Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Here are some thoughts I had on fluff for a custom Space Marine Chapter. Obviously one can't be entirely right or wrong about this sort of thing, but I'd love to know if any of you have ideas on how it could be improved, or even if you enjoyed reading it.

Partisans of Lerrick.

Lerrick, a system containing three inhabitable planets, lies in a quiet region of space beyond the realm of Ultramar. Until the Ultramarines heard of a coup in the system in late M36 Lerrick had little reason to trouble any Imperial records.

A relief force from Macragge found the capital cities of Lerrick in the hands of a tainted dictator. But across all three worlds a resistance movement, based on old PDF regiments and known as the partisans, had maintained resistance against the traitors for fifteen years before the arrival of the Ultramarines. Once reinforced by the Asartes the partisans were able to take back the cities and return Lerrick to the Imperium.

Impressed by the fortitude of the partisans the Ultramarines nominated Lerrick as the home system of a new chapter in early M37. The Partisans, named in honour of Lerrick's loyal rebels soon received a charter from Terra.

While the Chapter Master of the Partisans is the official Imperial Governor of Lerrick, the chapter allows the population to elect its own rulers for civil matters. The chapter recruits from the three worlds, and maintains a very visible presence on them, with approximately half of the Partisans stationed on the home worlds at any time, often mixing openly with the citizenry.

Over the millenia since the founding of the chapter Lerrick's politics and economy have changed many times, but they lack an aristocracy. The only noble house on Lerrick not to side with the traitors was the Rogue Trader House Larkin, who's leaders were not at home at that time. The Larkinites have since co-operated fully with the new regime. The Partisans are aware that life in their home system is considerably better than most of the rest of the Imperium and they consider it their duty to keep it that way. By throwing their strength into Imperial wars, and thus showing that the system provides a fair tithe, they seek to buy Lerrick the privacy to live in peace from the rest of the galaxy.

The chapter emulates traditions formed during the harsh days of the Lerrickian coup. The original partisans were spread over three worlds, with limited means of communication even between forces on the same planet. As such they were forced to work without a rigid chain of command. Targets were chosen by local groups, who then appointed officers on a case by case basis. This anarchic system allowed the partisans to survive against the better equiped and more numerical forces of the traitors. Today the Partisan marines copy this by frequently promoting and demoting marines after they have been appointed to tactical squads. No shame is attached to the demotions, and the Partisans know that even if their upper ranks are wiped out, their lower ranks always contain marines with command experience. No Chapter Master may serve more than a century in the position, and two former Masters currently serve as sergeants. It is common knowlege among marines who have served in the upper ranks that the Partisans do not pay particular attention to the regulations regarding the maximum size of chapters.

The chapter maintains an organisation of non-Asartes, the Partisan Auxiliaries. The Auxiliaries function as the PDF of Lerrick, and while their is no conscription, almost every citizen enrolls for some level of service, from part time to full time. The Auxiliaries in turn have an Intelligence Unit, most of whom leave Lerrick to act as the chapter eyes, ears, and occasionally blades, on other planets. Whether the Intelligence Unit also operate on Lerrick is unknown.

The Partisans preferred style of combat is to drop behind enemy lines and cause a widening area of devestation towards the front lines, allowing the other Imperial forces to break through. Unlike other chapters they will seek to protect civilians and Guard in that order. The Partisans armour is dark grey, with gold trim, and their icon is a red hand. They wear fewer ornamentations than other chapters, and medals and trophies are worn by position (e.g. Sergeant, 3rd Squadron, 6th Company) rather than by the individual who won them.

I've certainly heard far worse, should be fun to develop

Post some pictures once you get a few squads done up

Sounds good.
A few points of criticism though: The Ultramarines do not determine where or when new chapters are raised. Raising new Astartes chapters is the sole domain of the High Lords of Terra and they never raise single chapters. Chapters are only raised during special occasions known as Foundings. The Ultramarines could of course have used their influence to ask the High Lords to raise your chapter, but you will still need to establish in which founding your chapter was raised.
Also, a minor issue in wording; Lerrick, as an Astartes homeworld, should have no imperial governor because the Astartes rule their domains directly, independent from the rest of the Imperium.So while your chapter master would still be the ruler of Lerrick, he would not be the imperial governor.

Apart from that, it would be nice to have some more information on specific points in your fluff. Their heraldry for example: Why is their symbol a Red Hand? What is the meaning behind it?
And why do they wear medals and throphies by position? What is the story behind that?
It would be worthwile to expand on those points, since those are the kind of things that make your chapter stand out.

I like it, there's some good ideas to play with here.

You could really focus on loyalty with this chapter. Pride that part of the population stayed loyal, and guilt that part of them turned. The result would be a need to always prove their loyalty, perhaps to a fault.

My one suggestion would be to make sure they have a good reason to go out of their way to save imperial citizens. Most marines are distant and cold, why are your's different?

 Iron_Captain wrote:
Sounds good.

Apart from that, it would be nice to have some more information on specific points in your fluff. Their heraldry for example: Why is their symbol a Red Hand? What is the meaning behind it?
And why do they wear medals and throphies by position? What is the story behind that?
It would be worthwile to expand on those points, since those are the kind of things that make your chapter stand out.

The red hand was chosen because there's a union here who have a nice red hand logo that's easy to free hand. I do need to get round to inventing a fluff reason for it.
The idea of the medals is down to the origins of the chapter. The Partisans became a chapter due to the heroism of their ancestors, who were prepared to sacrifice themselves to defeat the traitors on Lerrick. The Partisans place more emphasis on the chapter, and on teamwork than they do on the individuals. So if a marine achieves something spectacular, this is seen as an achievement of the unit, not the soldier. Again, this descent from a citizens' militia gives the Partisans their respect for non-augmented humans, and their desire to protect them.