Random Chapter Inspiration Thread

[Ace Debonair]

Praetors of Villa

I have family who can never see this thread, lest I subsequently encounter the hitherto-unknown Chapter the "Strikers of Anfield", and vex me by singing loud and repetitive songs about individual battle brothers whenever they do something on the tabletop.

Such things can drive a man to embrace Chaos very, very quickly.

In keeping with the actual purpose of the thread, I had a vague idea for a Chapter that uses elaborate war dances (Obviously Hakas are the big inspiration, but I actually got the idea after seeing a large-scale Bollywood dance number with a lot of dudes in armour) to intimidate enemies before battle is joined.

I don't know exactly how to work it into any of my current Chapter ideas, so I'll float it out here in case anybody has a use for it.

[Gamiel]

An idea based on that in the fan-project + Some Things Are Best Left Forgotten +, which is about the War of the False Primarch in M33, where the Chapters that are part of the Pentarchy of Blood are, through The Diet of Fools , given the right to ignore the Codex and create as many marines as they want/can and as fast as they want/can, in whatever way they want. It's likely that at least some of the Pentarchy members still had high numbers  at the end of the conflict, and the High Lords, as a way to honour them and make them Codex standard sized again, gave them the right to have successors outside of a Founding. 

 

Also, a possibility could be that the at least one of the newly created successors were made up by the members that did not like what their parent Chapter had done during the War of the False Primarch and was branched of to keep the unity in the original Chapter. And as a way to distain themself from their father-chapter and the ways they disapproved of this new chapter decide to change their ways into something more or less opposite to their founders.

[Codex Grey]

I like to base the concept of a Chapter around a concept I personally find valuable or interesting and ramp it up to 11, perhaps with a grimdark twist.

 

One such idea I have which I don't see myself developing any further is a Chapter obsessed with balance.

 

They seek to maintain balance in everything they do. Not just locally, but on a galactic scale if they can.

They are balanced in their training, but may focus heavily on close combat if their allies focus on ranged weapons, and vice versa.

Their homeworld is of course covered in perpetual darkness on one side, light on the other, leaving a Goldilocks zone where the dark meets the light that is somewhat hospitable. A balanced zone.

Their philosophy leads them to acts of kindness in the face of evil, and commit atrocities if otherwise.

 

Their color scheme could be any number of things that incorporate some kind of duality or balance of colors, that represent two sides, two approaches, etc.

Perhaps a red right arm, a blue left arm and purple eyes to represent the balance. Or perhaps use the Yin Yang symbol as reference.

[Minigiant]

Make a chapter from a planet focused solely on one of the most disgusting jobs in the world.

[Gamiel]

Something I have not seen, and I'm actually surpriced by that, is using the symbols for battlefield roles, company, honour markings, and similar from the transfer sheets, as Chapter symbol. And remember that there are more SM transfer sheets then just the Um's, and the SW and Wolfspears have many different symbols. There are also all the transfer sheets to Adeptus Titanicus that have symbols that can be used as Chapter symbol.

Forge World's Legion transfer sheets to HH have a lot of symbols that are of the right size but have not already been used for Chapter symbols, and some that have been used, but can be reused with a different background to reprecent a different Chapter. 

[Minigiant]

Pyre Walkers - A Space Wolf successor chapter who are observed with funeral pyres (They would be a nordic equivalent to the Heralds of Ash)

[Gamiel]

Some Cowboy/Wild West inspiered concepts, originally posted in the Index Astartes: Star Wardens (WIP) thread:

* They protect Agri worlds (or at least try to) and/or try to use warfare that damage agricultural land as little as possible.

* things like bullfighting, bull-jumping, cow-wreastling, rodeo and such is part of the aspirant training/initiation-ceremonies – this do not actually need to be done with semi-normal bovines but it could be other animals like grox, gene-sculpted mega bovines, terror birds, giant sheep, etcetera.

* cowboys were infamous for the loud and violent way they celebrated their pay when they had finished a job. Maybe the Chapter have great, chaotic and loud victory fests.

* looking good was important for many cowboys ones they were back in civilization, maybe they have some impressive “dress armour” or ways to look extra fancy when out of battle, or maybe they cover their armour with honours that gets damaged and removed when they fight and has to be replaced by the serfs after every battle.

* entertainment like guitar-playing, singing and card games was often the only entertainment cowboys had while they herded cows from one end of the prairie to the other so at least some of them become good with it, and you have the old architype of the singing cowboy – maybe the chapter have a musical tradition or one member in each squad is expected to train in music and play during down times.

* while cowboys were not the only one playing poker and the real card players was seldom cowboys (why heard cows when you could make a living at the green table) are card games a classic part of the wild west image. Maybe the traditional card deck symbols are part of the chapter’s heraldry in some way.

* take a look at classic livestock branding symbols and use them as squad markings.

* silver decorations was common among churros and vaqueros, and they inspired US cowboys (to my understanding), and among the gauchos, many of those decorations was more-or-less coin shaped (and sometime actually made from real silver coins). Maybe the Red Riders have something similar? If you are making figures could you use Warcry’s Iron Golem’s “coin mail” (or what it’s called) painted silver as decoration on your marines.

* while it’s the gunfighter we more often think of then the real cowboy when we think Wild West did cowboys know how to use guns (for protection, hunting and often because they were war veterans) but more important than gun skills for cowboy was the ability to capture and take down a cow/bull for branding, to stop it, or similar, and to heard the great cow herds. Maybe the Chapter are specialists, or have a specialist unit, in capturing enemies/monsters rather than just kill them.

* one of the established lores of the Imperium is that they have a very misunderstood understanding of what has come before. You could have that the Chapter have some knowledge of the Pinkerton Agency and have some kind of markings or an elite group based on the Pinkertons but have misunderstood facts about them so maybe their Pinkerton Elite are all painted pink because they believe that the name Pinkerton refer to the agencies colours.

* since the Dark Angels have some Native American elements (less now than before) could you make a ‘Cowboys verses Indians’ reference by having the Chapter being antagonistic toward the DA.

* many Native Americans actually worked as cowboys and the land was originally theirs so maybe put some Plains Indians inspiered elements in the Chapter. This suggestion and the one above can absolutly be used togheter.

* bowie-knife shaped swords maybe?

* whips was used to heard cows (at least among the stockmen), and the whip is a classic side weapon to Zorro and churros, so maybe power-whips is a weapon the Chapter use.

 

* as reference to The Magnificent Seven could it be that squads are only up to seven members.

* since the iconic Wild West hero is a lone man or just a small band of heroes (there is the cavalry of course but they ain’t cowboys or gunslingers) could you have that the Chapter is organised in similar ways to the Iron Snakes, no companies just squads. And/or maybe they usually send only one marine to an area asking for help, and seldom send more than a squad.

* scouts are called ‘greenhorns’ or ‘tinhorns’

* captains are called ‘marshals’ with the chapter-master known as ‘high marshal’

* captains are called ‘sheriffs’ with the chapter-master known as ‘marshal’

* squads are called ‘posses’

* companies are called ‘posses’

* for modelling do I suggest that for unhelmeted heads could you use Necromunda's Orlock heads or heads from Age of Sigmar’s the Freeguild range since many of them look a bit like how people looked back then, or at least how we imagen them.

 

Also from that thread:

An idea: The Chapter operates "ranch ships" in addition to the traditional battle barges and strike cruisers.

 

The Great Rift's opening has forced the Star Wardens to undertake duties traditionally assigned to the Astra Militarum, the Arbites, and the Administratum, e.g., to rebuild Imperial worlds, raise Planetary and System Defense Forces in their defense, and maintain order. To carry out these duties, the Chapter adopted the "ranch ship," an armed colonization ship certain Rogue Trader dynasties use to terraform planets, and to defend their claims.

 

Each ranch ship is comparable to a star fort in size; they incorporate facilities for mining asteroids and other resources; multiple manufactories to produce not only aerospace, land and naval vehicles to sustain colonization efforts, but components to maintain the ranch ships themselves; hangar decks and docking facilities; greenhouses and other environmental emulators for the flora and fauna necessary to terraform barren worlds into ones capable of sustaining human life; all contained within an armored hull capable of resisting a broadside from an enemy battleship, as well as mounting points for weapons capable of retaliating against such attacks. The Chapter acquired the STC pattern from the [insert name] Rogue Trader dynasty, whose scion led the Explorator fleet which discovered Delamar; the Master of the Forge subsequently modified the design by rearranging the decks to accommodate Primaris Marines, adding multiple rapid-fire guns to defend the ranch ships from torpedoes and enemy boarding craft, adapting the environmental emulators to sustain death world climates and creatures to prepare the Wardens for battle in such harsh conditions.

 

The sight of a ranch ship is welcome to Imperial worlds in the [insert name] Sector, for it means salvation has arrived- not only defenders from beyond the stars, but trainers for defenders who will be raised among them, food and shelter, the means to rebuild their worlds as well as manufactories for the manufactories necessary to sustain their reconstruction efforts.

And, some name suggestions from that thread:

 

I'd like to suggest either "Iron Rangers", "Horizon Riders" or "Scarlet Stallions" as potential names.

I would like to ad: Saber Rider/s; Brave Star/s; Star Sheriffs; Silver Stars; Wild Stallions*; Black Stallion/s

 

* Should be working with Ordo Chronos

Edited April 23, 2022 by Gamiel

[Bjorn Firewalker]

* things like bullfighting, bull-jumping, cow-wreastling, rodeo and such is part of the aspirant training/initiation-ceremonies – this do not actually need to be done with semi-normal bovines but it could be other animals like grox, gene-sculpted mega bovines, terror birds, giant sheep, etcetera.

Excellent idea!

* looking good was important for many cowboys ones they were back in civilization, maybe they have some impressive “dress armour” or ways to look extra fancy when out of battle

Terminator armor is perfect for this purpose. Its mass and the consequential difficulty in moving it- both for the Marine wearing it, and for the Chapter when transporting it to where the Terminator can do the most good- often makes it more trouble than it's worth for Chapters that emphasize speed, e.g., White Scars. Reserving Terminator armor as "dress armor" to impress planetary governors and other potential allies, makes sense.

* bowie-knife shaped swords maybe?

I made such blades gunblade components in my own stories. Maybe the Marines can fit them to bolt pistols?

* as reference to The Magnificent Seven could it be that squads are only up to seven members.

Too limiting- not to mention seven is Nurgle's holy number, meaning the Chapter might be misidentified as a Death Guard warband and become victims of "friendly fire" as a direct consequence.

* squads are called ‘posses’

 

* companies are called ‘posses’

As a counterintelligence measure, have the Chapter call ALL deployed units "posses," no matter the size- a lone Marine or a thousand- making the enemy either underestimate the approaching unit's strength, or overestimate it and then waste resources the enemy needs elsewhere.

[Gamiel]

The Warborn

* nomadic chapter that have a Warp-jump capable void-station as their fortress-monastery

* They move their fortress-monastery every hundred (or so) year, to the orbit of a War World which they fully pacify and take it as their acting Chapter planet. Then the Warborn help rebuilding the planets society and infrastructure from the horrors of war, and recruite from the natives young sons. And after a hundred years have passed they leave for a new War world.

* maybe also take recruits from the surviving children of warzones they have entered and pacified.

* Since "the Warborn" is an old cognomen for the pre-Big G Ultramarines is Um gene-seed likely

Edited April 26, 2022 by Gamiel

[Minigiant]

Sons of Sons of Medusa

 

Successor Chapters of the Sons of Medusa that focus on other mythological creatures

 

• Manticore
• Chimera

[Gamiel]

 

I don't know if this count but here are some colour concepts for peoples inspiration (many of them designed from illustrations of knights):

Now with less knight (but still some) inspiration:

And some more:

 

Head, cuirass and backpack polished copper/bronze, pauldron and arms white, the rest red.

 

White head and backpack, the rest purple, scale pattern in white on flat areas

 

Red right arm and pauldron, the rest purple – Suggest them being East Asian-ish

 

Bone pauldrons, the rest silver with scale pattern, green as “secondary” colour – Suggest them being nautical, under-the-sea themed

 

Light blue arms and head, the rest (including pauldrons) black – possible symbol: a blue drake, dragon, or dragon head

 

Copper/bronze pauldrons and legs, the rest green – Suggest them being Central Asian-ish

 

Steel cuirass and pauldrons, the rest sand coloured.

 

Blueish white arms, boots and head, the rest copper-green.

 

Yellow backpack, pauldrons and head, the rest orange

 

Blue left pauldron and backpack, the rest yellow-orange, white as “secondary” colour

 

White/bone pauldrons, arms and legs, the rest green

 

Purple backpack and legs, the rest iron/bone

 

Green pauldrons, arms and head, the rest white/bone – Suggest them being Egypt-ish, “protectors of the dead”

 

Yellow backpack, head and boots, the rest green – Suggest them being agri world/land protectors

 

Purple-pink cuirass and head, the rest green

 

Pale green arms and legs, the rest white – Suggest them being aquatic themed

 

Pale-purple cuirass and backpack, the rest bone

 

Blue head and backpack, the rest green, blue as “secondary” colour – Suggest them being aquatic themed

 

Split red and steel

 

Red head and backpack, the rest yellow

 

White backpack and legs, the rest green.

 

Pale-orange cuirass, the rest green

 

Purple, with red as secondary colour

 

Steel legs, left arm and pauldron, the rest dark red

 

Green cuirass and backpack, the rest yellow

[Minigiant]

I am creating a set of Imperial Campaign Badges every day until I forget. Some could serve as inspiration for a chapter.

[Gamiel]

On 4/26/2022 at 7:47 AM, Minigiant said:

I am creating a set of Imperial Campaign Badges every day until I forget. Some could serve as inspiration for a chapter.

Some quicktakes:

Void Steermen - void warfare and ship to ship combat specilists. Every one of their ship has a marine as their captain.

Rad Squids - underwater and swampland specilists, and fighting in high radiation areas. Their armour is covered with a chemical that turn them fluorescence at their will, good both for fighting in deep, dark sea and appearing like rad-ghost out of mythology.

Sons of Dumah - Go fully in for the whole "Angels of Death"-theme, lots of iron-halos, officers have scythes, etc. Fight in seemingly complete silence. Jewish and muslim names Motto: After us - silence

Gryphons Statant - Specilice in quickly swoping in from the sky (using flyers or droppods), taking an area and then hold it against the surrounding enemy. Scythian names

Night Claws - Night fighters and ambushers, likes to take out an enemy piece by peice instead of in a grand strike. Iroquois names

Cernunnos Huntsmen - Forest fighters, woodsmen and ambushers. Superstitious and ritualistic, see the Emperor as a god and honour him through grisly rituals using captured enemies or ritually hunted down prey (which don't need to be animals). Gaulic names.

Edited July 3, 2022 by Gamiel

[Gamiel]

I am creating a set of Imperial Campaign Badges every day until I forget. Some could serve as inspiration for a chapter.

Some quicktakes:

Some more:

Bloody Buccaneers - Privateers and slavers, have a letter of marque that gives them right to keep a percentage of the loot they take from beaten enemies, and the right to enslave humans that have forsaken the Emperor, for their own use or to sell them on.

Flying Manticores - A nomadic Chapter, ever driven forward by a hunger they can't articulate. Areas they have conquered or pacified gets stripped of any resources they have some use of.

Riven Templars - Changed their name and heraldry to their current one after losing their homeworld and every marine there. Now any warzone they enter they do as the whole chapter, instead of sending squads and demi-companies to many different conflicts as they ones did.

Claws of the Emperor - See the power-claw as the weapon most incarnating the Emperor's will. Recruit from the "nobility" of five different Feral worlds.

Edited April 29, 2022 by Gamiel

[Gamiel]

I am creating a set of Imperial Campaign Badges every day until I forget. Some could serve as inspiration for a chapter.

Some quicktakes:

Some more:

And more:

Ghosts of Agni - Highly spiritual with lots of fire based rituals. Know to duel anybody that doubt their claims of being sons of Russ.

Sky Strikers - Have a Preference for orbital bombardment followed by droppod assault. Nordic Christian names.

Crowned Warthogs - Tenacious trackers and hunters, few targets have escaped them. Swahili names.

Pyre Keepers - Go to war alongside Super Heavy Tanks, piloted by aspirants and chapter-serfs. Have developed a rivalry with the Sable Brotherhood.

The Deathless - Ritual endo cannibalism and that aspirants are given names from dead breatheren when they become full Space Marines make it seems to outsiders that battle-brothers have been living for millenia.

Ivory Kings - Known to focus on the largest target on the battlefield and ones that one have fallen, go to the next in size.

[Minigiant]

Great work Gamiel, I guess you will now have ideas for the next 2 weeks at least.

[Minigiant]

Another idea:

 

Xenos equivalent of the Relictors before they were declared heretics

This idea still ruminates in my head. I don't think I can do it justice without making it cringeworthy, but nonetheless here is my initial concept:

 

A White Scars successor Chapter whose Chapter Master is if not even more obsessed with war in the saddle or a Raptors successor.

 

They come across a Shining Spears or Striking Scorpions Temple where they discover ancient tomes, and begins to unravel their secrets. He vows to find other aspect temples so he and his brothers can begin to use the weapons and lessons against the foul xenos

 

 

[Ace Debonair]

How about a Chapter that is very much obsessed with burial customs, rites and dues to the dead, to the point they give solemn, dire sermons on the nature of life and death even as they conduct warfare?

 

When ordered to engage with a foe, most marines from this hypothetical Chapter reply to the order with stuff like "we mourn for their passing" before going full Space Marine on them.

 

I couldn't make a whole Chapter out of it, but the idea of Space Marines who ritually grieve for the lives they're taking, with little actual understanding beyond "this is what you're supposed to do when things die" won't quite get out of my head until I write it down. So... here it is.

[Minigiant]

How about a Chapter that is very much obsessed with burial customs, rites and dues to the dead, to the point they give solemn, dire sermons on the nature of life and death even as they conduct warfare?

 

When ordered to engage with a foe, most marines from this hypothetical Chapter reply to the order with stuff like "we mourn for their passing" before going full Space Marine on them.

 

I couldn't make a whole Chapter out of it, but the idea of Space Marines who ritually grieve for the lives they're taking, with little actual understanding beyond "this is what you're supposed to do when things die" won't quite get out of my head until I write it down. So... here it is.

Here you go: http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/367620-heralds-of-ash/

[Gamiel]

I am creating a set of Imperial Campaign Badges every day until I forget. Some could serve as inspiration for a chapter.

Some quicktakes:

Some more:

And more:

And the last ones (unless there have been a new update):

Witch Eaters - Have a deep hatred for unsactioned psykers and sorcerers, their librerians specilise in denying the witch. For unknown reasons highly antagonistic toward the Inheritors, Void Barons, and Jade Talons of the the Ultima Founding.

Castellan Umbra - The anchor in their crest symbolize that ones they have decided to make a stand they will not move, as if tied to an anchor. Unusually for those of the Lion's gene-line do they shun their fellow "Unforgiven", only willing to work with the Angels of Absolution.

Fire Beasts - Try to stave away the Red Thirst by killing their enemies with fire and melta weapons, instead of drawing their blood. Sent half their Chapter to the Defence of Baal, all died in the defence. Peruvian names.

Seven Fires Walking - Their strange in their way of speaking, with poetry and slang alternately intervoved, makes them considered hard to cordinate with.

Tank Eaters - Anti-tank speclists. Recruite from the wasteland nomads of their Hive world class homeworld.

And since we know more then one Chapter can in pratice have the same symbol, here are som alternative quicktakes:

Lion Claws - The Chamber Militant of the Luaga Conclave. Often secretly split their forces with one being visible to the enemy while the other hide and attack from ambush.

Burning Skulls - Their bodies are covered in scars from fire based flagellation. Seldom send less then a company to a conflict they enter.

Sons of Moder - Known to take their time until they attack, for a notably time simply filling the night with strange sounds and only taking out those that stray to far from the main enemy force. Sami, Finnish and Viking names.

Ithaquas - Their homeworld is one of mostly snow and ice, making them experts in cold climate fighting. Siberian names.

Edited April 28, 2022 by Gamiel

[Ace Debonair]

Here you go: http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/367620-heralds-of-ash/

Wow, see, that's almost exactly what I was thinking (except I envisioned less fire and much less understanding of why burial customs are a thing, and why most forces in 40k don't necessarily hold them for their enemies).  I'm going to say 'great minds think alike' on this subject, even if I was late to the party by literal years - a good idea is a good idea after all! 

 

The Heralds of Ash are a heck of a read, though. Suitably dark and brooding, highly recommended.  

 

[Gamiel]

I am creating a set of Imperial Campaign Badges every day until I forget. Some could serve as inspiration for a chapter.

Some quicktakes:

Some more:

And more:

And the last ones (unless there have been a new update):

And then there was an update...

Void Castellans - Lack a singel fortress-monastery, instead the chapter is spread out over five different void fortresses that they share with the Imperial Navy. Speak in a combination of High Gothic and navy shants. Voidborn names.

Of Two Reforged to Subdue Evil - created from the unification of two Dark Angels successors that both had lost their homeworlds and had less then hundred battle-brothers each. Known to help out fellow chapters that have suffered notable loses and are in need to rebuild. Have poetic names.

The Absolved - No record of their founding or gene-seed origin. Believed to be one of those chapters that changed their name and colours after a, to them, great event, but did not inform the rest of the Imperium of this. What they belive themself to be absolved from, as their name indicate, is unknown.

Gate Keepers - Tasked with the protection of the stable Warp route known as Buller's Gate. 2:nd and 3:d company are permanently spread out through the Gate area, on a vigil that only an order from the High Lords of Terra will make them break from.

Guardians of Linaur - Ultima Founding Chapter, one of those that were given the honour to bear the name of a lost Chapter. Of some reason did the Red Talons nearly attack them before being stopped by Chapter Master Helbrecht of the Black Templar who was present at that time. Prefer to deduct where the enemy is going and prepare defences there than to try to attack them on the way.

Edited April 29, 2022 by Gamiel

[Gamiel]

I am creating a set of Imperial Campaign Badges every day until I forget. Some could serve as inspiration for a chapter.

Suggestions:

- skull-n-crossbone with the "crossbone" being a lug wrench

- skull-n-crossbone with the "crossbone" being wrenches

- skull-n-crossbone with the "crossbone" being pistons

- a knot 

- crossed wrenches

- crossed pistons

- all the Alchemical symbol  - the ones for metals would be fitting for any kind of campaing involving Forge worlds, the AdMeks, or the DarkMeks.

[Gamiel]

Anybody have any thoughts how to make a Chapter feel Chinese, Korean or Vietnamese ? 

[Gamiel]

The old Deathwatch RPG book Honour the Chapter had a chapter creation system, where one of the entries was about the chapter cult: "Every Chapter has its own “Chapter cult,” the body of beliefs and practices unique to itself. The specifics of the cult develop over the millennia, so that two Chapters sired by the same Progenitor during the same Founding may, after several centuries, exhibit radically divergent religious practices. Some Chapters inherit a great deal of the rites and traditions of the culture from which they recruit, while many more are so steeped in their own history and tradition that they are quite unique. In general, the Successors of any given Progenitor share a core body of beliefs and practices, but even this is not always the case. This section presents just a few possible Chapter cults, and having some idea of their nature and history is a great way to add depth to a character."

 

Followed by a list of some possible chapter cults.

 

I have done some concepts for the possible chapter cults results, and since they are a bit many do I not plan to post them in one go but one at a time, with some spece inbetween. We start fit the first result on the list:

 

"Death cult

The Chapter’s beliefs are centred not on one particular figure, but on the more abstract notion of death itself. As the so called “Angels of Death,” the Space Marines’ very existence is defined by their ability to slay their foes. While Space Marines are extremely long-lived, the vast majority die in battle and this Chapter embraces the fact. Chapters that follow this belief system to an extreme, adorning themselves in all manner of deathly fetishes and even partaking of gristly trophy taking.”

My concepts are behind spoliers since it's a bit long list

1. Secretly uses the forbidden Cybernetic Resurrection maletek.

2. Power sicles are the symbolic weapon-of-office for higher officers.

3. A Chapter that’s allied with an Death Cult.

4. A Chapter that after battles treat the dead with proper burials and death rituals. Be they allies or enemies (even if the burials and death rituals for the latter is very different than the formers).

5. The Chapter’s halls are filled with rows of skulls taken from the bodies of fallen Space Marines and the main chapel is filled with the skulls of foes claimed in the aftermath of victory.

6. Is seen as overtly morbid, their teachings focused on death and mourning.

7. Believes that each and every Battle-Brother is already dying and outwardly they appear consumed by grief at the approach of their doom, but as Space Marines they are immune to detrimental effects of such thoughts.

8. Knows that death is inevitable and believe that they are slowly dying themselves. Possibly this leads them to them being free of any inhibitions and doubts which one such as them, a Space Marine, may still grasp.

9. Power and/or chain scythes are the symbolic weapon-of-office for higher officers.

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

11. The Chapter’s battle-brothers seal themselves away in vast stasis crypts when not on campaign.

12. Similar to the Blood Angels do this Chapter use medical sarcophagi to transform aspirants into transhumans.

13. A Chapter that recruits from the near dead.

14. The battle-brothers are seen as the revenants of the dead by the people of their homeword.

15. Use their dead’s skin to make leather and parchment.

16. Recruit from the young fallen on battlefields.

17. A Chapter that practise cannibalistic rituals of their own dead in such manner that they might be declared renegade if they was witnessed by outsiders.

18. A Chapter that make servo-skulls out of all their fallen brothers’ recovered skulls and every marine is accompanied by at least one of those servo-skulls.

19. Recruits solely from the children of workers and mourners of Cemetery World/s.

20. Their homeworld is also a Cemetery World.

21. The Chapter’s dead are ritually mummified.

22. The battle-brothers bodies resembling that of a mummified corpse, their skin a peeling, powdery vellum of decay. This may or may not affect their physical capability.

23. The bones of the Chapter’s dead are used as building material or for parts in equipment.

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

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

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

27. Are viewed by the population of their homeworld as cursed ghosts.

28. Their Librarians are able to reanimated the Chapter’s just dead to fight on for a short time.

29. Spend their time of rest in medical sarcophagi.

30. Honoured dead are mummified and kept near to the living so the later can ask them for advice. Holydays or rituals where the dead are taken out of their tombs and niches and carried around are possible.

31. Wrap themselves in bandages before donning their armour. The bandages may or may not be covered in glyphs, writings or similar.

32. Wrap themselves in bandages before deeper meditation. The bandages may or may not be covered in glyphs, writings or similar.

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

34. The insides of the Chapter’s fortress-monastery and ships are covered in the bones of the Chapter’s fallen.

35. The battle-brothers’ armour are covered in the scrimshawed bones of the earlier wearers of the armour.

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

37. Executioner axes and swords are the symbolic weapon-of-office for higher officers.

38. Hangman’s noses hang from the battle-brothers necks.

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

40. Recruit from the children of Imperial Death Cult members and followers.

41. 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.

42. A group of the Chapter (1th Company, [Xeno] War Veterans, rad weapon squads, etc.) is marked with their armour being covered in death shroud.

43. The Chapter use alchymyst fleshteks to resurrected their dead into a false half-life with toxic blood and their minds stripped of whatever shreds of humanity they once had. This is likely only done to battle-brothers of note.

44. In the Chapter there exist “slayer-prophets” who has perfect their art of killing to a religious and definitely unorthodox standard, with each type of wound caused being significant in some spiritual way.

45. A Chapter that, like the Moritat death cult, disdain non edge-weapons as crude and spiritually unfulfilling.

46. Only recruit their Chapter-serfs from widows/widowers and orphans.

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

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

49. Use alchemical- and/or cyber-resurrected war-beasts.

50. Try to capture enemies so they can ritually be sacrificed to the Emperor. The greater the enemy captured, the better.

51. They drinking the blood and eating the flesh of their enemies after battle. Possibly severing their heads and flensing their skulls before or after that.

52. Have a practice of letting their foes' blood and dedicating it as an offering to the Primarch and/or Emperor. Possibly they see captured enemies as making for the worthiest offering.

53. See their own death in battle as a sacrifice to the Emperor. This possibly makes some of the battle-brothers suicidal in their want to martyrdom.

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

55. 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.

56. Recruit from those who have already been "marked" by tragedy and bloodshed to serve the Emperor as a bringer of death to His enemies.

57. After battle the Chapter dedicated the dead to the Emperor as they do the funeral rituals for the dead.

58. After battle the Chapter build, near or on the battlefield, mausoleums, catacombs and/or tombs for their fallen to rest in.

59. The Chapter is seen as grim, somber and insular.

60. Cremate their dead and the Chapter always take with them the right kind of wood for a proper cremation.

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

62. Bury their dead in great mausoleums, the more important the greater the mausoleum.

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

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

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

66. The Chapter’s fortress-monastery is also a necropolis, and the Chapter and its serfs are constantly quiet and calm so not to disturb the dead. Possibly is there a “day of the dead” when it’s believed that the dead return for that day and its costume to have a great party to celebrate the dead and the living can let lose since the dead are already there and can’t be disturbed.

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

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

69. The Chapter’s fallen have been known to rise again and fight alongside the living.

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

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

72. The Chapter’s members all have sunken eyes and their pale skin appear stretched over their skulls.

73. The brothers of the Chapter all have a gaunt and corpselike appearance.

74. When not on duty the Chapter’s battle-brothers are expected to clean and repair the gravesites on the Chapter’s world/s.

75. Part of the Scout training is that the aspirants construct their own gravesite, too mark their own inventible death and their acceptance of it.

76. 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 their homeworld/recruitment-world/near space. 

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

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

79. All the Chapter’s serfs are trained mourners.

80. The battle-brothers have sad, pathetic faces and an air of melancholy around them.

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

82. There is something wrong with the Chapter’s gene-seed, making them rot while alive. The battle-brothers are likely under constant medical check-up when not in battle and are followed by a smell of the grave. The use of stasis-coffins is possible.

83. The Chapter take with them their dead when on mission and anoint the soil of the planets they will fight on by bury one of their fallen on it.

84. Each battle-brother of the Chapter carries a vial of their dead’s ashes/grave-soil/similar with him when on active duty, and with which the soil of any other planet he steps on is anointed.

85. 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.

86. The Chapter’s fortress-monastery lay beneath great catacombs.

87. 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.

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

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

90. All battle-brothers are trained in the embalming arts.

91. The Chapter’s spiritual belief involves ancestor worship (likely with the Emperor as their greatest ancestor) and a belief that their forebears can talk to them thought their skulls/similar.

92. Each battle-brother’s cell is also the crypt for a fallen brother.

93. A quiet, sombre, and melancholic Chapter that has great revelling feasts for the death after battle and at certain returning times.

94. 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.

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

96. The battle-brothers are silent, grim, and pallid figures

97. The battle-brothers can often be found conducting inscrutable rituals to grieve for and tend the dead.

98. All the Chapter’s servitors look embalmed and/or are painted to resemble skeletons.

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

100. The skulls, bones and feathers of carrion birds are used as decorations and marks of honour.

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

102. Each fallen battle-brother has a great state funeral once their bodies are returned to the Chapter’s homeworld.

103. The Chapter controls the ships that have the heredity charter right-n-duty to ship the dead and dying to Cemetery Worlds in their sector/subsector.

104. When not on duty the Chapter’s battle-brothers secretly serve as sin eaters among the population of their homeworld.

105. A Chapter that is (secretly?) close to a Resurrectionist cult.

106. Specialise in finding and fighting heretical Resurrectionist cults.

107. Whippoorwills follow the battle-brothers.

108. Has a complicated and long mummification process with mummy-bindings, death masks, many sarcophagus, burial gifts and/or similar. Likely has a notable portion of the chapter-serfs as their single duty to prepare and help with the burial rituals.

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

110. When a Marine fall all his squad mates take a lock of his hair and put it in an armoured etui that they then carry on themselves.

111. Recruit from a world where the dead rest uneasily.

112. After having taken out an enemy force, at least one battle-brother or a specialised serf stays and put silver coins in the mouth of the fallen, so they can pay their way to the afterlife. This is likely only done toward enemies that could have a soul (even if it is a foul and/or xeno one), so not tyranids.

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

114. Make mourning jewellery of their fallen brothers’ hair.

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

116. Hanging from the top of the Marines’ helmets to their knees are crepe weeping veils.

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

118. Have animal companions whose remains, when fallen, are treated in the same way as a Marine’s.

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

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

121. At certain times the Chapter’s fallen remains are exhumed to be periodically re-wrapped in fresh silk shrouds before being replaced in the tomb. It’s likely this is seen as an occasion to celebrate the honoured forbearer's memory, reunite with Chapter and community. This may be a very solemn affair or it may be an occasion with a festive atmosphere.

122. On the Chapter’s home- and/or recruitment world is it customary to fly kites to help unite the dead with the living. The Chapter also do this in time of honouring the dead or when they want the guides of a forbearer, like before or during an important battle.

123. The Chapter’s dead are bury within beautifully designed gardens.

124. The Chapter’s expose the bodies of their dead to the winged scavengers in specially built, open-topped towers.

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

126. 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

127. The Chapter’s funerals are noisy, wild affairs, with drums, flutes, wailing serfs and emotional Atartes.

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

129. The Chapter’s funerals are noisy, wild affairs. Drums, flutes and wailing serfs make sure to drown out the cries of the serf/s and/or beast/s who accompany their masters into the path toward the Emperor’s side.

130. For the Chapter three days is the rude minimum for a proper funeral, and Chapter heroes and high officers have rites that can last for a month.

131. A group of Aeldari Howling Banshee warriors are constantly harrying the Chapter when possible.

132. The Chapter has been known to fight alongside a group of Aeldari Howling Banshee warriors.

133. Recruit from cultures that only build stone houses for the dead, and consider the Marines revenants because they live in a stone fortress. This belief has been adopted by the Marines we consider themselves as being more akin to undead than alive.

134. When burying their dead the Chapter sacrifice at least one captured enemy to be placed at the feet of the dead Marine, the higher the rank or heroism of the dead the more sacrifices are placed at his feet in the grave. If no captured enemies are available, most likely are chapter-serfs sacrificed instead.

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

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

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

138. 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.

139. The Chapters dead are wrapped up and hang from the branched of great trees in sacred groves.

140. Will-o’-wisps manifest around the Marines from time to time.

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

142. 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.

143. The Chapter’s members have pale chalk-white skin; completely pitch black eyes that are notably wide and round, and their hair either drains of all colour or darkens to blackest black.

144. The members of the First Company all have forsaken their former identity and name, they never remove their helmet, seldom speak and when they do it is with the same ghostly voice. Who they were are officially listed as being killed in action, so nobody but them knows if a KIA battle-brother is truly dead or have joined the ranks of the First Company.

145. The Chapter is believed by the humans of their homeworld to be psychopomps and have begun to style themselves on the people’s idea on how a psychopomp should look and act.

146. The Chapter is believed by the humans of their homeworld to be the war dead and have begun to style themselves on the people’s idea on how those should look and act.

147. Often bury themselves in shallow graves (with markers and all) before battle and arise from the earth when the enemy is within firing/charging range.

148. Hear voices of the dead, and sometimes they actually speak to the battle-brothers…

149. A sorrowful mien surround the Chapter’s Marines.

150. A Chapter that works closely with one of the Orders Vespila of the Adepta Sororitas.

151. A Chapter that works closely with one of the Orders Planxilium of the Adepta Sororitas.

152. Are followed by an air of eerie, hanging gloom.

153. Cannibalise their dead in order that totems and charms might be carved from their remains.

154. Take their names from names associated with death or psychopomps - e.g. Apollyon, Azrael, Malak, Mot, Samael, Yama, Shinigami, Kharon, Hades, Hermes, Ankou, Dullahan, Thanatos, Mors, Letum, Haros, Grim, Garm, etc.).

 

Another thing you could do with the Death cult concept is to take a look to any RL or historical culture and use that as the base for your Chapter culture but have that way that culture treat their dead being one of the most important parts for the Chapter.

Edited May 7, 2022 by Gamiel