The Sanguine Eagles - Index Astartes (WIP) [Iron Gauntlet]

[Halandaar]

Sanguine Eagles

• Gene-Seed Predecessor – Blood Angels
• Founding – Unknown
• Chapter Master – Arias Nuriel
• Chapter World – Ixotha (former), now Fleet-Based
• Flagship – Judgment of Baal
• Main Colours – White, Red & Black
• Battle Cry – “Blood, for Father and Throne!”
• Current Strength – Approx. 600
• Known Descendents – None
• Allegiance – Loyalist

Colours

Origins of the Chapter & Gene-Seed

The precise origins of the Sanguine Eagles are unclear, though it is known that they are derived from the Geneseed of Sanguinius and embrace this lineage with pride. The earliest obtainable records for the chapter date from late M35, which leads the Administratum to believe they were raised during one of the foundings in that period. Whether the Sanguine Eagles were themselves founded from successor-chapter genestock is unconfirmed.

Chapter Home World / Fleet

The Sanguine Eagles are a fleet-based Chapter, having endured the destruction of their initial homeworld on Ixotha in M38. The nomadic Ixothans provided the stable, hardy population required by the Sanguine Eagles for recruitment, and they established it as their homeworld shortly after arrival.

The destruction of Ixotha came about not as a result of war, but an unpredicted supernova event in a nearby system. The distance was sufficient to allow the evacuation of the Chapter’s manpower, support staff and materiel from the surface in good time, but the resulting cosmic radiation rendered the planet uninhabitable by unaugmented humans within 8 Terran years. With the loss of their traditional recruiting grounds (and the prospect of the remainder of the system becoming unstable due to gravitic changes), the Sanguine Eagles opted to abandon the world altogether, becoming a fully fleet-based chapter operating from the Chapter Barque “Judgment of Baal”.

Present Activities

During 998.M41, the entire Sanguine Eagles chapter was engaged in the coreward region of Segmentum Tempestus, suppressing a renegade incursion consisting of Nurgle-aligned Chaos Space Marines and human cultists in the Ygrania system. Other Imperial assets involved include an expeditionary force of the Adeptus Mechanicus from Mars.

As of 999.M41, the Sanguine Eagles have withdrawn from this region, presumably to heed the call of the Blood Angels in defence of the Baal system, although there is as yet no record of the chapter’s involvement in that engagement.

Combat Doctrine

As with all Blood Angel successor chapters, the Sanguine Eagles have a predilection for close-quarters warfare; the Chainsword is preferred to the Bolter and the Meltagun preferred to the Lascannon. Tactical Squads commonly deploy in Rhino and Razorback transports, with Drop Pods given over to the insertion of Assault Squads and Dreadnoughts.

The Sanguine Eagles maintain many more Assault Squads than a conventional Codex-adherent chapter, with the majority making use of Jump Packs for low altitude insertion and increased manoeuvrability. These squads are backed up by large contingents of bike squads and Land Speeder teams.

The role of the Scout Company in the field, aside from reconnaissance, is primarily focussed on securing favourable deployment sites for Drop Pods, Jump pack squads and Terminators. Sniper Rifle equipped squads are uncommon among the initiates of the Sanguine Eagles, with the preference being for higher manoeuvrability. Attempts to secure the Land Speeder Storm STC have been rebuffed by the Adeptus Mechanicus for reasons unknown, and so many of the Chapter’s Scout units make use of Bikes to aid swift redeployment.

In recent years, as has become common among the children of Sanguinius, more and more battle brothers succumb to the Black Rage. This has led to further consequences, with multiple incidents of collateral civilian and allied casualties caused by Marines in the grip of the Rage. The Chapter by no means bears as dark a reputation as the Flesh Tearers, but the increase in these incidents has drawn the eye of Imperial authorities who continue to monitor the Chapter.

The continual increase in the numbers of Marines falling to the Black Rage is having a marked effect on the Chapter’s operational strength, with ever more severe psycho-indoctrination techniques being used to prepare initiates for ascension, in an effort to replenish the Chapter.

Roll of Honour - Selected Engagements

914.M41 – Pirus Nova – Elements of the Sanguine Eagles are dispatched to suppress a renegade planetary Governance regime in what is seemingly a straightforward operation. An uncommonly resolute resistance is subsequently revealed to be the handiwork of Eldar manipulators, who harry the Sanguine Eagles for weeks before withdrawing from the conflict without warning. Pirus Nova is subsequently returned to compliance following the execution of the entire ruling house. No cause for Xenos activity has ever been determined, and no discernible outcome from their intervention has been established.

952.M41 – Xarinthian Incident – A multi-chapter Xenos-cleansing operation in the region of the Hell Stars is taken by surprise when the Ork stronghold world Xarinth is revealed to be a Necron Tomb world. Elements of the Red Talons, Dark Hunters and Raven Guard chapters engaged on Xarinth are able to withdraw, but the Sanguine Eagles strike force is entirely destroyed, resulting in loss of over 90 Marines and attached vehicles.

989.M41 – Waaagh! Krunth – Further Ork presence around the Hell Stars coalesces into a full Waaagh! Once again, several Chapters are called to assist and this time the Sanguine Eagles deploy 6 companies to the effort, who match the Orks for ferocity and secure notable victories. 3^rd Company Captain Achus Sarael is singled out for commendation by the overall commander of the Imperial Forces present, Captain Aethon Shaan of the Raven Guard, following his actions in Hive Kyrus.

998.M41 – Ygranian Uprising – Several worlds in the Ygrania system on the coreward edge of the Segmentum Tempestus are consumed in rebellion, ostensibly incited by cultists aligned with the dark gods. Planetary Defence Forces are quickly overwhelmed and the system is forced to call for aid. The Sanguine Eagles answer the call and initially deploy 2 companies to quell the uprisings on the Agri-World Ygrania II and the Hive World system-capital Ygrania VI. An extensive warband of Nurgle-aligned Chaos Space Marines is discovered to be operating in the system, which in concert with the huge numbers of cultists cause 84% casualties among the deployed Sanguine Eagles companies. The remainder of the chapter arrives to relieve the beleaguered 3^rd and 5^th Companies. The ultimate outcome of this conflict is currently unknown.

Chapter Organisation

In broad terms, the chapter adheres to the Codex Astartes structure, with 10 companies comprising a Veteran company, 4 Battle companies, 4 Reserve companies and a Scout company. However, there are a handful of differences;

• Battle Companies consist of 4 Tactical Squads, 4 Assault Squads and 2 Devastator Squads, as opposed to the usual 6/2/2 configuration.
• There are 1 Tactical, 2 Assault and 1 Devastator Reserve Companies, as opposed to the usual 2/1/1 configuration.
• The 7^th Assault Company is entirely made up of Bike Squads and Land Speeder Squadrons, while the 8^th Assault Company consists entirely of Assault Squads.

Fleet Assets

• Chapter Barque – Judgment of Baal
• Strike Cruiser – Hand of Auriel
• Strike Cruiser – Ixotha’s Legacy
• Strike Cruiser – Blood Reaper
• 8 Gladius Frigates

Rituals

A number of varied rituals and rites of passage existed among the nomad tribes of Ixotha, who for the most part viewed each other with mistrust. However, all the disparate tribes shared a single coming-of-age ritual; The Blood Branding. In order to earn acceptance as an adult of the tribe, the young Ixothans were required to display martial prowess and secure their first kill, a warrior from an opposing clan.

Upon completion of this task, the victorious tribesmen would cut the symbol of his opponent’s clan in to the flesh of his face; a somewhat unusual affectation, but akin to the taking of a trophy. This was the mark of adulthood; the birth of a warrior.

It was considered shameful for a tribesman to bear the mark of his own clan. Men so marked were shunned by their communities, for who would take the life of a fellow member of the tribe other than a born traitor?

Prior to the loss of Ixotha, all Astartes recruited from this world bore a Blood Branding clan mark. Following their exodus and the resulting recruitment from new worlds, the brothers of the Sanguine Eagles adapted the ritual for their new recruits, who would mark the flesh of their faces with the sign of the first foe slain in the Emperor’s name, in the old runic script of Ixotha.

Champions of the Chapter

Arias Nuriel – The Bloodsworn, Patriarch of Ixotha, Chapter Master

Current Chapter Master of the Sanguine Eagles; Nuriel’s strategic brilliance saw him victorious in numerous campaigns, and upon the death of the previous Chapter Master, he was elevated from his previous rank as Captain of the 2^nd Company with the unanimous acclaim of his peers.

Whilst a savage combatant in his own right, Nuriel knows the value of managing a battlefield, and attempts to shield himself from the lingering thirst he and his brethren possess for as long as possible, so as to ensure a favourable outcome. Only when his brutal prowess is truly required does he join the fray directly.

Achus Sarael – The Crimson Hand, Warden of Kyrus, 3^rd Company Captain

Captain of the 3^rd Battle Company, Sarael has a gift for violence that is both appalling and mesmerizing to behold. His domain is the front lines, in amongst the enemy in brutal close-quarters combat. His actions in Hive Kyrus, where he single-handedly eliminated three Ork walkers and scores of greenskins, earned him the commendation of the overall commander of Imperial forces present.

Sarael prefers instruments of brute force to crush and shred the foes of the Emperor; as such, he commonly deploys with a Thunder Hammer, or if the circumstances dictate it, a customised suit of Terminator Armour with two Chainfists.

Here we go then, first ever attempt at something like this and very much WIP. Would be grateful for feedback, criticism and questions!

• Edit 01 = Added painter image

[Charlo]

Looks cool!

 

When you're done be sure to add it to our repository over in:

 

THE SLATE OF SANGUINE SUCCESSORS

[Brother Argent]

So a short comment as this is from my phone and i struggle to even get it to string even a few good sentences together due to auto correct but i still try. At the moment i am struggling to see what makes them any different from just about any other blood angel successor. Not wishing to be harsh but that's how they read at the moment. I am sure with more detail it will become clearer.

 

Also what is it with the whole homeworld destruction fleet based thing these days. It doesn't seem to add anything to your guys so u would suggest either developing it further or dropping it entirely.

 

Keep at it though and looking forward to where you take these guys. Oh and welcome to the gauntlet.

[Legionare]

Just a pair of quick questions about your IA:

 

About the rituals, are you planning on modelling some characters with those scars? It would be interesting to see how you implement that. Also do you have anything thought about the destruction of their homeworld, as that undoubtedly had an extreme effect to the chapter. How did they cope with that? I personally believe that if chapter has lost its homeworld, it should be a major plot point in the chapters past.

 

Overall i found your IA very enjoyable, keep up the good work!

[Daimyo-Phaeron Lenoch]

Hmmm. First thing that strikes me is that that the marking is very interesting. It will make for a good initiation trial, but against Chaos i worry the Inquisition will get involved, and the marks they make on themselves will allow daemons to possess the new chapter members. You could, however, go multiple places with this. First, new brothers are not allowed to fight chaos for that very reason, or go possession by Khornate daemons and exacerbate that with the Black Rage and Red Thirst. Either way would be interesting, and you may have another idea i haven’t thought of. Also, do they get their mark when they get their first kill as a chapter brother with the black carapace, or their first kill as a scout?

Going along with BrotherSP, i have noticed a trend with destroyed homeworlds, but you could have them go a la Kreig/a la Nocturne (both are radiation-blasted) and simply live in underground bunkers and have the marines have to deal with mutations from radiation (on implant is supposed to protect from this, but when the basic genecode is messed with it won’t do much. This could be an additional mutation you could play with, maybe giving a buff as the sons of Sanguinius have too many curses already. :)

Lastly, Sareal sounds like a murder machine. Will he be one of your characters for the Penultimate Challenge?

 

[Halandaar]

Thanks all of you for your responses! I've tried to respond as best I can;

At the moment i am struggling to see what makes them any different from just about any other blood angel successor. Not wishing to be harsh but that's how they read at the moment. I am sure with more detail it will become clearer.

I don't take it as harsh, because it is true. I've yet to settle on something to differentiate them that isn't either ridiculous, or over-done. I mean, with thousands and thousands of chapters, is it possible for all of them to be truly unique, with none who are similar? I don't want to add something just for the sake of it, so I'm waiting until I come up with something I really like to help them stand out.

Also what is it with the whole homeworld destruction fleet based thing these days. It doesn't seem to add anything to your guys so u would suggest either developing it further or dropping it entirely.

I wasn't honestly aware that this was a thing. Dropping the destruction of the world it isn't so much a fix as a need to develop different things instead (state of the planet, relationship with local populace etc), so I'll need to consider which is the best option.

On the same subject:

Also do you have anything thought about the destruction of their homeworld, as that undoubtedly had an extreme effect to the chapter. How did they cope with that? I personally believe that if chapter has lost its homeworld, it should be a major plot point in the chapters past.

I completely agree it should be a big feature, and admit that I did struggle with this; I wasn't aware the whole homeworld destruction thing was so overdone, and when I came up with the idea of it being destroyed in a non-warfare situation, I though that might help differentiate it. But that also made it feel like the chapter having a big emotional response to the loss of the planet would maybe be a bit... misplaced? A circumstance of physics is much harder to get angry about than Orks crashing meteors into it or something like that.

Going along with BrotherSP, i have noticed a trend with destroyed homeworlds, but you could have them go a la Kreig/a la Nocturne (both are radiation-blasted) and simply live in underground bunkers and have the marines have to deal with mutations from radiation (on implant is supposed to protect from this, but when the basic genecode is messed with it won’t do much. This could be an additional mutation you could play with, maybe giving a buff as the sons of Sanguinius have too many curses already.

I quite like this idea, although I think the actual human tribes would be the key to making it work. The chapter needs to recruit, so the humans need to be able to survive in order to be recruited. I've built them up as nomadic tribes so the vast underground networks of Krieg won't really fit; but I've just had this vision of Mad Max style road-warrior tribes who live in shielded bunkers and only venture out into the wastes to visit things like oil wells and water supplies, and need to take all their rad-proof gear with them.

About the rituals, are you planning on modelling some characters with those scars? It would be interesting to see how you implement that.

This feature of their background actually came about the other way around, where i'd painted some scars/tattoos on to some of my Death Company Marines:

http://i1359.photobucket.com/albums/q797/halandaar/Warhammer/40k%20-%20BA%20Successors/17310630_2217048435187958_1744290572_o_zpspltfhwce.jpg

I will need to think a little more about the actual scar designs so they can potentially be replicated across multiple models.

Hmmm. First thing that strikes me is that that the marking is very interesting. It will make for a good initiation trial, but against Chaos i worry the Inquisition will get involved, and the marks they make on themselves will allow daemons to possess the new chapter members. You could, however, go multiple places with this. First, new brothers are not allowed to fight chaos for that very reason, or go possession by Khornate daemons and exacerbate that with the Black Rage and Red Thirst. Either way would be interesting, and you may have another idea i haven’t thought of. Also, do they get their mark when they get their first kill as a chapter brother with the black carapace, or their first kill as a scout?

I actually had this same thought; killing a Chaos cultist and then scraping an eight pointed star into your face is not going to go down well with the Inquisition, which is why I changed it to the markings being done in the old pictographic language of Ixotha. I could maybe have the scar for Chaos translate as "the greatest foe" or something like that. So to the Inquisition, it doesn't actually resemble Chaos iconography. But I absolutely love the idea that Chaos recognises itself in any language, and that those marks essentially act as homing beacons for Daemons!

One of my earlier ideas (that I subsequently discarded) was that these guys would be so unbelievably savage that Daemons spawn in the wake of their bloodshed, making them allies of questionable usefulness and prime candidates for Inquisitorial investigation. Now, extra-angry Blood Angels seems a bit overdone, but if that could be justified by means of Khornate influence.... hmmm. Thanks very much for this idea!

Finally;

Lastly, Sareal sounds like a murder machine. Will he be one of your characters for the Penultimate Challenge?

He absolutely will!

[joschlumpf]

When you are working on your background, you could implement the unknown origin. Maybe they lost their first fortress on their homeplanet to a Waaagh or something like that.

Also the lost of their homeworld could be connected to the increase of the Black Rage.

 

Keep going!

[Olis]

Crikey, this one's gone up late, brother. If you start critiquing other Gauntleteers now, you might just be able to squeak under the bar with a rank badge. ^_^

[Legionare]

Firstly, i like your colour scheme and am eager to see models painted with that scheme.

 

It is very interesting how you've decided that Sainguine Eagles' homeworld was destroyed by a supernova. That is something that i've never seen in 40k, even though i've wondered about the possibility of events like that.

 

About the number of marines succumbibg to Black Rage: have you thought of a reason for this? Is it just because of the continous fighting, without chance to rest, or is there some hidden, more sinister, factor in play?

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Good job thus far, but I hope the Sanguine Eagles don't actually "blood brand" Chaos symbols into their own faces when their first kills are traitors- those things are corruptive, and may transform Sanguinius' loyal sons into traitors as well.

 

I'm also curious if the Sanguine Eagles will carve "blood eagles" into their enemies backs. (Sanguine means "blood," after all.)

[Halandaar]

Firstly, i like your colour scheme and am eager to see models painted with that scheme.

It is very interesting how you've decided that Sainguine Eagles' homeworld was destroyed by a supernova. That is something that i've never seen in 40k, even though i've wondered about the possibility of events like that.

About the number of marines succumbibg to Black Rage: have you thought of a reason for this? Is it just because of the continous fighting, without chance to rest, or is there some hidden, more sinister, factor in play?

Thanks! I actually have a WIP thread for some models here. The test mini ended up looking like this:

http://i1359.photobucket.com/albums/q797/halandaar/Warhammer/40k%20-%20BA%20Successors/C16564E7-54A1-45D7-9FC6-1EB4280CE1CA_zpspcsrfegz.jpg

The supernova idea was just me wanting to be a bit different initially; would it be plausible for a world to be lost without conflict being the reason? I figured that in such a large galaxy, the possibility of a supernova event happening within the timeline was certainly possible. That it was "unpredicted" is a slight nod to the possibility of manipulation by those races with the technology to destroy stars.

As yet, the numbers of Marines succumbing to the Black Rage don't have a reason outside of the already established BA fluff. This may well change!

Good job thus far, but I hope the Sanguine Eagles don't actually "blood brand" Chaos symbols into their own faces when their first kills are traitors- those things are corruptive, and may transform Sanguinius' loyal sons into traitors as well.

I'm also curious if the Sanguine Eagles will carve "blood eagles" into their enemies backs. (Sanguine means "blood," after all.)

Kind of covered already (not yet edited in to initial article, which i'll probably try and do tomorrow), but all branding will be done in Ixothan pictographs, so no direct Chaos symbols on loyalist marines. That isn't to say they won't still have undesirable side effects...

As for the blood eagle, I've yet to decide on this. It was going to be the chapter name, and I had some vague plans of a chapter badge of black wings with splayed ribs in front of them, up until I discovered that the Blood Eagles is an alternate name for ADB's Angel's Numinous.

Crikey, this one's gone up late, brother. If you start critiquing other Gauntleteers now, you might just be able to squeak under the bar with a rank badge.

I know! It's been in development hell for the last couple of months. I was hoping a few posts I made towards the beginning of the Gauntlet (long prior to this thread going up) would count in that regard; happy to reference them if helpful.

[Kelborn]

Looking good thus far. :)

 

Regarding the blood eagle carving in their enemies back, are you talking about carving with a knife or are you talking about the Viking Blood Eagle?

 

Think that the latter could be a maximization, done by the Death company, of carving with a knife, which is done by "normal" Astartes. Btw. do they have a Death company? This ritual could be done on captured leaders or as a way of breaking their foes moral.

[Brink]

Cool ideas your working with here but I do have a question for you. Why do you want the scars to be a homing beacon for daemons? It seems rather counter productive for and elite force that has to spend years training recruits to basically be inviting a deadly challenge. Keep up your work and Good Luck!

[Legionare]

Firstly, i like your colour scheme and am eager to see models painted with that scheme.

It is very interesting how you've decided that Sainguine Eagles' homeworld was destroyed by a supernova. That is something that i've never seen in 40k, even though i've wondered about the possibility of events like that.

About the number of marines succumbibg to Black Rage: have you thought of a reason for this? Is it just because of the continous fighting, without chance to rest, or is there some hidden, more sinister, factor in play?

Thanks! I actually have a WIP thread for some models here. The test mini ended up looking like this:

http://i1359.photobucket.com/albums/q797/halandaar/Warhammer/40k%20-%20BA%20Successors/C16564E7-54A1-45D7-9FC6-1EB4280CE1CA_zpspcsrfegz.jpg

The supernova idea was just me wanting to be a bit different initially; would it be plausible for a world to be lost without conflict being the reason? I figured that in such a large galaxy, the possibility of a supernova event happening within the timeline was certainly possible. That it was "unpredicted" is a slight nod to the possibility of manipulation by those races with the technology to destroy stars.

As yet, the numbers of Marines succumbing to the Black Rage don't have a reason outside of the already established BA fluff. This may well change!

Thanks for the answers, and i must say that i envy your painting skills, i wish i could get my minis to look that good

And i don't mind the supernova being just an unexpected event, with out any larger plan behind it, but then again having something sinister behind that might prove an interesting plot point. Keep up the good work!

[Halandaar]

Thanks once again for the helpful comments and questions! You're all really helping me focus my ideas.

Looking good thus far.

Regarding the blood eagle carving in their enemies back, are you talking about carving with a knife or are you talking about the Viking Blood Eagle?

Think that the latter could be a maximization, done by the Death company, of carving with a knife, which is done by "normal" Astartes. Btw. do they have a Death company? This ritual could be done on captured leaders or as a way of breaking their foes moral.

The Viking one; hacked away ribs, lungs over the shoulders, the whole gory lot. It's representative of the sheer level of brutality I had in mind at the inception of the Chapter. The more I think about though, the less I think it actually fits.

There is a Death Company in the Chapter, with a slightly alternate colour scheme (bone weapon casings and saltires, as in the image below), but I can't imagine them having the restraint or patience to go about the Blood Eagle ritual; for me, the Death Company is about mindless rage, rather than focused sadistic torture.

I'm leaning towards the idea that it was actually unintended, but visually striking enough to be taken as a name. Maybe whoever was selected to lead the Chapter at it's inception had previously slain a massive Ork Warboss or something like that, with two massive blows to the back with his axe which caused the ribs to splay out like wings, giving the appearance of a bloody eagle. "From that day, Archaus Nomiel was known among his brothers as The Blood Eagle", or something like that. Guess I also just decided the first Chapter Master's name!

http://i1359.photobucket.com/albums/q797/halandaar/Warhammer/40k%20-%20BA%20Successors/D843EB94-9481-4077-9478-8212DDF3091C_zpslqywearv.jpg

Cool ideas your working with here but I do have a question for you. Why do you want the scars to be a homing beacon for daemons? It seems rather counter productive for and elite force that has to spend years training recruits to basically be inviting a deadly challenge. Keep up your work and Good Luck!

My thinking here is that it's a purely unintended consequence, that there is no reason to believe that such a mark would draw the eye of the ruinous powers. And perhaps in isolation they don't, but in combination with the massive bloodshed they are capable of, it might be that after particularly bloody engagements, the Eagles also find themselves facing off against Khorne daemons.

And i don't mind the supernova being just an unexpected event, with out any larger plan behind it, but then again having something sinister behind that might prove an interesting plot point.

Yeah; as far as the Imperium and the Sanguine Eagles are concerned, it was just an unexpected but still entirely natural event. That the technology to kill stars exists in the setting is an interesting footnote that I don't have any current plans to explore.