The Liber Cluster

[Reyner]

Edited my post with a non-gridded colour scheme. I'll work on how the Blades see everyone today when I can.

[Olis]

Part of me is thinking 'just stick with Codex stuff', but another part is going 'name the Battle Companies (making them Clan-Companies), have six of them, and combine the three Reserve companies into one larger 'Hearth-Company' that seldom sees battle at it's full strength.

 

And honestly, I don't know if that's even a good idea or just me talking complete drivel.

 

I personally would like to see them as fairly codex-adherant.

 

 

Also... I think my Conflagrators might be one of those who follow the Nikaea Edict - it would certainly justify their distrust of Librarians... 

[Astus]

 

Part of me is thinking 'just stick with Codex stuff', but another part is going 'name the Battle Companies (making them Clan-Companies), have six of them, and combine the three Reserve companies into one larger 'Hearth-Company' that seldom sees battle at it's full strength.

 

And honestly, I don't know if that's even a good idea or just me talking complete drivel.

 

I personally would like to see them as fairly codex-adherant.

 

 

Also... I think my Conflagrators might be one of those who follow the Nikaea Edict - it would certainly justify their distrust of Librarians... 

 

 

Sounds like a great idea, I'd say run with it. And the Heralds wouldn't mind the anti-psyker company....

 

For the Heralds of Letum it's a superstitious belief from their home world, but to anyone who asks 'Oh, we don't use psykers because.... uh, the Nikaea Edict! That's why!'

 

Edit: Typo! Kill it with fire!

[Olis]

Lineages:

 

Guilliman

- The Lords Inviolate

- The Aetheric Swords

- The Blackjaw Kindred (claimed Space Wolf lineage)

- The Doomsayers

 

Dorn

- The Sons of Calderon

- The Eagles of Glory

- The Scarlet Sentinels

 

Vulkan

- The Conflagrators

 

El'Jonson

- The Blades of the Lion

 

Corax

- The Black Falcons

 

Ferrus

- The Iron Ravagers

 

Sanguinius 

- The Angels Exultant

 

Jaghatai

- The Heralds of Letum

 

Unknown/Unsure/Unspecified

- The All-Seeing

- The Black Judges (speculated to be of Raven Guard heritage)

[GreyCrow]

I think the Black Judges should be classified under unknown to be honest, or have their lineage with the Raven Guard "speculated". :)

[Olis]

I can do that. 

[helterskelter]

well the logistics needed to co-ordinate such levels of void warfare can mean only one thing for The Doomsayers

[Olis]

well the logistics needed to co-ordinate such levels of void warfare can mean only one thing for The Doomsayers

 

So long as your blurb on your chapter says what lineage they are, I'll move them to the appropriate category. ;)

[Wade Garrett]

Blackjaw Space Marine in the Chapter colors, for once not painted over for camouflage or to denote his membership in a particular Primarch sect and battlefield specialisation.

 

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/sm.php?b62c=@iakk7_h4GXE.i9tQv_@.@_@i8WKehqTwc@h4GTn@@i8Uye@@@@@i8Uye@_@i8Uye@h6TKM@i8Uye@.@@@@h5wf2@@@@__h5vvr@@@h48Jii9uYAi7zal@@@.@h5wf2.h64to@&

 

 

Ol, the Kin are in fact an Ultramarines successor (according to tests run on their gene seed while the "Purge'em all as heretics or not?" decision was being made). However, for some reason they claim descent from Leman Russ.

 

The reason is that in their creation story, Guilliman creates the Astartes to be nothing more than tools to wage his war, but each of his brothers comes along and gifts the new creations with, among other things, Learning, Family, Guilt, Guile, and Law, until they end up being very different than what the War King wanted.

 

As a whole, the Kin like Russ the best, so if asked to pick one, they'd choose him. And then have a bunch of heathen rituals to placate the other eight. And the Emperor. Who is very important and of course had an important part to play in the above creation, but that is a Chapter secret and not for outsiders.

[helterskelter]

 

 

well the logistics needed to co-ordinate such levels of void warfare can mean only one thing for The Doomsayers

So long as your blurb on your chapter says what lineage they are, I'll move them to the appropriate category. ;)

Allrighty, i can get that done later with the removing of the grid, and i'll see if i can get a stance section done too. Cursed mobile device.

[Wade Garrett]

well the LOGISTICS! needed to co-ordinate such levels of void warfare can mean only one thing for The Doomsayers

Fixed that for you. :D

 

Edit:

 

As far as how the Blackjaws see the Emperor....mmm, I'm iffy on Cormac's "The who? Oh, the EMPEROR. Yes, he is very important to us and we have many rituals to honor him. Which we cannot share with you, for you are an outsider."

 

Although some of the other Chapters might accuse them of such.

 

Rather, they believe that the Emperor is too powerful, too focused on things like ensuring tomorrow comes after today, planets don't suddenly fall into their stars, and so on, to be bothered with or even comprehend the problems mortals face.

 

That's why he created the Primarchs, and why the Kin go into battle shouting "For the Nine!" instead of "For the Emperor!".

 

Because when God says "Don't bother me, direct all calls to these people instead." you stop pestering Him.

 

And with that, unless someone comes up with a knock my socks off better idea I'm going to have:

 

Sanguinus: Art, Creativity, and Madness

Dorn: Travel, Medicine

 

Dorn also shares the role of death god with Vulkan, but instead of punishing the unworthy dead, he guides and defends the innocent and valiant dead as they journey through the Shadowlands to Paradise. (Or back to the land of the living if it isn't their time to go yet).

 

Blackjaws always make offerings to Rogal before they begin a journey, because you never know when you might end up traveling with him.

[Aegnor]

Iron Ravagers post edited to include a non-grid version of their picture.

[Teetengee]

@Arctic Paladin: The remaining Angels Exultant are lead by these renegade preachers (likely a warband of Khorne allied Word Bearers, although the one black clad marine in robes died crimson with blood seems to particularly draw the ire of the Blades). These renegades went on the ships with the Angels Exultant and are using the Angels for a terror campaign amongst other purposes. The renegades will often summon daemons to lead the war chants that drive the Angels against the imperium. Perhaps some of the Angels could be salvaged and used by the Aetheric Swords due to their choirs, but only if it happened quickly and all the Khornate priests with them were slain. As long as the Angels are under the thrall of Khorne worshipers however, they are basically locked in their (slightly more functional) rage state and will attack whatever these Khornate "priests" direct them to.

Also for creative purposes I wanted the fall to occur far enough into the reclamation of the Liber Cluster that the Angels have some narrative time as forces for the Imperium as well, although they will primarily be an enemy.

[deathspectersgt7]

@ Cormac Airt - That does sound better The All - Seers it is.

 

@ Olisredan - The Emperors Tarot said the Conflagrators would win the Battle w/o our help No need to Get mad at them for the Heavy loss. 

[Captain Nameless]

The Iron Drakes

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/sm/bpe=000000&bpj=7A7A7A&bp=7A7A7A&bpc=000000&hdt=000000&hdm=000000&hdl=000000&ey=0017C4&er=FFFFFF&pi=696969&nk=FFFFFF&ch=7A7A7A&eg=997D00&sk=997D00&abs=7A7A7A&bt=7A7A7A&cod=7A7A7A&ull=7A7A7A&lk=7A7A7A&lll=000000&lft=000000&url=7A7A7A&rk=7A7A7A&lrl=000000&rft=000000&slt=997d00&sli=000000&srt=997D00&sri=000000&ula=7A7A7A&lel=7A7A7A&lla=7A7A7A&lw=FFFFFF&lh=000000&ura=7A7A7A&rel=7A7A7A&rla=7A7A7A&rw=FFFFFF&rh=000000&bg=FFFFFF&rb=595959&gr=787878&wg=true&be=BBBBCC&aq=true&dm3=true&mk7=333333&chps=CC0000&comi=CC0000&salamanderpad=CC0000&rkg7=FFFFFF&mk6kn=true&lkr2=FFFFFF&frag=000000&krk=474747&pws=true&spl1=533B1C&spr1=533B1C&spl2=533B1C&spr2=533B1C&/spacemarine.jpg

There is iron in blood.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Iron Drakes, like most sons of the Gorgon, carry a hatred of weakness in all forms. Albeit to a somewhat lesser degree than what is usually seen. Only that which fails is regarded as weak. They believe that by carefully observing failures, they can better expunge weakness. Because of this, they do not get along well with other descendents of the Iron Hands. They view the other chapters’ frenzied desire to replace their bodies with cybernetics as a misguided attempt to remove imagined weakness. Mortal allies are respected as long as they do not fail in the eyes of the chapter. However, they have improved relations with mortal allies and other chapters not of the Iron Hands as long as they do not “fail” in the eyes of the chapter.

 

Though they are cunning strategists, they present themselves as fierce, straightforward warriors. The Iron Drakes do this both because they understand the usefulness of deception and because taking the direct route is a favorite tactic. It is not unusual to see them take command of a theater and coordinate the Imperial forces with great brilliance. Their “direct route” is not a blind rush at the enemy or focused assault that adapts to every new situation. While this is going on, Iron Drake commanders typically deploy scouts and small commando teams behind enemy lines to disrupt supply routes and communications, even assassinate enemy leaders. And when a direct assault would be suicidal, the roles are reversed with the scouts and commandos providing a very destructive distraction for the main force to assault the enemy.

 

Organizationally, the Iron Drakes follow their ancestor, being made up of several clan-companies each with their own recruitment and dedicated scout and veteran squads. However, they differ in that there is one central authority, Drake-King Locke. Markings are non-Codex; Veterans have a single red stripe on their helm while officers paint their helmet entirely black. They also maintain the previously mentioned veteran commando teams.

 

Their home world, Ollim, has a diverse range of environments and people much like old earth. The three main populations recruited from are the aristocratic nomads of the deserts with their well organized forces, the incredibly resourceful jungle dwelling city builders who often seem to construct their buildings from thin air, and the coastal people who just fish and will bombard anyone who gets too close to the sea with their well armed Navy. As on Medusa these groups are left to fight with each other so as to foster “healthy competition”.

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Is there still room for these guys.  I lost count of how many slots are left.

 

Relations

 

The Lords Inviolate are well, if grudgingly, respected for their wisdom on and off the battlefield and are one of the few chapters that the Iron Drakes will willingly cede control to, however their reliance on librarians and the Emperors Tarot when making decisions is somewhat troubling.

 

The Drakes share both the Sons of Calderon’s love of rare archaic tech and their hatred of traitors who the Drakes detest for failing to hold true to their oaths. And as such are quite willing to assist in either endeavor.

 

The Blackjaw Kin seem to have taken the Gorgon’s moniker literally, though their description of him is not terribly inaccurate. They appear to have a wary respect for the Drakes. They are unreliable and gaining their cooperation in the Drakes’ plans is almost impossible, something that other chapters have said about the drakes themselves. In addition they seem unusually wary of veterans and especially the ninth Prince-Captain something about his traditional red helmet.

 

Like most other descendents of the Iron Hands the Iron Ravagers and the Iron Drakes have a mutual dislike for each other that frequently boils over into outright hatred. In one notable instance, when a captain of the Ravagers accused Drake-King Locke of “harboring weakness within his chapter”, Locke removed the armor from his un-augmented arms and punched the Iron Ravager’s face with enough force to crack and warp his iron mask. The Ravager understood the insult.

 

The Blades of the Lion, while extremely technically proficient, are extremely unreliable. The Iron Drakes, assuming that the Blades are undertaking some covert mission, would not mind the Blades’ tendency to leave in the middle of battle if they were given some kind of warning or explanation instead of just taking off, leaving the half fought battle for the Drakes to cleanup. As things are, they are really quite infuriating and have earned the dislike of the Iron Drakes

 

The Scarlet Sentinels and the Iron Drakes have a relationship of mutual respect. Though the Drakes sometimes find the Sentinels’ plans to be a bit inflexible in the Marines themselves to be unreasonably stubborn at times, they nevertheless work well together. The Sentinels’ covering fire greatly aiding the Drakes’ assaults, and combined Drake and Sentinel commando teams proved to be some of the most successful units in the cluster.

 

The Aetheric Swords are superstitious and the Drakes do not see the point of their many rituals, though they do appreciate the effect of the swords’ choir on morale, even though they are misguided to believe that a guardsman is equal to a Marine. The Drakes do admire how well the swords fare in battle with minimal support from tanks, artillery and the like. And in many a strategy meeting an Iron Drake has cast a knowing look and smile towards the Aetheric Swords’ librarian.

 

The All-Seers/All-Seeing are of a mercurial and secretive nature. To the Drakes, the former marks them as unreliable while the latter…… The Drakes do understand that secrecy is sometimes necessary, but the All-Seers/All-Seeing hardly speak to anyone and their silence, coupled with their skulls and their runes, is unsettling for the Drakes.

 

The Drakes do not have much to say about the Doomsayers. They are experts at void warfare and boarding actions, seemingly at the expense of all else.

 

The Iron Drakes view the Black Judges’ the Black Judges beliefs to be even more crazed as they find the Iron Ravagers’, which impresses them in a perverse way. Above all else the Black Judges are guilty of the worst sin the Drakes can think of. Abusing  the weak.

 

The Angels Exaltant were once well-respected, trusted battle brothers known for carrying many assaults from impossibility to near certainty. The Drakes did worry about the Angels tendency to go a bit too far and hoped that they would be able to overcome this weakness. The events of Arrax determined that they would not. Now, the Iron Drakes seek to destroy the Angels, for not only did they fail to control their blood lust they had failed to uphold the duty-bound oaths to protect the Imperium. Though they have some pity for their former allies, it is drowned out by hatred rivaling that which they held for the Black Judges.

 

The Black Falcons are strong; there is no doubt about that. Not every chapter can come back from the brink of extinction. The Drakes respect and admire the Falcons for this. In battle, the Drakes greatly trust and value the Falcons’ support, even though they still cannot understand how they tolerate the Eagles of Glory.

 

The Iron Drakes are wary of the Heralds of Letum , for their reliance on soothsaying when making decisions is similar to the behavior of the Lords Inviolate it is not tempered with the wisdom that the Lords exhibit. Also the dislike of working with others further deteriorates the already rocky relationship.

[Wade Garrett]

Well, I think the Iron Drakes would get on well with the Eagles of Glory. (Not really.)

 

"Ah, yes, we have assumed command of all Imperial forces in the area. Now to..."

 

"HEY GUYS WE HAVE COME TO SAVE YOU AND LIBERATE THIS PLANET! WITH LAND RAIDER SPARTANS!"

 

And then the carefully constructed battle plan fell apart in a storm of explosions and FREEDOM.

[Nomus Sardauk]

Well, I think the Iron Drakes would get on well with the Eagles of Glory. (Not really.)

 

"Ah, yes, we have assumed command of all Imperial forces in the area. Now to..."

 

"HEY GUYS WE HAVE COME TO SAVE YOU AND LIBERATE THIS PLANET! WITH LAND RAIDER SPARTANS!"

 

And then the carefully constructed battle plan fell apart in a storm of explosions and FREEDOM.

And the Eagles wonder why people don't like them... :D

[Teetengee]

I vote for the lords inviolate to lead but for the sons to stick around btw.

[Aegnor]

Please tell me the Eagles rock up into battle with vox hailers blaring "LIBERTAS!! :cuss YEAH!!!"

 

Here are some more detailed thumbnails regarding the attitudes of the Iron Ravagers to their fellow Astartes chapters. I'll edit this post and add more as I do them, but at the moment, new chapters are appearing faster than I can work out how they'll all get along.

 

The Lords Inviolate: the Ravagers are friendly towards the Lords, admiring their prowess at war, their rationality, and their focus on the broader good of Imperial efforts in the cluster. The Ravagers seek no leadership amongst the chapters of the cluster, such is not their way, but they position themselves as stalwart allies of the Lords in almost all of their efforts to coordinate the cluster’s efforts.

 

The Sons of Calderon: they quite like the Sons of Calderon. Their mutual respect for the Saneslau Mechanicum provides a basis for understanding and cooperation, as does their shared interest in matters technological. The Sons have also proven reliable and worthy allies whose efficiency the Ravagers value. What rare tension has existed between the two chapters has come when the Sons have displayed too close an interest in a mysterious ancient xenos site on one of the uninhabited planets in the Anesidora system. The Ravagers have made clear that they consider the strange black pylons to be part of their agreement with the Anesidorian Mechanicum and as such off limits to other chapters, and to date the Sons have appeared to be happy to respect this demand.

 

The Scarlet Sentinels: the Ravagers are aware that the Sentinels regard them with an element of suspicion due to their close connection with the Mechanicum, but for their part the Ravagers value the Sentinels as stout, fierce allies. They admire their stoicism and sense of duty, what the High Marshall once explained to them as their “stiff upper lip”, a concept whose literal basis is utterly lost on the metal faced Ravagers. Other chapters might regret the reserve of the Sentinels towards them, but the Ravagers seek reliable allies, not friendship or affection and are happy with their efficient, businesslike cooperation in the reclamation process.

 

The Blades of the Lion: the misdeeds of the Blades has earned the ire of the Ravagers. If there are two things the Ravagers cannot countenance, they are fickleness and a lack of thoroughness in the persecution of the enemies of the Imperium – both the mark of weakness in their eyes. The Blades decision to quit the field at Estragor during battle alongside the Ravagers against the greenskins has marked them with both of those undesirable qualities. The Ravagers initially sought formal redress for the insult, but were later prevailed upon by the Lords Inviolate to drop the issue for the sake of the combined war effort. The Ravagers however do not forget, and openly mistrust the Blades as allies.

 

The Black Judges: They admire their zeal in persecuting those who have been found to be weak links in the Imperium’s hold on the Liber Cluster, and have at times defended the Judges from those who criticise their activities. That said, the Ravagers are not blind to the highly unorthodox behaviour of this Chapter and do not count them amongst their reliable allies.

 

The Blackjaw Kindred: they claim to be of Russ’s heritage, and while such claims seem clearly fanciful to the Ravagers, they certainly embody many of the least desirable elements of the Space Wolves. So long as they kill the enemies of the Imperium and stay out of their way the Ravagers tolerate them, but they certainly don’t go out of their way to develop closer bonds with them.

[Captain Nameless]

They would certainly respect that the Eagles have the skills and firepower to back up their boasts, but the Eagles' assaults rely more on brute force and sheer numbers as opposed to the fluid economy of motion that the Drakes apply.

 

 They would be able to adapt to the Eagles' sudden apearance, but still........irratating

[Conn Eremon]

The Iron Drakes are the third submission to fill two slots. So really, their inclusion depends on whether it meets the minimum of 400 words, and whether at least one of the other two don't. All three are saved to my phone as of now, and when I have the time to be on a computer I'll transfer them and check.

 

The Black Falcons are missing a picture, but since an attempt was made I won't hold that part against their inclusion.

 

Hopefully they get in, just so there is a time where the Eagles can yell into the vox "Black Falcon down!"

[Wade Garrett]

I've been thinking a bit about the

Golden Hind incident, and here's what I've come up with:

 

The Strike Cruiser was boarded by hrud, with much loss of life, and a Circle of Blackjaws responded to the calls for aid and purged the xenos.

 

The law of Jaghatai says that if you find something adrift in the sea or the void, it becomes yours. So Patriarch Lafontaine quite rightfully (by HIS definition of right) declared that the Hind would from now on belong to the Kindred.

 

The Sentinel relief force that finally showed up seemed to have a very divergent view on the laws of salvage, so he jumped his new cruiser into the Warp rather than risk a legal wrangle turning ugly.

 

The whole matter is a sore spot for both Chapters, with the Sentinels viewing it as outright theft and the Kin seeing all demands to return the ship as attempts to bully them into handing over their hard earned property.

 

As such, though the Chapters can cooperate should it become necessary, Grandfather Baptiste and his officers try to make sure the Hind stays deployed as far from Sentinel forces as possible.

 

In regards to the Black Judges.....

 

The Kin hate the Blades of the Lion. Any cooperation between the two requires a dire threat and the presence of a mutually respected third party to mediate and pass communications through, and even then sifting the relevant tactical information to be passed on from the threats, insults, and accusations of honorlessness and blasphemy hurled back and forth is a herculean task.

 

The Black Judges get attacked on sight. No exceptions. And should the Kindred prevail, they subject any intact Judge armor and weapons to the same rites of purifying destruction that are performed over dead Chaos Marines.

 

The reasons are twofold:

 

1. The Blackjaws long, solitary wars in defense of the Cluster have led them to regard themselves as the spiritual guides and shepherds of its people, and the Black Judges terror attacks are anathema to such views. (Imagine the Space Wolves running across the Marines Malevolent)

 

2. The Black Judges constant surveillance and suspicion pose a very real threat to exposing the Kin's own dark secret, that they were created by the Nova Terra Council, not the High Lords.

 

Or do you all think that's going a bit overboard in regards to the animosity between these two Chapters?

[Wade Garrett]

Query:

Should the Angels Exultant really count towards the tally of 14? They certainly won't be appearing at the Conclaves anytime soon, indeed, they seem to be more like tools of the as-yet unnamed Fallen Angel led Word Bearer warband than a Chaos force in their own right.

 

Or that's how it looks to me, at any rate.

[Conn Eremon]

They are a loyalist Chapter of the Liberites who go rogue/fall. They might not even be the only one to do so. Yeah, I say they get a slot, because I don't see the Imperium below bothering to replace anyone.

[Tiberius Cato]

Whoever survives the cut will be interesting, as these last three submissions actually like the Eagles! They will gladlt battle alongside these chapters storming across the battlefield in land raiders yelling things like "Libertas! yeah!"