IA : Red wolves chapter

[wilks]

Hello all. 

 

I am really no good at coming up with DIY chapters. I prefer something that is more official that I can cling on to, and with that, I have latched onto the Red Wolves chapte. There is very little to them except a home planet, colour scheme, symbol and a couple of brief mentions in the fluff. So I feel GW is very unlikely to add anything more to them, as they have the same chapter symbol as the Space wolves,only a different colour. so I feel like I will have pretty much free rein to go in whatever direction I please with them.

 

All comments and criticisms are welcome to help me hone a better background for my chosen chapter and I might just inspire a few others to join my pack. 

 

Very much WIP still.

 

+Origins+

 

The Red Wolves are a second founding chapter from the ultramarines gene seed. The majority of their historic records having been lost or damaged since the time of the heresy. This has left them as a somewhat obscure and relatively unknown chapter. However if one looks hard enough there are scattered pieces of information around in ancient archives that reveal their true heritage and deeds achieved in the name of the emperor. 

 

Their first and founding chapter master was Gallus Cade. Before joining the Ultramarines of the Great crusade era he was a tracker and trapper in his youth on the death world planet. Thulium. 

 Gallus had an aptitude for tracking, and a tenacity that bordered on obsession with any task he was given. These traits served him well and he was initiated into the ultramarines, where he served in the reconnaissance squads within the legion astartes. A position in which he excelled and became known as the red wolf, after the common fauna on the world of Thulium, known for its cunning and ferocity in pursuing its prey relentlessly until it or its prey are killed." Only in death does duty end. " Soon Gallus was promoted with his own recon squad, which subsequently became known as the Red wolves, who developed a speciality in hunting down specific priority targets. When the horror of the heresy struck this specific skill set was put to use against their own brother legions. The missions assigned to them, were often high risk and the toll was often heavy in the fervent pursuit of their objectives.

 Gallus however survived the Heresy, and with the advent of Roboute Guillimans codex and splitting up of the legions, Gallus was awarded the honour of his own chapter. Keeping the moniker given to him and his squad. The Red wolves were formed. 

 

+Homeworld+

 

The home planet of the Red wolves chapter is that of Bloodfall located in the Segmentum solar. A mountainous planet with large swathes covered in dense areas of thick forest. It's population centres are sparsely spread out, each one close to one of the twelve great lakes. The only sources of water on the planet. The population totalling around eight billion. The planets weather can be unpredictable suffering with savage storms which can come from nowhere and pass just a suddenly, however the climate is usually temperate for the majority suffering neither weather extremes from one way or the other except at the highest peaks of the mountain passes.

It has a huge variety of different flora and fauna many of which was imported to the planet along with plenty of more infamously dangerous species. while not classed as a death world, it has certainly increased the lethality of the fauna now living there, much to the chagrin of the native population. This importation of dangerous species is, as they see it, for the benefit of the population. As the Red wolves will recruit from the best trappers, trackers and hunters from among the population, who have to live along with these wild beasts and survive their predations. It makes for a hardy population with skills that will only benefit the chapter should they be inducted. 

 

The red wolves fortress monastery upon the planet is actually a Space marine battle barge grounded in the middle of the greatest forest on the planet located in the northern sector. Recruits are allowed to make their own way to the fortress as finding it is no easy task in itself and a trial of the aspirants own skill and determination. Should they make it, they will be given further tests and trials to see of their suitability for the chapter. This gives the Red wolves a constant supply of recruits as they continuously make the journey to join them and weed out the weak amongst them along the way. Aspirants which fail the tests to become marines are however not discarded, they are offered the chance to serve the chapter in other ways as either serfs or in the planetary militia. Skills and resources are not wasted lightly, and a purpose is offered to all, who are willing.

 

 

 

+Combat Doctrine and organisation+

 

The Red Wolves are codex adherent. They are a pragmatic chapter and will use whatever is available to them and will best serve their purpose. They preferably are a more ranged focused chapter, and prefer to have more boots on the ground.  However they will always have vehicular or air support nearby should anything unexpected arise, to offer resistance.

A common practise amongst the marines of the chapter is the adornment and use of purity seals on the armour and weapons. while other ornamentation is usually minimal, with exception to higher ranking marines. Purity seals are a common sight, kept usually in the form of trophies with high priority targets, enemy kills or campaigns recorded on them.  

The Red wolves still carry the determined and fervent trait of completing their objectives utterly by whatever means and take pride in their accomplishments. When on campaign they will destroy not only the objective but also anything that is linked to them so as to destroy their target entirely and leave no trace of them.  An example is of the corrupted planetary governor Gerrix Vanstoor on Vesalla prime. The Red wolves achieved their objective of claiming the planet back for the Emperor but Gerrix himself, survived the purge and fled, into hiding. The Red wolves however could not let this slight go, even with their victory on the planet in no doubt, they still assigned one company the task of rooting him out wherever he had fled, to eradicate him and reclaim the honour they had lost from his escape. It took three years before he was finally cornered on the backwater Agri world  of Niva 7-14. His network of contacts had each been found and systematically destroyed in turn before moving on to the next, following his trail of corrupt supporters and crushing them underfoot. Eventually he had nowhere and no one left to turn to. He was finally found, cowering and pleading before them, stripped of his power and influence he met his final end in, ignominy.

Edited October 9, 2017 by Brother Tyler
tags edited

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Not bad. The line "the red wolf, after the common fauna on the world of Thulium, known for its cunning and ferocity in pursuing its prey relentlessly until it tires from exhaustion," could be improved, though, by changing the ending to "pursuing its prey relentlessly until it or its prey are killed." Only in death does duty end- and in the case of Dreadnoughts, not even then.

[wilks]

Thanks for the suggestion! I will add it in, I like it   There is still more to add and will take a little more polishing, but hopefully I have got the bare bones of it down. If you have any other suggestions about the chapter you think would fit, feel free to let me know am happy to discus ideas for them. 

 

I like the idea of the chapter being named after a marines moniker given to him, and feel it keeps it separate from the Space wolves affiliation of having wolf in the name. Hopefully, at least to me it does 

Edited September 20, 2017 by wilks

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Nassir Amit, the first Chapter Master of the Flesh Tearers, was nicknamed the "Flesh Tearer" when he served in the Blood Angels Legion.

[wilks]

Ah yes, I knew someone had been named after a nickname but could not remember who. I think it works though, and allows for some freedom with chapter names and adds some diversity and character, especially to the background. Actually also funny you should mention the Flesh tearers because I did borrow the idea of the aspirants making their way to the fortress which is very similar of the aspirants journey across Baal for the blood angels. 

 

What did you think of the home world and combat doctrine bits? anything  particularly lacking? or still to be fleshed out more?   

 

I'm trying to avoid any major cliches or troupes, so please point any out to me and I will try to find a way around them 

Edited September 20, 2017 by wilks