[Iron Gauntlet] Genocide Angels Sixth Chapter

[joschlumpf]

After working the whole week on the text it´s finally finished enough to post it.

As I stated in the thread of the Iron Gauntlet my Chapter is....different. To be honest it started as an excuse to have many different armies and a DIY Chapter. Now after ten years I just can´t separate from it.

The text has some flaws (or many as I fear), so feel free to correct me

I always wondered about some things in the lore:

1. Why did the Emperor know that making primarchs will be a good idea? He just creates them and wonders why everything goes wrong. Personally I always expect the Emperor to be a little bit more intelligent than creating superhumans on his homeplanet while not knowing if they go full rampage....

2. Why the hate against everything not human? I understand the hate against the major factions of the galaxy. But why purge everything?

3. Why the did non of our scientist create a single device that can travel through realspace as nearly as fast as through warpspace?

I tried to get all of this together (I was young at this time ). I let the Emperor creating a proto-primarch (which is not as overpowered as it seems but that would be to much to explain in a thread he has nothing to do with). The Emperor used a Spaceship build thousands of years ago, before the mankind had problems with AI, which was able to travel great distances in realspace with incredible speed. He used this to get to another galaxy, where His experiments couldn´t harm anyone. But not everything went right and so the primarch did´t want to kill any non-human in sight so he is open to negotiate with other races.

As it´s a little hard to explain ten years of lore-creating in a single thread I only posted the most important events in the first part, and the information of my army in the second part (beginning with THE SIXTH CHAPTER).

The Idea

It´s the days after the Emperor brought peace to Terra and started planing his great crusade. He knew that a new kind of warrior is needed. But what, if he creates something, that might threat his people, his future Imperium?

He took one of his most loyal companions with him and used the oldest and most advanced ships of the Adeptus Mechanicum, Omnissiahs Logic. The engine of this spacecraft was the only one of his type, fast enough to travel from one end of the galaxy to the other in hours, but without using the unsteady ways of the warp.

They went downwards through the emptiness between the galaxies. There the Emperor knew for sure, he could make his experiment. If it would be a success, he would do it again on Terra. If it fails, there were no real chance that his creation is able to cross the black nothing that separated the galaxies.

The Emperor and his companion worked hard and in the end they created something never seen before. The first primach was born and as hoped, he was perfect. Too perfect. He wanted a soldier, a leader for an army, not a clone who was near as capable as himself. The primarch may be a good replacement for him, if his death was near, but he wanted something different. He left his companion and the primarch and with his new found knowledge he redid the creation process but split his geneseed to make his "sons".

During the Great Crusade

Meanwhile the primarch was confident, that the Emperor will need him, sooner or later. With the help of his co-creator, new superhumans, based on the primarchs geneseed, were created. 20,000 Space Marines joined the Imperium in this galaxy and they started to claim the surrounding systems in their primarchs name.

Omnissiahs logic came back, bringing new colonists and soldiers. The news spread fast, the crusade was triumphant. But the joy didn´t last long. A new race ascent from deep within the galaxy, a shadow in the warp, crawling to the systems of the primarch.

The Astartes fought brave but almost half of them died, defending the Imperium. In the end the Space Marines won, however it was clear, that the Tyranids will come back and stronger than before. So the process of creation began again, and more Astartes then last time should be made.

A new ally

While the Space Marines were made, no less than six craftworld entered the systems of the primarchs own empire. He knew, a war with them would only led to a devastating defeat. The primarch sended signals of peace and negotiations to all of the craftsworlds and to his surprise all six replied positivly.

During the negotiations he learned, that the eldar came to this galaxy long ago and didn´t even knew the mankind, or at least not as a force to be reckoned. The awakening of the Tyranids compelled them to left their normal estates and lead them to this systems.

The primarch knew, what he was going to do next may not going to please the Emperor but the opportunity was to good in his eyes. A peace treaty was signed and the new allies fight side by side against the tyranids. The Eldar proved their worth in the eyes of the mankind, the xenos were always the first to respond to an attack, saving and evacuating the population of the charged planet, keeping the tyranids busy until the superior firepower of the Astartes and Imperial Guard arrived. After the 30,000 new Space Marines joined the war, they finally won and a little time of rest followed.

The Imperium born anew

With the eldar as new confederates the primarch had to reshape his leadership. The humans won the respect of the eldar and vice versa and the relationships between the two races started to grew stronger. The new Space Marines were called "second wave" and got divided into fortresses and crusades, all of them with new heraldic and color scheme. While the so called "first wave" were signed to the duty of defending the main system, the fortresses were strongpoints throughout the realm, specialized in defeating a determined enemy and the crusades patrolling the outer borders. A senate was founded, the members one of each faction, two of the crusades and the fortresses, one of the imperial navy, one of the imperial guard, one of the eldar craftworld and the primarch as the head. The factions elect their representative on their own. This was the new government.

At this time, the senate got the message, that Horus betrayed the Emperor and wounded him deadly. The following discussion took three days. In the end the senate declared, that the "main" Imperium was lost and will soon be destroyed. Their systems founded the Imperium "anew". Heresy and treachery got draconian punishments. A third wave of Astartes got in the making and new hybrid weapons were created, breaking the rules of the Adeptus Mechanicum and the Emperor himself.

The green threat

The worlds prospered. New systems got colonized and even the eldar were able to take some of the worlds for themselves, shaping them in their own way.

But war found them again. Orks, formerly only a minor threat, started to ravage the worlds near the northern borders but that was nothing special. Although observing them, the now called "Little Imperium" couldn´t foresee the sudden and brutal attack. A full Waaagh flooded the systems and the imperial forces had to retreat. The Waaagh was lead by an orktribe of extreme intelligence, even painting their heads red to think faster.

The black fortress, specialized in fighting against Orks, took the lead and drive the counterattack deep into the green flood. More and more Astartes of the third wave joined the ranks of the orkhunters, making them the mightiest fortress in this time. Sadly the counter was too imprudent. The "Fastthinkaz" had a tribe with them, using stealth attacks more effective then the Imperium ever met. The "Sneakaz" isolated the Black Fortress Astartes, afflicting high damage to the superhumans. Only the force of four crusades and the aspect warriors of a whole craftworld were able to throw the Orks back far enough to rejoin forces with the surrounded fortress.

The war got stuck, for every mission won they lost an outpost, for every Waaahgboss slain, a new tribe emerged from the northern sector. The fortressmaster of the black fortress became angrier every day. It should have been his biggest victory but the filthy xenos denied him that. After loosing another convoy to the stealth attacks he gathered his strongest brothers and used an experimental teleportation device, a hybrid system created from the technology of human and eldar. They teleported through almost three systems, directly into the rock of the "Fastthinkaz"´ Waaaghboss, who pulled the strings. The Waaaghboss didn´t earned his name, hardly bigger than a normal boss, but he was as intelligent as a human. However his personal guard sure were frightening. Nearly as bulking as a dreadnought they were a tough fight. Seven brothers were lost in the following brawl but the Orks were finally defeated and fled far away.

With his victory the Fortressmaster got the popularity he wanted. He was no longer the master of a "second class" fortress, rarely needed. He got one of the seats in the senate and still hold it to the present day.

But the Orks weren´t the only surprise for the Little Imperium.

For the greater good

Because of the Waaagh the senate adopted the resolution that at every time at least 100,000 Space Marine should be present and ready at all times, leading to the creation of almost 50,000 Astartes throughout the whole sector.

The next millenniums go by with nothing special happening. Waaaghs raised and break against the northern crusades and the black fortress. Hive fleets tried to harvest planets and were forced back into there realms from the combined armies of Imperial Guard and aspect warriors.

There were no surprises until a giant vessel of unknown origin found its way through the blackness that separated the galaxies. The first contact with these xenos didnt´t take long. The vessel was badly damaged and it looks like their leaders died during the incident that left the spaceship in his condition.

The xenos introduce themselves as Tau, a young race out of the Segmentum Ultima. They tested a knew kind of engine, which they believed to be a warp-drive like the Imperium use it. But the core overheated an melted through the a few decks. The following unwanted emergency break led to a system-failure in the target acquisition of the drones and they started to attack the crew. The soldiers of the Tau, called firewarriors, managed to destroy them but to late to save their spiritual leaders, called ethereals. Only after this report the "Little Imperium" came to know that the Imperium still existed and that they fought a losing battle against the heretics and xenos. At this time the White Fortress, Wardens against the Chaos, got the second seat in the senate.

Although the primarch offered to bring the Tau back to their home-space in exchange of the technology of the young race, they refused the offer and wanted to follow the lead of the primarch, who they thought was a superior being sent from the greater good as some kind of prophet.

Helping out

Again the Manufactorums began to forge hybrid weapons. The Astartes of the third wave were separated into chapter-like sizes to match the reports of the loyal Space Marine Chapters as reported from the xenos. They were ordered to get ready to support their brothers but the senate didn´t wanted the Imperium let them know the Little Imperium exists. The Marines were taught that the Imperial Truth gave way to a cult, worshiping the Emperor as a god. They were free to adept the religion as their own, if they wanted.

Ten of this new "Chapters" were the vanguard, supported with fortress-squads as their "1st Companies". These were sent to the Imperium, ordered to fight mostly against the traitors, the Tyranids and the Orks but helping wherever they could. While the "Chapters" were send away rumors spread across the Little Imperium that the primarch went on with an old project of him, creating Space Marines unlike everything that was seen before.

THE SIXTH CHAPTER

History of the Sixth in the Imperium

Omnissiahs Logic deployed most of the new-founded Chapters in the heart of the Segmentum Tempestus and the sixth too. It was near the planet Aleusis.

Aleusis, once a fortressworld, got attack by Tyranids. After defeating the xenos once the planetary governor declared, that his planet needs no support of the Imperium, its PDF strong enough to destroy every foe. That was a big mistake. The Tyranids came back, stronger then last time. Although again defeated the loss of man was unbearable for most of the population and they started to revolt. After seeing the sheer mass of the revolting people even the guardsmen of the governor turned on him.

Two years later, the sixth arrived in Aleusis orbit. The scans showed, that the population turned to Nurgle. That alone would be enough for the sixth Chapter to redeem the planet in fire. But the Tyranids were near. The Astartes hide behind one of Aleusis moons and waited for the xenos to charge the planet. Soon after the Tyranids attacked, the whole planet was covered in excrements, blood and other, more ghastly, liquids.

At the hottest phase of the battle, the second company captured on one of the fortresses on the southern continent. By and by the other companies arrived, securing the bridgehead.

What the sixth didn´t know was, acolytes of the Ordo Hereticus investigated the events on the planet and their Inquisitor made sure that no loyal Space Marine Chapter interfered. With the sixth having no contact to the Imperium they instantly pull the Inquisitions attention.

Homeworld

The Irondeserts of Alhkost. Though having almost no human life on it, its oceans are full of wildlife. An arm of hive fleet Lorr tries to conquer the biomass on a regular basis but gets thrown back by the 3000 Astartes stationed there. 800 were mustered to build the 6th Chapter of the vanguard. The people and Marines on Alhkost have a natural resistance against psychic powers and so they were predestined to fight enemies with vast use of them. Because of this many brothers switch to the White Fortress if the possibility occurs.

Combat doctrines

Because of their sandy homeworld the sixth chapter normally don´t use tanks, they rely heavily on infantry. Most of the time they will take a easily to defend point and let the enemy approach, using a rain of bolt-shells and plasma-energy to devastate them.

With them being resistant to the energies of the Immaterium, they have no psyker themself.

Being tight bound to the White Fortress, their first company exist of Grey Knight-like Astartes. Although holding some similarities the White Fortress is quite different. The main disparity is, that the Space Marines of the White Fortress are blind and therefore less effected by the obscene shape of the demons and using their other senses to locate their foes. They also only using very few psykers and these individuals only to protect themselves against the psychic attacks of the Chaos.

While the members of the sixth chapter stand back shooting with everything they have, the first company leading counterattacks against the weakest points of the enemies frontlines or teleporting behind the lines, in the heart of the foes command HQ´s or their artillery.

Culture

While the Space Marines of the Sixth Chapter are quite normal (for Astartes) their profession seperates them.

Assault Marines have a hunting culture, like people on a Savage World/ Feudal World. When they find the time they often go hunting fearsome creatures on Death Worlds. They decorate themselves with the fur or the bone of these monsters and the more one wears the more respected he is among the Assault Marines.

While many leading officers are against the sensless life risk that this kind of hunting involves, it is evident, that the special tactics and skills which are neccessary for it are a good training and the Assault Marines often proves themselves in battle.

The Devastors are more the intellectual type of person. Many Chaplains were former members of Devastor squads and many of the most reknown "sacred" writings are made by them. Often people misunderstand them for hermits but actually they use their scripts to join their brothers life by providing stories about their greatest victories, moral boosting psalms and even entertaining them during feasts.

The Space Marines of the Third Wave always try to have a good relationship with the normal human on the planets they are deployed on. With the Sixth Chapter being away from their home it appeared to be quite difficult to interact with the Imperial population. They try to be as friendly as possible but also very reserved.

Organization

The first company exists of Astartes of the White Fortress. Exactly 100 battle-brothers and 2 psykers under the lead of one Companysergeant. With them came 20 Tactical Dreadnought Armours and three Dreadknights.

The second company provides 100 close combat Space Marines. Being more of the ranged soldiers even the Assault Marines make heavy use of short range weapons, weakening there target before attacking. Sometimes they are used to destroying tanks behind enemy lines if they have more range than the Devastorsquads of the sixth. This company has no psykers and one Companysergeant. They have three Dreadnoughts and five Drop Pods.

The third, fourth and fifth company use 150 Tactical Marines each. Although being excellent in ranged combat the tactical squads hardly ever use heavy weapons. They rely on fast paced cover changes and protect their Devastorsquads while using different ammunition types, depending on which enemy they face. These companies have no psykers and one Companysergeant each. They have seven Landspeeders.

The sixth, seventh and eighth company contains 80 Devastor Marines and 30 Tactical Marines each. They build the main force of the Chapter. The tactical Marines are mostly used to step in on the duty of fallen brothers of the Devastor squads maintaining full firepower even in the chaos of battle. Each company is lead by one Companysergeant and has no psykers. They use six Dreadnoughts.

The ninth company is the reserve. Being far away from home the ninth trains the newcomers, recruited in the Imperium itself and provide skilled Astartes if the other companies run short of manpower. They have no direct lead, only a veteran who does the logistics. At the beginning of their mission they counted 100 battle brothers and 200 scouts, recruited from the Little Imperium, ensuring enough backup until they could start recruiting in the Imperium.

With no direct homeworld, the sixth Chapter is forced to live on spaceships. Although keeping quite near to each other, the companies are separated with the third and sixth, the fourth and seventh as well as the fifth and eighth building armies together and the first and second intervene wherever they are needed. They recruit only from planets with no importance to the Imperium and avoid contact with the "main" factions as good as possible but the Inquisition already knows about the ten new Chapters, starting their investigations only a month after the Chapters arrival in the Segmentum Tempestus.

Appearence and Arms

First Company

As the name suggests the members of the White Fortress are wearing a complete white armour. The eye-patches are sealed creating room for better systems to assist their other senses. All Astartes use a arm-mounted storm bolter on one hand and a energy weapon on the other. The sergeant terminator armour use the energy fist as standard close combat weapon.

Rest

The third wave wears orange, with red-orange shoulder-pads, knee-pads and lower-leg-armour. The hands are green and the helmet is gray.

Assault Marines often take flamers and meltas with them. Their sergeants commonly uses the plasma pistol.

Tactical Marines usually utilize boltguns on every squad-member, with one using a special weapon, most likely a plasma gun or a melta.

Devastor Marines never use rocket launcher, they always rely on a mix of lascanon, plasma canon, heavy bolter and multimelta.

Against extreme large horde armies they often change their armament.

Assault Marines then take boltguns instead of the typical bolt pistol/chainsword combination and deploying by Drop Pods.

Tactical Marines utilize heavy bolters and use flamers instead of meltas.

Devastors keep their arms, occasionally fielding squads with only heavy bolters if the hordes send no tanks or monster into the battle.

Battlecrys

First Company: "Justice leads our sword!"; "No traitor/demon shall stand!"

Rest: "Save the Imperium!"; "Let our rage hail down on them!"

Edit: Layout didn´t worked as expected.

[Dizzyeye01]

First of, welcome to the Liber, Glad to see another challenger in the Iron Gauntlet. I will say though, you've got time so don't go rushing around trying to cram in a whole bunch of words just to get a word limit reached: this isn't school so it isn't needed. ;)

 

Second, you may want to explain your idea in say a paragraph or something so that everyone around here knows what you're trying to achieve with this article. That way, we are better prepared on what you and trying to achieve and help you reach that goal that you've set yourself.

 

Third, I would take a step back and see whether or not the ideas work with each other. You've got a lot stuffed into the one article and it can be very confusing for someone not in your head to know what is going on. I know I've certainly needed to be told that recently.

 

Lastly, how much are you willing to stay within the bounds of what we know as the current state of the Galaxy? Again, it's just so that we the viewers know what you're angle you're going for. From what I gathered there's an ultimate primarch mixed in here along with there being space ships that can travel better out of the warp then those that jump in it which is some pretty crazy stuff from the perspective of someone who wants to try and keep within the boundaries set by GW.

 

In the end though, remember that this is your project. We may give as must constructive feedback on the work you've decided to show us but at the end of the day it's your call to say whether or not your happy with what you've created.

[joschlumpf]

First of, welcome to the Liber, Glad to see another challenger in the Iron Gauntlet. I will say though, you've got time so don't go rushing around trying to cram in a whole bunch of words just to get a word limit reached: this isn't school so it isn't needed.

Second, you may want to explain your idea in say a paragraph or something so that everyone around here knows what you're trying to achieve with this article. That way, we are better prepared on what you and trying to achieve and help you reach that goal that you've set yourself.

Third, I would take a step back and see whether or not the ideas work with each other. You've got a lot stuffed into the one article and it can be very confusing for someone not in your head to know what is going on. I know I've certainly needed to be told that recently.

Lastly, how much are you willing to stay within the bounds of what we know as the current state of the Galaxy? Again, it's just so that we the viewers know what you're angle you're going for. From what I gathered there's an ultimate primarch mixed in here along with there being space ships that can travel better out of the warp then those that jump in it which is some pretty crazy stuff from the perspective of someone who wants to try and keep within the boundaries set by GW.

In the end though, remember that this is your project. We may give as must constructive feedback on the work you've decided to show us but at the end of the day it's your call to say whether or not your happy with what you've created.

Thanks for welcoming me

1. I know this isn´t school (gladly I hated my english teacher) but I would be really happy if I could achieve gold in the challenges. Sadly I don´t have that much times I would like to have (or expected) so I have to force me to achieve a certain goal (like the 3001 words).

2. I will try that but not sure if possible with my twisted mind working on it

3. I understand if people are confused, I worked ten years on this lore and I´m not really finished. I tried to put in only the most important parts, to not break everything, but it´s kinda hard.

4. I try to get that in, in number 2 XD

Actually, I am already really happy with what I created but I always wanted to do more with it. Sadly my group is...let´s say lazy on this part, so I might be a little to excited to finally be able to do something with my Chapter

[NovemberIX]

So I do hope you come back to this, I know I've enjoyed fleshing out my IA. For now though, some C&C. I'd like to suggest winnowing some of the themes and ideas down to a core concept. One example is your primarch seems to have gotten some tau followers (which means your primarch has been around for at least 10,000 years) what has he been doing? Why did 6 Eldar craft world show up (which is a massive amount of Eldar!)? I guess my main question is, is this an IA or a whole alternate universe?

 

Now since this isn't school I'd like to mention one thing, if you're being "forced" to write in a way that isn't conducive to the story you want to tell, don't put it in there. Getting gold here is a personal achievement, don't short change yourself by doing work you don't feel is the best you can make it. If it only qualifies as bronze on length, then make it the best bronze it can be.

[joschlumpf]

Thanks for your comment. Actually I just visited my article yesterday to add the Culture-paragraphes!

Alternate Universe is a little much but it is definitly something "new". It all takes place in another galaxy (as stated iirc my article :P) and I didn´t want to go overboard with what happens there because it has only little to do with the Sixth Chapter. If there is interest in the background (actually it doesn´t seem like this) I would do a whole thread about the complete story of my Astartes.

I don´t see your point with the Tau. I stated my primarch was created before the rest and I never stated he is dead, so with other Primarchs/Marines being still around in M41 I don´t see a problem with that.

The thing with the Eldar is kind of bad explained by myself. If I find the time, I will clarify how they come all to the same sector.

To the last paragraph. I have to force myself to achieve something or I will never do anything. (Like the WHFB minitures I have..... )

My hobby group is extreme lazy when it comes to "challenges" like the iron gauntlet (our last 4 generals ended after 2 months because ), so i force myself to paint or write something. I really love doing these things but it´s hard if noone else in the group wants to do this (or paint the 500 points as bad as possible in two hours....)

If I don´t force me to do the gold in these challenges I won´t even get to bronze, I know myself for to long to deny that :D

[NovemberIX]

I'm glad you're still plugging away then :)

 

The Tau bit coupled with the Eldar bit kinda goes against the majority of the imperial stance on Xenos (Suffer not the alien to live), Xenos races are only looking out for themselves, just as humanity has to look out for itself. So the question is, why would the Tau follow the proto-primarch, and why would the proto-primarch not do as the Emperor commanded the rest of the Imperium at large?

[joschlumpf]

It all started as an excuse to use the armies I like and don´t have to say they hate each other (I came into 40k at the age of twelve, that may explain that :D )

 

The Tau had no other choice, their etherals were dead and their ships wrecked. The primarch gave them a chance to survive and a place to life and the Little Imperium helped them to build settlements and defend them. So over the years the bond between the races grew stronger. (They don´t follow the primarch, they are more like a tolerated sub-culture like Ogryns or Ultramarines)

 

Why he act, more or less, against the Emperor is because his geneseed is "corrupted". The loyal companion was against the hatred of the Emperor and thought the Imperium should at least try to make peace with some races. So he manipulated some little things from the making process and after the Emperor left he teaches the primarch more about diplomacy and the benefits of trading with other races.

That is one of the reasons, they don´t want the Imperium to know of their existence.

[Daimyo-Phaeron Lenoch]

the Imperium won the respect of the Eldar and vic versa

You're missing an 'e' at the end of 'vice'

 

...its PDF strong enough to destroy ever foe. A big mistake .

I have a hunch you meant 'destroy every foe' there. Also, 'A big mistake.' doesn't make a lot of sense grammatically. While it could be a full sentence, when writing from an omniscient or semiomniscient perspective a sentence like 'That was a big mistake,' or attaching it to every foe to make it 'strong enough to destroy every foe, which was a big mistake.'

 

I'm not an English major but I do remember some stuff from English class.

 

whole planet was covered in blood, excrement, and other, more ghastly, liquids.

I'm not sure I get the point of this line. Also, depending on what you refer to by 'more ghastly liquids' this could fit a Slaaneshi cult just as well.

 

Will the inquisition bit be expanded upon later? If you get it done quickly you may be able to push yourself to gold with it.

 

With the Eldar, perhaps one craftworld, and the reason they show up is because they foresee more Eldar children down the line with that path? (In the Priests of Mars series a small Eldar cruiser is willing to take on a full Mechanicus exploratory fleet for two potential Eldar children. Needless to say, they get wrecked,

as the Ark Mech shoots a black hole at them and then drags the Eldar back in time to ensure the shot connects.

 

 

And lastly, may I say I love the idea that Ultramarines are a tolerated subculture, though I'm a little confused as to how they meet/have Ultramarines within their borders?

 

And don't worry about justifying 10 years of personal fluff, it's your fluff. We're really just along for the ride. :tu:

[joschlumpf]

the Imperium won the respect of the Eldar and vic versa

You're missing an 'e' at the end of 'vice'

As soon as I have time (and find the part of the text) I will correct it.

...its PDF strong enough to destroy ever foe. A big mistake .

I have a hunch you meant 'destroy every foe' there. Also, 'A big mistake.' doesn't make a lot of sense grammatically. While it could be a full sentence, when writing from an omniscient or semiomniscient perspective a sentence like 'That was a big mistake,' or attaching it to every foe to make it 'strong enough to destroy every foe, which was a big mistake.'

With the big mistake, that was clearly a mistake from me, thinking in german while writting english xD

whole planet was covered in blood, excrement, and other, more ghastly, liquids.

I'm not sure I get the point of this line. Also, depending on what you refer to by 'more ghastly liquids' this could fit a Slaaneshi cult just as well.

Will the inquisition bit be expanded upon later? If you get it done quickly you may be able to push yourself to gold with it.

The Inquisition part will be in the battlefluff and the story for the other challenges. I already have the gold (in wordcount, I will delete this sentence).

With there being only Nurglethings is mainly because of the new DG-models. As soon as Slaanesh makes is big entrance I will write them in....somehow xD

With the Eldar, perhaps one craftworld, and the reason they show up is because they foresee more Eldar children down the line with that path? (In the Priests of Mars series a small Eldar cruiser is willing to take on a full Mechanicus exploratory fleet for two potential Eldar children. Needless to say, they get wrecked,

as the Ark Mech shoots a black hole at them and then drags the Eldar back in time to ensure the shot connects.

And lastly, may I say I love the idea that Ultramarines are a tolerated subculture, though I'm a little confused as to how they meet/have Ultramarines within their borders?

I hope you didn´t just spoil me book three (at the moment I finished book two)

The Eldar are all survivors of the Fall which found shelter in this galaxy. With the tyranids grewing stronger every day they had to find a new shelter. The "Little Imperium" just happens to be the best place for that, that is why there are 6 craftworlds and not only one, they all stayed together to survive.

The smurfs was just meant to be a side blow (hope this exists in english) to me seeing Ultramarines as lesser Astartes.

Edit: found the mistakes and corrected them