New Article - Index Astartes: Void Slayers

[Codex Grey]

+++ Void Slayers +++

‘Weak minds beget weak deeds.’
 


+ Lore +

Index Astartes: Void Slayers

 

+ Art +

Chapter Heraldry

 

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Index Astartes Version History

Spoiler

V.0.6 - All sections added, still missing ending to Origins section

V.0.7 - Changed timing of Clearing ritual to before any precious organs have been "invested". Added name to area of operation (Desolus).

V.0.8 - Filled in ending to Origins section, may add more details later, to flesh out history, but for now it will suffice.

V.0.9 - Filled in some more details and made some minor grammatical changes.

V.0.95 - Moved fleet info to a sidebar that goes into more detail and flavor.

V.1.00 - Polishing up some sentences here and there. Moved fleet info back into main article(since sidebar functionality might disappear. Changed Monastery name from Steelhall to Steeldome. A bit on the nose, but I just had to.

 

 

Original Post

 

It’s Aliiiiiive! (Kinda) I’ve just resurrected one of my lost Chapters, but this one will be a bit more work. Where the first at least had a corpse, only a spectre remains of this one.

Several years ago, I created a Chapter called the Warriors Eternal and it was the Chapter I was most proud of. Instead of thinking about what I wanted out of a Chapter, I instead focused on an idea, a concept, and created everything around that. The IA article was accepted into the B&C Librarium and there was much rejoicing (mainly on my part).
 
Sadly, it disappeared when the B&C servers had a mishap years ago (One of several? I think?) Now the Librarium is no more, the original discussion topic was also lost, and I didn’t have any backups. I even tried using the way back machine but found nothing. However, out of nothing I have found a desire to restore them to some kind of existence, if not a full article as before.
 
Below is both what I remembered of them as well as a few additions that I think fits well with who they are. (That’s to say I think they are new additions. They may have been there, but I just don’t remember. It’s been over ten years.)
 
Since this is a remake, everything is up for change. Including the name and symbol. I’ve created a new symbol that I like, and I think it fits, though it would be nice with something more… I don’t know.
 
I have a few name options below that I feel might capture their character, but I don’t know which I like more. I like the old name, Warriors Eternal, but in the end it became a bit awkward to use over and over and also feels a bit too generic. I want something more specific to them and their character.
 
Please let me know what you think. And if somehow anyone remember anything from their first iteration that might be useful, please chime in.

---

Names:
Iron Slayers
Iron Agents
Steel Slayers
Steel Paragons
Dread Slayers
Void Slayers
Diamond Slayers

Initial Outline

 

Core concept - Iron Hands successor obsessed with strength of mind.

Origins
 
Third founding, Iron Hands Successor.
 
A result of the Iron Council ridding themselves of internal dissent over the Iron Hands direction after the Horus Heresy.
 
Effectively exiled from the Iron Hands, the exiles took it as an opportunity.
 
Acknowledge that they are of Ferrus Manus geneseed but have little love for their gene brothers.
 
 
Homeworld
 
Take recruits from all over their area of operations.
 
Fortress Monastery Steelhall on the dead world Naraka
 
Moon Base Yama – “Clearing” ritual facility.
 
Clearing – Librarians basically perform psychic torture on neophytes as a final test of will before becoming full battle-brothers.
 
Clearing takes place several times over career, not as deadly after going through it once, but just as important to them.
 
 
Combat Doctrine
 
More reliable allies than their gene-brethren, but are still unpredictable once they have committed their forces.
 
In principle no problem submitting themselves under the leadership of other imperial commanders, however, they often go against the overall plan if they deem their own approach superior.
 
Favors ranged engagements, orbital bombardments, etc. – breaking the will of the enemy.
 
No Glory, no shame. Fall back if necessary. A favored manoeuvre is a tactical withdrawal to lure the enemy into a charge, followed by volleys of fire and a cold-blooded counter assault.
 
 
Organisation
 
Honor Guard / The Consensus - Ruling Chapter council. Like Iron Hands’ Iron Council, but centralized.
 
No Chapter Master. The Voice of the Chapter is a rotating position within the Consensus. This Member acts as the Chapter’s face outwards and has a deciding vote in Consensus stalemates.
 
No Veteran Company - 5 Battle Companies. Veterans stay within their Company for life, unless inducted into the Consensus.
 
Librarians and Chaplains share a heightened importance, due to their roles in the Clearing and securing the mental strength of Chapter. Chief Librarian and Master of Sanctity are both part of the Consensus.
 
No Dreadnoughts. Death is the final rest, holding on to the past is for the weak minded.
 
Fleet of 12 Strike Cruisers, no battle barges? Lost their 1 battle barge early on but a have since thrived on the more speedy and modular Strike Cruisers
 
 
Beliefs
 
Hate weakness, but believe the source of all weakness starts with the mind.
 
Do everything they can to rid themselves of emotion and steel their minds.
 
Dislikes weakness in allies.
 
Dislikes their gene-brethren’s body modding as an obsession born out of mental weakness, avoiding them if they can.
 
Care little for history and less for its reverence.
 
Do care about campaign reports, battle analysis and weapon telemetries.
 
Don’t care about personal glory, only the Emperor’s glory, placing more importance on efficiency.
 
Wear little ornamentation, except for those that can be justified with battlefield utility, like rank markings.
 
Acknowledge Ferrus Manus as their gene-father and a great warrior but that’s it. Ferrus serves as an example of how even the strongest and most capable can fall victim to the weakness of the mind. Therefore, they strive to practice what he preached, not what he did.
 
 
Geneseed
 
Iron Hands, stable no problems, do not hate the flesh.
 
Yet their hatred for weakness is possibly hereditary.
 

 
---

Edited January 30, 2023 by Codex Grey

[Codex Grey]

 

 

 

 

Edited Saturday at 02:49 PM by Codex Grey

[Lysimachus]

Lovely to see these guys back too!

 

Personally, I like the name... but my Iron Hands Successors are the Marines Adamant, so what do I know! :P

 

The bit about not hating the flesh is interesting, does that mean they view the Iron Hands 'itch' to replace body parts with machine as an emotional response and therefore fight against it? So physically less like their forebears but mentally even more strict?

 

One other question: your primaris scheme pics are gorgeous, have you done them yourself or is there a site/program available somewhere?

[Codex Grey]

Lovely to see these guys back too!

 

Personally, I like the name... but my Iron Hands Successors are the Marines Adamant, so what do I know!

Thanks. Yeah I like it too, it just.. not exactly how I want it. It's hard to explain.

 

The bit about not hating the flesh is interesting, does that mean they view the Iron Hands 'itch' to replace body parts with machine as an emotional response and therefore fight against it? So physically less like their forebears but mentally even more strict?

Exactly. So whether the 'itch' is a genetic or an extreme philosophical outcome, the Warriors see it as a problem and go to equally extreme lengths to supress it.

 

One other question: your primaris scheme pics are gorgeous, have you done them yourself or is there a site/program available somewhere?

I used the art from this topic, modified it into several layers and added stuff in photoshop. I have not been able to find any online painters. Edited January 12, 2022 by Codex Grey

[Lysimachus]

I used the art from this topic, modified it into several layers and added stuff in photoshop. I have not been able to find any online painters.

I wish I had half your technical skills, then! My Loyalist IAs in the Showcase have the good ol' B+C Painter images, but my attempts to transfer them to Primaris all looked horrible! :lol:

[Machine God]

I like your lore, I just don't like the colour scheme as even though the chapter badge is good, the colour says Ultramarines.

[Codex Grey]

I like your lore, I just don't like the colour scheme as even though the chapter badge is good, the colour says Ultramarines.

Fair enough:) I'll take this opportunity to talk about my thoughts behind the color scheme choice, and perhaps I'll make some adjustments.

 

So I wanted something cold and slightly muted, to give it a certain lifeless feel to it. Blue does both of these thing well without having to go too de-saturated. I also wanted it dark to match their character, but not too dark to separate them from the Iron Hands. The white parts are suppose to be silver metal, as a nod to their parent chapter and to represent cold strength, though that does not come across super well on the picture. The shade of blue is more green (cyan) than ultramarines, but that's also not super noticeable unless you have the two schemes lined up next to each other. I also wanted to keep the scheme simple, as fancy color combinations or multi-colors seems wrong for them somehow.

 

So with that in mind, I might try to simply darken and maybe de-saturate the color even more, without going full black or grey. Maybe I'll try some two-toning just to see how it feel while I'm at it. Thoughts are welcomed.

[Bjorn Firewalker]

This looks promising.

Iron Slayers / Iron Agents / Iron Ogres

May I propose Vajrapani as a Chapter name? The vajra is a symbol of diamonds, like that on the forehead of the skull you chose as a Chapter symbol.

‘Weak minds beget weak deeds.’

 

Core concept - Iron Hands successor that hates weakness of the mind.

Clearing – Librarians basically perform psychic torture on neophytes as a final test of will before becoming full battle-brothers.

Clearing takes place several times over career, not as deadly after going through it once, but just as important to them.

Excellent ideas.

Origins

Third founding, Iron Hands Successor.

A result of the Iron Council ridding themselves of internal dissent over the Iron Hands direction after the Horus Heresy.

Effectively exiled from the Iron Hands, the exiles took it as an opportunity.

Acknowledge that they are of Ferrus Manus geneseed but have little love for their gene brothers.

This is badly formatted, making it difficult to read. I advise reformatting the "Origins", "Homeworld", "Combat Doctrine", and other sections like so:

Origins

Third founding, Iron Hands Successor.

 

A result of the Iron Council ridding themselves of internal dissent over the Iron Hands direction after the Horus Heresy.

 

Effectively exiled from the Iron Hands, the exiles took it as an opportunity.

 

Acknowledge that they are of Ferrus Manus geneseed but have little love for their gene brothers.

Note the section title is bolded, to make it stand out; and the blank lines inserted between each paragraph. (The tab used to start a new paragraph in a *.txt or *.doc file, is automatically deleted when the file and its contents are converted into an *.html one.)

Fortress Monastery “…” on the dead world “…”

May I propose the names "Yamaloka, on the dead world of Naraka"?

[Brother Lunkhead]

So sorry you lost all of your original work, but sometimes a Phoenix will rise from the ashes Warriors Eternal says it all for an Astartes chapter The color scheme looks very good, and your chapter symbol (skull with diamond) fits well to the overall theme and moto.

 

Iron Slayers / Iron Agents / Iron Ogres.... Are these alternate names you are considering? Considering their history with the parent chapter I would think that they would put as much distance from them as practical. Your choices in name, symbology and philosophy reflect this well so far. Looking forward to seeing more.

[Codex Grey]

This is badly formatted.

I thought is was serviceable, but then I checked it out on mobile, and you are absolutely right. Should be better now.

May I propose Vajrapani as a Chapter name? The vajra is a symbol of diamonds, like that on the forehead of the skull you chose as a Chapter symbol.

[...]

May I propose the names "Yamaloka, on the dead world of Naraka"?

Interesting suggestions. Never considered Hindu/Buddhism as potential sources of inspiration. The only cultural influences (if any) I thought of before was a Siberian/Russian flavor, although that would only really show in the names of individual brothers. But since they recruit from numerous places... I think I like Naraka. As for the Chapter name suggestion, I think I prefer something more conventional.

Thanks for the suggestions, I do appreciate it.

Iron Slayers / Iron Agents / Iron Ogres.... Are these alternate names you are considering? Considering their history with the parent chapter I would think that they would put as much distance from them as practical. Your choices in name, symbology and philosophy reflect this well so far. Looking forward to seeing more.

You might have skimmed over it, but yes I think I want to change the name.

Interesting point, though I think this could be flipped on its head. The Warriors think they are better than their parents, and so perhaps believe themselves more deserving of the Iron moniker.

---

As to the previous point about the color scheme, I've made some quick alternatives. On the left is the current one, with sliiiightly more metallic silver parts. the middle one is a bit darker and muted blue. Feels less Ultramarines and the eyes and silver pop a bit more. I think I like it? The third one was an attempt to do something more interesting, but I think I don't like it for the same reasons I've mentioned previously.

[Bjorn Firewalker]

No Dreadnoughts. Death is the final rest, holding on to the past is for the weak minded.

Most Marines see internment not as holding onto the past, but an opportunity to continue serving the Emperor, despite suffering wounds that would make one an invalid- even a chance to earn a more honorable death.

 

If your Chapter views internment this way, fine, but they'll need a replacement for the heavy support role a Dreadnought serves. Do they favor the Invictor warsuit, the Centurion warsuit and/or an "Astartes pattern Sentinel" before the Primaris Marines and the Invictor were introduced?

As for the Chapter name suggestion, I think I prefer something more conventional.

Many Chapters have a "High Gothic" name in Latin, and a "Low Gothic" name in English, e.g., the Carcharodons, also known as "Space Sharks." You can claim "Vajrapani" is the Chapter name in proto-Gothic, and "Thunderers" is the Chapter name in Low Gothic.

 

Alternatives with an Eastern European flavor may be "Bash Tchelik," after the steel-headed dragon from a Serbian fairy tail; "Balauri," after the weather controlling dragons in Romanian mythology.

[Codex Grey]

 

Most Marines see internment not as holding onto the past, but an opportunity to continue serving the Emperor, despite suffering wounds that would make one an invalid- even a chance to earn a more honorable death.

It's worth mentioning that the Chapter's view on dreadnoughts is partially post-rationalization, as they view the Iron Hands' heightened veneration of dreadnoughts as an extension of their obsession with the mechanical, which they don't like.

 

 

If your Chapter views internment this way, fine, but they'll need a replacement for the heavy support role a Dreadnought serves. Do they favor the Invictor warsuit, the Centurion warsuit and/or an "Astartes pattern Sentinel" before the Primaris Marines and the Invictor were introduced?

So I had an idea, that might be heretical, that the Chapter repurposed dreadnought shells to be piloted by living marines, like an Invictor prototype. Justified by their roots as Iron Hands whose technological skill could carry over, at least in the early days, and also a defiant act towards the Adeptus Mechanicus, who they have weakened ties to as well (I should mention AdMech. relations in the write-up). And with the coming of Redemptors and actual Invictors, I think they would feel vindicated in their modifications and perhaps make a redemptor/invictor hybrid.

 

 

Bash Tchelik

I like this. I might use this for a character at the very least.

[Bjorn Firewalker]

It's worth mentioning that the Chapter's view on dreadnoughts is partially post-rationalization, as they view the Iron Hands' heightened veneration of dreadnoughts as an extension of their obsession with the mechanical, which they don't like.

 

Fair enough.

So I had an idea, that might be heretical, that the Chapter repurposed dreadnought shells to be piloted by living marines, like an Invictor prototype.

The proto-Dreadnoughts used during the Emperor's campaign to unify Terra, had living pilots. Quoting the Lexicanum article on the Space Marine Dreadnought, "It is said that old proto-Dreadnoughts of the Unification wars could be piloted by non-Adeptus Astartes warriors, but later only Space Marines could be interred in them."

 

The Chapter will require support from certain AdMech factions to maintain these vehicles. Say the Marines has close tied to tech-priests who view Mars' obsession with STC templates as limiting- even crippling- and study archeotech made before STC products became commonly used, for inspiration on how to innovate?

 

Bash Tchelik

I like this. I might use this for a character at the very least.

Thank you.

[Ace Debonair]

Well well, here's another familiar face! 
It's been a long time, brother. Welcome home!
 
I remember the Warriors Eternal, although to my shame I haven't a copy of their IA anywhere. 

 

Anyhow - let's see what can be done!

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
 

Since this is a remake, everything is up for change. Including the name and symbol.

...
 
I like the old name, Warriors Eternal, but in the end it became a bit awkward to use over and over and also feels a bit too generic.

A daring choice, potentially changing everything, but understandable.

That said, I'd maybe consider keeping 'Warriors' as part of the name, although at this late hour of the day I'm darned if I can come up with a single sensible suggestion for a full name.  
 

Clearing – Librarians basically perform psychic torture on neophytes as a final test of will before becoming full battle-brothers.
 
Clearing takes place several times over career, not as deadly after going through it once, but just as important to them.

 

Oh, I like this as an idea.  
I'm unsure of what repeated Clearings would accomplish - unless it acts as a sort of 'reset' for the mind, wiping away troubling thoughts and memories? Leaving only the cold, hard acceptance of duty and the like. 
 

Favors ranged engagements, orbital bombardments, etc. – breaking the will of the enemy.
 
No Glory, no shame. Fall back if necessary. A favored manoeuvre is a tactical withdrawal to lure the enemy into a charge, followed by volleys of fire and a cold-blooded counter assault.

Ah, the pragmatic approach. Given the Chapter's nature, this makes sense as a choice of combat doctrine.
Deception is as valid a weapon as the artillery strike or the sword.
 

Honor Guard / The Consensus - Ruling Chapter council. Like Iron Hands’ Iron Council, but centralized.
 
No Chapter Master. The Voice of the Chapter is a rotating position within the Consensus. This Member acts as the Chapter’s face outwards and has a deciding vote in Consensus stalemates.

Interesting - This leaves room for some potential inter-chapter political shenanigans, too.

I imagine this to be quite a powerful position, and yet for everyone to be wary of exactly where the current Voice stands on the Chapter's direction.
 

No Veteran Company - 5 Battle Companies. Veterans stay within their Company for life, unless inducted into the Consensus.
 
Librarians and Chaplains share a heightened importance, due to their roles in the Clearing and securing the mental strength of Chapter. Chief Librarian and Master of Sanctity are both part of the Consensus.

Hmm. How large is the Consensus? I thought it was very small - just the Captains, the Chief Librarian and the Master of Sanctity - but that isn't actually written anywhere.   Have I underestimated the size of the Consensus?

On that note - is Iron Father still a rank in the Chapter, or have they gone back to regular Techmarines through their dislike of their own heritage?
 

No Dreadnoughts. Death is the final rest, holding on to the past is for the weak minded.

Must... resist urge... to resurrect... my Infinity Knights...  

Seriously though, I like this take on the idea. There is duty, and then there is death. That's the natural order of a warrior's life. Seeking to interfere with that shows a confusion of purpose, and therefore... weakness.  
 

Dislikes weakness in allies.

I'm interested in how this Chapter defines weakness in an ally. An inability to adhere to the practicality of cold logic? The unwillingness to use particular tactics?
 

Dislikes their gene-brethren’s body modding as an obsession born out of mental weakness, avoiding them if they can.

How does the Chapter feel about bionics to replace lost limbs or eyes? A necessary evil, or a sign of personal weakness?

 

[Codex Grey]

Well well, here's another familiar face! 

It's been a long time, brother. Welcome home!

 

I remember the Warriors Eternal, although to my shame I haven't a copy of their IA anywhere.

Ace! Good to see you. Hope your doing well, or at least okay in these times.

 

I didn't really expect anyone to have anything, so don't worry. But a guy can hope, right?

 

 

Since this is a remake, everything is up for change. Including the name and symbol.

 

...

 

I like the old name, Warriors Eternal, but in the end it became a bit awkward to use over and over and also feels a bit too generic.

A daring choice, potentially changing everything, but understandable.

That said, I'd maybe consider keeping 'Warriors' as part of the name, although at this late hour of the day I'm darned if I can come up with a single sensible suggestion for a full name. 

 

While I was proud of the Warriors, there where probably room for improvement, and since I'm reconstructing them from scratch, I might as well be open to change things around.

 

As for the name, maybe. I find Warriors to be a unwieldy word in most combinations. I want something simpler.

 

I'm unsure of what repeated Clearings would accomplish - unless it acts as a sort of 'reset' for the mind, wiping away troubling thoughts and memories? Leaving only the cold, hard acceptance of duty and the like.

It does very little, but the Warriors believe it does I want to convey a sense of tragedy in how they go to these great lengths to improve themselves, but results are either minimal improvements or worse then other Chapters.

 

 

Honor Guard / The Consensus - Ruling Chapter council. Like Iron Hands’ Iron Council, but centralized.

 

No Chapter Master. The Voice of the Chapter is a rotating position within the Consensus. This Member acts as the Chapter’s face outwards and has a deciding vote in Consensus stalemates.

Interesting - This leaves room for some potential inter-chapter political shenanigans, too.

I imagine this to be quite a powerful position, and yet for everyone to be wary of exactly where the current Voice stands on the Chapter's direction.

 

No Veteran Company - 5 Battle Companies. Veterans stay within their Company for life, unless inducted into the Consensus.

 

Librarians and Chaplains share a heightened importance, due to their roles in the Clearing and securing the mental strength of Chapter. Chief Librarian and Master of Sanctity are both part of the Consensus.

Hmm. How large is the Consensus? I thought it was very small - just the Captains, the Chief Librarian and the Master of Sanctity - but that isn't actually written anywhere.   Have I underestimated the size of the Consensus?

 

I'll make this clearer in the write up. The Consensus is 10 former battle brothers (usually former captains) plus chief Lib. and Chap.

They are separate from the companies to avoid company favoritism. However, loyalties may still linger, which is why the Lib. and Chap. is there to point fingers and keep everyone in line.

It's a logical setup, but the Warriors are still fallible, so there is bound to have been arguments over the millennia.

I imagine the Voice position rotates as much as once every year, although that might be too frequent to make sense.

 

On that note - is Iron Father still a rank in the Chapter, or have they gone back to regular Techmarines through their dislike of their own heritage?

No Iron Father. Wouldn't make sense to keep them, but I'm unsure if I should go into much detail on how this change happened or if I should just keep things vague.

 

I'm interested in how this Chapter defines weakness in an ally. An inability to adhere to the practicality of cold logic? The unwillingness to use particular tactics?

Something like that and other things as well. I'll have to develop this further when I come to the writing.

 

How does the Chapter feel about bionics to replace lost limbs or eyes? A necessary evil, or a sign of personal weakness?

Unsure. They probably want to stay cold and logical and tolerate it as necessary evil, but there would undoubtedly be those that shun these things and shame those that have them, only to be reprimanded by a Chaplain for manifesting weakness through shaming. I see a lot of finger pointing at any sign of weakness with these guys.

 

Thanks for checking in Ace!

---

 

The proto-Dreadnoughts used during the Emperor's campaign to unify Terra, had living pilots. Quoting the Lexicanum article on the Space Marine Dreadnought, "It is said that old proto-Dreadnoughts of the Unification wars could be piloted by non-Adeptus Astartes warriors, but later only Space Marines could be interred in them."

 

The Chapter will require support from certain AdMech factions to maintain these vehicles. Say the Marines has close tied to tech-priests who view Mars' obsession with STC templates as limiting- even crippling- and study archeotech made before STC products became commonly used, for inspiration on how to innovate?

That might work? I'll have to think about it. In the end, it might just be an unnecessary detail to the overall article so I might just not mention replacements for dreadnoughts at all. I don't know.

 

Thanks!

Edited January 14, 2022 by Codex Grey

[Codex Grey]

Updated the second post with an opening summary and origins section. I like the Index Astares format and will be sticking to it for this Chapter, though I might change up the order of the section if it ends up flowing better. I'm using the name Iron Slayers for now, as I'm leaning towards it out of the ones I've come up with.

 

The summary is meant to capture the core of who they are. These are often written after the bulk of the article is done when you know what you have written. However, I feel writing a version of this early helps me as a thematic goal to aim for. Also, this is a re-write of a Chapter I already know, so it's easier to do up front. I predict I'll edit this several times as more of the article comes online, though.

 

The Origins section is incomplete, but I'm unsure how much I'll expand on it. I wanted to get a version of the very beginnings first, describing the Iron Hands roots and their departure from them, to see how it comes across. Any thoughts are welcomed as always.

[Lysimachus]

I do like Iron Slayers as a name, but I'm not sure how well it fits this Chapter, especially considering that their focus on mental strength actually predates their formation and naming?

 

Have you considered something that ties in more closely with their theme; Iron Hearts (this might be taken, I think?), Iron Souls, Iron Minds. Or maybe the same idea but more subtle could be Iron Helms? Something along those lines?

[Codex Grey]

I do like Iron Slayers as a name, but I'm not sure how well it fits this Chapter, especially considering that their focus on mental strength actually predates their formation and naming?

 

Have you considered something that ties in more closely with their theme; Iron Hearts (this might be taken, I think?), Iron Souls, Iron Minds. Or maybe the same idea but more subtle could be Iron Helms? Something along those lines?

I have considered all of those :) Iron Minds especially. But to me, they are all a bit too on the nose, it's feels awkward to refer the marines as minds, and they don't sound as cool or menacing as the alternatives. Too me, the name does not have to be a 1 to 1 fit with their core theme, but it should be related. Sometimes, it can even be a bit too much when everything is tries to symbolize the same thing.

 

Iron Slayers touches upon another aspect of the Chapter's character; their role as Astartes. They strive to be unyielding and uncaring killers of the Emperor's enemies - Iron Slayers. Also, Iron Slayers is just the coolest name I've considered so far. Yes, Iron is an overused word for space marine Chapters, but there's a reason for that.

[Bjorn Firewalker]

I appreciate the additional details on the First Chapter Master.

[Ace Debonair]

Ace! Good to see you. Hope your doing well, or at least okay in these times.

Still here, still quietly working on too many Chapters at once. 

Hopefully you are also doing well! 

 

While I was proud of the Warriors, there where probably room for improvement, and since I'm reconstructing them from scratch, I might as well be open to change things around.

 

As for the name, maybe. I find Warriors to be a unwieldy word in most combinations. I want something simpler.

 

That's fair. After reading your other posts, could I recommend Steel Slayers for a name?

 

My rationale is twofold: First, it's snappy. There's a lot of Iron [Word] marines around, and not a lot of Steel [Word] marines.

Secondly, Steel is stronger than Iron, reflecting the Chapter's goal to become something greater than the Iron Hands had become, at least i

 

It does very little, but the Warriors believe it does I want to convey a sense of tragedy in how they go to these great lengths to improve themselves, but results are either minimal improvements or worse then other Chapters.

I approve of this very much.  

 

 

I'll make this clearer in the write up. The Consensus is 10 former battle brothers (usually former captains) plus chief Lib. and Chap.

They are separate from the companies to avoid company favoritism. However, loyalties may still linger, which is why the Lib. and Chap. is there to point fingers and keep everyone in line.

It's a logical setup, but the Warriors are still fallible, so there is bound to have been arguments over the millennia.

I imagine the Voice position rotates as much as once every year, although that might be too frequent to make sense.

Once a decade seems like a decent length to me - it allows for the Voice to change regularly, but not so rapidly as for most holders of the position to have no say in the Chapter's future.

Also, since they've been around since the Third Founding I feel like longer terms "in office" for the Voice helps to establish the sheer scale of time the Chapter's operated over.

 

No Iron Father. Wouldn't make sense to keep them, but I'm unsure if I should go into much detail on how this change happened or if I should just keep things vague.

To be fair, the Chapter's initial leadership is mostly made up of Tchelik and his cohorts, who are outcasts amongst the Iron Hands.

I doubt they'd bat an eyelid if he immediately mandated a closer adherence to the Codex Astartes regarding the Chapter's Techmarines.

 

Unsure. They probably want to stay cold and logical and tolerate it as necessary evil, but there would undoubtedly be those that shun these things and shame those that have them, only to be reprimanded by a Chaplain for manifesting weakness through shaming. I see a lot of finger pointing at any sign of weakness with these guys.

That makes sense.

Or at least, that makes sense within the mindset of the Chapter.

 

Letting hatred of weakness cloud your judgement? Weakness! A flogging for you, until you regain your focus! 

[Codex Grey]

Still here, still quietly working on too many Chapters at once. 

Hopefully you are also doing well! 

I'm just glad some things never change

 

Once a decade seems like a decent length to me - it allows for the Voice to change regularly, but not so rapidly as for most holders of the position to have no say in the Chapter's future.

Also, since they've been around since the Third Founding I feel like longer terms "in office" for the Voice helps to establish the sheer scale of time the Chapter's operated over.

[...]

To be fair, the Chapter's initial leadership is mostly made up of Tchelik and his cohorts, who are outcasts amongst the Iron Hands.

I doubt they'd bat an eyelid if he immediately mandated a closer adherence to the Codex Astartes regarding the Chapter's Techmarines.

Good Points!

 

Letting hatred of weakness cloud your judgement? Weakness! A flogging for you, until you regain your focus!

Exactly however, this makes me realize, there need to be a strict code, with clear definitions of what exactly weakness is to the Chapter. This would be codified from the very start of the Chapter's history, by Tchelik himself.

 

That's fair. After reading your other posts, could I recommend Steel Slayers for a name?

 

My rationale is twofold: First, it's snappy. There's a lot of Iron [Word] marines around, and not a lot of Steel [Word] marines.

Secondly, Steel is stronger than Iron, reflecting the Chapter's goal to become something greater than the Iron Hands had become, at least i

You make good points, Ace. Okay, let's talk name.

 

I wanted to keep things simple, somewhat conventional and as cool sounding as possible. Related, if not directly tied to their core beliefs.

 

Iron is evocative, fits with their themes when combined with other words and pays homage to their roots and Primarch. It also just sounds good phonetically and flows well with other words.

Downsides include overuse among Chapter names, and as Ace points out, Iron might be too closely associated with their parent Chapter, who they very much want to distance themselves from.

I justified this to Brother Lunkhead with the possible argument that Tchelik felt they were more deserving of the word than their Parents.

However, there is something about the symbolic transformation from Iron to Steel, from Weaker to Stronger that is just too good to give up.

 

Steel is also evocative, but personally I don't think it sounds as cool, especially not in as many different combinations as Iron.

However, I want to make it work, so let's try some variations out. I'll also open the door for something I tried to avoid before simply due to my other Chapter uses this naming convention. The BLANK of BLANK name pattern.

Here's some I came up with.

 

Steel Slayers (variations on the current)

 

Steel Bringers

 

Steel Paragons (eludes to upholding the symbolic aspects of steel)

 

Czars of Steel

 

Disciples of Steel

 

Diamond Slayers

 

Void Slayers

 

Will Breakers (as students of willpower, they know all to well how to break the will of others and use this knowledge with great results)

 

Steel Hands (the ultimate try-hard attempt come off as better than the Iron Hands )

 

Maybe something similar?

I think I'll stick to Steel Slayers for now, unless someone convinces me otherwise.

Edited January 20, 2022 by Codex Grey

[Bjorn Firewalker]

How about "Steel Storm"? "We are the storm; we are thunder and lightning. Our coming is the ruin of all who oppose the Emperor," should work as a battle cry.

Steel Bringers

Don't you mean "Steel Harbingers"? Pots, pans, and other cooking wares are also made of steel, so the "Steel Bringers" might invite mocking calls of "Get back to the kitchen!"

Steel Paragons (eludes to upholding the symbolic aspects of steel)...

 

Disciples of Steel

These are good.

Czars of Steel

Czar is another word for "Emperor." A name like this will invite every loyalist to beat down your Chapter for "daring to harbor the delusion they are the Emperor's equals- even His Immortal Majesty's replacement, the way the Arch-traitor Horus sought to become."

Will Breakers (as students of willpower, they know all to well how to break the will of others and use this knowledge with great results)

This sounds bland. Its similarity to "windbreakers" may invite juvenile jokes.

Steel Hands (the ultimate try-hard attempt come off as better than the Iron Hands

A direct translation of Teräs Käsi? Anyone else remember that old Star Wars fighting game?

[Codex Grey]

A direct translation of Teräs Käsi? Anyone else remember that old Star Wars fighting game?

I try not to

 

New name idea: Dread Slayers.

Works two ways. They are dreaded slayers, inducing fear in their enemies. They are also slay dread, fear, doubt or any mental weakness in themselves.

[Bjorn Firewalker]

New name idea: Dread Slayers.

Works two ways. They are dreaded slayers, inducing fear in their enemies. They are also slay dread, fear, doubt or any mental weakness in themselves.

Good concept. Another option- also useful as the Chapter's term for Librarians, the way "Rune Priest" is for Space Wolves- is "Mind-killers", a reference to the Litany Against Fear, in Frank Herbert's Dune.

I must not fear.

 

Fear is the mind-killer.

 

Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.

 

I will face my fear.

 

I will permit it to pass over me and through me.

 

And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path.

 

Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.

As a psyker, a Librarian can "kill" a mind by altering or outright erasing its memories, brainwash it to rob its owner of any will to resist, and worse. Edited January 19, 2022 by Bjorn Firewalker

[Brother Lunkhead]

Things are moving along nicely in your chapter's development. Just a few observations and questions though....

 

Even though the name doesn't seem to tie in well with the core philosophy of the chapter, Void Slayers sounds cool and is as good a name as any.

 

The quote under Home World ("Hemoworld" spelling?).....

 

                                         ‘Your mind shall be diamond. Hard. Clear. Flawless.’ – Teachings of Bash Tchelik.

 

...... looks out of place.

 

You don't specify a base for your chapter under Home World. Are you undecided on whether your chapter has an actual homeworld in the subsector? The name, Void Slayers would fit well with a fleet-based chapter.

Edited January 23, 2022 by Brother Lunkhead