[Iron Gauntlet 2017]November IX & IA:November Warriors V1.4

[NovemberIX]

Greetings everyone,

So the Iron Gauntlet challenge has been an enjoyable experience so far, I've gotten more hashed out in the past few months than I have in YEARS of working on this army This is my second thread in the Liber, so maybe some introductions are due since I spend most of my time over in PCA. I'm NovemberIX, I share a name with my DIY creation the November IX. I've been in the hobby for 6 or so years now, and in that whole time I've pretty much built just one force. The Adeptus Astartes November Warriors. (By this point I'm sure you're asking yourself, what's with all the November this and that, and it shall explained. Soon. maybe. well not really...) I have been on and off working on my IA from my beginning in the hobby, and I'd like to believe at this point I have a pretty good grasp of it, but as with all things, this is a work in iterative progress.  This first post has a lot of our of universe background information on the Warriors and the IX, but given just how long everything is, I'm gonna hide this post behind a spoiler tag. 

 

So let's get it out of the way, the short and sweet. The November Warriors are the chamber Militant of the Ordo Chronos, who have (for reasons) amassed a military force and are now marauding through time. The Warrior geneseed is rarely referenced, but being cutesy, maybe, just maybe, these guys might be the last of the missing XI legion, though they often claim Dorn as their Primarch. As a quirk of either their indoctrination or geneseed, as a whole the Warriors are rather flippant (allowing them in integrate better with their human companions). They are the Astartes equivalent of that one uncle with a shed full of fabrication machinery in his backyard, three half disassembled old big body cars on cinder blocks in his front yard, and a basement wonderland of mechanical-chemical projectile implements. There are time travel shenanigans, giant robots, nuns with guns, angry short dudes, and some folks that really really likes toasters too.

That's the general idea anyway, but before we get into the nitty gritty of details let me touch on some general information.

 

1)I'll apologize right now because syntax and grammar are in for a harsh time. Split infinitives and purple prose are incredibly likely.

2)In an attempt to avoid the purple prose one of two writing dialects will probably be in use, one is this sort of disconnected and detached attempt at an Academic voice, the other is slovenly flippant and will often have a hint of snark (hence they way the warriors themselves are).

3)Most names are referential, and taken from the "Ace Combat" series of games, "Chrono Trigger", and random anime (though "Shakugan no Shana" is probably gonna have the most references at first). You may see some familiar words mutated in strange ways.

4) (these little parenthetical asides will probably get annoying, but will contain a bit of context or extra information)

5) The Fluff has been written to match the Army, and this army has some pretty absurd toys, so we're pretty much starting off in mary-sue territory (speaking of, one of my Uncles nicknamed my mom Mary-Sue when they were kids, so I've always found the name as a term kinda funny) I am actively trying to walk it back from there are justify these guys.

Alright, well I guess let's get to going.

 

Who or what are the November IX?

The first stolen concept of the November IX is from the novel Rainbow Six. For those that don't read techno-thrillers Rainbow was the name of an international anti-terrorist organization, Six was the head of this organization. I've gone a bit more cutesy.

 

November Article, Section IX of the Chronos Mandate empowers an Inquisitor of the Ordo Chronos to use, requisition, or assume command of any Imperial Organization or Institution for the Temporal Protection of the Imperium. As a measure of control, certain conditions must be met to enact the mandate, and that power does stop short of assuming command of any of the major Ordos or a Highlord. As it reads it does sound a lot like what an Inquisitor can already do, but it's a means to allow an Ordo Chronos Inquisitor to actually mess with the time stream, given that it actually runs counter to the nature of the Ordo Chronos.

 

So the November IX then is a multi-Imperial faction organization under the command of Inquisitor Belhastar Gasch, unlike in R6, Gasch doesn't call himself IX, that is left for the Organization as a whole.

 

 

Who else makes up the IX and what are their responsibilities?

So admittedly I did get cutesy again. There are 9 imperial organizations in the IX.

 

1. The Inquisitional Ordo Chronos - Overall Commanders of the mission, it's their authority that allows the mission. Their motivation is not just to protect the Imperium, but also to, in their own views, improve it (which is a goal that they fail at, badly) Edit: Their goal is a simple one, prevent any faction or species from altering the timeline, and to alter the timeline in such a way as to strengthen the Imperium.(which ironically is just the Imperium we all know and love)

 

2. The Comberth Stronghold League - Very angry very short very rotund humans who are sorta the architects of the plan, while the Mandate may allow timey-wimey shenanigans, it doesn't give function to that. The CSL did. They are motivated by the goal of preventing the fall of Comberth. They are essentially combat capable research engineers. While quite battle tested, they actually spend most of their time on the ship deep in work solving some problem, planning some repair, or refining a piece of equipment. They're kinda like Jokaero, but with better manners.

 

3. Forge Kantaris - The Magos and Techpriests of the Forge Kantaris are outliers. They enjoy not only innovation, but the passing of that information to their allies, and that has brought them much scorn from their mainline Adeptus Mechanicus peers. They are in possession of a piece of ancient technology called the Mammon Engine which they have installed as the heart of the Spite of Glatisant. It also doesn't hurt that the Magos Prime has always had a more than passing interest in chronometric regression technology, thus when he was approached by the Ordo Chronos to lend their support he agreed immediately. They are the primary maintainers of the Imperial Knights of the House Garaipena, and have a small token force that is sometimes sent on mission. And yes, they like toasters, a lot, but not voxy-toaster pattern with their incessant machine spirit ramblings, no they prefer their toasters called number 6 or number 8.

 

(So these first three are sorta the administration part of things, while yes they can go out into the battlefield they mostly stay behind and do the brainy part of things).

 

4. The November Warriors - A Space Marine chapter in the employ of the Ordo Chronos, essentially operating as a Chamber Militant. They are said to have taken their name from a previous founding chapter, which surprise, was actually them in the past. They have the most fluff out of everybody, but the takeaway for now should be that they're a small force of about 255, but they have all the toys. Unlike most Astartes, the Warriors exude a sort of flippancy which makes them much more approachable by their Human compatriots, but usually leaves other Astartes exasperated.  They are oblivious to the damage they cause to the time stream despite their Time Traveler's Immunity. (for extra-cutesy internal references, I've been debating that they're actually of XI gene-seed, logic being Emps is doing a Just as Planned, but as with anything touched by humans, it goes ploin shaped, so his project of Chrono Legionnaires doesn't quite work out how he expected). I've decided to stop debating, the November Warriors are what is left of the XI legion. They were supposed to be the Emperor's Chrono Legionnaires, but a quirk of their specialized genetic tailoring caused an unintended side effect. When their number approaches a thousand in one local area, it causes them to spontaneously vanish. Their Primarch was lost not in space, but in time. (the joke being that Keanu Reeves is actually their primarch, or at least an Expy of him, maybe Anderson Constantine Wick.)

 

5.The Order of the Frozen Flame - An extremely ancient convent whose entire existence is dedicated to the protection of the artifact for which they are named. I'm still working on their fluff, but the current thought process is they are somehow associated with the Sisters of Silence, even though they ostensibly seem like they are an Ecclesiarchy order. They are not so much an order of nulls, but more they are an order that houses a small group of them (as a sorta cover for a number of sisters of silence). Still playing with the idea that they are a bootstrap paradox, essentially established by a time traveling Ordo Chronos to deliver the technology to travel time to the Ordo Chronos so that they can travel back in time. (yes, I realize that sentence probably gave at least three people migraines, I'd apologize, but I was one of the three, also more on bootstrap paradoxes later) They operate from the ship Flame Haze.

 

6. The Knight House Garaipena - Long long long ago a Young Lady (who would become a Grand Matriarch) rose up to lead an alliance of knight houses against the traitorous tyranny of a corrupt knight house. For freeing her planet, she decided her house would forever more give their support to those who assisted her and her home. Now many generations divided, the children of her revolution continue their walk with the IX.

 

7. Farbanti 156th "Lightning Riders" - An Astra Militarum company that specializes in orbital drop tactics. A mixed gender unit that utilizes advanced armor not commonly seen in the Imperium. Requisitioned by the Inquisition to act as a more "subtle" secondary force. They're the cavalry to the non-Astartes forces. Basically ODSTs.

 

8. Aegir Fleet -An Imperial Navy battle group that is also sometimes simply referred to as "High Ground". These folks have the least fluff. I'm still trying to decide if they were just the battle group that happened to be there when the Inquisitors started making their shopping list, or if they were specifically picked, and of course, there is the ever present bootstrap paradox option. I do feel there should be a Yang Wen-li expy somewhere here.

 

9. The Astra Telepathica Choirs of Enhasa/Algetty/Kajar - The last Imperial organization to be counted as part of the IX. Enhasa are essentially hand picked psykers with the ability to "navigate" time, Kajar are also hand picked and handle cross-temporal message transmission, and Algetty have less stringent standards and act as the standard choir for most day-to-day functions. They are generally sequestered in their own vessel, The BlackBird, for their own safety and as a security measure against feedback from the Order of the Frozen Flame. So rarely ever on the battlefield (since Marine Psykers and Null Sisters are more than enough to handle anything) if they are seen something major is happening, or something very very bad has happened.

 

What is the purpose of faffing about in time?

It depends on who you ask, the Squats of Comberth are aiming to restore their homeworld somehow. The majority of the IX are under the impression they are keeping anything bad from happening to the Emps. The Inquisitors are rather mysterious about their objectives, but they talk a good game about Humanity Ascendant. The Warriors are trying to find their Primarch and the Forge Kantaris are on a junkyard trip through time. They're not about to question their purpose, they're just gonna do the "job" and hope some cool weapons are found along the way.

 

So how are they actually getting around in time (and space)?

This is where the Techno-heresy starts. The Spite of Glatisant is a massive space ship, a giant chunk of rock that has been retrofitted, more a space station than a ship, and more a floating island than a space station. But a ship it is, just one that can also internally dock it's complete support fleet, has it's own manufacturing facilities and the capacity of a small hive. It's secret is at it's heart, the Mammon Machine. A source of chronometric energy, regulated by the Frozen Flame, an Imperial artifact that can be traced back to the Emperor (he was throwing around fireballs or something, and one just froze and was recovered by the Order of the Frozen Flame eventually) it is the Choir of Enhasa that navigate the temporal translation.

 

(note, this is all new stuff, I probably should just handwave this away, but I've had an idea, even if the only place I can use it is in long form fiction, also apologies to the great bird of the galaxy for this)

 

Time incursion take a massive amount of preparation. It goes beyond simply installing the Frozen Flame into the Mammon Engine and singing nicely to it till you pop into another time period, you have to throw it all at a sun too.

 

First all support ships must be docked and secured inside the Spite, with careful attention made to separate the Flame Haze and the Blackbird. The Mammon Engine starts it's warm up cycle and beings to produce the energy field utilized in temporal translation. A single Null Sister then transports the Frozen Flame to the Mammon Engine where it's installation is overseen by Comberth Stronghold League engineers.  The Frozen Flame has multiple functions, it can act as a temporal sextant or when sung to by a psyker at the right frequency it can amplify psychic energy, when installed inside the Mammon Engine it allows the choir to hone in on a channel of psychic energy. Once the Frozen Flame safely in its place, then the choirs of Enhasa and Kajar are relocated to "tuning plugs" built into the walls and machinery of the engine room. As the choirs begin their song, the Null Sister exits via a ceiling elevator to a fairly plush waiting room, until she is needed again to contain the Frozen Flame.

 

All this singing and warming up requires one more thing to give the laws of physics the Bollywood treatment. Yes, we're ripping off Star Trek IV: The Journey Home. If all the above is done while the Spite of Glatisant is hurtling towards a sufficiently large star or gravitational object it will translocate them in time assuming they've honed in on the right channel.

 

While the IX have the ability to regressively travel in time, this doesn't mean they have access to all of time. Due to the nature of the Frozen Flame, the earliest moment available is the Death of Horus. Certain time periods are much easier to hone in on versus others, the IX believe that this is due to active providence on the part of the Emperor, sending them to era's of most importance.

 

(Note: I thought this was a cool line, but I didn't know how to integrate it, and rather than just deleting it, it'll stay here. The Frozen Flame is a moment of decision sealed in an eternity, it's also an accidental artifact of significant psyker energy created by the Emperor when he slew Horus. Unseen by all, the energy of that momentous decision froze upon a lick of flame from his blade, sent flying as the Emperor laid the killing blow upon Horus.)

 

 

If they are changing time, why haven't they just did what the had to go and went "home"?

Imagine you are sailing on a ship that was attacked by a giant cetacean that happened to take your leg. Now imagine you could go back and stop that from happening, but when you do, you instead are knocked off course by a storm and lose your leg and arm. That's what's going on here. Except instead of losing limbs, they're losing planets. Every action has some unintended consequence, and they are chasing cascading failures constantly having to make snap decisions that aren't beneficial.

 

7/23/17 Update: One side effect of that is supremely useful when it comes to the tabletop, once a campaign is done, the IX can basically hit a giant reset button to reset and redevelop our armies different relationships. For the current campaign the IX are on the wrong side of the Imperium, we've angered the Black Templars, The Ordo Malleus and the Grey Knights. I've also head-cannoned that as part of why the Imperium has gone all Kelvin-universe since the start of 8th.

 

How are the IX not affected by what they are doing in time?

This could be a post of it's own, and honestly, and it could get esoteric with it, but I'm gonna steal from Chrono Trigger some more. So let's stick with the concept of Time Traveler's Immunity:

 

From Chrono Compendium:

Time Traveler's Immunity - The unifying principle behind Time Traveler's Immunity is that once an entity travels through time, he or she is disconnected from the original timeline by changing history (past or future), and causality and consequences are resultingly broken.

 

The Warriors have a natural immunity (a point for being XI Legion), the Human forces make due with a technological solution called a Gate Key. In this case the Immunity is physically capable by the absorption of chronometric energy and the dissipation of chroniton radiation. But the twist is that this immunity isn't perfect in the way that the IX thinks.

 

Now, What's all this bootstrapping you keep going on about?

A bootstrap paradox is when an entity causes itself to come into existence in the past by way of future event. Sometimes referred to as a causal loop, or a predestination paradox. One of the ideas I've been juggling is that the Warriors if not the whole IX are one big bootstrap paradox that's slowly winding itself out via the concept of the "time bastard" (without getting into it, why do you think all movies tell you not to meet yourself if you travel in time). It thematically works, and it does make the narrative much cleaner, but at the expense of "a space wizard did it" for pretty much everything.

 

What makes the Warriors flippant, and why?

One of the things I wanted these guys to be was a bit at odds with the current trend of gritdark, I wanted a bit more of that old 80's grimdark (aka, we as a species really haven't grown up) So at some point the IX get ahold of what's essentially an early 2020's half-price books storage container. It's full of old weird media in varying states of decay. With the power of handwavium they've more or less been able to come to collate, translate, and reproduce most of it. It's had a rather strange effect on them. They revere stuff like Tom Clancy political thrillers (which they've mistaken for historical documents), the early works of the Smashing Pumpkins and Filter, and of course, Movies. They are Cinephiles. It's how they've gotten to see a young Emperor and their Primarch.

 

Yeah what about that bit about Keanu Reeves as your Primarch, and no-one has forgotten the Emperor was a Bollywood Actor joke, what gives?

I'll admit to getting a kick out of shoehorning in really dumb references. Keanu Reeves is an awesome person, and he's got movies about traveling time, banishing demons, beating up on Men of Iron, and generally being a badass. The Warriors really whole heatedly believe in all that. The Emperor is a Bollywood actor comes from me wondering just what was the Emperor doing right about now, and the most entertaining thing I can think of is him singing, dancing, and violating the laws of physics like it was nothing. I will admit I have two actors in mind specifically, but that's much less important than the Keanu Joke

 

 

Enough with the time travel stuff, maybe you should get on with the IA!

I couldn't agree more. The IA for the November Warriors will be in the next post!

Edited September 11, 2017 by NovemberIX

[NovemberIX]

++Inquisitorial Report: NV-8492-118++

++Redacted Entry Notes: [ON] off ++

++Access Level: Prima Maxima++

SUMMARY

▪ GENE-SEED: +[*REDACTED*]+ (Note: recovered Gene Stock from XI legion Gene-Seed)

▪ FOUNDING: Created at Behest of Ordo Chronos (Conflicting information / Possible Bootstrap Paradox)

▪ CHAPTER LEADER: First-Captain Tallis Degas

▪ CHAPTER WORLD: Sudentor +[Destroyed]+

▪ FORTRESS MONASTERY: Mt. Ivrea +[Destroyed]+ / Spite of Glatisant

▪ FLAGSHIP: Spite of Glatisant

▪ MAIN COLOURS: Yellow/Blue/White

▪ SPECIALTY: Tactical Specialties/Temporal Blending

▪ BATTLE CRY: Tempus Bellum Per Novem! For the Glory of November, for the Honor of the IX!

▪ CURRENT STRENGTH: 255 or less

▪ KNOWN DESCENDANTS: +[*REDACTED*]+ (Note: Failsafes were seeded in various eras, one is known to have broken protocol, operating independently)

▪ ALLEGIANCE: Inquisitional Ordo Chronos (M.30 Adeptus Chronos)

ORIGIN OF THE CHAPTER:

In one of the oldest documents relating to the founding of the Imperium exists a deeply buried mandate. Article November, Section IX of the Chronos Mandate states that the Ordo Chronos (originally Adeptus Chronos), at it's discretion, may use, requisition, or assume command of any Imperial institution for the temporal protection of the Imperium.

529.M40: A Dark-Age information device was found in an Ordo Chronos prepared location. The device contained information dated to (986.999M41), most alarming were the reported failures in the golden throne, and traces of chroniton radiation found near damaged components. This finding enacts the November Article and Section IX. Inquisitor Lord Belhastar Gasch, Inquisitor Alseyn Obertas, and Explicator Vasilievna Balavedan of the Minoris Ordo Chrono inform the High Lords of Terra their intent to prevent a xenos temporal attack on the Emperor. They leave for an Ordo Chronos stronghold, intent on raising a combat force.

610.M40: The Chronos Mandate is used to re-found the November Warriors, Ostensibly as a quick response force for the protection of the Kantaris sector from raids by Traitor forces and Dark Eldar. The original November Warriors are recorded as a 13th founding chapter, which itself was a refounding of a 5th founding fleet based chapter. Records show both were lost in defensive actions while under Inquisitorial command. The refounded Warriors were given Sudentor as their homeworld, taking aspirants from across the system.

765.M40: The first victories of the November Warriors are recorded against an unnamed force of Renegade Space Marines. While good for the Imperium, it is considered unremarkable.

CHAPTER HOMEWORLD/FLEET:

Pre-Tragedy: Sudentor was the 4th planet of a Main Sequence G-type star, it had an elliptical orbit that caused the planet to experience vast changes in its weather patterns. A Gamma class world of expansive industrial development. Mining, drilling, and refining complexes claimed entire landmasses, manufactura and residential complexes claimed the rest, except for the Southern most continent. Amid a harsh landscape, the November Warriors made their home in the towering crag of Mount Ivrea.

The planet's urban development never reached the hive stage, instead finding an equilibrium that supported a highly trained work force while also allowing for lives of extreme comfort relative to most Imperial Citizens. This is in turn made the citizenry much more compliant to the rule of the Space Marines and their Inquisitorial masters.

Post Tragedy: After the Sudentor tragedy the chapters flag was moved to the Spite of Glatisant. So named for their lost chapter home. The Spite of Glatisant is less a capital ship and more a steerable space station the size of a mountain range. It is escorted by a flotilla of escort ships of varying types, Destroyers and Frigates form an outer picket, with Cruisers and Three Battle Barges forming a close escort.

The Spite of Glatisant is a near complete self sufficient fighting platform. On board manufacting forges supply the logistical requirements of the IX, while a shipyard and inboard dry docking for all of it's support ships allow temporal translation of all forces in a single action.

The Human population of the Spite were able to replicate much of the architecture of the destroyed November City in the vast holds of the Spite, with the Millennium Bell sitting in the heart of the replicated city. Deep inside the Spite of Glatisant beats it's secret heart, the Mammon Engine. Sitting both in realspace and it's own pocket dimension, it generates the necessary Chronometric energy required by the IX. The provenance of the Mammon Engine is unknown, what is known is that it operates, and for the IX, that is enough.

PRESENT ACTIVITIES:

Known to be engaged in battles against the Tau, Dark Eldar, traitor forces and non-aligned elements.

(The November Warriors are currently on assignment with the Ordo Chronos and forces of the November IX. See Ref: Operation Blue Bird)

COMBAT DOCTRINE:

Adaptability as a chapter is the hallmark of the November Warriors. Each battle brings a new set of requirements that the specialists of the IX can look forward to tackling. One tactic is the Axe and Hammer, precision strikes aimed at parrying aside then smashing an enemy force. Some battles require the extensive armoured core of the chapter. Others have shown the need for fast moving assault marines to engage the enemy immediately. Others yet have had reason to show off the piloting skills of the Warriors.

This adaptability is thanks in part to each individual Warrior's devotion to specialization. In contrast to most marines, the end product of the November Warriors training regime is to build a soldier who will then find a field that they excel at beyond any others measure. This has lead to novel cross chapter tactics that utilize the knowledge only a master of their technique could have.

Because of their unique nature, the Warriors are not at all hesitant to bring archaic weapons of war into battle. This is partly due to temporal translation fail safes built into the major weapons of war. Should something like a Fellblade or Leviathan Dreadnought fall in battle, a delayed temporal translation will occur, within hours the chassis will just simply vanish and reappear at a designated Ordo Chronos temporal location. With this sort of insurance against major loss, the Warriors have taken to more and more desperate battles easily sacrificing war machines other chapters would only venerate in a stasis vault.

ROLL OF HONOR:

The Pari Ridge Action (781 M.32) :

Eldar attack the planet of Kirwin, Captain Daevenport leads a battle group to remove their foothold. Daevenport falls but is soon interred into the Reverie of Akerson Hill, a Mortis Contemptor Dreadnought. Armed with a pair of Multi-Meltas the Reverie Drop Pods into Pari-Ridge alone and battles for 16 hours before breaking the Xenos hold, Eldar begin to flee from the planet almost immediately.

The Extirpation of Mirren (212 M.36) :

The rise of a temporally displaced genestealer cult on the promethium production planet Mirren warrants an investigation. Unfortunately it turns out the whole of the planet has fallen under the sway of the xenos. With Exterminatus not being an option, the November Warriors spent 2 years cleansing the planet city by city, while avoiding any major infrastructure damage.

The Battle of Tysus-9: (409 M.37)

Arch-Traitors attempt to collapse the Space Elevator of Tysus-9, Varyag Squad engages and defeats the arch traitors at a grievous loss. The Elevator stands, but is irreparably damaged, slowing output from the Agri-world, bringing famine across the system. This causes the Imperium to found 17 colonies which then act as a bulwark against invading xenos forces.

Defense of Port Saint Hewlett: (552 M.32)

A series of massed aerial battles against Ork fighters and bombers attempting to destroy the facilities of St. Hewlett space port. In one battle two pilots earn Triple Ace honors after downing a combined 33 flyers. Despite repeated attempts, the Orks were unable to destroy the SSTO maglev launch rail, allowing Imperial Citizens to escape to safety.

Battle of Murska Airbase: (998 M.41)

Non-Aligned Imperial forces attack a Novemberine Forward Operating Airbase. In the skies above, the Hunter Killer teams of Galm and Garuda face combat among a superior force. Awaiting heavy Transport Forge Lord Abielle is forced to command the Fellblades Unsung War and Liberation of Gracemeria, Knights of the house Garaipena, and the majority of the chapter's dreadnoughts in a pyrrhic victory to successfully enact the Axe Fall protocol denying the Non-Aligned forces Ordo Chronos intel, though sustaining major damage. Almost 48,324 repair hours are needed to return to full strength.

CHAPTER ORGANIZATION:

On the surface, the November Warriors appear to adhere to the Codex Astartes with 5 and 10 man squads, an armoury of recognized weaponry and armour, and tactical maneuvers such as the Strike Force Ultra and Skyhammer Annihilation force. With deeper inspection it becomes clear that the November Warriors are organized in a wildly different manner.

Consisting of 255 battle brothers, formations and battle groups are formed ad-hoc dependent on the battle's requirements from inside the differing development groups. This ad-hoc nature can also sometimes be expressed in the drafting of a specialist squad, for certain battles, Sergeants may sometimes require the unique skills of a specific battle brother. Most squads are made of marines familiar to each other though, with shared histories and traditions. The development groups often operate as an extended form of training and further specialization, with each group in effect having become a school of mastery lead by a marine with exceptional experience and in depth knowledge.

Instead of a Chapter Master, the Warriors have a council of captains who then nominate one of their own to act as the First-Captain, responsible for a multitude of chapter wide necessities. This is not to say a First-Captain is not a force to be reckoned with in battle, logistics build tension, and that tension is best released in battle. The rest of the leadership posts are held by the Headmasters, Provosts and Deans of the development groups. This has lead to a high number of captain equivalents, much more than a chapter of their size would belie.

Tactical School of Combat

The training program in which Rookies become Battle Brothers. Graduates of this program can then test into other schools of combat. It's also home to the School of Applied Combat Tactics (SACT) and the Advanced Tactical School of Combat (A-TaSC). SACT Squads perform most of the general Tactical operations of the chapter, it is here that battle brothers begin to earn their recommendations into the more specialized schools of combat. The Advanced Tactical School of Combat houses development groups like the "Ghosts of Razgriz", veterans who practice a distinct style of warfare enabled by the incredible artificery of their suits of armour which combine both teleport capabilities and mini-conversion field generators, these slow and purposeful battle brothers bring fire to the enemies of man. The TaSC is the largest of all the schools, and every marine will have served with the TaSC at least once.

Devastator School of Advanced Warfare

It is here that battle brothers learn the finer points of heavy weaponry. D-SAW is unique in that it's student are very likely to be embedded with non D-SAW squads regularly. Weapons schools are differentiated into the Advanced Directed Energy Weapons School (ADEWS) and the Advanced

Support Weapons School (ASWS) which then further subdivide by specific weapon.

Advanced School of Assault Warfare

When a marine joins the Advanced school of warfare, he usually has a small ceremony offering thanks to his bolter before he carefully stores it. Because when a Marine joins the A-SAW he won't be utilizing his bolter for the duration of his study. If he joins the Advanced Forward Assault School of Tactics (A-FAST) instead he will become very familiar with jump packs, a multitude of melee weapons, and the wide selection of side arm weapons available to the November Warriors, from the humble bolt pistol, or the destructive Grav-pistol to Hand Flamers and very rare Infernus Pistols. The Advanced Mounted Infantry Combat School (A-MICS) marines generally already have their hands full controlling their 2-wheeled assault bikes, though there have been known to be some veteran members who can track straight even with both hands holding weapons.

Motorized Armour Combat School

The November Warriors have an incredible number of tracked vehicles at their disposal. While some are support specific as the humble Rhino, there are other esoteric machines that only the most well trained of crew can handle. A MACS driver or gunner will often have as much practical knowledge as a techmarine regarding their assigned vehicle. The goal of most MACS marines is to get the chance to command or fire one of the chapters Fellblades.

Aerial Combat Engagement School

ACES is the most difficult school to enter, enrollment is by invitation only. A Marine must show incredible machine aptitude along with extreme situational awareness to even be allowed the chance to sit in a cockpit of one of the Warriors air wing. The Pilots in ACES are very particular about their aircraft, often working closely with their techmarine aircrew to modify and improve their "birds".

Officer Support Training Schools

As with the codex the Apothecarion, the Reclusiam, the Librarius and the Forge have their respective domains uncounted among the battle brother numbers. Often Librarians and Chaplains who have worked together in the past will continue to do so for as long as the both are able to effectively complete their missions. The Forge has the most expanded of duties, they work in lockstep with the Techpriest of the Admech, engine seers, and Sacristans to assure that the IX as a whole are prepared for the battles they face.

FLEET ASSETS:

November Warriors Fleet:

Flagship: Spite of Glatisant

Battle Barges: Defender of Oured, Shield Apito, Sword of Bana

Strike Cruisers: Marigold, Tanager, Lazuli, Halcyon, Kaniak, Eques,

Strike Carriers: Geofon, Taisch, Fort Grace, Thiassi, White Valley, Kestrel

Aegir Fleet:

Battleship: Los Canas

Carrier: McNeely

Battle-Cruisers: Aigaion, Hresvelgr, Gleipnir

Gun-Destroyers: Kottos, Gyges

Missile Destroyer: Gumrack, Bellerophon

Frigates: Dinsmark, Hoffnung, Dresdene, Cruick, Bartolomeo, Lumen, Farbanti, North Point, Cinigrad

Faction Ships:

The Blackbird (Secure Cruiser for the choirs during non-translation operations)

The Flame Haze (Battle Barque of the Order of the Frozen Flame)

Foe Hammer (Orbital insertion and landing craft of the Farbanti 156th)

BELIEFS:

Much of the November Warriors belief system is colored by their possession of their Archeo-Library which contain some of the earliest records of the Emperors deeds. Ancient recordings showed the early Emperor had always been a righteous and heroic individual who would stand boldly against those who would do wrong, able to casually violate the laws of physics as needed. These records also showed a side of the Emperor that few in the Imperium, if any, have ever seen. The Emperor as an artist, poet and lover. With that knowledge, the November Warriors feel as if they, and they alone, know the true sacrifice of the Emperor as he protects Imperial citizens near and far.

The IX by nature eschew much of the dogmatism that dominates the 41st millenium. With science and reason as deeply held convictions, they also fully believe in the "Ghost in the Machine" . They do not refer to the battle-intelligences used in their vehicles, but that a machine of war, even as a bare chassis, has a soul that must be tended to. All must be appeased, some are willing, some must be corralled, and some have been waiting for the right driver/pilot all along. In the short term, most are satiated with a detailed cleansing, a lubricant change, and a pair of fine fiber covered numerical cubes hung from a reflective device.

RECRUITMENT and TRAINING:

In Pre-Tragedy time Aspirants would trek to the southern continent of Sudentor during the "southern cross" when the planet would ascend the elliptic plane, and the star shone on the southern hemisphere. Aspirants would first have to cross the violent storms of the southern ocean finding a way to the continents shores. Towering visibly from the shores the Fortress Glatisant. With a view of their goal they would have to navigate inward, avoiding the likes of the terribly territorial Sabre-tusk Bulls whose domain is the lowveldt, or the Ironjaw Raptora of the dense Forest of Towering Waves at the foot of Mount Ivrea. Even once the aspirants have reached their goal, they still must climb the crag, buffeted by violent gusts of wind. Upon reaching the aspirants landing, the batteries of tests for genetic compatibility, intelligence, and adaptability begin. At each stage aspirants wash out, usually to become chapter logistical support or auxilia. The final test being a 372 hour virtual battle against their teaching cadre. Upon the successful completion of the test, aspirants are then allowed to undergo the many medical procedures that a boy endures to become a Space Marine.

Post Tragedy recruitment has slowed down to an extreme, with fewer aspirants, the program has become even more strenuous. Training and specializations are done in a non-codex fashion. Neophytes will spend their first years being educated and tested in the Introductory School of Basic Tactical Warfare, where they are assigned to scout squads. Upon receiving a suit of power armour they are then graduated to the School of Tactical Infantry. As a rookie Battle Brother they're responsible for supporting combat operations, recon in force, and outpost watch. During their time in the Tactical School of Combat they begin their cross training with the various "Development Groups" in the chapter, this is to asses the suitability of candidates to the number of specializations. This cross training continues till the rookie battle brother has gained experience in all the different warfighter schools of combat, and once complete can earn the rank of full Battle Brother. At this stage a battle brother will begin their advanced training, staying with the tactical school for more advanced infantry based training opportunities or begin applying and qualifying with other Development Groups. Some, like the Advanced Assault School of Warfare, are provisioned for non-power armour operations allowing the training of neophytes, others like the Aerial Combat Engagement School prerequisite experience with a number of other school and operations and only accept veteran battle brothers.

LOCAL RITUALS:

While most of the dogmatic rituals of the 41st millennium are not observed, the IX have created many of their own. Many centered around the IX's obsession with it's own vexilla. The highest honors a Marine can earn in the IX is the right to wear the flag they've done battle under permanently. In preparation for major battle the non-combat human portion of the IX will set itself to the task of preparing designs new and old to be applied to man and machine alike. Some patterns like the Tri-Star vexillum are a common theme, others, like the Belkan cross, are much more rare.

One of the biggest influences on the IX and the November Warriors themselves is their access to their Archeo-Library Vault. The thoughts, songs and words of long dead human rememberancers has given the Warriors in particular a deep appreciation for poetry, music, and spoken word. In the armorium before battle it is common to hear marines engaged in battle song as they prepare weapons and don armor. This can sometimes carry into battle as well with the marines using their battle music as a sort of psychological weapon. In a curious inversion, many of their songs reference a Queen or Princess as opposed to a King or the Emperor.

HONORS, RELICS, DECORATIONS AND AWARDS:

Honor marks are handed out for exemplary actions in battle. These honors generally take the colors or motifs of the vexillum under which the honor was earned. Veterans have been known to wear insignias of such on their battle plate, equipment, and even on strips of Oath paper. Certain schools have adopted their own form of honor system.

While much of the Warriors Armoury could be considered relics outright special attention must be paid to the Fellblades The Unsung War and The Fires of Liberation. The Unsung War is a recovered Mars pattern Fellblade constructed during the peak of the Great Crusade. Originally commanded by the Imperial Fists is was abandoned on the Hivemoon Exalata in early M32. The Warriors recovered the Unsung War and spared no resource in returning it to it's previous glory. The Fires of Liberation was the product of a bet between Forgelord Abielle and the Magos Primus of Kantaris. Was it possible to match the abilities of a Mars original with modern equipment. Powered by a pair of twin ATCAR Landraider engines mounted in a heavily modified baneblade chassis, the Fires of Liberation not only met it's goals, it did so while applying new technical theories. It's offset turret mount allowed for increased munitions storage, while the use of a Massada pattern "Firefury" Heavy Bolter turret streamlined rearmament logistics.

BATTLE CRY:

For the Glory of November, for the Honor of the IX! / Tempus Belli Per Novem!

GENE-SEED:

[*REDACTED*] [The Warriors are the product of XI legion geneseed. After being raised to to the Alpha stage, all records of XI legion were purged as part of security measures enacted by their seconding to the Adeptus Chronos. Having never found their Primarch, the Warriors geneseed is not fully optimized, and thus restricting recruiting and implantation procedures.]

CHAMPIONS OF THE CHAPTER:

First Captain Tallis Degas: Captain Degas is the duly elected first captain, which means he's usually the one that has to deal and negotiate with non IX Imperial Forces. He is the cause of enmity between the Warriors and Black Templars based on an encounter where he struck a Rechlusiarch, breaking his nose.

Headmaster-Captain Tybault: It was very early in his training when Tybault first found his weapon of choice, twin Lightning Claws. In the time since, he has turned raw power into an art of fury and leadership. As leader of the A-TaSC, he inspires his men to fight harder and with more strength, allowing them to shred the enemies of man. Such is his dedication, he is rarely outside of his armour, always ready for battle.

Headmaster-Captain Falken: Falken is headmaster to the ASAW and was pioneer of many of the esoteric tactics favored by his school.

Adjutant-Captain Jac Bartlot: Formerly the head of the Ghost's of Razgriz, Bartlot is exceptional at leading the men and supporting his fellow captains. He is often chosen to operate with Headmaster-Captain Tybault due to their shared history and exceptional results. Because of his unique abilities and even handedness, Bartlot is among the most well known and well liked of the Adjutant-Captains.

Forge Master Abielle: Most other Forge Masters are loath to use their most advanced weapons of war, Abielle on the other hand welcomes the chance to bring out as many of the ancient and esoteric systems of the November Warriors as possible. Often flanked by his team of Automata pattern servitors, he can be found in battle tending to his machines of War. Abielle is also the Headmaster of MACS.

Forgewright Espion: A highly intelligent marine, Espion was picked to be Abielle's assistant as soon as he left the TaSC, in the years since he has flourished as a techmarine and in his role as a MACS instructor. Such is his honor that he is often tasked with commanding the Unsung War and other relic vehicles.

Reclusiarch Kurrican: Stoic outside of battle, once Kurrican is on the field, his fiery demeanor takes over, extolling the Warriors to greater and greater deeds and cursing the very existence of the enemies they must destroy.

Epistolary Alastor: A Librarian of great renown, Alastor is also Chief Librarian. He is the link through which the Choir of Kajar will report to the Warriors. He is often found in the company of Reclusiarch Kurrican and Captain Degas.

Lt. Farsa Kas: One of the Senior members of A-TaSC, as a sergeant Kas had cultivated a relationship with the pilot of the Temporiah Junah, expanding the limits of infantry/Knight combined operation tactics. Now as Lieutenant, he often acts in support roles in various operations. He is the wielder of the Axe of Elegy's Lament and the Hammer of Particular Justice.

Ancient Daevenport: Once the Captain of D-SAW, Ancient Daevenport continues to bring his knowledge and skill to the battlefield. In addition to his many exploits as a captain, he has continued to earn honors by facing down some of the IX's toughest enemies and getting through with guts.

CHAPTER BANNERS OR BATTLE STANDARDS:

(Tri-Star Battle Standards for A-FAST and A-TaSC)

+++End File+++

So C&C Welcome, I have a few idea's I need to flesh out, and a few more that I'm probably not seeing!

Edited December 28, 2017 by NovemberIX

[Dizzyeye01]

Well, you've certainly jumped into a big matter to handle with time travel. I've seen my fair share of Doctor Who and Legends of Tomorrow though so I've got a rough idea on what you're talking about November so I'll give it a go to the best of my abilities. I will say though it is a big task you've set yourself not only creating your own chapter but also your own Ordo and all the other organisations based around November IX. I would suggest getting the foundations sorted in terms of November IX and then focus on the chapters' role in all of this

 

Now, first big problem I see is that the Inquisitors are wanting to improve Humanity and have it ascend above the others. That's perfectly fine as a whole however you've also got that timey whiney stuff involved too which begs the question: what's stopped the Inquisitors' going back in time and killing Horus before he became corrupt and then put the Emperor on the Golden Throne for the last couple of thousand of years? Surely the Emperor being around would help humanity a lot more and they have the power to do it so why not? In fact, why not just grab a whole lot of versions of a big figure into the one place to help out and then bang. Sorted. It's why time travel is usually not something that is used. The closest we have in 40k would be ships heading into the warp either being lost for years or coming out months before they actually set off.

 

The second major thing I have to ask about is what is the difference with these schools that are part of the organisation? What is it that sets these apart from having a space marine being trained in a tactical squad or an assault squad? And what has the techmarines passing on knowledge given to them by the Mechanicus? They're under oath to not speak of the rites they learn and such and since a tehcmarines loyalties is split between the chapter and the Brotherhood of Mars equallty what is it that makes them spill the beans? I guess the chapter is on good terms with the Mechanicus since they have Fellblades and such and yet there's that bit of them spilling their secrets. It's a bit of a paradox in my eyes.

 

Lastly, why are they not in line with the Codex Astartes? What has made them think different with these Development groups and Schools? And why only have the chapter stay at 255 members? Guiliman did limit the numbers in the chapter but not to something as low as this. In fact, a chapter would be considered endangered at this point if they were that low.

 

These points aren't made to be harsh, just point out some questionable areas in the IA itself. In the end, it is your baby and your project so add and take away what you see fit. I'm only here to offer my opinion and help you along with reaching your end goal. Good luck in the Iron Gauntlet.

[NovemberIX]

Not harsh at all, I thank you for your very valid questions. I do have a few answers and a few things I do need to think about now. Apologies for length.

 

1) Why hasn't the Ordo Chronos just bumped off Horus before he went baddie?

How do we know they didn't and the Imperium then ceased to exist within a Thousand years because of infighting by all the Primarchs caused by centuries of pent up frustrations and anger brought on by the mysterious and sudden destruction of 3 (or more) legions in circumstances that can't be clearly explained? Or. They tried, they really really tried, but the wounding of the Emperor is part of a predestination paradox that has to occur, the Emperor is after all part of the reason they can time travel.

 

(there is also a whole other discussion possible regarding the difficulty of attacking Horus, He is a Primarch after all, but the only time you can target him is when he is before the clearing of the warp storms, and given he was the first found, it doesn't give a lot of time to actually get to him before the Emperor does. One of the unstated concepts is that temporal travel isn't finely understood, they could drift very wide off their target date, sometimes by hundreds of years, and temporal translation isn't a easy thing for them to do, it take enormous amounts of power, extremely high levels of concentration on the part of the Choir of Enhasa, and funny enough, time getting enough chronometric energy to sufficiently dense levels takes time, and during that time they are vulnerable, so no mid-battle time traveling either)

 

The reality is I did have a deleted throw away line about them being unable to translate to before a date in M31, therefore unable to influence the events of the Heresy.  But an idea has popped in my head what if they are only able to travel to certain eras? We could even go a step further and say that because the Emperor is the reason they can time travel (thank you magic fireball!) they can't travel to before he threw that fireball which we could say happened either very late in the crusade or during the battle of Terra itself.

 

An excerpt from a post that I never put up that might give some background as well:

 

My solution was time travel, (well time travel, and a packrat/salvagers ethos) extrapolating from the 'rumor' that the Ordo Chronos all disappeared, what if a radical sect of that Ordo wanted to attempt at a mission to change the past? Exclude the fact that it is in direct opposition to the stated goals of the Ordo Chronos, we're working on the assumption that a radical faction gained enough influence to make an attempt as described herein. It seems quite bright noble doesn't it? Yeah that's not where I'm going with this. Sure they are time travelers, they can even move to the past somewhat reliably, but what if it's futile? Every attempt they make ultimately reinforces the chain of events that has already occurred, when events do change they make it worse, like the time they blew up their home world. Permanently. I want to play with concepts from Star Trek Voyager's "Year of Hell" episodes, Chrono Trigger, and 12 monkeys. I want to explore what it means to be hyper-competent, but blindly groping at the strings of fate, doing untold damage to themselves and their cause, and yet they never realize it. Because to them, they are bright and noble, they are on a mission to save the Imperium, and they KNOW what they are doing. I'm shooting for Greek Levels of tragedy here with a subtle tasting of lovcraftian horror.

But I do think the most grimdark thing possible is that the Imperium as we know it is the BEST of all alternatives.

 

2) Why (so many) schools?

It comes from the lack of a company system.

 

I never liked the way the codex tried to imply that a Tactical Marine is the final stage of a marines training, it feels off to me. These guys live hundreds of years, and at no point ever decide to specialize in something?

 

Like, why would an Assault marine, learn how to get in close and take an enemies head off in melee to then go become a bog standard Bolter and Bolt Pistol Tac marine, who maybe once they get promoted can become a vanguard veteran who once again dons a jump pack and melee weapon? My take is that they become a foot slogging bolter marine first, and as they prove themselves less useless they are allowed to learn more difficult and specialized forms of combat. Since there aren't companies I instead figured the squads themselves would self train and research more efficient forms of combat for their style. All this said, Marines will still cross train with each other in different disciplines, to keep a basic level of competency, but their specialization is what allows them to be so adaptable. (an example from some actual games, using the same squads, in unbound style lists, I have played them as Firehawks, Raven Guard, and Iron hands, so the justification is that these guys have a wide breadth of knowledge, but they had to specialize to get it.)

 

The School system also ties into there being only 255 of them, there is very little (read no) upward movement in the chapter, and even then a promotion is less about command and more about doing a specific form of logistical support. So instead given the time they have on their hands they'd wanna be the best in a very specific thing, and being the best in a thing is really what brings command opportunities. As for why they are schools and named as they are, well I don't really like how everything in the codex has to relate to a company, my 255 guys are one singular fighting force, but they define themselves by their depth of knowledge and specialty, they also have a lot of old books with acronyms, and they wanna be cool just like their favorite histo-political thrillers.

 

 

3) Why do they not use the Codex?

Once again an edited out lines explained a bit more in depth. They do follow most of the logistical portions of the Codex Astartes, but because of their small size, and the variety joint forces involved the Warriors have had to make adaptions that bear little resemblance to the Codex. Also the Codex is very rigid in it's divisional hierarchy, the Warriors on the other hand would rather stay more adaptable by allowing the war fighter with the most knowledge lead or plan operations.

 

One thing I probably do need to go in an explain is that the Warriors are the anti-thesis to wild savage chapters that recruit the most violent of aspirants and would rather get in and rip and tear than shoot from a distance first. Being so cerebral, they aren't as reliant on the teachings of Guiliman.

 

3b) Corollary, why are there only 255?

There's a few (stupid) reasons why they are at that number

 

Ever play Pac-Man? 255 is the last level. Yeah that's seriously how I decided on 255. (there's also a reference to 8-bit memory limits) I have a few possible explanations though.

 

The current explanation is sadly rather "a space wizard decided it". The Inquisition didn't want an overwhelming force, they needed a surgical tool. And given the Ordo Chronos is also in charge of the nature of their hypno-indoctrination, maybe the warriors don't feel the need to question it. They have sufficient stores of Gene-seed and all of time to get aspirants from, so they can afford to be picky.

 

This is from that un-posted post

 

One of the grim dark things I want to explore is the horror of the Time Bastard (yes, that is a technical term). The IX attempts to create a fail safe by exploiting Perpendicular Time, Time Travelers Immunity and Time Error. What that all means is that the either the chapter, or the majority of the IX, is sent back to the earliest point they can reach, the fall of Horus. Once there they are put into stasis. As missions demand, marines are taken out of stasis from the last possible time available, should that marine fall in the course of combat then that same marine is pulled from stasis from a slightly earlier time period.

 

Another possibility I just thought up. There used to be more of them, but because of their misunderstanding of time travel, and how the time bastard effect works, they've been thinning their own numbers in a way that leaves them completely unaware. Every few hundred subjective years, one just kinda disappears. We'll just say that the current number is only for this current frame of reference, the future may bring even less of them.

 

The original idea was they were a chapter that was severely in danger after a major defeat (the one that has thrown them back in time), unable to replenish losses. What we were seeing was the last burning flares of a dying chapter, but the current fluff doesn't feel like it supports that very well. Then there was the idea that we're seeing them just after their founding, but that also doesn't read very well.

 

There is also one last non-fluff reason. I'm aiming to build all 255 battle brothers, and once I get there, I'm pretty much done with building on this army, I'm at 240-something (not counting officers, librarians, chaplains, or techmarines) you can see most of them in my WIP thread linked in my banner!

 

4) Whats up with the techmarines/Mechanicum being so free with the info?

So this ties into a larger theme that I failed to convey. The IX isn't like the mainline Imperium, they are much more idealized, like a sorta Shonen anime trope, everyone works together for the betterment of all. That's not to say they share anything of their knowledge or insight to the greater Imperium, they jealously guard what they know, so much to the point that they will fight loyalist forces and destroy their own facilities to maintain their opacity. This probably has a lot to do with the timey-wimey shenanigans, if you can plant a seed of trust very early on, when time comes to collect on it, that ally would share everything.

 

I'd also like to convey the idea that because all these folks are in essence a single force that it does no one any good to withhold information that could give your allies an advantage when they are supporting you. Especially because the Kantaris Forge is essentially the place all these techmarines, engineseers, and sacristans are gonna learn their trade, so why not utilize all the resources possible.

 

 

I know that the IX as a concept come off as noble and bright, their tragedy comes from the misapplication of their advantage, no matter what they do, they will not be improving the Imperium, and are probably making things worse.

 

Let me know what you think!

Edited April 10, 2017 by NovemberIX

[tkni]

Ambitious. I like it. A couple of quick thoughts:

 

So how are they actually getting around in time?

This is where the Techno-heresy starts. The Spite of Glatisant is a massive space ship, a giant chunk of rock that has been retrofitted, more a space station than a ship, and more a floating island than a space station. But a ship it is, just one that can also internally dock it's complete support fleet, has it's own manufacturing facilities and the capacity of a small hive. It's secret is at it's heart, the Mammon Machine. A source of chronometric energy, regulated by the Frozen Flame, an Imperial artifact that can be traced back to the Emperor (he was throwing around fireballs or something, and one just froze and was recovered by the Order of the Frozen Flame eventually) it is the Choir of Enhasa that navigate the temporal translation.

 

We already know that the warp can throw travellers back in time; one of the more popular (?) LotD theories has them travelling via stable warp channels that exhibit this effect.

 

If the 'magic fireball' explanation becomes too heavy handed, it could simply be that the Choir (an astropath / navigator kinda thing, I'm getting?) are able to identify and chart these 'channels' with a far greater degree of success / precision than others, to the point that it's actually practical to operate in this manner.

 

It'd also give you blanket cover for why certain time periods / locations are inaccessible to them (similar to how regular warp storms isolate systems or regions of space). It also entertains the idea that travel (not nec. comms) might be unidirectional...

 

 

Now, What's all this bootstrapping you keep going on about?

A bootstrap paradox is when an entity causes itself to come into existence in the past by way of future event. Sometimes referred to as a causal loop, or a predestination paradox. One of the ideas I've been juggling is that the Warriors if not the whole IX are one big bootstrap paradox that's slowly winding itself out via the concept of the "time bastard" (without getting into it, why do you think all movies tell you not to meet yourself if you travel in time). It thematically works, and it does make the narrative much cleaner, but at the expense of "a space wizard did it" for pretty much everything.

 

The flipside of the bootstrap paradox is that it's a neat narrative device for tragic / fatalistic stuff - think Hyperion, Predestination, Bioshock:Infinite, Woman on the Edge of Time, Looper etc. Closed causal loops, particularly for the self-aware, raise all sorts of questions about motivation, the futility of action, and so on, that can help blunt any mary-sue worries.

 

And I think, in this context, the technical term for 'a wizard did it' would be the Novikov self-consistency principle

Edited April 10, 2017 by Taeknologik

[Lysimachus]

Perhaps they could still use the Astronomicon for travel (the same way that 'regular' warp travel does) but by working out where its position should be - galactically speaking - at a given time period? That might explain why they can only jump post-Heresy?

[LancsHotpot90]

Very interesting, unique ideas here brother :)

 

I agree use of the astronomicon in their time travel would nicely fill in the plot hole of them not travelling back to the horus heresy

[NovemberIX]

As a note: This reply was started on 4/10, I'm starting to think writing about time travel is as hard as inventing time travel ;)

 

 

Ambitious. I like it. A couple of quick thoughts: 

So how are they actually getting around in time?

 

This is where the Techno-heresy starts. The Spite of Glatisant is a massive space ship, a giant chunk of rock that has been retrofitted, more a space station than a ship, and more a floating island than a space station. But a ship it is, just one that can also internally dock it's complete support fleet, has it's own manufacturing facilities and the capacity of a small hive. It's secret is at it's heart, the Mammon Machine. A source of chronometric energy, regulated by the Frozen Flame, an Imperial artifact that can be traced back to the Emperor (he was throwing around fireballs or something, and one just froze and was recovered by the Order of the Frozen Flame eventually) it is the Choir of Enhasa that navigate the temporal translation.

 

We already know that the warp can throw travellers back in time; one of the more popular (?) LotD theories has them travelling via stable warp channels that exhibit this effect.
 
If the 'magic fireball' explanation becomes too heavy handed, it could simply be that the Choir (an astropath / navigator kinda thing, I'm getting?) are able to identify and chart these 'channels' with a far greater degree of success / precision than others, to the point that it's actually practical to operate in this manner.
 
It'd also give you blanket cover for why certain time periods / locations are inaccessible to them (similar to how regular warp storms isolate systems or regions of space). It also entertains the idea that travel (not nec. comms) might be unidirectional...

 

 

Hopefully I don't channel Top gear of old and be "Ambitious, but rubbish" ;p

 

I've had this idea in my head that the choir(s) more or less take the place of astopaths as a whole, it'd probably be easier to swap out a faulty psyker than having to find a whole new one whose brain could handle temporal translation. (I've also got a visual idea for the choir room, it's suitably creepy and full of body horror)

 

So playing on the idea of a "stable channel" and stealing an idea directly from Chrono Trigger: The Ordo Chronos and the IX all disappear right? What if it's because they got sent to "a bend in time/end of time" or the "area with the least temporal resistance". And in that location are the stable channels that they can really take advantage of. The best part is that it takes away a lot of their agency in deciding what plans and plots are good ideas. I do especially want to avoid allowing the IX to actually mess with anything of importance, it plays into the theme of "Ambitious, but ultimately futile" that seems to permeate 40K.

 

 

Now, What's all this bootstrapping you keep going on about?
A bootstrap paradox is when an entity causes itself to come into existence in the past by way of future event. Sometimes referred to as a causal loop, or a predestination paradox. One of the ideas I've been juggling is that the Warriors if not the whole IX are one big bootstrap paradox that's slowly winding itself out via the concept of the "time bastard" (without getting into it, why do you think all movies tell you not to meet yourself if you travel in time). It thematically works, and it does make the narrative much cleaner, but at the expense of "a space wizard did it" for pretty much everything.

 
The flipside of the bootstrap paradox is that it's a neat narrative device for tragic / fatalistic stuff - think Hyperion, Predestination, Bioshock:Infinite, Woman on the Edge of Time, Looper etc. Closed causal loops, particularly for the self-aware, raise all sorts of questions about motivation, the futility of action, and so on, that can help blunt any mary-sue worries.
 
And I think, in this context, the technical term for 'a wizard did it' would be the Novikov self-consistency principle

 

Well you've added to my media list! My sources so far have been Chrono Trigger, Synchronicity, Primer, Kyon: Big Damn Hero, Bill and Ted's excellent adventure, and just a bit of Star Trek  ;) Ironically, I think the only source that I am using that has closed loops that work within NSCP is 12 Monkeys, everything else allows paradoxes willy-nilly.

 

I'm trying to figure out how to best portray time loops without getting obtuse. Honestly though, I might have to come back around to this a bit later, I have an idea in my head that is only half formed and it's a bit difficult to explain right now without using another 3000 words couched inside vague statements. :P

 

Perhaps they could still use the Astronomicon for travel (the same way that 'regular' warp travel does) but by working out where its position should be - galactically speaking - at a given time period? That might explain why they can only jump post-Heresy?

 

 

Well, here I was getting all technical, when there was the most sublime solution sitting right there. It allows them to be a "normal"  crusading chapter in most respects, but with a slightly wider "range".

 

Very interesting, unique ideas here brother

I agree use of the astronomicon in their time travel would nicely fill in the plot hole of them not travelling back to the horus heresy

 

Thank you much!

 

 

 

I suppose it's now time to put my head back down and do some editing, but there is one thing I am wrestling with. How much focus on time travel is too much, and how much is not enough? Time travel came to me as a way to avoid the "this chapter has a good relationship with the AdMech" angle as justification for why they have the armoury they do (there was also wanting to run a 30K list in 40K).  But I keep finding that I have to write glossaries and definitions for some pretty conceptual things, things that keep making me use the word esoteric. Also who are IA's written for and who are they written by? Currently it has an omnipotent viewpoint and knowledge, but it's meant to evoke an Inquisitorial report for other inquisitors to read and be informed.

 

Admittedly though, the first thing I'm gonna do is try and see if I can meld the Bend of Time with the Temporally Magnetic Emperor. Maybe the "channels are only accessible depending on the power/clarity/attractivity of the Astronmicon in certain periods. (would it be too much to say the Emps is taking an active role in sending them places?)

[Olis]

As an aside, you're dealing with time travel so I recommend checking the wikipedia page on time travel (with a view to checking out compossibility, chiefly) for research. Also, as with most other Iron Gauntlet threads, I have added the appropriate tag to your thread.

[Daimyo-Phaeron Lenoch]

​So, my computer ate my (much better worded and structured) post, but overall I like the idea, but I wonder about the following.

 

When it comes to The Extirpation of Mirren, why wasn't exterminatus an option? A chapter has both means, authority, and method.

 

Trainers being called deans and headmasters doesn't quite make sense-is there a reason for that?

 

I think you're missing an 'Assault' under the assault school of specialization header.

 

There's a spelling error buried in the article-pogram instead of program; you may want to fix that. crtl find works wonders to find it.

 

Mary-sue worries avoided. :u:

[NovemberIX]

 

When it comes to The Extirpation of Mirren, why wasn't exterminatus an option? A chapter has both means, authority, and method.

 

I actually want to use the Extirpation of Mirren as part of the later challenge, but the long and short of it is that it's a highly developed promethium production planet that'll be exceedingly important some 3000 years later. Which would seemingly open up a plot hole about the first time the imperium encountered tyranids, but that's actually a plot point I don't want to give away yet (but for justification, please take a look at Sandy Mitchell's Ciaphas Cain: The Last Ditch.)

 

 

Trainers being called deans and headmasters doesn't quite make sense-is there a reason for that?

 

With the school system I'm attempting to theme the soul of the chapter in academia. Time travel is their function, but students and educators is what they are. The idea I would like to try to transmit is that after graduating from TaSC, everyone is a teacher and everyone is a student. It's just that some have such deep understanding that they naturally fall into positions of leadership and teaching. If I were to break it down lets take the Advanced School of Assault Warfare. In most marine chapters this would be the 8th company. So the A-SAW captain would be the headmaster of the overall school, fluent in both forms of warfare, he's the one who gives the battle assignments, and outlines the kind of training he wants to see. FAST and A-MICS are also lead by captains, but as they are specialized in their form of warfare, so they hold the position of the Dean of their respective schools. Sergeants in those schools would be the one responsible for training the undergraduate marines. Admittedly I used headmaster I wanted to avoid the term university president (because that would break my carefully constructed acronyms that are in no way actually bacronyms because I'm cheesy and wanted to use ACES, and A-SAW sounded cool....).

 

Thinking about this, I could rename all the ranks according to the education system instead of the weird hybrid multi-title thing going on right now. So the First-Captain would actually be the Chancellor, Depending on the heiarchy of the school Captains would either be Provosts or Deans, which would make sergeants Professors. But ya'll tell me in the couple of days before I post up version 2.0 of this IA.

 

 

I think you're missing an 'Assault' under the assault school of specialization header.

 

I'm not sure I follow. But if you could point it out I'll take a look.

 

 

There's a spelling error buried in the article-pogram instead of program; you may want to fix that. crtl find works wonders to find it.

 

Mary-sue worries avoided. :u:

 

Thank you for the heads up, I'll get that little auto-corrected bit fixed, and thank you for the kind words!

[Brother Argent]

Well... well... 

 

I must say I have been a follower of your November Warriors for a while, but always on their painting side and never really got much into the fluff you have developed.  And I think I can see why you haven't had many replies on your IA so far.  I read what I could of the article but, I'll be honest here, it made my head hurt.  Now I am very tired and my brain is a bit stuffed up due to side effects of the medication the doc has got my on but I read through the whole thing and was a bit: 

 

But in a good way, let me assure you.  It isn't often I read an article and have all but nothing to be able to say.  You have clearly been working on these guys for a very long time and I honestly have nothing substantial to add.

 

But as a seasoned Liberite I can't post on someones article without saying at least one helpful thing so I will focus more of structural rather then content based comment.  Most of your article is written in serious tense with fourth wall breaks when they happen in different colour and brackets to let us a readers know they are essentially author comments that will, when the article is closer to finished, would most likely be removed.  But then there is one section where you go from serious to not and it throws you as a reader back out of the article.  I honestly cant remember the section where is was and to avoid the risk of exploding my head I shan't endeavor to read back through to find it but just something to be aware of.

[NovemberIX]

First off thank you for the encouraging words, and thank you for slogging through reading all this as well, I know it's all a bit... uh wordy is what we'll say

 

I know which section you're talking about, it's beliefs where I got a little loose.

 

 

BELIEFS:

The November Warriors don't believe the Emperor to be divine, but will not contest that belief if presented it by another chapter or Imperial organization. Their belief is that the Emperor is the apex of humanity's potential, and that through his power and sacrifice he offers protection to Imperial citizens near and far, they also believe he was a really badass dude. This belief is partly based on ancient M2 records they have come to be in possession of, not only did the young Emperor do his own stunts, he did his own song and dance numbers too!  

The IX by nature eschew much of the dogmatism that dominates the 41st millenium. While science and reason are deeply held convictions, they fully believe in the "Ghost in the Machine" They aren't talking about the battle-intelligences used in their vehicles, but that a machine of war, will even stripped down to just a bare chassis has a soul that must be tended to, some must be appeased, some are willing, and some have been waiting for the right driver all along, but all just wish to be productive in battle. Though most can be satisfied in the short term with a good washing, a lubricant change, and a pair of fine fiber covered numerical cubes hung from a reflective device.

 

Was it the Emperor was a Bollywood star joke or the fuzzy dice one, or both? And that being said, is it too much a joke about the Emperor having been a bollywood star / does fine fiber covered cubes hung on reflective devices joke also not land subtle enough?

 

I'm gonna take a quick shot here in the reply box to see if I can fix this (don't try this at home people, always edit your work in a notepad or word file so as not too lose everything if the  forum's machine spirit gets hungry.

 

 

 

BELIEFS:

Much of the November Warriors belief system is colored by their possession of their Archeo-Library which contain some of the earliest records of the Emperors deeds. Ancient recordings showed the early Emperor had always been a righteous and heroic individual who would stand boldly against those who would do wrong, able to casually violate the laws of physics as needed. These records also showed a side of the Emperor that few in the imperium, if any, have ever seen. The Emperor as an artist, poet and lover. With that knowledge, the November Warriors feel as if they, and they alone, know the true sacrifice of the Emperor as he protects Imperial citizens near and far.

 

The IX by nature eschew much of the dogmatism that dominates the 41st millenium. While science and reason are deeply held convictions, they fully believe in the "Ghost in the Machine" . They do not refer to the battle-intelligences used in their vehicles, but that a machine of war, even as  a bare chassis, has a soul that must be tended to. All must be appeased, some are willing, and some have been waiting for the right driver all along. In the short term, most are satiated with a detailed cleansing, a lubricant change, and a pair of fine fiber covered numerical cubes hung from a reflective device as a charm of luck.

[NovemberIX]

Notes: This is a bit of the segue between the last 7th battle I fought, and the upcoming battles in 8th.  For the full battle report please check out Honda's thread where he does an awesome write up of our campaign and games. For the previous game I'd normally link over to the thread in the Apoc forum, but since a certain image hosting site has lost their fool heads, I'll refrain.

 

DATALINK ESTABLISHED
....................
IDENT:KP-GC10S20

Operation Bluebird After Action Report
Forge Lord Abielle Commanding
Fabricator Espion Reporting

Operation Bluebird was an attempt to close a standing temporal loop that had been open since near the inception of the Ordo Chronos. Projections indicated if the loop did not close, and was instead broken, Imperial holdings and forces on the Eastern Fringe would be reduced by 75%. It was imperative that the Xenos species involved in the loop were unaware of their role in the operation.

T Minus 48 Solar Standard Cycles
Ordo Chronos Forces were approached by elements of the T'au Xenos collective. They had come into possession of what they called a Time Suspensor (known to us as a TPDD Type-1), unable to understand the nature of the device an effort was made to enlist the co-operation of the IX. Explicator Glenn met with the xenos and a temporary R&D cooperative was formed.

T Minus 45 Solar Standard Cycles
A research base was constructed on Helios Septa Prime placed atop a large plateau by the November Imperial Corps of Engineers, two separate sites are constructed, Imperial forces garrisoned near the Command and Control center, the T'au were quartered nearest to the Chronometric test center.

T Minus 32 Solar Standard Cycles
Construction of the Chronometric Chamber commenced.

T Minus 28 Solar Standard Cycles
The xenos time suspensor is fitted to the chronometric chamber. Tau forces continue to be perplexed as to why Imperial engineers and researchers chuckle when looking at the chronometric device. In what I can only assume was a fit of pique, the design specifications sent by Comberth Stronghold engineers resemble an intraplanet MK.XVIII KS-14611. One of the staff has fitted a "televox" sign over the door way.

T Minus 20 Solar Standard Cycles
First power on test of the chronometric chamber, there was a small conflagration as the Xenos failed to disclose their power system specifications. The damage was minimal, but enough to convince the xenos we needed their system specifications, for the greater good.

T Minus 18 Solar Standard Cycles
The Chronometric Chamber  has been repaired. Forgelord Abielle has tasked Sergeant Kas with preparing contingency plans for Zero-Day. The power test concludes with no further incident.

T Minus 11 Solar Standard Cycles
Preparations are underway for the first transference test. The T'au commander had offered a ceremonial close combat weapon called a bonding knife as the inert materials test object. It is of small size and weak constitution. The similarities to the xenos are not lost upon myself or the Forgelord.

T Minus 6 Solar Standard Cycles
The success of the transference test is believed to be part of the open temporal loop, the device will transit out of real-space and return in 144 Hours. During it's time outside of the local time plane, the device is theorized to encounter the Primarch. It is our belief that after this encounter, we may be able to hone in on his Temporaquantic resonant frequency to recover the Primarch before his loss.

Zero Day
The Chronometric Chamber has returned to real-space, but we cannot approach it yet due to immense chroniton radiation emanating from the Chamber. The temporal translation was accompanied by a massive release of energy which mostly leveled the Chronometric Test center. We are beginning the scan of the device to determine the resonance frequency. It is the Forgelord's belief that the T'au can only be planning some sort of betrayal now that they know the device is operating, therefore Sergeant Kas has requested additional support from the Shield of Apito.

T Plus 1 Solar Standard Cycles
Outer Pickets have reported incoming Non-Aligned Imperial vessels, ident scans report a mixed Grey Knights and Black Templar fleet. Riposte Protocol was immediately activated, all cogitators and records had either been evacuated off planet or been deleted and replaced with disinformation. Forgelord Abielle, Farsa Kas and I will be staying behind with a small task force in an attempt to complete the scans and recover the device for return to the Spite of Glatistant. The fleet has positioned the planet between themselves and the oncoming NAI vessels. I have requested 5th Air Wing to meet me at Temporary-FAS Timberland
for stationing and refit of the Storm Eagle Thunderhead to recover the Chamber.

T-Plus 2 Solar Standard Cycles

Mass casualties were inflicted by the Templar orbital insertion strike. The Unsung War and Sicaran #S32A took major damage, but recovery devices were activated. SACT squads were unable to prevent non-aligned Imperials from taking control of the orbital downlink station and the WOPR command cogitator by BT forces. D-SAW, ADEWS, and A-FAST QRF forces entered the combat space to help attempt evacuate the WOPR, but were unable to insert near the Chronometric Chamber. 5th Airwing provided aerial support allowing remaining Novemberine forces to evacuate, two Storm Talons were lost in combat. In the confusion of battle Xenos forces escaped with the chronometric chamber. We are currently tracking them due to the unique radiation signature of the Chamber. It is my belief we need the greater IX to assist in recovery. We need the Razgriz.

TRANSMISSION COMPLETE
HASH#CBC60082F91A345
<<THOUGHT OF THE DAY: ZEAL IS NO EXCUSE>>
....................
END TRANSMISSION

Edited July 20, 2017 by NovemberIX

[NovemberIX]

A day in the life of an Adjutant-Captain:

 

The Bridge of the Strike Carrier Geofon

 

"Sir, we have a trace on the radiation signature, 351-mark-010" A technician called from his station toward the Commander seated on the raised center daise. "Navigation, ETA?" the commander called back. "Side Real ETA 140.59, Subjective 18.37 plus-minus 4.2 deviation" reported another technician sitting ahead of him, "Sir, that's taking us to an Imperial Colony in the Granatos system" the astrogation technician continued. Commander Jon Kope began consider the necessities to support a ground assault as he reached for the comms button to inform the Novemberine Adjutant-Captain Bartlot. Maintenance cycles and ammunition supply rates raced along with CAP rotations and fleet formations in the commander's mind, knowing that the towering transhuman men he was contacting would be ordering them into battle soon enough. "Commander Kope to Adjutant-Captain Bartlot, we have found the tracking signal, Bearing 351-mark-010  18.37 Plus-Minus 4.2 to contact at current speed, the ships is at condition 3-SC" he reported, in reply he received "Set to 2-SC and adjust course to take us in, send all the pertinent information to my dataslate"

 

=][=

 

Bartlot internally sighed, he hated having to fight Non-Aligned Imperials. Especially Templars. They may have been confused lunatics who were permanently lost, but they fought on the side of Man. The Emperor wasn't going to like this, he thought to himself, even if they are completely bonkers, he finished. Still, they continued to involve themselves in affairs they couldn't begin to understand. "Damned fools" he said softly as he reached the gilded Aquilla of the threshold to Headmaster-Captain Tybault’s quarters. Another internal sigh followed, Captain Tybault was a glorious warrior, and a damned good Logistician, but he was a giant pain in the progenoid. At the opening of the doors Bartlot had found Tybault dressed in full armour, which brought on a third internal sigh. "Headmaster, the Chamber has been found, we are on course, ETA is 18.07 with a deviation of 4.2" in response a sonorous roar issued from the gauntlets of Tybault. "I've also ordered Commander Kope to set to 2-SC". Another sonorous roar, this one shorter. "Fabricator Espion has informed me that the Clarity of Purpose is cleared for operations as well." A long dual roar from both gauntlets. Then a staccato rumble of different pitches, "No Headmaster, there doesn't seem to be any T'au presence. Abielle believes that "those halibut-brains" might have activated the Hyperion protocol" Twin peals that translated roughly to "good, good" issued forth. Bartlot might have been superhuman, but he wasn't immune to headaches. Thus, after a long melodious chain of rolling roars he simply acknowledged the orders and considered visiting the Apothecary.

 

=][=

 

With the still building headache Bartlot had continued his operations checks. The walker bay had been his next stop, the Sands of Futuro and Los Canas Avenged were engaged in a heated debate when he arrived. “Look you half sized waddling box of bolt, Shikinami is Best!” said the taller of the two dreadnought, “Wrong! You old rustbucket! Ayanami is Better!” This was not an uncommon discussion amongst the Novemberine, thus the long suffering Adjutant made it clear that he would brook no argument. “Honored Ancients, put away your grievances” as the both rotated towards him he continued, “Makinami is Best!” Audible scoffs distorted by their machine voices responded, but they stayed quiet. “That’s better” Bartlot continued in his tone of non-brooking. He quickly briefed them and was upon his way. Though he did hear a bad attempt at whispering blurt forth from a loudvox, “Damn kids are so salty today!” He considered turning around, but instead decided that before he stopped by the apothecary, he’d find the distillery that had been operating on the 3rd hanger deck and shake down Techmarine Tyrell for a bottle or two.

 

=][=

 

The Ghosts of Razgriz were one of the most successful Development Groups to come out of the November Advanced Tactical School of Combat, it’s why they were allowed as much autonomy as they had, but currently Captain Bartlot was beginning to reconsider that. The Ghosts had complex traditions and strange games they liked to play, their previous game consisted of only speaking in rhyme-couplets, which had grated on many nerves, but they thankfully had a speaker who was exempt from the games. As their sergeant was always called Blaze, his second called Edge, so to was their speaker always known as Archer, and at that moment he was missing. Bartlot was attempting to address the Veteran known as Chopper and all he was receiving were various head nods and luridly suggestive eyebrow motions. This was the third veteran who responded in the same way when he attempted communication. Just as he was considering throwing the lot of them into the brig for insubordination Veteran Archer appeared, “Apologies Adjutant-Captain, I was liaising with Teleportation Control, I can report we are fully prepared for translation tactics”  as he finished Veteran Chopper again made a series of nods and eye gestures. “Brother Chopper would also like to report that he was able to make improvements to our special ammunition stores, we should have improved combat efficiency” Archer finished. Again came a series of head movements and facial tics, again Archer spoke, “he also asks, ‘What happened to you man, uh Sir?’ he also said ‘You used to be good at this’ uh, Sir” he quickly added again. With another sigh, Bartlot dismissed the both of them and made towards intra-ship transport. Flight Deck 3 was his main destination.

 

=][=

 

Many decks, sections and bulkheads away later Bartlot sat at the makeshift bar set up in an empty storage alcove set at the back of the flight deck. Techmarine Tyrell was in charge of maintaining operations in this part of the ship, he also happened to have a hobby on the side that the command staff unofficially supported. “Tyrell, you ever realize, everyone in this task force is nuts?”. The off duty captain had just sat to enjoy one of the Techmarine’s fine cask aged quadruples, which was deftly poured using his armour’s servo arm. Tyrell looked as thoughtful as he could in full armour and helmet for a moment before he handed a rather large mug over and responded in a series of 1’s and 0’s. Bartlot rolled his eyes before he said, “I refuse to believe there is some sort of improbability field in operation” and again the techmarine spoke machine code. Bartlot snorted, “I’ll have you know, when I lead the Ghosts our games made sense!”. A sound that could only be described as binary laughter filled the room. Tyrell had poured himself a mug and held it up, once again speaking in his machine tongue. “To living in strange times”. And thus as Adjutant-Captain Jac Bartlot took his first draught, he brought his day to a close in good company.

 

Battle Report at: http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/338278-iron-gauntlet-2017-november-warriors-vs-templarsif/