Chapter Creation Part 2
Once, before the heresy and Perturabo's betrayal, the Iron Warriors were a legion of indomitable resolve, renowned for their unwavering determination and resilience in the face of adversity. They were the only ones that could fight the battles the Emperor ordered them too, brutal wars of attrition other legions were too weak to handle. War was a mathematical science to them, the legion excelling at planning and executing complex assaults on the heaviest of fortified positions, both supported by their engineering prowess, their efficiency and their tactical brilliance. The true Iron Warriors were unwaveringly loyal to the Emperor and Imperium, adhering to their orders even as their numbers dwindled in the brutal conflicts the Emperor needed them to fight.
Their Primarch, cursed be his name, betrayed them all, turning out to be no better than a mortal child. Desperately seeking validation for his efforts, he grew angry and spiteful at the challenges put forth for him and his legion, at not being chosen to design the Imperial Palace and for his failings he dragged the Legion with him into the fires of the Horus Heresy.
But not all followed him. Some remembered their oaths that before they were loyal to Perturabo, they were loyal to the Emperor and the Imperium. Your progenitors survived the purges, survived the two years of war and bloodshed, the Siege of Terra and the assault on the Imperial Palace, fighting alongside their astartes cousins against their brothers every step of the way, and when the traitors broke and fled like the cowards they were, they joined into the scouring to hunt them down and bring them to justice.
And then, the heresy was over, and the question arose what should happen with the remaining loyalists from the traitor legions. In your progenitors darkest hour, when the future was dark and clouded, the Lord Commander approached them, offering them a deal, telling them of his Codex Astartes project. They may crusade into the traitor strongholds until they had all died at their walls or they may relinquish their heraldry and legacy as a chapter of, on paper, Ultramarine stock.
There was arguing, yelling and shouting among your predecessors, but eventually they relented, seeing it as an opportunity to maintain a sliver of the Iron Warriors greatness into the future and to continuously provide penance for the weakness of their kin.
Ten thousand years have passed now. The Chapter has endured all this time, their secrets hidden and maintained, sometimes thanks to active and costly intervention on their part. Only the veterans of the chapter are deemed strong enough in will and resolve to learn the truth of their heritage, to learn they are of traitor stock. Some break at the challenge of accepting that, but way more stoke a fire within them that shall carry them forward whenever they wage wage against the warp corrupted and twisted Iron Warriors out in the Stars. (All Veterans gain the trait: Kinslayer - combat bonus against Iron Warriors)
Ten thousand years however is a long time, things rarely stay static under the sands of time, how has the chapter changed in the last ten millennia since the heresy?
Positive Culture Quirks: (You get one positive quirk for free, for any additional positive quirk you need to take one negative one Planvote)
[]Flesh Within Flesh Without - The chapter values the training, upkeep and maintenance of their Emperor given Astartes flesh. The chapter Apothecaries are exceptionally skilled and the techmarines often follow the doctrine of the Mechanicus Genetors. (Bonus to healing injured Astartes, bonus to successful gene seed implantation and reduced neophyte death)
[]Iron Men - Part of the traditions to become a true member of the Chapter requires a marine to learn how to maintain, repair and, depending on personal talents; create new wargear.
[]Architects - Every Astartes of the chapter is skilled and proficient in designing, constructing and organizing the construction of structures, military or civilian.
[]Maintainers of the Ancient - The Chapter reveres its relics. (Starts with additional, rare reliquary weapons, armor and vehicles and has a bonus to repairing such items and restoring them to active service)
[]Heraldry Be Damned - The chapter cares little for displaying their colors and heraldry to their enemies, being unbothered to repaint their armor in camouflage patterns if the situation demands it. (Bonus in some combat scenarios, small malus to reputation gain)
[]Worship of the Omnissiah - They venerate the Emperor as the Omnissiah. (Bonus to Reputations with Mechanicus and their affiliates)
[]Mortal Ties - The Chapter values the effort of mortal humans in service to the Imperium and maintains variable close ties to their mortal origins. (Small relationship bonus to various factions)
[]Integrated Serfs - Chapter serfs are well trained and integrated into wider chapter operations. (Small bonus to overall chapter operations)
[]Reverence of the Primarch - Roboute Guillieman and his teachings are revered and worshiped to a degree that is bordering on the manic side, both by those in the chapter in the know and those who are not. (Variable bonus to reputation with other Astartes Chapters, depending on how much they revere Guilliman and his teachings)
Negative Culture Quirks:
[]Rejection of the Witch - Chapter doesn't have a Librarius, relying on a non-psyker body to fulfill the chronicler aspect of the chapter body as laid out in the Codex Astartes. (Relationship Malus with the Adeptus Astra Telepathica, combat bonus against Psykers)
[]Rejection of Failure - The chapters despise failure. Those who are viewed to have failed in their task are subject to brutal punishment.
[]Deathwatch Penance - The Chapter has sworn an oath to pledge a certain fraction of their active battle brothers, thirty veterans, to the numbers of the Deathwatch (Bonus to Relationship with the Ordo Xenos)
[]Penance of Pain - Painful self-punishments and flagellation are common practice in the chapter for the purpose of meditation and temperance. (Astartes have a chance to get injured even if not in combat)
[]Duty Overcomes Glory - As was learned and forced upon them during the Great Crusade, the Chapter continues to operate and send their Astartes to missions and battles where little glory is to be found, keeping to their duty, seeing little use in taking credit for their accomplishments and in seeing this as a just punishment for the harm their traitorous kin cause. (Malus to reputation gain, starts with lowered reputation with all factions)
[]Weakness of Mortals - The Chapter despises mortal humans, including their chapter serfs for their inherent weakness. (Small reputation malus to various factions)
[]Grudgebearers - The chapter overall has a really hard time letting go of past grudges. (Pick two additional faction from the 'Reputation with other Imperial Faction' list to have a negative starting relationship with. Malus to improving factional reputations into the positive)
[]Attritional Warfare - The way the chapter fights is very attritional on their equipment. (Wargear getting damaged or destroyed is more likely)
[]Nostalgia for the Great Crusade - The chapter dislikes modern patterns of astartes armor and armaments. (MK III power armor and phobos pattern bolters are standard issue)
[]Distant Serfs - Chapter serfs are badly trained and integrated into wider chapter operations. (Small malus to overall chapter operations)
[]Denial - The chapter continually hunts for proof, evidence, or any scrap of information to counter the truth of their origin with unmatched paranoia and zeal.
[]Cousins We Are Not - The Chapter finds it difficult to interact with other chapters in a positive fashion, respective attitudes often rubbing each other the wrong way. (Malus to reputation and reputation gain with other chapters)
Now, however comes the question of who you are?
You are a Brother Captain of the Chapter, in charge of your decimated third company, lost in the warp returning from another bloody battle in the Emperor's name among the stars. It was 498.M41 when you entered but at what date you will remerge, only time will tell. Who is this loyal angel of the Emperor, this loyal Iron Warrior that will emerge to find his Chapter in ruins, tasked with rebuilding it under dark omens that befall the galaxy. (Separate Planvote)
[]Write-in Name (Default Ares Stratos)
Fighting Style (Pick One)
[]Devastator (+2 Ballistic Skill)
[]Tactical (+1 Ballistic Skill, +1 Weapon Skill)
[]Assault (+2 Weapon Skill)
Type (Pick One)
[]Born Leader (+2 Leadership)
[]Champion (+1 Weapon Skill, +1 Ballistic Skill)
Trait (Pick One):
[ ] Heavy Cybernetic Augmentation (+1 Toughness, Small bonus to Reputations with Mechanicus and their affiliates)
[ ] Former Sternguard (+1 Ballistic Skill, Additional Ranged Relic Weapon)
[ ] Former Vanguard (+1 Weapon Skill, Additional Melee Relic Weapon)
[ ] Former Honor Guard (+1 Strength, Additional Relic Armor)
[ ] Former Deathwatch Veteran (+1 Perception, Bonus to Relations with Ordo Xenos and their affiliates)
Thanks for participating. I reserve myself the right to disregard, interpret, change and add to both WH40k and Supreme Commander lore as I see fit to support the narrative. Comments and feedback sustain my soul. No idea how far this will go or how often updates will come, I am merely exorcizing a brainworm.
