Heralds of the Warp Renegade Chapter Background [WIP]

[Lord Asvaldir]

So the new chaos releases have inspired me to overhaul my chaos army and start a completely new one, and I decided this time instead of going for an established warband, I will make my own renegade chapter. I have a lot of ideas floating around but want to get the basics down and hear what suggestions others may have to fill out the background of my warband. 

 

Pre-Renegade Information

 

Name: Steel Talons

Founding: 21st "cursed founding" 

Successor of: Iron Hands

Homeworld: moon known for its arctic and mountainous climate, destroyed after the chapter went traitor (Name TBD). Located far out on the Eastern Fringe towards the Ghoul Stars. Planetary system known for particularly large forge world. 

Colors: dark sea green with a bright red trim. 

 

Reason for founding: The Steel Talons were founded in the aftermath of the Age of Apostasy in order to reassert Imperial authority on the far fringes of the galaxy. Iron Hands geneseed was chosen because the chapter was planned to work in close conjunction with the Adeptus Mechanicus, and in particular would be responsible for ensuring the forge world of (TBD) was guarded and that its shipping lanes to supply the war effort were protected. 

 

Chapter Organization: closely follows the organization of the Iron Hands, and in particular also makes use of the "Iron Fathers"

Combat Doctrine: also closely follows that the Iron Hands, with a disdain for using bikes and jump packs in favor of a heavier emphasis on ground infantry and heavy firepower, backed up by a substantial armor pool. Also known for the use of a "shock company" where the most savage members of the chapter are grouped together into an assault company often used in boarding and siege actions. 

Specialization: void warfare and stronghold assault. As the chapter was founded mainly to support the Adeptus Mechanicus, the chapter was often called upon to act as the breacher force for when the Ad Mech were conducting sieges, and to protect their ships in transit. 

Chapter Beliefs: Like the Iron Hands, the Steel Talons believed in the weakness of flesh and the superiority of mechanical parts. However, given their close service with the Adeptus Mechanics and their founding in the aftermath of the Age of Apostasy, the chapter took this belief to the extreme and believed that only pure logic and the power of technology should keep the Imperium united, and that imperial citizens needed to be more closely controlled by mechanical means bordering on artificial intelligence (an essential reason for the chapter's descent into heresy). 

 

 

Post Renegade Information

Background for their fall: In their belief that the human mind is weak and needed to be controlled, the Steel Talons gladly took to their mission of supporting the Ad-Mech and in particular were eager to help them hunt down STC templates and rare technological finds. Over the centuries the techmarines and commanding officers of the chapter became known for their interest in experimenting with imperial technology, and on occasion their over indulgence in the search for technology over their primary purpose of fighting the Imperium's wars. Fourteen hundred years after their founding under their fifth chapter master (name TBD), the chapter took part in the suppression of a rebellion where they discovered the heretics had uncovered a treasure trove of ancient technology. Instead of handing this material over to the inquisition as they should have, the chapter kept this material and began to secretly conduct experiments with the help of their Ad Mech allies to use mechanical implants to control the human mind. When the inquisition discovered these experiments, they ordered the Steel Talons to hand over the material and to submit to a full inspection of their geneseed and homeworld. Believing he was close to uncovering the secret to controlling the human mind and stamping out rebellions against the Imperium for good by using this technology, Chapter Master ____ refused to comply and with the help of some of his Ad Mech allies took control of the forge world his chapter was tasked with guarding and declared that any attempt by the inquisition or any other organization to interfere in his vital work would be met with force. 

 

Imperial Response: given the important of this forge world in the ___ sector, and the fear that whatever technology the Steel Talons had uncovered was likely heretical, the inquisition responded swiftly. Four imperial guard regiments and a space marine chapter were martialled to retake the system, with substantial support from the Adeptus Mechanicus given their interest in destroying the Ad Mech forces that had allied themselves with the Steel Talons. While the Steel Talons heavily fortified their system in preparation for the imperial response, they were unprepared for both the swiftness and the size of the force that the Imperium sent to root them out, and within three years of bloody warfare the Steel Talons were reduced to less than 300 marines, the forge world of ___ was retaken and their homeworld was under siege and barley holding out. Instead of fighting to the end, Chapter Master ____ took his remaining marines and his few remaining ad mech allies, broke out of the imperial blockade with only one cruiser and two escorts, and made for the relative safety of the Ghoul Stars far beyond Imperial Borders. 

 

Aftermath: Freed from the constraints of Imperial Law, Chapter Master ___ continued his technological experiments, though it soon became clear that whatever technology he had uncovered was clearly chaos tainted, as it drew upon binding daemons to the human mind in some form to control it. Chapter Master ___  and since abandoned his original project and has become a master of binding demons to both man and machine, and the Iron Hands believe that flesh is weak and that the mechanical form is superior has seen been corrupted in the Steel Talons into the believe that combined daemon and human is the answer to the weakness of flesh. 

 

Warband Status: Now renamed the Heralds of the Warp, the chapter have been greatly reduced in their numbers since the having turned traitor, the warband has thrived among the chaos renegades and xenoes factions in the Ghoul Stars, and have since used their technological expertise to create daemon engines and supply them to other warbands in return for raw materials to fuel their forges. The Steel Talons have found a new home world that was devoid of life, and have since turned it into a forge world for their dark creations, though not to the scale of the great deamon forge worlds of the Eye. 

Warband Organization: Chapter Master ___ (now chaos lord) rules his warband with an iron fist, and despite their renegade status lord ___ keeps the warband highly organized under a strict hierarchy and into well defined companies. 

Combat Doctrine: the warbands preference for ground infantry and heavy weapons over the use of bikes and jump packs remains prevalent throughout the warband. In addition, they make use of a large number of daemon engines, and given most of their armor pool was lost during their rebellion nearly all of their vehicles have been replaced by high numbers of maulerfiends, forgefiends and the like. In addition, given their belief in the superiority of blending humans and daemons, the warband has a high percentage of marines that choose to become possessed.

Allegiance: Chaos Undivided, though certain members of the warband such as members of the former shock troops company are dedicated to khorne. 

Recent history: TBD, I'd like to get the core background down first before delving into what the warband has been up to during last few hundred years. 

 

Notes: Lot of generalities for now as I'd like to nail down what parts of their background seem plausible or not. Also a lot of placeholder names at the moment as that will come with time, mainly want to figure out first where exactly their home system was and what sector it would make sense to place them the system in to fit the context of the background. 

 

C&C most welcome.