Need some input..

[Librarian- Melechor]

Well, I am in a bit of a struggle right now with my DIY ideas. Say, if a chapter X experienced many mutations, that say, allowed them to travel into the warp unharmed (only briefly), would that make sense? I mean, does that sound believable enough?

[Commissar Molotov]

You mean the actual marines teleporting themselves through the warp from planet to planet? :D

[Orkdung]

They travel through the warp, every time they make jumps to different systems. Thats what Navigators are for.

 

Its the length of "bathing" in the warp that corrupts, but then that really isnt feasible for us to discuss, or even imagine, as there is no time in the warp, but there is, but there isnt.

 

Suffice to say if Marines stepped off their ship INTO the warp, I dont think they would last very long.

 

More ideas.

[Librarian- Melechor]

I mean if they, say crusaded into the warp, and went to a chaos-held planet. But only if, they could somehow survive via mutation. Possible?

[Darrell]

As in the individual Marines could sort of slide in and out of the Warp, a la an Etherealness spell or somesuch? If you'll pardon my D&D lingo.

 

I can't even begin to imagine what kind of geneseed mutation would cause this to happen, and if it did happen by whatever means, I can't imagine it being every single Marine. I would think at best it would inflict only their Librarians, as Librarians have a strong tie to the Warp to begin with. Not to mention, it's not only them travelling into the Warp, but also them not being harmed by the countless evil entities just waiting to tear a person to pieces over there. Warp travel is hardcore dangerous, and in a realm where everything is everything but what it is, only experienced naval captains are capable of navigating through it. I can't imagine an entire Chapter of expert Warp navigators, but it is a fictional universe and anything could happen.

 

What would really be a problem is keeping that a secret from all the other Chapters and the Inquisition. Humanity and Space Marines are raised to be paranoid about the Warp (And rightly so), and even Librarians in their own Chapters are regarded as strange and dangerous. I imagine most Space Marines would not react well to seeing a Chapter of marines popping in and out of the Warp saying stuff like "No, it's safe, I promise!".

 

What other ideas were you considering? You mentioned that you were torn about DIY ideas, how about tossing some of those out and seeing what people can help you with?

 

Edit: Ah, you mean they can just survive in the Warp, not travel in and out of it. I see, I didn't read your post until after I put mine up.

 

I'm still not sure what kind of mutation would cause this to happen, and I would still imagine many Imperial organizations would be highly suspicious of this sort of thing (Although it would give you an excuse to take "We Stand Alone" I suppose). I imagine many of them would think along the lines of: Space Marines go into Warp --> They survive perfectly --> The demons are not eating them --> They must be allies of the demons --> THE GREAT ENEMY IS AMONG US!

 

I'd still like to hear some of your other ideas.

[Commissar Molotov]

Melechor, I can't really understand what you're saying, so you're going to need to be as explicit as possible. Or why not just post what you've got for your IA chapter as-is and let us sort through it?

 

Edit: Melechor, I sent you a PM.

[ironloki]

So your wanting a chapter that spends a lot of time in the warp possible going crusading within the warp fighting Chaos?. Sounds not bad but as Orky says if you stay too long your going to come out changed and you may not be welcomed by the current establishment :D

[Librarian- Melechor]

Well I was also sort of asking if it was possible too.. :D

[Dasleah]

*leaps in from the Warp*

 

...

 

Ships that travel through the warp maintain what's known as a 'Gellar' field around their ships that protect them from assault via daemonic entity when travelling through the Warp. If the Gellar field fails, then the ship is almost instantly over-run by Daemons and other warp-based entities.

I'm not sure how large a Gellar generator would be, but I'm assuming that it operates via some sort of negative-psionic energy generation, creating a 'bubble' of anti-psychic energy that repels all those made of 'positive' psychic energy (which, for the sake of convenience, will be assumed to be Daemons)

Now, Marines can survive in the Warp. Look at the Traitor Legions. They inhabit worlds that exist within the Warp (or at least, the Eye - a Warp/realspace overlap) so we can assume that it's not the Warp itself that is lethal to Marines, but rather the fact that the Daemons that consist of the fabric of the Warp are. So, if a Marine blew the airlock within the Warp and went for a stroll - well, first he'd have to find a way around the Gellar field - he wouldn't die via exposure, but more via Daemonic attack.

I'm not sure that you could create a Personal Gellar Generator (or something) for every Marine. I'm sure the technology involved would be far too large and complicated to employ on an individual (or even squad) level. But perhaps you could go the mutation path.

Pariahs are mutants. They have no 'echo' in the Warp, and so prove largely invisible to Warp entities. And they also 'repel' them, as Pariahs naturally generate that negative psionic energy (that's what makes them so frightening to psykers). So a Chapter of Pariahs? (I can't remember the non-Necron term for them, sorry)

Unlikely. Within the Imperium, any that display such an ability would have undoubtedly been picked up by the Officio Assassinorium or by the Necrons. Even then, it's not a common mutation. Becoming more common, yes, but not at levels that would enable a thousand-strong Chapter of them.

So a viable mutation that does allow for a little traipse around yonder Warp? Hmmm. Something that surpresses the natural psionic 'emission' of the person's soul. More camoflauge than anything. You could say that the Chapter's members would have been exorcised of their souls, ala Exorcists, but then you'd have a bunch of mindless automotons. And they'd be an immeadiate and unchallenged host for any Daemon that comes by.

 

Just some ideas.

 

 

*leaps back into the Immaterium after making his first post in over 2 years*

[Librarian- Melechor]

Intersting, thanks for that info. I may take the mutation path, hence the reason I asked. I will go and contemplate this! ^_^

[Librarian- Melechor]

Sorry for the double post, but here's the IA, in all it's glory. I'd like to thank first off, Commissar Molotov, for donating so much time and effort to help me, and second, everyone else who helped out. Thanks guys!

 

The Doom Wraiths:Adeptus Astartes

 

Origins: The Doom Wraiths, originally named, The Golden Falcons, were a 17th Founding chapter, formed during a bleak period in segmentum tempestus. Orks had continually raided the system for nearly a millenia, and it was decided by the High Lords of Terra themselves, that something had to be done. But the Imperial Guard, were much too slow and cumbersome to react quickly, and the inquisition had little to spare. So it was decided, that an Adeptus Astartes Chapter, would be put in control of the Amega sector. At once, the mechanicus was notified, and they immediately began to test for a possible geneseed. The ultramarines were selected, and the process began.

 

After nearly a year, the chapter, now full strength, took to their new battle barge, the Imperialis Victus, gifted to them by the adeptus mechanicus), and began the long flight to their new home. Along the way, they began training, under a dozen veterans from the 1st Company of the Ultramarines themselves. The Falcons were taught discipline, duty, and of the tenets of the great Codex Astartes.

 

When the time came, the fledging chapter was left on it's own, now bound to it's duties in the Segmentum Tempestus. The ork raids came, and the chapter fought hard, and fought well, repulsing nearly a dozen ork attacks in it's first year of service. However, a day came, that would change the lives of every marine, forever.

 

A year passed, and as another day dawned on the fleet of the Falcons, (that had now swelled to nearly double it's former size) a sudden attack came while the fleet travelled through the warp to a distress signal two sectors away. Somehow, the Gellar Generator (a device that provides a shield from daemonic entities while in the warp) failed on the Imperius Secondus, the new battle barge of the falcons. Instantly, daemons began to swarm the ship, assaulting those inside it. Many marines were driven mad at the sight of the daemons, others attempted to fight back. Over the ship's vox, a stern voice could be heard.

 

Chaplain Varen, chief chaplain of the chapter, began to pray, attempting to give his brothers the strength they needed to overrcome their horrid foes. But even as the ship drifted, someone, a pilot, or a serf, managed to disengage the warp-drive, and the ship came out of the warp, directly in the path of a planet. Within seconds, the ship crashed, and as the remainder of the Falcons fleet followed, it seemed that their bretheren, over four-hundred marines, were doomed.

 

But as the thunderhawks landed on the planet, they found many of their bretheren to still be alive, and in fighting condition. However, many had somehow attained terrible mutations, hugely muscular arms, deformed and a horrid sight to gaze upon. But only a few dozen had been "infected", the rest of the survivors, after a intense purity test from the chapter Apothecaries, had no obvious mutations. So, when the time came to file the report with the inquistion, the 106 infected bretheren were mentioned as killed, and their geneseed lost. The Mechanicus sent some replacements, maybe two dozen Zygotes, and the chapter began to rebuild once more. They made their homeplanet, Amega, which was also the site of the terrible mutation on their bretheren. Further tests over a dozen year span showed no obvious changes in the marines behavior, other than a particular nasty bloodlust that occured randomly in battle.

 

It was decided by Chapter Master Korvan, in M40.543, that the chapter be re-named the doom wraiths, to symbolize that doom may strike at any moment, and like wraiths, the chapter shall stalk their prey until they have fallen. The chapter has taken his words to serious meaning, the name well represented in battle.

 

Homeworld:

Amega is a small agri-world in the center of Segmentum Tempestus. Out of the way of most ork raids, it remained safe, and continues to remain so under the watchful eye of the doom wraiths. The world is covered by flowing grasslands, with a large mountainous region in the fair north. The people there, are a tough, well bred group of farmers, who, in lack of Imperial developement, have retained a simple, government and society. Though the planet is now led by the Wraiths, they believe it necessary for the people they protect to have a say in any matter, and hold an open court at their monastery twice each month.

 

Combat Doctrine:

Since the Doom Wraiths are an Ultramarine successor, it is only natural for them to follow the tenets of Codex astartes. Each marine is taught his role on the battlefield, and the many instructions on how to counter any enemy threat. Though, the "lost" bretheren, tend to fight with more tenacity, and blood-thristy rage. The chapter focuses on a well-balanced attack, focusing firepower and over-loading weakpoints are their strength, while fast-paced hit and run attacks are quite favorable as well. Assault squads are also a common sight, many marines preferring to close the distance between them and their enemy much faster. The Wraith's fight with a zeal and purpose that has been compared to that of the Blood Angels, and the Space Wolves.

 

Geneseed:

The Doom Wraith's were founded upon the pure, stable geneseed of the ultramarines chapter. Though most marines seem to be pure, only those "mutated" at the first battle of Amega seem to show any sign of physical change. The chapter undergoes strict geneseed tests almost on a monthly basis, to ensure the purity of the current marines, and of those still to come. Even those with mutations, have tested for pure, though the chapter apothecaries dare not use their geneseed on any future marine.

 

Organisation:

The Doom Wraith's originally followed the codex organisation, but have strayed from it's teachings in recent years. Each company, now numbers 106 marines, in honor of those who were mutated. The chapter has allowed more flexibility in each company, in one case, the enemies of the Wraith's may find themselves against a half dozen tactical squads, in another instance, they could be facing a half-dozen assault squads. Also, vehicles have been formed into "tactical fighting groups," to ensure easier movement and coordination from the commanding HQ.

 

Battlecry: Weep not for the fallen, cry for those who shall fall!

 

That's it lads, rip her apart. And spelling/grammar isn't too great, wrote this in the wee-hours of the mornin. :blush:

[Commissar Molotov]

Well, as it's now 5am, I'll comment on this a little later. Just wanted you to know that I'd seen it. There's a few things that I can suggest.

[Librarian- Melechor]

I figured as much. Go get some sleep Molotov! :blush:

[Dasleah]

*leaps in from the perils of a television shoot*

 

Hmm. Just a few things:

 

After nearly a year, the chapter, now at around one-hundred fifty marines strong,

I'm pretty sure that Marine Chapters, once created, don't ship out until they're full-strength. That is, 1000-man strong. So this bit (and any subsequent bits that rely on this number) could be a little suspect. The part about the Ultramarines training them, that's fine. But like I said, they wouldn't ship out at anything less than full-strength. What the existing Marines do until the Chapter is at full, I don't know. Probably hoon around whatever Forgeworld / Collegica Genetica they're created at. And train, of course. I suppose you could work around this, by saying that the most promosing of the new Marines were set as an attachment to an Ultramarine Battle Group to gain more experience and whatnot. Dunno.

But even as the ship drifted, someone, a pilot, or a serf, managed to disengage the warp-drive,

Again, I'm pretty sure that it takes a Slave-Team of about 50 Tech-Priests to start the Warp Engine, let alone just stop it like that. Although I'm sure that the resident Magos would of chanted the Rites Of Immeadiate And Violent Stoppage before envoking the Treaties Of Warp-Drive De-Activation and slamming the massive red button :blush:

 

So what I'm reading here is that there still exists within the Chapter the 'mutated' Marines - or at least the Mutants that appeared normal? So the ones with tentacles/whatever were killed (the 106) and the rest were re-intergrated into the Chapter, yes?

Sounds good so far.

 

I've been thinking more about the act of existing within the Warp outside a Gellar Field. I remember a short story from the Black Library about two duelling ships - one Imperial, the other a Plaugeship. The Plagueship had no Gellar field, as I can recall, but was still somehow shielded against Daemonic intrusion, up until the hull was compromised. So this makes me think that perhaps there's something in the ship itself that can repel Daemons? The ship was undoubtedly possessed, so perhaps the presence of a dominant soul within the ship itself could act as a sort of barrier. The other Daemons wouldn't attack it because it's so freaking huge, and there's no way inside to get at the fleshy mortals inside because they're enveloped within the possessed-hull.

How could you replicate this in an Imperial sense?

You could bind a Daemon to the ship's hull, I suppose, although that would be risky in the extreme, offend the Cult Mechanicus to the extreme, and just generally be a difficult thing to do ... in the extreme. You'd have to bind a Daemon of sufficient will to your own (I'd say that even Greater-Daemon level entities wouldn't be enough - there do exist higher ranks of Daemon) and make sure that it stays that way. The ship's would then be controlled by the Daemonic sentience bound to it, so you'd then have the trouble of demanding a daemon-warship with Exterminatus-level ordnance on it to listen to you.

Binding that on a personal level, to each Marine, would also be considered a Bad Thing, of course.

 

Bleargh. Nice IA, but I'm sure there is a way around this 'exist-in-the-warp' problem.

[Librarian- Melechor]

So the ones with tentacles/whatever were killed (the 106) and the rest were re-intergrated into the Chapter, yes?

Actually, the 106 were officially declared "dead" in the report sent to the inquisition, but in truth, they were re-integrated into the system. :blush:

And thanks for the other notices, I'll try and do some editing. :)

[Commissar Molotov]

I don't like the idea of a chapter 'controlling' a sector. If you mean like how the Ultramarines have Ultramar, that's very, very rare. The idea of a Space Marine chapter lording it over an entire sector doesn't please the High Lords of Terra. If you were to perhaps consider it changing it to 'in control of the Amega sector's defences'. Despite the length of time it takes things to happen in the Imperium, I think that saying it had been constantly raided for a millenia is perhaps the wrong tone to take? Perhaps something like 'had been subjected to numerous raids' or the like?

 

I don't think the chapter would mobilise until they were pretty close to full strength.

 

Another day dawned on the fleet of the Falcons, that had now swelled to two battle barges, and six-strike cruisers.

 

Where did they magically get these craft from? Osmosis?

 

Perhaps you should be more creative with the mutations, if they're warp-inflicted?

 

I think that if the ship only existed for a few seconds in the warp without the Gellar Fields, the gribblies would swarm in, and that'd be enough time for all manner of monstrosities to happen. :blush:

 

 

Aside from that, there's not much wrong with your chapter, Melechor, but I'd like to hear more about these 106 marines. Because as soon as they die, your chapter will be normal again.

[Librarian- Melechor]

*Scratches chin*

Thanks for the comments!

I don't like the idea of a chapter 'controlling' a sector. If you mean like how the Ultramarines have Ultramar, that's very, very rare. The idea of a Space Marine chapter lording it over an entire sector doesn't please the High Lords of Terra. If you were to perhaps consider it changing it to 'in control of the Amega sector's defences'. Despite the length of time it takes things to happen in the Imperium, I think that saying it had been constantly raided for a millenia is perhaps the wrong tone to take? Perhaps something like 'had been subjected to numerous raids' or the like?

Your right, I wasn't trying to have them "control" the sector, more be "in defense of it". They would be positioned to help any planet in the sector, if need be.

 

Where did they magically get these craft from? Osmosis?

Well, it's meant to be sort of a time statement, where it says "Another day dawned", It should be a few years after the chapter was formed. They visited the shipyards at Port Maw and possible picked some old junk cruisers up, and fixed them. (aka- Daeothar's lions idea) But I'll take that battle barge, and a few strike cruisers out.

 

and that'd be enough time for all manner of monstrosities to happen.

Hence the mutations!

 

Aside from that, there's not much wrong with your chapter, Melechor, but I'd like to hear more about these 106 marines. Because as soon as they die, your chapter will be normal again.

True, but the chapter is holding the secret from the inquisition, which is never a good thing. :blush:

[Brother Sergeant Alasseo]

After nearly a year, the chapter, now full strength

 

C'mon, from zero marines to full strength in a year? Not physically possible; the implantation process takes a minimum of 3-4 years per marine. And for the AM to churn out an entire chapter at once would require millions of subjects, assuming all were being worked on at the same time- possibly requiring an entire forge world be turned genetor for the duration of the project.

 

As for the failing of the Gellar Field- it is possible that stuff happened the way you postulated, but under normal circumstances the ship would be ripped apart in seconds by the warp entities that hound pretty much every ship- in much the same way that (for example) a horse would be if it fell in a piranha tank. The warp gribblies probably wouldn't bother to manifest for one on one combat, they would probably just devour the hull first and pick off anyone who survived that at leisure.

 

and Das? the short story you remember was probably an extract from Execution Hour by Gordon Rennie. The ships were the HDMS Lord Solar Macharius and the Virulent. Both ships had Gellar Fields, but the close-range torpedo strike used by the Macharius knocked the Virulent's offline.

 

Finally (for now) it might be a good idea to change the company organisation to "nominally 106 marines", as very few chapters are able to keep companies at full strength

[Commissar Molotov]

Alasseo is right. My understanding is that to go from two progenoid glands to 100 takes ~50 years.

 

A new Chapter cannot be founded overnight. A single suitable gene-seed must be selected for each zygote. Zygotes are then grown in culture and implanted into human test-slaves. These test-slaves must be biologically compatible and free from mutation. Test-slaves spend their entire lives bound in static experimental capsules. Although conscious, they are completely immobile, serving as little more than mediums within which the various zygotes can develop. From the original slave come two progenoids, which are implanted within two more slaves, from which come four progenoids and so on. It takes about 55 years of constant reproduction to produce 1,000 healthy sets of organs. These must be officially sanctioned by the Master of Adeptus Mechanicus and then by the High Lords of Terra speaking for the Emperor. Only the Emperor can give permission for the creation of a new Chapter.

[Brother Sergeant Alasseo]

I was assuming that they had already done that part as part of the testing process Melechor mentioned.

I was actually thinking about the implantation window (found here) which gives the age range for implantation. Assuming that they have sufficient candidates to make up for incompatibility, and all of those candidates are the same age, and they have sufficient organs to implant, then the minimum time to create a chapter is four years (from when the candidates are 12, until they reach 16). That is in addition to combat training time.

[Vodunius]

i'm surprised no-one has mentioned the Legion of the Damned, its never been explained how they seemingly appear out of thing air..