Index Astartes: Brotherhood of Steel

[dothac83]

Brotherhood of Steel Chapter Emblem

 

2nd Company Battle-Brother

 

• Chapter Name: Brotherhood of Steel
• Founding: 23rd "Sentinel" Founding
• Founding Chapter: Iron Hands
• Chapter Master: Raguel Hammerhand
• Homeworld: Hephaston
• Fortress Monastery: Prydwen
• Chapter Colours: Dark Blue and Dark Grey
• Specialty: Siegecraft and Bionics
• Warcry: "Ave Ad Victoris!" ( 'Hail to Victory!' in High Gothic)

 

“In our eyes, defeat is unacceptable because we are fighting for the future of Mankind. Our warcry is more powerful than any weapon you could carry. Remember that.” – Brotherhood of Steel Iron Father

 

“We are the salvation this tortured planet and its people have. Without us, this world will perish.” – Brotherhood of Steel Sergeant

 

Overview

 

The Brotherhood of Steel is a loyalist Space Marine chapter founded during the 23^rd “Sentinel” Founding. They are descended from the Iron Hands Space Marine Chapter/Legion. They specialize in Bionic Enhancements like their progenitor chapter as well as taking a specialty to siege tactics and the use of solid-state weaponry (bolts, slugs, missiles, etc.) distrusting the fickle nature of energy weapons.

 

History

 

The 23^rd “Sentinel” Founding occurred early in M38. Before then, nearly 57 Space Marine Chapters had been lost to the Imperium, due to either turning renegade, the Age of Apostasy, or attacks made by marauding Chaos and Ork warbands. The disasterous 21^st “Cursed” Founding was also responsible for some of these loses. It was after all this, the High Lords of Terra decreed a new founding of Space Marine Chapters to help recuperate their losses.

 

The chapter that was to become the Brotherhood of Steel was chosen from Iron Hands gene-seed stock. A group of veterans from the Iron Hands were selected to oversee the establishment of this new chapter. They selected the Feral World of Hephaston to establish as the chapter’s homeworld. This pre-gunpower civilization utilized steel-age swords and axes as well as bows and arrows. The warring clans of the world competed with each other for honour and prestige. The Iron Hands Veterans saw this world as suitable for the chapter. The Adeptus Mechanicus provided this world with a Fortress Monastery which was christened the Prydwen.

 

Missionaries on the planet worked with the Veterans to begin recruitment from the clans, under the pretense that the order came from the God-Emperor that every first born son when they’ve reached their 10^th Birthday was to leave their families to serve the Brotherhood of Steel. The first groups of aspirants were sent over by Thunderhawk Gunships to begin genetic testing for compatability to the Gene-Seed implants. Those who fail the genetic testing were indoctrinated as the first of the Chapter’s Serfs. Those whose bodies rejected the implants either died during implantation or were stabilized enough to become mindwiped and be made into the Chapter’s Servitors.

 

Once the first Squads of Battle-Brothers had completed their training. The Iron Hands Veterans that had watched over their development were pleased with how they had turned out before returning to Medusa. The Brotherhood of Steel’s history had begun.

 

Notable Engagements

 

• M38
• Raid on Hephaston - 465.M38: The chapter’s homeworld is raided by Dark Eldar slavers, hoping to take the warring clans back to Commoragh as slaves for their dark machinations. This proves the first real test for the Brotherhood of Steel as they defend their world and drive off the xenos invaders, but not before losing 100,000 of the planet’s population to the Dark Eldar.
• M39
• Waaagh! Garzhul - 236.M39: The 2^nd and 4^th companies engage an Ork Waaagh invading the Forge World of Marius VII. The Orks are driven back after nearly 6 months of fighting that resulted in the death of their Warboss.
• M40
• Cultist Uprising - 445.M40: The elite 1^st Company makes planetfall on the hive world of Lorthent to aid Imperial Guard regiments in suppressing a cultist uprising. The stalemate is broken when the Chapter’s Vindicator tanks and Thunderfire Cannons break the enemy’s battle lines to allow the Guardsmen’s forces to divide and slay the cultist leaders.
• M41
• The Hephaston Crusade - 806.M41 to 815.M41: Necron activity is detected in systems surrounding the Chapter’s Homeworld. The current Chapter Master, Raguel Hammerhand, sends out a signal to recall all available Brotherhood of Steel forces to begin planning defenses against the coming threat. On the Agri world of Celeborn the Brotherhood makes planetfall and assault the awakening Necron Warriors while supporting the planet’s PDF. Reinforcements arrive in the form of a Black Templars Crusader Fleet as they prove invaluable allies in the 9 years it takes to purge the worlds of the Hephaston sector one planet at a time of all Xenos presence.
• The Purging of Seania - 975.M41: The Chapter receives a request to purge the Hive World of Seania when Ordo Xenos Inquisitor Donac Thaus discovers a cell of a Genestealer Cult operating from the Cult of the Twisted Helix. The Brotherhood make planetfall and infiltrate the quarantined Hive City. They suffer significant losses though as the Cult has rooted itself deep not just into the Hive City, but the surrounding Hives as well. The final solution is Exterminatus after the failed attempt to retake the Hives to prevent the spread of the cult to neighboring planets. Exterminatus is carried out via Cyclonic Torpedoes.
• The 13th Black Crusade - 999.M41: The Brotherhood of Steel sends 2 battle companies to reinforce the Cadian system and set up siege lines to break through the enemies battle lines. This turns out disasterous when Abbadon the Despoiler uses the Blackstone Fortresses to overload the Cadian Pylons and the planet is engulfed in the Eye of Terror. Of the 200 Battle-Brothers sent, no more than a couple dozen have escaped with the retreating forces. They return to Hephaston to lick their wounds, morn their losses, and plan their next move.

Chapter Organization

 

The Brotherhood of Steel adheres to the Codex Astartes, as set forth by the Primarch of the Ultramarines, Roboute Guilliman. The Chapter maintains 10 battle companies and support staff. The Chapter also make use of Iron Fathers, a role of both Techmarine and Chaplain that is used by the Iron Hands as well. In addition, the Brotherhood of Steel is ruled over by an Iron Council, a reflection of the Iron Hands command structure. The Council consists of the Captains of each Battle Company, The Master of Sanctity, the Chief Librarian, the Chief Apothecary, The Master of the Forge, The Chapter Master carries 2 votes when deciding the course of action to take, as he holds both the position of Chapter Master and also Captain of the chapter’s veteran 1^st Company, the “Paladins of Hephaston”.

 

Homeworld

 

The Chapter Homeworld for the Brotherhood of Steel is the Feral World of Hephaston, located on the borders of the Segmentum Obscurus and the Segmentum Pacificus in the Galactic Southwest. The inhabitants of this Feral World consist of warring clans that are a pre-gunpowder civilization. Bows and arrows, swords, spears, axes, and maces are the pinnacle of weapons technology on this world. The inhabitants consist of warring clans that compete with each other for prestige and control or regions of the planet. The largest ones rule their regions while smaller clans fight for a larger clan’s favor or alliance. The climate of Hephaston is broken up into three different zones: The southern regions are vast, arid deserts. Lakes and rivers are hidden in small mountain valleys where the clans fight for control of the water. The central regions are vast mountain ranges with forests and rivers. The northern regions are great forests with massive rocky plateaus that rise from the forest canopy, where great fortress cities are built to house the greatest of the clans. In each of the regions a great temples are found that are dedicated to the Emperor of Mankind while are neutral territory to all the clans. These temples also serve as Chapter Keeps for the Brotherhood of Steel, where the recruits are sent to be shuttled to the Fortress-Monastery located on the northern pole region of the planet.

 

Combat Doctrine

 

The Brotherhood of Steel makes use of bionic enhancements like their primogenitor chapter, the Iron Hands. They’ve also made a specialty of siegecraft, preferring the application of overwhelming firepower to destroy their foes through the use of Vindicator Tanks and Thunderfire Cannons. Lastly, they are distrustful of energy weapons, rarely fielding them unless no other alternative is available. They thus prefer solid-state weapons (Bolts, Slugs, Missiles, etc).

 

Chapter Beliefs

 

The Brotherhood of Steel shares the dislike of weakness passed down from the Iron Hands chapter, from whom they are founded. They revere technology much like their progenitor chapter and will work closely with the Adeptus Mechanicus to ensure the discovery and reclamation of lost technology if they are called upon for assistance.

 

The chapter views the Codex Astartes not as holy scripture, but as guidelines of how to live their lives as space marines. They view deviations from it only when the situation calls for it. This has earned them the ire of some of the Ultramarines and their successor chapters, but the Brotherhood’s actions speak for themselves on their loyalty to the Emperor overall and the effectiveness of their tactics.

 

The Brotherhood has a strong dislike for mutants but will tolerate working alongside abhumans such as Ratlings or Ogryns. If a battle-brother shows any signs of mutation, the mutated limb is amputated and replaced with a bionic prosthetic, as they view mutations like that as a sign of weakness. Psykers are held in a high regard surprisingly, as they view Psyker mutations such as Astropaths, Navigators, and the members of the chapter’s Librarius as gifts from the Emperor.

 

Gene-Seed

 

The Gene-Seed of the Brotherhood of Steel comes from that of the Primarch Ferrus Manus, making them successors of the Iron Hands Legion/Chapter. Their gene-seed shares with their need for bionic enhancements to remove their weaknesses, but not as present than their founding chapter/legion.

 

Notable Brotherhood of Steel

 

• Raguel Hammerhand - Current Chapter Master and Captain of the First Company
• Raguel'S Command Squad:
  Brother Avrah Doomblade - Company Champion
  Brother Caldtin Purus - Apothecary
  Brother Solavar Mistus - Standard Bearer
  Brother Esdrun Ironblood - Veteran
  Brother Ashold Battlefist - Veteran
• Iron Father Hator Fabricus - Techmarine
• Iron Fathers Cadriel, Anpiel, and Labbiel - Thunderfire Cannon Gunners who were also birth brothers before becoming Astartes (Triplet Brothers)

 

Chapter Relics

• Memento Manus – A Thunder Hammer, masterfully crafted by an artificer and gifted to the chapter during their Founding. Legend has formed surrounding the hammer that it may contain a fragment of Forgebreaker, the Thunder Hammer that Ferrus Manus used during the Great Crusade, but as of M41, has neither been proven nor disputed.
• Morgause – Space Marine Bike dating back to the Chapter’s Creation, it has dutifully carried the Chapter Master into battle without any flaws or quirks from the bike’s Machine Spirit.
• Ironfist - An ornate Power Fist that has a set of Digital Weapons integrated into the weapon. This power fist is also painted silver in honour of the Primarch of the Iron Hands Ferrus Manus.

 

Chapter Fleet

 

• Hammer of Manus (Battle Barge)
• Shield of Hephaston (Battle Barge)
• Hammerhand  (Strike Cruiser)
• Fury of Steel (Strike Cruiser)
• Spear of the Gorgon (Strike Cruiser)
• Ironheart (Strike Cruiser)
• Hand of Brotherhood (Strike Cruiser)
• Light of Marius VII (Strike Cruiser)
• Righteous Indignation  (Strike Cruiser)
• Sword of Vengeance (Strike Cruiser)
• Might of Ironblood (Strike Cruiser)
• Steel Sentinel (Strike Cruiser)

 

Chapter Appearance

 

The Brotherhood of Steel has a colour scheme of dark blue with dark grey on the shoulder trim, backpack, Aquila, and weapons. Their chapter emblem is proudly displayed on the left shoulder pad while their squad designation is displayed on the right. Their company marking is displayed on the right knee of their armour while squad number is displayed on the left knee.

 

Honour Markings on the suqads are codex adhearant. Purity Seals are displayed with red wax seals on the power armour. Laurels are dark grey, along with Aquilas and Crux Terminatus’, however the gem in the center is a glowing red. Iron Skulls and Iron Halos are displayed as silver.

 

 

 

***Note: Yes I know this was inspired by the faction of the same name in the Fallout game series.***

[Lysimachus]

Well, I'm not into Fallout so I'm not familiar with the theme, but this seems like an excellent start!

 

My initial thought on reading it is that you've explained the Chapter's structure very nicely, but I'm not getting any great sense of what their character is? Are they angry? Noble? Mistrustful? Humanitarian? (This one would make for an interesting IH Successor!)

 

One thing that you possibly could focus on that came out as a few hints in the IA - a Knightly aspect? The badge, the Homeworld (which I'm wondering if it's more Feudal than Feral if they build cities and temples?) and the fact the 1st Co are called Paladins, all hint at a knightly feel to the Chapter.

 

 

Second thing, why the dislike of energy weapons? Don't get me wrong, it's a cool little quirk, but some explanation of why is probably needed, especially given that their forebears/trainers are the most tech-minded Chapter there is?

 

Speaking of which, it's also a little unusual (but again, by no means wrong) for a training cadre to go home and leave the new Chapter to get on with things by themselves. Perhaps this also needs some explanation, but could also be a good jumping off point to start explaining the Chapter's personality?

 

Anyway, a nice start, that's just a few things to think over!

[Daimyo-Phaeron Lenoch]

I'll leave some light critique whilst I'm on my phone, and may edit a full reply in later.

 

Something brought up to me during my Iron Guantlet thread was that a new(er) chapter would not have that many capital ships, especially as a chapter with a planetary fortress-monastery. Perhaps cut out one for the scout company (as they have a planet-side training area and probably never deploy en masse anyway) and the first company (based on battle barge and Hephaston maybe, and deploy as detachments for the most part). Unless they salvage an entire fleet (which would be cool) then I don't really see how a Sentinal founding chapter would have a dozen massive vessels (small rapid response ships nonwithdtandinq, maybe they have lots of those?).

[joschlumpf]

You know you already have a thread about the Brotherhood of Steel?

[dothac83]

You know you already have a thread about the Brotherhood of Steel?

This is 2.0

[Cryptix]

So, how does your chapter feel about Centurions? If you're basing this on the Fallout version, they and Terminators would be appropriate.

[Halandaar]

No prior knowledge of Fallout, so reading from that uninformed point of view, this looks pretty nice! I'll echo the point that a planet boasting fortress cities and temples comes across more as a feudal world than a feral one, although obviously there are many directions that feudal populace could take.

 

Having more of a Chivalric theme (as alluded to with the Paladins name) might be a nice alternative direction for an IH successor. Power-lance wielding bikers in wedge formations, with individual heraldry? Perhaps I'm getting a little ahead of myself there.

[Kelborn]

Never played Fallout, so I don't see your references. Your article does look decent to me.

 

As others have mentioned it, your current world does sound a bit like a feudal world instead of a feral one.

 

How about giving your homeworld mechanical beasts like in Horizon Zero Dawn? Or why not using this setting for your homeworld? Lots of technology, a good reason to be superstitious regarding energy weapon and a feral setting for your world.

 

 

Could fit your guys very well. :) If not, I might use this one day for my stuff. :P

[Cryptix]

One thing I just noticed is that the Iron Hands need to eradicate weakness through bionics doesn't come from the geneseed - its just a major part of chapter culture.