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The Ordo Malleus has the chamber militant of the Grey Knights.

The Ordo Hereticus has the chamber militant of the Sisters of Battle.

The Ordo Sepulturum (an ordo minoris) has what name for its chamber militant?

Here is a bit of background for the Ordo Sepulturum to help me work this out:

www.specialist-games.com/assets/ThorianSource.pdf


Here is an excerpt from the Thorian sourcebook:

THE ORDO SEPULTURUM
  One of the smallest and most specialised organisations within the Inquisition, the Ordo Sepulturum operates around the Eye of Terror and is dedicated to investigating a specific threat - the Zombie Plague.

  Although occurrences of Plague Zombies have been recorded across the Imperium for many millennia, it is in the wake of the Plague Fleets of the Chaos Champion Typhus that they have grown in number to the point where they present a threat to the Imperium in their own right.

  Before Abaddon's 13th Black Crusade, the incidence of Zombie Plague around the Cadian system dramatically increased. This was noticed by several agents of the Inquisition who were soon in communication, and within a few years several more Thorians, most notably Inquisitor Aghastri, were investigating the Zombie Plague and the Ordo Sepulturum was formed.

  As a combination of both a Chaos infection as well as a physical malaise, the Zombie Plague has always been on the agenda for Thorians to study, but its unpredictable nature and sporadic occurrences meant that it took luck or a tremendous amount of patience to capture Plague Zombies for investigation. With the advent of the Eye of Terror-related epidemic, Inquisitors that had previously been thwarted in their missions to achieve specimens
were suddenly confronted with a plethora of test subjects. The Zombie Plague physically degenerates those it infects and infection can occur in many ways, including psychically - but maintains a portion of the life essence of the victim even after physical death occurs. The parallels between the Zombie Plague and the operation of the Golden Throne have not been overlooked.

  The increased study of the Zombie Plague has lead many Thorians believe that in its unaltered form it may well provide several clues to the nature of the Emperor's life-indeath, but all forms of the 'faith virus' so far examined have undergone mutation. That the Plague Zombies still possess a Warp-reflection has been confirmed not only by psychic investigation but also by the fact that several psykers have been able to control these creatures - psychic manipulation is normally only possible through the Warp-ego of a creature. The possibility that the Plague Zambie infection is an offshoot of Golden Throne technologies is not widely supported and the common theory is that it was spawned by Dark Mechanicus within the Eye of Terror.

  Much more rare is the Obliterator virus, which again is a Chaosborn contagion that combines elements of physical corruption with mental disruption. Allowing the psychic manipulation of technology, the Obliterator virus allows for humans to interact and meld with machinery, not only on the physical plane but also on the psychic and spiritual level. In combination with what has been gleaned from Eldar technology, the existence of the Obliterator virus lends hope to the idea that an augmented Divine Vessel could be artificially created, should a noncorruptible version of the virus ever be developed.




So all that said, what would you call the Ordo Sepulturum chamber militant?

The name 'Zombie Hunters' while making sense, seems very... lackluster.

Be creative and give me a name for my 'counts as' army something hardcore.

I would think that none of the minor Ordos would have their own chamber militant.

That's kind of why they're minor in my mind.


I would see these lesser Ordos just using Inquisitorial Storm Troopers and requisitioning local troops for most of their missions along with, of course their cadre of specialized hangers-ons.


An Ordos specializing in fighting zombies seems like it would use a lot of flame weapons to purify the area, so I'd see them having a lot of flame weapons or maybe even requisitioning some sisters of battle (since they're the big flamethrower users).


If you are committed to running with the chamber militant idea, the word that popped into my mind was:

contagion (since it is a disease that causes the zombies).


So perhaps something like: 'Contagion Knights'?


Although that kind of sounds like they're championing the disease rather than fighting it. . .

Yeah, I am kind of stuck on the idea of using the Ordo Sepulturum for my 'counts as' termie army. I have been for the last year or so now.

I do agree that they would normally utilize a conglomeration of sources and not have a fully dedicated chamber militant, but for the sake of this argument, we will assume they do.

Contagion is a good start.

Hmm... there is also the everlasting life angle to consider as well.

Going by the name of the Ordos, the latin noun "Sepulturum" is a second declension future tense passive of Sepelio, which by my best guess would literally mean "The Order of the Grave" or figuratively mean "The Order of Ruin/Destruction".

So, contagions, everlasting life/reincarnation, and graves.

Bane might be a good option somewhere in the name since it basically covers the gamut of the aforementioned trio. Cause death, poison, to destroy, a nemesis, etc.

The Bane, Bane Knights (heh warmachine cryx), er....I need coffee, thinking this much so early in the morning causes mental discomfort...

I would look for Latin words that mean heal, or root out infection. Something anti-biotic maybe, and then just mash it around till it sounds good.

I'm with Yak, contagion sounds too nurlgy.

Legio Bane or Legio Contagion sounds too chaos. Versio Vulgata means to "Heal thyself" or something. Could be a good start.

whitedragon wrote:Versio Vulgata means to "Heal thyself" or something.

I thought that Versio Vulgata meant "translated book".

I agree.
Well lets see. A different tack on this then.

After going over some permutations for a while on synonyms and such, I am convinced that anything pertaining to contagion is going to sound too chaotic, or trite.

So I need to think perpendicular here instead of parallel.

Blue is classically regarded as a healing color, especially for the purgative of poisons. Azure is a snazzy word for the color blue.

Confessor is a person who acknowledges or makes something known. Plus, it is a word used in common nomenclature in 40K.

Azure Confessors? Too pompous (if that is possible in 40K)?

Knights of Azure, The Azure Veil, Azure Dictum, etc.

You're right about Versio Vulgata, I was reading the google summary wrong. Sorry .

If they are fighting against the Zombie Plague.. do you have Priests/chappies or other Holy types?

here is another thought.. thinking medical-ish for a minute, and having no Latin..

Ward Knights? Azure Doctrine? Azure Order?

(joke) Order of Bleach..

-Porkuslime

Do you have any heavy flamers in your army?

Because I still don't think you could go wrong with a name that incorporates a weapon that is renown for fighting zombies and/or disease.


I know the Zombie survival guide tells us a flamethrower is a bad weapon to use against them, but I think everyone still thinks of either that or chainsaws as the ultimate Zombie killing weapon.


Latin for 'burn' (according to the internet) is:

"aduro (adustum), exuro, exussum, extermino"


exussum and extermino are both cool words.

yakface wrote:Latin for 'burn' (according to the internet) is:

"aduro (adustum), exuro, exussum, extermino"


exussum and extermino are both cool words.

Whatever their name is, I think their base of operations should be the planet "Trogdor".

And what about going the opposite direction of contagion? Something associated with purity or disinfectant? Heh. Call them the Sterilizers. Or as an homage to the book World War Z, the Lobotomizers - call 'em the Lobos for short.

Order of the Azure Flame?

Ordo Purgatus?

Ordo Insulatum? (Insulatus?)

There actually is a fair amount of flamers in the army.

Termie heavy flamers, siege dreads, tac squads, etc. There is enough flame weaponry present to say that the army's theme definitely reflects the cleansing of the impure. I am even thinking of splurging on one or two FW Hellhounds for apocalypse games. Not that effective in that format what with all the superheavy cheesefests going on locally, but they are too damned fun... er anyways I digress.

I am kind of stuck now on the confessor bit. I think it is a fairly unique term as far as what other 40K units have been named and I think I would like to include that word in the name somewhere. Stark pseudo religio zealots finding and purging what cannot be studied by the Ordos in their seclusiums.

All the iconography on the army is going to be painted a verdigris patina bronze. This might work in favor of the "azure" aspect as well. I must admit that 'Azure Confessors' has a somewhat catchy ring to it. It rolls of the tongue nearly as smoothly as 'Grey Knights' does. But I am not stuck on that. Not yet anyways.

The latin root 'purgo' has a ring to it as well in its multiplicious forms, but I am having trouble finding a way to link confessor with it without the use of 'of' in the name. 'Confessors of Purgation' as it were. While not bad, it has the same trouble that Sisters of Battle has. A name that isn't easily spoken. So people usually shorten it to simply 'sisters'.

Thanks for your help so far everyone. This brainstorming is helping me alot.

For something that really pops, you really need a good two syllable name for it - "Grey Knights", "Deathwatch" both fit this bill. The Ordo Sepulturum militant should be similar. "Faithguard" is the best I've been able to come up with and relates to an off-hand comment in the discussion of Ordo Sepulturum that Plague Zombies are afflicted with a mutated "faith virus".

Of course for a chapter symbol, nothing's more appropriate than this:

How about The Crimson Anointers, led by Grand Master Maxmillian Calavera, holder of the Incandescent Aspergill and Scourge of the Undead?

I'd call them...Think...Chronicles of Riddick for how you'd pronounce it, the way the Grand Marshal does.

The Purifiers (or Purifiers).

Purifiers goes well with a heavy fire cleansing theme too if ya ask me.

Purifier sounds very inquisitorial to me.

There was a Confessor in the old old Sisters of Battle army, Redemptor Kyrinov or something like that. FYI the Confessor is a Sisters of Battle addon character unit in Dawn of War (and is cheesy as hell). Oops he was an Arch-Confessor.

Hope that helps.

For what it's worth, many of the terms used in Chronicles of Riddick seem to be based on the same fluff the Sisters of old were.

Protector of the Faith, Keepers of the Faith, Purifier, all sound neato--perhaps you could use the terms in combination for your planned characters?

It's not like GW is pushing the messiah missionary bit anymore.

I figure Arch-Confessor and Confessor could be your Inquistors; or perhaps Protector of the Faith and Keepers of the Faith? Tie in the 'faith virus' that way, as a holy war to reclaim it from chaos?

Just some ideas. Hope that helps.

Instead of contagion consider something with the word "phage" in it. Phage originally comes from the word phagus meaning to eat. Sarcophagus means "body eater". Phage is appropriate for viral diseases because certain viruses that infect bacteria are called bacteriopages .

Perhaps the Vigil of the Phage, Phage Watch, Phage Hunters

Other idea words to look at might be malignant, pestilence, pathogen, pandemic, malady, and morbus.

Phage (as in bacteriophage viruses).

morbus, malignant, malady, infection, pandemic

common disease words: morbus, phage (as in bacteriophage virus), malady, pandemic, malignancy, pathogenic

perhaps combine that with something related to watch, guard, vigil, seeker, healer (in the violent sense)

How about the Azure Purge? Or if you want the antiseptic version, the Azure Purifiers?

Death By Monkeys wrote:For something that really pops, you really need a good two syllable name for it - "Grey Knights", "Deathwatch" both fit this bill. The Ordo Sepulturum militant should be similar. "Faithguard" is the best I've been able to come up with and relates to an off-hand comment in the discussion of Ordo Sepulturum that Plague Zombies are afflicted with a mutated "faith virus".

Thats exactly what I am trying to convey. Something quick and succinct but at the same time grabs you and makes you say "Damn, that name is something some hard pipe hitting homies use".

Faithguard is pretty sweet, really. Its tempting to simply use this one.

Jester wrote:How about The Crimson Anointers, led by Grand Master Maxmillian Calavera, holder of the Incandescent Aspergill and Scourge of the Undead?

Jester, as always, you are a numinous source of inspiration. You have now named a leader for this army.

Stelek wrote:I'd call them...Think...Chronicles of Riddick for how you'd pronounce it, the way the Grand Marshal does.

The Purifiers (or Purifiers).

Purifiers goes well with a heavy fire cleansing theme too if ya ask me.

Purifier sounds very inquisitorial to me.

There was a Confessor in the old old Sisters of Battle army, Redemptor Kyrinov or something like that. FYI the Confessor is a Sisters of Battle addon character unit in Dawn of War (and is cheesy as hell). Oops he was an Arch-Confessor.

Hope that helps.

For what it's worth, many of the terms used in Chronicles of Riddick seem to be based on the same fluff the Sisters of old were.

Protector of the Faith, Keepers of the Faith, Purifier, all sound neato--perhaps you could use the terms in combination for your planned characters?

It's not like GW is pushing the messiah missionary bit anymore.

I figure Arch-Confessor and Confessor could be your Inquistors; or perhaps Protector of the Faith and Keepers of the Faith? Tie in the 'faith virus' that way, as a holy war to reclaim it from chaos?

Just some ideas. Hope that helps.

Very helpful, thanks. I do like the ring to 'The Purifiers'. And the rationale you give makes immense sense. Perhaps the vice versa "Purifier" would be a good label for a rank? Either way it works and is a good idea really. It does simplify and combine 'Confessors of Purgation' rather succinctly. I was having troubles with that one.

warpcrafter wrote:How about the Azure Purge? Or if you want the antiseptic version, the Azure Purifiers?

It goes well with Stelek's suggestion. I especially like the Azure Purifier one. Something like 'Confessor Maynard, Numinous Hierarch, weilder of the Azure Purifier'.

palaeomerus wrote:Instead of contagion consider something with the word "phage" in it. Phage originally comes from the word phagus meaning to eat. Sarcophagus means "body eater". Phage is appropriate for viral diseases because certain viruses that infect bacteria are called bacteriopages .

Perhaps the Vigil of the Phage, Phage Watch, Phage Hunters

Other idea words to look at might be malignant, pestilence, pathogen, pandemic, malady, and morbus.

I am not sure if this is pertinent to naming them, but it is very pertinent to their cause. I think this idea will suit them well where long specific names are concerned. Such things like wargear and whatnot. 'Aspergillum against the Sarcophage' (neat alt name for a psyker power or some such). Regardless, it is a very keen idea and definitely merits inclusion somewhere.


You guys are awesome for helping me with this stupid anal retentive classification stuff.

[edit I forgot to add Warpcrafter's suggestion]

Sorry about the tripple post earlier. My browser didn't update.

Well I was thinking today of the root "sect" which means to cut or divide (as in insect or bisect) and mortis which means death.

That could lead to faux "latinoid" stuff like mortisectors, mortisectionists, mortisecti (plural), mortisectus(singular for the force as a whole), or just the mortisect. Remember though, it's not real gothic if you forget to bungle the latin a bit.

Also in latin a pursuer or hunter is a secuutor. (as in the modern english word persecution). So you might want to call these guys " those who chase death". But again translate it to latin and mangle it a little.

One common word for death is mortalitas (really it's more about dying or being doomed to die).

The Secutorum Mortales might work. Or perhaps the Secutum Nex ? Nexsecutos ? Nex is more violent slaughter than just death.

Other latin words for death are obitus (as in obituary), letum.

Also, "Singultus" is your final breath or gasp, or that funny "huh huh huh" noise people make when they are crying really hard. It sounds like it might work but then today it has come to refer to a hiccup.

Calling some super stone cold hard troops "the Hiccup Patrol" is not likely to win many friends or influence people.

You might also play around with the terms like "stoic" or "fatalists" since these guys are probably all about ignoring tremendous danger to both body and soul in order to seek out an unnatural and probably inevitably contagious form of death and horror just so their boss can study it.

Also I kind of like the term gravebound. Charnel (a place for bones or bodies to be stored) and Carrion ( or caronia meaning fouled rotting flesh) both from the latin root caro meaning "meat" might have a thematic place too.

Also Cemetery comes from the greek word koimeterion which means a place to sleep. In latin this was morphed into cimeterium.

A gravesite in latin was of course a sepulcrum but they also used the term tumuli (plural) or tumulus (singular) for a burial mound or barrow or tumba for a cut tomb.

"Serius" is the latin word for a deep solemn feeling.

Also in Latin "we who must soon die" is morituri as in the galdiators salute to the Roman emperor "Morituri Salutamos." Morituri sounds pretty cool enough to eb a title of some hard bitten fighting force dedicated to whupping zombies at any cost.

Hopefully there is something in there to help.

I imagine inquisitorial zombie fighters would want to have lots of servitors around that could be blown up if they turn and wouldn't care if they got swarmed.

I would say from a fluff stand point as a minor ordo, your ordo wouldn't have the vast resources of the others. That unlike the chamber militant of the other ordos that number around a thousand marines, your ordos chamber militant is literally just your army and a reserve and training section.

Possible names:
The Cleansing Flames
The Cremators
The Crema-Mortis
The Mortacaust

Ordo Sepulturum? Lol, I wrote a couple of stories about that order a year ago. Also I did a lot of research for background.

Tha'ts wy I think it is logical that all Ordo Sepulturum Inquisitors are psykers, Biomancers. And their Chamber Milliant should be just humans, no marines.
http://www.specialist-games.com/inquisitor/assets/lrb/InqLRBpart2.pdf If you look on page 44, you can see some special equipt guardsmen fighting nurgle mutants and zombies. So that could be the Chamber Miliant.

In my own stories I called that Chamber the Shinigami/shinigamus. It's nog latin, but you can give a latin sound to it. It is Japanse and means Death God or Reaper.

I was thinking maybe Apothecary somewhere in the name. The Knights Apothecary (The apothecariate) or something like that. Vigoratus is latin for healer apparently, could go that route.

aka_mythos wrote:I would say from a fluff stand point as a minor ordo, your ordo wouldn't have the vast resources of the others. That unlike the chamber militant of the other ordos that number around a thousand marines, your ordos chamber militant is literally just your army and a reserve and training section.

Minor Ordo or not, it still is part of the collective of the Holy =][= that we are talking about here. That fact alone gives them vast resources to utilize in effecting their goals, which would put any SM chapter to shame.

Remember, even the High lords of Terra answer to the =][=. That kind of clout doesn't come by begging for tuppence on the corner.

The flash of an Inquisitorial Rosette is all that is required to requisition an item. To deny that would be, in effect, to deny the Emperor himself.

Voron79 wrote:Tha'ts wy I think it is logical that all Ordo Sepulturum Inquisitors are psykers, Biomancers. And their Chamber Milliant should be just humans, no marines.
http://www.specialist-games.com/inquisitor/assets/lrb/InqLRBpart2.pdf If you look on page 44, you can see some special equipt guardsmen fighting nurgle mutants and zombies. So that could be the Chamber Miliant.

I agree for the most part, especially on the psyker/biomancer type.
But given that they are fighting contagion, I think you could very easily rationalize the use of sealed power armor and especially Tactical dreadnought armor which is made to carry its personnel into adverse environments safely, for part of their Chamber Militant. What I see in that pic could easily be repped by Stormtroopers that simply look helluh badass. Stormtroopers are fitting, as they see wide use in Chambers Militant due to their plebeian qualities.

Should they be space marines? Nah, I think that a well trained human in power armor would suffice. Its quite plausible. Look at the Sororitas. Guardsmen in every way but armour and weaponry. The only reason why I am using space marines personally, is for ease of table top rules. And because I like termies.

To be honest though, there isn't much you can do research with concerning this Ordo. basic background fluff etc, but then you have to take what you have and mold into your own. Just as you have with your stories.

And for my own (atleast how I envision them anyways), I choose a different tack.

Interesting discussion, but I have to concur with Voron: Certainly no SM or SOB - we are not only talking Minor Ordo here, but also about the Eye of Terror. All SM, SOB or other Supersoldiery will have their work cut out already and won't be able to provide such a rather obscure Formation of the Inquisition (remember all the Big Ordos operate in Bulk there) with more then a few select individuals.

IMO thats what you normally should go for: Highly specialised but small groups of veteran Individuals (Acolyte Troops with some veteran Stormtrooper Squads).

If you insist on having them field large formations, and you don't want to go with conscripted Arbites, IG and such (Arbites would rock in Anti-Zombie Warfare though),
then mayebe you should consider the Spulturum Inquisitors recruiting their own Troops from the survivors of previous Zombie Incursions - after all who would be better suited to fight them, then people who already survived once, possibly on their own and without training? Also those people would already have lost everything and fight the Plague with special Zeal.

Equipment should be highly individual (Zombiefighters after all are mostly self taught and from very different backgrounds), but with an emphasis on urban combat gear (shotguns, grenades, autopistols etc.) and of course FLAMERS! ;-)

As for a name, I like:

Vexillum Superstes ("latin" for Company of Survivors)

..some fairly epic thread necromancy here fella.. .. but..

..we'll see how it goes anyway.

Inquisitorial stormtroopers.

I'd have thought that as a minor ordos they would be whoever the inquisitors choose to put together at the time.

I didn't know about that Ordo Sepulcrum... interesting!