+Blazing Sons+ Rise once more......probably?

[Grey Hunter Ydalir]

The details on the Chapter's recruitment practices are acceptable, as are those on its fortress-monastery. I notice you've yet to revise details on Jardenfel's culture, based on ideas exchanged with other board members.

 

Nitpicking:

The world was originally colonized during humanities golden age,

When humanities fall came,

"Humanity's" should replace "humanities" in these sentences

With the fall came silence.

I think "fall" should be capitalized, to identify it as a specific event the planet's inhabitants remember well.

 

 

 

My time has been limited, as has been my sanity for various reasons therefore I've yet to update the homeworld section as for me, revising work takes far more mental runtime than writing something new.

 

But, I'll revise those nitpicks.

[Grey Hunter Ydalir]

Organisation

 

While the Blazing Sons are on paper a mostly Codex compliant chapter, with only minor differences in structure, rank and naming convention, the reality is very different. The Blazing Sons are very decentralized in nature, while the company lords are obeyed as one would expect, when bands of warriors are split off from their host, they become wholly independent. As such, while they are under the remit to return to the chapter when they are able, if they choose to undertake a crucial task, they are given the latitude to follow their intuition.

 

Occasionally, a squad will spend years following a particular enemy, or undertaking a great mission, travelling across the Imperium before finally being able to return home. The reasons can range from following a respected Inquisitor, responding to an Arbites call for aid, striking a deal with a Rogue Trader or even a Mechanicus Magos to aid the chapter. At times they will simply complete whatever task they were assigned or undertook and return home, while at others they will be gone for such a period as to be declared lost.

 

While it is usually doesn't adversely affect operations on a macro scale, given the Sons preference for aiding the mortals around them. This has however affected their recruitment practices, and as such, their registered numbers tend to fluctuate wildly, which has brought some adverse attention to the chapter in it's time. Their will to fight wherever and whenever they are able has them in good standing with most in the Imperium's hierarchy for that alone. A number of investigations have been suffered by the Blazing Sons, yet each time the verdict remains the same. Due to the brothers flowing in and out of the chapter, whether through death or being 'lost' on a quest, the results are within acceptable margins. For now.

 

 

 

The long departed, returned. (WIP)

 

Twice in the history of the chapter have groups of warriors disappeared for such long stretches as to be genuinely considered MIA. Firstly when Captain Aethelus and his Huscarls pursued an Eldar Corsair Captain into the webway, disappearing for a century, then again when a combat squad who, under the leadership of their huscarl-sargent Halfdan, struck a deal with the Rogue Trader Garadon Velght to explore north of the Ghoul Stars, disppearing for forty years, before reappearing above Jardenfel, Rogue Trader in tow.

 

 

Captain Aethelus returned to the chapter, delivered by Arbite Strike Cruiser from a far away world. The Xenos' head on his belt and six of the original ten of his retinue left alive, the bodies of the slain being carried by their brothers. The maze of the webway and the aliens attempts to lose his hounds through exodite worlds and warzones wherever he could cost the Astartes in blood, yet they never lost sight of their quarry, his end was assured. Their armour was battered and torn, their weapons spent or lost, yet they prevailed.

 

 

Huscarl-Sargent Halfdan and his warriors were part of Captain Coenwahl's Fourth Host, who had been detached from his command to secure the nearby spaceport from insurgents. Eventuating in a desperate holding action against a horde of treasonous insurgent soldiers, Halfdan and his warriors, alongside various docked ships loyal naval armsmen managed to turn the tide. One of those who's lives were saved by the Sons was the Rogue Trader. A deal was struck, in return for protection of the Trader in his quest into the Ghoul Stars, he would direct the Sons to an ancient resource cache. They were considered lost for many years, before an unexpected warp translation above Jardenfel brought them home. The Trader's word was good, the cache was delivered and the Sons returned home. The Trader and Coenwahl exchanged oaths of friendship between the fourth host and the Trader. 

Edited December 23, 2019 by Grey Hunter Ydalir

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Good details.

[Ace Debonair]

Captain Aethelus returned to the chapter, delivered by Arbite Strike Cruiser from a far away world. The Xenos' head on his belt and six of the original ten of his retinue left alive, their bodies being carried by their brothers.

 

I'm almost certain you don't mean that the living were being carried by the dead, but that's how it currently reads.

 

Suggested amendment: "their bodies" becoming "the bodies of the slain".

 

Otherwise, good stuff.

[Grey Hunter Ydalir]

 

Captain Aethelus returned to the chapter, delivered by Arbite Strike Cruiser from a far away world. The Xenos' head on his belt and six of the original ten of his retinue left alive, their bodies being carried by their brothers.

 

I'm almost certain you don't mean that the living were being carried by the dead, but that's how it currently reads.

 

Suggested amendment: "their bodies" becoming "the bodies of the slain".

 

Otherwise, good stuff.

 

 

I'm such a fragging dipstick. Well spotted Ace, thank you!

 

Everything still feels a bit clunky in how it's written, but I'm glad people seem to be thinking well if what I'm putting down.

 

I've still got the other sections spinning around my head like a true looney-toon after getting smacked upside the head (why can't it be like that in real life? I'm sick of seeing not-stars).

 

I'm actually making progress this time round, so I'm not displeased.

[Grey Hunter Ydalir]

Recent History.

 

The Indomitus Crusade has swept the Imperium, providing respite and stability for a broken empire. When Guillimans envoys reached Jardenfel, the Sons leadership held a day of respite for the people of the world, a rare thing denoting celebration and a day of rest from the constant work for survival. The Sons had heard tale of his return, but to see the Custodes and hear their words as Guillimans, to see and receive the Primaris Marines was quite another. Unlike many other chapters who were in dire straits, the Sons had no wish to deploy untested warriors, no matter how technically brilliant they may appear to be. As such the work of the training cadre had their work cut out for them, as the Terran Primaris given to the Sons had to be tested and trained as the Chapter willed it.

 

However the Sons would not appear ungrateful to a Son of the Emperor so in an unprecedented move, unilaterally assigned five whole battle companies to the Crusade. Any missing warriors who were yet to return home. While the chapter was spread to the four winds, the order was given and the companies gathered at their own pace, joining the crusade fleet when they were able.

 

The Primaris of the Blazing Sons have had to work to prove their worth to the Sons. Thrown into the last stages of the Proving, they are expected to perform as the native initiates do, to be moulded into individual warriors of honour and accountability for all they do, and to treat others as such. The transition has been hard for many, being trained for a duty they were now to be held back from. Some friction was expected and fighting soon became common between the Emperors Astartes and Guillimans Primaris, however it is the way of the Sons to brawl, and as the re-training continued, the friction began to lessen as the warriors began to see eye-to-eye as their problems were settled with their hands. Especially difficult for the Primaris marines was the adaptation to individual pragmatic survival, and an individual warriors honour, rather than their training as a group, as legion.

 

While the Sons can not claim to be the individualistic masters of the Custodes, they believe wholeheartedly in accountability and honour of the warrior who stands as one of many brothers in arms, rather than the group, the squad, company or chapter as the Primaris had been drilled. Their thinking had to be broken down and restructured and as many will attest, old habits, especially those from training, are hard to break.

 

To their credit, the Primaris brethren took to their training and immersed themselves in Jardenfel's people and history, wishing to be the best they could be and earn their right to be a warrior of the Blazing Sons. Once they were shown the way, it was only a matter of time before their nature shone through. As it stands today, the Primaris brethren of the chapter have come a long way, being even more suited to the deployment practices that the Sons choose to undertake due to their enhanced physiology, while the Vanguard forces allow the chapter to give smaller groups a much larger impact on the battlefield.

 

As it stands, the Blazing Sons are very grateful to the Lord Commander of the Imperium. The Primaris have proven themselves and the chapter has pledged itself to the greatest quest in the galaxy. The hard pragmatic edge of the chapter may have even been lifted slightly, though none would admit it beyond their own brothers.

[Grey Hunter Ydalir]

Just added an extra bit to the organization section to deal with specialists within the chapter.

 

Not sure how it reads, I'd be appreciative if anyone could let me know?

 

 

*NEW*

 

In this manner, the specialists of the chapter also operate differently. The Sons preference for small units operating independently means that Chaplains who would usually ply their oratory and spiritual guidance to a company on campaign are more often seen accompanying, if not outright leading groups of questing or 'errant' Blazing Sons. The Librarians of the chapter conversely are rarely seen. Few and far between, they are usually seen accompanying Shield Captains, scrying the skein of the warp for enemy intent and movement. Some may be seen traversing the stars on special tasks known only to themselves and their warriors.

 

The Apothacarian by contrast spreads it's skills far and wide. To earn the right to lead or undertake a quest, the warrior must first be able to return with the geneseed of any brothers who fall on the journey. The survivalists mindset of the chapter and the people of their homeworld has almost every warrior learning what many others deem the realm of the medicae, aid for others as well as self. Just as the Salamanders forge and maintain their equipment, the Blazing Sons all carry and maintain their medical equipment and skills as second nature. The Apothacarian functions more as stores and a rank for master surgeons for serious emergencies, often working together with the brothers of the Forge for cybernetics or incarceration within a Dreadnought. As such, it is not uncommon for a questing group of warriors to mistakenly be assumed to being lead by an apothacary by presence of a Narthecium, when in reality this is simply a practical need.

 

Without these divergent methods of training and equipping their brethren, the chapter would have died out centuries past and the Sons do not apologize for it.

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Good ideas.

[gripschi]

Just added an extra bit to the organization section to deal with specialists within the chapter.

 

Not sure how it reads, I'd be appreciative if anyone could let me know?

 

 

*NEW*

 

In this manner, the specialists of the chapter also operate differently. The Sons preference for small units operating independently means that Chaplains who would usually ply their oratory and spiritual guidance to a company on campaign are more often seen accompanying, if not outright leading groups of questing or 'errant' Blazing Sons. The Librarians of the chapter conversely are rarely seen. Few and far between, they are usually seen accompanying Shield Captains, scrying the skein of the warp for enemy intent and movement. Some may be seen traversing the stars on special tasks known only to themselves and their warriors.

 

The Apothacarian by contrast spreads it's skills far and wide. To earn the right to lead or undertake a quest, the warrior must first be able to return with the geneseed of any brothers who fall on the journey. The survivalists mindset of the chapter and the people of their homeworld has almost every warrior learning what many others deem the realm of the medicae, aid for others as well as self. Just as the Salamanders forge and maintain their equipment, the Blazing Sons all carry and maintain their medical equipment and skills as second nature. The Apothacarian functions more as stores and a rank for master surgeons for serious emergencies, often working together with the brothers of the Forge for cybernetics or incarceration within a Dreadnought. As such, it is not uncommon for a questing group of warriors to mistakenly be assumed to being lead by an apothacary by presence of a Narthecium, when in reality this is simply a practical need.

 

Without these divergent methods of training and equipping their brethren, the chapter would have died out centuries past and the Sons do not apologize for it.

I really Like this Part. Something similiar had i thinking too, but never finshied.

 

 

With your System its more plausibel that a Chapter endure. And your Medics arent that easy to target.

[Grey Hunter Ydalir]

 

With your System its more plausibel that a Chapter endure. And your Medics arent that easy to target.

 

 

 

Exactly. I initially thought that it'd be a good way to have some 'drama' in the chapter by having them skirting a huge problem by having their geneseed from so many places be unrecoverable. The more I thought about it, I thought about how many chapters have 'circled the drain' or been whittled down so badly just to give them some sort of tragic aura.

 

I also came to the decision that given their extreme pragmatism in many regards, and how utterly bone-headed it is to have warriors travelling all over the galaxy with no way to recover the geneseed that is the literal lifeblood of Astartes, a critical thing that is both their most powerful resource and achillies heel, and thought it'd be dumb.

 

Having 'we're idiots' be the reason they're facing challenges is not what I want for this chapter.

 

 

In general for Astartes I think each squad should have an Apothacary, or at the least have a 'medicae' that can recover geneseed, rather than one or two apothacaries per one hundred warriors.

[gripschi]

 

 

 

With your System its more plausibel that a Chapter endure. And your Medics arent that easy to target.

 

 

Exactly. I initially thought that it'd be a good way to have some 'drama' in the chapter by having them skirting a huge problem by having their geneseed from so many places be unrecoverable. The more I thought about it, I thought about how many chapters have 'circled the drain' or been whittled down so badly just to give them some sort of tragic aura.

 

I also came to the decision that given their extreme pragmatism in many regards, and how utterly bone-headed it is to have warriors travelling all over the galaxy with no way to recover the geneseed that is the literal lifeblood of Astartes, a critical thing that is both their most powerful resource and achillies heel, and thought it'd be dumb.

 

Having 'we're idiots' be the reason they're facing challenges is not what I want for this chapter.

 

 

In general for Astartes I think each squad should have an Apothacary, or at the least have a 'medicae' that can recover geneseed, rather than one or two apothacaries per one hundred warriors.

Your thoughts, are similiar to my own. It is a very good explanation why they did what they did.

 

If it is OK, i would Like to borrow it. Later incoperate it in my own IA.

 

The Same apply to some degree to Tech Marines. I asumme they have Support Staff or Brothers too.

[Grey Hunter Ydalir]

 

Your thoughts, are similiar to my own. It is a very good explanation why they did what they did.

 

If it is OK, i would Like to borrow it. Later incoperate it in my own IA.

 

The Same apply to some degree to Tech Marines. I asumme they have Support Staff or Brothers too.

 

Yes of course, I don't own the idea nor would I claim it as my own. It's just one of those failures of logic that the 40k setting sometimes seems to have.

 

Personally I tend to apply the 'unreliable narrator' trope to everything in 40k and just use logic to dictate that where GeeDubs has been idiotic without reason, it's unreliable. Makes everything easier to accept.

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Personally I tend to apply the 'unreliable narrator' trope to everything in 40k and just use logic to dictate that where GeeDubs has been idiotic without reason, it's unreliable. Makes everything easier to accept.

Sad but so very, very true.

[Dosjetka]

Haven't managed to read through much, yet, during my morning commute but this stood out to me.

Recruitment.

 

New initiates for the Chapter are inducted annually from their home-world during what is now known as the Wild Hunt. Previously known as the Cull, the worlds beasts and brigands are hunted down by the world's warriors. Now it is a time when the Blazing Sons themselves cross the sky in search of noble souls to join them.

You mention earlier that the Cull happens once per decade (or thereabouts) intially and now it happens yearly: is there a reason for this? Has the population of nasty gribblies steadily grown over time? Or has the Chapter intervened in some way to make each Cull/Hunt less effective so they can stage their recruitment on a yearly basis?

[Grey Hunter Ydalir]

Haven't managed to read through much, yet, during my morning commute but this stood out to me.

Recruitment.

 

New initiates for the Chapter are inducted annually from their home-world during what is now known as the Wild Hunt. Previously known as the Cull, the worlds beasts and brigands are hunted down by the world's warriors. Now it is a time when the Blazing Sons themselves cross the sky in search of noble souls to join them.

You mention earlier that the Cull happens once per decade (or thereabouts) intially and now it happens yearly: is there a reason for this? Has the population of nasty gribblies steadily grown over time? Or has the Chapter intervened in some way to make each Cull/Hunt less effective so they can stage their recruitment on a yearly basis?

 

 

That's actually a really good point. I think I'd say traditionally it would have been every ten years to allow for the training and recruitment of new warriors to get to a critical mass that they could effectively take the fight to the enemy.

 

I should absolutely add a few lines explaining how it changes to a far more frequent event for the chapters needs. This makes it more akin to an annual 'hunt' than a desperately needed 'cull' but it works better with the needs of the chapter. Either that or the chapter has an exceptionally long recruitment cycle, which wouldn't be able to keep up with how often they detach themselves from overall chapter logistics.

 

I absolutely got my wires crossed between 'homeworld culture-head canon' and 'practical needs for the chapter'.