Black Templar 'alliance' help

[Lansirill]

I have a fairly solid collection of Black Templars built up and enjoy playing them, however I'd also like to add a little more variety to my Marines. Painting another 40-50 marines, just in another color, is not attractive to me right now so I'm going to be using these models in a DIY chapter. However, I can see how this might be confusing to people if they see models which are very obviously painted in Black Templar fashion but are not being played that way. In order to try and reduce confusion, I'm adding in models painted in the colors of other chapters. I'm hoping that this will be enough of a visual reminder to my opponents that there won't be any significant confusion.

 

While I'm perfectly willing to simply go ahead with this and ignore any fluff concerns, I would really like to have a nice back story for it. I haven't had much luck with this so far, but I've yet to try to bounce ideas off of anyone here yet so I thought I would do so. I'm going to try and keep the fundamental ideas separate from those ideas which aren't really essential.

 

Fundamental:

 

-The majority of the 'chapter' will consist of Black Templar models. This is simply a consequence of my collection. Short of a fire in my apartment or another disaster, this won't be changing for awhile.

 

-The 'chapter' will use DIY, non-Black Templar rules. Rules are somewhat tangential to the fluff, but I want to be clear.

 

-The 'chapter' will consist of models from various chapters. This is for visual effect only; I do not propose to use the special rules from multiple chapters in a single army.

 

Not fundamental, but I'm fairly attached to them:

 

-I will be using Imperial Fists and Crimson Fists as my other chapters. Failing that, I will use some random (probably unfluffed) successor chapter of the IF. I would like to keep a 'Dorn' theme to the chapter.

 

-I would like to have some sort of hardship befall the Black Templars that will be in this group, causing them to band with other chapters. Alternately, I can have the hardship fall on the 'Random Dorn Chapter' and have their fellow brothers (cousins?) of Dorn come to their aid. This second option probably would be more believable, however I have a bit of a preference towards sticking to the BT/IF/CF structure.

 

Things that can probably be replaced without too much trouble:

 

-An inquisitor suspects the Black Templars of heresy and is successful in somehow having a portion of the chapter declared heretics. News spreads of this, and brothers from other chapters band with them in support. I like this idea, but I'm concerned that the basic premise would turn people off regardless of how much other story is developed. I suspect I'd just be wasting my time with the writing skills that I possess. It does give room for plenty of dark heroics and corruption, which are always good.

 

-Random bad guys (they're all interchangable at this point) decimate one of the chapters in the alliance. The others, of course, band together with them to provide aid. This is easier, but hardly as heroic in my mind.

 

-I would like them to be renegade, although still loyal to the emperor. I can see them slowly being corrupted over time as they survive outside of the Imperium, although without any noticable mutations/daemonic presences.

 

-I am perfectly happy playing fast and loose with the canon. I'm more interested in having an interesting story, than making sure that it fits into the world perfectly.

 

-I have a definite theme of brotherhood and loyalty between 'related' chapters here, even stronger than loyalty to the Imperium. I'd like to stick with that.

 

 

 

What I want to know right now is which of these ideas are worth sticking to, and how to improve the others. If all you can say about something is that it's unrealistic but you aren't able to suggest any improvements, I'm not sure how much I can do with your comments. I look forward to hearing from people and thanks in advance for anything you might be able to add.

[Ferrata]

-I will be using Imperial Fists and Crimson Fists as my other chapters. Failing that, I will use some random (probably unfluffed) successor chapter of the IF. I would like to keep a 'Dorn' theme to the chapter.

Personally, I would go with Random-Dorn Chapter to keep away from having too many GW chapters in your "chapter"

 

An inquisitor suspects the Black Templars of heresy and is successful in somehow having a portion of the chapter declared heretics. News spreads of this, and brothers from other chapters band with them in support. I like this idea, but I'm concerned that the basic premise would turn people off regardless of how much other story is developed. I suspect I'd just be wasting my time with the writing skills that I possess. It does give room for plenty of dark heroics and corruption, which are always good.

I'm not a fan of this. I find it very hard to believe that a Black Templar Crusade would go heretic, or even being accused of being heretic. Going to far in battle, maybe, but not heretic.

 

I would like them to be renegade, although still loyal to the emperor. I can see them slowly being corrupted over time as they survive outside of the Imperium, although without any noticable mutations/daemonic presences.

I'm also not a fan of this hook either, it is used too often when someone want's to create a bad chapter but not a chaos chapter. Personally, I think it would make your chapter less believable.

 

As for having the BT + Random chapter, how about having the last remaining men of a crusade. It was mainly a BT crusade, but other chapters donated company's and IG regiments. Over time, this force has been wittled down to the remaining BT men and this Chapter. You would have to decide why only these two chapters survived. This would give the brotherhood you wanted as they have been together for so long.

 

Ferrata

[Commissar Molotov]

Okay, read this fluff on the Declates Crusade.

 

You don't need to have extra-special fluff. Simply say that portions of your chapters have been assigned to a crusade together. Many of the chapters have oaths, bonds and ties - it's not hard and the Dorn theme would actually be a very strong link.

[Tubal]

The crusade theme is a good and perfectly fluffy reason to have several chapters in the same army. In the old Codex: Ultramarines there was a short note about them, and it was reprinted in a later 'dwarf (around 250, give or take a fed dozen). Basically the High Lords of Terra declares a crusade against a planet, a system, a sector, or whatever, and space marine chapters contribute a force as a matter of honour. It can be as little as a squad or as large as the chapter wants. A constantly crusading chapter like the templars would probably send an entire crusade ;)

I seem to remember some more recent fluff that suggests that the Ecclesiarchy also declares crusades but I can't seem to find it :lol:

 

All in all it's a thinly veiled excuse to field multiple colourshemes :P

[Lansirill]

Thanks for the feedback. I'm going to tone things down a bit since it seems like that's going to make life easier on myself. The Imperial Fists will receive reports of a (relatively) routine case of a planet turning traitor and are tasked with the siege of the capitol. Once they crack the outer defenses, -something- comes out. I haven't decided what yet, but it will be big, nasty, and have a taste for yellow power armor. The situation turns from assaulting the city to simply trying to survive. The remaining planet-side Guard and IF forces retreat into the mountains to hold off for reinforcements. A crusade fleet of Templars is able to redirect itself to aid the beleaguered forces. For some reason (corny ominous music) there were already some Crimson Fists onboard the fleet. Upon arrival, they discover that this hidden menace has filled all of the system. A long, bloody campaign follows.

 

I think all I need to do is figure out what this mystery menace will be and then write up a few pages of fluff. I'm really not sure what would make sense other than to invoke some sort of Chaos manifestation or possibly Tyranids... although Tyranids don't seem to fit well.

 

I'm probably going to need to add a bit of paint to my Templars for this, hopefully the paint will stick okay to Dullcote. I'm also cheating and giving everyone crosses on their shoulder pads... I'm bad at painting crosses, but I'd end up with random blobs if I tried to paint a fist. :rolleyes: In case anyone is curious, I put together a quick picture of what things should look like using the interactive painter.

 

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f119/lansirill/Marines.jpg

 

Once I get something written up, I'll post it around.

[space wolf]

tyranids fit well, if its a splinter fleet from laviathan...perhaps the heresy taking place on the planet was a genestealer cult.

[Rogue Trader]

I seem to remember some more recent fluff that suggests that the Ecclesiarchy also declares crusades but I can't seem to find it :rolleyes:

You're thinking of the Damocles Gulf Crusade against the Tau. Declared by a high ranking member of the Ecclesiarchy. I'll find the name when I get home. :rolleyes:

 

++edit++

 

It was Cardinal Esau Gurney of Brimlock, in 742.M41 (C: Tau, p58)

[Tubal]

I don't think I mean the Damocles Gulf crusade, since I've hardly read anything about it at all :rolleyes: I could be wrong though.

 

A tyranid infestation could be cool. A badly damaged splinter fleet could have homed in on a planet with a genestealer cult and gone into hiding until they can rebuild. The cult takes power but the process is interupted by nosey space marines :rolleyes:

The big thing could be a single bio-titan. Since marines lack superheavy vehicles and other warmachines they would have a lot of trouble with a titan.

[Race Bannon]

There are mentions of Crusades in the 2nd Edition Sisters of Battle Codex.

[Lansirill]

I've put together a first draft of some initial fluff for the crusade. It definately feels rather high school freshman, but fiction has never been my strong point. Regardless, I thought I would put it up and see what people thought. Be gentle. :) Thanks.

 

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A brood of genestealers, splintered from Hive Fleet Leviathan, are hidden deep within the bowels of a space hulk scheduled to dock at Pinchot VI. The crew has been infected with the psychic sickness of the genestealers. As they make their way towards their destination, the crew dreams of the joy that they will bring to the citizens of Pinchot VI with their new religion.

 

Soon the space freighter arrives and both of its cargo is unloaded. The capitol city quickly falls under the sway of the genestealers as both the psychic toxin and the feeding of the genestealers themselves batter its people. The sickness spreads through the entire planet and even its moons. The people abandon the Emperor and instead await the coming of their new gods, and the time when they will be born anew clean of all sin. The citizens grow in religious fervor. The most zealous even prey upon their own brothers and eat their flesh.

 

In time, the Inquisition discovers the fall of Pinchot VI. The Imperial Fists, along with some Inquisition forces are sent to purge the planet of heretics. Interpreting the carnage and rebellion as stemming from Chaos, they overlook the possibility of a genestealer cult.

 

The ships of the Imperial Fists move in quickly to neutralize the orbital defenses of Pinchot VI. The defenses are handled neatly, however the orbital guns target the warp drives of these ships initially, leaving the strike force stranded until repairs can be made. Stung but not horribly wounded by this loss, planetfall is made smoothly.

 

The countryside is quickly scoured of fantatics along with the traitor planetary defense forces. The Imperial Fists take the lead while the Imperial forces plan taking the cities, their expertise in siege warfare making them the natural choice to fill this role. The Fists assign themselves to take the capitol city, where the greatest danger and greatest honor is expected to be found.

 

As the siege of the capitol begins, so do all the others around the planet. Heavy shells from Basilisk and Vindicator tanks terrorize the city as fast moving strike forces rush out to destroy the enemy as the emerge from the city. Soon the fall of the capitol is all but assured and a final assault inside the city itself is prepared. As the last defenses fall and the assault surges forward, terror strikes up from the very ground itself.

 

A horrible noise of wet flesh and scraping knives emerges from holes in the ground exposed by the artillery shells. Mere moments later, a horde of genestealers emerges from the ground and attacks the Imperial Fists as the Guard attached to them. Both flesh and steel quickly are torn apart by the flashing claws of the genestealers. Rhinos full of the Emperor

[Tubal]

Opportunistic raiders? Dark Eldar or what?... You're a bit vague there but if it's intentional then nevermind :D

 

Note that genestealers actually implant an organism into their victims, it is not a purely psychic disease. It doesn't remove independent thought but rather makes the victim want to help the genestealers, sort of :devil:

The victim's offspring will be hybrids who look more human for each generation. The fourth generation either looks completely human (but bald and slightly purplish skin) or are purestrain genestealers. Of course this takes a while, I would say at least ~60 years for the fourth generation. (first gen 0 years + 20*3 years for the subsequent generations to mature and bear offspring). The oldest of the original genestealers will become the patriarch and grow larger and gain psychic powers.

Anyway, the story looks pretty good and changing the beginning a little to fit will not affect the whole much.