IA: Liberation Knights

[Brother Lunkhead]

Greetings folks and welcome to my newest ADD DIY project . I should be working on my primary IA, the Praetorian Sword.  But, why do that when I can PROCRASTINATE

 

This particular project has it's origins in the dim past of my misadventures in the 40Kverse. It's based on a Space Marine figure I saw in a display case at my LFGS. It was painted up as a widely known pop culture figure (to be revealed at a later date). I was immediately inspired to create a Chapter based on that mini. So many years later, the Praetorian Sword and it's fellow Founding No. 1619 chapters gave me the opening without being contrived and eye rolling over-the-top.... just over-the-top.

 

As I evolved the Liberation Knights, I drew inspiration from the following:

 

• U.S. history
• History of Airborne/Paratrooper development
• Airborne Operations of WW II (allied  and axis)
• Special Operations of WW II (allied and axis)
• The common soldier (all uncommon actually)
• Hebraic bond servant and slave culture
• Greco-Roman military culture
• Specific iconic pop culture heroes
• Adventure films and serials of the 1930's, 1940's, and 1950's

 

So, here we go...… as always, comments and money are welcome

 

IA: Liberation Knights

 

"Citizens of the Imperium, take heart and look to the skies. Liberation is at hand."

                                                                   - Planets-wide transmission by Chapter Master Furore'

                                                                     prior to the assault on the Tobrec Iron Worlds

 

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/sm.php?b62c=@hh8a4_h1YuI.hBgCA@.@@___ia3h6_.@@_iakk7@@@@hSsP6@@@@@@____@@@@@@@@@@..@@@___@@_@.@@.iakk7&grid=TRUE

 

ORIGIN: 

 

At the end of the Horus Heresy and as part of the Scouring, Roboute Guilliman sends out several retribution fleets with broad mandates to seek and destroy surviving Chaos forces and enclaves, and to assist loyalist forces and civilians as necessary. One of these fleets, Retribution Fleet Praetor is under command of Chapter Master Mericus Bellerophon, former Invictarus Suzerain commander and part of Guilliman's inner circle.

 

While escorting a civilian refugee fleet to safe Imperial space, they are ambushed by a combined Chaos fleet which immediately sets upon the civilian ships. Bellerophon, immediately understands that his choices are limited. If he turns and fights he can destroy the Chaos fleet, but at the cost of the refugee fleet. He can run, but the Chaos forces will simply follow, and like a pack of wolves pick off the weaker civilian ships one by one. The only viable option is to have a portion of his fleet turn and fight a holding action, allowing the bulk of the fleet time to escape. Fleet Master Marcus Voyen (Bellerophon's closest human friend) volunteers to lead the holding action. Bellerophon knows that Voyen is the best man for the job and that it is also a suicide mission. He will never see his friend or the ships of the holding squadrons again.

 

Voyen launches his desperate little fleet into a savage attack against the Chaos forces, while the bulk of Fleet Praetor and the refugee fleet escape into the warp. In their death run, Voyen's forces smash the Chaos fleet and Bellerephon's rage and hatred of Chaos is fueled even brighter by the death of his friend and so many of his ship crews. It is a hatred that will burn hot until the day he dies.

 

Upon entering the warp, the fleet encounters a storm of power and ferocity  unlike any they had ever experienced. Many ships are lost and huge portions of the fleet are separated in the storm. As the surviving squadrons exit the warp they are scattered throughout the galactic rim. But that is not the worst of it. Navigators and ship cartographers inform the Chapter Master that the stars are wrong. His ships have not only been flung to the far reaches of the galaxy but the far reaches of time as well. It is estimated that they are almost ten thousand years in the future.

 

After many battles and long searching over more than a century, Bellerophon is finally content that he has made contact with all surviving elements of his fleet. He has lost many ships along with over five thousand Astartes, and countless freemen and civilian refugees. Also, through an extensive intelligence network he and his Librarius have established, he has a clear view of what has become of the Imperium. They are truly in a dark age, in every sense of the word.

 

At the end of what would later be known as the First Tyrannic War, and after furious battle with the Tyrannid invaders on the edges of Ultramar, Bellerophon makes contact with Macrage and meets with Marneus Calgar in secret. Once convinced of the truth behind Bellerophon's fantastic tale, the two Chapter Masters confer and make plans for the inevitable confrontation with the Inquisition.

 

For Calgar and the Ultramarines, meeting  Astartes from the XIII Legion is a miracle. To actually speak with brothers who stood with the Emperor and the Primarch, who witnessed the Emperor's dream made manifest and then sundered by Horus' treason is nothing short of a wonder for them. For the Inquisition, it is nothing short of the ultimate nightmare. To actually have eye witnesses to the Horus Heresy walking in the Imperium is intolerable. The Inquisition arrives in force with elements of Battlefleet Ultima, demanding the surrender of Bellerophon, his Astartes, and all freemen and civilians under his authority. The inquisitorial forces are faced by ships of the Ultramarines, the Ultramar Defense Force, and elements of Retribution Fleet Praetor. Inquisitor Egotoobig tells Chapter Master Calgar that more forces are on their way. Calgar smiles and assures the Inquisitor that they most certainly are. Numerous warp portals appear at the Mandeville Point and swarms of Primogenitor war ships pour through and take up battle positions behind the Imperial naval forces, weapons locked.

 

After long and tense deliberation, a compromise is arrived at. Under supervision of the Ultramarines Chapter, Bellerophon and his people will submit to inspection by the Inquisition and the Grey Knights. Once cleared, the forces of Retribution Fleet Praetor will be divided into five groups that will form the nucleus of five new chapters of Astartes. The new chapters will then take charge of all accompanying freemen and civilians who will be bonded in servitude to the chapters for life as will their children and children's children in perpetuity. Secret charters are issued, and all are sworn to silence.

 

Thus is born the Praetorian Sword, the Hospitallers Militant, the Hammers of Ultramar, the Ursan Lords, and the Liberation Knights, new Space Marine chapters to bring the Emperors Light to the darkness.

 

 

SUMMARY:

 

Headquartered in the northern fringe of Segmentum Obscurus, the Liberation Knights are one of five Astartes Chapters created from the XIII Legion Praetor Retribution Fleet. The chapter is organized  generally along Codex: Astartes lines, fielding approximately one thousand Space Marines in ten companies.

 

The Liberation Knights favor fast attack and assault tactics above all else. To that end, Battleline companies eschew two Fire Support squads in favor of two additional Assault squads. Fire support is provided by the 9th (Fire Support) Reserve Company as needed. Armored and Artillery support is provided by basic Pedators and Whirlwind tanks, and of recent introduction, Repulsors and Impulsor Primaris tanks. The chapter possesses no exotic or relic armor.

 

The Liberation Knights possess only a single Battle Barge (Light of Freedom), which is used only for large scale deployments as a command and control node and supply base for it's fleet of many Vanguard/Strike Cruisers, and fast attack and defense vessels.

 

The Chapter has enthusiastically embraced the addition of their new Primaris brothers and equipment, as they add new repertoire to their favored form of combat.

 

While they uphold the Imperial Truth and their Primarch's highest ideals with a tough "can do" attitude, the personality of the Liberation Knights is decidedly adventurous and devil-may-care.

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BASIC DATA:

 

                       Primogenitor Legion: XIII Legion, Ultramarines

 

                       Primarch Primogenitor: Roboute Guilliman

 

                       Founding: Classified (=][= Inquisitorial File 1619 =][=)

 

                       Chapter Master: Nicodemus Furore'

 

                       Homeworld: Ellisus IV - Imperium Nihilus

 

                       Chapter Monastery: Aquilae Oculus

 

                       Known Descendants: None

 

                       Colors: Red, White, Blue

                                   Special Note - While not an official chapter color, the Liberation Knights incorporate olive green in their armor livery

                                                           in honor of the common Imperial Guardsman, "who bears the greatest burden."

 

                      Specialty: Vanguard assault and decapitation strike

 

                      Battle Cry: Libertatem Gladio

 

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[Place Holder for Stuff]

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[Bjorn Firewalker]

Colors: Red, White, Blue

Special Note - While not an official chapter color, the Liberation Knights incorporate olive green in their armor livery in honor of the common Imperial Guardsman, "who bears the greatest burden."

Space Marines are supposed to be practical. I think you should state the olive green is for camouflage, and the Knights will repaint their armor as necessary, e.g., steel gray (urban warfare), tan (desert warfare), blue (marine environments), red (Mars), etc. Emphasize the whole "[paint their armor] in honor of the common Imperial Guardsman, 'who bears the greatest burden,'" legend, is one Imperial propaganda artists spread; the Knights simply don't think correcting them is worth expending the effort.

[Brother Lunkhead]

 

Colors: Red, White, Blue

Special Note - While not an official chapter color, the Liberation Knights incorporate olive green in their armor livery in honor of the common Imperial Guardsman, "who bears the greatest burden."

Space Marines are supposed to be practical. I think you should state the olive green is for camouflage, and the Knights will repaint their armor as necessary, e.g., steel gray (urban warfare), tan (desert warfare), blue (marine environments), red (Mars), etc. Emphasize the whole "[paint their armor] in honor of the common Imperial Guardsman, 'who bears the greatest burden,'" legend, is one Imperial propaganda artists spread; the Knights simply don't think correcting them is worth expending the effort.

 

 

You mean "practical" like mead sloshing, tall tale telling, fur and talisman wearing Space Wolves, or skull taking, laugh while killing, talisman wearing White Scars?...…. or yellow and red checkerboard liveried Howling Griffons?

 

All Space Marines are practical at their core. I'm not at all sure where you are going with this  The Liberation Knights are not stoic ascetics. They are often the 'tip-of-the-spear" vanguard of larger Imperial Guard armies and have close ties to these people. The Liberation Knights are tough and devil-may-care, but just a little sentimental. so cut them a little slack

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Not all Astra Militarum guardsmen wear olive drab uniforms. Vostroyans wear red, Tallarns wear khaki, Mordians wear navy blue... How does the olive drab color honor them?

[Brother Lunkhead]

It's the most common color used among the guard armies  the Knights fight with. it's mostly symbolic anyway...... I think any gesture by an Astartes chapter is going to be appreciated and I seriously dought anyone is going to quible over the color. If anyone has a problem, the Chapter Master has an "open door" policy

[Bjorn Firewalker]

If anyone has a problem, the Chapter Master has an "open door" policy

Is that a polite way of saying, "The Chapter Master will tear a new anus for anyone who dares question him!"?

 

(Shrugs.) Well, there's a good reason the Emperor's enemies fear the Angry Marines more than any other of the His Immortal Majesty's servants.

[Messor]

Mmm, the ruinous powers of Procrastination and Diversion prevail, to the benefit of all the Liber! It sounds like there's an interesting core, here, so I look forward to reading more of it.

[Brother Lunkhead]

 

 

 

 

If anyone has a problem, the Chapter Master has an "open door" policy

Is that a polite way of saying, "The Chapter Master will tear a new anus for anyone who dares question him!"?

 

(Shrugs.) Well, there's a good reason the Emperor's enemies fear the Angry Marines more than any other of the His Immortal Majesty's servants.

 

 

Just so Brother, just so

 

 

Mmm, the ruinous powers of Procrastination and Diversion prevail, to the benefit of all the Liber! It sounds like there's an interesting core, here, so I look forward to reading more of it.

 

As you say...."the ruinous powers of Procrastination and Diversion prevail I must confess that this whole DIY thing is a lot more fun than I thought it would be. The core idea behind all of these Praetorian Sword derivative chapters is pretty cheesy, the Liberation Knights being the cheesiest

 

I'm going to keep this one under wraps until I have the first draft of the final IA. If I give out much more information it'll be obvious what this chapter is all about. The real challenge will be to give it some depth while holding on to some of the cheese. Fortunately, when I had the majority of my sense of humor surgically removed some years ago, I kept it preserved in a jar of brandy. I may have to pop the lid and see what I can do with it