The noble Omen Guard chapter

[Son of the Third Eye]

This is the final revision to the Omen Guard chapter, unless of course I screwed up royally intermingling with official fluff.

It is, however, not the last entry to the chapter. I will eventually write specificly about the current Organisation system of the Guard, their homeworld and system, and their Beliefs.

 

A note for anyone wondering; the Omen Guard does indeed consider the Emperor a God, unlike the majority of other chapters.

 

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http://jupiter.walagata.com/w/vandouchebag/OmenGuardavvy.gif

 

+++CHAPTER NAME

[Commissar Molotov]

Certainly a lot of useful information. The majority of it is tied into your character biographies, so I've chosen to focus on your chapter history:

 

Whilst the Ecclesiarch is one of the nine permanent High Lords of Terra, I'm unsure if he could have a chapter created on a whim. You need to perhaps expand on the reasons that the Omen Guard were created. I mean, the Ecclesiarch seems to have created the Omen Guard to strengthen the Ecclesiarchy by getting them to collect equipment.

 

That said, you have a few problems. The Ecclesiarchy are prevented under law (the Decree Passive) from maintaining "men under arms" and as such the relationship between the Ecclesiarchy and your chapter would have to be rather discreet. The other High Lords of Terra would also resent one of their compatriots trying to gain an advantage, and would likely try to block the creation of the Omen Guard unless the Ecclesiarch could blackmail the majority of them into doing what he wanted.

 

Also, it strikes me as odd that the Omen Guard would collect Imperial artefacts for the Ecclesiarchy and not resent the Ecclesiarchy for manipulating them. Presumably the Ecclesiarchy contacted Semangelaf (not a very IF-ish name, honestly - perhaps he changed it later?) and arranged a deal, but what do the Omen Guard get out of it? Marine chapters are rarely altruistic, and if their men are fighting and dying for relics, they'd want something in return. Surely they weren't created and told 'you're collecting relics, boys.'?

 

Don't forget the huge tensions between the Ecclesiarchy and the Adeptus Astartes, revolving around the Imperial Creed and the role of the Emperor. Semangelaf, as an Imperial Fist, would venerate Rogal Dorn and the like. He wouldn't change that for the Ecclesiarch.

 

One thought I had regarding the bones of Saint Kharnov. The Black Templars withdrew from the world, unable to claim the bones. It would strike me that for a chapter such as the Templars, this would be a rather sore point. If any chapter would be up for recovering the bones of Kharnov, the Templars would - to rectify the wrong already committed. Whilst you say the Black Templars are stauch allies, perhaps they would be rather annoyed that the Inquisition didn't approach them.

 

Just some thoughts. I hope to see the issues regarding their creation clarified. :D

 

I personally would like to see the Omen Guard set out in a more traditional Index Astartes article format, which could be very well crafted judging by the amount of effort you've put in.

[Son of the Third Eye]

Thanks for the input.

 

Whilst there is a law decreeing that the Ecclesia cannot bear men under arms (Which in turn is circumvented by the Sororitas), the Omen Guard is a ninth founding chapter and the decree in question was not issued until AFTER the Age of Apostasy, which occurs after the thirteenth founding if my memory serves me correctly. Furthermore, the Ecclesia, while influencing the beliefs of the Omen Guard, have no martial influence over the Guard which acts autonomously. The Omen Guard will, however, do as the Inquisition asks of them on occasion, hence why I chose an Inquisitor to ask them to retrieve Kharnov's bones. Since Inquisitors work on their own agendas, this served as my deus ex machina so to speak. This sort of seperation will be outlined in the Organisation of the Guard.

 

While on the subject of Kharnov, I suppose I don't have any real excuse for it. It had always seemed to me that Inquisitor could have believed the Templars may not have been capable of exercising the mission with the precision the Guard could have, as the Templars specialize in straight-forward attacks with marines and neophytes charging headlong into battle while the Guard specialize in striking missions making use of Rhinos, Preds and an abundance of deep-striking Terminators (This, once again, will be outlined in the organization. The Guard has a large collection of Terminator armor made from salvaged pieces repaired by techmarines - recycling is fun!).

 

The Omen Guard, although having past issues with the Ecclesia stemming from the Age of Apostasy, do not resent the Ecclesia for making money off their backs. The Omen Guard are very pious and share the same beliefs as the Ecclesia, as well as the fact that the glory AND the relics return with them to their homeworld. The Ecclesia, in essence, is a leech and not a slavemaster. This will be outlined in the Beliefs of the Omen Guard I am writing.

 

While on the subject of beliefs, the Omen Guard do revere Dorn, but not as highly as the Emperor. As will be outlined in the Beliefs I am writing, the Guard considers the Emperor as God, the Primarchs as the angels of their god, and themselves and their fellow marines as the chosen warriors of their god. A lot of the influence behind the Guard comes from Christian mythos. The whole relic bit is inspired by Catholicism's Cult of Saints in the Pre and Early Renaissance where churches began displaying relics (Bones of Saints, shrouds, planks from the crufixtion, et cetera) in their altars to encourage pilgrimages and collect tithes. Although many such relics were fakes or taken from saints of the immediate area, many relics were brought back by the crusaders or imported from Italy.

 

Edit: Oh, and Semangelaf is the name of an angel (Specificly, one of the three who tried to capture the daemonbride Lilith in Jewish mythology). Similarily, Serakiel is an intentional misspelling of the angel Sarakiel, also known as Sariel, which means "God's Command" and is the archangel responsible for punishing the angels that violate god's will. Note the relation between Serakiel's biography I wrote as both a Chaplain and as a servant boy who knocks others around, and his namesake Sarakiel.

[Commissar Molotov]

Regardless of the timing of the decree passive (which indeed came after the age of apostasy), the other High Lords would see and try to stop the Ecclesiarchy from effectively gaining a space marine chapter.

 

Also, I question how the Ecclesiarchy could influence the beliefs of the Imperial Fists under Semangelaf. The Imperial Fists respect the Emperor as a great, gifted man, and give thanks for what he does. But to them he is not a God. And to the Ecclesiarchy most marine chapters are heretical. (c.f Page 50 of Codex: Sisters of Battle, 2nd Edition)

 

How does the Ecclesiarchy change the religious beliefs of the Omen Guard? With chapter chaplains preaching and propogating the chapter's creed, outside influences really ought not to change that.

 

I had noted that much of your chapter's beliefs were inspired by the Cult of Saints, but that ties in far more to the Ecclesiarchy than a Space Marine chapter. At first glance it seems almost like you're trying to ram this ideology into a space that's not entirely designed for it - though that's just my initial opinion.

[Son of the Third Eye]

While it seems to you that I'm "ramming" it in, it seems to me you're unwilling to accept the fact that not all Marine chapters consider the Emperor as a man only.

 

While most chapters consider him a man, it is in the fluff that some consider him a god, and it seems you're trying to deny me of the right of the latter because you do not accept Space Marines revering him as god.

[Commissar Molotov]

Son of the Third Eye, I am not seeking to 'deny' you of anything; please don't make it seem as though I am being aggressive. All I am doing is offering you another opinion.

 

I am willing to accept that later-founding chapters are not tied as strongly to their original faiths. For the later-founding chapters, the Heresy is almost a myth, and their ties to the primarchs are more tenuous. I'm certainly willing to believe that later chapters would have similarities to the Ecclesiarchy's beliefs.

 

The Chaplains teach and enforce beliefs within the chapter. Semangelaf was an Imperial Fist. The Imperial Fists would have taught him the Imperial Fists' credo. Semangelaf would have been chosen because he was the epitome of a decent Captain - I don't see the Imperial Fists' chapter master volunteering anyone he thought wasn't up to scratch. The Imperial Fists' credo would have been taught in the Omen Guard. The Ecclesiarchy you say have no influence over the chapter. I don't see how the chapter's beliefs would have changed so much.

 

It's simply my opinion, and I have never advertised it as fact, or 'denied' you from doing anything. I simply feel there are areas you could clarify.

[Son of the Third Eye]

The Imperial Fist credo is pretty simple - it's pretty much 'never give up, no matter what', hence why pre-4th edition they had their special rules regarding their stubborness. Similarily, the Ultramarines are 'obey the rules, no matter what', the Dark Angels are 'find the fallen, no matter what', and the Space Wolves are 'keep drinking, no matter what'. The Omen Guard is merely an extension of thethe Fists credo with 'never give up hunting relics, no matter what'.

 

As a chapter master, Semangelaf would have been able to express himself according to his views, and not according the Imperial Fists. While the stubborn pride transfer over from one chapter to another, it does not necessarily transfer the same belief system, or the views of the masters. Hence Semangelaf is capable of pursuing relics with the Omen Guard, which is the express reason for why it was created.

 

I also, I never said the Ecclesia has no influence over the Omen Guard. I said they have no MARTIAL influence over them and the Guard acts autonomously, but I also said the Omen Guard draws its BELIEFS from the Ecclesia, and more specificly the Cult of the Venerator Imperialis which the Omen Guard was created to cater to.

 

 

This topic is quickly turning into my old thread - everyone fears and runs away from long fluff leaving one or two replying to the thread.

[Commissar Molotov]

I'm certainly well aware of the Imperial Fists - most of the DIY chapters I've done have been Imperial Fists successors, because I respect Rogal Dorn greatly as a primarch.

 

As a chapter master, Semangelaf would have been able to express himself according to his view. Yet as an Imperial Fist marine, he would have been under extreme scrutiny from the Chaplains. I'm willing to suppose that his rather... zealous views of the Emperor might have been tolerated by the chapter, as it made him a far greater warrior.

 

But think about this.

 

- Ecclesiarch decides it would be good to have a chapter to do their dirty work.

- Founding rolls around.

- Imperial Fist Chapter Master approached for a suitable captain to command new chapter.

 

What would have happened if the Omen Guard had been assigned a rather more traditional captain than Semangelaf? The Ecclesiarch would have been thwarted.

 

Not only that, but Semangelaf wouldn't have been the only fully-fledged Imperial Fist assigned to the Omen Guard. Chaplains, Librarians and the like would also have been assigned. Semangelaf's would have been only one voice among many. Yes, an important voice, but I would guess that the Chaplains do not have to listen to the Chapter Master regarding what they preach.

 

If the Chapter Master theoretically fell to chaos, he would logically try to change what the Chaplains preached. Therefore, I guess that the Master of Sanctity would have control over what the Chaplains preached. This means that Semangelaf would certainly want to capture the relics he's always admired during his service in the Imperial Fists, but I'm not entirely sure about the Omen Guard being subsumed into the Main-stream Ecclesiarchical religion.

 

You've ignored my points regarding that the other High Lords of Terra would oppose a chapter being created to cater to the Ecclesiarchy's whims. It benefits the Ecclesiarchy greatly having such a force at its' beck and call. If the Ecclesiarchy says "Go attack this planet, it has this ancient relic here.", and the Omen Guard smash through, without realising they're eliminating a rival to the Ecclesiarch, surely there's a great conflict of interest?

 

I think the other High Lords would have moved to block the chapter. Rather than stating the chapter was created specifically for the Ecclesiarchy, perhaps the chapter was created, and had Semangelaf as chapter master. The Ecclesiarchy found that it suited their methods to get to know the new chapter, and came to an arrangement with Semangelaf. A confluence of coincidences, perhaps. :D

 

I just think that the Omen Guard could easily have been very different if a different chapter master had been chosen, and if the other High Lords knew the Ecclesiarch was creating a pet chapter, they'd be livid. Thusly, if the Ecclesiarchical contact happens after the chapter is founded, and the Ecclesiarchy offers a way for Semangelaf to capture the relics and satisfy his curiosity, perhaps it would seem better.

 

As to the lack of comments, I found it initially very hard to read your fluff. I find that it's not set out easily. If you were to come up with an IA article, it might get more people to read it. As to the greater number of comments, you just have to keep plugging away. Sometimes you get lots of comments, other times not.

[Son of the Third Eye]

Point taken, but I still stand behind the whole Ecclesiarch founding it bit. It fits with the fluff, and considering Goge Vandire's actions in the Apostasy, it is not impossible for the Ecclesiarch to command and influence the creation of a chapter that suits their wants. Considering the Guard is an older chapter from the ninth founding, the Imperium was a different place back then.