Collaborative Astra Militarum Creation Project

[Henimann]

Don't know if I can jump in on this, but thought I'd throw my hat in the ring, If I can get in on this!.  That page in the first 3rd ed codex was my favorite, and the Cthonol are awesome looking.  

 

I would think Cthonol is the plural, actually. They are the "Cthonol Regiment", in the way that you would have the "Cadian 221st" - which perhaps suggests we need to look at the planet's name, rather than the regiments' - perhaps Cthon or Cthol? The point about confusion with the Cthonian homeworld of the Luna Wolves is an interesting one, though inhabitants of the 41st millennium may not know that. Perhaps in the very dim and distant past, this planet was one that was reconquered for the Imperium by the Luna Wolves?

 

How about Cthono for the planets name, a bastardization of the name the Luna Wolves homeworld?  And the bit about being brought into compliance by the Luna Wolves could bring in other layers of backstory - did the planet stay loyal or support Horus during the Heresy?  How did that end up for them?  Do the regiments have a martial code like the gangs of Cthonia, or do they strive to emulate the Speartip tactics of the old legion?  

 

Yes, I think that we'll want to describe the recruitment world - whether we want to later focus on a single regiment or not.

However, my view is that finding out what kinds of regiments come from the world might be an easy toe in the water to test the temperature : if people want to explore tank regiments, then it'll indicate that cthonol probably still has a fair amount of industry (keeping civilian vehicles going on the planet); if members want to look into Cthonolian/Cthonian rough riders, then it'll indicate that the planet may have some strong martial traditions, and/or a relatively feudal society; perhaps other members see the array of lights and apparatus and think that regiments from Cthonol are used to fighting underground or in low-light environments, probably because that's what life is like on Cthonol.

 

You could argue all, technically.  Maybe the planet has a barren/irradiated/airless surface, with the population living underground in tunnels or subterranean hives?  Rough Riders could be bikers or ride some sort of creature that can handle harsh environments - the gear the infantryman is wearing seems to suggest an environment that isn't too friendly to regular life.  Armored vehicles could be environmentally sealed (see DKoK tanks), with the armor crews eschewing the suits inside their vehicles - perhaps they don't waste their time with them, since they know any hit hard enough to break through the armor of their vehicles would kill them anyways, either from the hit itself or the exposure to the environment?  

 

Perhaps some sort of clan structure?  I don;t know if anyone remembers the old IA articles about the Mordant Tunnel Rats, their world had a setup where different underground clans constantly fought each other - the regiments gave an out to people looking to escape that life.  

Edited December 6, 2017 by Henimann

[Wargamer]

I don't think we should have any ties to the Luna Wolves homeworld - I'm pretty sure they were all purged after the Heresy anyway. Plus, it's likely the "original" Cthonia has been completely expunged from all but the most sensitive of records, hence why the name was reused later.