Sneaky Sniper Drone
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In light of my newest project I have decided to get back into the fluff writing mood by sharing with you the current work in progress fluff of my first Space Marine army. This has undergone several changes from its first draft many years ago and is still constantly evolving, but these are The Sons of Baalich. C+C welcome!
Name
The Sons of Baalich
Chapter Master
Baalich Asterie
Gene Seed
Ultramarines Chapter
Color scheme
Deep red armour with white trims and helmet. Silver icons such as the aquila eagle and honour badges. Captains and chapter master exchanges white trims and silver decorations for gold to represent the higher rank.
Honour and traditions
Each marine of the chapter strives towards the teachings of the seemingly eternal chapter master, traditions that were put down hundreds of years ago when the chapter was first formed. When recruited, the children are chosen together, train, live, altered and advance together. Scout squads are those who were initiated as one and until each member of the squad is ready to become a full marine, none can advance. This ritual of initiation creates a bond stronger than just battle brothers. Each member of any given squad understands another as he does himself, knows the tactics and decisions of each as instincts causing squads of warriors who fight in perfect unison.
As squads progress they are taught the basic traditions of the chapter but are otherwise allowed to form their own rituals, ways to honour the dead and various other things adding more to the bond built between brothers. Each new squad of marines is also given a more experienced group of brothers to guide them through the first fifty years which furthers the bond between the chapter as a whole.
With each squad having such a tight bond to one another, it is unheard of for a squad to accept new members once it falls in numbers. If a squad drops below four members they are given the final ritual and taken away to be inducted into the Ceteri Frater, where a marine will take his final oath to others like him, to those who are lost.
Background
With no homeworld to call their own, the Sons of Baalich operate a fleet with a battle barge by the name of 'Solaceris' at the head operating just outside the eye of terror as part of the Astartes Praeses, intercepting and destroying any Daemons and followers of chaos that emerged from the eye. The battle brothers were trained in close quarters fighting aboard the various sips that emerged and on occasion, within their own, flushing the enemy from cramped spaces and winning from sheer tactical superiority to the enemy. The chapter carried out this role with loyalty and honour, never turning away from an enemy, no matter the size or number. The chapter master, Baalich Asterie swore an oath before every encounter that he would avoid death until the forces of chaos had been eliminated entirely and with each battle, he never fell to the enemy, despite horrendous wounds that would have slew a marine several times over.
After clearing a small squad of Daemons from the battle barge, Daminious, Baalichs champion received a transmission telling of a planetside infestation of the unclean just several weeks away and the chapter had been given orders to assist in purging the planet. Baalich complied completely, pulled half o the chapter from the eye and set a course for the small industrial planet, Tergi XVIII. Upon arriving in orbit of the planet, the marines began to mobilise and made planetfall within the hour, bringing over three hundred marines all ready for battle. Tergi was known as a deathworld with very little in the way of population. Its surface was over eighty percent thick jungle filled with all manner of beasts and fauna that served only the purpose of death. The chapter had unloaded several miles outside the only hive city recorded and the long hard road of cleansing the planet began. For weeks the marines combed through the jungles towards the city, finding and eradicating tainted men, woman and child. Emerging from the jungles, the Sons of Baalich now faced the walls of the hive city and thousands upon thousands of being clearly tainted by the dark forces. Raising his ancient power sword, Baalich boomed his oath to the emperor "As long as chaos survives so shall I. As long as the forces of darkness exist, so shall I. I am Baalich Asterie and I swear in the emperors name that I shall breath until the final taint has been cleansed!" And those were the last words of Baalich, His body suddenly crumpled as his power armour was pierced from behind and his torso screaming in pain. Feeling his strength failing, Baalich turned and his eyes met with the tainted pupils of Daminious and a sudden battle raging around the two. "Now" the corrupted captain said, lips curling to a sinister smile, saliva sliding down his chin "Now you are dead. Curse the emperor, his time is over!"
Daminious fled, using the exchange of fire between the two forces as a distraction and spurred by the loss of their master, the marines fought with everything they had, the song of revenge and the emperors name on their lips until every enemy was vanquished. Faced with the honour of Baalich torn, the remaining brothers began to construct a plan to uphold the chapters honour and that of their esteemed leader. The highest member of the survivors, Frecio began to remove the ornate armour and replace it with his own. His armoured glove took up the ancient power sword and face was covered by the winged helmet of the chapter. And so Frecio took up the name of Baalich, his traditions, oaths and the honour that came with the name. The original was given his final sending as Daminious and under the lie of immortality, the chapter endured under the guidance of Baalich. As each master fell in battle, his closest champion would take up the name of Baalich and continue to lie, all in the name of honour.
As for those that witness the betrayal, they splintered from the chapter, recolouring both the helmets and trims of their armour yellow and took up the names of Ceteri Fater, with their only goal to hunt down Daminious and bring him to justice and to keep the chapter masters secret they hunt in secret, with no markings, no insignia, been and gone before anyone knows. Often a chapter has arrived to answer a distress call about chaos only to find the tainted dead or fleeing and vague rumours of power armoured marines exterminating them and leaving just as quickly as they arrived.
And still, the hunt continues.
(Still needs editing)
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