BotL - Monthly fluff challenge

[Kelborn]

After reading the contributions, I liked Beren's the most. As we only have FW category, judging was quite simple this time. ;)

 

Doesn't mean that the others were bad written or not interesting but this can right away be used as a red page. It's something different than the "regular" FW-style paragraphs.

 

 

Thus, Beren won October. Congratz, brother.

Edited November 3, 2019 by Kelborn

[simison]

[Eagles of Judgement]

 

In contrast to several other Legions, the Void Eagles would adopt the Baal Edict (also known as the Chaplain Edict) with little conflict. Since the command came from the Emperor's own hand, Yucahu would do all in his power to see it accomplished but on his own terms. While other Primarchs chose to create separate organisations within their own Legions for the new chaplains, the Void Eagles would instead combine the new office with the Disciplinary Corps already in existence. As such, the Void Eagles would reject the skull helm as part of the uniform. In its place, each Void Eagles chaplain bore a unique symbol on his right pauldron of twin blades of flame.

 

This would be the last measure Yucahu would take to foster some form of cohesion among the Great Fleets of the Fourth Legion.

[Beren]

Born of Ashes

 

“I said ready!”

 

The Inexorii scrambled to grasp their weapons at the sound, several throwing malice laden glances towards the Exactori who had bellowed at them. Their armour rattled, as ill made as it was, cobbled together from the defective or battle damaged scraps from worthier warriors. Bonding studs gleaned from amongst dull and cracked armour, and a panoply of visors turned towards him. Behind each he could see their hateful stares.

 

Mavos didn’t care. His job was to make sure the runts were ready, or as ready as their kind could be. If the fools couldn’t pound it into their heads that the Rangda could fething mimic an ally's ship and be within the hull with next to no warning, then he’d have to do it for them.

 

They gathered in the darkness of the Sundered’s holds, structural spaces of limited utility to the running of the ship. It had been made the Inexorii’s shelter in the absence of a home, their staging grounds in the absence of a barracks. There was no rust, no corroded walls, no scuttling of vermin. Neither was their much light, nor any seperate chambers to which one might retreat. In such a light their disjointed assembly made them for a ragged band, the kind one could mistake to be the veterans of many wars.

 

Veterans!

 

Mavos stifled a laugh.

 

Few, if any, of them would ever claim that title. Through them the Legion would grow and survive in these dark hours. Through the Legion, the Imperium would survive.

 

He could see their fingers wrapped around the triggers of their boltguns, only the slightest twitch away from firing. He didn’t care about that either. They couldn’t make it of this ship alive if they did, and he’d wager he could put a few of them down in any case. Being on the verge of gunning him down meant that they’d be ready to when the enemy showed their faces. What approximated to faces anyway.

 

They’d dragged this lot off a dying planet. Hadn’t even bothered to lie to their parents about why or what for. Just sent the auxilia to break into their homes and drag out any child that looked halfway suitable. Anyone who’d given any meaningful resistance, well, they ought to have signed up to the militia. They hadn’t, even in their world’s darkest hour, and that made them traitors. They were dealt with accordingly. 

 

Darkest. Their brightest too. The bright flares of cyclonic torpedoes as they shattered the crust, incinerating the struggling militia units and the horrors they faced alike. This was not a war of conquest, like so many others fought for the Imperium. This was survival through extermination. Sacrifices had to made and the Helrider Legions would be the ones to ensure that those sacrifices lead to victory.

 

They hated their Legion for it. Hated him for it. Even if all they had left was the shades of the past whispering within their heads, near drowned out by the riotous clamour of coming battle, in the stead of true memory. For that they might one day, the names scrawled into Mavos’ armour, names that only he remembered and in no other place were recorded. The names of brothers long since lost to the void. One day he too would be lost to the void, and he would take those names with him. No one else would ever earn the right to the names of his brothers but they who had fought beside them. When the void claimed him his name would remain inscribed only upon the armour of others, for a little while at least. He could see a few names, badly worn and near illegible, upon the scraps of armour that clad the warriors in front of him. Those names would mean nothing to them, as they should. Those that survived their ideals might one day remember, and bear the heavy burden of all the titles of all those that had accompanied them into battle this day to fall forgotten to all but those among the Inexorii that survived them.

 

There hadn’t been any point in lying about the fate of their former homeworld either.  Those moments of desperate struggle before the end had been seared into the Inexorii's minds as they trained, the leash by which their hate was bound. Some might attempt to justify such an act as merciful. The IV^th did not. Near a two thirds of that hastily conducted harvest hadn’t survived the implantation process, a far steeper price than normal. The surviving two thirds Mavos could take on five at a time. Dragged through the growth from superhuman to transhuman, dragged through training that gave them just enough skill to hold their guns and just enough hate to use them well. Shoddy conditioning that put them barely over the line of firing at the enemy instead of their leaders. Bastard sons of a bastard Legion. They were ready now though, not ten years from now. Now was when the war was being fought. Now was when they were needed.

 

 

They hated him for it. They hated the Rangda more. The things their homeworld had been burned to destroy, or at least slow. They’d hurl themselves into battle by the score, into the fury of war. While they met the foe in bloody struggle the true Eagles would strike and burn, spending their lives where they mattered. The Inexorii would buy precious time for that, even carry victories of their own if they were fortunate. Those few that survived might finally learn what it meant to be a Void Eagle, and if they didn’t…

 

Mavos’ hand tightened round the grip of his bolt pistol.

 

...he’d be ready.

Edited November 24, 2019 by Beren

[bluntblade]

*ally's, but I dig it.

I think it would be worth emphasising the hypno-indoctrination a bit - maybe our handler notes some metronomic signals being sent from his armour to them via the vox to prime them.

[Beren]

Tbh, I feel like that might detract from the 'we couldn't be bothered to lie to them' and the 'honest bastards' aspects. What I could do is state that images of their planet's last moments had been seared into their minds by the hypno-indoctrination?

[bluntblade]

Skal and I were thinking that like the Inductii, this would be necessary to keep them on a leash. Or rather, it would be the leash.

[Beren]

I'm not saying that there wouldn't be hypno-indoctrination, but that the technical/artificial/clinical nature of the terminology would detract form what the story is trying to convey.

 

I've made a slight edit to the  'There hadn't been any point in lying about the fate of their homeworld either' paragraph, but I'm not intending to take it much further than that.

Edited November 24, 2019 by Beren

[simison]

Opening vote for next month, which will be non-Legion:

 

• Elite Mortal Regiments
• Imperial Army
• Knight House
• Titan Legio
• Mechanicum Forgeworld
• Insurgo
• Blackshield
• Custodian
• Aeldari
• Ork
• Other

[Kelborn]

Custodian

[TheBlindPrimarch]

Custodian

[bluntblade]

Custodians we should restrict to new characters, just in case canon mucks with any additions of ours.

 

That said, I vote Mechanicum.

Edited November 24, 2019 by bluntblade

[MikhalLeNoir]

Orks

 

And by the way you should add Dark Mech

Edited November 24, 2019 by MikhalLeNoir

[simison]

Orks

 

And by the way you should add Dark Mech

 

I'm not sure you understand what you're asking here. If we make a separate category for Dark Mech, then we are obliged to add Traitor versions to the factions capable of having Traitors. *glances at the Custodians*

[MikhalLeNoir]

But the DarkMech is an established Faction. Traitor Custodians only spring from your dark mind^^

 

And sure, gimme ChaosKnights, Rebel Titans and traitor guard.

 

Although I see the DarkMech differ more from its origins than the upper three

Edited November 25, 2019 by MikhalLeNoir

[bluntblade]

Custodians, I'm pretty sure, aren't possible.

[Beren]

If you subdivide these categories, you'll be lengthening the rotation period for factions that already appear less than the Legions.

[TheBlindPrimarch]

I agree. Rather than create additional categories, I think months where we get to write about the Mech-boys, Knights, Titan Legios, and other mortal forces, the writers should be free to choose to write about either loyalist forces or traitor forces. I don't believe there were any rules that implicitly stated that we couldn't in the first place.

[Beren]

Definitely weren't, I think a lot of my stuff has been traitor orientated. Also, then you might have to have a Suzerainty sub-category.

[simison]

[sounds like we won't make specific 'dark side' slots for the rotation. If that's what you want to do, use it for those months.]

 

The Enactors

 

In contrast to several other Legions, the Void Eagles would adopt the Baal Edict (also known as the Chaplain Edict) with little conflict. Since the command came from the Emperor's own hand, Yucahu would do all in his power to see it accomplished but on his own terms. While other Primarchs chose to create separate organisations within their own Legions for the new chaplains, the Void Eagles would instead combine the new office with the Disciplinary Corps already in existence. As such, the Void Eagles would reject the skull helm as part of the uniform. In its place, each Void Eagles chaplain bore a unique symbol on his right pauldron of twin blades of flame.

 

This would be the last measure Yucahu would take to foster some form of cohesion among the Great Fleets of the Fourth Legion. While the new chaplains were eager to serve, there was some initial confusion over where the boundaries were between themselves and the Opsequarii. Much of their stated responsibilities overlapped between the two groups, and it would take a few years for both to find their place. Chaplains would become the proactive agents in this corps, seeking out troubled individuals to minister to before matters became worse. Where trouble slipped through the gaps, the Disciplinary officers would step in to measure out punishment as needed. Where an agent of either side was lacking, the remaining agent would handle both responsibilities.

 

As befitting the Legion's temperament, a chaplain's effectiveness could vary widely between Great Fleets. The Wings of Woe adopted the chaplains  as smoothly as Yucahu's own Great 1^st Fleet had. The Fifth Great Fleet's chaplain corps was unusually small, only large enough to prevent censure. The Fourth Great Fleet would use the new office to once again attempt to field-test exotic technologies from Vernes, including several new kinds of psychotropic medication to 'improve' their efficiency.

 

Surprisingly, the most negative reaction would be found among the Morning Stars. This Terran remnant found the chaplains' existence offensive, even if they were established by the Emperor. Previously, they had refused a Disciplinary Corps as beneath them, a claim backed up by an excellent service record of duty and honour. The fact that they were forced to finally undo this claim frustrated the Stars, and they took further issue with the superstitious undertone wrapped in the new title. Duty alone forced them to adopt the chaplains, and it would be one of the first things they abandoned when they revealed their allegiance to Icarion.

[simison]

[beren wins the BL category, while I won the FW category. December's faction is Custodians.]

 

Our Relationship with the Custodians

++For the Eyes of Third-Ranked Adherents of the Order of the Open Hand and Higher++

 

Our words are our greatest weapon. It is with our words do we enflame our martial ardor and extinguish the hope of our enemies. It is with our words we cultivate and wield the strength of our allies. This is more true now that our Lord Primarch is Warmaster. Yet, there is only one ally we may never command: the venerable Custodians.

 

Most of you probably have never considered such a course of action. Although no official decree exists, all members of the Imperium's vast war machine have always understood the Custodians are a force apart from all others, under the Emperor's own command. The Custodians, however, have fought on battlefields away from the Emperor.

[Beren]

Placeholder.

Edited January 2, 2020 by Beren

[simison]

One need only recall the Ravenna Campaign of 984 to witness the Custodians fighting without being personally led by the Master of Mankind. Rare as it may be, the

Custodians have fought and have allowed themselves to be commanded, if the situation dictacted it as necessary.

 

Never will such a situation occur for a Haclyon Warden. It is an unfortunate truth that the Custodianshave never regarded the Legiones Astartes with much value. To them, we range from a necessary evil to an oddity. Never will we ever be considered as equals among their brotherhood.

 

This poor view of the Legiones Astartes is not the reason why the Custodians regard the Fifth Legion with deep resentment. No, it is because of two subjects that we are are especially viewed with suspicion. First is best represented by our own Order of the Open Hand. To the Custodians, are efforts to instill peace without the sword is a violation of our intended purpose. For beings forged with duty as their all-encompassing virtue, this can only be viewed with suspicion.

 

The second is our willingness, especially our liege-lord's, to violate the letter of the law in order to serve the principle of the law. Every adherent is taught to respect this balance but to never allow the former to prevent execution of the latter. This mindset is abhorrent to the Custodians and their laudable loyalty to the Emperor. Since being raised to Warmaster, our aberrant (in their eyes) behavior is twice as damning.

 

Be mindful of all of this when interacting with a Custodian. While my words are true, there will be exceptions. Treasure those. For their reputation is well-earned.

 

Always remember, never command. Appeal to their duty and to their honor, but never force it. Heed this advice, and it will serve you well.

Edited December 30, 2019 by simison

[simison]

 

January voting is now open. It'll be a Legion month:

 

I - Harbingers

III - Crimson Lions

IV - Void Eagles

V - Halcyon Wardens

VI - Iron Bears

VII - Berserkers of Uran

VIII - Godslayers

IX - Warbringers

X - Fire Keepers

XII - Wardens of Light

XIII - Eagle Warriors

XIV - Dune Serpents

XV - Grave Stalkers

XVI - The Drowned

XVII - Warriors of Peace

XVIII - Steel Legion

XIX - Scions Hospitalier

XX - Predators

[bluntblade]

Lions. I want to have some established characters and stuff to run with.

[MikhalLeNoir]

Eagle Warriors. Let us establish Warriors