heretek worlds because honor. There's also the possibility that worlds will go into battle with the intention of grabbing additional political power or wealth. I like the idea of all the Moirae worlds being on one side, it doesn't make sense for Hereteks to fight Hereteks here. However, a few Orthodox worlds (no more than 2 or 3) caught fighting alongside Hereteks because of old pledges would make for an interesting aftermath.

 

With all the Imperial fighting happening, I hope you, dear reader, haven't forgotten the Astral Reavers original mission to keep Orks under control. A responsible Chapter would keep doing their mission while the civil war raged on in their Sector. A fanatical Chapter would let their mission go ignored to finish the Civil War. I think it makes for a more interesting story for the Astral Reavers to be split with the Second Company doing its best to keep the Orks disorganized while the rest of the Chapter fights for Deus Mechanicus. This story only gets more interesting if the Orks, eager for a good fight, amass anyway.

 

The Astral Reavers and their allies eventually win and another aspect of the Chapter's character is complete. The Astral Reavers have stockpiles of rare, exotic, powerful weapons and technologies, the vast, vast majority of it plundered from the vaults of Forge Worlds that were defeated in the Moirae Schism. The subjugated Forge Worlds are not happy with the treasures of their worlds in the Chapter's hands. Add in the sense of betrayal that comes from your appointed protector plundering your world and welcome to the new political dynamic within the sector in which at least a third of the Forge Worlds distrust if not outright despise their ruler (factor in skepticism from reluctant allies and new fears of upsetting the Astral Reavers plus whatever damage the Orks did in the Chapter's absence). I need to come up with a timescale. I don't think that this should take more than 300 years even though the Schism as a hole lasts 900. Either way, we haven't even hit M36!

 

HOMEWORLD

Now with "contemporary" 6,000 year old history out of the way, let's delve into some ancient history, starting 26,000 years before M41 in M15 and the Dark Age of Technology. Patuger is a just another world with a human population. The Dark Age of Technology lasts from M15/18-M23/25. It's ended by the Age of Strife, known as The Old Night to those of you with a more literary and poetic mind that lasts from M23/25-M30 when the Age of the Imperium kicks off with the Great Crusade. Listed in no particular order, the following events must happen before M34. 1. Patuger is colonized by Humans. 2. Patuger builds Hive Cities. 3. During the Age of Strife, a Martian Explorator Ship or Fleet sent into the warp storm reaches Patuger and possibly the surrounding worlds in the sector as well-this may happen before or after Patuger's Hives are built. The Patugain Machine Cult is also established during this time. 4. Patuger experiences an apocalyptic flood event. This happens last, explaining why Patuger was cut off from the other Forge Worlds. It's not important in my mind how or why the flood occurs, only that it does. All of these events must happen before the world is rediscovered by Adeptus Mechanicus Explorators in early to mid M34 so the world is discovered as it currently exists (minus the Fortress Monastery of course). I also want this to be written in the form of a best guess hypothesis by the Martian Explorators.

 

Enter the Patugain people. I want the patugains to be cultured, sophisticated techno-barbarians. I think it's an interesting hypothesis for the new Adeptus Mechanicus explorators to believe that the living patugains are the descendants of upperhivers who would have survived an apocalyptic flood where the lower hives would have drowned. The patugain machine cult plays a part in this, but so should the people themselves. Up until this point, I haven't put much thought into how technologically advanced the patugains should be, so I'll be doing that now. I've established beforehand that I want them to have a feudal society with Great and Lesser Houses, futuristic platforms that they build towns on (enter a mix of crannogs, bungalows, and whatever you would call the houses in Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald in Pacifidlog Town) accompanying the rulers who have the power to live on the sandy islands. I also want the people to walk (and swim) around in even more advanced versions of the LZR Speedo swimsuit. So, imagine of an olympian swimmer and his domesticated seal shepherd taking the manatee aggregation out to pasture on sea greens.

 

I would like the people to have laslocks if not full fledged lasguns. As for the Great House lords themselves, I'll be drawing inspiration from a special Necromunda Gand and their questionable suits. Badass_Spaz has a point about being creative, and I think it would be an interesting dynamic for the Great House Lords to be warlords in their own right in their Spyrer Hunting Rigs, or semi-nautical equivalents. Full points to the first person to tell me this is stupid.

 

Conspiracy time. The drowned hive necropoles at the bottom of the ocean are believed to date back to the Dark Age of Technology. It's entirely possibly that they date back to the Age of Strife and were built after the first Martian Explorators reached the planet, which I guess would make the technology less impressive but still very impressive. The old version of the conspiracy goes that the Explorators suggest Patuger as a recruitment world for the newly formed Astral Reavers Chapter with the expectation that they'll be able to use resources dedicated to the Chapter's Fortress Monastery to conduct expeditions to the sea floor in search of STCs or other ancient treasures. Their search is unsuccessful and may have had some unpleasant consequences on the surface. I imagine some controlled explosion causing a tidal wave or tsunami or something to that effect. Regardless, the Patugain Machine Cult is not happy with the "construction" and assumes control of the building project. The Explorators aren't happy and thus begins a bureaucratic shadow war of purging the ranks of bad actors from the Mechanicus, taking the resources given to them by order of the High Lords of Terra, and putting the patugains to work alongside lower level Mechanicus labor who aren't aware of the potential treasures beneath them, and the bad actors infiltrating the ranks of lower level Mechanicus labor.

 

Summarizing this to the best of my ability. Old Patuger at the bottom of the ocean is believed to date back to the Dark Age of Technology. It is hypothesized to hold technological secrets from the golden age of mankind by the Martian Explorator leader and he wants it. The Explorators exploit choosing Patuger as a recruitment world to begin digging with some disastrous side effects. The Patugain Machine Cult is wise enough to know that the Explorators are bad actors. So begins the Explorators doing their best to infiltrate Patuger and the Patugain Machine Cult doing their best to thwart them. This may begin to lay the foundation for the less than perfect relationship between the Patugains and the other Forge Worlds in the sector. This will extend to the Astral Reavers themselves who will be aware of what the Machine Cult did (make literal waves) if not why they did it. Add in the possibility that the Patugain Machine Cult also believes the hypothesis and wants to go diving and find the treasure themselves for the benefit of the Chapter.

 

Now, the most fun part of this conspiracy is going to be trying to jam it into the IA proper. Since I can't spell out the why, only the who, what, where, and when.

 

Finally the extraneous shoulds. Should Patuger have a satellite? If so how many? I'd like one, and no more than 3. I'm also not sure how multiple moons would affect the tides, so that's additional research or something to handwave. Should Patuger have an orbital shipyard? Should it be a ring around the planet? A big dock thing? A ring around a satellite? What sort of orbital and planetary defenses should Patuger have? The Fortress Monastery is a fortress already, but it's only one. Should the Great Houses have orbital defenses as well? I'd like the patugains to be sworn to the Chapter and function as a PDF in times of emergency. How big is the Patugain Machine Cult and how strong is it? I like the idea of the Patugain Cult and the Reavers being best friends looking out for one another. Did I write too much?

 

(Hey Olis, I'm not saying that I definitely did it, but I think I just maybe may have accidentally The Gauntlet. Give me Gold.)

 

EDIT Had a brain fart post mortem. It might be interesting for the Conspiratorial Explorator to have a cult surrounding his hypothesis. This cult could remain orthodox but be targeted by the Astral Reavers during the Moirae Schism.

[Ferrus Manus]

 

 

However, the Chapter's defining moment in history is the Moirae Schism in M35.

 

I feel like I'm missing something here (I even went back and read your second post to check) but defining how? As far as I can make out in this post, you mean in terms of how the sector sees the Chapter. I'm not entirely sure. You've mentioned how the schism affected some of their cousin-Chapters (IH, SoM etc) which were all quite drastic measures. Is it the same for these guys? Is their any dissent within the Chapter? Where do their techmarines stand? Does it come to define how they see (and thus interact with) certain factions of the Imperium? Is it this event that sees the Chapter further distance itself from the Admech?

 

 

 

The messiest idea is that there are alliances and pledges between Forge Worlds that results in the Astral Reavers launching the functional equivalent of the First World War on an interplanetary level with a worlds being called to answer ancient pledges of fealty that result in Orthodox Worlds fighting alongside Heretek worlds because honor. 

 

I like this option. Admittedly, I enjoy reading about that era of history. But anyway. I think it's interesting because of its consequences. Does the Chapter meet out the same punishment to all who oppose them, or do they take into account these ancient honour pacts that are forcing planets onto the wrong side? That said, be careful your origins section doesn't become an account of the Schism, it is only important in as far as it effects the Chapter (not that I don't like the idea of expanding it in another piece).  

 

 

 

With all the Imperial fighting happening, I hope you, dear reader, haven't forgotten the Astral Reavers original mission to keep Orks under control. A responsible Chapter would keep doing their mission while the civil war raged on in their Sector. A fanatical Chapter would let their mission go ignored to finish the Civil War.

 

Assuming they go with option 2, afterward when they realise the consequences of their actions - i.e failing those they've sworn to protect - how do they react to that idea? Do they seek to become less head strong and more calculating (machine-like?)?

 

 

 

I think it would be an interesting dynamic for the Great House Lords to be warlords in their own right in their Spyrer Hunting Rigs, or semi-nautical equivalents. Full points to the first person to tell me this is stupid.

 

Personally, I think this would fit with your idea of the Houses fighting over territory.

 

As for the idea of the Patugain Cult, I think the logic behind the idea works. But it just comes down to what relationship these guys have with the Admech itself. Taken with the history of their homeworld and the potential consequences of the Schism it would suggest to me this relationship is rather strained? 

[Donkey Kong]

Defining how?

 

Wargear. Most of the Chapter's treasures come from this time period. Politically. It sets the tone for the Chapter's relationships with the Sector. I'd say slightly more than half of the Forge Worlds approve. Less are cautious, and a few are resentful. I hadn't intended for the Reavers to have anything as drastic as the Iron Hands/Sons of Medusa or even the Red Talons. I thought it would make sense for marines brought up on an Orthodox world to be hardline Orthodox when the Hereteks pop in. It defines the relationship with the Ecclesiarchy after the rogue sect tries to capitalize on the Schism. I didn't see the Chapter distancing itself from the Mechanicus though, no.

 

I only want the Origins to include the schism insofar as it affect the sector. I think the Chapter would have the sense to see the pacts instead of the Heresy. But maybe I'm overestimating my Chapter.

 

I'm not sure about how they would react to failing. Angry probably. But that's certainly another avenue to take in the local aftermath of the Schism. Whether they're headstrong and insist they did nothing wrong and it was the Hereteks fault or if there's a penitence campaign.

 

That's one for patugain spyrers not being stupid. Somehow.

 

I wanted to give the impression that the Patugain Machine Cult was Orthodox and had an otherwise good relationship with Mars minus the conspiracy. I don't know if it makes sense for that to strain the relationship with Mars or that specific faction though.

[Badass_Spaz]

As far as I'm aware, Mechanicus Forge worlds are few and far between. Having two Forge Worlds relatively near each other (Same system or neighboring system) is rare in itself. I'm not saying you couldn't have however many you want in the Sector but I wouldn't stress the point. I'd personally opt for three or four Forge Worlds with established Research Stations, Mining Colonies, and dotted Forge Temples throughout the Sector. This way you breath life into this Sector by introducing other elements. The Mechanicus get their gizmo's and gadgets but without those mining colonies shipping out ores or penal colonies supply servitor bodies, they're crap outta luck... And it's a nice expression as to how the Imperium and Mechanicus rely on one another for survival.

To reinforce my previous point regarding the scarce Forge Worlds; that Morie Schism non-sense probably muffed Mechanicus holdings extensively. Former Forge Worlds who sided against the Mechanicus could be your Shrine Worlds while other, less Heretekal Forges might have been rebuilt. The resulting Schism definitely caused ludacris amounts of instability on said worlds. So former Magos and Adapts who survived found Forge Temples in other regions of the Sector. So while you wouldn't have the abundance of Forge Worlds it once had, the several hundred Temples would allow a certain amount of variety. Different vehicle and weapon patterns, solar powered micro-waves, that sorta thing... Again, food for thought. From what I'm reading regarding the Schism, there was no winners only heresy and hurt butt holes.

Part of me wants to suggest making a Knights House instead of a Space Marine Chapter when I read about the Patugain people. If anything, they're prime candidates for hosting Knights buuut that isn't what we're doing.

Drowned Hives... Again, I keep coming back to the Knight Houses. The idea a Space Marine Chapter might be sitting on top of a STC or even the slightest hint just rubs me the wrong way. I personally suggest the underwater hives contain age old Knights from the Dark Age of Technology. You could follow this up by a fledgling Knight House that openly supports your Chapter.

Besides that, that's all I got. And god damn, that wall of text... I gotta ask, how many hours did you pump into that, anyway?

[Donkey Kong]

And god damn, that wall of text... I gotta ask, how many hours did you pump into that, anyway?

 

 

It was a stream of consciousness, so twenty minutes give or take? The Reavers have been a project of mine for going on 5 years now, a lot of it is retreading old ground.

[NightrawenII]

 

For the sake of numbers, I've arbitrarily decided that there are 41 Forge Worlds in the sector. If a third of them turn, that's 13.53, and we round that down to 13 because numerology and symbolism.

No.

First and foremost, even with a sector, a relatively huge chunk of galaxy, you would be hard-pressed to have 41 habitable planets. Second, given the genesis of Forge Worlds (ships shot in random direction from Mars) there is no way you would end up with so much of them in one place. Even the FW's Horus Heresy series where the Forge Words are popping left, right and center is reasonable enough to have just one per sector.

 

(On a side note, 41 Forge Worlds equals with 41 Titan Legions... In such titanic struggle, one Chapter would not make a difference.)

 

Also, using one of the greatest schisms, which tore apart one of the most powerful factions in Imperium, not to mention affiliated Space Marine Chapters just as a tool to get your guys shiny toys is... how to say it in not overly rude way... preposterous.

 

Next, the conspiracy.

What you invented is incredibly counter-productive from the standpoint of Explorators. In the first place, why would they search for STC in secret? Why do you think the Adeptus Mechanicus would not turn the whole world upside down, because of simple rumour?

Calling a Chapter of Adeptus Astartes would just cause more problems than it solves. The Chapter, even one of the more friendly stock, would represent a random factor in any calculation. You want to call for help, not for potential rival or obstacle.

 

 

~ NightrawenII

[Donkey Kong]

I disagree on both accounts. Calixis Sector from the Dark Heresy books has 16 Forge Worlds and something like 175 named planets. I also had no intention of each Forge World having a Titan College, hence the greater and lesser. There's probably a better way to phrase "lesser Forge World" like Badass_Spaz had suggested with outposts, colonies, and research facilities.

 

As for the schism existing just to get them shiny toys, it's a side benefit. It establishes the Chapter's relationship with the Adeptus Mechanicus, the worlds under them, the Ecclesiarchy, the Orks. I think I did a fairly good job of using existing fluff in an out of the way place.

 

The conspiracy is supposed to be convoluted, counter productive and difficult for the explorators. I imagined it as a writ to have ships to look for a planet. They find a planet covered in oceans with what look like hive city ruins at the bottom. They can't accurately date the ruins, the Magos in charge wants to believe that there's something there. His petition to drain a planet is denied, I doubt the Mechanicus can do it on a whim. He does the next best thing to skim resources to continue a wild goose chase that no one else in a position of power believes. The conspiracy is the result of not having access to help. Accidentally upsetting the homeworld is where conflict comes in.

There's also the question of how valuable is a world that has people that are viable stock for recruitment. Then again 40k has always been iffy with this one since deathworlders and people from hive undercities are supposed to be good candidates.

[Badass_Spaz]

So, you might not like this idea but perhaps keeps Mechanicus and Astarte's ties distant but existing... If that makes sense. Iron Hands and Mechanicus relations is especially unique, and I'd wager tolerated because they're a first founding Chapter. Astarte's are normally independent organizations outside Imperial/Mechanicus laws. Though they answer distress calls and operates in the greater Imperium's better intentions, they're large independent. This isn't to say your Chapter couldn't receive certain boons from factions you've supported in the past, however, there's no such thing as a free lunch.

Hate to use my stuff as an example but it might help give you an idea. Marauders pay tithes in the form of salvage or slaves (Captured enemies). For paying such tithes, even though they're fleet based, they're granted a tad more support from varying factions. That said, history only goes so far. Tech Priests are notoriously greedy and paranoid munchkins. So, seeing the discussions taking place, I'd perhaps take another route. To ensure mutual interests, and the Imperium at large, an honor guard is placed on a certain Forge World. It'd be a tad blatantly but after the Schism, outside factions might perceive it as baby-sitting potential traitors. However, that's not the case. It'd be their own secret, a continued reminder of their history together... And said Chapter saved their bacon. So, delving further, the Chapter would constantly remind the Fabricator Don't forget, we saved your Mechadendrite, and twenty others. Keep them in line while getting gadgets... I don't know, food for thought. Maybe it'll inspire a few idea's or two.

[NightrawenII]

Okey, I might be wrong on the number of planets. Gothic Sector has ~80 Planets. But my point about Forge Worlds still stands. Many of the planets listed as Forge World are just Industrial World or neither.

 

 

The conspiracy is supposed to be convoluted, counter productive and difficult for the explorators. I imagined it as a writ to have ships to look for a planet. They find a planet covered in oceans with what look like hive city ruins at the bottom. They can't accurately date the ruins, the Magos in charge wants to believe that there's something there. His petition to drain a planet is denied. He does the next best thing to cut resources to continue a wild goose chase that no one else in a position of power believes. The conspiracy is the result of not having access to help. Accidentally upsetting the homeworld is where conflict comes in.

There's also the question of how valuable is a world that has people that are viable stock for recruitment. Then again 40k has always been iffy with this one since

deathworlders and people from hive undercities are supposed to be good candidates.

Why?

Just because is the Adeptus Mechanicus governed by cold logic doesn't mean they are reasonable.

 

104.M36 - THE WAR OF RECOVERY

Patchy reports cite technological wonders on the planets of the Mortuam Chain. Hoping precious STCs can be uncovered, an explorator fleet replete with macroclades of Skitarii is launched. This begins an escalating war against an Eldar counter-invasion that lasts over a century. Victory is finally won when the Skitarii use the very weapons they recover against the foe, and several first generation, munitions-grade STCs are returned triumphantly to Mars.

992.M41 - THE SCOURING OF JOHAN’S EDEN
An ancient data-cache is unearthed upon the jungle planet of Johan’s Eden. The Cult Mechanicus descends, only to find the planet’s modest populace slain by Necron Canoptek constructs. Several war congregations launch a simultaneous attack. Eight years of war follow before the Cult Mechanicus recover the data-cache. Three intact STCs are recovered as a result – one for self-heating cookpots, one for parchment autoquills, and one for stable flux-core bolt rounds that can melt ceramite as if it were wax.

 

~ NightrawenII

[Donkey Kong]

But my point about Forge Worlds still stands. Many of the planets listed as Forge World are just Industrial World or neither.

 

 

Maybe. Assume an arbitrary 100 habitable worlds, give or take, in the sector. In your best judgment how many Forge Worlds should there be? How many Industrial Worlds?

 

Why?

Just because is the Adeptus Mechanicus governed by cold logic doesn't mean they are reasonable.

 

 

It doesn't mean that they're irrational either. I thought it would be a rational interpretation for the Forge World that funded the Explorators to see a habitable world as a sufficient return on investment to make them happy.

 

Besides that, what sort of astronomical dedication of resources would be needed to turn Patuger upside down, drain it dry and start turning over rocks for something that may not exist if it's not broken, corrupted, or worthless? Does it make more sense for the Forge World to be content if the Patugain Machine Cult shares STC templates for the technologies that they do use? Rafts, Boats, Lasguns, and such? The understanding would be that according to the patugains there's nothing in the ruins but the Explaraor Magos wants to go for a dive anyway.

[NightrawenII]

Maybe. Assume an arbitrary 100 habitable worlds, give or take, in the sector. In your best judgment how many Forge Worlds should there be? How many Industrial Worlds?

One, two...

Like I said, the Forge Worlds were created by launching ships in random direction. Given the vicissitudes of Warp and the actual size of Galaxy, it's quite unlikely for many of them end up in the same area.

As for how many Industrial Worlds... *shrugs* How many Feral Worlds is here per sector?

 

It doesn't mean that they're irrational either. I thought it would be a rational interpretation for the Forge World that funded the Explorators to see a habitable world as a sufficient return on investment to make them happy.

 

Besides that, what sort of astronomical dedication of resources would be needed to turn Patuger upside down, drain it dry and start turning over rocks for something that may not exist if it's not broken, corrupted, or worthless? Does it make more sense for the Forge World to be content if the Patugain Machine Cult shares STC templates for the technologies that they do use? Rafts, Boats, Lasguns, and such? The understanding would be that according to the patugains there's nothing in the ruins but the Explaraor Magos wants to go for a dive anyway.

The primary function of Explorators is to seek out the new knowledge and technology. If they report that something of value is beneath oceans of Patuger the Tech-priests are not going to ignore it.

 

What sort of astronomical dedication of resources would be needed to wage a war because of single data-cache? How does the patugains know there is nothing of worth in the depths?

 

 

~ NightrawenII

[Donkey Kong]

One, two...

Like I said, the Forge Worlds were created by launching ships in random direction. Given the vicissitudes of Warp and the actual size of Galaxy, it's quite unlikely for many of them end up in the same area.

As for how many Industrial Worlds... *shrugs* How many Feral Worlds is here per sector?

 

This is going off your assertion that of the 15 to 17 (I'm finding multiple sources and I never picked up a FFG RP book) listed Forge Worlds in Calixis most are Industrial Worlds. Two's probably more feasibly from a writing perspective anyway. The more nitty gritty would come from the colonies and outposts then.

 

What sort of astronomical dedication of resources would be needed to wage a war because of single data-cache? How does the patugains know there is nothing of worth in the depths?

 

 

I would assume less than what it would take to drain a planet. And the Patugains Machine Cult would presumably know since their ancestors would have saved the templates that they're currently using when the world sank.

[NightrawenII]

Ignoring Oblivion movie for a bit. Why would you drain a planet? You just need good submersible.

A smart man only believes half of what he hears, a wise man knows which half.

~ NightrawenII

[Donkey Kong]

I updated the second post. A lot. I also updated the outline for the Conspiracy Short Story, copying it here I think it makes sense now?

SHORT STORY PATUGRUCHE PRIMUS CONSPIRACY (M34) Format: Compiled evidence

• Petition for Exploration submitted by Magos ________, Explorator: Magos ________ wants to explore intrasector wild space for Patuger, a planet presumed to be a dead world following an unknown catastrophe. Petition Approved by Archmagos ________.
• Patuger Planetary Survey: Patuger is not a dead world as anticipated but a water world home to a thriving human population. Photographs of drowned hive necropoles. Samples taken from the ruins date hives back to the Age of Strife. Rudimentary probing turns up nothing. Annotation by Magos ________ hypothesizes that the ruins date back to the Dark Age of Technology, notes a second Petition for Exploration has been submitted to Archmagos ________ for additional resources to explore the ruins.
• Transcription of Negotiations between Magos ________ and advisors and Patugain Great Houses Lords and Ladies and Patugain Machine Cult Magi: Patuger will trade copies of standard templates in their possession in exchange for outside technologies, of note artificial islands. Patugain Magi claim that there is nothing in the drowned hives that wasn't rescued by their ancestors and preserved, "The hives are empty graves."
• Petition for Exploration submitted by Magos ________, Explorator: Magos ________ wants to explore the underwater hive ruins. Petition Denied by Archmagos ________, deemed wasteful and unnecessary. The Explorator's mission has already been successful in finding templates and bringing a world thought lost back into the Imperium.
• Petition to Host Adeptus Astartes Chapter submitted by Tech-priest ________ on behalf of the Patugain Great Houses: Petition includes arguments in favor of patugain Astartes candidacy and architectural/engineering plans for Fortress Monastery, Orbital Defenses and Assets. Petition Approved by ________ in accordance with Chapter Master ________. Theorist Interjection Tech-priest ________ is Magos ________'s subordinate.
• Construction of Fortress Monastery Endiger begins under ________ in ________. Freak tsunami in ________ devastates patugain colonies and Great House ________. Petition to Assume Control of the Endiger Project submitted by the Patugain Machine Cult: Approved by ________. Theorist Interjection Underwater tremors that created the tsunami came out of the ruins from around Patugruche Primus, the once capital city. Conspirators are suspected of using the Endiger construction as a cover to conduct underwater excavation.
• Shadow War Patugain Machine Cult vs Patugruche Conspirators: Workplace accidents, foul play is suspected. Export and import discrepancies, skimming is suspected.

EDIT Of course, this being a short story, it's lower priority to the IA itself.

 

EDIT In cutting down my IA Notes, I've noticed that my Chapter is suffering from a lack of character. I figured I'd put together some ideas and see how well they translate over. Space Privateers, space combat ship to ship and boarding actions, at home in zero gravity as a water world holdover. Machine Cult Zealots. French, right now it's mostly in the names.