Heralds of Ash

[Gamiel]

Suggestion on battle cry: Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust.

 

Also, would suggest creating some interesting cultural points for Fellheim based on funeral / respect for the dead / day of the dead / such (I have some if you want). I would also suggest that some of those cultural points have been taken up by the Chapter (on more or less modified form). Based on the name could you take a look at Viking funeral practices and have that the funeral rites for those that are not cremated are similar to the Vikings' rites (or the pup-cultural ideas of those).

Also if you are interested in Viking-ish concepts do I have some I could post.

 

 + maybe Fellheim's society is full of death cults who each practice their own way of sending the Emperor's to his judgment and there is a constant shadow war between the cults about whose practice is the true path. Every 10 year, or at a signal from the Chapter all the cults send their best young aspirants to the gates of city of The Unredeemed where they have to first get to the Accusation tower and then have to get to a certain floor in the tower. Many cult-aspirants die during this time, those that return either do it broken or in honour, those that don't return are either dead or have been found fit to become initiates in the Chapter.

 

If this suggestion is used could this mean that the Chapter has allies among the death cults, so they might be accompanied by death cult assassins from time-to-time.

 

Also, if the death cults send all their best aspirants and if they are gender equal do it mean that both boys and girls are sent to the Accusation. And since girls can’t become aspirants is it likely that more girls than boys return from the test, making most of the assassins women.

[TechCaptain]

These are awesome ideas. Sorry that I have been quiet, I have been processing and working. I am loving the idea flow. 

[gripschi]

One Idea towards the Use of Ash from me.

 

Inccoperate s smaal amount in the bolt rounds. So even in Death the Brothers still bring judgement over the foe. Iam sure it can be expanded towards a intrigendt for painting the power armours,

 

Overall i find the idea to origin of a crematorium world very exciting.

[Gamiel]

Some possibilities regarding Fellheim and its people:

* Likely are grave niches in the catacombs/similar reused.  A body may lay there for a set amount of time + any more time the buried or relatives are willing to pay for, thereafter are the bones removed and placed in an ossuary or charnel house.

- if the idea about the Fellheim lacking wood because it was all used up for funeral fires and wood has to be imported, could it be that bones are used by the natives for stuff that other worlds use wood.

-there is possibly a servo-skull manifactorum on the planet.

* I can see the really rich/important being placed in palace sized mausoleums, and some rich families may have mausoleum “towns” or “skyscrapers”.

* There is likely a tourist and pilgrim industry for people wanting to visit the mausoleum of famous people and/or saints. You likely have to pay to get to the areas where their mausoleums are, then have to pay to get close to the mausoleum, and then pay extra much to go in in the mausoleum.

* Many pilgrims don’t think about how to get back home after having visited the holy sites and stranded pilgrims make up a notable underclass on Fellheim.

* Mausoleums have to be paid for. Those that don’t have any tourists or pilgrims paying for them, nor any founds or relatives paying upkeep are abounded or reused.

* There is possibly a trade in martyrs (a.k.a. IG’s that died on duty) bones.

* Bones that are still there after cremation is considered holy/blessed and are used to create lesser relics.

* Take a look at Officio Sancti Exanimus, could be of some inspiration. And I know that it says that they only exist on Terra but maybe they have a filial on Fellheim, or you could just have that the “only on Terra” part is the official version or just misinformation.

* If you go for a Scandinavian feel do I suggest that the natives have a sauna culture. Pickled and/or fermented fish as a main/traditional food (if the whole surface is nearly nothing but graveyards could they be fished un underground lakes or cisterns), and to that do you need snaps (humorus drinking songs to the snaps is good).

Edited November 18, 2020 by Gamiel

[Bjorn Firewalker]

One Idea towards the Use of Ash from me.

 

Inccoperate s smaal amount in the bolt rounds. So even in Death the Brothers still bring judgement over the foe. Iam sure it can be expanded towards a intrigendt for painting the power armours,

 

Overall i find the idea to origin of a crematorium world very exciting.

Good imagination! How about using fallen battle-brothers' ashes to create cremation diamonds with which to tip armor-piercing boltshells that, in-game, allows the player to re-roll failed To Wound rolls? Edited November 18, 2020 by Bjorn Firewalker

[Bjorn Firewalker]

You have good ideas, Gamiel, but using white letters means no one can read them on a smartphone, unless they highlight the text.

* Likely are grave niches in the catacombs/similar reused. A body may lay there for a set amount of time + any more time the buried or relatives are willing to pay for, thereafter are the bones removed and placed in an ossuary or charnel house.

This is regrettably plausible in the grim darkness of the far future.

- if the idea about the Fellheim lacking wood because it was all used up for funeral fires and wood has to be imported, could it be that bones are used by the natives for stuff that other worlds use wood.

This is appropriately grimdark, but the sheer difficulty in sizing and shaping BONES into a table or other surface that people use wood for, will make it impractical. Cheap plastic is more likely to be used as a wood substitute, unless the object in question has great symbolic purposes for which the use of plastic will be insultingly cheap, e.g., an altar or a pulpit at a temple to the Emperor- THAT will be a worthy use of bone as a wood substitute.

-there is possibly a servo-skull manifactorum on the planet.

Good point! I agree, it's very likely.

* I can see the really rich/important being placed in palace sized mausoleums, and some rich families may have mausoleum “towns” or “skyscrapers”.

* There is likely a tourist and pilgrim industry for people wanting to visit the mausoleum of famous people and/or saints. You likely have to pay to get to the areas where their mausoleums are, then have to pay to get close to the mausoleum, and then pay extra much to go in in the mausoleum.

* Many pilgrims don’t think about how to get back home after having visited the holy sites and stranded pilgrims make up a notable underclass on Fellheim.

* Mausoleums have to be paid for. Those that don’t have any tourists or pilgrims paying for them, nor any founds or relatives paying upkeep are abounded or reused.

Depressingly plausible in the grim darkness of the far future.

* There is possibly a trade in martyrs (a.k.a. IG’s that died on duty) bones.

* Bones that are still there after cremation is considered holy/blessed and are used to create lesser relics.

Good ideas.

[Gamiel]

You have good ideas, Gamiel, but using white letters means no one can read them on a smartphone, unless they highlight the text. 

Oh, did not know that. Some of the text had turned into dark purple for some reason and was unreadable with black background so hanged to white since it seemed to be easiest right then. Thanks for the info

Edited November 18, 2020 by Gamiel

[Zebulon]

I like this a lot, and I think the way that you integrated a version of the Blood Angels’ flaw into the theme worked very well.

 

I have just one question which I don’t think anyone has brought up yet, and you may or may not wish to answer it, but it struck me straight away:

 

What is so special about this specific world, that it became considered a favoured spot for the great and the good to be buried? What made it especially worthy of protection by marines?

 

Also, I’d like to second the idea of funeral games being a source of potential recruits - fits into a number of ancient cultures while also being appropriate to your theme and relatable to the 40k setting.

[TechCaptain]

I like this a lot, and I think the way that you integrated a version of the Blood Angels’ flaw into the theme worked very well.

 

I have just one question which I don’t think anyone has brought up yet, and you may or may not wish to answer it, but it struck me straight away:

 

What is so special about this specific world, that it became considered a favoured spot for the great and the good to be buried? What made it especially worthy of protection by marines?

 

Also, I’d like to second the idea of funeral games being a source of potential recruits - fits into a number of ancient cultures while also being appropriate to your theme and relatable to the 40k setting.

Honestly besides it being such a world, why it is special hasn't been completely decided but thanks to Bjorn. I favor it being home to Marines due to a Chaos Cult invasuion they defeated and they are guarding that site.

 

Further, I hadn't updated yet but I have a bit of a rough idea of how it went down.

 

Around the year 831.M33 (know as the Year of Ghosts) A newly formed Chapter was assigned to a Campaign against a Word Bearer invasion of a Holy world that was created during the War of the Confessor not many years before along side a contingent of Space Wolves, and many others. For a Hundred years the war raged on as not even the dead stayed truly that way. Ghosts and Demons were common sights, but in the end the Heralds of Ash and their allies were victorious but not without great cause. Their Chapter was critically low of personnel and even the Space Wolves were eliminated. When the Inquisition came forth to investigate the war it was decided the best policy was to kill those who were direct witnesses but more so to use the superstitions as a guard against further invasions.

 

(Also I was thinking that this world might be close to a Warp anomaly or something, I wasn't sure yet where it really was going to be.)

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Around the year 831.M33 (know as the Year of Ghosts) A newly formed Chapter was assigned to a Campaign against a Word Bearer invasion of a Holy world that was created during the War of the Confessor not many years before along side a contingent of Space Wolves, and many others. For a Hundred years the war raged on as not even the dead stayed truly that way. Ghosts and Demons were common sights, but in the end the Heralds of Ash and their allies were victorious but not without great cause. Their Chapter was critically low of personnel and even the Space Wolves were eliminated. When the Inquisition came forth to investigate the war it was decided the best policy was to kill those who were direct witnesses but more so to use the superstitions as a guard against further invasions.

This is a good start. The First Chapter Master should have his lieutenant (the First Captain? the Honor Guards Commander?) undertake a pilgrimage to Fenris, to return the fallen Wolves' gene-seed and relics, and tell of their valor, so the Wolves will see them as trustworthy allies instead of the Dark Angels 2.0.

 

Will this Chapter interact with the Bloodmoon Hunters? Or will they be on opposite sides of the Imperium, their members unlikely to meet?

[TechCaptain]

 

Around the year 831.M33 (know as the Year of Ghosts) A newly formed Chapter was assigned to a Campaign against a Word Bearer invasion of a Holy world that was created during the War of the Confessor not many years before along side a contingent of Space Wolves, and many others. For a Hundred years the war raged on as not even the dead stayed truly that way. Ghosts and Demons were common sights, but in the end the Heralds of Ash and their allies were victorious but not without great cause. Their Chapter was critically low of personnel and even the Space Wolves were eliminated. When the Inquisition came forth to investigate the war it was decided the best policy was to kill those who were direct witnesses but more so to use the superstitions as a guard against further invasions.

This is a good start. The First Chapter Master should have his lieutenant (the First Captain? the Honor Guards Commander?) undertake a pilgrimage to Fenris, to return the fallen Wolves' gene-seed and relics, and tell of their valor, so the Wolves will see them as trustworthy allies instead of the Dark Angels 2.0.

 

Will this Chapter interact with the Bloodmoon Hunters? Or will they be on opposite sides of the Imperium, their members unlikely to meet?

 

Don't really know yet, though I love the pilgrimage idea. I was thinking they may have more to do with Graven Souls, Sanguine Templar or Steel Harbingers.

 

I haven't really posted much about the others here because of the guidelines.

 

Graven Souls (13th Founding Possible White Scars follows Night Lord Tactics) I might bring these guys here but hadn't decided.

 

Sanguine Templar (Blood Angels 2nd Founding) These guys actually evolved from a Blood Angels Horus Heresy Campaign and has a full history of how they were as Blood Angels and followed a kind of Dark Angel vibe. Short of it before the 2nd Founding they took an entire fleet with them to Scourge the Heretics and have only been back in Imperial space now and then for resupply otherwise they are constant Crusade and don't appear in many records for they never accepted the Shattering of the Legions.

 

Steel Harbingers (Iron Warriors 3rd Founding) Discovered after the Scourge these outpost of Iron Warriors were unaware of the Horus Heresy and the Scourge for the most part. They were a long forgotten and distant garrison still loyal to their oaths to the Imperium.

[Gamiel]

Brother TechCaptain, an idea I got is that you could have the Heralds in larger/important battles carry with them urns with the ashes of fallen brethren + explosives that are then cast (by catapult, ballista or such) toward the enemy to cover them in splinter and ash. Could possibly count as some kind of “holy grenade” against daemons/sorcerers.

 

And you could have that the Heralds have legends of sometime the ash reforming into semi-physical, semi-ethereal version of the their dead, there to ones again fight the enemy (could be represented by the Legion of the Damned rules).

 

 What is so special about this specific world, that it became considered a favoured spot for the great and the good to be buried?

Some possibilities for why a world became a Cemetery World (just general ideas not based on Fellheim):

* Somebody important died there and was buried on his place of death, others wanted to be buried near VIP, in time so many people have been buried there so it's just prudent to declare it a Cemetery World

* A War World has finally been taken and since its old classification is no longer useful is it declared a Cemetery World as a way to honour all the guardsmen who died (re)taking it.

* A administrative mistake classified it as a Cemetery World and people begun to send their dead to it.

* It was declared a Cemetery World after a survey that showed that the population’s culture was death and funeral focused and the powers that be thought it fitting to turn it into a cemetery world.

* Ones upon a time the local sector-governor wanted a mausoleum fitting for somebody of his statues (a.k.a. city sized) but there was nowhere on the sector capital-world where it would be good place to build it, so he build it on another planet, but since he could not be buried on just any planet did he have the administratum declare it a Cemetery World.

* Nobody knows, the planet have been used for burials as far back as any records can tell.

* Somebody in the sector government or adminstartum thought the sector/sub-sector needed a Cemetery World and declared a planet that was of no real interest (by their standards/knowledge) a Cemetery World.

 

 

What made it especially worthy of protection by marines?

Some possibilities for why (just general ideas not based on Fellheim):

* The Chapter was one of those that lacked a homeworld (fleet based, lost their old one, newly created and had not been given one, etc.) and was gifted the rights to the planet after retaking it from Chaos/xeos/rebels/such.

* There is something buried deep beneath the planet’s surface (xeno artefacts; strange ruins; bones from xenos that seems to still be psychic active; a strange door that should not be opened; an army of Thunder Warriors in stasis;  etc.) that the Inquisition/similar knows about but can’t destroy or move, and can’t tell since that would create panic and such. So they decide to place a Chapter on the world to keep anyone from finding the buried stuff and being a first defense if it is awaken/activated.

* The Emperor’s Tarot declared that the Chapter should be stationed there.

* A clerical error gave them the Cemetery World as a homeplanet, they were actually supposed to be given another planet.  

* The Chapter was already there when the world was declared a Cemetery World.

* Somebody considered the Cemetery World symbolically/religiously/similar important enough for it deserving a Chapter protecting it and had high enough contacts to make it so.

* The Chapter had sworn allegiance to one of the buried VIP:s when s/he was alive and s/he impressed them so much that they requested to continue to watch over hen when s/he was buried.

* Sometime after the Cemetery World was created (long enough for there to be a large hassle to change it) was a crashed SM ship found buried beneath the surface. The ship was large enough to house an entire Chapter and relatively whole with some areas still functioning, rather than to try to dig it up and fully repair it was it decided that it should be left there and repaired enough so it could be used as a Chapter-Fortress.

* The records only go back so far (because of damage/being locked away/lost/such) and the reasons for why the Chapter is there and why the planet is a Cemetery World are both lost to time.

 

 

* Likely are grave niches in the catacombs/similar reused. A body may lay there for a set amount of time + any more time the buried or relatives are willing to pay for, thereafter are the bones removed and placed in an ossuary or charnel house.

This is regrettably plausible in the grim darkness of the far future.

I would say that it downright realistic and not even grim-dark since that normal behavior all over Europe, both historical and modern.

 

If you want grim-dark here are some concepts (some based on previous discussion on Fellheim, others just general ideas):

* Human bones everywhere: knife handles, gun stocks, flutes, door handles: human bones; people drink (and maybe eat) out of human skulls (ogryn skulls maybe used as pots); all the clothes’ buttons: human bones; scrimshawed and/or carved human bones are used as decorations and jewelry;  

* People that has just paid for a gas cremation get their larger areas of skin flayed away to be turned into leather/ parchment.

* All that are cremated gets shaved (unless they pay extra) and their hair is either turned into yarn or felted to be used by the natives.

* There is an open secret among the natives that there is really no control regarding who is who among the corpses and many of those that buried are so under the wrong name, and it’s not unusual that those that paid to get buried get cremated.

* Some of the corps ash is sold as blessed fertiliser instead of being allowed to rest on the planets soil.

* The planets IG regiment goes to war with guns that use human bones for all the non-metal parts and a human skull at their belt as drinking cups. They are equipped with grenades that are made to spread corpse ash as well as splinter. All them carry some wood with them and have specialized wood-carry-servitors following them so their dead may be cremated where ever they fall – the wood is there only for that any may not be used for heat or cocking.

* There is a shadow war of assassins, spies, saboteurs and such going on between all the different power factions and power players. The dead may rest easy but the living better sleep weary.

* The dead are constantly given offerings of food, flowers and alcoholic beverage, and it’s considered more important that the dead are given their offerings than humans are feed.

* The dead rest in splendor while the humans live in squalor, and any repair project will only get to the living areas ones they are done with the dead’s, and/or repairs to living areas will only be done on a larger scale if the damage affects the dead’s area.

* Flowers are given as offerings to the dead and large areas are used to grow flowers for this purpose, meanwhile the areas for growing food can barely feed the malnourished population.

* The planet looks like a Hive World but most of the space in the hives are taken up by cemeteries, mausoleums, ossuary, charnel house, and such and the smoke and ash covering the whole planet is from the gigantic crematories inside the hives.

* Resurrectionist cults are a-plenty.

* Resurrectionist cults and Death Cults are a-plenty.

* Any clothing, jewellery, cybernetics and such that the dead has on them as they arrive gets taken from them and used or sold by the undertakers.

 

 

Edited November 19, 2020 by Gamiel

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Brother TechCaptain, an idea I got is that you could have the Heralds in larger/important battles carry with them urns with the ashes of fallen brethren + explosives that are then cast (by catapult, ballista or such) toward the enemy to cover them in splinter and ash. Could possibly count as some kind of “holy grenade” against daemons/sorcerers.

 

And you could have that the Heralds have legends of sometime the ash reforming into semi-physical, semi-ethereal version of the their dead, there to ones again fight the enemy (could be represented by the Legion of the Damned rules).

Excellent ideas!

Some possibilities for why a world became a Cemetery World (just general ideas not based on Fellheim):

* Somebody important died there and was buried on his place of death, others wanted to be buried near VIP, in time so many people have been buried there so it's just prudent to declare it a Cemetery World

* A War World has finally been taken and since its old classification is no longer useful is it declared a Cemetery World as a way to honour all the guardsmen who died (re)taking it.

Excellent ideas!

* A administrative mistake classified it as a Cemetery World and people begun to send their dead to it.

* It was declared a Cemetery World after a survey that showed that the population’s culture was death and funeral focused and the powers that be thought it fitting to turn it into a cemetery world.

* Ones upon a time the local sector-governor wanted a mausoleum fitting for somebody of his statues (a.k.a. city sized) but there was nowhere on the sector capital-world where it would be good place to build it, so he build it on another planet, but since he could not be buried on just any planet did he have the administratum declare it a Cemetery World.

* Nobody knows, the planet have been used for burials as far back as any records can tell.

* Somebody in the sector government or adminstartum thought the sector/sub-sector needed a Cemetery World and declared a planet that was of no real interest (by their standards/knowledge) a Cemetery World.

 

All possible and plausible, but also depressingly banal; to maintain the planet's people's morale (including that of defence forces service members), they're likely told the earlier ideas, to make them think their world is sacred, worth fighting to the last man and woman to defend.

* The Chapter was one of those that lacked a homeworld (fleet based, lost their old one, newly created and had not been given one, etc.) and was gifted the rights to the planet after retaking it from Chaos/xeos/rebels/such.

* There is something buried deep beneath the planet’s surface (xeno artefacts; strange ruins; bones from xenos that seems to still be psychic active; a strange door that should not be opened; an army of Thunder Warriors in stasis; etc.) that the Inquisition/similar knows about but can’t destroy or move, and can’t tell since that would create panic and such. So they decide to place a Chapter on the world to keep anyone from finding the buried stuff and being a first defense if it is awaken/activated...

 

* The Chapter had sworn allegiance to one of the buried VIP:s when s/he was alive and s/he impressed them so much that they requested to continue to watch over hen when s/he was buried.

Let's combine these ideas into a coherent storyline. Say the newfound Chapter was ordered to claim their own Chapter planet, and was initially fleet-based. During their search for an unclaimed planet, a charismatic Rogue Trader convinced the Chapter Master to aid his search for a treasure (archeotech he can sell to the AdMech? long-lost relic he can offer the Ecclesiarchy, in exchange for exclusive rights to trade on a lucrative pilgrimage passage?), which the Trader believes is on Fellheim. A deal is made; the Rogue Trader gets the treasure, the Marines get the planet. The fight to reclaim the planet (from the Drukhari or other xenos? Iron Warriors or other Chaos cultists? maybe the planetary governor declared, "We don't need your Godawful-Emperor!" and seceded from the Imperium?) is fierce, and saw the Rogue Trader fall in battle; to honor him, the Marines decide to build their fortress-monastery around the treasure's burial site, preserving it for his descendants (who, unaware of the Rogue Trader's plans- or whom the Inquisition, knowing the "treasure" is tainted, outright warned them to stay away- left in the Chapter's care).

If you want grim-dark here are some concepts (some based on previous discussion on Fellheim, others just general ideas):

 

* Human bones everywhere: knife handles, gun stocks, flutes, door handles: human bones; people drink (and maybe eat) out of human skulls (ogryn skulls maybe used as pots); all the clothes’ buttons: human bones; scrimshawed and/or carved human bones are used as decorations and jewelry;

* People that has just paid for a gas cremation get their larger areas of skin flayed away to be turned into leather/ parchment.

 

* All that are cremated gets shaved (unless they pay extra) and their hair is either turned into yarn or felted to be used by the natives...

 

* Some of the corps ash is sold as blessed fertiliser instead of being allowed to rest on the planets soil.

 

* The planets IG regiment goes to war with guns that use human bones for all the non-metal parts and a human skull at their belt as drinking cups.

All excellent ideas.

* There is an open secret among the natives that there is really no control regarding who is who among the corpses and many of those that buried are so under the wrong name, and it’s not unusual that those that paid to get buried get cremated...

 

All them carry some wood with them and have specialized wood-carry-servitors following them so their dead may be cremated where ever they fall – the wood is there only for that any may not be used for heat or cocking.

* There is a shadow war of assassins, spies, saboteurs and such going on between all the different power factions and power players. The dead may rest easy but the living better sleep weary.

 

* The dead are constantly given offerings of food, flowers and alcoholic beverage, and it’s considered more important that the dead are given their offerings than humans are feed.

 

* The dead rest in splendor while the humans live in squalor, and any repair project will only get to the living areas ones they are done with the dead’s, and/or repairs to living areas will only be done on a larger scale if the damage affects the dead’s area.

 

* Flowers are given as offerings to the dead and large areas are used to grow flowers for this purpose, meanwhile the areas for growing food can barely feed the malnourished population.

These ideas threaten to push the IA from "grimdark" to "grimderp" ("derp" being 4chan slang for sheer stupidity). Best tone it down a little, lest the Chapter be made a laughingstock like the Pretty Marines (or the Ultramarines in Matt Ward's stories). Edited November 20, 2020 by Bjorn Firewalker

[Gamiel]

 The idea I was thinking sort of sudo Viking or some other not usually pictured as civilized race but is civilized in their own ways and tradition

Some Viking-ish concepts for the population/planet:

* Clothing:

- Semi-historical: knee-long tunics, pants/hose, pointed felt/leather hats; no pockets instead things is carried from pouches/similar hanging from the belt; hair/beard are well groomed; some haircuts that seems silly to us; arm and finger rings, wealth is shown with jewelry; cloaks in bad/cold weather;

- pop-cultural: lots of furs; knee-long tunics, pants/hose; no pockets instead things is carried from pouches/similar hanging from the belt; cloaks in bad/cold/dramatic weather; men have a tendency to go around bare chested; big beards and long hair; the PDF's helmets are horned/winged (or at least the officers’); either lots of colours (many of them bright) or only dark colours (lots of black and browns);

* Lots of ravens lives on the planet – both as a reference to Odin’s ravens and that carrion birds looks good on a Cemetery World.

* It’s a slave (thrall) using society, but there is no specific group that automatically is the slave one, and slaves can buy their freedom.

* Honour society where it’s expected to answer insults to your honour with violence and blood feuds between families/groups are common. But there is also a developed system to prevent honour/blood feuds from spiraling out of control.

* Translate all the titles into the Icelandic versions.

* Use Viking/Icelandic names.

* If you use Death Cults do I suggest that beside/instead the usually Imperial assassin looks could you have a look based on the Corvus Cabal/Warcry looks as a reference to Odin’s ravens

 

 

Also, an interesting question is how much of Fellheim's culture have been take up by the Chapter (and it what form), and how much of the Chapter culture would seem alien to the native humans (like the Blood Angels focus on art and fine craft is something different to the new aspirants in Dante)

[Gamiel]

 

* There is an open secret among the natives that there is really no control regarding who is who among the corpses and many of those that buried are so under the wrong name, and it’s not unusual that those that paid to get buried get cremated...

 

All them carry some wood with them and have specialized wood-carry-servitors following them so their dead may be cremated where ever they fall – the wood is there only for that any may not be used for heat or cocking.

* There is a shadow war of assassins, spies, saboteurs and such going on between all the different power factions and power players. The dead may rest easy but the living better sleep weary.

 

* The dead are constantly given offerings of food, flowers and alcoholic beverage, and it’s considered more important that the dead are given their offerings than humans are feed.

 

* The dead rest in splendor while the humans live in squalor, and any repair project will only get to the living areas ones they are done with the dead’s, and/or repairs to living areas will only be done on a larger scale if the damage affects the dead’s area.

 

* Flowers are given as offerings to the dead and large areas are used to grow flowers for this purpose, meanwhile the areas for growing food can barely feed the malnourished population.

These ideas threaten to push the IA from "grimdark" to "grimderp" ("derp" being 4chan slang for sheer stupidity). Best tone it down a little, lest the Chapter be made a laughingstock like the Pretty Marines (or the Ultramarines in Matt Ward's stories).

Just wondering, what is it they you think is "grimderp" with them? Nothing in them really is any more over-the-top than many planets/cultures established by GW and less so then some. Also, remeber that those were suggestions for human culture, not Chapter culture.

Edited November 21, 2020 by Gamiel

[Bjorn Firewalker]

 

 

* There is an open secret among the natives that there is really no control regarding who is who among the corpses and many of those that buried are so under the wrong name, and it’s not unusual that those that paid to get buried get cremated...

 

All them carry some wood with them and have specialized wood-carry-servitors following them so their dead may be cremated where ever they fall – the wood is there only for that any may not be used for heat or cocking.

* There is a shadow war of assassins, spies, saboteurs and such going on between all the different power factions and power players. The dead may rest easy but the living better sleep weary.

 

* The dead are constantly given offerings of food, flowers and alcoholic beverage, and it’s considered more important that the dead are given their offerings than humans are feed.

 

* The dead rest in splendor while the humans live in squalor, and any repair project will only get to the living areas ones they are done with the dead’s, and/or repairs to living areas will only be done on a larger scale if the damage affects the dead’s area.

 

* Flowers are given as offerings to the dead and large areas are used to grow flowers for this purpose, meanwhile the areas for growing food can barely feed the malnourished population.

These ideas threaten to push the IA from "grimdark" to "grimderp" ("derp" being 4chan slang for sheer stupidity). Best tone it down a little, lest the Chapter be made a laughingstock like the Pretty Marines (or the Ultramarines in Matt Ward's stories).

Just wondering, what is it they you think is "grimderp" with them? Nothing in them really is any more over-the-top than many planets/cultures established by GW and less so then some. Also, remeber that those were suggestions for human culture, not Chapter culture.

"Derp" would describe self-destructive behavior. Using a garden you could use to grow vegetables to feed yourself, to grow flowers for funerary offerings- not even for sale, so you may earn money with which to feed yourself- and starving as a direct consequence? The mentally ill who are a minority in a population, may do so- if their numbers were near or above parity with the mentally sound, the planet would be depopulated- but it's foolish to expect such behavior to be commonplace. People who live in squalor beside richly decorated tombs, will surely loot the tombs in order to feed themselves; to prevent this, the local authorities (including those maintaining the tombs) must lift the people out of squalor, as no amount of guards will prevent desperate people from doing anything and everything they can to stay alive.

 

As for the "open secret," how long do you think it can remain a secret, before a rich and powerful individual, family, or organization learns of it and- outraged at how his, their, or its "honored dead" are being shown disrespect- shows up with a literal army to demand reforms at gunpoint?

[Gamiel]

Brother Bjorn, I hope I don't sound snider but I have to ask how much WH40k lore have you read? Because self-destructive behavior describe more or less the culture on more than every second Imperial planet. The Imperium is a decadent place where ritual and producer have become more important that the end product; where human life means nothing as long as quotas are filled or traditions upheld; where most worlds find it just easier to destroy the environment than install pollution preventions; where personal pride has sacrificed uncountable numbers of soldiers; where a humongous Kafkaesque bureaucracy send uncountable things to the wrong place or make misclassifications that changes everything for planets/regiments/peole/such, while being unwilling to admit that they can do anything wrong and consider it unthinkable to throw any paperwork away; where tech-priests unwillingness to share information means that much important knowledge  have been lost when they die; etcetera.

 

Many of the planets/cultures that have been presented in the canon lore would realistically not work and would have imploded long ago in reality but this is the Grim Darkness of 40k where they somehow can continue existing.

 

 

 

As for the "open secret," how long do you think it can remain a secret, before a rich and powerful individual, family, or organization learns of it and- outraged at how his, their, or its "honored dead" are being shown disrespect- shows up with a literal army to demand reforms at gunpoint?

a) It’s an open secret among the natives; b ) Since the rich and powerful probably are not shipped together with the normal corpses (maybe even they come in personal ships) so are they unlikely to be among the ones whose corpses that get confused

Edited November 23, 2020 by Gamiel

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Many of the planets/cultures that have been presented in the canon lore would realistically not work and would have imploded long ago in reality but this is the Grim Darkness of 40k where they somehow can continue existing.

The overly pessimistic lore breaks my suspension of disbelief, just as the overly optimistic lore of Star Trek breaks the same. With my suspension of disbelief broken over the outright self-destructive behavior the Imperium and its people engage in- behavior that should see the Imperium collapse in less than a century, and its people all die off, not last millennia with a population in the billions- my ability to enjoy the lore is outright crippled.

 

Hence my appreciation for Dan Abnett's works. He is a competent author who knows EXACTLY how "grimdark" he can make his stories, before it becomes "grimderp" and a reader's suspension of disbelief is broken.

 

(Edited: Goddamn autocorrect replaced "Abnett" with "Annette".)

 

As for the "open secret," how long do you think it can remain a secret, before a rich and powerful individual, family, or organization learns of it and- outraged at how his, their, or its "honored dead" are being shown disrespect- shows up with a literal army to demand reforms at gunpoint?

a) It’s an open secret among the natives; b ) Since the rich and powerful probably are not shipped tighter with the normal corpses (maybe even they come in personal ships) so are they unlikely to be among the ones whose corpses that get confused

Fair enough. Edited November 24, 2020 by Bjorn Firewalker

[Gamiel]

 

Primarch's Curse: Holy Path of Destruction

The Craving for Battle

Deep within the psyche of every Herald of Ash is a destructive yearning, a battle fury and hunger that must be held in abeyance in every waking moment. Few Battle-Brothers can hold this in check unceasingly -- it is far from unknown for Heralds of Ash to temporarily succumb to its lure at the height of battle. This craving is the Heralds of Ash darkest secret and greatest curse, but it is also their greatest salvation, for it brings with it a humility and understanding of their own failings which make them understand their connection to the Emperor as humanity's warriors.

Do I understand this right as there is no thirst for blood or hunger for living flesh involved in the Craving?

 

 

 

Holy Rage

The Heralds of Ash suffer from a psychic imprint left upon them they don't understand. This can cause them to go insane prior to or during battle and feel a terrible rage that is almost all consuming. Rather than let them face a slow, insane death, Heralds of Ash will form those who have newly succumbed to the Rage into a special unit known as Breakers.

Are the Breakers marked out in any ways?

 

 

 

Also, is there anything you want else you want suggestions on, beside the things already posted? Or more suggestion regarding things already discussed?

Edited November 23, 2020 by Gamiel

[TechCaptain]

Honestly what I need to do is get all this discussion and process it into actionable changes for the Heralds of Ash. Which I am thinking of keeping the name, since this has generated more discussion than any of my other Chapters or projects. I am having fun going through the ideas and discussion. 

 

 

 

Primarch's Curse: Holy Path of Destruction

The Craving for Battle

Deep within the psyche of every Herald of Ash is a destructive yearning, a battle fury and hunger that must be held in abeyance in every waking moment. Few Battle-Brothers can hold this in check unceasingly -- it is far from unknown for Heralds of Ash to temporarily succumb to its lure at the height of battle. This craving is the Heralds of Ash darkest secret and greatest curse, but it is also their greatest salvation, for it brings with it a humility and understanding of their own failings which make them understand their connection to the Emperor as humanity's warriors.

Do I understand this right as there is no thirst for blood or hunger for living flesh involved in the Craving?

 

 

Holy Rage

The Heralds of Ash suffer from a psychic imprint left upon them they don't understand. This can cause them to go insane prior to or during battle and feel a terrible rage that is almost all consuming. Rather than let them face a slow, insane death, Heralds of Ash will form those who have newly succumbed to the Rage into a special unit known as Breakers.

Are the Breakers marked out in any ways?

 

 

 

Also, is there anything you want else you want suggestions on, beside the things already posted? Or more suggestion regarding things already discussed?

 

I hadn't decided on if the thirst for blood or hunger for flesh would manifest other than they will have the normal Blood Angel problems. I was thinking a thirst for blood but much in the same way berserkers would do it by drinking of the fountains of blood that would spray them in battle.

 

Yes Breakers will be marked in some way, but again I didn't have a clear picture of just how.

 

Feel free to discuss or suggest as much as you want as discussion in general is enjoyable.

[Gamiel]

Some more concepts then based on them being Blood Angel successors, the death/cemetery/cremation theme, and the comments about Vikings (with focus more on the non barbarian-warrior parts):

 

* If we go with the earlier suggestion that bones that remain after cremation are seen as blessed by the population of Fellheim so would it not be surprising that the Heralds of Ash have taken up that tradition, but since astartes bones are tougher than non-transhuman bones would it mean that more bones survive after cremation.

* The Heralds of Ash, as the Emperor’s Angels of Death, are only cremated used the finest of wood when possible, but if no other means exist do they use what is available to burn them. Likely do the Chapter always take with them the right kind of wood when going on warpath/missions, maybe brother all carry some wood with them in person and/or are followed by serfs/servitors carrying the wood.

* It’s a graven sin to allow a brother to just lay and rut where he fell. Possibly are the Chapter’s high command and heroes ritually entombed if their bodies can be recovered – if they Chapter is old  enough can enough of their command/heroes fall for them to have to reuse space and move old ones bones to ossuary or charnel house; those bones may then be used for relics or in similar ways as suggested for the Fellheim’s population (skulls as drinking cups, femurs used for gun stocks, etc.)

* They keep the Battle Brothers who has fallen to the Holy Rage awake and non-sedate (if tightly strapped down) when not in combat. Their ravings and screams are faithfully recorded, since it is believed that there are prophesies and holy insights hidden in them.

* The Heralds finds it easier to resist the Red Thirst if they consume raw, fresh meat.

* When possible do the Chapter’s Apothecary not just collect the gene-seed of the dead but also their blood.

* Believe itself to be doomed and have begun to embrace the notion that if they cannot continue then their best approach is to make certain that they leave a bold legacy.

* They try to keep their hunger and rage in check by doing some form of artistic endeavours – fitting for a Cemetery World could be: calligraphy + death poem writing; gravestone carving; death mask making; scrimshawing; coffin making; sculpting of grave statues; mausoleum planning and making;

* The Chapter’s battle-brothers rest in coffins or grave niches.

* Lots of psyber-bats, -wolves and/or other psyber-linked animal associated with vampires.

* Sometime battle-brothers fall into a “holy trance” in which they produced stigmata, (unknowingly?) copying the bane wounds of Sanguinius.

* Are masters of mechanised warfare, so they quickly can get close enough to hit the enemy with their close combat weapons.

* Have preference for fighting a special kind of enemy (human renegades, xeno groups, similar) because they prefer the taste of their blood/flesh.

* The Heralds, when possible, treat all the dead no the battle field with proper burials/cremation and death rituals. Be they allies or enemies (even if the burials/ cremation and death rituals for the latter is likely very different than the formers).

* Is seen by many as overtly morbid, their teachings focused on death and mourning.

* Have traditions of meditating before battle to reach a death-like trance in an attempt to commune with their ancestors and the Emperor.

* The battle-brothers are seen as the revenants of the dead by the people of Fellheim.

* The battle-brothers armour adorned with images of bones and/or similar symbols of death.

* Many/all of the Chapter’s battle-brothers paint or tattoo their faces to resemble skulls and/or corpses.

* See the Dreadnoughts as the honoured dead returning to fight alongside their kin again.

* Specialise in fighting zombies and their master. Likely allied with Ordo Sepulturum.

* The Chapter’s battle-brothers rest in coffins and/or grave niches.

* Many of the Chapter’s helmets are painted or sculpted to resemble skulls.

* Chapter that try to protect cemeteries and areas used for burial, and maybe even stay after the conflict have ended to help the people rebuild their cemeteries.

* Meditative rituals during which the battle-brother is buried alive and has to claw themselves out when finished.

* Before becoming Scouts, aspirants are buried alive and has to claw themselves out.

* The Chapter’s Chaplains drink the mixed blood of gathered battle-brothers to receive visions of guidance from the Chapter’s ancestors.

* The Chapter place much spiritualism on blood; to them it represents the blood of the martyrs who have died in service to the those who are living and they believe that no lesson can be learned without blood being shed.

* Cremate their dead and paint themselves and their wargear with the ashes from the funeral pyre.

* The battle-brother paints themselves and/or their armour in calaca/calaveras style.

* Chapter’s honored dead include not just Astartes but also chapter-serfs.

* Chapter’s honored dead include not just Astartes but also machine-spirits.

* The Chapter highly respect the dead and punish populations they find wanting in their treatment of their dead.

* Use flowers as a way to honour the dead, or maybe even offerings, and keep great flower gardens to constantly have access to flowers.

* Battle-brothers always carry around candles they light at any graveyard or lone grave they pass, including the ones they dig themselves.

* Many to all of the battle-brothers mutilate themselves so their faces resemble skulls.

* When not on duty the Chapter’s battle-brothers are expected to help out with cleaning and repairing the gravesites on Fellheim.

* Beside the normal nutrient-past and similar when on mission do the Chapter’s food only consist of what is traditional served on the day/s for prayer and remembrance of the dead on Fellheim.

* When not on duty the Chapter’s battle-brothers are expected to leave prayers and offerings/markings on the gravesites on Fellheim.

* Go to battle to funeral music. Maybe with the battle-brothers singing hymns.

* All the Chapter’s serfs are trained mourners.

* The battle-brothers have sad, pathetic faces and an air of melancholy around them. [A reference to Mutes]

* Are often more interested in protecting the dead than the living.

* After battle the Chapter keep a great memorial service for the fallen, they will likely expect any allied Forces to participate, and react hostile to any who don’t.

* The parts of the fortress-monastery use by the living are simple and austere, while the parts used to host the dead are bedecked and ornate.

* Battle-brother’s write death poems before important battle.

* The battle-brothers carry with them calaveras or similar to give to children and/or the dead.

* Are usually a quiet, sombre, and melancholic Chapter but have great revelling feasts for the death after battle and/or at certain returning times.

* A high position among the chapter-serfs is that of the Death Singer, who sing for the Chapter’s dead. Likely each company, if not squad, has their own Death Singers.

* All battle-brothers have sallow faces and sunken eyes, around which are tattooed rivers of black tears flowing across their cheeks.

* Lots of psyber-linked carrion eater animals (ex. jackals, crows, ravens, vultures, etc.).

* The skulls, bones and belts/feathers of carrion eater animals are used as decorations and marks of honour.

* Carrion eaters are somehow drawn to the Chapter’s presence and follow them.

* The Heralds (secretly?) controls the ships that have the heredity charter right-n-duty to ship the dead and dying to Fellheim.

* Specialise in finding and fighting heretical Resurrectionist cults.

* Whippoorwills (and/or other animals seen as psychopomps) follow the battle-brothers.

* Believe it’s wrong to not treat dead enemies with at least the minimum of respect that they treat their own dead.

* When not in armour they dress similar to the stereotypical image of a Victorian undertaker. 

* When not in armour they dress similar to the mourning attire worn by Victorian middle-/upper-class women. [The idea is based on that we know that 40k have a very bad understanding of history and historical cultures, so if a Chapter associated with [ mourning / death / cemeteries / such ] do dress in garbs that they know was historically associated with that it is very possibly that they make some mistakes, like missing that the traditional garbs they use were used by women.]

* The battle-brothers’ armour and other wargear are covered in the bones of their fallen brethren.

* Has a group of serfs whose only duty is to constantly recite the names and deeds of the Chapter’s fallen.

* All battle-brothers carry scissors to symbolise their role as cutters of life threads.

* The Chapter’s dead are buried or entombed together with a guardian/guiding animal.

* The Chapter’s fallen’s gravestones, death plaques or similar only have their name and the Chapter’s symbol carved into the, because they believe that all titles and honours are lost when the spirit moves to join the Emperor

* The Chapter perform their funeral rites every time battle-brother/s leave on missions since they may never return to the Chapter.

* While traveling the Warp the Chapter have a constant celebration honouring their dead.

* The Chapter’s dead are honoured during times of remembrance with song, dance, offerings and animal sacrifice.

* Each battle-brother carries a portable shrine with them where they honour their forbearers and prey for their guidance.

* Each battle-brother’s cell has an altar for remembrance, sacrifice and prayer to the fallen marines who previously resided in the cell, who (it’s believed) guide and protect the battle-brother now living there.

* The corps-ashes of the Chapter’s dead are thrown on the living battle-brothers and their equipment before missions and/or deploying.

* The Chapter believe that in exchange for fruit, flowers, incense and an altar beside the fire (or similar), the Chapter’s dead provide prophetic dreams, ghostly advice and as many lucky breaks as possible for their living gene-seed-kin.

* Are believed by the natives of Fellheim to be psychopomps and have begun to style themselves on the people’s idea on how a psychopomp should look and act.

* Are believed by the natives of Fellheim to be the war-dead and have begun to style themselves on the people’s idea on how those should look and act.

* Hear voices of the dead (or at least believe they do), and sometimes they actually speak to the battle-brothers…

* Maybe they works closely with one of the Orders Vespila of the Adepta Sororitas.

* Maybe they works closely with one of the Orders Planxilium of the Adepta Sororitas.

* Recruit from the young fallen on battlefields.

* The Chapter’s Librarians are each followed by two psyber-ravens.

* The Chapter’s Librarians are each followed by two psyber-wolves and -ravens.

* Allied with a Squat faction.

* The Chapter’s Librarians/corresponding cast rune-stones/sticks as part of their rituals.

* The Heralds send its battle-brothers, at a certain point of their service, to serve as bodyguards to the Chapter’s allied - could be a specific organisation; a specific sub-group (like a Navigator House); all the higher ups in sector/sub-sector where the Chapter’s fortress-monastery lay; or similar. [A reference to the Varangian Guard]

* Allied to a Rogue Trader dynasty. Possibly do the dynasty’s main ships (if not all) have the protection of a squad of battle-brothers at all time. Maybe do they take their recruits from the dynasties ships. [A reference to the Varangian Guard and the Vikings as traders, explorers and faraway (for that era) travellers]

* Take human survivors of worlds they have pacified to serve as chapter-thralls and servitors, doing the most menial and undesirable thrall-tasks. [A reference to the Vikings as slavers.]

* Has a sauna culture.

* The Chapter’s Librarians sacrifices one of their eyes as part of their training.

* Many of them wear rings, bracelets, necklaces and similar by precious and/or shiny metals. Possibly is it so that the higher up in ranks and/or glory the more piece of jewellery a Herald wears. [A reference to that the Viking showed their wealth and status with jewellery.]

* Many of them wear rings, bracelets, necklaces and similar by precious and/or shiny metals.

* Believe that battle-brothers that don’t die in battle are not allowed to join the halls of the honoured dead. This likely makes them weary of facing Nurgle forces.

Edited December 6, 2020 by Gamiel

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Gamiel again demonstrates good imagination, though they require more refinement.

Some more concepts then based on them being Blood Angel successors, the death/cemetery/cremation theme...

 

* The Heralds of Ash, as the Emperor’s Angels of Death, are only cremated used the finest of wood when possible, but if no other means exist do they use what is available to burn them. Likely do the Chapter always take with them the right kind of wood when going on warpath/missions, maybe brother all carry some wood with them in person and/or are followed by serfs/servitors carrying the wood.

Good imagination, but it's not practical. Any space devoted to wood for cremations, will surely be better used for ammunition, with which a Marine may WIN a battle and earn greater glory.

* Battle-brothers always carry around candles they light at any graveyard or lone grave they pass, including the ones they dig themselves.

As candles are smaller and lighter than firewood, this is an acceptable ritual. IIRC, there's a Chinese supersition to carry a lit candle when entering graveyards, to warn the bearer if ghosts are present (the ghosts will blow out the candle).

* It’s a graven sin to allow a brother to just lay and rut where he fell. Possibly are the Chapter’s high command and heroes ritually entombed if their bodies can be recovered – if they Chapter is old enough can enough of their command/heroes fall for them to have to reuse space and move old ones bones to ossuary or charnel house; those bones may then be used for relics or in similar ways as suggested for the Fellheim’s population (skulls as drinking cups, femurs used for gun stocks, etc.)

How about skipping a step and directly reusing a dead battle-brother's remains to enhance his arms and armor, e.g., reclaiming carbon from his ashes to make auspex-absorbent material with which to coat his repaired armor, or a diamond coating for his sword (look up the term "diamond drill bit"), in addition to your idea of using the femur as a buttstock for his gun. Techmarines and/or Chaplains tell a Marine his predecessors' names, when/where/how they died, how their remains were used to improve the relic arms and armor he is about to inherit, and how his own remains will be used to improve his successors' arms and armor, in a grim ceremony as the wargear is issued.

* They keep the Battle Brothers who has fallen to the Holy Rage awake and non-sedate (if tightly strapped down) when not in combat. Their ravings and screams are faithfully recorded, since it is believed that there are prophesies and holy insights hidden in them...

 

* Sometime battle-brothers fall into a “holy trance” in which they produced stigmata, (unknowingly?) copying the bane wounds of Sanguinius.

Excellent and original ideas! Let's say the wounds appear on the raving and restrained Marines despite there being no sign of the hand that inflicted the wounds, due to the sheer psychic trauma of the Black Rage, to make the stigmata more mystic in nature.

* Meditative rituals during which the battle-brother is buried alive and has to claw themselves out when finished.

Maybe use this as a means of curing a battle-brother of the Black Rage? Mephiston overcame the same after he was trapped under a collapsed building, and entombed for days.

* They try to keep their hunger and rage in check by doing some form of artistic endeavours – fitting for a Cemetery World could be: calligraphy + death poem writing; gravestone carving; death mask making; scrimshawing; coffin making; sculpting of grave statues; mausoleum planning and making;

* The Chapter’s battle-brothers rest in coffins or grave niches.

* Lots of psyber-bats, -wolves and/or other psyber-linked animal associated with vampires...

 

* Is seen by many as overtly morbid, their teachings focused on death and mourning.

* Have traditions of meditating before battle to reach a death-like trance in an attempt to commune with their ancestors and the Emperor.

* The battle-brothers are seen as the revenants of the dead by the people of Fellheim.

* The battle-brothers armour adorned with images of bones and/or similar symbols of death.

* Many/all of the Chapter’s battle-brothers paint or tattoo their faces to resemble skulls and/or corpses.

* See the Dreadnoughts as the honoured dead returning to fight alongside their kin again...

 

* The Chapter’s Chaplains drink the mixed blood of gathered battle-brothers to receive visions of guidance from the Chapter’s ancestors.

Excellent ideas.

* Many of the Chapter’s helmets are painted or sculpted to resemble skulls.

In which case, the Chaplains' skull helms must be distinguished from the others. Maybe gold-plate the Chaplains' helmets?

* The battle-brother paints themselves and/or their armour in calaca/calaveras style.

This will make the models look distinct. Best reserve the right to decorate arms and armor this way, to those who accomplished great feats of valor, so the untested won't diminish the intimidating effects of calaca-style armor through overuse.

* Chapter’s honored dead include not just Astartes but also machine-spirits.

Yes, I can see Techmarines doing so.

* Many to all of the battle-brothers mutilate themselves so their faces resemble skulls.

Like a Khorne worshiper?

* The Chapter’s Librarians sacrifices one of their eyes as part of their training.

Like Magnus the Red, Primarch of the Thousand Sons Traitor Legion? These ideas go too far for a Liber Astartes entry, as opposed to a Liber Chaotica one.

* After battle the Chapter keep a great memorial service for the fallen, they will likely expect any allied Forces to participate, and react hostile to any who don’t...

 

* Battle-brother’s write death poems before important battle...

 

* Are usually a quiet, sombre, and melancholic Chapter but have great revelling feasts for the death after battle and/or at certain returning times...

 

* Are believed by the natives of Fellheim to be psychopomps and have begun to style themselves on the people’s idea on how a psychopomp should look and act.

These will give the Chapter a lot of character.

* A high position among the chapter-serfs is that of the Death Singer, who sing for the Chapter’s dead. Likely each company, if not squad, has their own Death Singers.

How about reserving the position for Chaplains and Judiciars? The Celestial Lions Chapter gives Chaplains the title "Deathspeaker"; "Death Singer" should be just as valid as a title.

* Carrion eaters are somehow drawn to the Chapter’s presence and follow them...

 

* Whippoorwills (and/or other animals seen as psychopomps) follow the battle-brothers.

To make themselves seem mystical, the Chaplains and Judiciars can bear censers burning incense whose scent attracts the beasts.

* When not in armour they dress similar to the mourning attire worn by Victorian middle-/upper-class women.

Crossdressing Marines? Are you intentionally trying to make a Chapter of laughingstocks, like 4chan's Pretty Marines? Edited November 26, 2020 by Bjorn Firewalker

[Gamiel]

* When not in armour they dress similar to the mourning attire worn by Victorian middle-/upper-class women.

Crossdressing Marines? Are you intentionally trying to make a Chapter of laughingstocks, like 4chan's Pretty Marines?

 Oh yea, I forgot to mention my thinking there: the idea is based on that we know that 40k have a very bad understanding of history and historical cultures, so if a Chapter associated with [ mourning / death / cemeteries / such ] do dress in garbs that they know was historically associated with that it is very possibly that they make some mistakes, like missing that the traditional garbs they use were used by women. Will EDIT that in.

 

 

 

 

* Many to all of the battle-brothers mutilate themselves so their faces resemble skulls.

Like a Khorne worshiper?

What Khornw worshipers are you thinking of that have done that?

 

 

 

* The Chapter’s Librarians sacrifices one of their eyes as part of their training.

Like Magnus the Red, Primarch of the Thousand Sons Traitor Legion? These ideas go too far for a Liber Astartes entry, as opposed to a Liber Chaotica one

 

Of course not, everybody knows that Magnus was born one-eyed :P

 

Also the sacrifice would be to the Emperor and/or in his name which makes it OK ;)

 

 

[Bjorn Firewalker]

 

 

* When not in armour they dress similar to the mourning attire worn by Victorian middle-/upper-class women.

Crossdressing Marines? Are you intentionally trying to make a Chapter of laughingstocks, like 4chan's Pretty Marines?

Oh yea, I forgot to mention my thinking there: the idea is based on that we know that 40k have a very bad understanding of history and historical cultures, so if a Chapter associated with [ mourning / death / cemeteries / such ] do dress in garbs that they know was historically associated with that it is very possibly that they make some mistakes,

Fair enough.

like missing that the traditional garbs they use were used by women.

Logically, cultural divergence would result in weeds (mourning dress) being worn by widower and widow alike. In short, by the time the Marines adopt the custom of wearing weeds, such clothing will no longer be seen as that of women.

 

Note: In China, men and women are both expected to wear white at funerals, as that is the color of mourning (wedding dresses are red, the color of good fortune and fertility). It's possible the Marines will wear weeds in colors other than black- maybe a dark green?

[TechCaptain]

Finally, I came back to this and added in a lot of the suggestions and discussion into the Chapter. I am still working in to add more but I finally was mostly happy to where it went.

 

Edit: Latest Color scheme:

 

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/sm.php?b62c=@htw39_hGL2e.iakk7@_@@_@@i2mEC.ht1ue@@__@_@@@@@@@@@_hHkY3_hHkY3@@@_@@@@_@ht1ueht1ue@@@_@@_@.@_@@_.&

Edited March 19, 2021 by TechCaptain