IA: The Praetorian Sword - LASC 2019

[Brother Lunkhead]

INDEX ASTARTES

The Praetorian Sword Chapter

"Fire and death to the daemon, the heretic, and the xeno. Liberation and hope to the beleaguered Servants of the Emperor. This is our calling and our oath, unto the last breath of the last warrior."

- Chapter Master Mericus Bellerophon

CHAPTER INDEX

Primogenitor Legion: XIII Legion, Ultramarines

Primarch Primogenitor: Roboute Guilliman

Founding: Classified (WARNING =][= REDACTED BY ORDER OF THE INQUISITION =][= WARNING)

Chapter Master: Mericus Bellerophon

Home world: Fleet-based

Chapter Monastery: Battle Barge - Fury of Terra

Strength: 1,000 Line Astartes (approximate number)

Specialty: Rapid strike and purgation

Heraldry: Skyward pointing gladius over a flaming agemo

Chapter Colors: Sea Blue and Steel

Battle Cry: Fury and Fire

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PRIMOGENITOR

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HISTORY

I

n many ways, the Praetorian Sword is a Chapter out of its place in time. Descended directly from their beloved Primarch's XIII Legion, many of it's brothers remember the golden era of empire, and struggle to make peace with being thrust into an era of darkness, and hopelessness. But, they are Guilliman's finest and will take the fight to the Emperor's enemies no matter where or when they are.

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 Aegottub'g 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, one of five new Space Marine chapters to bring the Emperors Light to the darkness.

The 41st Millennium and the Coming Storm

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The 42nd Millennium and the Dark Imperium

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Timeline

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CHAPTER ORGANIZATION

D

escended directly from Roboute Guilliman's XIII Legion, the Praetorian Sword Chapter brings a unique perspective to Space Marine operations. At the time of the Dark Imperium there were still a few who remembered the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy. They were there when their beloved Primarch was still writing his Codex and a time before the Chapters. Still, loyal to the ideals and logistical acumen of the Lord Commander of the Imperium, they are a Codex compliant chapter. But they remember his most important if not controversial directive, "Do whatever is necessary to win."

Per directions from the Codex, the Praetorian Sword Chapter is divided into ten companies, each containing one hundred Battle Brothers. Each is lead by a Battle Captain and retinue chosen from or by the Chapter Command. These Command Squads are made up of the Chapter's wisest and most valiant warriors, heroes in every sense of the word. The Chapter Master leads this mighty force with leadership and support of his Chapter Command, Armourium, Apothecarion, Reclusium, Librarius. The Chapter sails into battle aboard the mighty void-worthy fighting ships of the Chapter Fleet. The powerful weapons of the fleet ensure that the Chapter's most potent weapons, its Astartes are supported and delivered on target by the fleet's many drop pods and transports. Further support is had from the tanks, artillery, interceptors, fighter craft, and gunships of the Armourium.

Chapter Command

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Armourium

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Reclusium

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Apothecarion

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Librarius

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Fleet Command

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Servus Civis

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Companies of the Chapter

VETERANS

In the 1st Company you will find the Chapter's most seasoned veterans. They possess martial skills, and tactical and strategic wisdom possessed by only a few outside of the company. These are skills hard won. These warriors have spent decades and In some cases, centuries fighting the Emperor's enemies. When fighting as a whole, the 1st Company is a mighty force to be reckoned with. However, the Veteran Company seldom fights as a company. Individuals and squads are more often found lending their martial skill and knowledge to individual strike forces, battle-line companies and reserve companies. Spread over multiple war zones, Veterans of the 1st Company are a considerable force multiplier.

The 1st Company

BATTLE COMPANIES

The 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Companies comprise the Chapter's Battle Companies, and are the mainstay of the Praetorian Sword's fighting force. Strike Forces are primarily drawn from the Battle Companies. While the Praetorian Sword is known and feared for it's massive chapter assaults, it is still rare to see more than one Battle Company in a war zone, as one is usually more than sufficient to crush an enemy. Except for the 1st Company, it is in these Battle Companies you will find the Praetorian Sword's most experienced battle-forged Astartes.

The 2nd Company

The 3rd Company

The 4th Company

The 5th Company

RESERVE COMPANIES

In war zones across the Imperium, as Battle Company casualties increase or more fire power is needed to dislodge an enemy, the Squads of the 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th Reserve Companies are called in. It is seldom that the Reserve Companies fight as cohesive units. Due to the vast distances from the Fleet Proper that Strike Forces and Battle Companies normally engage in battle, individual Reserve Company Squads are more often than not, embedded with these more experienced battle groups where they can be called on at a moment's notice.

Battleline Reserve Companies

The 6th and 7th Reserve Companies are each made up of one hundred Batttleline Astartes, divided into ten squads. It is in these Battleline Companies that young Astartes truly put into practice all they have learned since their early days as Neophytes. Here, they not only fight in fully functional battleline squads, but learn to fight from Bikes, Land Speeders, and the primary battle tanks of the Chapter, the Predator and Repulsor. Astartes are not simply super soldiers, fighting in squads and from formations of light fast attack vehicles and chapter tanks, but like the knights of old, individual warriors of legend. It is from the 6th and 7th Companies that each Space Marine executes his first individual special missions and quests. These missions range from ambassadorial missions, representing the Chapter at the inauguration of a new planetary governor to delivering a primitive Imperial world from the predations of insidious xeno or corrupted foes that they are ill equipped to defeat or even understand. From these two companies, individual Space Marines become true warriors and enter the ranks of the Battle Companies.

The 6th Company

The 7th Company

Close Support Reserve Company

The one hundred Battle-Brothers of the 8th Company constitute the close support reserve force of the Praetorian Sword Chapter. This company is made up entirely of war hardened Space Marines from battle-line squads of the Chapter's Battle Companies. They are specifically chosen for their aggression and close combat skill and forged further in the techniques of shock attack and close quarter killing. Many Chapter and Company Champions have come through the ranks of the 8th Company.

The 8th Company

Fire Support Reserve Compnay

When Strike Forces and Battle Companies require additional heavy weapons' support, the Battle-Brothers of the 9th Fire Support Reserve Company are called on to rain fire and death upon the enemies of the Emperor. For the one hundred Battle-Brothers that constitute the 9th Company, this is their first experience as full fledged Astartes. When a Neophyte of the 10th Company receives his Black Carapace and Power Armor as a recognized Space Marine, he enters the ranks of the 9th Company. It is here he receives his initial training in heavy weapons use and deployment, as well as basic infantry tactics. It is in these ranks he also tastes front-line combat for the first time.

The 9th Company

THE NEOPHYTES AND THE VANGUARD

It is in the ranks of the 10th Scout Company that young Neophytes are forged into and receive their initial training and indoctrination that will transform them into the Emperor's Angels of Death, the most feared warriors in the galaxy. Under the watchful eye of Brother Captain Paulus Romulus, Master of Recruits and Master of the Vanguard, the Scout Sergeants of the 10th Company train Neophytes in the arts of reconnaissance, stealth, sabotage, sniper operations, and other special operations. Whether through hypno-indoctrination or practical field operations, young Scouts learn all the skills necessary to act as the eyes, ears, and weapons of the Chapter behind enemy lines. The 10th is also the home of ten Vanguard Squads of the Praetorian Sword Chapter. The Vanguard are the Chapter's elite reconnaissance and special operations warriors, dealing death and terror to the enemy from the shadows. Whether elites of the Vanguard Squads or raw neophyte Scouts, all of the 10th Company are vital elements in the Chapter's war efforts.

The 10th Company

CHAPTER FLEET

B

eing a fleet-based chapter, the Praetorian Sword boasts a sizable fleet with a large variety of vessels for both combat operations and support. It is a veritable warp capable Chapter World. From huge Battle Barges and Forge Tenders to small Scout Sloops and Supply Transports, whether a combat or support vessel, all ships of the fleet have one single mission, support Space Marine combat operations.

Battle Fleet

Once part of the vast ancient Retribution Fleet Praetor, the Battle Fleet of the Praetorian Sword is made up of for all practical purposes, the prototype ships-of-the-line of modern Space Marine battle fleets. These ships are a mix of rebuilt and repaired Crusade era ships to newly built (new for them) post Horus Heresy fighting vessels. Gone however, were the vast sculptured elegant ships of the Crusade. These fighting ships were a leaner, more practical and angry breed of starships, rechristened with names befitting a fleet designed specifically to deal out the Emperor's mercy and justice. Although from an earlier era, Astartes and Imperial Navy crews of the 41st and 42nd millennium recognize the lines of modern Battle Barges, Strike and Vanguard Cruisers, Gladius Frigates, Hunter Destroyers, and Nova Frigates.

Lance Frigate Controversy

When the five new Astartes Chapters were created, the still vast Praetor fleet was divided up between the chapters, each in accordance to it's mission and needs. Many ships of the former Retribution Fleet however, were now forbidden to Space Marine chapters. These mighty battleships, heavy cruisers and other ships-of-the-line were offered up to the Imperial Navy, which gladly accepted them. Conspicuously missing from the intended Imperial Navy manifest were the bulk of the large number of lance frigates that Fleet Praetor was known to have. When queried on this subject, Chapter Master Bellerophon shrugged and noted that each squadron of the new chapter fleets possessed one proto-Nova Frigate. He commented that being fleet based in nature and not relying on Imperial Naval support for many operations, the Astartes fleets would require a small number of ship killers for fleet defense. In actuality, Bellerophon deeply distrusted Imperial Navy High Command and their ties to the Inquistion. He considered both groups to be duplicitous and Machiavellian. The Nova Frigates were not only a vital part of fleet operations but a deterrent against any overt moves against the new chapters by the Inquisition or their Imperial Navy "lackeys". He never denied having more in reserve for "refit and repair purposes", but declined to state how many. When Imperial Navy representative repeatedly "requested" that the lance frigates be turned over to them, Bellerophon's response was always the same, "Molon labe." To date the Imperial Navy has declined his offer.

Battle Fleet Operations

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Lupos Operations

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Task Force 34

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Fleet Order of Battle

Battle Barges (3)

• Fury of Terra (Flagship)
• Gladius Resplendent
• Retribution's Hand

Strike Cruisers (5)

• Warlight
• Don Cesare
• Avatar of Justice
• Indominable Patavius
• Reckoning

Vanguard Cruisers (3)

• Herald of Vengeance
• Cor Ira
• Silent Sword

Gladius Frigates (11)

Hunter Destroyers (11)

Nova Frigates (?)

Rudense Class Rapid Insertion Craft (6) (Primaris)

Faustus Scout/Interceptors (6)

Notable Fleet Engagements

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COMBAT DOCTRINE

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BELIEFS

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GENE-SEED

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CHAPTER HERALDRY AND LIVERY

Heraldry

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Livery

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/sm.php?b62c=@hr48R_h22PO.hhWEq_._____ia3h6@._@__@@@@_@@@@@@____@@@@@@@@@@.._@@___@@__.__@iakk7&grid=TRUE

When Retribution Fleet Praetor set sail in pursuit of Horus' fleeing allies, it was made up of mostly hastily repaired and refitted ships.

Gone were the colorful and beautifully ornate vessels of the Crusade. The newly refitted ships-of-war were a lean and angry breed, armored and

armed to deal out justice and retribution. Hastily painted, the blue of Ultramar was seen only on the heavily armored shoulders where the coats

of heraldry were fastened. All else was liveried in defense gray.

By the end of it's journey, Praetor's ships were battered and scared. Much of the ships' colors were burned down to bare metal. Ultramars' proud

colors were faded and tired.

Chapter Master Bellerophon decreed that the colors of the Praetorian Sword Chapter would memorialize these scars. Thus, sea blue and steel

were set down in the new charter.

SUMMARY

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*Special thanks to Brother Cambrius for the Space Marine image

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I would like to start this thread off with a Unification War salute to Brother Kelborn and Chaplain Dosjetka, who inspired me to get off my duff with their most recent DIY threads http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/356531-chapter-creations-initial-concept/ and http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/356527-dos-latest-attempt-at-a-diy-chapter-initial-notesthoughts/ respectively.

Let me start off with a little background story I've been a Ultramarine fan (fluff, army, all of it) since first discovering 40K millennia ago. I pretty much dived into the hobby, building and playing a small Ultramarine army and amassing and designing a larger force (about three companies strong at the time and growing) and having a good ol' time reading as much 40K fiction that I could lay my hands on...… but something changed I had been enjoying Graham McNeill's adventures of Uriel Ventris for some time and looking forward to what looked to be the conclusion of the final story arc.

So, after finishing Marnius Calgar Kills the Ultramarines..... errr…… I mean Chapter's Due and hurling it across the room. I said to myself, "Self, things aren't looking too good for your Ultramarines" Then it hit me, "Old son, they aren't your Ultramarines. They're GW's Ultramarines, and they can do whatever they want with them..... as is their right." I then realized that if I was going to invest a lot of time and treasure in a Space Marine army, I wanted to have some agency over them and their story. "Better go create your own chapter, Self." I then proceeded to dump my Ultramarines into a tub of "Dip" and stripped off all of the paint and started anew. Then I placed my freshly purified Space Marines in stasis boxes and I contemplated their future.

Now I still loved the Ultramarines (they are BLUE you know ) but I didn't want to create a carbon copy chapter. I wanted to challenge myself a bit. I wanted to incorporate some of the characteristics of the Ultramarines, only edgier and darker. I also wanted to incorporate the large amount of FW Heresy era armor and weapons I'd amassed into the chapter army and story. Over the years I came up within the tiny cracks of time between career and raising a family, background and structure for a chapter I call the Praetorian Sword. The following is a rough draft for my DIY chapter. My ultimate goal is to build a chapter size force with an accompanying codex.

Concept Draft:

Hidden Content

• Chapter Name: Praetorian Sword
• Founding Chapter: Ultramarines
• Founding: Classified by the Inquisition (Project 1619)
• Secret Founding: One of five chapters created from the survivors of Scouring era XIII Legion Retribution Fleet Praetor, originally presumed lost in the warp. Founded under official charter as an Astartes Chapter in 747M41, after the First Tyrannic War.
• Chapter Master: Mericus Bellerophon
• Homeworld: Fleet-based
• Fortress Monastery: Battle Barge Fury of Terra
• Colors: Sea Blue, Brushed Steel
• Strength: Unknown
• Specialty: Rapid strike and purgation
• Battle Cry: Fury and Fire
• Culture: Spartan with Ultramarine sensibilities. Astartes represent the Spartan warrior class, supported by a human bondsmen society, governed under the general principles of Hebraic codes of conduct towards bond servants and slaves.
• Order of Battle: While generally codex compliant, the chapter maintains an auxiliary support force of armor and flyers. Recently, an eleventh company was added, consisting entirely of Primaris Marines.
• Chapter Personality: Known for high aggression in battle, the Praetorian Swords are brutal and merciless warriors. It's Chapter Master has executed more than one world without hesitation or remorse.
• Signature Weapon and Marking: Upon elevation from neophyte each Astartes receives a Gladius and his left pauldron is engraved with "XIII".

Inspiration:

• Greek and Roman histories
• Hebraic slave culture
• Imperial Roman Legion and Naval Forces structure and traditions
• The Iliad - Homer
• Masters of the Sea trilogy - John Stack
• Macro and Cato series - Simon Scarrow
• Legio XVII - Thomas Timmes
• Gates of Fire - Steven Pressfield
• Know Thyself and Sons of Wrath - Andy Smilie
• The odd XIII Legion and Ultramarines story - Dan Abnett, Graham McNeill, Nick Kyme, Robbie MacNiven, Guy Haley, and Ian St Martin

Hidden Content

IA: Praetorian Sword

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/sm.php?b62c=@hr48R_h22PO.hhWEq_._____ia3h6@._@__@@@@_@@@@@@____@@@@@@@@@@.._@@___@@__.__@iakk7&grid=TRUE

[summary Place Holder]

BASIC DATA:

Primogenitor Legion: XIII Legion, Ultramarines

Primarch Primogenitor: Roboute Guilliman

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

Chapter Master: Mericus Bellerophon

Homeworld: Fleet-based

Chapter Monastery: Battle Barge - Fury of Terra

Known Descendants: [Place Holder]

Colors: Blue and Steel

Symbol: Gladius (upturned) over an Agemo (stylized with a laurel on the inside curve)

Specialty: Rapid strike and purgation

Battle Cry: Fury and Fire

That's it for now. I'll add more detail as time allows. Looking forward to comments and critique...… I think

Edited July 13, 2021 by Brother Lunkhead

[Tarvek Val]

This is certainly very promising. I'm sure it will be more than rewarding to create a Chapter that is solely yours, and I look forward to seeing where you take the Praetorian Swords!

[Messor]

That's an extremely healthy pool of inspirational material to pull from, and it makes me very interested to see what you develop. Probably more an aside than anything, but do you have plans to involve any of the other four chapters in this secret founding in the Praetorian Sword background? More directly on topic, is there any particular reason you decided to go with a secret founding?

[Kelborn]

Interesting.

I like that you'renot going the Spartan into 40K way but rather mixed it with quite a lot of other inspirational sources.

 

And I'd join Messor. I had the same questions after reading your post. ;)

[Brother Lunkhead]

Thanks everyone for the quick and kind comments. Feedback is very helpful in shoring up any holes in my story, but mostly it forces me to actually write this stuff down that's spinning  around in my head

 

So, let's get down to the first elephant in the room...…. the secret founding This is one of those things I generally try to avoid (and I did try to avoid this). I don't have anything against the concept of "the secret founding". It's just that it should be rare and not just something to make your chapter look "special"...… and that generally takes a lot of work and it usually still looks awkward. Fortunately or unfortunately (depending on how you feel about these things), I didn't have much choice in the matter. The events and chacters in the story made the choice. If you've ever been involved in story telling (in one way or another all of us in the B&C have) you know that the characters and events in a story sometimes take on a life of their own and take you down paths you weren't planning for. I'll explain from the beginning...… This is going to be a very rough outline of the beginning of the Praetorian Sword story. As this is the first time I'm writing this down, please bear with me. The story begins as follows:

 

     ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

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.

 

     ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Well...…. that was a mouthful of answer . Hopefully that answers your question on the secret founding. Given the origin of the chapter(s) and the demeanor of the Inquisition, I didn't see much choice.

 

Hail Messor…Hopefully that answers your question about the other chapters. I'm sure I'll eventually do something with them, but that's for other threads at another time. 

 

That's all for now.... keep those comments and questions coming 

Edited July 13, 2021 by Brother Lunkhead

[Messor]

That was dope, not to mention well summarized without feeling like it was just an info dump. I like it a lot, and think it's a great explanation. It did prompt a couple of other questions for you to explore in future updates:
 

The Inquisition arrives in force with elements of Battlefleet Ultima, demanding the surrender of Bellerophon

How does the Inquisition come to suspect Bellerophon's origins?

 

Inquisitor Egotoobig

I know this is just placeholder, but it made me chuckle.

 

Can I assume, then, that you will also be involving the return of the Primarch in this story?

[Brother Lunkhead]

Wow Messor, that was quick That was a very kind comment... I couldn't ask for more.

 

As for the Inquisition suspecting Bellerophon, well.... they are snoops supreme and have eyes and ears everywhere..... here's a meeting between Calgar and Bellerophon secretly monitored by you know who:

 

               

 

Actually, it all really was just a info dump, but I've been formulating this stuff  for so long it all came out rather naturally.

 

I don't think there will be any significant involvement of the Praetorian Sword with dear ol' dad's return. Since, it occurs just as Abaddon is tearing the galaxy apart, Bellerophon and Guilliman both probably have bigger concerns However, if you have any ideas, I'm definitely open to them.

 

Yeah, Inquisitor Egotoobig….. I may keep it and just transliterate it into another language. I wonder how it might look in sanskrit

Edited June 26, 2019 by Brother Lunkhead

[Kelborn]

Ah...a time travel story. I'm a simple man, I see a good story and I'll like it.

 

For me, it's reasonable to happen in 40K. That's why I love this gigantic sandbox we're playing in. :D

 

I'd keep the name, maybe just skip on O -> Lord Inquisitor Egotobig?

 

Now I'm curious if we'll see the othet 4 chapters getting some love, as wel.

I'm especially interested in the Ursan Lords. Some bear/ savage chapter shenanigans maybe? ;)

[Messor]

As for the Inquisition suspecting Bellerophon, well.... they are snoops supreme and have eyes and ears everywhere.....

True, and that question probably could have been posed better. It's less that I wonder how the Inquisition could learn of this, and more how it unfolds in the story (which I realize you're still working on incorporating). As you lay the groundwork, I think it will be good to drop hints about it. Perhaps Bellerphon's own intelligence agents begin to feel like they're being watched, or even something more dire, building to that moment when the Inquisition arrives just as Bellerphon has properly reunited with the Ultramarines.

 

I don't think there will be any significant involvement of the Praetorian Sword with dear ol' dad's return. Since, it occurs just as Abaddon is tearing the galaxy apart, Bellerophon and Guilliman both probably have bigger concerns However, if you have any ideas, I'm definitely open to them.

Oh, I don't think any significant involvement is really necessary, but it would be interesting to see Bellerophon's response to learning that Guilliman lives, as an aside or something.

[Brother Lunkhead]

Ah...a time travel story. I'm a simple man, I see a good story and I'll like it.

 

For me, it's reasonable to happen in 40K. That's why I love this gigantic sandbox we're playing in.

 

I'd keep the name, maybe just skip on O -> Lord Inquisitor Egotobig?

 

Now I'm curious if we'll see the othet 4 chapters getting some love, as wel.

I'm especially interested in the Ursan Lords. Some bear/ savage chapter shenanigans maybe?

 

 

Thanks for the comments Brother. You've taken a big load off my mind. The time travel event was the biggest worry for me. I was sure it would be the big bugaboo in the story. In fact I was so concerned that I ran it by a couple of writer friends that have a good working knowledge of the 40Kverse for a sanity check. Both agreed that I was not sane, but the story idea was

 

Truly.... the 40Kverse is a gigantic sandbox, and that's why I like it so much.

 

Lord Inquisitor Egotobig ....... ok, it stays

 

Some Fraters love wolves and Vikings (they are cool for sure), but for me it's bears, Celts, and Saxons We will definitely hear from the Ursan Lords soon. I was originally planning to do something with them way down the road, but they are demanding to be heard, so heard they shall be. In fact as part of my story, all five chapters rotate units to serve with each other in order to maintain strong ties.

 

 

 

As for the Inquisition suspecting Bellerophon, well.... they are snoops supreme and have eyes and ears everywhere.....

True, and that question probably could have been posed better. It's less that I wonder how the Inquisition could learn of this, and more how it unfolds in the story (which I realize you're still working on incorporating). As you lay the groundwork, I think it will be good to drop hints about it. Perhaps Bellerphon's own intelligence agents begin to feel like they're being watched, or even something more dire, building to that moment when the Inquisition arrives just as Bellerphon has properly reunited with the Ultramarines.

 

I don't think there will be any significant involvement of the Praetorian Sword with dear ol' dad's return. Since, it occurs just as Abaddon is tearing the galaxy apart, Bellerophon and Guilliman both probably have bigger concerns However, if you have any ideas, I'm definitely open to them.

Oh, I don't think any significant involvement is really necessary, but it would be interesting to see Bellerophon's response to learning that Guilliman lives, as an aside or something.

 

 

I think Calgar and Bellerophon just assumed that the Inquisition would find out in short order and knew what their response would be. It was just a matter making plans and finding out when the Inquisition would act, so they could act first. How they find out might make for a good 40K espionage story though.

 

As for reuniting with his Primarch, my first wonder was how he would react to knowing that Guilliman was dead and enthroned in the Temple of Correction. How does this sound:

 

     The Chapter Master looked up in wonder at the countenance of his Primarch, then down to the slit across his neck. Small beads of blood sparkled like some obscene necklace. Bellerophon fell to his knees and wept.

Edited June 26, 2019 by Brother Lunkhead

[Hasoroth]

So first of all, I love that you decided to create your own Chapter so that GW could never screw with it. I also like the idea of exploring what exactly the Imperium might do with a time-lost Chapter.

With that being said I do feel that the circumstances of the Praetorian Sword as written are a little too on the nose. The narrative space of 'current generations meeting their ancestor' is pretty firmly occupied by Guilliman's return to the Ultramarines, and your Chapter's history of arriving around the First Tyrannic War (745.M41) puts the two meetings a little too close. "Hey Guilliman whats up. We just met your boy Bellerophon, he told us some great stories about the Heresy". Writing Bellerophon as a close associate of Guilliman's is another issue, and sort of counters your original point of wanting to separate narrative control from GW entirely. What if GW publishes a little excerpt about Guilliman that says that he has "no close friends from the 30th millennium remaining"? You're too close to the source.

 

A change I would make is have the Praetorian Swords return back into real space earlier, maybe M35 or so. The theme of returning to the future is preserved but keeps it far away enough from the events of Guilliman's return that no awkward questions can be asked. It also gives your Chapter some time to develop their own cultures and traditions, as opposed to right now where the Praetorian Swords would have something like what, 500 years of existence (a rough estimate due to the Great Rift screwing up chronology even further).

 

Also, I'm interested to know how the Greco-Roman nature of the Praetorian Swords would play out in practice - do you have any ideas for specific cultural practices etc that your Chapter would hold? Will you be using the ranks of spartiates, mothakes, perioikoi, and helots? Will  you update the idea of an agoge for 40k? 

[Brother Lunkhead]

So first of all, I love that you decided to create your own Chapter so that GW could never screw with it. I also like the idea of exploring what exactly the Imperium might do with a time-lost Chapter.

 

With that being said I do feel that the circumstances of the Praetorian Sword as written are a little too on the nose. The narrative space of 'current generations meeting their ancestor' is pretty firmly occupied by Guilliman's return to the Ultramarines, and your Chapter's history of arriving around the First Tyrannic War (745.M41) puts the two meetings a little too close. "Hey Guilliman whats up. We just met your boy Bellerophon, he told us some great stories about the Heresy". Writing Bellerophon as a close associate of Guilliman's is another issue, and sort of counters your original point of wanting to separate narrative control from GW entirely. What if GW publishes a little excerpt about Guilliman that says that he has "no close friends from the 30th millennium remaining"? You're too close to the source.

 

A change I would make is have the Praetorian Swords return back into real space earlier, maybe M35 or so. The theme of returning to the future is preserved but keeps it far away enough from the events of Guilliman's return that no awkward questions can be asked. It also gives your Chapter some time to develop their own cultures and traditions, as opposed to right now where the Praetorian Swords would have something like what, 500 years of existence (a rough estimate due to the Great Rift screwing up chronology even further).

 

Also, I'm interested to know how the Greco-Roman nature of the Praetorian Swords would play out in practice - do you have any ideas for specific cultural practices etc that your Chapter would hold? Will you be using the ranks of spartiates, mothakes, perioikoi, and helots? Will  you update the idea of an agoge for 40k? 

 

Thanks for taking the time to look at my post and ask some very good questions. I'll try to address each of your points in order.

 

Creating my own chapter definitely gives me a better degree of agency as opposed to playing with an established chapter, like the Utramarines (ahh BLUE), or even a long ignored chapter like the Carcharodon Astra (aka Space Sharks). However, I'm still playing in GW's sandbox, so I'm under no illusion that the Praetorian Sword is screw-proof. It just gives me a little more wiggle room for my lore and characters. It's nice to know that after building a character model, he's not going to get offed by GW. If anyone is going to off my favorite mini or 'roid him up, it's gonna be me

 

Good points all on the timeline. I chose the M41 because it is the era who's history I'm most familiar with. It was a more stable area of lore where I could situate my chapter's actions in such a way that they could participate and be lost in the crowd. Participation in the First Tyrannic War is the time they choose to enter the Imperium proper. This is not the point where they warp into the Imperium after exiting M30. As I see it, they've been around for several centuries already operating on the galactic rim, searching for fleet survivors, aiding and establishing relations with colonies and outposts long ignored (or even lost) by the Imperium, and collecting intelligence on the status of the Imperium and the galaxy as a whole. The Tyranid invasion is a good point to enter as it is such a threat to the Imperium that the Praetorian Sword must answer the call for aid and make an entrance.

 

The 500 or more years between arriving and Guilliman's resurrection is more than enough time for the Praetorian Sword to establish traditions and culture. Since we are on the outside, looking in on 10,000 years of lore, it's easy to see 500 years as not much time. However, it really is a lot of time. However, placing them in an earlier time period (such as M35 as you suggest) does have it's benefits as well. I definitely will not discount the idea. As this is just a first draft I may well consider it.

 

Bellerophon is a chapter master, and being such he was more likely than not to have been part of Guilliman's inner circle. Placing him as a former member of the Invictarus Suzerain places him in the company of probably hundreds (if not more) of Ultramarines marked for future leadership within the legion. This is more plausible than making him some lowly trooper or obscure company captain who performs some great heroic act that elevates him to higher rank..... that's a little too fairy tallish to me. Another point is that making Bellerophon part of Guilliman's inner circle doesn't necessarily make him that close to Guilliman. It just makes him noticed and one of many advisors.

 

As for the Greco-Roman connection, I plan to draw some organizational structures and rank titles from the Roman army, navy, and marines. The Spartan connection will figure in as well. The idea of the agoge will definitely play a prominent role in the training of the children of bondsmen in preparing them to enter the human military officer ranks as well as giving the chapter a pool of candidates for elevation to the Astartes. I'll  present these ideas in detail in a later post.

 

Hope that answers some of your points. Thanks again.

[Hasoroth]

All good points, I look forward to seeing more from the Praetorian Swords (as well as the four other Chapters). 

 

 

[Dolchiate Remembrancer]

Great read so far! I shared many of your fears when I started the Crimson Sons of Vengeance over 20 years ago. It has been a growing endeavor since and I hope you find all the joys I have in that time!

[Brother Lunkhead]

Great read so far! I shared many of your fears when I started the Crimson Sons of Vengeance over 20 years ago. It has been a growing endeavor since and I hope you find all the joys I have in that time!

 

Thanks for the words of encouragement. Twenty years of CSoV…. WOW I've got a lot of catching up to do!

 

 

 

All good points, I look forward to seeing more from the Praetorian Swords (as well as the four other Chapters). 

 

 

 

Thanks for that and thanks for your thoughtful analysis...… it got the old brain gears grinding over your idea of setting the PS return in a earlier millennia. I've got some new characters and story ideas swirling in the void now. If I do this, the basic origin will be the same, but there will be a new chapter master in M42. Bellerophon and several of my origin characters will survive as venerable dreadnoughts, ancient and wise advisors to the chapter master, known as the Iron Praetors.

 

Just to add an additional challenge I grabbed my favorite venerable D6 and rolled a new timeline...… If I decide to do this, the PS will reenter real-space in 432M36..... the D6 of Fate has decreed it I'll make my final decision on this next weekend. This week, I'll be looking at chapter structure, rank and position titles, ship names and fleet assets and order of battle. Should be fun

[Brother Lunkhead]

Greetings All

 

Once again my old nemesis, the Real World has kept me away from my pet project here. But, the rusty old gears in my head have been spinning (old but well oiled) and I'm ready to start putting things down here.

 

Firstly, I'd like to thank Hasoroth for his very challenging observations. They gave me a lot to think about, especially about the possibility of having the Praetorian Sword arrive in a much earlier point in the Imperial Timeline. I mulled over this a lot, came up with some interesting events and new characters, but ultimately I decided to stick with my original concept and timeline. I have a number of reasons for this, and they include:

 

• Maintaining a living memory of the Golden Age of the Imperium among a good portion of the Astartes and civilians and how this affects the character of the Chapter and how they interact with the rest of the Imperium as well as how they approach conflict.
• With a large amount of relic armor and equipment at my fingertips I want the chapter to have the appearance of a real mix of old and new.... whole companies still clad in Mks III and IV armor while others are equipped with Mks VII and VIII, plus a company of Primaris thrown in for good measure.
• Bellerophon and several other characters are too well established in my head to waste, for surely after several thousand years they would be dead, a few at best entombed as ancient dreadnoughts, and therefore different characters.
• Setting the chapter 600 years or so into the current timeline makes them still relatively new so still having much to prove in the eyes of many Astartes Chapters but old enough to have established themselves culturally, historically, diplomatically, and logistically.

 

I'll be going back to my first post and build a template on which to construct all my IA details. This will make it easier for anyone who might be interested to follow.

 

Thanks again for all of your input and encouragement and let the games begin

Edited November 7, 2019 by Brother Lunkhead

[Brother Cambrius]

In terms of a return date and keeping to the original idea, would the time of the 26th Founding be an applicable idea (~736.M41) as then the Ultramarines and elements of the =][= can hide their return within the latest founding of Chapters?

 

If not, I think M36 may be a little too far the other way, despite the dice of fate decreeing so, as 4000 years is a good long time for outlooks and characters of the chapter to change as the original warriors die out and the new blood raised within the current Imperium arrive. I'd advise maybe drawing it up to the 25th Founding era, which is ~mid M39 (again to help cover up their return by making it look like some shiny newly founded Chapters) as you'd only be one or two generations of Astartes apart from those who fought in the Horus Heresy and the current timeline, so the legacies and examples aren't too warped over time as memories are still relatively fresh.

 

In terms of keeping a touchstone to Bellerophon and Guilliman's return, may I suggest possibly having Bellerophon interred in a Dreadnought after many decades of service in the current Imperium and thus, in his new form he meets with his gene-father once again in M42? Would reaffirm the Chapter's classical beliefs to the original style of the Imperium and add to their fervour to bring back the Golden Age of the Imperium at Guilliman's behest.

 

All in all, lovely stuff. Now where is their heraldry from the Space Marine Painter and emblem? I must witness their appearance! :P

 

Cambrius

[Brother Lunkhead]

Greetings All

 

Thanks Brother Cam for your ideas and observations. I actually wrote up a response yesterday, but my internet connection died just as I was posting it

So, let's try it again, shall we?

 

Yup, I agree that M36 was just too far back. I wanted to maintain a certain amount of living memory of the time of the Legions among the chapter's Astartes, and 4000 years was stretching the credulity of that idea way to far and thin. Also, in that time the whole face of the chapter would change. The Praetorian Sword are not a scavenger chapter like the Carcharodons. So, gone would be the old Heresy era armor, tanks, flyers, and other relics. After 4000 years the PS would look like most other Space Marine Chapters.

 

Sneaking the PS and it's brother chapters into the 26th Founding is a good idea, and I did think about that. Ultimately, I decided it wasn't necessary. Back when there were only a few handfuls of Space Marine chapters, the case for needing to hide a controversial chapter was very strong. A good example is the creation of the Scythes of the Emperor and stealthing it into the 3rd Founding (see LJ Goulding's fine short story, The Aegidan Oath). By the 41st Millennium, there were way more Space Marine Chapters than you could count on your fingers and toes. Dropping a few new chapters into the mix would be like dropping a family of tourists into Time Square on New Year's Eve.... who would notice. Plus for anyone who got a little too curious, they have that Inquisitorial stamp on their file to warn them off

 

Bringing the Praetors into the Imperium proper during the first Tyrannic War seems like a good move. Bellerophon could not ignore or refuse aid to Ultramar during such a dire event. Bringing ships and Astartes  relentlessly to bear on the rear and flanks of the Tyranid fleet would be of immeasurable help to Calgar and Macragge. This would also have the added benefit of giving Bellerophon and his gang a measure of street cred with Calgar and his homeboys. The Praetors Chapter Master is going to need this if he's going to bring his people into the light and face down the Inquisition too.

 

Bellerophon in Dreadnought armor is something else I thought of too (great minds think alike). But, not yet. You see, I've got this cool Praetorian from FW, blinged out in relic MkIII armour, a 'choom' gun, and relic power sword with Bellerophon's name on it. I want to get some mileage out of that for a while. I reason that even though by now Chapter Master B is well over 600 years old, and since Astartes are effectively immortal, all he had to do during all that time is not get killed After all, Dante's been not getting killed for over two thousand years, so how hard can it be?

 

I still haven't given a lot of thought to a reunion with the Primarch, but I suppose it will eventually happen when some of the excitement dies down. I was thinking that during the reunion, Guilliman gifts the Praetorian Sword and it's brother chapters exclusive right to bear the 'XIII' Legion mark on their armor.

 

I'm slowly getting around to working on the heraldry of the chapter. My digital painter skills are a bit rusty and time is short, so it may be a while, but I will get it done asap.

 

Thanks again for your interest and observations everyone. I'm off the next two days, so I'll try to use some of that time to fill in some of the IA template.

 

Fury and Fire

Edited July 30, 2019 by Brother Lunkhead

[Ace Debonair]

*cracks knuckles*

Been a while since I tried my hand at this. Blue and Steel, eh?

Assuming you wanted traditional Ultramarine Blue, how do these look?

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/sm.php?b62c=@hr3uf_hCmX3.hLL9J@@@@@@@iaigX@_@@..@@@@@@@@@@@@.@.@@@@@@@@@@__@@@@@@@@@@@@@_iakk7&grid=TRUEhttp://www.bolterandchainsword.com/sm.php?b62c=@hr3uf_hCmX3.hLL9J@@@@@@@iaigX@_@@..@@@@@@@@@@@.@.@@@@@@@@@@@__@@@@@@@@@@@@@_iakk7&grid=TRUE

I've kept it on the plain side of the colours for now, for ease of painting, but I can get a bit more outlandish with ideas if you wish.

[Brother Cambrius]

Ahhh always good to see the denizens of the LHD return.

 

I'll refine it through the V5 Wargear Painter once you decide Brother Lunkhead.

 

Cambrius

[Brother Lunkhead]

Nice work Brother Ace If I didn't already have a paint scheme finalized yours' is definitely the one I would use. This is what I came up with:

 

   http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/sm.php?b62c=@hr48R_h22PO.hhWEq_._____ia3h6@._@__@@@@_@@@@@@____@@@@@@@@@@.._@@___@@__.__@iakk7&grid=TRUE

 

I came up with this two years ago when I was first running the Praetorians through what I loosely call my brain. I did a test model just before we sold the house and packed everything up...… Most of my paints and models are still in storage and will stay there until I finish building our new house.

 

Sorry, I should have been more specific. The B&C Painter is aces for general design and I've got no problem working with that. It's the finer graphic work that I'm stuck on. Drawing the heraldry, company, rank marrkings, etc..... It's been ten years or more since I've done any digital graphics work so I'm rusty and don't have the time right now to do anything about it.

 

Back to the armor colors..... The idea behind the scheme is as follows:

 

    When Retribution Fleet Praetor set sail in pursuit of Horus' fleeing allies, it was made up of mostly hastily repaired and refitted ships.

    Gone were the colorful and beautifully ornate vessels of the Crusade. The newly refitted ships-of-war were a lean and angry breed, armored and

    armed to deal out justice and retribution. Hastily painted, the blue of Ultramar was seen only on the heavily armored shoulders where the coats

    of heraldry were fastened. All else was liveried in defense gray.

 

    By the end of it's journey, Praetor's ships were battered and scared. Much of the ships' colors were burned down to bare metal. Ultramars' proud

    colors were faded and tired. 

 

    Chapter Master Bellerophon decreed that the colors of the Praetorian Sword Chapter would memorialize these scars. Thus, sea blue and steel

    were set down in the new charter.

 

 So, the basic colors are Sea Blue (Hex #006994) and Dark Steel (black coral Hex #5b679d). Sea Blue and Steel are my omage to the legions of the Roman Navy.

 

My goal for next month is to draw the heraldry and chapter markings. I don't have access to Photoshop or any other similar graphics program now, so I'll just scan in the drawing and post it.

 

Thanks again for taking the time to comment and contribute. Time's a precious commodity to all of us so I want you all to know how grateful I am for everything you contribute here. All is appreciated

 

Fury and Fire

Edited July 31, 2019 by Brother Lunkhead

[Messor]

The images appear to be broken 

[Brother Lunkhead]

Yes it does Working on it...…..FIXED

Edited July 31, 2019 by Brother Lunkhead

[Ace Debonair]

I like that blue a lot more than the one I suggested.  I was actually going to go for primarily grey if you weren't too taken with the blue I'd thrown together.

 

I also 100% approve the lore behind the paint - very nice!

[Brother Lunkhead]

Thanks Brother Ace

 

I was dreading putting all of this IA stuff down to print. But, now that I've started, it's kinda fun The community has been very generous.