The Petrified (WIP)

[Volt]

THE PETRIFIED

CHAPTER NAME: ..............THE PETRIFIED FOUNDING: ..................UNKNOWN CHAPTER WORLD: .............N/A FORTRESS MONASTERY: ........ELYSIUM GENE-SEED (PREDECESSOR): ...IRON HANDS KNOWN DESCENDANTS: .........NONE "Mors orbati videamur officium"

L

ittle is known of the renegade "chapter" known as the Petrified by the wider Imperium. To the frustrations of the Inquisition their origins are cloaked in the impenetrable mists of history and guarded by the political elements of both the Adeptus Mechanicus and spawn of Ferrus Manus. Of the little evidence that even supports their existence, most of it consists of the devastation left in the wake of their ghostly visitations. Xenos armies shattered and thrown into the wind. Hosts of Chaos butchered in their entirety to form a sea of corpses. Fleets broken and left adrift in the great void. Hive Cities expunged of any populace with no evidence left of any habitation. Much to the rage of Inquisitors tasked with uncovering the Chapter's secrets the Chapter appears to operate with no logical patterning. Rather they seem to strike with abandon, targeting anything with no allegiances ever taken into account. In some records the Petrified appear to deliver Imperial coalitions from the jaws of death- smashing Xenos and Chaos forces with precision before abandoning the field as swiftly as they took to it. In others they unleash devastation upon the Imperium, sparing naught even the civilians, seemingly targeting them specifically on occasion.

 

The secret guarded by the old guard of the Mechanicum and the Iron Fathers is that the Petrified are not in fact, a Chapter. They are a weapon collected in the days of the Great Crusade in vaults filled with forbidden Areotech known as the Keys of Hel. The use of which was forbidden by Ferrus Manus himself but to the shame of his sons- was unleashed in the aftermath of his disappearance. At the behest of the more morally conflicted members of the Legion, use of the Keys ceased in the conclusion of the Heresy and their locations were kept a secret by the Iron Council and upper echelons of the Mechanicum. Among those few in possession of this knowledge was an Iron Father hailed as Charon, a veteran of the Heresy and who served the Iron Hands for two thousand years until the invasion of the Beast. Like many Astartes at the time he blamed the devastation wrought by the Beast on the Imperium's impotence in military matters, and wished to strengthen the power of his fellow Astartes to better serve the Emperor's will. Unlike his brethren however Charon's views were more extreme, and went to greater lengths. He argued that any form of leverage the Iron Hands might come across should be used, regardless of its origin or nature. While he refrained from blatant advocacy of using Abominable Intelligence, his support of its use was all but certain. 

 

Realizing his days were numbered, and not only his time on the Iron Council, Charon fled with a small group of like minded followers to one of the Keys. Everything beyond that point is speculation to the Iron Hands, but it is known for certain that some conclusion of events led to Charon turning the Key of a vault on the Halo Zone, thus activating an army of the undead. Action was not taken by the Iron Hands in fear that it would draw the attention of the Inquisition, and some members of the Iron Council perhaps held private thoughts supporting Charon's extreme ways, partially at least. However a day would come in the future when the Iron Hands would be brought to blows with their renegade progeny, a time when the Petrified crossed a line to severe that the Iron Hands could ignore their actions no longer. 
 
To witness the Petrified in combat is an experience few living men can boast of, and it is a curious one to behold. The renegades of the Vault are not organized like any Chapter or Legion force, and they do not fight like any Chapter or Legion- differing even from their primogenitor's tactics. The cybernetic resurrection techniques of the Key have greatly influenced the Petrified's prosecution of war, as they have become dependent upon their immortality to shirk all but the most daunting blows. Those Petrified that are still capable of emotion fear no boltgun or artillery shell for barring total bodily destruction they can be resurrected endlessly by the Key. The Petrified infantry will never be sighted using cover or >>

<<Then comes information about the Chapter's homeworld, fortress monastery, and fleet.>>

<<Then comes additional information on the Chapter and things that differentiate it from other Chapters.>>

<<images of Chapter members to display color scheme, power armour on left and terminator on right:

[/captionleft]

[/captionright]

Use the Space Marine Painter without weapons to create the images>>

ORGANIZATION

<<A paragraph or two on the Chapter's organization (short paragraph if Codex-adherent, longer if the Chapter has some degree of deviation)>>

<<Paragraphs to describe the key distinguishing characteristics of the Chapter>>

<<Paragraph to describe the Chapter’s fleet and combat organizations>>

<<Paragraph to describe the Chapter’s heraldry and appearance>>

SELECTED BATTLE HONORS

<<include 1-3 of these>>
<<Battle/Operation/Campaign Name>> [###.M##]
<<A few paragraphs to describe the battle/operation/campaign and why it was notable for the Chapter>>

<<Battle/Operation/Campaign Name>> [###.M##]
<<A few paragraphs to describe the battle/operation/campaign and why it was notable for the Chapter>>

<<Battle/Operation/Campaign Name>> [###.M##]
<<A few paragraphs to describe the battle/operation/campaign and why it was notable for the Chapter>>

COMBAT SQUAD <<SQUAD NAME>>
<<#>><<RD/ST/TH>> <<BATTLE/RESERVE>> COMPANY

<<Title/Name>> <<Chapter Name>> <<#>> Company <<A few lines of information (make sure you hard return each line)>>

<<"Veteran Brother" or Chapter-appropriate title/Name>> <<Chapter Name>> 1st Company <<A few lines of information (make sure you hard return each line)>>

Veteran Sergeant <<(or other title)>> <<Sergeant's name>> Commander <<Tactical/Assault/Devastator/Scout>> Squad <<Sergeant’s name>> <<#>><<rd/st/th>> <<Battle/Reserve>> Company <<Chapter Name>> <<A few lines of information (make sure you hard return each line)>>

<<Chapter Name>> Chapter Icon Common Armorial Use

[captionleft=Brother <<(or other title)>> <<Battle-brother’s name>> <<A few lines of information (make sure you hard return each line)>>]

Brother <<(or other title)>> <<Battle-brother's name>> <<A few lines of information (make sure you hard return each line)>>

[captionright=Brother <<(or other title)>> <<Battle-brother's name>> <<A few lines of information (make sure you hard return each line)>>]

Brother <<(or other title)>> <<Battle-brother's name>> <<A few lines of information (make sure you hard return each line)>>

Edited October 16, 2017 by Volt

[Octavulg]

I like this (and I almost never like Iron hands successors), but think you need to explain more about the keys at the front end. Exactly what they do, for example. A reminder of who, exactly, The Beast is would be a good idea as well.