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So, after posting about my DIY chapter and listening to the responses I've come up with a new version of them - I am calling them the 'Lions of Damocles'.

After somewhat rebelling against the inquisition, the inquisition asked for the Crimson Fists and Ultramarines in the system to make them "disapear". So they lead the Lions to a chaos infested system, where they told the Lions to land on the biggest planet, to face the chaos, while the fists and ultras prepared their fleets and said they'd send reinforcements. Shortly after the Lions landed, the Ultras and the Fists left, just as a warp storm enveloped the world. While trapped, the Lions fought the chaos and daemons, protecting the civilians. As the warp messes with time, what was months in reality was years to them. After the warp storm finally stoped, the Lions were bitter and angry at the inquisition, and those who lead them into the trap. They named themsleves the Lions of Damocles, as they swore vengeance on the inquisition and all who are unjust. They repainted their armor a dark grey, their shoulders and masks an ash white, to represent that they are now dead men on their suicidal quest for retribution, but left their left arms crisp white, as an honour to who they once were (their old colour scheme was mostly white). I reckon it'd also be cool if the warp storm messed them up and now, wherever they go, ash rains down on the battle field, while ashy smoke follows beneath their footsteps and the chapter master has blood crying down his mask from the black eye sockets. They now fly through space in their fleet, killing all those who are unjust and saving the innocent, as they journey to face the inquisition.

Was thinking of going Iron Hands chapter tactics to get the Feel No Pain and It Will Not Die.

Opinions welcome
Cheers

Why Damocles? Was that the planet they were sent to? Why two incredibly well known chapters were used simply to lead a lesser known chapter to a planet, when really, the Inquisition is an authority great enough that most anything in the Imperium would comply with them without a second thought. Why were they rebelling against the Inquisition in the first place? Why was their fleet left intact over the world if the intent was to destroy them or have them be destroyed? Seems like a pretty big plot hole. Do they seriously intend to 'face the inquisition'? The Inquisition isn't some office building on the corner of Emperor Way and Guilliman Avenue. Its a decentralized organization of independent Inquisitors who use whatever means necessary to protect humanity from failure. What is the chapter's real goal then? To kill all Inquisitors? Unlikely, seeing as at the first rumour of this chapter's survival, an IN strike force would be dispatched to hunt down and destroy the remnants of the chapter fleet, which your chapter would likely lose.

The most compelling renegade stories have them on the back foot (seeing as its the most plausible in-universe reality) either just trying to survive after being disillusioned with the Imperium, or on a penance crusade to redeem themselves, hoping enough good deeds puts them back in the Emperor's light.

What was left of their fleet landed on the planet, Damocles because he is the chapter master (and because he was the warrior of retribution in roman legend), the two well known chapters because they are the ones my friends collect, they were rebelling because they are a young chapter and saw the inquisition doing bad things, they do intend to face the inquisition one inquisitor at a time, they probably most likely will be utterly destroyed, that's why I said they repainted themselves as dead men on a suicide mission


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Alright, not all the inquisition, but the inquisitors who ordered their destruction and betrayal.

Tiberius501 wrote:
What was left of their fleet landed on the planet, Damocles because he is the chapter master (and because he was the warrior of retribution in roman legend), the two well known chapters because they are the ones my friends collect, they were rebelling because they are a young chapter and saw the inquisition doing bad things, they do intend to face the inquisition one inquisitor at a time, they probably most likely will be utterly destroyed, that's why I said they repainted themselves as dead men on a suicide mission

Okay, so we have a small chapter (assuming significant losses from being stuck in a warp storm) with a small fleet (remembering that Astartes fleets are designed for Orbital Bombardment, and not fleet on fleet engagements) and limited supplies. Two of the most important chapters in the Imperium know that these guys should be dead, and thus upon hearing of their survival, will likely either help destroy them or recommend someone else do it. Not to mention Inquisitors are incredibly powerful with all the assets they can call upon at a moment's notice. An IN strike force will beyond a shadow of a doubt, handily defeat a weakened marine force in a single decisive battle, so it'll take some clever writing to even let them get near an Inquisitor mostly unharmed.

However, it should be pointed out that the Imperium is not a nice place. Our morals from the 21st century don't apply to the world of the 41 millenium. Nuking a planet from orbit because of a chaos invasion, and killing billions of potentially innocent/untainted civilians is considered an acceptable price to pay for the continuation of humanity. Further, Marines are indoctrinated from an incredibly young age to be unswerving in their dedication to the Emperor and the Imperium. They have been disciplined for decades to hate everything that isn't a human. Xenos are shot on site. Heretics are burned without question. Traitors and Chaos are purged without batting an eye. There is typically no second thought when it comes to these aspects of a marines life. They also understand what an Inquisitor is, does, and is capable of.

Based on our morals, the Inquisition does nothing but bad things. But if they didn't do those things, entire worlds would become beacons of Chaos, or provide mass to advancing Tyranid tendrils, or leave countless war supplies to Ork hordes, or lose planets to Eldar raids. The Inquisitors make difficult decisions that affect the Imperium at large, and killing of a billion people to save untold trillions upon trillions, is a price that must be paid.

So your chapter must have seen something completely despicable that isn't justified even by the crazy, doomsday scenario the Imperium lives in every day. This Inquisitor would literally have to summon a greater daemon of Khorne to do his bidding in creating a new chaos empire somewhere. Something absolutely, beyond a shadow of a doubt, is bad for the Imperium at large.

It'll take some clever writing, but its doable. You will have to expand more than just 'they saw a bad thing' though.

i like your fluff! i think you should name theyre captains after famous warriors who haved died fighting tyranny

Yeah, I haven't worked out what they saw, but yes, it'd be something like daemon worship, something they really didn't want getting out, and why they wanted my chapter dead. And the Ultras and Crimson fists are hunting them - gives cool fluff for me and my friends playing games against eachother. Thanks for the advice, sorry if I sound annoyed haha, I appreciate it. I'll need to flesh them out a bit more and give more reason as to how they aren't utterly obliterated by now haha.

And thanks hanshotfirst, that's a pretty cool idea

Tiberius501 wrote:
Yeah, I haven't worked out what they saw, but yes, it'd be something like daemon worship, something they really didn't want getting out, and why they wanted my chapter dead. And the Ultras and Crimson fists are hunting them - gives cool fluff for me and my friends playing games against eachother. Thanks for the advice, sorry if I sound annoyed haha, I appreciate it. I'll need to flesh them out a bit more and give more reason as to how they aren't utterly obliterated by now haha.

You don't sound annoyed at all. You're being quite receptive and answering the questions to the best of your ability or at least realizing some of the issues.

If you're even a little serious about making a quality piece of your own background, I'd strongly recommend spending some time and checking out the following guides and resources from the dedicated Marine folks over at Bolter and Chainsword.

DIY Resources, including timelines, and example.
The Ultimate DIY Chapter Creation Thread, including Do's and Don'ts
The Octaguide, probably the best source I used for creating my own chapter

Plus, in doing this, you'll get a better understanding of all the lore this universe has. And if there's one thing Bolter and Chainsword knows, its marine fluff and how to create a damn good DIY Chapter that is both logical in-universe, and original and creative.

 Blacksails wrote:

Tiberius501 wrote:
Yeah, I haven't worked out what they saw, but yes, it'd be something like daemon worship, something they really didn't want getting out, and why they wanted my chapter dead. And the Ultras and Crimson fists are hunting them - gives cool fluff for me and my friends playing games against eachother. Thanks for the advice, sorry if I sound annoyed haha, I appreciate it. I'll need to flesh them out a bit more and give more reason as to how they aren't utterly obliterated by now haha.

You don't sound annoyed at all. You're being quite receptive and answering the questions to the best of your ability or at least realizing some of the issues.

If you're even a little serious about making a quality piece of your own background, I'd strongly recommend spending some time and checking out the following guides and resources from the dedicated Marine folks over at Bolter and Chainsword.

DIY Resources, including timelines, and example.
The Ultimate DIY Chapter Creation Thread, including Do's and Don'ts
The Octaguide, probably the best source I used for creating my own chapter

Plus, in doing this, you'll get a better understanding of all the lore this universe has. And if there's one thing Bolter and Chainsword knows, its marine fluff and how to create a damn good DIY Chapter that is both logical in-universe, and original and creative.

Thanks a lot for the links I'll definitely check them out!