The year is 030.M42, and the Imperium is still standing.
Barely, but it is standing.
Time and time again in the last thirty years the Imperium has come to the brink, but by the grace of the Emperor it has clawed back from the abyss each time.
Cadia, forever shall her sacrifice be remembered, has fallen. Annihilated by the hulk of the Blackstone Fortress crashing onto it, nothing but a lifeless, volcanic rock remains of the once mighty bastion of Imperial power, and the foul forces of Chaos pass freely through the Cadian Gate.
More and more Hive Fleets approach the galaxy, and though the eternal meatgrinder of Octarius has kept their greatest number occupied, a thousand Splinter Fleets ravage the Ultima Segmentum. Of Baal there is no word, for the Shadow shrouds all, the last transmission out of the system being that of Dante leading an Angelic Host of Blood Angels and their successors against the numberless hordes of the great Leviathan.
Orks are on the move in numbers never before seen, and the mighty Warboss Ghazghkull has been spotted in each of the five Segmentums, whipping nascent Waaaghs into full gear.
Even the undying Legions of the Necrons are arising, and reclaiming their long-lost empires. Imotekh the Stormlord rules over large swathes of the Segmentum Ultima, and there are whispers of a ruler even greater than he returning from the depths of aeons.
But the realms of the Emperor are vast, and His armies mighty. Entire Sectors have been stripped bare of defences, their populations either conscripted en-masse or tithed to the point of starvation. The Adepts of Mars have tapped into their deepest wells of knowledge, unleashing techno-arcana not seen since the days of the Heresy. Even the Adeptus Custodes, the eternal sentinels of Terra, have been spotted leaving the Throneworld in their thousands to bolster faltering frontlines.
And through unimaginable sacrifice and heroism, the Imperium stands.
Armageddon is in imperial hands once more, the Orks relegated to ever-smaller warbands marauding across the ash wastes. Cadian Gate may have been lost, but already the Arch-Enemy has begun to fracture and a defensive cordon has been established across Segmentum Obscurus, the 13th Black Crusade ground down into a bloody standstill.
Counterattacks all across the galaxy have seen the Xenos and the Heretics held at bay, and though swathes of territory have been forced to be abandoned as indefensible, the Imperium stands now in a position to consolidate its position, to secure its flanks and strike back.
To such an end, the 27th Founding has been declared. Over a hundred Chapters have gone extinct in the last hundred years alone, and those that survive are badly understrength. New blood is needed to bolster the Imperium's premier fighting force.
And that task falls to you. You are one of the newly-elevated Chapter Masters, a veteran of your bloodline and a savant of warfare, now given the duty of raising a new brotherhood to fulfill His will.
But from whence does your Chapter hail?
Select the bloodline of your new Chapter. This will greatly impact the direction of your new Chapter and the options available to you, though you may gain additional traits or modify or even remove existing ones via later choices in the Chapter generation process, when picking your new Chapter Master, Homeworld, and the boons that your Parent Chapter and/or the High Lords bestow upon your nascent brotherhood. For an example if you pick Dark Angels you will later get the option to play as a radical who's not part of the Unforgiven, or if you pick Imperial Fists you can select to be a descendant of the Black Templars instead of the First Founding Chapter. Also, Blood Angels are not available.
[] I Dark Angels
The Sons of the Lion are mysterious and aloof, but their record in warfare is matched by few and exceeded by none. You are of the Unforgiven, a secret brotherhood that seeks to stamp out an ancient shame by any means necessary.
-Unforgiven: To be one of the Sons of the Lion is to be part of a Legion in all but the name. The Supreme Grand Master gives the order, and you obey. [As long as you remain Unforgiven, you are honorbound to hunt the Fallen above all else and answer the missives of the Dark Angels, but start at Honoured relationship with fellow Unforgiven. Gain additional veteran personnel to form the Deathwing and Ravenwing.]
-Mysterious: You are well versed in secrecy, but it leaves you with precious little allies outside your own bloodline. [Bonuses to Intrigue actions, but penalties to Diplomatic actions and relationships with certain factions start at Suspicious.]
[] V White Scars
The Sons of the Great Khan have never been numerous, and often have a way of going their own way regardless of what others may think of them, but they have always been reliable defenders of the Emperor's realm.
-Windriders: To be a White Scar is to feel the wind on your face as you run your enemy down. The Sons of the Khan are the fastest of the Angels of Death, and this extends to every section of their way of war, from their warriors to their ships and vehicles. [Increased mobility on tactical, operative and strategic scale. Unlocks additional options and increases the chance of success for certain actions.]
-Hunters Among the Stars: The Sons of Khan have ever been an independent lot, ill suited to such close brotherhoods as those of other bloodlines. [Relationship with Parent and Brother Chapters start at Neutral.]
]} VI Space Wolves [HARD MODE]
Though the legacy of the Wolf Brothers hangs over you, the High Lords have seen the value in expanding the bloodline of Leman Russ. An ambitious program of transplanting Fenrisian genetic material into another world promises success, or that is what the Magos Biologis say. The Rout themselves are less than convinced, but they have reluctantly given their assent, if not their approval.
-Legacy of the Wolf Brothers: The Sons of Russ were burned once, and they are recalcitrant about committing to repeating old follies. You can expect little in the way of support from them. [Relationship with Parent Chapter starts at Neutral, limited to maximum of 1 Chapter-specific Boon during Chapter creation.]
-Savagery of the Wolf: In close quarters combat, the Space Wolves unleash the famed ferocity of their gene-father. [Bonus to Shock Assault combat actions.]
-Curse of the Wulfen: The geneseed of the Sixth has ever been unstable, and though the Mechanicus promises it has solved the issue it would be wise to take the lessons of the Cursed Founding to heart. [Chance of Mutation: Severe. Cannot recruit outside of Homeworld. Also you have no Brother Chapters.]
[] VII Imperial Fists
The Sons of Dorn are preferred by the Adeptus Terra to guard key worlds containing critical strategic assets or placed on an important warp junction, their natural inclination towards fortification and defense lending themselves well towards such a task. But it would be a fool indeed who mistakes such traits for passivity, for their line has also produced some of the most notorious crusading Chapters in the Imperium.
-Wall-Holders: Since the Legion's dispersal into Chapters, the Imperial Fists have taken care to instill the legacy and traditions of the Seventh Legion into their Successors, for one day they may be called upon to defend Terra once more. [Bonus to defensive actions.]
-Masters of Stone and Steel: When it comes to the building of fortifications, whether they be constructed on the ground or in the blackness of the void, Sons of Dorn reign supreme. [Chapter starts out with either a full strength fleet or an upgraded Fortress-Monastery.]
-Unbending, But Not Unbreaking: To the scions of the Seventh Legion, failure is not just not an option, but wholly unconceivable. And when they fall short of their own high standards, such imperfections must be purified with pain; physical, mental and spiritual. [After failed actions, defeats in battle or lost campaigns, chance to temporarily lose action slots as time is spent in the Pain Glove, or otherwise castigating one's self.]
[] X Iron Hands
Some say that the Successor Chapters of the Iron Hands take their orders from Mars, rather than Terra. While such rumors are, for the most part, unfounded, it cannot be denied that they share a connection with the Adeptus Mechanicus far closer than any other. In battle they are relentless, fighting with grim determination and cold logic, casting aside foolish notions of glory and petty emotion.
-Scions of Iron: The sons of Ferrus Manus have always held an affinity for the mechanical and technology of all kinds, which has helped bring them close with the Red Brotherhood of Mars. [Bonuses to Forge actions. Relationship with Adeptus Mechanicus starts out at Friendly.]
-Echoes of Istvaan: Where most of the Loyal Nine see their Primarchs as paragons of all that they aspire to be, to the Iron Hands Ferrus Manus is a cautionary tale of how unchecked emotion and human error can allow one man, no matter how great, to lead an entire Legion unto ruin. Ever since, they have sworn to purify such weaknesses from themselves, never allowing a single leader to take them down an erroneous path unchallenged. [Chapter Master authority not unquestioned.]
- The Weak Perish: Competition and struggle breeds strength. Such are the tenets of the Iron Tenth, as laid down by Ferrus Manus, and so they pit themselves against one another, warrior against warrior, squad against squad, company against company, to weed out weakness amongst their ranks. [Increased internal dissent and factionalization.]
[] XIII Ultramarines
The Successors of the Thirteenth Legion are disproportionately represented in every Founding, for while they may not possess the degree of specialization found in other bloodlines, so too do they lack many of their flaws, their sheer versatility allowing them to adapt to and match all that the universe throws at them.
-Primogenitors: The scions of Guilliman comprise upwards of fifty percent of all active Chapters whose parentage is known. This opens up a massive pool of manpower to draw from for the creation of your nascent Chapter. [Chapter starts out at full strength. +1 Personnel Boon during Chapter creation.]
-Administrators Par Excellence: Amongst the Adeptus Astartes, the sons of Ultramar have long displayed their inclination towards organization and discipline. [Bonuses to Administrative actions.]
[] XVIII Salamanders
Fire runs through the veins of the Salamanders, for theirs is a fury burn of a connection to the common man that exceeds any other bloodline, coming to terms with the horrors of an uncaring, unforgiving galaxy. In battle they are resolute, never hesitating to throw themselves into the fray to safeguard those under their protection. This self-sacrificing tendency has led to their bloodline being the smallest of the Loyal Nine, save the Space Wolves. But now, the Adeptus Terra have marshalled enough gene-seed and resources to attempt to expand it, for in these dark times, even a spark of hope can account for much.
-Sons of the Forge: Craftsmanship comes to the Sons of Vulkan naturally, the heat of the forge and the striking of the anvil etched into their souls. The Armouries of Prometheus overflow with masterwork wargear, and all manner of relics. [Bonuses to Forge actions. +1 Artefact Boon at Chapter creation.]
-Legacy of Vulkan: The Eighteenth Primarch bade his sons to protect the common man of the Imperium. And for ten thousand years, they have fulfilled this duty, no matter the cost to themselves. [Bonus to diplomatic actions with the common mortals of the Imperium. Increased casualties in battle, locks certain options and actions.]
-Genetic Instability: The gene-seed of the Salamanders is unusually prone to mutation and divergences. [Chance of Mutation: Moderate.]
[] XIX Raven Guard
Where the Raven Guard tread, every shadow conceals the promise of death, delivered by warriors who see all and forgive nothíng. They often spend extended periods of time out of contact with the rest of the Imperium, behind enemy lines or fighting Mankind's enemies in the darkness of the stars. Even their homeworlds are frequently hidden and their location known only to a select few, all the better to prosecute a war beyond sight.
-Shadows of Deliverance: It is the way of the Sons of the Corax to work from the shadows, and bring death to the enemies of the Emperor with the hidden blade and silenced rifle. [Bonuses to stealth and Intrigue actions.]
-Clipped Wings: Never numerous to begin with, the Successors of the Nineteenth Legion have suffered greatly in the ravages of the turn of the millenium, harder than any save the Ninth. Much of the gene-seed stocks from the Adeptus Mechanicus reserves have been dispatched to reinforce mauled Chapters, leaving little for the new founding. [Chapter starts out badly understrength.]
-Ancient Sins: The Raven Guard gene-seed has never been the most stable, and actions during the Horus Heresy only served to exacerbate the issue. [Chance of Mutation: Moderate.]
[] ??? Tempest Blades [MYSTERY BOX MODE]
A mysterious Chapter of unknown lineage and founding, records of its origins lost to the ravages of time. Nonetheless, they have acquitted themselves well in battles along the southern reaches of Segmentum Pacificus, and earned themselves much glory and renown. And now they are dead to the last man after an assault by a splinter of Hive Fleet Leviathan, reinforcements arriving just in time to save the planet from consumption, but too late for the Tempest Blades themselves. The High Lords have seen fit to repopulate the Chapter from tithed geneseed stocks, to take up their mantle once more to carry their torch into the 42nd Millenium.
-????? [??????]
-??????? [???]
So yeah, I thought I'd try my hand at running a Quest for a change. The timeline diverges after the events of the Fall of Cadia, so there's no Great Rift, Guilliman is still in stasis on Macragge and there's no such thing as a Primaris Marine. Elements of the post-8th storyline may appear in the Quest, but you should expect nothing.
