264 replies to this topic

[Argon]

This is a continuation of the previous thread here. We are currently in the process of getting enough bits o' fluff together to make something resembling an IA.

What we have so far:

-One of the original members of the Astartes Praeses along with the White Consuls and Subjugators

Homeworld:
-Necris, Death World, primarily desert. Was once verdant, but humans strip mined entire planet for precious minerals.
-Most native fauna and some flora can kill you (or at the very least ruin your day)
-Current human population are decendants of original miners. Pious and industrious.

-Exemplars recruit primarily from Necris.
-Aspirants make pilgramage across desert. First test.
-Those that survive are allowed to next stage. Tests of strength, speed, and martial prowess. Similar to ancient Olympiad with a large dash of gladitorial combat.
-Aspirants must pass every test. Those that do must complete last challenge: Kill a rock dragon (big nasty reptile, think of a cross between a Komodo Dragon and a Gila Monster on steroids) by yourself.
-Aspirants that succeed in killing rock dragon are allowed into chapter.

-Fortress-monestary "Arx Fatalis" is in northern mountains.
-Fairly standard fortress monestary.

Beliefs:
- Battle-brothers write various litanies on their armour for various reasons.
- Greater piety than most chapters stemming from constant battles against Chaos. This isn't to say that they're like the Black Templars or Imperial Word Bearers, just that they might spend a slightly greater amount of time in prayer and things like that.

Organization:
-Standard Codex organization
- More Chaplains and Librarians than usual, Each company has an integrated librarian and the Battle Companies have two chaplains.
-Captains acts more as a tactician, battle-brothers are usually led into battle by Chaplain or Librarian.

Combat Doctrine:
-Standard Codex combat doctrine
-Prefer energy weapons (like plasma guns and lascannons)
-General grudge against the Word Bearers for their corruption of the Imperial Truth and their habit of spreading heretical lies

Gene-seed:
-Ultramarines gene-seed. Probably.


Feel free to contribute any ideas you have. We'll have an Index Astartes here eventually.

Edited by Argon, 21 January 2011 - 02:59 PM.

[Lord Tybault]

We also more or less agreed that the chapter would have a higher number of chaplains and that each battle company had an integral librarian given the nature of their deployment. This can still be debated, of course.

[Jim AMM realgenius]

We also more or less agreed that the chapter would have a higher number of chaplains and that each battle company had an integral librarian given the nature of their deployment. This can still be debated, of course.

I like this idea and think we should keep it.

[Lord Tybault]

I like this idea and think we should keep it.

Fine. Can we maybe also agree that the First Company Captain is named Tiras? No need to, of course, but I just named him like that. And since that post was vacant with the late chapter master's death we'd have to think of a name anyway. I happen to have a small personal history ready for him as well.

[Jim AMM realgenius]

Tiras sounds fine to me. Is he helmeted or fair-haired?

For a FLGS I wrote a little bit of story to go with my painting contest entry. It was about the 2nd Company; if people are interested I'll post it so people can pull out their collective "red pens".

[Jim AMM realgenius]

And since that post was vacant with the late chapter master's death we'd have to think of a name anyway. I happen to have a small personal history ready for him as well.

Does the fluff say Raoul was First Company Captain or are we just assuming? I know with Ultras that some view Sicarius as the Chapter Master in-waiting, even though he is Captain of the 2nd company.

[Lord Tybault]

Tiras sounds fine to me. Is he helmeted or fair-haired?

Look for yourself:

(The hair's meant to be more orange than brown, but I'm still fiddling with the settings of my camera.)

Does the fluff say Raoul was First Company Captain or are we just assuming? I know with Ultras that some view Sicarius as the Chapter Master in-waiting, even though he is Captain of the 2nd company.

I just assume. But I also assume that it would be a disgrace for the most senior and high-ranking captain to not become the new chapter master, although certainly a lot of chapters do that differrently - through vote, for example. Either way we have us a First Captain.

[Argon]

And since that post was vacant with the late chapter master's death we'd have to think of a name anyway. I happen to have a small personal history ready for him as well.

Does the fluff say Raoul was First Company Captain or are we just assuming? I know with Ultras that some view Sicarius as the Chapter Master in-waiting, even though he is Captain of the 2nd company.

It depends. Some chapters have the Chapter Master also act as the First Captain, while others have Chapter Master and First Captain as a seperate position.

I say we should make Chapter Master and First Captain seperate positions. It would be much easier that way, since we've got Captain Tiras there.

Also, I'm getting started on the IA. Does 3rd Founding sound about right? It's more or less after the 3rd Black Crusade, so it would make plenty of sense.

[Lord Tybault]

Also, I'm getting started on the IA. Does 3rd Founding sound about right? It's more or less after the 3rd Black Crusade, so it would make plenty of sense.

Hum... good question. Can we nail down the founding dates of the other chapters with some certainty? If those were all founded around the same time that MIGHT be an indication that all/most Praeses chapters were of the same founding ( which I doubt and I don't even believe we'll get dates for more than two or three of the rest). But go ahead - 3rd is as good as anything else.

[Argon]

Also, I'm getting started on the IA. Does 3rd Founding sound about right? It's more or less after the 3rd Black Crusade, so it would make plenty of sense.

Hum... good question. Can we nail down the founding dates of the other chapters with some certainty? If those were all founded around the same time that MIGHT be an indication that all/most Praeses chapters were of the same founding ( which I doubt and I don't even believe we'll get dates for more than two or three of the rest). But go ahead - 3rd is as good as anything else.

The White Consuls are 2nd Founding, the Relictors are 21st founding and that's all that I can find.

It looks like they're spread out across different foundings.

[Lord Tybault]

It looks like they're spread out across different foundings.

Hm... I'd rather make them one of the pretty late foundings - they appeared not that long ago and I think a point can be made that they are a comparatively young chapter. Or we make them an older one and have more mystery.

[Argon]

It looks like they're spread out across different foundings.

Hm... I'd rather make them one of the pretty late foundings - they appeared not that long ago and I think a point can be made that they are a comparatively young chapter. Or we make them an older one and have more mystery.

It really doesn't matter, unless they were founded during the 13th or 21st Foundings which the Exemplars definently were not. There's a general theme in the Librarium that the 14th founding chapters were made with a special emphisis on purity, but that's purely unofficial.

[Lord Tybault]

There's a general theme in the Librarium that the 14th founding chapters were made with a special emphisis on purity, but that's purely unofficial.

Well... what we're doing here is unofficial, too, so to speak. And I always thought of them being especially pure (or at least being very rigorous in their rituals), so that would fit - if we want to take that theme up as well. We can leave an explicit founding date out since a) it doesn't really matter all that much and we don't need them to be of a special foudning to make them special.

[Argon]

There's a general theme in the Librarium that the 14th founding chapters were made with a special emphisis on purity, but that's purely unofficial.

Well... what we're doing here is unofficial, too, so to speak. And I always thought of them being especially pure (or at least being very rigorous in their rituals), so that would fit - if we want to take that theme up as well. We can leave an explicit founding date out since a) it doesn't really matter all that much and we don't need them to be of a special foudning to make them special.

Actually, that could explain the "exemplars". They're exemplars of purity, physically, mentally, and spiritually.

I think we've got it.

[Lord Tybault]

Actually, that could explain the "exemplars". They're exemplars of purity, physically, mentally, and spiritually.

We got us an agreement then. Very good. Do we want to go as overboard as the current Blood Drinkes IA article?

[Argon]

Actually, that could explain the "exemplars". They're exemplars of purity, physically, mentally, and spiritually.

We got us an agreement then. Very good. Do we want to go as overboard as the current Blood Drinkes IA article?

It's not so much "overboard" as much as "insanely detailed". That said, not really. Ideally an IA is detailed, but doesn't go into every last aspect of why a chapter does something.


Awesome. I'll get started on that IA now that I know what we want to theme them around.

[Lord Tybault]

It's not so much "overboard" as much as "insanely detailed". That said, not really. Ideally an IA is detailed, but doesn't go into every last aspect of why a chapter does something.

And I'm pretty sure he doesn't go into the more... delicate details of the chapter's traditions. Their name DOES indeed have something to do with their behavior after all.
But I agree that we don't necessarily need to have it that detailed. I do have some stuff for my army (building the entire 5th Battle Company), but apart from that I just thought of the First Captain's background a bit. Let other players have their freedom as e have ours.

Awesome. I'll get started on that IA now that I know what we want to theme them around.

I think 2-3 chaplains and 1-2 librarians max for battle companies is more than enough. Reserve companies would routinely have only one of each assigned (or rather 2 chaplains and no librarian) and stock up if deployed to the front. What do you think?
How about Dreadnoughts (which I happen to call "Elders" in this speial instance)? I do have 4 for 5th Company because I bought that many. Given the nature of the chapter I think it is reasonable toa ssume that the battle companies would have quite a few dreadnoughts in their ranks.

[Argon]

I've got bits and pieces of the Index Astartes written. Here they are for you to critique:




The Marines Exemplar were born of the X Founding, from the aftermath of the 6th Black Crusade. The Ultramarines themselves were chosen for the young chapter’s gene-seed, and the honor of training them was given to Captain Aelanius. Aelanius was a staunch devotee of the teachings of his Primarch, and strove to instill these values in the young neophytes. They were to be exemplars of purity of body, mind, and soul. They were to be the Marines Exemplar.


….the chapter found the world of Necris, beyond the southern border of the Imperium but still within range of the Astronomicon. The feral tribes here had regressed to a primitive existence, fighting not only each other but the very world itself. Dangerous beasts like the chimalli strode about and sudden storms and floods threatened to wipe out entire tribes. The Chapter Master was inspired by the resolve of the tribes and their faith in Emperor. He claimed the world as the chapter’s homeworld.


The chapter responded to a call for aid from the world of Inari Delta against the heretical forces that had risen up against the Emperor. The chapter brought forth the full fury of the Emperor’s finest, and swiftly pushed the heretics back to the slums from which they had arisen. In their desperation, the heretics called upon the power of the Warp, and so skies of Inari Delta were rent with warp portals as innumerable daemonic entities were summoned into the world of man, led by the fiery hand of Draum’khak. Undaunted by this, Chapter Master XXXX XXXX led his men forward, all of them shouting praises to the God-Emperor. The battle was great indeed, and many battle-brothers were lost, but in the end the Chapter prevailed, Draum’khak himself being struck down by Master XXXX after being wounded by a young sargeant named Maxim Absolon….


Work is progressing on them. Real life and the hunt for gainful employment just get in the way from time to time

[Lord Tybault]

That sounds really cool what you have there so far.

I think, though, we should make the home world more... well, 'deadly'. Necris looks like a GW derivative of the Greek word "nekros" which just means "dead". So either the world is a DEATH world or it is a DEAD world. You went for the death world type, corect? No problem for me - but them living on a essentially dead world (say, for reasons of purity which can only be gained through very strict asceticism) and having new recruits brought from other worlds (like e.g. the Fists do) is possible. I can live with both, but a dead world would just fell more... fitting. Somehow.

And don't you worry about your real life interfering - I do have the same problem (and my Trial of Purity coming up in a few days - I hope to be a chaplain-in-training next year).

[Argon]

That sounds really cool what you have there so far.

I think, though, we should make the home world more... well, 'deadly'. Necris looks like a GW derivative of the Greek word "nekros" which just means "dead". So either the world is a DEATH world or it is a DEAD world. You went for the death world type, corect? No problem for me - but them living on a essentially dead world (say, for reasons of purity which can only be gained through very strict asceticism) and having new recruits brought from other worlds (like e.g. the Fists do) is possible. I can live with both, but a dead world would just fell more... fitting. Somehow.

And don't you worry about your real life interfering - I do have the same problem (and my Trial of Purity coming up in a few days - I hope to be a chaplain-in-training next year).

I was going for more of a feral world, oddly enough. However, a Death World would work just as well.

I was basing it off of the Texas Hill Country, taking all the negative aspects of it and turning them up to eleven. Thus, it's really hot during the day, really cold at night, and the wildlife is either venomous or trying to eat you. (Rest assured that this is an extreme version of the region, and in real life it's actually quite nice.)

The whole thing is sort of based on this little thing:

"Welcome to Texas! You will find throughout your journey here sticky, humid pine forests that are not quite unpleasant enough to be classified as ‘tropical’ to the east, deserts to the west and south. maddeningly flat plains to the north and a hill country in the middle that can’t quite make up ITS mind. If you happen to live in the east, be ready for the occasional tropical storm/hurricane to try and take everything you’ve ever worked for into the Gulf of Mexico. If you live to the North, you get to have tornados and snowstorms (both of which can happen in the east, just not as often). To the west and south you have dry fields unsuitable for most American used crops, with weather often times breaking 100F during the day and as low as 60F at night, the remote possibility of earthquake/volcano (You only think I’m kidding.), and can get so dry that people have to water the cacti. The hill country has all the disadvantages of all of the previously mentioned areas, with none of the perks. All areas of the region suffer from flash flooding depressingly often, leaving stagnate pools of disease infesting waters in the best of times. In addition, there is a sum total of one naturally occurring lake. And then there’s the wildlife and the people, a lot of whom do not like you. Oh, and you just caught yellow fever (19th century)/West Nile (21st century). Congratulations."

(As a little side note, I get to live here. )

[The SKULLCRUSHER]

Hello, I have been wanting to start a Marines Exemplar army for some time. I read thru a few of your posts. I beleive that they would also have a lot more Librarians and Chaplins then a normal Chapter. I also invisioned them as having no homeworld, rather them recruiting from the toughest worlds or pulling some of the best Chaos fighters from other chapters. I also think they should have a mobile fortress, as they would be guarding the Eye of Terror, and this way they could travel from place to place where ever they were needed most.

I never really had time to flush out a big fluff history, but I would really like to see a good one put out (not much of a writer here)
Hope to see more of this thread, so this awesome chapter can get flushed out alittle!

SKULLCRUSHER OUT!

[Lord Tybault]

I beleive that they would also have a lot more Librarians and Chaplins then a normal Chapter.

Has already been discussed and we decided likewise - having one librarian and at least two chaplains assigned to each battle company (and each reserve company in case of deployment) definitely makes the total much higher than other chapters.

I also invisioned them as having no homeworld, rather them recruiting from the toughest worlds or pulling some of the best Chaos fighters from other chapters. I also think they should have a mobile fortress, as they would be guarding the Eye of Terror, and this way they could travel from place to place where ever they were needed most.

We know, though, that they definitely have a homeworld. We are fleshing out the chapter but take into account the few bits of official fluff we got - and one of those bits is the chapter's homeworld (we only know the name, though). What it'll be like we haven't decided yet although I still am in favor of a dead world...

[Ferrus Manus]

Have you read Dark Creed? I think the Marines Exemplar get a mention - and I think their Chapter Master gets named.

[Argon]

Have you read Dark Creed? I think the Marines Exemplar get a mention - and I think their Chapter Master gets named.

I have not, though I really need to.

Gah, to think I call myself a Word Bearers fan .

We know, though, that they definitely have a homeworld. We are fleshing out the chapter but take into account the few bits of official fluff we got - and one of those bits is the chapter's homeworld (we only know the name, though). What it'll be like we haven't decided yet although I still am in favor of a dead world...

I've scrapped the original idea for the death world, having just spent a week in the area I was basing it on (although it would make for an awesome feral world). I have an alternate idea for a desert death world based on a Flash game of all things, but I might be persuaded to go with a dead world.

[Lord Tybault]

I've scrapped the original idea for the death world, having just spent a week in the area I was basing it on (although it would make for an awesome feral world). I have an alternate idea for a desert death world based on a Flash game of all things, but I might be persuaded to go with a dead world.

Well, I have to admit I don't have very much worked out so far, but I actually think a DEATH world is the better choice. We need VERY tough aspirants for induction into a Praeses chapter - and those can't be found on a dead world after all. Plus, there are a number of other chapters in the general vicinity which might or might not recruit not onlx from their homeworld but others as well. So I'm actually quite prepared to have Necris become a desert death world (as long as you give me some grey stone deserts).