The Castigators

[Captain Sandoval]

My my, I was just reminiscing on the Castigators and thinking I might use them as the basis for my SM army that I've been meaning to build for sometime, and lo and behold I notice Mol is revisiting his masterpiece. ^_^

[Commissar Molotov]

Helstrom - thanks for the comment! It is much appreciated. The Liber is very quiet these days, so I appreciate anyone looking for my work. :)

 

I will be trying to work on this over the next year, though work is very busy this time of year!

[Alpha One]

These guys are pretty cool, where'd you get your inspiration from? Edited September 21, 2014 by Alpha One

[Commissar Molotov]

Over the year so far I've made some progress with producing a mega-document for the Castigators. 

 

I have a word document that currently stands at 81 pages - though the version that is text only is a more respectable 45. I would certainly appreciate some input from others, and if that interests you then please by all means contact me via email (inq28blog@gmail.com) and I will send it out to you. 

 

2015 (and the ten year anniversary of the Castigators on the B+C) is slipping through my fingers and I would certainly like to make some progress before the year is out - so I will be posting excerpts here periodically in the hope that I can receive some feedback. 

 

Hope everyone is well, 

 

Mol. 

[Commissar Molotov]

The Founding

 

The Dark Founding

All records relating to the so-called ‘Dark Founding’ have long since been eradicated or lost within the labyrinthine bureaucracy of the Imperium, leaving behind only supposition and fevered assumption. For the sake of the Imperium's safety, and the sanity of every Man, such events are perhaps best left forgotten.

 

None can truly tell the names, the numbers or even the details of the chapters created during this time. Dark rumours abound, but none can be confirmed or denied. 

 

Any information relating to the founding would likely be hidden deep on Mars itself, guarded by all the tech-legions of the Fabricator-General himself. The Adeptus Mechanicus refuses to answer any request for information on the topic, preventing the truth from being revealed.  In the past, academics have even been executed on the order of the High Lords for daring to openly suppose what went on in those long-forgotten times.

 

Those few individuals aware of exactly what transpired during those dark days would seem unprepared to divulge their secrets.

Creating a Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes is an event of political, military and economic significance. Huge resources must be devoted to raising such mighty warriors and equipping them to bring war to the enemies of the Emperor. 

 

Imperial scholars know that there have been twenty-six great foundings, each contributing to the creation of over one thousand Space Marine Chapters that stand in the defence of the Imperium. And yet many records relating to the events have been destroyed, purged, rescinded or revised; whole centuries of history erased entirely or buried beneath the suffocating weight of Imperial bureaucracy.

 

What records remain relating to the fourteenth founding are said to depict the gene-smiths of the Adeptus Mechanicus taking extraordinary care to ensure the Chapters created were free from genetic taint. Four-fifths of the chapters created bore the genetic material of Roboute Guilliman or Rogal Dorn, said to bear pure and unsullied gene-legacies. Whilst Chapters were certainly created using 'lesser' or 'questionable' gene-seeds, these were in the vast minority and created under extremely tight scrutiny. Scholars have reconstructed accounts that suggest that the flesh-smiths even eradicated a half-constructed Chapter because it did not meet the fourteenth founding's stringent standards. 

 

The reasons for the drastic measures undertaken in the creation of the Castigators may well have their roots in the after-effects of the thirteenth Astartes founding, the so-called "Dark Founding". Whatever exactly occured, it is clear that the myopic focus upon genetic purity that characterised the founding of the Castigators has affected the Chapter deeply to this day.

 

The First Castigator

 

A Chapter's first master will invariably leave a lasting mark upon his charges. Certainly, this was the case for Barathus, a veteran commander of the celebrated Black Consuls Chapter. 

 

Barathus was known by his men as 'the Castigators', and was possessed with a fervent desire to purge the enemies of the Emperor for their transgressions. When given command of the new Chapter, he bestowed the name 'Castigators' upon it, hoping to inspire the same righteous fury in its warriors. 

 

During the Castigators' first centuries of service, the Chapter maintained an unceasing war against the enemies of the Throne. Barathus was a keen strategist, and he drove his newest warriors to their limits. Moving from campaign to campaign, the Chapter fought to establish a legacy that would last the ages. The world of Rihad witnessed the Castigators ____________. On Kessok, the Castigators swore binding oaths to __________. 

 

Barathus would eventually meet his end against the alien Ryssith. As he died, he directed his warriors to burn their nestworlds to cinders. 

..

Edited August 14, 2015 by Commissar Molotov

[Nine_Breaker]

As promised, Mol, I read over that behemoth word file a couple more times and have a little for you. However because of how you're doing all this I'll only comment on what you have in the thread so far. If you want more, post more!

 

As far as The Founding goes, all seems pretty much in order. However, I believe you should keep that one sentence about the "lesser" and "debased" geneseeds being used during the 14th as well. The connotations with the words you used reinforce the intolerant feel of the article and Castigators themselves I think.

 

 

The First Castigator

 

​This section also does what it set out for. However I can't help but ask myself a couple things after reading it. 

 

Why was he chosen to lead the Castigators? Was it bestowed upon him as a great honor? Was it a political move to get rid of him? Maybe it doesn't matter but I can never help but wonder how a chapter decides which of their most renown Astartes officers will be leaving.

 

Why the name change from Baraquiel (spl?)?

 

 

Can't wait to see more!

[Commissar Molotov]

Hi, I'm really pleased to see you back. And it's almost like an old-fashioned Liber thread again! 

 

Please feel free to comment on anything and everything in the document I sent you - the longer your list, the better. I was posting sections here, but the lack of decent feedback has stymied things somewhat. 

 

My feeling as I read back through these two sections were that they were a bit perfunctory - functional, but not with enough flair. I'm wanting to read through the Horus Heresy books to try to get a handle on the Alan Bligh style. It's interesting how in some ways things have changed since we were writing IA articles. Loads of my older Chapters have been lost to the archive! 

 

I remember that I used to feel people would put undue emphasis on their Chapter founders in Index Astartes articles. Now that we're looking to write something larger and more in-depth, I'm having to re-think aspects of the Chapter - even things I never detailed in the first place. I agree with you that a lot of these things need detailing, so I will be considering it. 

 

Baraquiel became Barathus because I thought the former name was a little too angelic - it reminds me a little too much of the Dark Angels. As a result, I went for something a little more Romanesque. Of course, we don't know much - if anything - about the Black Consuls, so I will be making some of it up as I go. 

 

I will put together what I can soon. I hope you found the document interesting and can see where I'm going with it! 

[Nine_Breaker]

Mol, I was horrified to see how many awesome IA's have been lost. Even SCC's Brazen Claw article! Almost like we survived the Dark Founding ourselves haha.

 

I completely agree with you about the emphasis on the chapter founder being over the top. If anything most of the details can probably be saved for sidebars and the like.

 

As far as the document you sent, I enjoyed it very much. In fact it did inspire the current IA outline I have sitting in a word document. The Angels of Perdition will rise again!

 

 

 

My feeling as I read back through these two sections were that they were a bit perfunctory - functional, but not with enough flair.

I see what you mean. Very factual about the Castigators but somehow lacks the feel of the chapter. That is to say dripping with grim-dark, intolerance, and zeal. It strikes me that perhaps for those who have written so many articles, they put much more flavor into the sidebars and extra sections than the standard sections. They are more fun after all! I certainly struggle with this myself. Perhaps something to think about as you make your revisions. Maybe try to make a separate list of the key elements of the Castigators and try to inject some of that into every section.

 

And I'll go ahead and get that list of suggestions, opinions, and questions together for you.

[Lysimachus]

Mol, I was horrified to see how many awesome IA's have been lost. Even SCC's Brazen Claw article! Almost like we survived the Dark Founding ourselves haha.:ph34r:

 

The Angels of Perdition will rise again!

Question (and apologies if my poor old memory has failed again!): does that mean you're Ninebreaker?

 

And if so, speaking as both a Liber Mod and a huge fan of the Chapters in the Vocates, welcome back! It would be awesome to see more of the IA writers from those days back on the B&C!

 

The loss of the Librarium was something of a blow to many, but there were good reasons and maybe one day it'll come back in some form or other, bigger and better. In the meantime, there is the Tabula Astartes where links can be added for DIY Chapter articles?

 

Edit: and apologies to Mol, I noticed you'd re-started posted stuff for the Castigators but I hadn't/haven't yet had time to put as much thought as I'd like into a reply. But definitely keep posting bits of the bigger article, it's always a great read!

Edited August 22, 2015 by LySiMachus

[Nine_Breaker]

 

 

Question (and apologies if my poor old memory has failed again!): does that mean you're Ninebreaker?

Bingo! I wish I could delete all the old accounts and this one and return to my rightful place as the Breaker of Nines. But until my revival I shall remain as the Eternal Psi.

 

And I saw the Tabula Astartes thread. Unfortunately a LOT of those links are dead now. Perhaps a bit of a cleanup is due? I'll leave that to the brass though. Either way, thanks to Molotov, I hope to get the AoP back in the Liber soon.

[Commissar Molotov]

A neo-Vocates, perhaps? 

 

Who knows, but in the meantime I am pleased to receive all the feedback I can. Lysimachus, if you want to see the bigger file, send me an email and I'll hook you up. 

[Lysimachus]

Mol: Shot you a PM with email address. And it would be very cool to see you guys working on the project again and how the various Chapters involved have changed/developed in the intervening years!

 

Psi: Yeah, I noticed myself that some of the links don't seem to go anywhere (even some of my own that I know the threads exist). Either the links are going to the Librarium ( so non-existent) or to threads that are older and (I suspect) have been archived to save board space?

 

On the account thing, have you lost your password/details? If you send one of the Admins a PM, they might be able to sort it out?

[Nine_Breaker]

I am reborn! Now just going through the process of getting EternalPsi deleted.

 

Anyways, I'd be willing to revisit the Vocates. Perhaps with less chapters this time though. Maybe we can even get it done! I know the Vocates and Harvesters threads are still around.

[Dosjetka]

Nice to see another of the older ones make a return to the Liber! And I look forward to seeing a revisit of the Vocates :tu:

[Commissar Molotov]

Ah, cool that they've been able to merge the two accounts and put the previous posts under the Nine Breaker name. Certainly good that you're back in your fullest regalia. 

 

I agree that fewer Chapters would make sense. Previously we were trying to get things to fit the Zodiac (so twelve Chapters) and we had people desperate to join up. Now there's fewer people, we can try to simply focus around more reliable people and more cohesively-linked Chapters. 

 

I've sent you both the mega-file, so I can receive feedback. 

 

Perhaps we could summon more of the older ones? Speak the names that are not to be spoken - Darrell, Barret, Kinghongkong, Sigismund Himself, Cpt_Tiberius, Penitent Dreadnought, Toyship, Ferrus Manus, Tyrannicide, Marshal Rohr, Brother Varen, Nash Trickster...

[ToyShip]

My name was spoken, and so I am summoned. It's nice to see the Castigators rise from the depths of the Liber after all this time, I for one would love to see them brought back to their former glory! What is this I hear of the Vocates being reinstated? It feels like forever ago when we worked on that project! I tried to find what I had on the Execrators but they seem to have vanished in one of the many resets. If you gents are wanting to have another go at the Vocates or something similar, I'm in if you'll have me.

 

Anyway, on the topic of the Castigators, are you more focused on getting an "Imperial Armour" style article written up for the time being? Or perhaps something along the lines of the Horus Heresy Legion backgrounds? I'd be interested in reading the 'mega-file' as well, Mol.

 

As I said before, glad to see the Castigators back, and I'm glad to see you back here in the Liber. You too Nine_Breaker!

[Nine_Breaker]

As I live and breathe! Good seeing you in here Toyship. Almost feels like the old days.

 

I know your pain as far as the Execrators go. Other than a couple references here and there, the only semi-solid stuff I found on the Angels of Perdition was the old Vocates thread. But it's enough to get them going again (I'll have something within 24 hours).

 

Anyhow, this thread is for the Castigators. Mol, I'm pulling the below passage from your section on the Great Halls.

 

 

 

Statues of ancient heroes and glorious warriors look down upon all who enter the hall, their silent stone stares speaking of great heroism and impressive victories. Then thousand years of triumphs and trials against Daemonkind are recorded on the walls of the chamber, spelled out in torn, bloody banners, rune-encrusted skulls, and the fragments of shattered swords. Each statue, artefact and icon represents a terrible campaign or crusade, often still strained with the gore of those creatures…

 

I'm not sure about the part in bold where you single out daemons. Maybe it'd be better to say something along the lines of "trials and triumphs against the heretic, the mutant, and the malefic..."? The way it is now it feels like you are trying to encroach on the Grey Knights or Exorcists. 

 

Other than that I also was also wondering about the serfs. I see that you haven't really fleshed out that section and would have probably covered this anyways, but how do the Castigators get their serfs? Do they recruit serfs? Otherwise how did they get enough females on board for many to be born into the position?

 

I'm sure more will follow later.

[EesiOh]

Okay, it's 6.42am and I haven't slept all night. Having an abundance of free time on my hands, I've been thinking about some stuff.

 

The Castigators send marines to Mars to be inducted into the machine cult. When they return, they are cold and distant. The Castigators hold them in suspicion. WHile acknowledging the need for their skills, the devotion shown by Techmarines to the Omnissiah is treated with suspicion and even outright hostility by some of the more zealous members of the chapter. As a result, the Techmarines live in isolation, surrounded by their beloved machines.

Rogue Trader doesn't seem to agree with this. He thinks that my marines wouldn't treat the techmarines with hostility, especially not since they rely upon them to keep the chapter's equipment in working order.

 

I countered this by saying that it's only the most zealous marines. The worship of the Omnissiah would not be approved by them.

 

Your thoughts would be welcomed.

 

Also, with some of my models, when I started working on the theme of a 'punishing' chapter, I gave them an almost industrial theme. There's a few models with chains and chainmail. These have mainly come from the Khorne Beserker Sprue.

 

Looking at the new Black Templar sprues, all the weapons are chained to the marines. The Templars, apparently, chain themselves to their weapons so they can keep fighting. Obviously, these chains would tie in to what I've been doing already. 

You could also try playing around with some death company things maybe? I'm sure the kit would have quite a few things you could use for your penitents 

[Cpt_Tiberius]

You called?

 

Glad to see you are working on the castigators again. I have something you might be able to use, I will try and email it when I get home tonight.

[Commissar Molotov]

Toyship and Tiberius, welcome back! I am pleased that the dark rituals I enacted managed to draw you both back! Tiberius - I am certainly keen to see what you've got... I've been hoping I could entice you to contribute to the Castigators again! 

 

 

Anyway, on the topic of the Castigators, are you more focused on getting an "Imperial Armour" style article written up for the time being? Or perhaps something along the lines of the Horus Heresy Legion backgrounds? I'd be interested in reading the 'mega-file' as well, Mol.

 

As I said before, glad to see the Castigators back, and I'm glad to see you back here in the Liber. You too Nine_Breaker!

 

The intention has been to create something akin to the quality of the Forgeworld books, focusing on the Castigators. So, a sort of super-IA article. A lot of the challenge will be around making the work interesting, rather than self-aggrandising. The draft at the moment also includes appendices for the Castigators' two confirmed successor Chapters. 

 

 

Anyhow, this thread is for the Castigators. Mol, I'm pulling the below passage from your section on the Great Halls.

 

I'm not sure about the part in bold where you single out daemons. Maybe it'd be better to say something along the lines of "trials and triumphs against the heretic, the mutant, and the malefic..."? The way it is now it feels like you are trying to encroach on the Grey Knights or Exorcists. 

 

Other than that I also was also wondering about the serfs. I see that you haven't really fleshed out that section and would have probably covered this anyways, but how do the Castigators get their serfs? Do they recruit serfs? Otherwise how did they get enough females on board for many to be born into the position?

 

I'm sure more will follow later.

 

The bit you've got there is blue because it's taken from Codex: Grey Knights. I'm not interested in plagiarising, but I did like tonally how it was written, and wanted to achieve something similar with the Castigators. My thoughts were that each Company maintains its own holdings within the Sanctuary, and over many millennia these are almost hallowed ground - a reminder of the legacy of fallen warriors. 

 

The serfs are something I really wanted to explore in my work - the idea that they have a society of their own, with different castes. I imagined marketplaces and the like - marriages officiated by the Chief Victualler. The idea that you might have families of artificers renowned for their work, valued even by the Astartes. That's why I had that quote in the work: 

 

"We may well be the angels of death, but we are held aloft by borrowed wings." 

 

Something I've been thinking in more recent years is that the Serfs may well, occasionally, offer up young boys who might become Astartes. It would be far rarer than those who fare through Losanco, but I thought it might be cool to see that the children of Serfs might be called into an even greater duty. I had dimly thought that Anteas of the Fifth might be one of these, which would perhaps lead to the division between him and Caphius.

 

 

 

You could also try playing around with some death company things maybe? I'm sure the kit would have quite a few things you could use for your penitents 

 

 

Thanks for the post - but I wrote that ten years ago! The Castigators have moved on somewhat since then. I realise 40 pages are a lot to read through, but I hope that you find the time! 

 

 

You called?

Glad to see you are working on the castigators again. I have something you might be able to use, I will try and email it when I get home tonight.

 

Very excited! 

[EesiOh]

yeah I saw page 1, read all of it, wrote a reply and then saw 39 more pages, thought dam, and sent it anyway hoping you were still going with that theme 

[Ferrus Manus]

 

 

Perhaps we could summon more of the older ones? Speak the names that are not to be spoken - Darrell, Barret, Kinghongkong, Sigismund Himself, Cpt_Tiberius, Penitent Dreadnought, Toyship, Ferrus Manus, Tyrannicide, Marshal Rohr, Brother Varen, Nash Trickster...

 

Ah the good old days... 

 

As the others have said, it is great to see the Castigators around again. I'd be more than happy to have a read through this 'mega-file' and offer some thoughts. 

 

Also, nice to see some of the old faces again 

[Ace Debonair]

So I've only just come to realise I've never commented on the Castigators.

In fact, I don't think I'd ever read the whole article on them before today, to my shame!

 

...And having now remedied that and scrutinised the first post thoroughly, I'm very, very impressed.

 

As much as I've tried to find something to C&C in good old Liber fashion, I can't find anything that I think needs adjusting or cutting. Even the small details serve to further illustrate the wider picture of a Chapter that zealously pursues absolute purity in all things.

 

I think my absolute favourite part is how the Castigators view Dreadnoughts as a sort of reflection of The Emperor. Somehow I've never made that connection before, and it's brilliant.

 

It's articles like this that make me miss the Librarium!

[Commissar Molotov]

In an attempt to work on the mega-file, here's the current draft contents:

 

Introduction

 

The Founding

-- The Dark Founding

-- The Vocates // The Oath-brothers

-- The First Castigator

 

A World of Darkness and Light: The Homeworld of the Castigators

-- Losanco Secundus

-- Wardens of the Howling Stars 

-- The Sanctuary 

-- Trials of Recruitment 

-- Chapter Serfs

 

A Fire Inside: Chapter Cult and Belief System 

 

The Castigators at War

 

Clad in Honour: Heraldry and Livery of the Castigators 

- Various colour plates ?? 

 

Chapter Organisation

-- Chapter Master Quintilius

-- Apothecarion 

-- Librarium 

-- Chaplaincy

-- Forge

-- Chapter Banners

-- Company I // First-Captain Escalus

-- Company II "FIREBRANDS" // Captain Caphius 

-- Company III "LIGHTBRINGERS" // Captain Sirius

-- Company IV // Captain Timon

-- Company V "SHIELD BEARERS" // Captain Anteas

-- Company VI "PUREHEARTS" // Captain Ramus

-- Company VII // Captain Lucien

-- Company VIII "WINGED DEATH" // Captain Tigris

-- Company IX "DOOMBRINGERS" // Captain Malus

-- Company X // Captain Venatus

 -- Astride the Stars: The Castigators' Fleet

 

A Legacy of Honour: Battles of the Castigators

- The Truth War

- Battle for Maethax

- Swordpoint Crusades

- Timeline

 

Miniatures Gallery

 

Successors 

-- Against the Dark: The Redemptors 

-- Aspire to Glory: The Inheritors

[Ferrus Manus]

So I'm slowly finding the time to start reading through the file Mol, and I have to say I'm impressed by the scale and vision of the idea of the document. Also, it was nice to see some of the detailing of the Castigators that was discussed way back when in there, the section on Tigris in particular. 

 

Anyway, I thought I had as I was re-reading the The First Castigator  was why did the Castigators paint their armour red to begin with? As you've mentioned above, due to the depth of detail this document would require it could make for an interesting comment. Since Barathus gave the Chapter one of his nomenclatures, could the red armour perhaps been devised from his personal heraldry or does it have a more symbolic meaning? Just some food for thought.