Sanguinary Crusader Consolidation (Fluff feedback Question?)

[Dumah]

What do you guys think about the idea of having a “rite of communion” based off of Malevolence where the BA’s first leader Ishadur was “immortal” because each successor would eat his flesh or whatever and gain his characteristics and take his name?

 

Being a Catholic I enjoy taking the Catholic things and using them as themes, and I was thinking something like when the chapter master is selected he chooses the name of a former Chapter Master or hero (like popes have done), and they do what the original BA’s did (see the example I alluded to with the immortal). So for example, Captain Corvus ascends to Chapter Master, and desires to be a new “Arkangilos”, so he becomes Arkangilos VI, takes Arkangilos V’s memories and such, and then literally becomes the next Arkangilos?

Also I’ve been working on some models so I might upload some of them soon.

 

This fits the theme of Communion where we hold that we eat the Body (and Blood) of Christ, becoming more like Him. It’s a form of Communion of the Saints; so to speak.

Thematically, I think that could work quite well for the Flesh Eaters Chapter. They've been around since rogue trader days but have little to no "screen time" or background fluff. Of all the BA successors they've always struck me as the ones most likely to cleave to the old ways of the legion.

 

Theming your dudes as a successor of the Flesh Eaters, or just hinting at it, would be a cool little connection.

Edited November 29, 2020 by Dumah

[Arkangilos]

I didn’t notice the comment above this until just now! Whoops! 
In reply, I’d prefer them to just be a second founding, but they could have close ties with the Blood Drinkers and the Flesh Eaters.

 

For a bit of new lore, just a bit of an outline of what I’m thinking:

1) Now that they are in the dark half of the galaxy, and what remained of the force sent to Baal has returned, their sector has fallen into disarray. 
2) the Four Star Pact has carved out its empire within their sector and the neighboring one. Many worlds are lost. The Sanguinary Crusader homeworld barely survived. 
3) Captain Corvus was elevated to Chapter Master and took the name Arkangilos XVII, and as part of the communion has taken on the traits and memories of Arkangilos and every commander that has born his name since then. 
4) He led a campaign to secure the systems around his, and liberated the sector capital.

5) During this campaign, an old sector saint, St. Maria of Victorinus (who was once a humble sister of battle from the Cardinal World of Victorianus, that inspired many in a crusade millennia ago, had returned, and company of Sanguinary Crusaders took up a great devotion, chanting a new litany given in battle. The campaign ended in resounding success and the forces of Chaos crumbled before them. The Chaos forces fleet sent to relieve them was utterly destroyed against the odds.

6) Chapter Master Arkangilos XVII ordered those litanies and devotions to be retained. He then rallied the sector worlds they liberated. On every planet liberated they mandated the new devotions to be promulgated.

7) A new Crusade to liberate the rest of the sector and the neighboring sectors was raised, and billions of imperial guard and fanatics were marshaled. The fleets were rallied as best as possible.

8) The standard strategy was intensified. To the Imperial Cult of the sector was added the Cult of Sanguinius’s Crusade. Many of the chapter serfs were sent out as missionaries to all the worlds in advance.

9) To the worlds liberated they acted as missionaries, confessors, and in an unprecedented grab of power from the Sanguinary Crusaders, with the full force of their might, were given inquisitorial power. The most fanatic and learned of the chapter serfs took on this role, and despite many protests from the sector, began a massive witch hunt and worked to root out heresy against the Imperial Cult and the Cult of Sanguinius’s Crusade.

10) Absolom III refused to acknowledge this power grab and executed the chapter serf Verio, and the Sanguinary Crusaders bombed the capital district of the planet for seven days. Any ships that tried to leave were destroyed. On the 8th day the chapter launched an attack into the rubble, and killed anyone that did not submit. Simultaneously the other districts cities saw mass uprisings of citizens loyal to the Sanguinary Crusaders that had liberated them, and within a week a new government loyal to the Sanguinary Crusaders was established. All other planets complied upon hearing of the fate that befell them.

11) Within the sector fleet representatives of the chapter were placed on the ships alongside the missionaries of the ministorum and commissars.

12) Because of the massive amount of power taken by the Sanguinary Crusaders, and edicts of faith passed by the Chapter Master that held no legal authority, there was a lot of dissension among the sector nobility, especially the fleet and governors, but the ecclesiastical authorities who had witnessed their faith and confirmed the reports of the return of the saint, had given approval. Of course, with the Imperial Cult being pushed so fanatically they also noticed their own tithes being increased, so perhaps they had let some greed oil their reasoning. Further, the successes enjoyed by the aid of the chapter, the decisive actions pushed to restore a semblance of order and imperial rule, and a lack of outside support, the nobles were forced to agree.

13) Those who accepted coined a new proverb, “In the midnight hours, a candle becomes a beacon.” That is to say, they may not agree, but because of the darkness, they had to rally around the small flame they saw in order to survive. Who is to say how the Imperium as a whole will respond when the sun rises anew?

—

Thoughts? I know it is a massive power grab, but I think it is logical all things considering. Plus, there is resistance, and there is definitely more room for resistance. The Sanguinary Crusaders are seen as liberators by the commoners, but the nobles (and even some of the ministorum) will certainly have issues with this power grab. This could create scenarios where some of the nobles might embrace chaos to gain power back, or might rebel without Chaos aid. It would create a very politically charged situation that would even force the chapter master to take on more political roles than he intended to, etc. 

Edited July 27, 2022 by Arkangilos