Grey Hunter Ydalir Posted January 16, 2020 Share Posted January 16, 2020 (edited) Pitch HRE military, Knightly order Inspired. Dark Angels Codex (for practical purposes) + Aesthetic, not successors. Black + Yellow/Silver. Deathwing - Gothic Knights OR Teutonic Order. Ravenwing - Penitent 'Circle'. Hospitaller Chapter training Cadre. Companies broken up into 'circles', which recruit, field and maintain their own equipment and specialist divisions, similar to the SW Great Companies or the Iron Hands Clan Companies. "Deathwing" + "Ravenwing" are the Chapter Masters household, an '11th company'. Each 'Circle' is required to provide a tithe of veteran warriors to the Chapter Masters household. 'CRISIS' point, when a legendary chapter master dies. They are holed up in a turbulent sector and are consistently having to battle against rebels, insurgents, pirates and renegades. The chapter is so constantly confronted with the darkness in the human soul, they fight it with extreme discipline and a zealous adherence to a chivalric code, such as only fighting those that take up arms against them. It means their work is never done, but they are battling against a more insidious corruption than chaos, that of indifference to human life and suffering, though they don't always succeed. Have their Fortress Monastery in the 'Black Forest' region of their homeworld, a lethally dark and dense forest on a world saved of 'death world' status only due to the amount of human colonization. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Main Content (WIP). ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Leos Alatus Officially the Leos Alatus are a [sUCCESSOR OF xLEGIONx] founded during the 26th Founding, though in reality they were in fact drawn up at short notice due to Imperial political machinations and a pressing need in an expeditionary fleet. A region known as Dagons Rift had suddenly become feasible for travel, and the Imperium would not squander such an opportunity. While they shared the same conditions of creation as many of their cousins in the Adeptus Astartes, the Leos were in many ways disregarded as Warriors and an emerging fraternal culture in their own right. Given no Imperial writs of claim, nor more direction than their mandate to support the expedition and secure the Rift, the chapter as it stood at under even half of their codex allotted numbers bore a fatalistic streak as wide and broad as the Rift itself. Without the supreme efforts of their first Chapter Master [NAME <OF CHAPTER X>] the Leos may have simply burned themselves out in those early years of coming isolation. Currently, despite severe isolation from the Throneworld and all that entails both politically and logistically and with timely intervention by Robute Guilliman's Indomitus Crusade at the eleventh hour, the chapter stands strong and has even begun to strike out from their previous prison in the Rift. A whole new swathe of challenges are now arrayed before them, both from 'allies' within the Imperium and their true enemies without, challenges the Leos Alatus face with the invigorated spirit of newly freed men. Dagon's Reclamation. Dagons Rift in the Ultima Segmentum was a particularly hostile anomaly that was strenuously avoided by all who plied the void, as the warp-infused nebula was known to swallow flotillas whole regardless of their allegiance. At the tail end of 738.M41 the Rift suddenly 'cleared' in a matter of months. It had been theorized that a world within the region had fallen to chaotic corruption and spawned a rift large enough for it to seep into the nebula surrounding it. These theories however were moot as the nebula first receded, then vanished altogether. An Explorator fleet was quickly organized at Forgeworld Metalica, with supporting elements of the Imperial Navy and Astra Militarum battle-group. The 26th founding had officially been deemed complete mere weeks before hand, an opportunity was capitalized on by an unusually forward thinking adept and a final chapter was founded. No Emperors Tarot, nor High Lords imperative, this last-born chapter was to maintain and secure this new region of soon to be Imperial territory. The Chapter was formed with 486 battle brothers on record, many of which were still enduring their final implants and a far higher ratio of Scouts than usual. With barely enough Powered Armour to outfit who they could, some being adorned in livery in transit. With even standard line equipment being near irreplaceable, the Chapters training cadre was assured by the Mechanicus arm of the fleet that they would be able to provide them the means of production as soon as they were set up to do so, despite that ability being far from certain. The worlds locked behind the Rift had survived and some had even come along at their own pace, becoming akin to what had been seen during the Great Crusade, various levels of technology, religion, mythos and politics. The Imperial Fleet was immediately and violently opposed though constant internecine warfare between the worlds and nations had kept any from true dominance and as such the following conquests were rapid and brutal. None could stand alone against the forces of the Imperium and many fell before the greater whole were even aware they were being conquered. Within a solar decade the entire region had fallen under Imperial dominion. Not all however were so 'civilized'. A small group of mostly uninhabited worlds in a cluster designated WOLF were of prime interest, a seemingly resource rich feral world was earmarked by the Mechanicus for exploitation. Inhabited by a feudal culture, a scant remnant of STC derived technology, and an initially misunderstood pathological dread the deep, dark forests that almost completely covered their world. The planet actually merited a Death World classification, as evidence of the dark horrors that infested it presented themselves. Yet the people of this world endured, enduring daily almost unending dread of what lay beyond their walls. The world and it's people so impressed The Chapter that they requested the world by right of conquest, causing no small measure of friction from the expeditions leadership especially the Mechanicus, unfortunately setting a stage for sorrows to come. Home-world: Name: Orbital body 98 of the Wolf Cluster (WOLF-98), known locally as Innsbruck. History: World colonized first before Old Night. Shortly after the collapse of the human interstellar empire, the world began to suffer predations of what the citizens call the deep terrors. Cold to temperate climate with dense, near impenetrable thick evergreen forests that wind the continent, following arcane trails that leave few open fields and groves. Avoids classification as a death world only due to relative abundance and ease of resource harvesting. Any non-native and non-trans-human personnel are limited to extremely brief stays planet-side due to the psychological pressure of it's unique xenos threat. Dark night's end. With the presence of the Imperium, the long suffering natives lives have become somewhat more livable. Less dark corners, weapons servitors and the presence of an Astartes chapter have allowed the populace to experience life as freely as in thousands of years of survival. While they remain stoic and hyper vigilant as ever, occasional laughter and revelry can be had where virtually none existed before. This in turn has lead to an almost pathological veneration of the Adepts of the Machine God who seem immune to the crushing pressure the world brings to humankind, and the Astartes who seem to have been elevated beyond it's suffering, both groups bringing death to their horrors, pushing back the fear and dread of the black forests. The worlds dozen cities have grown, populations surging with the construction efforts of the Mechanicus. While the world remains under the auspices of the chapter, the now ancient agreement between the two giving the Mechanicus just enough room to maneuver their way into all aspects of native society, under the mandate of 'security'. Recent changes in chapter leadership have strained this relationship, handing down a far more strict interpretation of the old agreement. Cicatrix Maledictum. When the Eye tore across the galaxy, it's power split the Imperium asunder. For the people of the Rift under the protection of the Lions Astra, it was as if the Great Rift had devoured the Nebula which previously both isolated and protected the region and now xenos and heretic alike were tentatively making their presence known. Mere weeks after the disruption of the nebula a Druchii slave raid from the galactic north seemed to be an unwritten spark that lit a beacon over the Rift. A fleet of Ork Freebooterz then shortly battered their way into region from the galactic east, bringing in their wake pirates and renegades of all stripes. World after world called on the Lions, stretching the Chapter and their allies to breaking point. At their darkest moments the Lions could deploy only a handful of marines to aid each world while they mustered their strength after their campaign against the Druchii and took to the void, dismantling the Ork fleet in days before turning their attention to the raiders and pirates swarming like sharks in a feeding frenzy. While the largest threats had been struck down by the chapter with brutal efficiency, it was almost a futile effort. The sheer weight of individual ships and flotillas that were making their way into the region was an unending tide. So it went for months without end, every larger threat shadowed by a dozen smaller, harder to catch. Death by a thousand cuts would have been a generous description. The Rift was perched upon a knife edge. The Lions were unwilling to allow even a single world that they had fought so hard to save be lost to the sea of darkness surrounding them, but it was an effort they simply could not sustain. At the eleventh hour, a new signal broke through the seething vox-traffic of the Rift. A fleet had translated from the warp at the Rift's only safe Mandeville Point, the lead ship seeming to push past all other comm-traffic with a force previously unseen. The message was simple; "+His Custodians seek the Lions Astra+". The message had was embedded with all the sigils and of the Imperial household, encryption and machine marked so deeply so as to never be impersonated nor denied. Each command terminal and authorized cogitator across the Rift displayed the same message. The Adeptus Custodes and the Crusade Indomitus had arrived. [bOXOUT - First Contact.] The port-side docking bay had been cleared of work crews, equipment and other fodder long before the matte-black Thunderhawk had touched down in the center of the bay. Yellow and silver highlights run the length of the craft, working both chapter heraldry and more mundane markings into something with an air of elegant utility, if such a phrase existed. Standing before the now rapidly cooling hull of the void-craft were a trio of warriors adorned in the shimmering gold of the Emperors household. Custodians all, dispatched on the order of Robute Guilliman himself, to bring both his law as Lord Regent, as well as his offer of resupply and reinforcement with his new Primaris. A small group of ten or so grey armoured Astartes stood a beat behind the Custodians, few markings beyond rank to mark them apart from each other. As large as they seemed, they were dwarfed by the golden icons of His will in both size and presence, as even technically outnumbered, instinct alone informed that the large Astartes were still outmatched by a long margin. The ramp of the Thunderhawk dropped with the gentle hiss of both hydraulics and atmospheric equalization and the attention of all was once again on the new arrival. The familiar thud of heavy shod Astartes boots preceding the firstborn Astartes that descended the ramp. Black and Yellow quartered livery adorned their armour, while black and white robes hung over their battle plate, purity seals fluttering gently in the artificial atmosphere of the bay. Five marines disembarked the Thunderhawk, making their way without pause or even a hint of trepidation towards the Custodians. At the lead of the formation stood their commander, marked by a white helm held mag-locked to his hip, black stripe striking through the center. His sword, as of all his brothers was held in both hands, by hilt and blade. As they neared the golden luminaries of Terra, the grey armoured warriors seemed to tense somewhat, eyes never leaving the newcomers. After a moment of silence between the Custodians and the Marines, the commander knelt and held out his sword as an offering to the Custodians. "I kneel to you as to the Emperor himself. My sword and my brothers are His to command. We renounce any and all holds on every world in the rift, do as He wills, we seek only to serve Him." The center Custodian looked down finally and with the slightest incline of his head, all tension between the post-human warriors seemed to dissipate. "Rise Lion, there is work to be done, Roboute Guilliman wills it." [ENDBOXOUT] Post Indomitus, Imperial Reintegration. Upon the arrival of the Lord Regent's envoys, the Chapter Master of the Leos Alatus bent the knee in person to His companions, renouncing any and all ownership and control over all worlds beyond their home, effectively turning the entire region over to the Imperium without even a second thought. While the Custodians themselves were satisfied, long and tedious discussions were had between Imperial agencies of bureaucratic dues and tithes that each world owed continue to on as they are wont to. Each world was turned over to the Administratum as soon as it was stable enough to do so. Previous governors were vetted, anyone with ties too strong to the Lions were given the choice to either retire or sign on serve in another capacity. Almost all of these governors, sometimes entire aristocratic lines would elect to serve in the Astra Militarum or the Adeptus Arbites, to continue to protect and serve their worlds and the Imperium, a culture that had been drilled into and handed down from the moment the Lions Astra stabilized the region. The Imperial fleet itself was put to work, the Custodians turning operational command over to the Lions Astra, allowing them to come to grips with the new Primaris reinforcements they had been assigned, all the while watching for any issues with integration or objection to the Lord Regent's new order. Over the coming months the Lions Astra and their Primaris reinforcements slew any and all who had so opportunistically brought war and suffering to the people of the Rift, the people under the protection of the Lions Astra. With the cold fury of their Primarch they mercilessly cut through renegades and xenos until once more Dagon's Rift was stable under the banner of the Imperium. The Lions Astra consider themselves indebted to Roboute Guilliman and his crusade to reunite the Imperium. The chapter and their home had been saved by what they consider to be the word of the Lord Regent, even going so far as to petition to have veterans of the Forlorn Hope join his personal command in the hopes of one day being worthy of a debt repaid. Combat Doctrine. The operational doctrine of the Lions has been forged almost entirely by necessity. From a rushed deployment at half strength, to being forced to take control and stabilize an entire region, Imperial or otherwise. While the modern evolution of the chapter has been able to step back from rule, their methods of prosecuting war and campaigning remain just as effective as they were during the worst times. Extreme discipline and efficiency of action dictate their entire operational structure, from command all the way to scout training and induction. Those who wish to criticize the chapter are likely to refer to them as little better than unthinking machines, lacking any art or passion in their war-fighting, the most embittered critics willing to compare them to the Iron Warriors and whispering of their lack of compassion. The reality however is a far cry from the cold, calculating grind of attrition attributed to Purturabo and his willingness to sacrifice his sons for victory. While willing to trade lives for victory and the accomplishment of a task set before them, they will seek to take the single most efficient path, no matter what it is to achieve it. The Lions will most commonly strike for the throat, to decapitate the foe and remove all vestiges of command and control. Nominally the chapter is seen to operate as a codex compliant chapter, with the only significant divergences being in overall structure, noted as the questing Forlorn Hope, as well as a lower total number of battle companies. The chapter operates under the values of seven large battle companies, representative of the seven 'circles' or city-states of Innsbruck. The Forlorn Hope are treated as a larger but decentralized first company given their mission statement, while what would be the scout company maintains the chapters fortresses, recruitment as well as being responsible for keeping the eldritch horrors on the planet in check. Unlike many of their cousin chapters however, they aren't likely to just leap into the middle of a battle. Nor are they likely to break ranks and charge heedlessly toward their foe. When a foe needs to be broken immediately however, company veterans - many of which being survivors of the Forlorn Hope - are deployed directly into the enemy line. They crash into the foe, wielding huge zweihanders and poleaxes to butcher their enemies without pause nor mercy until there none remaining, cutting down anyone cowardly enough to flee, brooking no retreat to fight again as well as a disgust of those who gave into their fear. This distaste for cowardice is infamous however among their mortal allies, with the Lions having a particular disdain for cowardice in battle, where your failure to manage your own fear affects your brothers in arms. On the other side of the coin however, they do not appreciate the role of the Commissar to gain compliance through fear, the Lions preferring a man master himself first. Without being fanatical in this view, the chapter expects the best from the men they fight beside. Any regiment or naval officer that breaks and flees however is no better than the enemy and are treated as such. Many self-serving or cowardly naval officers and militarum commanders have met their end at the hands of a Lion, and their reputation precedes them in this regard, wherever they tread. The Forlorn Hope. The Forlorn Hope are a special organization within the chapter. They deal exclusively with the ceaseless quest for a treasure valuable enough to negotiate the Mechanicus returning their homeworld to their own stewardship. The Forlorn Hope is comprised of a mix of individuals from those under extreme censure to the point of exile to honoured veterans. Typically, those ordered into service are nominally under the watch of veteran warriors to help them redeem themselves in the eyes of the chapter. On the other end of the spectrum are those that choose induction into the Forlorn Hope. Those hotheads that seek adventure and glory for their chapter, to build their own legacy within the brotherhood. These ostensibly younger marines are watched intently by their venerable brothers, and sometimes even those under censure for their nature is to leap before looking and in so doing get themselves killed. Upon the survival of a tour with the Forlorn hope, the surviving individuals are given a choice, to remain with the unit as a veteran or to return to the chapter, bearing the Crux Terminatus as a mark of their skill and honour. Until the arrival of the Indomitus crusade it was the only unit capable of fielding Tactical Dreadnought Armour in the entire chapter, due to the extremely tenuous nature of the Imperial hold upon the region and it's ability to replace equipment within. The Forlorn Hope have traveled the length and breadth of Dagons Rift, from earliest conquest to the coming of the Regent's Indomitus crusade. Penetrating into hostile environs and territory, delving into the deep and dark secrets of the region. Many foul heresies were smashed upon the altar of war, from insidious cults and secret societies, to techno-heretic conclaves and xenos manipulators. While many brothers fell to find redemption only in death, others thrived and built the unit up to what it is today, spearheading reinvigorated missions launched from the Rift into the wider galaxy. The Forlorn Hope can be found with the boldest of Rogue Traders, most far reaching Explorators and most dangerous crusades and conquest fleets,searching unceasingly for their holy grail. Recruitment Practices. Children growing up in the cities of Innsbruck are taught before they can even walk to be wary of the shadows, and to be aware of everything they can around them. Awareness of people and objects are of paramount importance. Not only are the shadows potentially hiding eldritch horror, but those damaged individuals who may wish someone harm which, is more common than outsiders expect. While the people of the world essentially pull together to keep the dark at bay, many crack under the pressure, while many more are not truly whole in mind for whatever reason. A child's mind seems to be beneath the scope of xenos horrors, so more human concerns are the bedrock of education. Their schooling is monolithic and dominant, due to the closed nature of every borough and neighborhood. No child can be left behind because overall cohesion of the whole is the most important survival building block for Innsbruck's societies. While to many this seems antithetical to Astartes recruitment, with many chapters aspirants going through grueling physical and mental trials. The Leos never had this luxury. They select those that display the most significant traits useful to the chapter, physical, emotional and mental fortitude; to select the best of a culture that not only preaches but has survival needs based on mental acuity and emotional steel. At the request of their saviors and protectors, the cities rulers extended the combat classes for schools and taught not just prowess to escape an attacker as a child, but to dominate each other as potential aspirants. The top percentage of each class at the end of their primary schooling, before being selected for work in their own city are taken for aspirant trials. The aspirants are collected by the wardens of the Scout company and over a month of non-stop punishing physical trials, those that make the cut are then taken for their final trial. The moon of Innsbruck is a desolate rock. No breathable atmosphere, no human civilization or even Dark Age era construction, it is for all intent and purpose a barren wasteland. For the aspirants who until this point have never lived with true darkness within their cities, nor without human company as near everyone travels with at least one companion within the cities. They are given a voidsuit, enough supplies for a whole day and are dropped individually onto the surface of the moon and ordered to find their comrades. What they have been told, however, is false. They are instead woken from sedation, dropped individually, too far from any of their comrades to reach within the limit of their supplies. The they are given an unachievable task and forced to undertake it wholly alone among the crushing dark of the void of space. This final test mentally snaps many of even the strongest willed of these already select few. Those that can be returned to their world are mind-wiped and psycho-conditioned and are inducted into the worlds native military orders. The rest either die or are recovered by the chapter to begin their life as an Astartes. Chapter Cult. The Leos Alatus have inherited from the people of Innsbruck an unyielding fanaticism to the giving and keeping of oaths. On their homeworld, one does not give their word lightly. The breaking of a promise, oath or agreement is in the larger city circles punishable under the law. With the ever-present threat of the creatures that now infest their world, the breaking of an oath typically will put one or more people in danger to perform a task in your stead, an action unconscionable in the culture of Innsbruck, no matter the region or city one hails from. The Lions themselves are in many ways unremarkable in their beliefs. While they do venerate the Emperor as more than just a man, they do not follow the Ecclesiarchy down the rabbit hole of divine worship as the Black Templars, as some would compare them to. Given how little is usually known or shared of a chapters individual belief system, they fall on the side of the 'status quo' of Astartes beliefs. Specifically however, they view the Emperor as being transcendent and all powerful, but also a vision of what Humanity could be if they had followed His plan. This has stemmed from the years spent cut off from the Imperium and the wider Ecclesiarchy, as well as other Astartes chapters, with the members of the Reclusiam spending much of their time in self-reflection and spiritual debate when not in battle. A combination of the chapters early history, philosophical differences in Astartes attitudes and their inherited beliefs and cultural quirks of the people of Innsbruck means that the chapter has a particularly harsh view on oath breakers. To the Lions, your word is your bond till death, no false gods, honeyed xenos words or petty individual problems are any kind of excuse. They pursue and prosecute those guilty of such crimes with a single-minded determination that borders on the obsessive. This attitude spares no one. No matter your station, your oath means all to a Lion. This can bring them into conflict with other institutions of the Imperium from Imperial Governors, to Naval and Astra Militarum officers to even other Astartes. The Lions will refuse to work alongside some chapters, outright coming to blows at times. When working with planetary governments however, the Lions will direct themselves to the local Arbites command over any other, a heavy preference to work with those that hold the wider Imperium to their Oaths to Him on Terra. Within their own ranks, the Leos Alatus are unbending in the punishment for a broken oath. Censure is almost always being transferred to the Forlorn Hope, with only extreme negligence or disregard for one's oath resulting in execution. In battle the Chaplains of the Lions function as that of any other chapter, exhorting their brothers to greater acts of heroism and sacrifice. While their rhetoric may be differ, the function is the same, all the while watching for those who may be tempted to forsake their oaths in a moment of rage or madness. Xenos Horrificus. The xenos present on Innsbruck are a strange threat that, so far as the expedition can ascertain, are not native to the world, nor are they present in the rest of the cluster. Deemed an infestation, the 'Deep Terrors' as they are known seem to posses no known technology or infrastructure, instead they seem to posses an inherent, limited ability to phase-shift and seem to be attracted to human fear and paranoia for reasons Xenobiologists of the expedition cannot identify. As such they tend to lurk in shadows and spend an inordinate amount of time stalking prey they deem vulnerable, commonly resorting to violence when their victim hits fight-or-flight mode. No means of, nor evidence of them actually physically feeding on their victims exists, throwing yet another anomaly before researchers. All that said, the creatures still have material homes and lairs, usually in the deepest, darkest areas of the black forests surrounding the cities. With the destruction of a sizable 'nest', a tangible lessening of psychological pressure can be felt. With so many mysterious and intangible displays attributed to these 'Terrors', it has been theorized that the individual, predatory creatures are not actually individuals even so far as even the primitive Ork, nor the savage Kroot, or even the collectivist Tau. Instead it is proposed that the 'nest' itself is the creature, and the predators merely material manifestations, to what end though is beyond understanding at this juncture. Fortress Harii. Built upon the ruins of a fallen fortress of the ancient Harii peoples, the Fortress Monastery of the Leos Alatus is broad and intimidating, rising high above the canopy of the nearby black forests that cover much of the world's largest continent. The Harii were a warlike and powerful people before the coming of the Xenos Horrificus, putting great stock in individual skill and might. Once the xenos began to prey upon the people of Innsbruck, the Harii tried to fight and for a time held back the dark, but slowly and surely they were pulled apart one by one. Too proud to give up their home and legacy, the warriors of the Harii fought against the creeping horrors to the last while the last of the women and children escaped to other settlements, bringing news of the first methods to truly fight the creatures, light, fire and cold-forged iron. Though their will to fight was not enough and as time went on, methods to keep the creatures at bay became the most pressing need, leading to the need for light in all corners, leading to sealed settlements and a paranoid people. Unlike other fortresses of it's type, the Lions have built their fortress to be a beacon of hope to their people. Walls painted a bright, vivid white and powerful floodlights project image of the fortress for miles around, bristling with black and steel weapon mounts, the quartered pennants of the chapter hanging from the highest towers. While other chapter fortresses will serve as an ancestral home of for it's warriors, honour rolls for their victories and training halls for their warriors, the Leos Alatus have not had the luxury, nor the cultural desire to celebrate or feast as others may. While the fortress is most certainly used by the Scout company to equip and train the new aspirants and successful initiates, as soon as they pass their final trial they are assigned to one of the battle companies, and for many the last time they will see their homeworld. The ruins of the old Harii fortress lay almost totally overgrown and untouched a relatively short distance from the main trade roads between the regions surviving cities. The Harii had been one of the unfortunate peoples of the world to first fall when the xenos creatures first came to the world, as mentioned by the worlds oldest records, which the chapter found a fitting place to build something to be a bastion against the darkness that had plagued the world for so long. Even in the darkest, blackest of nights Forteca Harii can be seen shining above all. The Forge and the Mechanicus. While current relations between the Mechanicus in Dagons Rift could be described charitably as 'functional', in previous centuries necessity forced a symbiotic relationship between the Lions, the Mechanicus and the rest of the surviving Imperial forces, whereby their terrestrial mining facilities turned out a huge amount of material for their factory ships in orbit to keep the loyalists supplied. Over the years the Mechanicus has attempted to gain more and more influence with the people of Innsbruck in direct contravention to ancient treaties, though many justifications and excuses have been used, the firm hand of Astartes leadership on the world eventually managed to corral the Adepts influence, at the cost of increasingly worsening relations. The Mechanicus present their case, since they are immune to the effects of the Xenos, since the majority of Mechanicus Skitarri and adepts simply don't feel fear, nor dread or paranoia. This is extremely attractive to the more desperate members of Innsbruck society, and a definite concern for the Astartes and their continued ability to draw recruits for the chapter. In response the Forlorn Hope is formed early on and is deployed more and more aggressively across the rift to find any possible way to bring Innsbruck under the sole authority of the Chapter. The Techmarines of the Chapter Forge are therefore in an extremely unenviable position. While the current Master of the Forge has survived most of his brethren, and is known to be loyal to the chapter, newer Techmarines are viewed with suspicion and many within the chapters higher echelons bear concern for his successor and the state of the Forge in his absence. While they are held at arms length by the majority of the Chapter, the Lions Techmarines work tirelessly to keep the chapters war-gear in working order, with many understanding, if not liking the unenviable position they find themselves in, and strive harder to prove themselves to their brothers. While not outwardly distrusted, they are not beholden to the same connection shared between the rest of the chapter. Fleet of the Lion. The Leos Alatus by have had few ships to their name. The half-chapter that had shipped out were provided with one Strike Cruiser and six Gladius - Class Escorts. As such the Astartes ships were initially used only for engagements where they could be used to the absolute maximum of their strengths, such as Orbital assaults or close-range ambush tactics. For all other duties, the Navy had to take up the slack. To combat a comparative lack of presence, single squads of proven veterans were detached from individual companies to act as boarding shock troops and bodyguard for allied commanders. Over time the chapters fleet has fluctuated somewhat, with ships going in and out of service due to battle damage, having to be held by a makeshift dry-dock of Mechanicus forge ships. The fleet of the expedition were not immune from some of the unrest and mutiny that had plagued the Imperial forces since being cut off from the greater Imperium. While the larger ships were mostly immune due to an overwhelming presence of either attached Imperial Guard, Astartes or loyal Armsmen, as well as a far stronger internal culture of history and loyalty, some others were not so lucky. With the lifting of the Rift's surrounding nebula once again, the Chapter has been forced to spread what ships and men it has thin to cover the new threats arrayed against them. While the chapter still has a relatively small fleet compared to even those of a relatively similar age, the Indomitus Crusade has brought not only men but also materiel and weapons to the chapter, including a mandate for the Mechanicus to provide them with the ships needed of their now increased numbers. [bOXOUT - The battle for the Intractable] The most infamous Naval mutiny in the Rift was of the Cruiser Inescapable, which, while performing a planetary suppression operation had it's recently press-ganged crew and ratings turned against them by a handful of rebellious orators from the world below, whom had allowed themselves to be taken to then whip the newly pressed crew into a mutinous tide. The ships Command officers died at their posts, holding out long enough to send out a distress call, while the rest of the ships Armsmen battled back and forth from deck to deck against the mutineers. The closest and fastest response was the Strike Cruiser Dark Star and it's Escorts Eternal Lament and Woe's Instrument. Elements of the Lions 3rd Company boarded the ship only to be faced with a human tide whipped into a veritable fury, while the true threat came from those technically minded traitors who were desperately attempting to work out how to operate the arcane artifices of Imperial Technology. As the Marines battled their way to the bridge they were able to liberate pockets of Armsmen who had been able to hold out. The ships internal defenses were eventually turned against the Astartes and their allies, turning the bridge access ways into a killing ground. Unfortunately for the mutineers, the Astartes weren't concerned with taking the bridge totally intact, as a rapid flanking force affixed and detonated multiple melta charges on the bridge's shuttered view-ports, causing a devastating breach, sucking the turncoat leadership screaming into the void. After the Orators and leaders had been dealt with, the rest fell like chaff. At the end of the line, the ship had suffered a catastrophic 80% casualty rate among it's officers, with only a couple of hundred Armsmen remaining. Naval command didn't have the officers to spare to man the ship, nor the will or resources to train an entirely new crew. As such the Inescapable was given to the Lions as 'prize', in naval tradition. The ship was towed to 'dry dock' by the Adeptus Mechanicus for repairs where it stayed for many years, a low priority for the Adepts as well as the Chapter itself. With the formation of the Forlorn Hope, the ship was chosen to be the home for the members of the company during their tenure. Rechristened the [NAME], it now travels the length and breadth of the Imperium, carrying the marines of the Forlorn Hope to wherever they are needed. [END BOXOUT] Edited October 26, 2020 by Grey Hunter Ydalir Brother Lunkhead and Zebulon 2 Back to top Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/361270-hreteutonic-order-concept/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace Debonair Posted January 16, 2020 Share Posted January 16, 2020 I think Ace has had a deleterious effect on me. Maybe I'm just being competitive, or maybe my creative juices have been inspired. Truly, I am now responsible for other people's creativity. No, wait... Or I've been playing a combination of Kingdom Come: Deliverance, Medieval 2: Total War (Stainless Steel Mod), playing as the Teutonic Order and the Holy Roman Empire. Maybe it's that. It's that, definitely that. HRE military, Knightly order Inspired. Dark Angels Codex + Aesthetic, not successors? Black + Yellow/Silver. Are we talking halved schemes here? Halved black and yellow would look neat, you could use silver for detailing and/or weapons. Companies broken up into 'circles', which recruit, field and maintain their own equipment and specialist divisions, similar to the SW Great Companies or the Iron Hands Clan Companies. "Deathwing" + "Ravenwing" are the Chapter Masters household, an '11th company'. … Penitent company functions as 'Ravenwing' and are sent to seek out and destroy those that the chapter holds a grudge against, similar to the White Scars hunt. Are the Ravenwing equivalents in two companies, then? That arguably makes more sense than having a whole Company of Terminators, given the rarity of the armour. They are holed up in a turbulent sector and are consistently having to battle against rebels, insurgents, pirates and renegades. The chapter is so constantly confronted with the darkness in the human soul, they fight it with extreme discipline and a zealous adherence to a chivalric code, such as only fighting those that take up arms against them. It means their work is never done, but they are battling against a more insidious corruption than chaos, that of indifference to human life and suffering, though they don't always succeed. Sounds fun. [?]Has Fortress Monestary in the 'Black Forest' region of their homeworld, a lethally dark and dense forest on a world saved of 'death world' status only due to the amount of human colonization.[?] (I'm not totally sold on this, though I like the idea.) Query: when you say "amount of human colonization", are we talking large amounts of low-tech holdings or advanced, massive hive city sort of colonization? I won't lie, I'm intrigued by the idea of a bunch of hive city kids being made to survive in an intensely hostile forest as a sort of first test for the Chapter's recruits. Grey Hunter Ydalir 1 Back to top Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/361270-hreteutonic-order-concept/#findComment-5462596 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grey Hunter Ydalir Posted January 16, 2020 Author Share Posted January 16, 2020 Ace, my enabler encouraging peer! Are we talking halved schemes here? Halved black and yellow would look neat, you could use silver for detailing and/or weapons. I mocked up few, I think I'd prefer to do halved or quartered really, but I'm not sure what looks better, the yellow is really stark. And of course, I forgot to put the gridded background on the last one. I hate the blank white and it's irritating that the gridded one isn't the default, but I digress.... That's what I got mocked up so far. Are the Ravenwing equivalents in two companies, then?That arguably makes more sense than having a whole Company of Terminators, given the rarity of the armour. That's what I thought. They're not a first founding legion, nor a second founding successor, they have what they've managed to preserve over the millennia. They use the 'Ravenwing' to supplement the 'Deathwing'. That said, I feel that's a more valid strategy anyway, the old 'hammer and anvil'. Sounds fun. Boundless fun. It'd be like the combination of fighting a never ending insurgency and what often happens in policing, where you simply follow/push crime from one area to another. I can only imagine the mental toll of doing this for centuries at a time would be. Perhaps a relatively healthy relationship with the local Arbites, who'd be themselves a larger and more militant presence than your average Imperial sector? Query: when you say "amount of human colonization", are we talking large amounts of low-tech holdings or advanced, massive hive city sort of colonization?I won't lie, I'm intrigued by the idea of a bunch of hive city kids being made to survive in an intensely hostile forest as a sort of first test for the Chapter's recruits. Kind of. There are safe settlements, each one a medieval metropolis the size of Constantinople, Rome, Paris, London. On steroids. The defences are castle like, rather than walled cities that are typical of history (for good reason, but that's not what 40k is for), multi-layered, storied and tiered. Three or four rings deep, etc. I imagine it to be a very dark, sinister world. Xenos creatures of a lovecraftian nature - think like the enemies from the Witcher - that vex any and all that venture beyond the safety of a walled environ. This being 40k, bam it up a notch and have creatures regularly flailing at the walls to access the humans inside, not for food, not to expand or make their nest, just to slaughter them. Organized like the feudal vassals of the Knight worlds, the world essentially fields it's own PDF to constantly fight the enchroaching darkness they live in. Fortified Precinct houses are center to every city 'block' and each block is in turn walled off from the others. Think Attack on Titan walled districts, except more tightly packed to allow for larger populations. Surrounding the cities is an incredibly dense mid-european style forest, the type from every dark grimms tale and sinister arthurian legend. They are kept a good distance from the city walls to allow for farmland and orchards to exist behind the lightest outer-tier walls, yet the trees somehow always seem to migrate closer to the cities without any evidence as to their movement, think overnight growth from sapling to full decades old tree in mere hours. The Lords of the world don't even have the luxury to be 'aristocratic'. They're expected to lead the city in defense, maintenance and growth and their time is completely engrossed in these tasks. Their only benefit is better lodgings in a district with lower population, so the patrols are more effective at keeping the monsters at bay. They have modern weapons, but it means very little given what they fight against. This means that life is a psychological hellscape, survival is only assisted by incredible discipline in all things, from lighting torches, to meal timings and portion allowances, to the clothing you wear and when you wash it. Watching the dark spaces and at all times being aware of who and what is around you. It's such a hell that even the presence of an Astartes chapter merely holds a torch in the darkness. The chapters recruits being used to clear the regions surrounding the cities as part of their training. I want the world to feel inimical to human life, but not in the brutal way of Catachan, but in a very sinister, macabre way. An oppressive darkness coupled with unknowable horrors that literally stalk the dark corners of human civilization. Something the chapter has to fight mirrored in the human soul of those they combat, while being intrinsically tied to their entire existence. Y'know, something light and cheery like that. Maybe using the Dark Angels codex is having a bad effect on me.... Brother Lunkhead 1 Back to top Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/361270-hreteutonic-order-concept/#findComment-5463068 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lysimachus Posted January 17, 2020 Share Posted January 17, 2020 Lovely theme, GHY, it is indeed very DA in feel, but if I understand correctly not necessarily an actual DA Successor? That might be easier in many ways, you can focus on the things you want to do with them and not have to cover all the usual Fallen/Unforgiven stuff? A couple of quick thoughts: Colours: My only concern if you go halved/quartered is that if you're also planning to use lots of robes and/or tabards, a scheme can quickly get very bitty? I seem to remember reading somewhere recently that it's a similar issue with SoB, hence why their armour tends to be only one colour? That said, black and yellow is a cracking combo, very striking! Circles: A quick thought that went through my head when reading the world description was picturing the settlements as literal circles of civilisation and light in the darkness. Putting that together with the Company designation made me think of the Salamanders recruiting each Co. from each city state? Maybe you could do the same, such a total separation might go some way to explain the rivalry between the different Companies/Circles? DA/RW: I love the idea of the extra 'Penitent' Circle, it's an interesting thought of them often working beside the veteran Circle, perhaps you could even suggest that the upper echelons are happy for the chance to keep an eye on these penitents? I wonder if it would often be younger members of the Chapter, prideful and fiery, who want to be assigned to this force, almost like Knights Errant? Grey Hunter Ydalir 1 Back to top Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/361270-hreteutonic-order-concept/#findComment-5463335 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grey Hunter Ydalir Posted January 17, 2020 Author Share Posted January 17, 2020 Lovely theme, GHY, it is indeed very DA in feel, but if I understand correctly not necessarily an actual DA Successor? That might be easier in many ways, you can focus on the things you want to do with them and not have to cover all the usual Fallen/Unforgiven stuff? That's pretty much my motivation. Knightly theme in mechanics, aesthetic and execution, but without the 'dark secret'. Black Templars aren't knightly, they're zealots which isn't necessarily the same thing, they also practice precisely zero chivalric values. So DA it is. Colours: My only concern if you go halved/quartered is that if you're also planning to use lots of robes and/or tabards, a scheme can quickly get very bitty? I seem to remember reading somewhere recently that it's a similar issue with SoB, hence why their armour tends to be only one colour? That said, black and yellow is a cracking combo, very striking! I know what you mean. I don't have many models and don't paint many myself, so practically it's less of a concern, but I don't want it to get too busy. I wanted the robes/tabard to be white and black, to both link to the penitent company/lords household and have an overall symbolism tying the chapter together beyond colour scheme. The robes are taken from a typical priests garb for the time, which was a simple white robe with black center, usually overlaid. Also matches the Teutonic colours. I like it, but I can see how it could quickly become a nightmare if not managed properly. I think using the block coloured robes could mean less work for the quartering though! SIlver linings.... Circles: A quick thought that went through my head when reading the world description was picturing the settlements as literal circles of civilisation and light in the darkness. Putting that together with the Company designation made me think of the Salamanders recruiting each Co. from each city state? Maybe you could do the same, such a total separation might go some way to explain the rivalry between the different Companies/Circles? I had that thought after writing it yesterday so, great minds think alike? The Holy Roman Empire was typically split into different 'circles' which simply denoted different regions of the Empire and served as my very heavy-handed inspiration for the chapter. In that vein it would make a lot of sense to have each 'circle' company recruiting from one particular region on the world. It makes a lot of sense. I think rivalry is a bit strong, but a deliberate competitive attitude is bred into the recruits beyond survival of the individual, since it would help cohesion and unity for the chapter. DA/RW: I love the idea of the extra 'Penitent' Circle, it's an interesting thought of them often working beside the veteran Circle, perhaps you could even suggest that the upper echelons are happy for the chance to keep an eye on these penitents? I wonder if it would often be younger members of the Chapter, prideful and fiery, who want to be assigned to this force, almost like Knights Errant? That works really well. It allows a closer eye to be kept on actual problem individuals, as well as those too young and full of fire likely to get themselves needlessly blown to kingdom-come looking to either be noticed, or atone for a crime they are only guilty of in their own mind. Thanks for the feedback! Brother Lunkhead 1 Back to top Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/361270-hreteutonic-order-concept/#findComment-5463582 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother Lunkhead Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 Greetings Brother Grey Just wanted to give you some quick thoughts. I had to speed through it, so forgive me if my comments and questions have already been covered. I'll give it a closer look later this week. I like the overall theme.... heavy handed or not, the symbolism is good. I like the yellow and black livery and think the quartered look gives it the best balance, especially with the black tabard. Even the black figures on the left and the white figure on the left look nice. Perhaps the all black could be used for the novices and all white for veterans and/or command staff. I like the idea of the Penitent Company..... are these your questing knights? I'll have more later..... hope you have more too Grey Hunter Ydalir 1 Back to top Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/361270-hreteutonic-order-concept/#findComment-5464485 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grey Hunter Ydalir Posted January 22, 2020 Author Share Posted January 22, 2020 Greetings Brother Grey Just wanted to give you some quick thoughts. I had to speed through it, so forgive me if my comments and questions have already been covered. I'll give it a closer look later this week. I like the overall theme.... heavy handed or not, the symbolism is good. I like the yellow and black livery and think the quartered look gives it the best balance, especially with the black tabard. Even the black figures on the left and the white figure on the left look nice. Perhaps the all black could be used for the novices and all white for veterans and/or command staff. I like the idea of the Penitent Company..... are these your questing knights? I'll have more later..... hope you have more too I'm now having three different chapter ideas circling round in my head and I've been meaning to address the two I've had in development already with updates but just haven't gotten around to it so far. Ah, such is life. In a way the penitent chapter are questing knights I suppose, since they're sent on 'quests' to slay great enemies, or perform dangerous crusade-style actions to redeem themselves in the eyes of the chapter. In one way it's a way for those under censure or self-censure a means of redemption, while in another it is a way for a more zealous, confidant or over-active younger member to gain a measure of respect among his peers. Brother Lunkhead 1 Back to top Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/361270-hreteutonic-order-concept/#findComment-5466042 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grey Hunter Ydalir Posted February 6, 2020 Author Share Posted February 6, 2020 Alright, so a couple of things as an update. Unfortunately not every day gives me the ability to sit and bang out some 40k stuff so I know it's been a while between drinks. Sometimes you're just not in the right headspace either. And yet here I am. Anyway... I think I'm happy with the quartered scheme for the main force, with the 'Teutonic' scheme for the 'Deathwing+Ravenwing' component of the chapter. I like the homeworld being a paranoid mess of creeping dread. Perhaps I should scale it down a tad to make it somewhat livable but the concept just resonates somehow. Yes I'm praising my own ideas. Yes it is crass as hell. Moving on. I also think I've landed on a reason for the chapter to be where they are. They are essentially deployed to cement an Imperial claim on a region of space, relatively close to the cicatrix maledictum (think somewhere roundabout the homeworld for the Emperors Swords on the nihilus side, or the Tigers Argent home if I decide for them to be across the pond). The region of space previously cut off from the galaxy by a warp-infused nebula. I kind of wanted it to be kind of thing that was done as a real 'rapid' response type of deal. The chapter was founded rapidly and sent off as soon as they were at deploy-able strength, like 50 or 65% strength. They barely get themselves situated and operationally stable in the region, beginning work supporting Imperial colonization and conquest in the region, when the cicatrix maledictum hits like a freight train. They find their barely operating region is an oasis from the warp storms worst effects, but the Imperial efforts are basically kicked in the teeth and it all turns to anarchy. So they have to by necessity put their power-armoured boots down and force everyone to listen to reason. To an outsider looking in it could appear like empire building by the chapter, perhaps old Rowboat would see shades of his unremembered empire, both in practicality and in how perhaps other officers around him would snap to judgement of the chapter, something he was wary of in ages past. As it stands the chapter has taken the lead with Imperial forces nearby, and have forced their overall leadership on the remaining structured Imperial Assets. They are in a desperate bid to recruit as heavily as they can to make up for low deployment numbers as well as being forced to have multiple ongoing deployments within the same system. Their fleet, along with remaining naval assets are performing double duty with every operation from blockades, convoy protection and pirate hunting to planetary assaults and deployments. Think of it like this. There's one chapter homeworld that's set up and operational. There's a small Imperial Naval presence that was deployed to protect colonists, along with an Imperial Guard expeditionary force to be the gun behind the diplomatic arm of the colonists. One relatively small mechanicus forge-ship, which was supposed to only be present to assist Imperial efforts and survey the region for anything valuable to the wider Mechanicus, which has now been forced into the role of primary manufactorum for the region after assisting the chapter double-time with the building of their Fortress Monestary, and as such the chapters forges have been 'loaned' to the mechanicus present on the condition that the chapters needs must not be left wanting, as such the mechanicus ship has wedged itself into geo-stationary orbit above the monestary, leaving it a rather daunting target to any renegades. This has had the happy-knock on effect of bringing a higher level of technology to the world. Not enough to destroy it as a recruitment base and make life 'easy', but enough to ensure a higher percentage of natives survive to have more children overall, leading to a larger recruitment pool for the chapter to work with. Again think a feudal knight world, but without the knights. I had the thought that it may well have actually been a knight world, but one who's lords were tyrants and slavers. When the population rose against them and destroyed their rulers, they had the unfortunate realization that even though their aristocracy had been bastards, they had actually been keeping the darkness back as well, much to their extreme displeasure. Though perhaps this is a bit much, given how much other stuff is going on in the region already. Then when Big Bobby G's agents find them, they are initially called into censure for what appears to be the building of their own empire. However Big Blue intervenes and comes down on their side, having a certain amount of sympathy for their situation, though not at all revealing why, and reinforces them with Primaris and stabilizes the region before bouncing once again. It's the easiest and most expedient way to stabilize this area of space given the chapter is ostensibly loyal and fighting for the Emperor after all. Only thing I can't nail down is a name. I just draw a complete blank here. Any criticism or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/361270-hreteutonic-order-concept/#findComment-5473058 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother Lunkhead Posted February 6, 2020 Share Posted February 6, 2020 (edited) Nice work on this one Brother Grey Grey Hunter Ydalir Posted Yesterday, 10:16 PM I like the homeworld being a paranoid mess of creeping dread. Perhaps I should scale it down a tad to make it somewhat livable but the concept just resonates somehow. Yes I'm praising my own ideas. Yes it is crass as hell. You're allowed It makes perfect sense considering where they are located. I also think I've landed on a reason for the chapter to be where they are. They are essentially deployed to cement an Imperial claim on a region of space, relatively close to the cicatrix maledictum (think somewhere roundabout the homeworld for the Emperors Swords on the nihilus side, or the Tigers Argent home if I decide for them to be across the pond). Looks good. The region of space previously cut off from the galaxy by a warp-infused nebula. I kind of wanted it to be kind of thing that was done as a real 'rapid' response type of deal. The chapter was founded rapidly and sent off as soon as they were at deploy-able strength, like 50 or 65% strength. They barely get themselves situated and operationally stable in the region, beginning work supporting Imperial colonization and conquest in the region, when the cicatrix maledictum hits like a freight train. Once again, makes perfect scense, especially in this region of Imperial space. They find their barely operating region is an oasis from the warp storms worst effects, but the Imperial efforts are basically kicked in the teeth and it all turns to anarchy. So they have to by necessity put their power-armoured boots down and force everyone to listen to reason. To an outsider looking in it could appear like empire building by the chapter, perhaps old Rowboat would see shades of his unremembered empire, both in practicality and in how perhaps other officers around him would snap to judgement of the chapter, something he was wary of in ages past. I definitely get it...... "We're here to save you. We don't have time to be Nice Marines." I'm sure the Primarch would back them up on this Lookin' good Brother. Everything is well reasoned out and looks interesting. I'm looking forward to seeing details when you have time. ...... Just one thing Who is this "Rowboat" guy you are referring to,.... or is that just more of your bad spelling Edited February 6, 2020 by Brother Lunkhead Grey Hunter Ydalir 1 Back to top Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/361270-hreteutonic-order-concept/#findComment-5473468 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grey Hunter Ydalir Posted February 14, 2020 Author Share Posted February 14, 2020 (edited) So interestingly, agents of old Rawbutt Girlyman Our Spiritual Liege must have gotten wind of my willful irreverence toward the Lord Commander of the Imperium and in censure, slagged the hard drive on my home computer. So that's been fun. Now I've been thinking a lot about these guys recently, seemingly haven taken precedence over my other two projects and so have decided to work on them a little. As such in a way of getting back into the mood and keeping things moving, I've just committed a bit of a flow of consciousness to paper here, since I don't have my resources at home that I used to. Ah well. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dagon's Reclamation. According to Imperial records at the tail end of 738.M41, a region known as Dagons Rift in the Ultima Segmentum that had been avoided due to a warp-infused nebula known to swallow flotillas whole regardless of their allegiance, suddenly 'cleared' in a matter of months. It had been theorized that a world within the region had fallen to chaotic corruption and spawned a rift large enough for it to seep into the nebula surrounding it. These theories however were moot as the nebula first receded, then vanished altogether. Additional Mechanicus monitors and ships were sent to investigate, their reports flowing back with Alpha Prioris status, multiple habitable worlds that had been locked behind the nebula were now free to be claimed for the Imperium. These worlds had seemingly been cut off from the Imperium for millennia, with no record of when the area had been lost. An Explorator fleet was quickly organized at Forgeworld Metalica, with elements of the Imperial Navy also assigned to act as escort and transport for an Astra Militarum battle-group to represent the Imperium's interests, not just the Mechanicus. The 26th founding had officially been deemed complete mere weeks before hand, and as such, an opportunity was capitalized on by an unusually forward thinking adept and a final chapter was founded. No Emperors Tarot, nor High Lords imperative, this last-born chapter was purely to maintain and secure this new region of what was assumed soon to be Imperial territory. Given the speed of action this expedition entailed, the chapter was given a hard deadline to deploy by and as such joined the assembled fleet with a nominal 500 battle brothers on record, though the truth was some of those marked as such were still enduring their final implants and a far higher ratio of Scouts than usual, with barely enough Powered Armour to outfit those that bore than honour, some being painted in the chapters livery during transit. With even standard line equipment being near irreplaceable, the chapters leadership - a Hospitaller chapter cadre lead by Captain Allard - was assured by Archmagos Ceres of the Mechanicus assets that they would be able to provide them the means of production as soon as they were set up to do so, despite that ability being far from assured. The fleet arrived close to the most densely packed system designated in the region and was immediately hit with a wall of noise. Radio frequencies from many planets and old stations blasting into space. Wide band transmissions from many different peoples, factions and settlements all clashing with one another, dispelling any thought of the region being uninhabited. The worlds locked behind the Rift had survived and some had even come along at their own pace, becoming akin to what had been seen during the Great Crusade, various levels of technology, religion, mythos and politics. The Imperials were unexpected and violently opposed, constant internecine warfare between the worlds and nations however had kept any from dominance and as such the following conquests were rapid and violent. None could stand alone against the forces of the Imperium and many fell before the greater whole were even aware they were being conquered. Ultimatums were given and promptly ignored. Worlds burned and the once proud armed forces were decimated as their previously unchallenged superiority crumbled around them. Not all however were so 'civilized'. A small group of uninhabited worlds in a cluster designated WOLF were of prime interest, a seemingly resource rich feral world was earmarked by the Mechanicus for exploitation. One world possessed a dark-age culture, a scant remnant of STC derived technology, and an initially misunderstood pathological dread the deep, dark forests that almost completely covered their world. What came to be understood however, was that the planet actually merited a Death World classification, as evidence of the dark horrors that infested it presented themselves. Yet the people of this world endured, enduring daily almost unending dread of what lay beyond their walls. The world and it's people impressed Captain Allard and his chapter and requested the world by right of conquest, causing no small measure of friction from the expeditions leadership, doubly so for Archmagos Ceres and his bretheren, unfortunately setting a stage for sorrows to come. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It's a bit long and rambling, I know, but I kind of wanted something on the page, as it were. Thanks for reading, I think. But now back to it, duty calls after all! There's no rest for the wicked, I swear.... Edited August 1, 2020 by Grey Hunter Ydalir gripschi and KBA 2 Back to top Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/361270-hreteutonic-order-concept/#findComment-5476876 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grey Hunter Ydalir Posted July 27, 2020 Author Share Posted July 27, 2020 I'm still alive damnit! Life is complex but I'm still on the B&C and I'm determined to keep these chapters alive. It provides me a mental break from everything else and just like the gym is iron therapy (Ferrus Manus would love me), this too is a form of psychological rest and unwinding. So here I am, after another short stint in the Warp (otherwise known as Real Life). After editing the previous section slightly, I'm on the search for some name ideas and I'd appreciate some commentary if possible, as I'd like to post a more structured version of this, with proper headings and all, but without a name I keep feeling a snag whenever I go to write, like trying to tell someone a story and forgetting the name of the main focus, so it becomes awkward to tell. Don't know why this chapter has been so hard to name, but my brain is having issues so any help is greatly appreciated. Chapter Name Ideas: Keepers (Always liked this one, with symbology of the Key being a big one in terms of theme and meaning). Sun Keepers (ehh). Oath Keepers (Maybe, just sounds generic to my ears). Next is the idea for each company to have it's seniority develop into different orders within. The older and wiser you get, the more likely you are to be elevated into your companies veteran ranks who in turn make up leadership roles in their entirety, bodyguard units, vanguard and veteran units. Specialists are outside of this such as the Forge, Reclusiam, Librarius and Apothacarian and a fully fledged specialist is treated themselves as a veteran officer who's council on their area of expertise is treated with respect, even if the specialist is in effect junior to any veteran he is being commanded by. Sounds like common sense but in 40k, there isn't much of it to go around. Unit/Order names(?): Redblades (Generic). Greycloaks. (This is the one I originally thought of, as it seemed army wide to be a decent thing, I cant remember where Greycloak comes from, I swear it's tugging at my mind that I've heard it used somewhere else before but I can't for the life of me think of where. That said, it's again fairly generic but if it's company dependent, and perhaps even the name changes when the last members of the veteran order die out and a new one needs to be founded.) Silverguard (Generic). Oath of recruitment: Oath of Ash. To commit their lives before this moment to the flame. The flames to consume their previous loves and joys, as well as their heartbreaks and sorrows. To have allow themselves to be reborn and to commit the ash of their former lives to the wind. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/361270-hreteutonic-order-concept/#findComment-5572065 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bjorn Firewalker Posted July 27, 2020 Share Posted July 27, 2020 Greycloaks.How about "Stormcloaks" (using a term from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim)? Oath of recruitment: Oath of Ash. To commit their lives before this moment to the flame. The flames to consume their previous loves and joys, as well as their heartbreaks and sorrows. To have allow themselves to be reborn and to commit the ash of their former lives to the wind. This is a great idea! Grey Hunter Ydalir 1 Back to top Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/361270-hreteutonic-order-concept/#findComment-5572286 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grey Hunter Ydalir Posted July 30, 2020 Author Share Posted July 30, 2020 Greycloaks.How about "Stormcloaks" (using a term from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim)? Oath of recruitment: Oath of Ash. To commit their lives before this moment to the flame. The flames to consume their previous loves and joys, as well as their heartbreaks and sorrows. To have allow themselves to be reborn and to commit the ash of their former lives to the wind. This is a great idea! I should have remembered Stormcloaks. My only issue with the name is that it's too recognizable for the reader and kind of breaks your suspension of disbelief. I also have my Stormriders which I feel would benefit more from a name like that for their veterans, so I might hang on to it. And thanks! I know any use of flame is automatically jumped on as Salamanders only territory, but I more see it like an arcane oath on the moment of your elevation. Such as rising from say, a Livionian Sword Brethren into the ranks of the Teutonic Order proper, you'd undertake new oaths at a ceremony. Given these are Astartes and these are tough times, I kind of see it happening upon their elevation to the Battle Companies. They have their induction, training and first battle experiences to wrestle with their fate, culminating in taking their Oaths, in my head I see 'knights' gathered around billowing flame brazier as snow falls around them, making their oaths while the twilight falls in the dark forest surrounding them, a bristling chapter warden tower on the horizon. Which is when they earn their white and black tabard, representing the purity of purpose with the sacrifice of duty respectively. I'm starting to run though theories on how I can write the world to be more livable while also retaining the psychological horror I originally dreamed up, which I'm now quite attached to. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/361270-hreteutonic-order-concept/#findComment-5574400 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grey Hunter Ydalir Posted July 31, 2020 Author Share Posted July 31, 2020 (edited) Home-world: Name: Orbital body 98 of the Wolf Cluster (WOLF-98), known locally as Innsbruck. History: World colonized first before Old Night. Shortly after the collapse of the human interstellar empire, the world began to suffer the predations of what the citizens call the deep terrors. Cold to temperate climate with dense, near impenetrable thick evergreen forests that wind the continent, following arcane trails that leave few open fields and groves. Avoids classification as a death world only due to relative abundance and ease of resource harvesting. Any non-native and non-trans-human personnel are limited to extremely brief stays planet-side due to the psychological pressure of its unique xenos threat. Xenos Horrificus. The xenos present on Innsbruck are a strange threat that, so far as the expedition can ascertain, are not native to the world, nor are they present in the rest of the cluster. Deemed an infestation, the 'Deep Terrors' as they are known seem to posses no known technology or infrastructure, instead they seem to posses an inherent, limited ability to phase-shift and seem to be attracted to human fear and paranoia for reasons Xenobiologists of the expedition cannot identify. As such they tend to lurk in shadows and spend an inordinate amount of time stalking prey they deem vulnerable, commonly resorting to violence when their victim hits fight-or-flight mode. No means of, nor evidence of them actually physically feeding on their victims exists, throwing yet another anomaly before researchers. All that said, the creatures still have material homes and lairs, usually in the deepest, darkest areas of the black forests surrounding the cities. With the destruction of a sizable 'nest', a tangible lessening of psychological pressure can be felt. With so many mysterious and intangible displays attributed to these 'Terrors', it has been theorized that the individual, predatory creatures are not actually individuals even so far as even the primitive Ork, nor the savage Kroot, or even the collectivist Tau. Instead it is proposed that the 'nest' itself is the creature, and the predators merely material manifestations, to what end though is beyond understanding at this juncture. Dark night's end. With the presence of the Imperium, the long suffering natives lives have become somewhat more livable. Less dark corners, weapons servitors and the presence of an Astartes chapter have allowed the populace to experience life as freely as in thousands of years of survival. While they remain stoic and hyper vigilant as ever, occasional laughter and revelry can be had where virtually none existed before. This in turn has lead to an almost pathological veneration of the Adepts of the Machine God who seem immune to the crushing pressure the world brings to humankind, and the Astartes who seem to have been elevated beyond it's suffering, both groups bringing death to their horrors, pushing back the fear and dread of the black forests. The world's dozen cities have grown, populations surging with the construction efforts of the Mechanicus. While the world remains under the auspices of the chapter, the now ancient agreement between the two giving the Mechanicus just enough room to maneuver their way into all aspects of native society, under the mandate of 'security'. Recent changes in chapter leadership have strained this relationship, handing down a far more strict interpretation of the old agreement. Edited July 31, 2020 by Grey Hunter Ydalir Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/361270-hreteutonic-order-concept/#findComment-5575182 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bjorn Firewalker Posted July 31, 2020 Share Posted July 31, 2020 Interesting concept for the Chapter planet. I presume the name is a reference to the H. P. Lovecraft story The Shadow over Innsmouth? Why didn't the AdMech raise an objection over the Chapter claiming a planet it devoted a considerable amount of resources developing? Did the Chapter Master work out a deal in which the Marines would provide the techpriests with support beyond what the preexisting treaty guaranteed- maybe an intact STC recovered from a Daemon world during an Imperial crusade, one the Inquisition would've ordered destroyed if an Inquisitor knew of its existence? Some typos, with suggested corrections in brackets: Any non-native and non-trans-human personnel are limited to extremely brief stays planet-side due to the psychological pressure of [its] unique xenos threat. IIRC, "it's" is a contraction of "it is". The possessive form of "it" is "its"- note the apostrophe is omitted.The world[']s dozen cities have grown, populations surging with the construction efforts of the Mechanicus. Grey Hunter Ydalir and Brother Lunkhead 2 Back to top Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/361270-hreteutonic-order-concept/#findComment-5575549 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grey Hunter Ydalir Posted July 31, 2020 Author Share Posted July 31, 2020 (edited) Interesting concept for the Chapter planet. I presume the name is a reference to the H. P. Lovecraft story The Shadow over Innsmouth? Why didn't the AdMech raise an objection over the Chapter claiming a planet it devoted a considerable amount of resources developing? Did the Chapter Master work out a deal in which the Marines would provide the techpriests with support beyond what the preexisting treaty guaranteed- maybe an intact STC recovered from a Daemon world during an Imperial crusade, one the Inquisition would've ordered destroyed if an Inquisitor knew of its existence? Some typos, with suggested corrections in brackets: Any non-native and non-trans-human personnel are limited to extremely brief stays planet-side due to the psychological pressure of [its] unique xenos threat. IIRC, "it's" is a contraction of "it is". The possessive form of "it" is "its"- note the apostrophe is omitted.The world[']s dozen cities have grown, populations surging with the construction efforts of the Mechanicus. Cheers Bjorn! So, yes and no. It's not necessarily a direct reference, or at least not intended to be. Innsbruck is an Austrian town, which to my knowledge was more prominent in a political and military sense during the days of the Holy Roman Empire and thereabouts. These days it's a tourist resort, but not for it's Imperial castles unfortunately. So I was trying to do both, since it is name wise similar to Innsmouth, and is a town directly under the Holy Roman Empire which is the cultural draw for this chapter. As to the Mechanicus angle, originally the Mechanicus only wanted the world due to early auger scans of the worlds of cluster marking it as unusually resource rich. The problem came when it was discovered that it wasn't only inhabited, but inhabited somewhat successfully despite the strange xeno threat, which is something that drew the eye of an under-strength, under equipped, newly founded chapter in a region of space chock full of heretic non-compliant worlds. So the chapter master claimed the world as their homeworld through right by conquest and the Mechanicus in the expedition kick up a stink. In the name of diplomacy, and the aim of not ending up like the Marines Malevolent, the then Chapter Master struck a deal. The Mechanicus could harvest as much of the worlds resources as they desired non-invasively to preserve the world's population and ecosystem, but in return they must provide arms for the chapter. It's a deal made in desperate times. The Expedition enters the region, get to work, then get's cut off by the nebula re-surging around the pocket of space and cutting them off from the Imperium. They discover a world that can alleviate both material concerns for the wider fleet, as well as recruits for the chapter. The issue is that these things are usually mutually exclusive. Without a Fortress Monastery or ship with a capable forge the chapter is for all intent over a barrel, so the Mechanicus can basically dictate terms. They either get the resources they want, or the chapter won't have arms, armour now or possibly even in the future. I had the idea to tie it to a 'quest' for this chapters Deathwing/Ravenwing, for them to be out searching the furthest reaches and deepest darkest tombs, bunkers, ancient complexes and space hulks for something valuable enough to exchange for the release of their homeworld to them and them alone, as well as remove the chapter from under the Mechanicus' thumb. I like the idea of the Ravenwing/Deathwing equivalents here for the chapter. The measured veterans move methodically, investigating rumors and places for these artifacts, where the hotheaded marines, either self-appointed or under censure seeking redemption fight to retrieve these relics. Fighting to be the literal saviors of their chapter is a powerful motivator. As an aside, I wonder what the new edition and codexes will bring. Are Blade-guard veterans the new Deathwing? Are new terminators coming? Thematically it changes how the company operates, though Blade-guard work well for this DIY, so I'm happy for that. Thanks for the grammer pick ups too. Also added the 'Dagons Reclamation' piece to the top post. Edited July 31, 2020 by Grey Hunter Ydalir Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/361270-hreteutonic-order-concept/#findComment-5575785 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grey Hunter Ydalir Posted August 6, 2020 Author Share Posted August 6, 2020 (Death/Raven-wing substitute idea). The Forlorn Hope. The Forlorn Hope are a special organization within the chapter. They deal exclusively with the ceaseless quest for a treasure valuable enough to negotiate the Mechanicus returning their homeworld to their own stewardship. The Forlorn Hope is comprised of a mix of individuals from those under extreme censure to the point of exile to honoured veterans. Typically, those ordered into service are nominally under the watch of veteran warriors to help them redeem themselves in the eyes of the chapter. On the other end of the spectrum are those that choose induction into the Forlorn Hope. Those hotheads that seek adventure and glory for their chapter, to build their own legacy within the brotherhood. These ostensibly younger marines are watched intently by their venerable brothers, and sometimes even those under censure for their nature is to leap before looking and in so doing get themselves killed. Upon the survival of a tour with the Forlorn hope, the surviving individuals are given a choice, to remain with the unit as a veteran or to return to the chapter, bearing the Crux Terminatus as a mark of their skill and honour. Until the arrival of the Indomitus crusade it was the only unit capable of fielding Tactical Dreadnought Armour in the entire chapter, due to the extremely tenuous nature of the Imperial hold upon the region and it's ability to replace equipment within. The Forlorn Hope have traveled the length and breadth of Dagons Rift, from earliest conquest to the coming of the Regent's Indomitus crusade. Penetrating into hostile environs and territory, delving into the deep and dark secrets of the region. Many foul heresies were smashed upon the altar of war, from insidious cults and secret societies, to techno-heretic conclaves and xenos manipulators. While many brothers fell to find redemption only in death, others thrived and built the unit up to what it is today, spearheading reinvigorated missions launched from the Rift into the wider galaxy. The Forlorn Hope can be found with the boldest of Rogue Traders, most far reaching Explorators and most dangerous crusades and conquest fleets,searching unceasingly for their holy grail. Bjorn Firewalker and KBA 2 Back to top Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/361270-hreteutonic-order-concept/#findComment-5578993 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bjorn Firewalker Posted August 6, 2020 Share Posted August 6, 2020 The Forlorn Hope is an original idea, though I expected a Space Marine Chapter to choose a more martial name for this unit., e.g., "Golden Boltshell". Grey Hunter Ydalir 1 Back to top Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/361270-hreteutonic-order-concept/#findComment-5579200 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grey Hunter Ydalir Posted August 6, 2020 Author Share Posted August 6, 2020 (edited) The Forlorn Hope is an original idea, though I expected a Space Marine Chapter to choose a more martial name for this unit., e.g., "Golden Boltshell". Thanks Bjorn, I know what you mean, the Astartes are nothing if not self-congratulatory/self-celebratory in many ways. Ego maniacs that they can be. I wanted the chapter and even their veterans to reflect the oppressive themes of their homeworld. While their victories are celebrated, the celebrations are a far cry from say, the Space Wolves parties. Everything in the chapter is disciplined to the point of obsession as a knock on effect of the lives lived by their home-world's people, who themselves have to be unfailingly alert, displaying unflinching discipline in how they approach tasks, and even their own wants and needs. Think perhaps, the raising of a new banner in their chapter keep, raising a drink to the fallen and the recognition of a victory hard fought. Right now I'm trying to think of a way to describe their character that doesn't come across as just being 'overly pragmatic' as a lot of my chapters tend to be. While this is reflected even in how they celebrate their victories, it's more the describing of it. I want to boil it down more to 'efficiency of action'. There are no wasted movements. They learn before they can walk as children not to double handle, to take extra trips back and forth, to be sure you calculate how you move around your home, block, between gates, etc. The more time you spend outside of a safe area, the more likely you are to be stalked and murdered. While the rates aren't high enough to stifle growth, the fact that it can affect anyone at any time is what's paranoia inducing, only made less likely by travelling with others. So if you have to leave your fully lit family domicile to go to your job and then return home afterwards with dried foodstuffs for the house, as an adult you'd unconsciously plan your route between every quarter, each street, your positioning in the street, as well as which vendors to visit and when, before doing the same for your return. By the time you're fully grown it'd be second nature. As Astartes take children for recruits, this paranoia wouldn't be as pathological as in the adults, and it'd be the prime time for this learned behavior to be fresh and assimilated. Think about taking a trip to Ikea. Now imagine that while you're doing what a rational, sane human being does and thinks about what they want before they get there, so they don't get lost in the maze of arrows and somewhat pleasing displays of houses and furniture you wish you could keep as neat and tidy and where you could possibly fit something like this in your home where your loving family and pets wouldn't immediately abuse or destroy without end. Sorry, I had some 'nam like flashbacks there. Anyway, imagine that but that from the moment you get out of your car to the moment you get back to it, the likelihood that you'll be ambushed and horribly murdered by an eldritch horror from the shadows increases. In your car is a 0% chance, the moment you open your car door and your foot hits the ground it jumps to 0.1% and just steadily increases. It's a lot to live with, almost like the feeling that going out into the public carries a random chance of viral death for you or your loved ones without any way to seriously combat it, these days it seems pretty relatable! Anyway, I'll keep quietly grinding away, just putting my thought process to paper as it were. By the way, any help with thinking up a name for this chapter would be appreciated, as I seem to have some kind of mental block with this chapter for names. Edited August 7, 2020 by Grey Hunter Ydalir Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/361270-hreteutonic-order-concept/#findComment-5579483 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bjorn Firewalker Posted August 7, 2020 Share Posted August 7, 2020 Suggested name: "Leos Alatus" (High Gothic) or "Winged Lions" (Low Gothic), after the heraldric animal on the coat-of-arms of the Brotherhood of Saint Mark. The brotherhood was a guild that trained swordsmen- including greatsword wielders- for the Holy Roman Empire. (I was going to suggest "Knights of the Aquila", after the two-headed eagle on the Holy Roman Empire's banner; but there's already a fanon Chapter named "Aquila Knights".) Grey Hunter Ydalir 1 Back to top Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/361270-hreteutonic-order-concept/#findComment-5579570 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grey Hunter Ydalir Posted August 7, 2020 Author Share Posted August 7, 2020 I quite like that. I'll take it. Gives a somewhat subtle nod to the Dark Angels codex use as well. Cheers for the suggestion Bjorn! Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/361270-hreteutonic-order-concept/#findComment-5579580 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grey Hunter Ydalir Posted August 7, 2020 Author Share Posted August 7, 2020 (edited) Recruitment Practices. Children growing up in the cities of Innsbruck are taught before they can even walk to be wary of the shadows, and to be aware of everything they can around them. Awareness of people and objects are of paramount importance. Not only are the shadows potentially hiding eldritch horror, but those damaged individuals who may wish someone harm which, is more common than outsiders expect. While the people of the world essentially pull together to keep the dark at bay, many crack under the pressure, while many more are not truly whole in mind for whatever reason. A child's mind seems to be beneath the scope of xenos horrors, so more human concerns are the bedrock of education. Their schooling is monolithic and dominant, due to the closed nature of every borough and neighborhood. No child can be left behind because overall cohesion of the whole is the most important survival building block for Innsbruck's societies. While to many this seems antithetical to Astartes recruitment, with many chapters aspirants going through grueling physical and mental trials. The Leos never had this luxury. They select those that display the most significant traits useful to the chapter, physical, emotional and mental fortitude; to select the best of a culture that not only preaches but has survival needs based on mental acuity and emotional steel. At the request of their saviors and protectors, the cities rulers extended the combat classes for schools and taught not just prowess to escape an attacker as a child, but to dominate each other as potential aspirants. The top percentage of each class at the end of their primary schooling, before being selected for work in their own city are taken for aspirant trials. The aspirants are collected by the wardens of the Scout company and over a month of non-stop punishing physical trials, those that make the cut are then taken for their final trial. The moon of Innsbruck is a desolate rock. No breathable atmosphere, no human civilization or even Dark Age era construction, it is for all intent and purpose a barren wasteland. For the aspirants who until this point have never lived with true darkness within their cities, nor without human company as near everyone travels with at least one companion within the cities. They are given a voidsuit, enough supplies for a whole day and are dropped individually onto the surface of the moon and ordered to find their comrades. What they have been told, however, is false. They are instead woken from sedation, dropped individually, too far from any of their comrades to reach within the limit of their supplies. The they are given an unachievable task and forced to undertake it wholly alone among the crushing dark of the void of space. This final test mentally snaps many of even the strongest willed of these already select few. Those that can be returned to their world are mind-wiped and psycho-conditioned and are inducted into the worlds native military orders. The rest either die or are recovered by the chapter to begin their life as an Astartes. P.S. This whole section feels like it should be more concise, but I was struggling to get the ideas down in totality in the first place without writing a thirteen page psychological commentary on the world and it's children, so this is what I came up with. If anyone has any advice as to cut it down I'd appreciate it as I feel like I can't see the wood for the trees at the moment. Edited August 7, 2020 by Grey Hunter Ydalir Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/361270-hreteutonic-order-concept/#findComment-5579593 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bjorn Firewalker Posted August 7, 2020 Share Posted August 7, 2020 The aspirants are collected by the wardens of the Scout company and over a month of non-stop punishing physical trials, those that make the cut are then taken for their final trial. The moon of Innsbruck is a desolate rock. No breathable atmosphere, no human civilization or even Dark Age era construction, it is for all intent and purpose a barren wasteland. For the aspirants who until this point have never lived with true darkness within their cities, nor without human company as near everyone travels with at least one companion within the cities. They are given a voidsuit, enough supplies for a whole day and are dropped individually onto the surface of the moon and ordered to find their comrades. What they have been told, however, is false. They are instead woken from sedation, dropped individually, too far from any of their comrades to reach within the limit of their supplies. The they are given an unachievable task and forced to undertake it wholly alone among the crushing dark of the void of space. This final test mentally snaps many of even the strongest willed of these already select few. Those that can be returned to their world are mind-wiped and psycho-conditioned and are inducted into the worlds native military orders. The rest either die or are recovered by the chapter to begin their life as an Astartes. How do the aspirants pass the "final trial"? What qualities must they demonstrate (presumably to Chaplains monitoring them via microphones and other sensors installed in the void suits)? Is it simply to remain sane for X amount of time- and hopefully avoid Daemonic possession or Xenos Horrificus manipulation? More details are necessary, to make the "final trial" meaningful. If you aren't willing to provide those details, then the "final trial" should be excised. Grey Hunter Ydalir 1 Back to top Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/361270-hreteutonic-order-concept/#findComment-5579601 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grey Hunter Ydalir Posted August 7, 2020 Author Share Posted August 7, 2020 The aspirants are collected by the wardens of the Scout company and over a month of non-stop punishing physical trials, those that make the cut are then taken for their final trial. The moon of Innsbruck is a desolate rock. No breathable atmosphere, no human civilization or even Dark Age era construction, it is for all intent and purpose a barren wasteland. For the aspirants who until this point have never lived with true darkness within their cities, nor without human company as near everyone travels with at least one companion within the cities. They are given a voidsuit, enough supplies for a whole day and are dropped individually onto the surface of the moon and ordered to find their comrades. What they have been told, however, is false. They are instead woken from sedation, dropped individually, too far from any of their comrades to reach within the limit of their supplies. The they are given an unachievable task and forced to undertake it wholly alone among the crushing dark of the void of space. This final test mentally snaps many of even the strongest willed of these already select few. Those that can be returned to their world are mind-wiped and psycho-conditioned and are inducted into the worlds native military orders. The rest either die or are recovered by the chapter to begin their life as an Astartes. How do the aspirants pass the "final trial"? What qualities must they demonstrate (presumably to Chaplains monitoring them via microphones and other sensors installed in the void suits)? Is it simply to remain sane for X amount of time- and hopefully avoid Daemonic possession or Xenos Horrificus manipulation? More details are necessary, to make the "final trial" meaningful. If you aren't willing to provide those details, then the "final trial" should be excised. The final trial is supposed to be one to heap upon the aspirants all their deepest fears and socially learned triggers. It's dark, the void is silent and you are utterly and completely alone, something they've so far never truly experienced. The trial is to test just how deep their mental reserves are, and to see just how they are able to work through these fears and overcome them. Perhaps I haven't worded it well enough but it's supposed to be sudden, without any ability to prepare for it. Psychological pressure is a big theme in the chapter, as is otherworldly horror and this test is supposed to seriously confront the aspirant with all of their ingrained and deepest learned fears. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/361270-hreteutonic-order-concept/#findComment-5579607 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bjorn Firewalker Posted August 7, 2020 Share Posted August 7, 2020 Say the moon has many hidden Deep Terror nests, which the aspirants must brave in order to pass the "final trials"? The aspirants are told they will form teams to hunt the Deep Terrors; in truth, they are isolated in the manner you describe, to test them. There is a time limit to the test, and close monitoring- the Marines use the aspirants as bait to draw out the Deep Terrors for extermination. The aspirants aren't expected to fight or kill the Deep Terrors, but those who overcome their fears and fight, will be noted the way Ragnar was when the young man killed a Blackmane wolf when he took the "Ultimate Test" to become a Space Wolf. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/361270-hreteutonic-order-concept/#findComment-5579636 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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