Brother Puma Posted August 4, 2010 Share Posted August 4, 2010 [img; background-image:url(http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/hq2.gif); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-position: 8px 2px; padding: 12px 8px 12px 8px; border: 1px solid #DDD; margin-left: 0 auto; text-align: left; color: #fff; text-indent:50px; font-size:130%; width:50%;">http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/431/ootsmarine.jpg[/img] Brother Sergeant Casillus, 2nd Company In 247.M36 during the Age of Apostasy, a Space Marine vessel carrying a company of Dark Angels discovered the feudal planet Santiagus Maggiore along the border of the Segmenta Obscurus and Pacificus. The ship was damaged from a recent battle against the forces of Chaos, and so the Dark Angels sought sanctuary to repair their ship on the planet. Upon landing, they discovered a people of great faith in what the was called “The Greater Light.” As the Dark Angels explored the planet, they found that the people revered them for not only their massive stature, but also for the Aquila and winged swords adorning their armour. The people called them the “Knights of the Sword,” and would display a sword-like cross set upon a shell (assumed to be a primitive representation of the sword upon the shoulder pad of the Marines) on their clothing as a sign of respect for the Astartes. Exploring the planet, the Dark Angels found massive temples with huge statues of knightly figures holding giant swords guarding the doors, massive shrines to a two headed eagle – a living version of the Aquila – built of golden stones, and monasteries emblazoned with crosses that trained the young men of the planet in both meditation and the art of war. Upon further investigation, the Dark Angels discovered various individuals with a propensity for combat, heightened senses, and increased reaction speed. The elder monks of the monasteries believed that the robed Space Marines were emissaries of the Greater Light, and presented them with massive swords with beautifully crafted hilts and shields of gold. Impressed with both the abilities of the trainees and the gifts of the elders, the Dark Angels took the young warriors and began their indoctrination into the Space Marines. The Dark Angels’ original intent was to utilize the planet as a recruitment ground, but the faith and love for their people displayed by the new recruits led the Interrogator-Chaplains of the Dark Angels company to believe that the warriors of Santiagus would be better suited creating their own chapter. This act of selflessness struck the elders of the tribes in a way not seen in many millennia, and they thanked the Emperor for the blessing bestowed upon them. The Dark Angels then trained the new Marines in the ways of the Astartes so that they might create a new chapter all their own. Once word was received from the Adepts of Terra that this would be an acceptable course of action, training commenced, and recruitment increased. Soon after their task was appointed, ships of the Adeptus Mechanicus brought the necessary parts to repair the damaged Dark Angels vessel. The techmarines of the chapter repaired the warp engines, and the Astartes prepared to leave.[Alternate segment]The Dark Angels sent word to Terra of their finding, and shortly thereafter were ordered to begin recruitment for a new chapter of Space Marines. It was decided that Santiagus would be the home world of this chapter, and that they would be known as the Order of the Sword. Ordered to use their own geneseed – that of Lion El’Jonson - the Dark Angels Chaplains said a prayer of thanks to the Emperor for entrusting them with this great task, and set out to recruit more warriors for the chapter.[/Alternate segment]The Order’s beginnings were humble – no more than 200 men were made into Marines. The people’s faith was clearly established by their reverence of the Aquila, however, and so the Chaplains merely taught them that the Greater Light they adored so dearly had a name and a figure, and it was that of the Emperor of Man. They accepted the teachings readily, and so after the first company was established, the Dark Angels left them to their own devices, allowing the chapter to build itself as it saw fit. The Dark Angels left five veterans behind to oversee the Order’s growth, but it was decided that one of the new recruits would be best suited as the commander of the chapter as he would have a better connection to the other warriors. The most skilled and intelligent new Marine of the Order, Santiago di Campus Stellae, was selected by both his fellow Marines and the five Dark Angels, and was thus made Supreme Grand Master.Shortly after the departure of the Dark Angels, a ship of the Adeptus Mechanicus arrived and delivered the Order’s first sets of armour, weapons, vehicles, and ships. Master Campus Stellae ordered the body armour to be painted in a grey hue (representing the purity of the warrior monks they were trained to be), and the helmets and arms to be painted a deep red (for both the blood of their enemies and their own blood they would readily spill in defence of the Emperor). The people of Santiagus Maggiore were so overjoyed at the sight of their new warriors that they spent many months weaving great tapestries, banners, and tabbards for the Marines, which they gifted to them upon completion. Once the adorment of their new armour was complete, the Order of the Sword set out to find more recruits from nearby worlds, and so began the existence of the Order as a Space Marine Chapter…http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/hq2.gif); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-position: 8px 2px; padding: 12px 8px 12px 8px; border: 1px solid #DDD; margin-left: 0 auto; text-align: left; color: #fff; text-indent:50px; font-size:130%; width:50%;">Homeworld Santiagus Maggiore, Homeworld http://worldofweirdthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/green_planet_440.jpg Combat Doctrine Organization Beliefs History of the Chapter Symbol Chapter Symbol http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/130/ootsbadge.jpg Geneseed BattleCry "For the Emperor, by the Sword!"The marines of the Order of the Sword believe that only through pain or death can one achieve atonement for their sins. Thus, few enemies survive to tell the tale of battles with the Order. The Order has a relatively simple battlecry, which is said in a ceremonial fashion before battle, and then uttered by the marines throughout the course of battle. It is as follows:Commanding Officer: "For the Emperor!"All Marines: "By the Sword!"The Order also has a simple prayer that is said during battle to remind the marines of their purpose. The prayer is, "Signore Santo, dov'è non c'è luce, che io porto la sua luce santa!" which roughly translates to "Holy Father, where there is darkness, let me bring your holy light!" This is most frequently chanted in battles against heretical or chaos forces. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tutteman Posted August 4, 2010 Share Posted August 4, 2010 Stormtroopers could probably be explained as Chapter Serfs, especially if this is a zealous chapter. IG tanks are, I'm afraid, pretty much a no no. Marines just have no use for hulking tanks like the Leman Russ. Not really in the scapel style. Nice work on the Land Raider by the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother Puma Posted August 4, 2010 Author Share Posted August 4, 2010 Original Post Brothers,Allow me to introduce the Order of the Sword. I am in the process of writing the background for the chapter, but at the moment, I have a SM Painter colour scheme to post for you and several WIPs to post later. The chapter is based on the Order of Santiago - the medieval knightly order of Saint James of the Sword. My chapter will utilize much of the Black Templars iconography and units, as their medieval appearance lends itself well to the idea I'm after, but with a bit of freehand symbols and eventually some green stuff sculpts to display the proper cross of the Order. As they are based on an ancient Catholic knighthood, their ties to the Inquisition will be strong, albeit infrequent. I'd like to incorporate some Imperial Guard units like the Inquisitorial Stormtroopers (not the actual troopers - a personalized variation) and IG tanks, but I'm not entirely sure how to go about it logically. Any help would be appreciated.I need some help making decal transfer sheets (freehanding each shoulder pad would get really old...) so if anyone can help, please let me know!Now, without further ado, I give you the chapter colours of the Order of the Sword, and the Second Company's Land Raider (WIP). Chapter emblem (red is darker than this normally. See marines below)http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/130/ootsbadge.jpgStandard Marineshttp://img440.imageshack.us/img440/431/ootsmarine.jpghttp://img31.imageshack.us/img31/1284/ordermarine2.jpgVeteran Marinehttp://img121.imageshack.us/img121/5697/picture3hlq.pngLand Raider WIPhttp://img838.imageshack.us/img838/9507/landraiderwip.jpg Second Post Hmm... Chapter serfs sounds like it could work. Perhaps they're inhabitants of the Order's home world, were unable to make the cut as a marine for whatever reason, but still wished to serve their planet and the Imperium so they don the uniform of a guardsman and serve with the Marines? That sounds like it could work...First draft of the orgins up soon... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tutteman Posted August 5, 2010 Share Posted August 5, 2010 We await with bated breath. :D On the serfs that's basically the idea, you could have the Stormtroopers as the serfs (these guys were still the best of the best) and then just say the "standard" guardsmen (if you want them) are just local PDF troops, how does that sound? I like the Chapter Icon, and yes decaling might be the way to go. Would just save so much time, although it would appear you are quite capable judging from the icon being on the Land Raider. I assume that was free handed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grey Hunter Ydalir Posted August 5, 2010 Share Posted August 5, 2010 their ties to the Inquisition will be strong, albeit infrequent. You have ties to Inquisitors, not the Inquisition. The Inquisition is made up of various individual Inquisitors who themselves are divided up into factions who all have widely differing viewpoints and goals and fight with each other as often as they do outside threats given that they view each other as legitimate threats as well. There are the various Ordos (Xenos, Hereticus and Malleus) and within each Ordo are the various factions. Even within each faction there are extremes from one end of their particular belief spectrum to the other. Inter-faction squabbles being just as common. A chapter can have a strong relationship with a particular Inquisitor they either like, who has supported them in the past or vice-versa, which will by proxy put them on the 'in' (to a degree) with that Inquisitors allies. That said it's not always wise to be close to an Inquisitor given their propensity for declaring each other Heretics, then putting innocent bystanders in the firing line because they believe their own cause is more important than a bit of collateral damage. On the Stormtroopers angle, yes they can be explained away as Chapter Serfs but there aren't many chapters that take their serfs onto the battlefield. Firstly, they'd have to replace them along with any other losses from the companies themselves (most serfs are failed inductees so they wouldn't be replaced that often either). Secondly it takes away from the marines being marines. During the Great Crusade they had to separate the Astartes from the Imperial Army simply because the human troops couldn't perform on the same level as the marines. While Serfs are a step up from human soldiers, they still aren't marines. Fighting in a single engagement because they must is one thing, following them on campaign is quite another. You would also need a hell of a lot of Serfs on hand to make them a viable fighting force available to the entire chapter and that would somewhat break the Separation of Powers edict issued after the Horus Heresy and I'm sure would not be viewed favorably. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tutteman Posted August 5, 2010 Share Posted August 5, 2010 Fair points on the numbers, but aren't chapter serfs used to run SM fleet vessels? If I recall correctly they are also used as bording forces on said vessels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother Puma Posted August 5, 2010 Author Share Posted August 5, 2010 I like the Chapter Icon, and yes decaling might be the way to go. Would just save so much time, although it would appear you are quite capable judging from the icon being on the Land Raider. I assume that was free handed? I agree - big timesaver. And thanks! It was free handed, my second attempt ever to be honest. The first attempt is the cross on the door haha... I'm pretty happy with it, but it's so damn time consuming. Thanks for the feedback, gents! I'll work out the Inquisitor stuff, and I'm still working on how to do the stormtroopers bit. I wouldn't use a ton in the army - no more than one squad. I'm not a big fan of scouts, so maybe that's why I want them... Updated the first post with the "orgins" bit. C&C needed and appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother Puma Posted August 7, 2010 Author Share Posted August 7, 2010 Updated "The Order and the Inquisition," as well as their "BattleCry." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grey Hunter Ydalir Posted August 7, 2010 Share Posted August 7, 2010 In 657.M38, Supreme Grand Master Santiago di Campus Stellae was leading the first company on a mission to Calabrinus II with the intention of finding new recruits for the chapter. What the Swords found upon entering the planet’s atmosphere, however, was far from what they expected. Calabrinus II – fertile-looking and hospitable from space – was instead covered in ashen waste plains, with massive volcanoes raining molten lava upon the Thunderhawk transports. Couple of things here. While the Imperium is a far cry from the somewhat more progressive days of the Great Crusade, they still possess tech far in advance of what we have today. If we can go an photograph Alpha Centauri with a probe or telescope and be able to judge it's environment, Imperial ships will not be fooled by some pretty clouds. What environmental effects could obscure the formation and eruption of Volcanos anyway? The most recent volcano eruption here on earth locked a vast majority of western air-travel because of the ash. If the planet's surface is covered with erupting volcanos the view from space would be one of black ash and rivers of molton lava. Even a single eruption would likely be visible. Ash also does not look green from outer space. Also, while a thunderhawk may well be armoured enough to withstand a few sprays or even a brief dip in a lava flow, being doused in molton slag while airbourne would be like dropping a small lake with the consistency of liquid concrete over a jumbo-jet. Not only that but upon entering the atmosphere I'm sure an erupting volcano is significant enough of a natural landmark for the pilot to be able to move away from the lava flow. What follows is a short-story which is ill-placed in an IA. The story itself is alright, if needing a bit of work but it's just not the right place to put one. An IA is a summary, not a blow by blow description of the chapters most destructive or shocking engagements. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tutteman Posted August 7, 2010 Share Posted August 7, 2010 Okay, one thing you might want to slightly alter on the Origins, what founding are they because they wouldn't be founded on their own. Perhaps altering it to say how they reported it to Terra and when the next founding was declared it was deemed a suitable planet for the chapter to draw it's Aspirants from? On the short story front, if you want to include a story I'd advise firstly keeping it very short, and secondly to stick it in a side bar rather than a section of it's own. At the end of the day less is more in an IA, for your chapters links to the Inquistiton you could just have almost a two line comment on how they have co-operated with several Inquistitors and impressed them or such like. Really think before putting something in, does it need to be there? Does it tell us more about the chapter? If not, then why is it going in there at all? It's a decent story, some minor issues but they can be sorted. Perhaps you could write a story for the Fan Fiction section on here that explores the Inquistition/Chapter relationship foundations? And then link it to this IA/ the IA to it. Keep going :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother Puma Posted August 7, 2010 Author Share Posted August 7, 2010 Thanks for the help gents. I'll fix it up later tonight after work. The story wasn't supposed to be long, but it kind of grew on its own after I started writing it. I'll summarize it in a few lines, but finish it off later in a different post. Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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