The Praetorian Crusade

[Crovan]

++++++ The Praetorian Crusade ++++++

((This is the start of the fluff for my crusade. CC welcome.))

After High Marshal Helbrecht acquiesced to Roboute Guilliman's order to defend various shrine worlds, Marshal Siegfried was sent to the world of Mithron with a formidable fighting company. Many of Siegfried's company we're already veterans of the war that resulted in the Great Rift. Helbrecht knew the world had seen the touch of the Great Enemy once before, and suspected it might be a target once again.

The warriors of the Mithron Crusade arrived on the shrine world and found that their brother chapter, the Imperial Fists, had been much revered for their centuries of defense of Mithron. An entire wing of the planet's grand cathedral was dedicated to the seventh legion, including many artifacts and pieces of wargear.

Amongst the venerated displays was a ceramite tomb. The faded heraldry identified the occupant as “Venerable Brother Niklas.” His year of internment was listed as 617.M32.

Siegfried was fascinated with the Astartes history on display, and quickly set serfs and servitors to work restoring the abandoned cathedral to its former glory, particularly the wing honoring his fellow Sons of Dorn.

Elements of the restoration required skills far beyond what servitors and human serfs could provide. Andreas, a marine trained in the ways of the Priesthood of Mars, and Gaius, Master of Sanctity, oversaw the work. Andreas was immediately drawn to the tomb. After many days of study and performance of the appropriate rites, he rushed from the chamber with unusual haste to summon Marshal Siegfried.

Andreas had discovered something amazing. After untold centuries, the sarcophagus of Brother Niklas still registered power readings.

Marshal Siegfried summoned his crusade's apothecaries and followed Andreas to the reliquary wing. What the apothecaries discovered awed them all, Brother Niklas lived. Unlike members of their own chapter, his sus-an membrane was fully functional. That, combined with the seeming impossibility of the tomb's barely functioning power core, meant Niklas had survived for more than eight millennia in his tomb.

Even before entreating the marshal, Techmarine Andreas suspected that this was no ordinary tomb. The apothecaries’ findings had confirmed that Brother Niklas was entombed within a dreadnought's sarcophagus, though of a pattern he had never seen. Andreas spent three days cloistered in the Imperial Fist reliquary until he found a way to connect an external power source to the nearly-dormant device.

After all that time spent with no sound but the clicks and whirs of his servo-harness mechadendrites, and the shuffling steps of servitors, Andreas’ work-fugue was shattered by a synthesized voice.

“Only in death does duty end.”

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[[Newest Addition]]

Marshal Siegfried rushed to the reliquary of the Seventh Legion. At the door, he quickly performed the prayers to the Emperor and the Primarch that he had ordered everyone perform before entering. His supplications were somewhat distracted, however, as he heard a booming, artificial voice coming from within.

“Adept of Mars, tell me, how long have I slept?”

If Andreas responded, it was inaudible at this distance. As Siegfried completed the required ritual and walked quickly inside the holy place, silence reigned. Even the servitors seemed to have stilled their constant activity. The only sound in the great chamber was the humming generator jury-rigged to the sarcophagus.

Siegfried came to a stop beside Andreas. Unlike the Techmarine, who wore his battle plate to support a servo-harness, he was clad in simple monastic robes, his scarred face and head bare. He gazed up at the tomb containing the ancient warrior.

“Venerable Brother, I am Siegfried, Marshal of the Mithron Crusade. You have slept for many centuries.”

The synthesized voice was almost deafening, even to an Astartes, in the echoing reliquary.

“So your techmarine says….but that seems impossible.” The phrases came slowly, as if the ancient space marine inside was having to remember the Gothic language.

“I would have thought so as well,” replied Siegfried. “Still, Andreas and the crusade’s apothecaries say it is so. I have much to tell you of the realm of our glorious Emperor.”

Siegfried hesitated, not wanting to insult the living monument, “Do you require rest before we speak, Brother?”

A harsh, grating sound emanated from the external vox units wired to the tomb. “Marshal Siegfried, I think it fair to say that my rest has been far too long.”

Edited May 18, 2020 by Crovan

[SWORD BROTHER RYAN]

I would love to see this expanded on in the future. Fluff is part of why I'm here.

[bolvar]

One of the best starts I've read, i'll monitor this thread

[Crovan]

My thanks, brothers.  Part II is posted in the OP. Sometimes I think I enjoy the fluff more than the game itself.  It's been over seven years since I played the game, and with the storyline advancements (FINALLY!!), I found I needed to update the background for my crusade.  More to come, as well as some pics.

[Crovan]

I have blown the dust off my minis, and even managed to get a little painting done.  Here is the WIP of Master of Sanctity Gaius.

 

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Master of Sanctity Gaius is well-painted.

[Crovan]

My thanks, brother.

[Marshal Vespasian]

Cool setup for the crusade. I am excited for you to write more, lore is like 60% of why I like 40k

[Crovan]

I added a little bit more.  I have an idea of where I want to go with this, but I don't know how narrative I'll get.  The next installment may skip ahead a bit.  Also, I have retconned the date of internment to fit with events that I want Niklas to have been part of.  Let's just say it involves a Forge World purchase that's on the way ;) .

[Honda]

First off, welcome  to the Eternal Crusade brother and you've gotten off to a fine start.

 

Here is the WIP of Master of Sanctity Gaius.

 

 

It warms my heart to see you write this. I've always loved that honorific and maintain it in my crusade as well.

 

Onwards brother!

[Marshal Vespasian]

We have to cling to our titles as Hard as we can.

 

Dividing our crusades into fighting companies, with Chaplain in each and a reclusiam for the whole crusade is best practice I think

Edited February 22, 2019 by Marshal Vespasian

[Sword Brother Adelard]

I always thought the Master of Sanctity came above the Reclusiarch, or they were kinda equal?

[Marshal Reinhard]

I always thought the Master of Sanctity came above the Reclusiarch, or they were kinda equal?

 

You can pretty much infer seniority on superior stats. MoS has better stats, so is heavily implied to be the superior of  the two.

[Marshal Vespasian]

One Master of santicity is superior to a number of reclusiarchs which make up the reclusiam of a chapter or in our cases a crusade

 

My idea is that that there is a Master of santicity in the marshal household and a Reclusiarch as Part of the officerstaff in each fighting company in a crusade.

Edited February 22, 2019 by Marshal Vespasian

[Marshal Reinhard]

Well a single reclusiarch can lead a crusade, as Helsreach teaches us (also stated in the 4th edition codex that a crusade can be as small as a single squad)

 

The reclusiam is physical chamber that's aboard the Eternal Crusader, and is where the chapter relics are stored. The Reclusiarchs are the caretakers of these relics.

 

IN GENERAL, Master of Sanctity is typically described as the head of the "chaplaincy" and the title is often described to be interchangable as "High Chaplain". However its unclear if this is also the case for the Black Templars?

 

The Templars "High Chaplain" is the present day Grimaldus, (referred to as such at least as of 7th and 8th edition codexes...4th edition simply calls him "Chaplain Grimaldus", and makes no effort to imply he's the head of the chaplaincy). The 4th edition codex allowed us to field both reclusiarchs or a master of sanctity, but did it do this because we use the rank differently? Or because Grimaldus wasn't the head chaplain at this time? Or some other reason? Grimaldus IS our Head Chaplain now, but does that mean he's the master of sanctitiy, or is this a rank held by someone else, or possibly several others?

[Sword Brother Adelard]

There was a named Master of Sanctity in one of the books. I'll try and track it down

[Sword Brother Adelard]

His name is Theoderic.

[Marshal Reinhard]

This has been discussed here before, including the passage with Theoderic: 

 

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/336879-grimaldus-in-8th/

 

Doesn't really offer any better insights than here has been brought up here, unfortunately.

 

 

Also, I feel I must apologize to you Crovan, we seem to have hijacked your thread for a discussion of the nature of the rankings within the chapter's chaplaincy.

[Sword Brother Adelard]

Mods, can you move these posts to that linked thread please?

[Crovan]

This has been discussed here before, including the passage with Theoderic: 

 

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/336879-grimaldus-in-8th/

 

Doesn't really offer any better insights than here has been brought up here, unfortunately.

 

 

Also, I feel I must apologize to you Crovan, we seem to have hijacked your thread for a discussion of the nature of the rankings within the chapter's chaplaincy.

 

 

It's fine with me.  I'm a bit rusty, myself.  Thankfully I still have my old 4e codex to help refresh my memory.

[Crovan]

I got inspired this evening, so here's a bit more.  CC is still very welcome.  It's been awhile since I stretched my creative writing muscles.

 

I'm afraid I'm tipping my hand a bit to where I'm going with this, but I decided to do at least a bit more narrative before I just lay out the background I want to use.  I'm still kind of formulating it, but I have a couple pretty clear ideas.

[Crovan]

My apologies for the delay in updates.  I've been focusing on some fun modeling things for this Crusade (i.e. magnets galore), and haven't gotten much painting or writing done. I'm going to give the narrative fluff a break for a bit, as I'm still working out details.

 

What do y'all think?  Too Mary-Sue?  I tried to tie in some of the well known BT/IF fluff with some of the more obscure stuff (notably the Declates Crusade, which may not even be canonical any more).

 

I have been away from the game (and plot developments) for awhile, so if I've committed fluff-heresy, please let me know and I'll endeavor to fix it.

 

Here are the broad strokes:

 

[[WARNING:  SPOILERS BELOW FOR BLACK LEGION AND THE WAR OF THE BEAST]]

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marshal Siegfried, who we met above, was dispatched to the Shrine World of Mithron.  Mithron had been defended by a company of Imperial Fists for many centuries until they were recalled a few hundred years ago.  They intended to return and continue their vigil, but the company was all but wiped out.  Thus, their reliquary and chapter artifacts were left in the hands of the Ecclesiarchy.  While the priests venerated and cared for the items, they were ignorant of what they had, including the sarcophagus of Brother Niklas (whose name may change).

 

After having his sarcophagus powered up by Master of the Forge Andreas, Niklas tells his story to Siegfried and Master of Sanctity Gaius.  Much of what he reveals was unknown, even to high-ranking Black Templars, as the lack of chapter librarians means their history gets even murkier than most in the 41st millennium.  Niklas was entombed as an Imperial Fist, but he was initially sworn as a Black Templar.  He served at the first invasion of Cadia, and was elevated to the rank of Sword Brother following Sigismund's death for his actions repelling the Black Legion's first foray into realspace.

 

Niklas later served as a Castellan, and his small fighting company responded to the activation of the Last Wall Protocol during the War of the Beast, though he and his men arrived later than Marshal Bohemond.  When it came time to repopulate the Imperial Fists, Niklas agreed to join the founding chapter on the condition that he and his men could revive the iconography of the Templar Brethren.  Some examples of that ancient wargear, including Niklas' armor and weapons before his interment in a dreadnought sarcophagus.

 

Siegfried himself is no stranger to working along side other sons of Dorn.  In his days as an Initiate, he served in the Declates Crusade, and incorporates the signature red gauntlets of the Crimson Fists into his armor as well as that of his Sword Brethren.

 

Siegfried in turn fills Niklas in on the known events of recent centuries, particularly the thirteenth Black Crusade and the emergence of the Great Rift.  Jointly, they decide that the best way to prevent Abaddon from reaching and sacking Terra is to reunite the seventh legion.  Suspecting that Roboute Guilliman would not go along with such a plan, Siegfried resolves that there is only one man who could go beyond the Last Wall and bring the entire might of the Imperial Fists to bear, Rogal Dorn.

 

Siegfried leaves a portion of his crusade's strength to protect Mithron, then sets off in search of clues to the location of the missing Primarch. 

Edited March 8, 2019 by Crovan

[Crovan]

Another night in magnet town! I'm not getting a lot of painting done, but I am getting a lot more proficient at making my sword brethren versatile.

Edited March 10, 2019 by Crovan

[bolvar]

Image broken brother, call the techmarine.

[Crovan]

Image broken brother, call the techmarine.

Thank you, brother. The proper litanies have been received, and the pict-feed has been restored.