Storm Slayers

[xRagex]

I put some more thought into this and decided to edit things i dis/liked. As always feedback is welcome.

 

Name: Storm Slayers

 

Home Planet: Juturna, Segementum Pacificus. The planet is more or less a death-world comprised of mostly lowland swamps, bogs, and marshes. They have a 19-month year, and for 16 months out of the year, it's monsoon season with fierce storms, which gave them their name.

Gene Seed: Ultramarines, though some think its possible that the original mentors of the chapters came from the Space Wolves

 

Battle Cry: All suits are equipped with a voice distortion that give their voices the allusion of ravening daemons, although due to the frequent use its something like a second langauge to the marines.

 

Chapter Master: Lord Juturna- Malick Nagara

 

Founding: 17th

 

Heraldry: All black with blue knee pads, eyes, shoulders and crests

 

Symbol: A sword with a lightning bolt for a blade

 

Combat Doctrine: The Storm Slayers are known for using a very brutal system that rarely changes. Due to the fact that Juturna is a swampy death-world, bolters and heavy weapons are often prone to jamming or malfunctioning because of the climate. As a result, the chapter tends to rely on heavy melee assaults, and the few non-assault sqauds maintained are either a handful of Devastators or tanks. The combat doctrine rarely changes, with Devastators and whirlwinds firing volley after volley of shots at the enemy, providing enough support for the assault squads to close in and destroy the enemy in righteous combat. Also, as training is often conducted in stormy weather, a storm during battle on other worlds is considered a blessing and will spur the Slayers on to fight harder. Some inquisitors suggest that the chapter's obsession with lightning is directly manifested in their heavy usage of plasma weapons, while there's no solid proof of this it seems highly plausible. Another rumor was that as per all new chapters Space Marines from another chapter were sent to aid the fledling chapter in this case it was believed to be members of the Space Wolves.

 

Battle Rites

 

Champion:On Juturna there's a large reptilian creature that can easily be several meters long known as a Jormungand. At the start of every campaign, a company is chosen to hunt down a Jormungand and sacrifice it in honor of the chapter, the marine who finds the great serpent must fight it with his bare hands. If the size of the beast isn't enough of a deterent, it has special glands that allow it to spew an electric current from its maw at anything it percieves as a threat. The marine who manages to take down the massive snake is elevated to the status of Brother Tempus a position similair to the Black Templar's Champion.

 

Dreadnaughts: Like most chapters, Dreadnoughts are revered for their dedication to the chapter and are only called into battle in the direst of circumstances. To see which Dreadnought will be woken, each Dreadnought has a banner of internment mounted on the highest tower of the fortress monastery's roof. Whichever is struck by lighting first is seen to be chosen by the storms and will be revived and return to fight for the chapter once more.

 

Iniates: Before a brother can become a full fledged space marine he must endure the rigorous program all space marines go through and then endure a simple and blunt test known as the Trial of Storms, the test is simple the neophyte will stand on a large column over looking the fortress with his sword held above his head and waits to be struck by lightning, its not unheard of for a brother to remain standing there for up to a week at a time. If the brother is strong and survives the strike it is shown that he is favored and ready to make war with his battle brothers.

 

Chaplains: The chaplains of the Storm Slayers are called Rain Fathers because it is believed that through their unwavering faith they can call down the storms though this is highly debateable. They also practice and preach ritual electricution, believing that every strike survived is said to be a blessing of strength bestowed by the emperor himself.

 

Captains: Captains of the Storm Slayers and their practices are similair to the ways of the Space Wolves, each company is called a Clan is less of a strict military regiment with more emphasis placed on the elder stronger brothers leading. As a result the companys are more like families and less like the typcial rank and file space marine company. The captains are each called Storm Lords and are second only to the Lord Juturna or the Monsoon Lord as he is sometimes called.

[ironloki]

Nice start. Some info on their beliefs and background would help cement a few things

 

Gene Seed: Ultramarines, though some think its possible that the original mentors of the chapters came from the Space Wolves

 

Why space wolves? There is a large different between Ultra's and Space wolves genseed wise as space wolves are very unstable and have no known successors. That doesn't mean you cannot do it but it may be a bit messy. I think you should drop this and just say that SW helped to train/have influenced them and you would still have the desired effect :D

[Severus6]

"Iniates: Before a brother can become a full fledged space marine he must endure the rigorous program all space marines go through and then endure a simple and blunt test known as the Trial of Storms, the test is simple the neophyte will stand on a large column over looking the fortress with his sword held above his head and waits to be struck by lightning, its not unheard of for a brother to remain standing there for up to a week at a time. If the brother is strong and survives the strike it is shown that he is favored and ready to make war with his battle brothers."

 

I like everything except that,...its too random and besides its almost as if its the luck of the draw. Have you considered an alternative rite passage?

1. Dropped off in the middle of nowhere and having to make his way back.

2. A Chapter induced pain mechanism,...a cage that electrocutes the initiate. The Storm Cage?

3. A trial of strength possibly,...the initiate has to push two great doors open that just happen to be electrically charged. This is done during the stormy season so your boys are out in a hurricane level storm pushing a door open that is electrically charged so that they may enter the grand doors of the Chapter.

 

Just a thought, hope it helps.

 

Severus6

[xRagex]

I liked the idea of a sort of the space wolves, the noble savage and what not. I think you and I are thinking the same thing I just need to word it differently.

 

To Severus, I liked my idea at first but I like your idea more now, I'm thinking something like the eye of the storm, where an iniate would have to have complete control and discipline while there's utter chaos around them. I'll have to work on it some more but I really think your third idea is what I may use.

[Severus6]

"I'm thinking something like the eye of the storm, where an iniate would have to have complete control and discipline while there's utter chaos around them."

 

Thats the thing right there; The Minds Eye of the Storm. Virtually a duality of character within the Chapter. Close combat oriented yet in complete control outside of combat. The Chapter stresses this to the point of obsession. Only total control of yourself will provide the warrior with the opportunity to rise above or persevere through the times of trouble. Just a thought, hope it helps.

 

Severus6

[Maladon]

In reading the fluff for you chapter, it sounds alot like the should have White Scar geneseed... but maybe its just the way I was reading it.

[xRagex]

I thought about it but honestly aside from the the lightning/thunder references I don't think there's much correllation, I could be wrong however.

 

For the iniation rite I've decided that I wanted it to put emphasis on the chapter that seems fairly in control until they get onto the field of battle then all bets are off. The iniate is dropped off in a pain glove like body armor and have to fight back to the chapter, the suit however sends waves of electricity pumping through the entire time making movements difficult. The test is designed to prove the strength and speed of body and that through channeling emmotions and directing it towards a greater cause then the iniate is capable of achieving anything. To add to the trial this is done strictly during monsoon season.