The Astartes Vocates

[GhostLegion]

I hate to interject with nothing interesting/of value to add....but is this Astartes Vocates project rolled up into a couple pages of good reading anywhere, or does it only exist as a running conversation.

 

As it is, I would love to be able to sit back and just read the whole thing, but paging through the comments and revisions gets kind of painful...

[Barret]

I don't think so, no. You could dig up the old Vocates thread and see if there's a summary... Okay, here's the old thread, with a summary of the project's ideals at the beginning and a lot of discussion afterwards, but that's almost two years old (!). The basic nature of the Vocates has remained pretty unchanged, but a lot of the detail has evolved and changed over the years and still is, to some degree. A lot of our information was stored on the Vocates forum, but that's been gone for a while.

 

 

If anyone has a summary, it's Herr Kommissar but he's a lazy git and hasn't written IA: Astartes Vocates, yet.

 

 

 

--edit--

 

Check out the third post of this thread.

 

 

Mmm, crow.

[Commissar Molotov]

If anyone has a summary, it's Herr Kommissar but he's a lazy git and hasn't written IA: Astartes Vocates, yet.

 

As opposed to people like Awol/Darrell/etc who've just upped and disappeared? ;) I'd consider writing IA:AV but it's not really been worthwhile - especially with Chapters like the Alpha Wolves and the Marines Ascendant not being fleshed out. I'll consider it, but I would have to make it relatively general so as not to trample over various people.

 

If people want it, I'll do it.

 

 

 

I hate to interject with nothing interesting/of value to add....but is this Astartes Vocates project rolled up into a couple pages of good reading anywhere, or does it only exist as a running conversation.

 

As it is, I would love to be able to sit back and just read the whole thing, but paging through the comments and revisions gets kind of painful...

 

I fear that's the nature of most online discussions - though as Barret mentions, I did provide a summary of sorts at the start of this incarnation of the thread.

[Barret]

This is more than a bit of a non sequitur, but it's for the Marines Ascendant, and this seems as good a place as any to catalog it.

 

 

The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacle of the righteous

The right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly

The right hand of the Lord is exalted

I shall not die, but live and declare the works of the Lord

The Lord hath chastened me so, and he hath not given me over unto death

Open to me the gates of righteousness, I will go into them

I will go into them, and I will praise the Lord

This is the gate of the Lord, into which the righteous shall enter

I will praise thee, for thou has heard me and become my salvation

The stone which the builders refused is become the headstone of the corner

This is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes

 

 

And a Space Marine-ized version:

 

 

The light of salvation and death is in the soul of the righteous

The right hand of the God-Emperor doeth valiantly

The right hand of the God-Emperor is exalted

I shall not die, but live and shine the light of the God-Emperor

The God-Emperor has created me so, and hath not given me over unto Chaos

Reveal to me the light of righteousness, I will go into it

I will go into it, and shine it forth unto the dark places

This is the light of the God-Emperor, into which the righteous shall enter

I will praise the God-Emperor, for He hath seen me and become my salvation

The light which the blind have refused is become my soul

This is the God-Emperor's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes

We are the right hand and mirror of the God-Emperor

 

--Battle-Chant of the Marines Ascendant

[Tyrannicide]

I'm not too well-versed in poetry, but this is good Barret. Now when will we see a rough outline on IA: Astartes Vocates, Mol? :P

[Barret]

Well, I think Mol has a good point in saying that IA:AV can't be completed without all the Oathbrethren being more complete. I know for my part I've barely scratched the surface of the Marines Ascendant, and the Thousand Swords are due for a full rewrite Real Soon Now .

 

 

However... perhaps the initial work on IA:AV might be worthwhile? Anything requiring details of the missing Oathbrethren could always be left for later, and I think we have a good grasp of the timeline and key events now.

[Hasoroth]

In a vain attempt at being included I'd like to volunteer for any job, be it virtual coffee maker or fleshing out a beliefs system. My credentials include being active and being semi-competent with fluff, both home grown and official.

[Commissar Molotov]

Well, I think Mol has a good point in saying that IA:AV can't be completed without all the Oathbrethren being more complete. I know for my part I've barely scratched the surface of the Marines Ascendant, and the Thousand Swords are due for a full rewrite Real Soon Now .

 

 

However... perhaps the initial work on IA:AV might be worthwhile? Anything requiring details of the missing Oathbrethren could always be left for later, and I think we have a good grasp of the timeline and key events now.

 

I have done the initial work on IA:AV! It does drive me to distraction when people imprecate that I haven't done anything for the Vocates :rolleyes: - but right now, I think the other Oathbrethren need to work on their Chapters. The Marines Ascendant and the Alpha Wolves, especally, are lacking - and I'd be happier if they were further completed. I don't much fancy working on an article just to have to re-work it later.

[Commissar Molotov]

So, where are we at the moment?

 

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z121/mnesimache/Zodiacmockup.jpg

• The Alpha Wolves - The Purity of Strength (IA Thread HERE)
  
• The Angels of Perdition - the Purity of Mind (IA Thread HERE)
  
• The Black Watch - The Purity of Form (IA Thread HERE)
  
• The Castigators - The Purity of Flesh (IA Thread HERE)
  
• The Execrators - The Purity of Hate (IA Thread HERE)
  
• The Judicators - The Purity of Word (IA Thread HERE)
  
• The Marines Ascendant - The Purity of Spirit (IA Thread UNAVAILABLE)
  
• The Reapers (The Harvesters) - The Purity of Purpose (IA Thread HERE)
  
• The Shield Bearers - The Purity of Faith (IA Thread UNAVAILABLE)
  
• The Sublimators - The Purity of Deed (IA Thread HERE)
  
• The Thousand Swords- The Purity of Focus (IA Thread HERE)
  
• The Warlords - The Purity of Heart (IA Thread HERE)
  

 

The Alpha Wolves, Execrators, Marines Ascendant and the Shield Bearers need perhaps the most work.

[Hasoroth]

So just a few ideas on fleshing out the Shield Bearers:

 

Shield Bearers:

 

Purity of faith

Religious belief in the Emperor

Non-orthodox

Religious belief is necessity, due to proximity to EoT.

Deist is the term for them I believe

Dual responsibilities of guardians of the EoT, and Vocates membership weighs heavy, but they don’t mind. (No wangst marines)

Humane but aloof towards Imperial citizens

Grey and red color scheme

Grey shield, diagonally divided by a red stripe for emblem

 

It's by no means comprehensive or complete, but its a basis at least! :D

[Commissar Molotov]

It pretty much ties in with what I had intended. I had thought of incorporating symbolism from Atlas - he bore a great burden. Something I've tried to encourage within the Vocates from day one is an attempt to move away from obvious or generic DIY Chapters. For example, I would have to insist that this religious Chapter didn't have an obsession with 'cleansing flame' like 99.9% of other religious Chapters out there.

 

(It's worth noting that Hasoroth and I talked on MSN about the Shield Bearers yesterday.)

 

I had suggested earlier that the Shield Bearers be both Vocates and Praeses, and that they struggle to maintain their responsibilities to both. For example, they might not have a substantial commitment in the Vocates Honour Company. Alternately, they might have a decent commitment despite the difficulties.

 

The idea was that faith is their shield, just as they shield the citizenry of the Imperium. I had thought they would be at the forefront of defending the Eye of Terror from the Black Crusades, and that they could perhaps incorporate some of the Nietzschian ideas of "staring into the abyss." They stand at the gates of hell, but they won't abandon hope.

 

Not sure on the religious belief in the Emperor. It rather depends how it's done and how it's carried through the Chapter as a whole.

 

Also, define 'aloof' in this context, Hasoroth? I think we tend to get a lot of 'aloof' Marines in the Liber, and so I'm curious as to how that 'aloofness' contributes to the themes inherent in the Chapter?

[Hasoroth]

To clarify:

 

I see the Shield Bearers as being hermits in a way. They believe in the Emperor, but not in the Ecclesiarchy. They guard the Eye of Terror and maintain their duties in the Vocates. Due to all those responsibilities I can see them being rather reclusive, maybe a bit archaic due to their solitude (please understand I haven't had any sleep for the last 24 hours, I'm slightly wonky). Aloof was probably the wrong word, it implies arrogance. I figured the Shield Bearers to have been set apart by the gravity of their duties, neither better nor worse for it.

[Brother Cambrius]

Erm, do you guys mind if I made a colour scheme called the Shield Bearers? I made it sometime back in June 2007:

That ok with you all? :( You can use it if you wish.

Cambrius

[Sigismund Himself]

[color=#000000; 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%;">

Index Astartes: Vocates Honour Company

[/color]

 

"The warp spawned abominations shall taste of our blade wherever they may try to hide. We shall not rest while their hearts still beat. When we strike, we will strike with hatred in our mind and so strike with the strength of the Emperor. Strike for your brothers, strike for your Oathbrethren and strike once more for the Emperor. Strike for striking's sake. Leave none alive, lest their impurity harm others." -Chaplain X of the Execrators at the Purging of the Garl Empire.

 

 

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%;">Organisation

 

The Honour Company consists of detachments from ten of the Oathbrethren. The level of commitment from each chapter tends to vary. Some chapters send marines merely to honour their chapter's oath while others, such as the Sublimators and Thousand Swords, have maintained heavy contributions of marines and resources since the Honour Company's inception. Due to this variance, as chapters face other immediate threats and sustain losses, the Honour Company's number of marines vary exceptionally. At some times, the company has been known to number 350 marines. At other times, the number of marines from some chapters can be counted on one hand. As the end of the 41st Millennium draws nearer, more and more of the Oathbrethren look to their own defences. As such, the Honour Company's numbers are barely a Codex Company's.

[ToyShip]

In those days, there was a circle of brothers,

Warriors of a mettle unsurpassed in all the worlds of

the Imperium, and they were called the Astartes Vocates, of the Blessed founding.

And an oath they swore, the brothers twelve, that for as long as the circle endured,

they would stand watch over all the Divine Emperor's realms and, by force of arms,

protect them from all the manifold powers of Ruin.

 

(Shamelessly stolen and altered from Brothers of the Snake ;) )

 

Fear not Oathbrethren, the Execrators will soon, once again :wub: , rise from the depths!

 

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a333/Toyship/execratorhelm1.jpg

 

Excuse the lopsidedness of the image, but I was struck by inspiration, and had to get some terror-markings done :P .

[Nine_Breaker]

Just wanted to throw in that I finished up version 2.1 of IA: AoP and have it posted here.

 

Also, and perhaps more importantly to the advancement of the Vocates in general, I'll hopefully be resuming work on the Alpha Wolves and have a bit more on them soon. Since my creative break I admit I've had some different ideas about the Wolves.

 

First, though I still like the idea behind Edena (the Hunter's Planet) I think I want to abandon the Alpha Wolves recruiting from a single world. As mentioned in other threads, such a method would no doubt weaken the planet's gene-pool when subjected to aggressive recruiting. Seeing as the Alpha Wolves want only the strongest amongst them, they might recruit from numerous different worlds. I also had ideas of pushing eugenics even further and having the Alpha Wolves recruiting "ideal couples" rather than kids, then taking the selectively bred offspring from birth. That might be a bit too far though...

 

I envision the Alpha Wolves as a very utilitarian and practical Chapter. Coupled with their new lack of a single recruiting source means that the view of the Emperor as a god is totally out the window.

 

With the Black Crusades, Tyranid Invasions, Tau Expansion, and Rise of the Necrons, it strikes me that the Alpha Wolves are kids in a candy shop as far as a good fight goes. I can see the Chapter in later years being severely understrength but in high spirits despite all the losses. The amount of battle field heroics and properly challenging battles would be at an all time high in the 41st millennium. More somber Vocates chapters and Imperial forces might even miss the reasoning behind their high moral in such dark times and mistake it for madness! This might also lead to the Chapter actually being dominated by virtual veterans. It occurs to me now that the use of combat drugs among the Alpha Wolves could easily be at an all-time high.

 

Regarding the combat stims themselves, I liked Darrell's suggestion of having these engineered by the Apothecaries and/or Techmarines themselves. This would indeed signal that the Alpha Wolf command structure is turning a blind eye to the practice. Adds a touch of delicious darkness to the Chapter me thinks. And goodness knows these stims could result in all sorts of bad side effects.

[Sigismund Himself]

The first model of the Vocates Honour Company is up in the Works In Progress section, here. Any help with a symbol for the Honour Company is more than welcome.

[Ferrus Manus]

The first model of the Vocates Honour Company is up in the Works In Progress section, here. Any help with a symbol for the Honour Company is more than welcome.

 

Possibly the clock symbol with a sword going through it? Its the only idea I've got.

[Commissar Molotov]

In the past it was suggested that the use of a Prime Helix could work. I'm not necessarily sure about that.

 

The Reapers' symbol is a scythe, a symbol that's been maintained by the Harvesters - I don't know if you could do anything with that.

 

I don't think the zodiac would be used, as that was the work of Maltheus and few of the Vocates Chapters would give it any real credit.

[Sigismund Himself]

First go at a symbol, involving scythes.

I'm thinking of adding more but I don't want to make the symbol too complicated for painting.

[Ferrata]

I want to say the obvious and cross two of them on a shield... but that is rather obvious.

[Brother Cambrius]

The first model of the Vocates Honour Company is up in the Works In Progress section, here. Any help with a symbol for the Honour Company is more than welcome.

 

Perhaps a 12 pointed star? Maybe an Aquila in front of a circle?

 

Regarding the scythe symbol, a scythe isnt too hard to paint (I should know ). Perhaps a simple drop of blood as an edition to it? You could borrow thge Blood Angels' transfer for that.

 

Hope this helps you,

 

Cambrius

 

PS: Any opinions on my accidental creation of the Shield Bearers' heraldry?