Authors' own chapters added to canon

[Ascanius]

Yesterday I finished reading Vaults of Terra: The Carrion Throne by Chris Wraight, in which the Iron Shades chapter is mentioned in passing. The only other reference given on Lexicanum (before I edited it) was to Wraight's 2013 novel Blood of Asaheim, which suggests the Iron Shades are his own chapter that he's been able to canonise in his writings.

 

I know Aaron Dembski-Bowden has mentioned in the Emperor's Spears thread that he's inserted his own chapter, the Angels Numinous, and his wife's chapter, the Shadow Wolves, in his own work, and that Dan Abnett created the Silver Guard chapter.

 

So, I thought it would be fun to collect all of these instances in a single thread. Does anyone know of any others?

Edited October 10, 2017 by mhacdebhandia

[Kelborn]

There are some, indeed.

 

Weren't the Jade Dragons and Soul Drinkers both from Ben Counter?

[Ascanius]

The Soul Drinkers certainly don't have any Lexicanum sources predating Counter's novel series about them, so I think you might be on to something.

[Petitioner's City]

Technically, isn't any chapter appearing in publication 'canon' or whatever that means for 40K? Are you asking

 

• (a) authors' invented chapters, in which case, how is that different than any old one-image chapter from old codex: space marines,
• or (b ) a chapter the authors created for their games, which they then included in writing.

 

The latter won't apply to Abnett, since he doesn't play. 

Edited October 11, 2017 by Petitioner's City

[Sete]

I need to bribe an author to makey Grey Talons cannon. Without getting them destroyed obviously.

[grailkeeper]

Perks of the job. One of the biggest reasons I want to write for GW is pretty much so I can do this. I doubt I'm alone in this. 

[Kelborn]

No, you're definitely not alone in this, brother. ;)

[Brother Tyler]

The Soul Drinkers have been around since 2nd edition when they were mentioned as taking part in the final actions of the Reign of Blood, laying siege to Terra with the Black Templars, Imperial Fists, and Fire Hawks.

[No Foes Remain]

I need to bribe an author to makey Grey Talons cannon. Without getting them destroyed obviously.

Don't ask ADB, he killed off his wife's chapter. Who knows what he'd do with yours.

[Sete]

Hence the without getting destroyed :D

He's a maniac.

 

I was excited by the WD thing but it got cancelled.

[DarkChaplain]

I think just going by names not previously mentioned may be casting the net too narrowly. There are plenty of instances, especially in cases like Peter Fehervari's, where a namedrop-reference without any sort of actual information (except possibly the color-scheme) got developed into a full-fledged presence by a single author. Fehervari developed the Angels Resplendent/Penitent into a Chapter I sincerely want to read more about, for example, and his work on the Brotherhood of a Thousand? Intriguing.

 

While the names of said chapters were in the background since Index Astartes, their entire identity was not. They were blank-slate example names/schemes before an author got an idea for them.

[A D-B]

John and Alan referenced John's Chapter, the Red Seraphs, from time to time. Alan was going to put the Angels Numinous into a FW book, but he selfishly died before he could.

 

I like the "These guys exist, but anyway, moving on..." references. They're cool.

Edited October 11, 2017 by A D-B

[Sete]

John and Alan referenced John's Chapter, the Red Seraphs, from time to time. Alan was going to put the Angels Numinous into a FW book, but he selfishly died before he could.

 

I like the "These guys exist, but anyway, moving on..." references. They're cool.

Are the Angels Numinous "your" chapter?

Hopefully WD will have a competition around.

Would be cool if we could get some mentions in chapter approved stuff.

Edited October 11, 2017 by Sete

[Ascanius]

Yeah, I'm reading The Horusian Wars: Resurrection now, and John French mentions the Raven Guard and Red Seraphs turning up for the Caradryad muster. I figured the latter might be French's invention.

[Sandlemad]

I think just going by names not previously mentioned may be casting the net too narrowly. There are plenty of instances, especially in cases like Peter Fehervari's, where a namedrop-reference without any sort of actual information (except possibly the color-scheme) got developed into a full-fledged presence by a single author. Fehervari developed the Angels Resplendent/Penitent into a Chapter I sincerely want to read more about, for example, and his work on the Brotherhood of a Thousand? Intriguing.

 

While the names of said chapters were in the background since Index Astartes, their entire identity was not. They were blank-slate example names/schemes before an author got an idea for them.

 

Seconded. I don't see much difference in terms of straight up creativity between slipping your DIY chapter into a novel/short story and taking a one-line chapter and expanding them into something interesting. The Iron Snakes were just a colour scheme in Insignium Astartes. The Excoriators were just a mention in the imperial order of battle in the 3rd ed. Eye of Terror codex. Look at the how the Emperor's Spears are panning out.

 

That said, it's cool tracking DIY chapters, particularly as if you're a published author you're presumably hyper-aware of the need not to make your dudes super special. Means that you get disparate books wearing these little historical-style snippets very lightly, keeping that 'big universe' feeling. The Iron Shades are definitely a good example.

 

The Charnel Guard are another. They popped up out of nowhere in Dark Heresy and the odd FW book, but with only the odd morsel of background. I think they were probably one of Alan Bligh's? But all the info was understated and contextual: they're listed among better-known chapters in a discussion about a crusade or a particular tank of the chapter is mentioned in the context of a discussion about fellblades in the 41st millennium.

[Ascanius]

Obviously the lines blur when the same person contributes to game writing and fiction, or when an author "adopts" a name-and-scheme-only chapter to write about and no-one else touches it.

[Jareddm]

Obviously the lines blur when the same person contributes to game writing and fiction, or when an author "adopts" a name-and-scheme-only chapter to write about and no-one else touches it.

I do feel this distinction is at least a little important, if not massively so.

 

For instance, we knew what the Celestial Lions did on Armageddon and had an idea of why it happened, but we really didn't know who they were.  Their actions gave us some hints that they were an honorable and moderately-tempered chapter who aired a grievance above their station.  Or the Death Spectres, who we knew were guarding something in the Ghoul Stars, which tends to mean a more dour and less glory-focused chapter, but it wasn't until Deathwatch that the chapter was portrayed in detail.

 

By comparison, chapters like the Obsidian Glaives or the Angels Penitent, were completely blank slates as far as the reader is concerned.  There are no previous actions or lore tidbits for the reader to make inference upon going into the stories that fleshed them out.

[RobMac]

I created the Shadow Haunters, they get cameos in Legacy of Russ and Dawn of War III. Mainly just because I could. Also ran a competition for readers to get their own Chapter canonoised, the winner got namedropped in Legacy. May do the same with a Guard regiment sometime in the future.

[Kelborn]

See I knew that there was another one, something with Shadow. I couldn't remember probably.

 

But I've seen your article on your account, which was interesting. :)

[Sete]

I created the Shadow Haunters, they get cameos in Legacy of Russ and Dawn of War III. Mainly just because I could. Also ran a competition for readers to get their own Chapter canonoised, the winner got namedropped in Legacy. May do the same with a Guard regiment sometime in the future.

I wish I knew about this.

Well gotta keep an eye open for the Guard one then. Need to work on the name.

[Draakur]

I was bitterly disappointed when I saw that that competition was closed :(

 

I'm actually sitting here and putting real effort into thinking about this, and I genuinely cannot come up with anything I would value more when it came to my involvement in this hobby than to have had an influence on a canon Chapter (or to have my own legitimised, both would be equally amazing).

 

If I was told I was guaranteed to be able to have such an influence if I could complete an IA or written piece of a suitable quality, I'd probably take time off work, clear my calendar and start tomorrow :lol: That says slightly scary things about how much I love and have enjoyed this setting over the decades, but you know, whatever... :)

[A D-B]

 

John and Alan referenced John's Chapter, the Red Seraphs, from time to time. Alan was going to put the Angels Numinous into a FW book, but he selfishly died before he could.

 

I like the "These guys exist, but anyway, moving on..." references. They're cool.

Are the Angels Numinous "your" chapter?

 

Yeah, my "One day I'll paint an army and they'll be Blood Angel Successors" Chapter.

 

 

I was bitterly disappointed when I saw that that competition was closed

 

I'm actually sitting here and putting real effort into thinking about this, and I genuinely cannot come up with anything I would value more when it came to my involvement in this hobby than to have had an influence on a canon Chapter (or to have my own legitimised, both would be equally amazing).

 

If I was told I was guaranteed to be able to have such an influence if I could complete an IA or written piece of a suitable quality, I'd probably take time off work, clear my calendar and start tomorrow That says slightly scary things about how much I love and have enjoyed this setting over the decades, but you know, whatever...

 

What's your Chapter called? I have room right now for a mention. Nothing grand, but I can name-check them.

[Commissar Molotov]

I was bitterly disappointed when I saw that that competition was closed :(

 

I'm actually sitting here and putting real effort into thinking about this, and I genuinely cannot come up with anything I would value more when it came to my involvement in this hobby than to have had an influence on a canon Chapter (or to have my own legitimised, both would be equally amazing).

 

If I was told I was guaranteed to be able to have such an influence if I could complete an IA or written piece of a suitable quality, I'd probably take time off work, clear my calendar and start tomorrow :lol: That says slightly scary things about how much I love and have enjoyed this setting over the decades, but you know, whatever... :)

 

I know exactly what you mean. My own Castigators have been kicking around the board for 12 years now. The thought of being able to claim that they'd had even the smallest impression on the 40k universe would be the greatest achievement!

 

 

[A D-B]

 

I was bitterly disappointed when I saw that that competition was closed

 

I'm actually sitting here and putting real effort into thinking about this, and I genuinely cannot come up with anything I would value more when it came to my involvement in this hobby than to have had an influence on a canon Chapter (or to have my own legitimised, both would be equally amazing).

 

If I was told I was guaranteed to be able to have such an influence if I could complete an IA or written piece of a suitable quality, I'd probably take time off work, clear my calendar and start tomorrow That says slightly scary things about how much I love and have enjoyed this setting over the decades, but you know, whatever...

I know exactly what you mean. My own Castigators have been kicking around the board for 12 years now. The thought of being able to claim that they'd had even the smallest impression on the 40k universe would be the greatest achievement!

 

 

They have, in a way. I once didn't include a Chapter called the Castigators - a word I love - because I thought "...wait, they're a famous homebrew on B&C... Better not ruin that guy's project."

[grailkeeper]

I'm sure you are going to get bombarded with homebrew chapters now but I might stick my oar in while I can.

 

My chapter are called the Grailkeepers informally, although their less well known official title is the Astartes Chalixdae. Green and Blue armour, Imperial fist gene seed. Specialists in ending sieges. Culturally like codex compliant Templars who are very unwelcoming to outsiders. 

 

To say I would love to have them made canon is an understatement .  If you like I'd be happy to make a charitable contribution in your name to a charity of your choice.