Index Astartes - Tormentors

[OutlawSixActual]

THE TORMENTORS

 

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== BACKGROUND ==

 

Chapter Traits

Dutiful and Courageous

Advantages: No Mercy, No Respite; Trust Your Battle Brothers

Disadvantages: Eye to Eye; Have Faith in Suspicion

 

Appearance

Tormentors bear power armor painted in a dark gray, with deep red shoulder pads and bright yellow eyepieces. The left shoulder pad bears the Chapter Insignia: a black lightning bolt encircled in a field of white. On the right shoulder pad is worn the unit designation of the individual Space Marine: an upward-facing arrow for Tactical Squads, chevron for Devastators, X-shaped arrows for Assault, and a Skull for headquarters. Platoon numbers are written in Roman Numerals over the unit type designator, and headquarters units bear the number of whatever organization they belong to (for example, Company numbers). Each Space Marine bears his Company number on the right kneepad.

 

Sergeants color their right kneepads blue and bear a white stripe along the middle top of their helmets. Officers wear white helmets and red-colored kneepads.

 

Origins

The Tormentors Space Marines are a proud member of the 24th Founding, and can trace their lineage all the way back to the Ultramarines Chapter. They were formed as a strict Chapter that adhered totally to the Codex Astartes.

During the time of the founding, many systems in the galactic east of the Imperium were coming out of warp storms or were for one reason or another brought back from the forgotten records of old Imperial worlds. For whatever reason, it was clear that these planets needed to be returned to the Imperium and their people brought back under proper rule. The Tormentors were tasked to travel across space and find these worlds and ensure that they were brought back into the Emperor

[iron father]

I like this a lot. Very organized, very codex. Have you begun to develop the 'character' of the chapter at all?

 

Between the traits you've chosen, the level of detail you've put into the chapter's organization, and its mission to return lax Imperial planets into the fold, I'm getting the sense that they're strict authoritarians (even moreso than the Imperium in general, that is.) They're the ones who are visible on parade in the ublic square of a recently "liberated" colony making sure that Imperial protocol is enforced, in a very Judge Dredd sort of way. "I am the law!"

[Commissar Molotov]

They're the ones who are visible on parade in the ublic square of a recently "liberated" colony making sure that Imperial protocol is enforced, in a very Judge Dredd sort of way. "I am the law!"

 

Only that strikes me far more as the role of the Adeptus Arbites, who also excellently mimic Judge Dredd in other ways. The Space Marines are hardened, elite (and very rare) strike troopers, they're not peacekeepers or garrison troops.

 

Most Space Marine chapters don't give two hoots about Imperial Law. They care about the Emperor's Law.

 

One thing I would suggest is that your chapter forms very close-knit links with the Imperial Navy and the Imperial Guard. Both would be essential when attempting to re-take worlds lost to the Imperium, many of which would be unwilling to return to what is essentially a theocratic tyranny.

 

With regards to the foundings, you can find some useful information in Confirmed Founding Dates, here. The list is very incomplete, as with so much official GW background. You'd be better off not listing exact years, but rather just naming a founding.

[iron father]

Of course, space marines wouldn't be a police force, or concerned with day-to-day law enforcement - they're far too valuable. Certainly that's the job of the Arbites. I intended my suggestion more along the lines of the Roman legions - vanguards of the Imperial culture, and a show of force to keep the 'heathens' in line. And the Judge Dredd imagery is rich enough to share with the Arbites, especially since the Arbites receive so little press these days.

[Severus6]

Personally I like the image of Space Marines, a company to several companies worth, marching down the main street of a newly inducted Imperial world; it is very unmistakeable sign of force. Granted the blade is still in the scabbard but it is still a big sword. More than likely they wouldnt have to do it for every Imperial world but it would definately act as a "reminder" of why its good to be part of the family.

 

Severus6

[OutlawSixActual]

Hey all, thanks for the comments. I've updated the post and now I'm working on some pictures to illustrate the Chapter markings, as well as a layout of the Aemellios System over which they lord.

[OutlawSixActual]

Hello, I just added a bunch of stuff on the history and organization of the Tormentors, and I tried to make it a little easier to follow. Please feel free to leave me any feedback.

 

Also, I am working on some battle historys, specifically one detailing the blood split of the Tormentors into thier successor chapters and their current aims in the support of the Medusa V campaign. I hope to have a story about that that is constantly evolving as newer and newer events take place.

[Severus6]

"the Tormentors took command of sixty regiments of Imperial Guard and their supporting fleets"

 

This generally doesnt happen anymore. The High Lords do not like it when Space Marine Chapters have direct control over Imperial Guard regiments. I would suggest that your Chapter was a part of a Imperial force that was tasked with repatriating that part of the galaxy and at times worked closely with the IG but mostly led the tactical strikes and initial recon into these areas. Something to consider maybe.

 

Severus6

[Chinchillapimp]

Good stuff! I especially like the detail justifying the deviation from the norm in terms of platoon organization. It ties into your origin well. I'd like to hear more about how/why the Brotherhoods are used.

 

With the establishment of the Tormentors homeworld on Bellos Prime in the Amellios System and numerous recruitment centers among the vast native populations, the Tormentors chapter grew to dangerous sizes. Their size peaked at one time to number almost thirteen thousand and required a split with four successor chapters during the 26th Founding.

That idea may be a bit controversial. You might consider dialing down the number if it doesn't have a bearing on the reasonings for other parts of your fluff.

 

The one idea that sticks out for me is pretty nitpicky. It's the use of modern Western rank insignia. There are probably lots of people that would like it, but it seems a bit too familiar for me. I can't imagine that modern rank insignia would survive for another 38,000 years. Isn't their rank already indicated by the helmet stripes/color?

 

Anyways, I look forward to seeing more!

[OutlawSixActual]

Hey all, thanks for the replies, they are much appreciated.

 

The thing with the 13000 Marines is something I've written down before but didn't have time to expand upon. Initially, I wanted to have the Tormentors trapped in the warp storms around the Amellios system, and then their desire to ensure that they wouldn't die out before the storms subsided forced them to recruit as many new Marines as humanly possible. This would lead to a huge overpopulation of marines that become too difficult to control, and so they required a split at the next Founding, into the Tormentors, Oppressors, Persecutors, Judicators, and the Steel Tyrants (who would betray the others in the fluff)

 

Of course, then I realized that that being lost to warp storms is pretty overdone. I still wanted to have the story about the chapters, though, and so I added in the "13000" figure in the hopes that I can legitimize it later.

 

The desired endstate would be that they split (in the 26th Founding), and there is a struggle as the new Chapters attempt to establish identity while others wish to remain under some central control. I wrote a large draft to this as an enormous battle ignited by the Steel Tyrants, commanded by a paranoid, psychotic chapter master who turns on the other Chapters, and is eventually sent into hiding - leading to the fluff i'm thinking for the Medusa V campaign.

 

Anyways, that's the reasoning behind that large population. Shaky I know, but it's not a necessary addition - i would just like to be able to fit it in somehow.

 

BROTHERHOODS

 

Here, I did attempt to move away from the western organizations - at first they were Battalions and the Chapter was a Regiment. Yeah, I know... i'm just used to military organization styles like that.

 

The idea of the Brotherhoods is that they are each self-contained forces within the Chapter (with the exception of the 4th, which is split up all the time to provide armor support to the other Brotherhoods). That way, one Brotherhood (3rd) can focus on training. The two others (1st and 2nd) can rotate between guard and patrol duties and actual direct combat ops. Plus it makes it easier (just like with the PLTs) to have an interim commander who can focus his attention on the 3 companies deployed to whatever battlezone, instead of forcing the Chapter master to split his attention among everything that's going on. I'm sure that the other normal Chapters place people in command like this as well, but the Tormentors simply officiate that position.

The point of the Companies is that I like the idea of a dedicated fast planetary assault company that can spearhead the main invasion. A company of Assault Marines is a lot more ferocious to behold than 2 Squads drawn from several different companies, to me.

 

RANK

 

I did try to get away from the rank system by adding small deviations. For example, the officer ranks are different - 2nd LT is a silver bar instead of gold, while 1st LT is gold. CPT is 2 gold bars (instead of silver), and the major, instead of an oak leaf, is 3 gold bars. The next up, Vice Commander (instead of Lieutenant Colonel), is 4 red bars, while the Lord Commander (commander of each Brotherhood, and instead of a Colonel) is represented by a red "X" shape. The Marshal replace generals and are represented by blue, 4-point stars instead of silver 5ers. The rank for the "enlisted" is slightly deviated as well - horizontal rockers (similar to the PSG rank of a USMA cadet) replace the rounded of the regular army, and the rank scheme is similar as well.

While this may be controversial, I did this because I wanted to come up with a system that I could transfer to the Imperial Guard. And while, I realize that a Space Marine Captain would equal (if not outrank) an Imperial Guard Marshal, I like to have that organization. Also, in line with that, I went with the chevron/rocker system because that is how the Cadians seem to be organized (the Cadian Kasrkin SGT wears rank in the form of three chevrons, if I remmeber correctly). However, I can see why it might not make sense to have that rank system apply to the Space Marines.

 

However, are there any resources you might be able to point me to to get a better idea of different rank insignia that I could use?

 

Regarding the helmets as well, I never really saw it as a rank thing as more of an organizational standpoint - Squad Sergeants should obviously have a lower status than the Sergeant of a Company command squad, right? On the same token, the Company Captain should have some kind of uniform difference from the Master of the Chapter. Even though they are both officers, they need some kind of rank differentiation instead of both having red kneepads and white helmets. Does that make sense?

 

Anyways, it's late and I apologize if I am sounding defensive - I'm extremely tired. I appreciate your input and look forward to your further advice. Just remember that I'm not nearly done with all the fluff yet for this Chapter, and I hope to clarify quite a few things once I get more stuff written down.

[Severus6]

Why 13K? I simply cant see your Chapter being allowed to grow to that size regardless of it being split later. Personally I would cut that out completely as it does not fall within the established GW background in any way. Granted it is not my Chapter but it is way outside the bounderies. Just a suggestion.

 

Severus6

[Chinchillapimp]

Anyways, it's late and I apologize if I am sounding defensive - I'm extremely tired..

Oh no, you didn't sound defensive at all!

 

The 13,000 Marines later splitting into other separate Chapters seems reasonable to me if you can write some really solid fluff as for why they'd get that large. Whenever I get stuck on an idea that I know I want to incorporate, but I can't figure out how to make it make sense; I just go back to the idea and try to figure out what other fluff I'm trying to support with it and then think of alternate ideas that might work too.

 

The Brotherhoods concept seems to be less well-supported by your narrative than platoons. It seems like the platoons add needed flexibility to the typical mission of the Chapter, while the Brotherhoods reduce it. Do the Brotherhoods always deploy as a single force? It seems like an extraneous level of command for troops as disciplined as Space Marines. It's not as if Marines have a ton of logistics and support that need to be handled by an HQ at all different levels.

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm a total rank structure nerd (I almost started an IG army just to feed my need to draw Tables of Organization), but I try to throttle it back when thinking about my own Marines. In my mind they are a exceedingly disciplined and organized force that would only be encumbered by a more complex system of command.

 

Was this your intent?:

 

Sergeant (Squad leader)

2nd Lieutenant (Platoon 2IC?)

1st Lieutenant (Platoon leader)

Captain (Company commander?)

Major (?)

Vice Commander (Brotherhood 2IC?)

Lord Commander (Brotherhood commander)

Marshal (Chapter Master)

 

In any case, it sounds like you outlined a slicker system of insignia than just using the modern US system. That said, you might consider that it might be difficult to tell the difference between gold and silver on a smoky battlefield. Marines certainly seem to be all about the bling, but they also seem to be fairly practical about their insignia.

 

However, are there any resources you might be able to point me to to get a better idea of different rank insignia that I could use?

I could toss out a couple of options, but I'd be interested in seeing the chain-of-command first. Battletech had a few interesting ideas for insignia that might be inspirational:

http://users.anet.com/~cplkagan/uniforms/

http://www.kerensky.tierranet.com/btech/btech.shtml

 

While this may be controversial, I did this because I wanted to come up with a system that I could transfer to the Imperial Guard. And while, I realize that a Space Marine Captain would equal (if not outrank) an Imperial Guard Marshal, I like to have that organization.

I don't think there's any analogues between IG and Marine ranks at all. It's comparing apples and oranges. A Marine captain only takes orders from his Chapter. IG officers have no assumed authority over any Marine and vice-versa.

 

Keep the good stuff coming!