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Ok guys, I don't roll over into the fan-fiction arena very often as it mostly disinterests me, but I made an exception. I've never played a Power Armor army (Eldar, Tyranids, IG, Orks, and Tau) and have wanted to change that, but I had some problems. I'm usually a Xenos player not only because of the army but because I like the "good" side of things (Neutral Good?) without being overbearing. So I set out to make an army theme that was out for the good of the Universe through unity. Working together (or hiring when necessary) other races/armies to help the world work in harmony.

Also I wanted to go with a very Greco-Roman feel, hence all of the sections being named after Greek Gods/demi-Gods and using extremely varied play styles as I imagine this "chapter" to be huge and growing quickly (especially with the limit of 1,000 marines being lifted!). I'd love to hear some feedback and I'll apologize now if you were expecting amazingly well written stories. And I know this is REALLY far out there for some of you guys, so if it seems impossible in the 40kverse that's fine and I'd love to hear your reasoning, but I may ignore it anyways

Most important thing I'd like to change: "Pantheon" doesn't really fit, I just for some reason liked it as a place holder and haven't thought of something good to replace it. This one word bothers me a lot...

The Heralds of Arcadia
The Heralds of Arcadia are a renegade chapter of Space Marines, having broken off when they realized that the Imperium of Man cannot control the universe as it wishes. Upon realizing that the only true path to a peaceful utopia is through a war that brings together the races of the universe to work in harmony. The chapter as a whole turned from the Imperium in hope they could sway other chapters of Astartes as well as warbands, planets, and other armed groups of other races to help them in their cause. The mission of the Heralds of Arcadia chapter is to bring harmony to all races who will live together.
The Chapter does not follow the Codex Astartes, though it does roughly follow certain parts of its teachings. The Heralds realize the need for different most of the standard positions you find in a standard Chapter. There are sections of devoted Librarians, Techmarines, Apothecaries, and the like, though they function differently. Each of those offices are divided into it's own that usually hold the same weight as normal Space Marine Companies do, called a Pantheon. Each Pantheon has a head of it's section, much like a Captain, though each is usually more focused on training and passing along knowledge than being simply leaders of battle. While there are Pantheons for the simpler things, such as navigators, there are also Pantheons to represent different forms of battle. Like minded warriors are grouped together and will train as such. When the Heralds of Arcadia go to war, these Pantheons blend together and form battle groups called Cohorts. The Pantheons are as follows:

Herme's Circle: The Herald's version of the Space Marine's Librarius. The members of this sec are still called Librarians and follow much the same path as you'll see in tradition. This Pantheon is seen as having to deal with death more than any other of the wings of the Heralds of Arcadia. They see the Warp as being a place of pure death and only the members of Hades's Circle dare to traverse freely between this worlds. The head of this section leaves his name behind and dons the title Diactoros. The Phalanx Hecate's Will is the military arm of this Pantheon were the Herme's Circle is battle trained.

Anvil of Hephaestus: The Cyclopes of this order (commonly called Techmarines by other chapters) is very different from what one would expect. While most Techmarines also fulfill a battlefield roll, the Cyclopes spend most of their time focusing on building and repairing the fleet's vessels. Because of this they are found being held back and are much rarer near the front lines than their Imperial cousins. Also, the Cyclopes are placed in charge of the entire fleet and its travel. Meaning that The Anvil of Hephaestus must cover many, many different facets. Because of its multitude of duties its ranks are larger than almost any others.

Hand of Asclepius: This Pantheon is almost a carbon copy of the standard Apothecaries of standard chapters. The main difference is that since most of the soldiers from The Heralds of Arcadia receive very specific training and gene-seeds from each Pantheon. Because of this the presence of Apothecaries is even more important.

The Zelus: The Zelus aren't truly a Pantheon but are a detachment of warriors who then reach into each of the battle groups of The Pantheons. The Zelus fill the role that the Imperial Chaplains usually fulfill, encouraging and rousing the rage of their surrounding warriors. They remind each warrior of his duty not only to his battle brothers, but to the universe to succeed against the evil inside of everyone. While usually the Chaplains are found on the front lines of an army urging it's soldiers forward, it's not uncommon to find members of the Zelus interspersed in the back lines with the Hades Reach or riding inside of a transport to prepare the troops for what may be their final battle.

The Phalanx: This Pantheon is what is found in the Heralds of Arcadia to hold its standard Marines, however, it varies greatly from standard Space Marine Companies. Rather than each group having a standard grouping of Tactical Marines, Assault Marines, Devastators, and Dreadnaughts each Phalanx is a specific group of troops who are trained in similar manners. When the need for combat arises, a Cohort is formed from squads of different Phalanx as the Olympians deem necessary. The Phalanx are divided as follows:

The Wrath of Ares: The very embodiment of wrath. These warriors are taught that their bodies are the true weapons and whatever they hold in their hands are simply another piece of that weapon. They close in on their prey as quickly as possible through jump packs, Rhinos, and (rarely) Drop Pods. Recently the Anvil of Hephaestus has been working on building great mechanical steeds for the warriors to ride into battle, though it is still being tested.

Athena's Spear: These warriors are taught that tactics are superior to any other aspect of war. A simple feint can draw a warrior off guard and set up a final blow, though it is sometimes dealt by another Phalanx. While they are usually fielded on foot, the veterans of the Phalanx will frequently use Drop Pods to arrive behind the enemy lines to catch enemies in a pincer move.

Hades's Reach: Just as death can reach any person at any time, Hades's Reach is trained to strike down their foes from afar. They reach out with deadly weapons of many different varieties and ensure none are left untouched. Because they usually find themselves overlooking the battlefield they also are in constant communication with the other Pantheons to ensure orders are relayed. They also work most closely with the Athena's Spear Phalanx. Hades's Reach is also where many veteran soldiers find themselves, even if they had belonged to other Phalanx for hundreds of years. Many of them find themselves wounded too heavily to accomplish the roles of their previous squads, such as a Sergeant of The Wrath of Ares loosing a leg and having trouble keeping up due to large amounts of bionics and aging.

Light of Helios: These massive soldiers are loaded into the heaviest and most powerful sets of armor available, the Dreadnaught Tactical Armor (Terminator Armor). They are taught to deal with the brunt of an enemy's force while still bringing themselves into the very deepest part of the combat. These great warriors are usually converted from the other Phalanx who find themselves capable of dealing with the most dangerous parts of war. Also, while many of the wounded warriors find places in Hades's Reach, the Light of Helios's warriors are entombed in the great Titan armor suits, usually referred to as Dreadnaughts. Because of the great armor they deal with they are usually working very closely with the Anvil of Hephaestus's Cyclopes.
Aeolus's Winds: Amongst the Wrath of Hades, some have trouble leaving behind their jump packs and the feeling of flying. As the Veterans grow more and more eager for battle they are moved to the small conglomerate known as Aeolus's Winds. They strike from the skies usually in a flanking strike where they can deal the most damage and experience the greatest amount of slaughter.

Poseidon's Steed: The rarest of the Phalanx, these warriors are usually fielded as scouts to flank enemy positions as a distraction. They ride upon Bikes, Landspeeders, and the like.
Hunters of Artemis: These are the young soldiers of the Auxiliary forces who have proven themselves to possibly be strong enough to become warriors of The Heralds of Arcadia. They carry out the role of recon and stealth, commonly found in Space Marine Scouts. These warriors-in-training take great pride in their work and are constantly trying to prove themselves worthy of being ascended to a great position in a Pantheon.

Bia's Rage: Many of the initiates who form the Hunters of Artemis cannot be brought into the folds of the Pantheons and find themselves being brought into Bia's Rage. This Phalanx is made up of soldiers who have been mind wiped and then drugged heavily into a rage. They are air dropped into combat zones and are “turned on” into a great rage slaughtering everything they find. Rarely used and highly deadly, their superiors always expect a huge amount of fatalities.


Hopefully you guys will have suggestions or comments on what I wrote.