Lunar Leopards.

[DavidKits]

OOC: before I begin this I would like to first state for the record. this chapter has no relation with the chaos legion the Lunar wolves. I have had some people ask about that due to the name. so I thought I should put that up first. anyway.

 

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Report submitted by Inquisator Mathis Lockhed

submit. disappearnce of the Lunar leopards.

Last recorded message.

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Inquisator lords. by the time you recieve this, I do not know of my fate, I am sending a post haste message to you, to sumup my findings before we enter an area of space that appears to make such messages from the holy astropaths nearly Impossible.

 

As some of you may know I have spent the last of my days hunting for the rements of the Lunar Leopards Space marine chapter. though it was written there world destroyed by a Chaos Invasion I have always felt differently. I have followed every hint every clue that I know of from worlds around the Empire of strange sightings of space marines wearing the colors and armor of the Leopards appearing when a world is most in peril assisting in destroying some major force in the enemy, and then vanishing as fast as they appear.

 

The last planet I visited who claimed to have had them show up the planetary govner, himself claimed that a force of marines came to his world moments before his hive was to be assaulted by orks. and did everything in there power to make sure he could escape to another location to regroup his forces and eventually push the orks from the planet.

 

The governer insisted that when he returned the whole city has been razed to the ground and little to nothing of it was left standing. When I went to this place to find any clues to my shock and that of my colleges. there was nothing. no broken bodies of marines no fragments of armor. the ork host had already been cleared out but the only hint of a space marine chapter beng there. was the large jagged holes and damage on the walls. each one the proper size and shape of a bolter round colliding with Ceramite walls.

 

some of my colleges are most distrubed by this as the closer we seem to get the more common these clues are.... and now I think I have finally come upon what maybe the system they reside in. but why would a chapter of such high reguard originally before there homeworlds destruction, run off to the eastern fringe. hopefully, I'll be able to ask them. and find out. as it seems we appear to be entering the system soon and this nebula will make telepathic communications difficult. i must depart and report my findings after.

 

Inquisator Mathis out.

 

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continued records.... none found.

Status: Mathis MIA.

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Background: The Lunar leopards have a Decent history, there chapters creation began back around the 21th founding. Using the Space wolf gene seed, the adepts mechinus(sp) were applying a process of genetic modifications to gene seeds of different chapters to try and make a more stable version and more powerful space marines. In the case of the Leopards most of the 'wolf' part of the gene seed was replaced with more feline genes and it was tested on a few subjects at first.

 

Amazingly unlike many of the chapters created around the same time. The Leopards gene-seed managed to hold on and didn't mutate too badly. the only noticable mutation at first was the delevepment on the subjects was what appeared to be a tail snub. Later in their lives the veterns began to develop complete tails, these tails that appeared were kept as an utmost secret even if they were used at times as gaining an extra attack.

 

With the loss or heavy mutation of most of the other chapters created during this time span, the chapter was placed under watch after already been given a homeworld close to the eye of terror. Their original duty was to assist the Cadian gate in times of need. Anytime a world was found to carry a heavy enough influence from the eye, a joint task force of Imperial Guard and the Leopards would be sent to exterminate the threat. Though, the Leopards at first found this appalling that with each attack and mission they went on against the forces of Chaos that an Inquisator and an adept at gene-seed purity was always awaiting their return to determine what had changed in there bodies.

 

After generations of this and the leopards still holding strong the empire laxed its watch on them feeling that there was nothing to worry about. That their deeds against Chaos was starting to prove their worth with little to no mutation it seemed, which is untrue as over the years there mutation was slowly increasing. Though some Inquisators founds it a little to strange to think that after so many battles against chaos that the Leopards seemed untainted, and it was they who would keep eyes on the Leopards.

 

Chapter master David Panthera was quoted in saying. "why do you not trust us and look at us with fear as if we are the beast... Is it truely needed with our halls lined with honors in battle against said creatures. I think not so turn your unfliching eyes away from us. we have more important matters to attend to." just before the final crusade of the Leopards left to reclaim another world.

 

At this battle, the Leopards assisted by multipe Imperial guard companies dropped onto a world of the Lord of Change and proceeded to purge it of life. they battled with their usual tactis of surprize and ambush while the Guardsmen pushed the Forces of Chaos into Ambush after Ambush. Many a marine perished and was maimed beyond recognision dispite this and a large portion of Imperial guard as well.. in the end the battle was theirs. The Lord of Changes forces were left scattered and running from the planet, and even 7 of the lords Deamon Princes and even one of his greater deamons or two has been ripped apart by holy bolter, and power weapon and tank.

 

With the day one. the Lord of Change, with as close of a sentient being as possible was angry beyond any comprehencable amount. his anger. Even with the faith in the Emperor as strong as it was. the Leopards did not expect to be struck as they were.

 

While they were moving their fleet back or what was left from there last crusade to there homeworld to regroup and re arm. the entire fleet was suddenly samshed with a warpstorm of malice. Ships spun and dive out of control, more then one smashed into one another and disappeared in a violent spray of color and scrap. The whole fleet was knocked heavily off course as they all spun out of control for what seemed like forever they were tossed and assault like rag dolls in the jaws of an angry dog. Only to be throw back from the Maelstorm back into an unknown region of space at the moment. Only the beginnings of their trails would come from there.

 

It appeared that the Lord of Changes Wraith was one that was not meant to destroy them. But it was to strip them of what they charished the most, being within the Emperor's Light. when the chapter awoke from their slumber there ships adrift in space for a few days. the first noticable effect. was the mutation that had overcome them. Though their mutation had been noticably becoming more common throughout the chapter and progessively worse over the years of combat around and sometimes just inside of the eye of terror. The Chaos god reaching into there gene-seed knowing that the wolf gene seed was still no matter how it was tampered with was still unstable. and by tweaking it here or there had excelleranted the mutation to the point that every marine on the ships had become anthromorphic leopards. much like the Wulfen in appearence they were shocked and horrified at first. and many took their own lives within moments half of the force still around disappeared, due to sucide or in some cases not waking up. many had been killed as they rest as well it was found later.

 

David having survived and one of the last to arrise woke to the sounds of his brethen killing themselves. and in other cases each other believing each one was chaos worshipper. quickly getting grips on things he managed to get order out of things after a long peroid of fighting with his men vocally. after gaining control he knew then that the Empire would not accept them back like this. so he ordered the ships to find anew system to claim as there home to find a place and hide for the moment. where they would still assist the Empire when they could. and once more regain their place in the Emperor of Terra's Light and he would change them back. rallying both his fleet and the Imperial Guard fleet that had been pulled with them they went off to find a new home.

 

After first figuring out that there general location was on the eastern fringe of the empire. the Lunar Leopards determined that with their present state, it was best to avoid the shipping lines and even the border bouys'. Using tactics he normally also used on Chaos to avoid detection with some tweaking due to the raising threat of the Tau. the Leopards managed to successfully escape the Empires controlled system, though having a minor event that involved them having to destroy one of the Bouys before it could relay there position to nearby fleets, it was later found out the border patrols blamed it on a border skirmish with a Tau vessel that was in the area and proceeded to destroy it. and a many years later come across a suitable new system to claim. one that would easily mask them from any unwanted guests, The Imperial guard fleet who had been forced to accompany them for fear of being wiped out by the Empire for knowing the truth of the marines was given one of the planets to set up home. While the marines themselves took up residents inside of a large Nebula amonly(sp) basing their new fortress inside. taking just as long to built it and its defences as it was to find the system. using the ruined hulks of battle ships and War cruisers to form together into the main facility that had more and more added to it over time to the large fortress city it is now.

 

 

Color scheme:

The Leopards for the majority of them wear a bright with mithril trim and chest eagles. the excepion to this is the infiltrating teams. they will wear all black with grey highlights with the feiry orange on there shin guards and shoulder pads. their tanks also follow the colors of the teams they are assigned to, though the tanks if they are ever there, are limited as most of the time they are used to draw attention away from the teams infiltrating closer to the enemy lines.

 

The rest of the Teams are in white and gold or again black and white much like the main line troops. to represent the minority of the new recuits that have come into the chapters fold. ((when I get pictures of my figures I'll put them up.

 

Female Marines: ((because many are asking about these.)) After the new home system was set up and the basic fortress was built, The Chapters Librarians, Apothicaries, and Tech Marines went into a frenzy of research doing everything they knew and could to find out what had happened to them. Though for the longest time they could not understand what was going on. It was after hearing that a =][= research station had fallen to the Dark eldar that they found there chance. moving in after the Dark ones had left. they infiltrated the station and took all data they could. copying everything that was in the data-banks but also in respect making up a second copy for the Inquizator host that arrived shortly after they left.

 

The data they found proved to be the turning point into looking into the problems. what was found after amazed them, it appeared they found out there Gene-seeds had been altered at a genetic level making it that when introduced into the body of a human before puberty(sp) the gene-seed when it rewrote the genes of the human, it also overlayed too much of the Feline DNA. As well as the mutation was so powerful, that several compounds inside of the gene-seed had been altered, even with this was evidence, they still have no present idea as to how this could be possible short of Ruinous Powers. One of these mutations made it possible for implantation into a female host. Though this was fought greatly by the Elders of the Chapater, who wanted to continue the traditional veiws of the Chapter. With a population of more women being born on the planet below them then males. it was through a neccessity of new recruits that made them take the first chance. It was what some called a successful Implation on a female host that sealed the idea. Though the woman tested on very well nearly succumed to the change, made some of the elders believe it was cursed to do so. For a while it appeared she had in fact died during the change. Though as everyone went to leave and the body be destroyed she came back seemingly from the dead. the implant was a success and though each woman who joins sadly goes through the same incident. All of them have after words proven themselves time and time again, as worthy members of the chapter.

 

Fightning style: the Chapter has many different fighting styles when it goes to combat depending on who is commanding the company going to war. thought the majority of the army will still prefer to take the fight to their enemies. ((trait take the fight to them)) and they prefer to see what is going on and not be seen in return. ((trait See but not be seen)).

 

due to the heavy losses they have recieved before starting to rebuild they are on short supply of mobile vehicles such as bikes and land speeders. as well as they are known to be stubbon as can be even in the face of defeat with such numbers. ((can't remember the traits, I believe its Eye to Eye, and Death before Dishonour, need to find my Codex again.))

 

Homeworlds: the Original homeworld of the Lunar leopards was attacked and destroyed during the 13th black crusade. it was due to this that the chapter was first considered completely destroyed. which is quite un-true as Inquisator Mathis found out. the new home world system is on the eastern fringe and north a ways. they are close to the Tau empire but even closer to a few nearby Ork controlled systems. though dispite this the Orks rarely enter the system as they are supersititions of ships disappearing into the nebula and never coming back. this is partly due to the chapter fortress being inside of the Nebula. and anything without a friendly ID or is let through by the fortress, the automated defence weapons drifting around inside will tear to shreads any space ship foolish enough to enter.

 

The planet the Imperials they recruit from come from mostly the world they gave to there 'sister' fleet. this world lives in close prox to the Nebula so it is more or less concealed to all but the most powerful in depth scans of the system. this world though populated by millions of Guardsmen there families are not of this world. half of the population on the world are refugees from deserted planets in which the Leopards have intervened. though told to stay and hold there world, many more are willing to live, learn from there losses and work to get back at those enemies by passing there experience to the younger generations on the world in case their new home is ever endangered by outside forces.where the Imperials would leave many to die, the Leopards will try to save anyone left behind who is willing to join them. though many refuse and stay to do their honor to the emperor. just as many are willing to leave. this single planet is beginning to become a fortress world in its own right over the years of countless preparing for battles. it is also becomming a point where through an alliance of the Leopards and the Imperials they are looking to colonise the next habitable world of the system.

 

Nebula: the Nebula that emcompasses almost all of the system is a strange event that. the nebula radites with an energy that appears to do nothing to electrical energy systems. and yet seems to dampen psyhic abilties greatly the deeper you enter. to the point that it is said to be next to impossible to send a communication out of the nebula without assistence. for this reason the Leopards have set up a vast network of sensor bouys, defence weapons and communitation relays all through the nebula and more are being placed out each week to replace ones that occassionally get destroyed from the occasional Ork Kursier making a run of the nebula for a warboss to be to try an show his stuff. each relay has a short burst communicator that can pick up a message from more then one other post and then transfer it onto the next batch as the communitations relays are so close. the message being sent should more or less arrive in one piece to anyone recieving it on the otherside.

 

 

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OOC: well thats it so far if I think of anything or you want toknow anything else just ask and i'll put it up. just got to get ready for work in rl now. ^^;;; chow.

 

Edit: well here you have it. I did some work on editing and fixing it up to make it look better. I added some more details on the Imperial world in there system. how the Female marines came to be aloud in the chapter etc etc. I also tried to fix up some story to say that this change that happened to them was more or less gonna happen sooner or later as it was occuring over time just this time it hit all of them at once or something. enjoy.

[iron father]

While I do not personally have a problem with people exercising their imaginations, many hard-line 40kers will have extreme difficulty accepting a chapter made from Space Wolves genetic stock, as according to the "fluff" this just isn't done. Expect to recieve some resistance. :/

[DavidKits]

I expect as much. just it works for me. though i used the idea of the genetic modifications on it due to way back in the day according to the 40K fluff the Empire did modify all of the gene seeds to try and make better marines. most of those attempts failed :P. but thanks for the comment.

[Ferrata]

*Ferrata puts a hat on. On the front of the hat it reads "Hard-line Fluff Fan"*

 

Lets start with the simple one shall we? The 2nd Founding is closed (almost, besides a few Ultramarine sucessors). There was only one Space Wolf sucessor chapter, the Wolf Brothers, no other chapter was created off the Space Wolves.

 

Next, because of the Wolf Brothers and the mutation present in the Russ gene-seed, the Space Wolf gene-seed is not used, period. It has never, will never be used to create another Space Marine chapter because they will be genetically unstable.

 

The AM do not play with the gene-seed. The did once, and that was the twenty-first founding, and that went down the toilet. Prior to then, the restrictions of the gene-seed was high so they we're not allowed to do it, and after they are scared to do it.

 

I'm not a fan of all four Chaos gods paying an intrest in the chapter, it seems a little too "Look at me, Look at me." Surely the Lord of Change could take on a chapter all alone.

 

Before I really break this down and continue to comment, are you willing to change the gene-seed of the chapter from Space Wolf to another Legion so I don't keep going over it?

 

++ Edit ++

 

I was just informed that you have female Marines in your chapter as well, this requries another comment :P The creation of a marine requires the y-chromosome to occur, thus female marines are impossible. This would be another thing you need to change to come inline with main stream fluff.

[Big Woop]

It seems as if though they went to respectable and pure to mutated and hidden away over night, due to an unusually strong chaos influence. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but making their "fall" a little more complicated would make them more complex.

Maybe they would have a strong sense of traditions and identity and see themselves as the purest and most respectable chapter, but the disaster would force them to look inside themselves and realize they were not enirely without flaws.

Do they have any plans to try and somehow contact the empire again in the future, or are they set on spending the rest of their time hidden?

[Zhivago]

I agree with Ferrata. Add to that the comic or cute tail part... It spawned image of marine nekomimi in my mind. If you don't know what nekomimi is, you are lucky. And as noted, thsi is dabbling with genes which is no-no for marines. Try cursed founding prehaps ?

[iron father]

I really like the psychological aspect here. We have severely mutated marines, far from the genetic standard of the Imperium, and with a shadowy past. Despite that, they're not chaos-y or renegades at all. they're not even dark and brooding, which is nice, too. They're just dedicated servants of the Emperor, trying to serve the Imperium the best they can even though it would probably destroy them if it knew. They're forgotten whildren with hearts of gold.

 

Are you using traits? If so, Have Faith In Suspicion might be a good flaw. I don't know whether they distrust psykers or not, but I don't imagine they'd have librarians, because of the warp anomaly in their neck of the woods.

[DavidKits]

*nods* thanks for all the comments. I'm still working on alot of it as this as you no doubt can tell. there was plans they may try to get back in contact with the empire, though most of there contacts as mentioned are no open comtact. most of there new requires come from the Imperial guard companies that went with them. the Chapter master kinda informed the idea of guilty by assocation.

Though I may need some help with finishing things up. as for the idea of female marines. I would think it would be somewhat possible if people model up ones for the Emperor's children and there god did take place in the mutation of my chapter. its just something I want in my chapter. extreme fluff or not its just something to make them different from most chapters. *shrugs* well hope to put up more later.

 

Iron father, thanks for your comment it does give me ideas of what to give as flaws. I was thinking that they do have a few psykers in there army such as a Librarian. but his powers are only useful when they are outside of the area. but I may take that flaw just in case. more thoughts later thanks *waves*

[st.germaine]

I don't have nearly the problem with the Space Wolf geneseed that some of the more intense members here (and elsewhere) have. GW has made it very clear that the record keeping capabilities of the Imperium are limited at best due an overwhelming amount of information and a lack of technological ability to manage the volume of data. The Wolf Brothers are the only known successor chapter of the Space Wolves but given the condition of the Imperium's data management capabilities, it is not beyond the realm of possibilities that a number of chapters have fallen through the cracks. One of these could be of SW stock. I wouldn't worry about it too much as far as fluff problems go unless you have a pressing need to make the FNs happy. (BTW I'm guilty too with my Jade Wolves).

 

I wouldn't even bring up the idea of female marines. This really sets the FNs' teeth on edge and there is nothing that can be said to mollify them, no matter what nice hook you come up with to explain it. If you like it, use it and recognize that it won't ever be accepted by some people. {soapbox mode on} That's the way our whole world has become. There is only black & white. There are no shades of gray. Compromise is evil. If you don't believe what I believe, you're WRONG!; not we have differing interpretations.{soapbox mode off} I've run afoul of this one as well and it's not just an issue here. The FNs are a wide spread contagion and you'll never make them buy into this one. (I've run afoul of this one as well with my Sunhawks.)

 

I do have to agree about the 4 gods bit however. I'm from the old school when it comes to the alliances of the Chaos gods. All 4 gods is a problem in my book. I don't think that any chapter is enough of a threat to make even two gods cooperate.

 

...for the majority of them wear a bright with mithril trim and chest eagles...

The color scheme is apparently missing a word that I assume may be "white" based on later comments. A picture of the marines or a capture from the Interactive Painter might be a better way of displaying their color scheme.

 

st.germaine, this post is getting close to being an attack, too close for my liking. Next time you want to post something like this, think a little bit mroe about what your typing and how it sounds to others - Ferrata

[Kurgan the Lurker]

Yes the fluff very specifically states as to why SW gene-seed is no longer used and why females can't be Marines. Call me a hardliner then :D.

 

Now there are some things you could do by tweaking your existing story to make everything work (though I would still really suggest leaving the Female bit out).

 

First - Change the Found from 2nd/3rd (the 2nd Founding is set in stone outside of the UM successors missing from the Apocrypha of Skaros) to the 21st. This will tie in why the AM was tinkering with things and perhaps why SW gene-seed was being used. It is a stretch but not as far as a 3rd Founding SW successor. 21st Founding also still gives them 5,000 years of existance.

 

SW Gene-seed - Seems like the reason you want them to have this is to justify the change into were-cats. But if you do indeed go with the AM tinkering with Marines in the 21st Founding then you could say the AM simply took what they knew about SW gene-seed (has wolf DNA in it) and tried the same idea with a more stable gene-seed -- like UM or IF -- only using some form of giant cat DNA. It "seemed" to have worked with the Marines perhaps having heightened vision and dexterity (even over other marines) but as you would come to find out it had consequences.

 

The prehensil tail: May want to make this out where the mutation is just a tail nub. It seems like something so drastic as a tail would get them purged right off. Perhaps the full tails start appear after their first battles against Chaos and this is what draws the intial attention of the =][= (Sisters of Battle are in charge of keeping the Chapters genetically pure if you go by the RT era fluff).

 

Chaos: I agree that the 4 Chaos Gods joining together to hit 1 Chapter doesn't work. These guys are not the Ultramarines afterall. But perhaps Tzeentch learns of what is really within their gene-seed and begins to work to corrupt that, constantly harassing them so as to work more Chaos into the Marines and their gene-seed. This eventually leading up to the were-cat issue.

 

Female marines - Outside of recommending you not include this, it really does seem like you just tossed it in there as a gimmick. It really isn't necessary. Your Chapter can have enough of a hook without that. Yeah you could explain it away as more contact with Chaos but it really seems half-done and unnecessary.

[DavidKits]

ok I have edited and changed some things. hopefully made it better though I like how this turned out. please tell me what you think. I expect to still get bashed but hey thats wat you get for my kinda fluff *chuckles and waits*

[Sigismund Himself]

Just keep working on it. It is something different but that could turn out to be a good thing if you make the difference believable. Don't give up even if you do cop a lot of changes from your original idea. ;)

cheers

[DavidKits]

thanks man thats good to know. I'm still working on it.

[DavidKits]

Bumping up for a new generation to read. *salutes8 hopefully i can get some more comments. and please don't try to attack me with some of whats written...

*expects to get it anyway as i put on a helmet and digs self a trench to lay and wait in.*

[Doctor Thunder]

I'm very fond of a lot of the fluff, and I like the inclusion of the female marines among the ranks, but I think it needs to be darker.

 

Have the inclusion of female marines be completely rejected at first as a possibility by all the chapter leaders except one, who begins the process on his own anyway as a shadow project. There could be a lot of strife over the issue, even coming to blows. What could make the issue even more vexing would be if the female marines were even more viligant and fanatical as their male counterparts, but occasionally displayed abilites they should not possess, like healing others with a strange light, or limited precognition. Something that could be from either the emperor or from demonic taint.

Juxtapose their fanatical fervor with possible taint and you create a nice level of tension within the chapters ranks.

[DavidKits]

*nods an dsmiles8 thanks Man, well my female marines are suppose to be a bit more.. nuts as they area always under the eye of the chapter's leaders more so the chaplains as being a problem so mos tof them run around with plasma weapons and all with the hope in mind that being crazy enough to weild these dangerous weapons no mater what is the start to showing there loyality.

 

I think I may have missed in putting that in but I'll work on the fluff some more with the ideas you passed me :) thanks again.

[Chapter Master Jose]

i like your fluff sounds well ace :)

[DavidKits]

thanks man :) thank you alot! :3