New Article - Index Astartes: Vigilant Fists

[Brother Tyler]

Another well-written Chapter. It's interesting to go back to the earliest posts and versions of the article to see how the Chapter and your writing developed over the years. I have the Eye of Terror file open on my other monitor and comparing that version to the latest version is fun. I also like how you incorporated Aerion the Faithful's artwork into your article.

[Codex Grey]

After much rumination, I've decided to change the name of this Chapter from the Heralds of Light to the Vigilant Fists.  Maybe nobody cares, but in case you do here's my thoughts on the matter.

 

I've never been satisfied with the name, or any of the names they use to have.  As the latest attempt to come up with a name that represents who they are, sounds cool (at least to me) and is reasonably distinct from other names, Heralds of Light checked those boxes for me for a while. Now they don't anymore.

 

A core part of the Chapter's identity is their defensive flavor. They don't always defend, but do so more often than most other Chapters, in large part because of their role in watching over the Eye of Terror. Being a herald means bringing something from one place to somewhere else, which feels more aggressive than defensive. Vigilant Fists, on the other hand, marries the defensively coded concept of vigilance, which perfectly fits with their duties, with the symbol of a fist, a very aggressive concept, thereby creating a nice balance between the two.

 

I still like the name Heralds of Light, but after some time I come to find it a bit unwieldy, and there is something about Of Light I'm just not that into anymore, which I can't quite explain. I quite like how Vigilant Fists sounds though. It feels more classic somehow.

 

Heralds of Light might be the more distinct of the two, but that on its own is not enough for me, and I do think Vigilant Fists is distinct enough while also adhering to and honoring the naming-conventions of their two main predecessors in the Imperial Fists and Crimson Fists.

 

The reason why I haven't changed the name before now is partly because I had yet to come up with an alternative I liked, but also because part of me didn't want to change something that has existed "out there" online for some time, including through various B&C channels. Still, I don't think that should stop me from changing an aspect of my own Chapter.