Index Astartes: Steel Gorgons

[Minigiant]

So the sad reality is I must start by saying, if you have an issue with female space marines read no further. I DO NOT want to hear I cannot have female space marines. Constructive criticism e.g How about that...., Would this work better......

 

Now that is out of the way let me begin

 

Index Astartes: Steel Gorgons

 

“The Way of the warrior is death. This means choosing death whenever there is a choice between life and death. It means nothing more than this. It means to see things through, being resolved.”

 

 

 

 

Origins of the Steel Gorgons

 

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reated during the thirteenth founding, the ‘Dark founding’ of the Adeptus Astartes, the Steel Gorgons have gone onto much claim as stalwart defenders of the Imperium. The Adeptus Mechanicus birthed the nascent Chapter from the gene-legacy of the Iron Snakes. Little is known of the actual founding with the Martian delegate maintaining no reliable records.

 

The Chapter's first Master was the Warrior Philosopher Phorcys an Iron Snake Librarian. During the century of recording the history of the Iron Snakes, preparing reports of battle for the Chapter's records, and providing a strategic overview of the whole theatre of a war, Phorcys became well-versed in the history and lore of his chapter and the Adeptus Astartes, his wisdom lead him to understand that space marines are no more than an expendable tool to be used and discarded of, recruiting from planets to aid the disposal of sections of humanity. Phorcys believed however it was the responsibility of every aspect of the Imperium to aid in being mankind's last defence.

 

Believed to be founded with the intention of shoring up the fringes of the Ultima Segmentum, the nascent chapter was assigned the Deathworld of Ceto. In recognition of his new homeworld Phorcys bestowed the name of ‘Steel Gorgons’ after the terrifying creatures that haunt the natives at night.

 

It is believed that because Phorcys was a Librarian, it is the reason why the Gorgons continue to afford members of their Librarius dual roles as both company commanders and the honoured position of Chapter Master.

 

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Gorgon'

Homeworld

 

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eto a δτ-class or Death World, homeworld to the Steel Gorgons Adeptus Astartes Chapter. Located on the fringes of the Ultima Segmentum, Ceto is a small and impoverished world shrouded in mist and rain. Ceto’s skies darkened by clouds, and its surface covered in impassable mountains, black seas, fens haunted by stony faced creatures they refer to as Gorgoneia ambushing natives by remaining utterly still until the moment to strike is right. To shelter themselves from such horrors, the natives live in walled burghs and meagre farming collectives. The gorgoneia frequently raid these settlements and as such every aspect of Ceto society has become heavily militarised. It is the responsibility of every individual to watch out for the collective group. Those that have lived a long life tell of tales of finding their friends petrified to stone.

 

The Steel Gorgons remain aloof from such concerns, instead only keeping a steady eye for any promising young individual. Upon discovering the planet the Ecclesiarchy found the population to be quite reluctant in understanding the Imperiums war machine, and so they were taught in the ways of the Cult of Astarte.

 

Their primary headquarters, the Fortress Monastery known as Euryale, is a vast castle that looms precariously on its mountain perch over the thatch-and-wattle sprawl that is the planetary capital.

 

Astarte is a female goddess on ancient terra. Many warlike peoples had a huge problem with the idea that a man could be improved by introducing the (gene)seed of another man, or create new life without a woman, and so the Cult of Astarte developed as a social convention to aid them coming to terms with the whole idea. In the cult, the Primarch has both male and female aspects, and it is this non binary aspect that gives birth to the 'marine'. As such, the marines are viewed as a reincarnated second life, not an altered body. In this mythology the marines are literally the children of gods, and are considered 'demigods'.

Cult of Astarte'

 

 

Recruitment

 

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eto’s militarised culture is one of inclusivity, and as such you are just as likely to witness a warrior princess as you are to witness a warrior prince. When it came to initiates, Ceto’s understanding of the Cult of Astarte did not comprehend why the Astartes chapter only chose their young males, when they considered their warrior women just as fearless, and courageous. Under Phorcys guidance, the Apothecarion were instructed to recruit from all aspects of Ceto’s society.

To become an initiate one must only carry the head of a Gorgoneia to the top of the mountain upon which Euryale sits and deposit its head at the giant steel gate.

 

Due to Phorcys demands the Gorgon Apothecaries have become experts in hormone control, able to regulate any hormone to the Pico. It is said that their craft is so accurate that they can encourage cellular and geneseed degradation to repair at unprecedented results

Battlefield Doctrine

 

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espite being fully capable of undertaking covert operations, the Red Scorpions abhor them, and prefer to face their enemies proudly bearing their colors. This, combined with a bloated Scout Company due to their recruitment standards, ensures that the Chapter's Neophytes are often deployed in the main battle line as an auxiliary force.

 

Chapter Organisation

 

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he Steel Gorgons consider the Codex Astartes as religious scripture, and their chapter organization closely follows codex standards. The chain of command within the Chapter is highly authoritarian, and all orders given by a superior are to be obeyed without question. The only deviation from their strict Codex adherence is affording Librarians dual-roles as unit commanders. The Master of the Apothecarion traditionally holds the position of second-in-command due to the Chapter's additional challenges and process involved in recruiting; as such they are noted as maintaining a larger Apothecarion, than is standard for a chapter of the Adeptus Astartes.

Chapter Cult and Belief System

 

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he Steel Gorgon’s do not seem to venerate any Primarch above the others, giving their devotion solely to the Emperor. Some say that their strict adherence to the Codex Astartes shows that they are distant descendant of the line of Gulliman, but there is little other evidence to support this besides the purity of their gene-seed. Indeed, the preservation of their gene-seed is the Chapter's core belief. The Steel Gorgon’s devotion to the purity of their gene-seed has made them isolationists, scorning those who they believe are less pure, and they will go to any lengths to retrieve the Chapter's due from their fallen Brothers. They will not serve alongside abhumans, and view all the other military arms of the Imperium as untrustworthy. They are also staunch traditionalists and protectors of authority, and are quick to aid Imperial governors or cardinals faced with rebellion. The Gorgons are also extremely xenophobic, detesting the alien and the mutant in all its forms.

 

Gene-seed

 

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hanks to the careful efforts of the Apothecarion in millennia past, the chapter's geneseed has remained relatively stable considering the unique challenges it has faced, and to such an extent that it has become a part of the chapter's culture.

 

Recruiting regardless of gender means the Gorgons replace losses at a higher rate than in most marine chapters; which explains the chapters’ acceptance to engage in direct combat and to continue with their codex mode operati despite casualties they may lose. It is unknown when or if the last time the Gorgons were at below codex chapter strength. The Gorgons contend, however, that they are more than a match for their foes.

[Brother Emund]

You cannot have fema....... (Bolter round to head).

Could not resist it!

[Daimyo-Phaeron Lenoch]

Hmmmm...seems like a well-executed concept, and the female marines are only mentioned a few times and given a cultural background to support it. The chapter has adapted around them and their recruitment, as well, which avoids the 'LOL don't question it' trope of a regular chapter with marines but absolutely no support either culturally or mechanically.

 

Keep this up; I will be back later. He

[Bjorn Firewalker]

I expected an Iron Hands successor ("The Gorgon" WAS one of Ferrus Manus' nicknames, after all). Hell, with an Iron Hands successor, you can justify incorporating female combatants by saying the "female Space Marines" are just female soldiers whose cybernetic augmentation allows them to wear and use Astartes power armor (they have no gene-seed), and their Iron Hands forefathers are meritocratic enough to not give a damn about these soldiers' gender.

[Minigiant]

Hmmmm...seems like a well-executed concept, and the female marines are only mentioned a few times and given a cultural background to support it. The chapter has adapted around them and their recruitment, as well, which avoids the 'LOL don't question it' trope of a regular chapter with marines but absolutely no support either culturally or mechanically.

 

Keep this up; I will be back later. He

 

Thanks, I just do not know where to go from here

 

I expected an Iron Hands successor ("The Gorgon" WAS one of Ferrus Manus' nicknames, after all). Hell, with an Iron Hands successor, you can justify incorporating female combatants by saying the "female Space Marines" are just female soldiers whose cybernetic augmentation allows them to wear and use Astartes power armor (they have no gene-seed), and their Iron Hands forefathers are meritocratic enough to not give a damn about these soldiers' gender.

 

Sorry to disappoint, I am going for the Greek mythology Gorgon. Hmm I had crossed my mind, then it gets into the philosophical debate as to whether a marines is really any gender. If they do not have a gene-seed, are they really a space marine?

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Without gene-seed, they aren't real Space Marines, but unless a Marine's common sense drowns to death in his pride (as occurred when Darnath Lysander refused to accept the Blood Angels and Ultramarines' aid when he attacked the Iron Warriors occupying Taladorn, which devastated the Imperial Fists 3rd Company and led to Lysander being demoted from First Captain to 3rd), he should not refuse to use allies and auxiliaries to support his efforts, as long as these allies and auxiliaries are proven to be loyal and competent.

 

Besides, it's an absolute pain in the rear to deal with "fluff Nazis," and "female Space Marines" are one topic that will definitely "trigger" them.

 

If you insist on using "female Space Marines," see articles at 1d4chan. Fabius Bile is capable of making gene-seed that works on women, and may do so just to prove he can- or because he got high on an experimental combat drug.

[Bjorn Firewalker]

One idea to avoid having "fluff Nazis" tear you apart for violating canon, is to preempt them by claiming your IA is meant to be humorous, the way campaigning politicians admit to past misdeeds to make voters lose interest in potential scandals. (I plan to do the same for my own "female Space Marines." Their reason for being? Fabius Bile tested a combat drug on himself, got high, and ended up creating gene-seed that only worked on women. Yes, there will be PMS jokes.) Say the Steel Gorgons are from an alternate universe where the "God-Empress of Social Justice" united the galaxy with the aid of the "Adepta Ares," woman warriors enhanced with "gene-ova."