It is 032.M116, less than a century after the Horus Heresy was brought to an end and the Second Founding declared.
Just after the bare minimum needed to reign in the chaos of the Horus Heresy was done.
The hunt for the traitors goes on.
But the Imperium's expansion continues regardless, for though much progress has been made the Emperor's work remains incomplete.
Dozens of smaller xeno empires, once cowed or nearly destroyed during the Great Crusade, have sensed the Imperium's weakness and now move to take advantage of the chaos caused by the Horus Heresy. Countless worlds, already battered and exhausted from the fires of the Heresy, now face further dangers as the alien preys on humanity yet again.
The Space Marines, the Emperor's Angels of Death, will undoubtedly be key, both to battling these present threats and to ensuring the Imperium's dominion of the galaxy remains uncontested in the millenia to come.
Yet the projected time differences in between large Foundings are truly immense, and there are fears among Lord Commander Guiliman's administration about the possible loss of the expertise or skill required for organizing such a grand feat as the creation of entire new Chapters of Astartes over the many hundreds of years in between these great Foundings.
That… is where you come in.
You are Archmagos Orkadan Grimm, one of the most respected Genetors of the Adeptus Mechanicus, and you have been charged by Guiliman to oversee the creation of new Space Marine Chapters outside of the major Foundings, to ensure the Imperium's greatest defenders remain strong against the losses they will surely incur.
It is a duty you do not take lightly, for even if the Chapters created in this 'Long' Founding may be less legendary than their brothers of the First and Second Foundings, you are well aware of the difference that even a small group of Space Marines in the right place can have in a battle, making them capable of deciding the fate of entire sectors.
You fold your hands together as, at the workstation beside your main body, another 'you' examines data on the many collected samples of gene-seed.
This would be the first stage of the Founding of a new Chapter.
Deciding which legion it should be descended from.
[ ] The Ultramarines: The most pure and stable Space Marine Gene-seed, the Ultramarines, sons of Roboute Guiliman, are a lineage that gives no great benefits but in turn does not have great downsides. They are tactically balanced, seeking to practice all forms of warfare rather than master just a few, and stand as the most numerous of the surviving Space Marines. They do seem to have started a minor tradition of maintaining ties with their successor Chapters, however. Whether this is a boon or a curse remains to be seen.
[ ] The Dark Angels: The Dark Angels, sons of Lion El Johnson, much like the Ultramarines have a very stable and mutation free Gene-Seed. They have access to a great deal of highly advanced technology gifted to them by the Emperor, and have formed several of their Companies into heirs of their previous elite forces such as the Deathwing. However, the Dark Angels have also been acting very erratic of late, and are stubbornly insistent about forming 'relations' with their founding chapters regarding matters they refuse to speak of, even to other Astartes. A great number of officials within the Imperium are growing very concerned about this, but with the death of the First Legion's Primarch, it seems unlikely anyone could force them to reveal the reason for their behaviour.
[ ] The Salamanders: Sons of Vulkan, the Salamanders are somewhat mutation prone, yet most deviations within their gene-seed are wholly positive - taking the form of increased temperature resistance, radiological resistance, and enhanced healing capability as well as their signature cosmetic mutation. This does, however, mean that any further mutations will likely be even more noticeable, and possibly have far worse consequences than this. Tactically, they are known for their love of thermal weaponry, and have a good reputation among the Imperium for their kindness and commitment to defending the Imperium's citizenry even when it leaves them at a tactical disadvantage.
[ ] The White Scars: The Sons of Jaghatai Khan bear no overt physical defects, yet the White Scars Gene-Seed has been known to make those implanted with it more savage and hungry for war. In honour of their Primarch's history as a master of cavalry, they have mastered the use of both Combat Bikes and the rarer Jetbike units, and specialise in high speed, hit and run battles.
[ ] The Iron Hands: The Gene-Seed of the Sons of Ferrus Manus seems to hold a genuine disdain of weakness within it, and since the death of their Primarch this hatred seems to have further narrowed into contempt for the weakness of the flesh specifically. Though you fully understand the irony of a member of the Adeptus Mechanicus thinking this you find the belief irrational at best, for is the organic matter in space marines not already more durable and more capable than most cybernetics known to the Imperium? In fact, so pristine is the Omnissiah's enhancements that these cybernetics can actually be a degradation from the original…. But of course, you are a mere Genetor, who degrades himself by working with the 'weak' flesh rather than the blessed machine spirits. Even if you are older and more learned about the ways of the machine than several of your closest peers put together, what could you possibly know about the topic of flesh and machinery in relation to one another?
[ ] The Blood Angels: The gene-seed of the Sons of the late Sanguinius, Beloved by All, has three peculiarities of note. The first and oldest is the Red Thirst, an oddity that causes the Space Marine chapter to thirst for blood so powerfully it can overwhelm them in the midst of battle. Second is the Black Rage, a berserk fury that seems to have been caused as a result of the death of the Blood Angel's Primarch that appears to cause Marines suffering from the affliction to hallucinate their father's final battle, perceiving all around them as being the Arch Traitor Horus himself. Finally you've noticed some minor warp based effect on the 'luck' of some Space Marines, but you doubt that will manifest into anything relevant... Beyond their afflictions, the Ninth Legion are renowned for their mastery of close quarters combat, and for having more Assault Squads in each company than the norm.
[ ] Imperial Fists: A famously stalwart legion, the Gene-Seed of the Sons of Dorn lacks the Betchers Gland and Sus-an Membrane entirely, leaving them incapable of spitting acid as an emergency weapon and unable to enter suspended animation when critically injured, but otherwise is fairly stable. They are renowned as the greatest masters of defense in all the Imperium, and have also begun to fill the role of the treasonous Iron Warriors in siege warfare.
The second part of creating a new chapter is picking a homeworld, for as impactful as the Emperor's enhancements are, the population a chapter draws from can and will have a massive impact on the Space Marine Chapter itself…. Something that had unfortunately proven especially true in the case of the Night Lords.
Of course, you could deem them a fleet based chapter and wash your hands of the issue entirely.
Choose 1
[ ] Fleet Based: The Chapter is fleet based and will be constantly on the move, but as a result will lack a proper home unless it decides to claim a world for its own in the future.
[ ] Dualis: A planet that is half Forge World on one side and half Death World on the other. The Forge World half of the planet often uses the Death World half to acquire unique chemical mixtures from the wildlife and puts great pains into maintaining the health of the tribal humans that lurk within its jungles.
[ ] Fortuna: A paradise-like feral world, the human inhabitants of the world live in shockingly deep 'harmony' with the nature around them and their local leaders are extremely good at predicting and avoiding or defeating the challenges they encounter on the planet.
[ ] Extrema: A cataclysm of a planet, the only places not covered entirely in ice are those that are located right next to the many rivers of lava that crisscross Extrema's surface. The people of this planet have long adapted to both of these environments and are remarkably able to travel between them as circumstances demand.
[ ] Yuruld II: An unfortunate planet stuck in between the feuding Forge Worlds of Yuruld I and Yurulkd III, the world itself is a blasted wasteland full of wrecks from the constant skirmishing and occasional major war between it's two Forge World neighbors. This in turn has made the locals experts in both basic survival, and in making sure that neither of the two nearby Forge Worlds decide to crush them.
[ ] Pertana IV: The most unusual aspect of this planet are its human inhabitants, who have displayed what can only be described as shocking levels of pain resistance, being by all accounts completely unbothered by even the absolute maximum amount of pain a human can survive without dying. The planet itself is mostly unremarkable beyond the strange fog that seems to cover the entire surface.
[ ] Akasha II: In all regards Akasha is a completely standard jungle Death World, with it's main standout 'trait' being the fact that the Imperial Truth seems to have been adopted very quickly and become strongly entrenched in the short amount of time since it's adoption.
As you contemplate the possible choices of 'Chapter' homeworld, you feel the chip you had implanted in yourself to prevent you from rationalizing away the monstrous acts your position demands you commit on a daily basis or trying to end yourself already beginning to activate once again. That would be the third time today, you note idly.
You are not a good man, no one in the Priesthood of Mars is, and it is important to remember this fact so as not to grow complacent in your own self-righteousness.
But of course that is not your only augmentation of note.
Aside from your possession of more than one body, you do have one other enhancement, one that makes you stand out even among tech priests of your illustrious rank.
What is it?
[ ] Adamantium Fists: Your hands are so heavily augmented that you can punch through adamantium, something that has come in handy more than once when a threat dismissed you because you were unarmed.
[ ] Enhanced Regeneration: You can regenerate from wounds that would consign even the most durable space marines to the grave, and you can do so in short order.
[ ] Foldable Mechadendrites: You Mechadendrites are capable of folding entirely into your body, allowing you a great increase in general mobility and the ability to be less disturbing to unaugmented humans while folded.
[ ] Electro-wiring: Having spent some time as an electro-priest you actually have a few augments that allow you to directly channel and control the motive force.
OOC: As an aside I'm looking for a proofreader for this is anyone is interest.
