#Imperial Knights: Renegade

[alphamecha-mkii]

Imperial Knights: Renegade Box Art by Igor Sid

[toffee32]

Raeven Devine piloting the Knight Banelash

comm work. Loved reading about this crazy guy.

[cultofthewyrm]

Imperial Knights: Renegade by Igor Sid

[fangs-claws-paws]

Space Marines and my Thoughts

Alright fuck it, exploration of my thoughts on space marines and what I think of their meaning. Even though I know that I'm prolly gonna get mocked for this, this is my blog and I get to become emotionally attached to the super freaks and claim there's a deeper meaning to them even though it isn't well discussed in the few books I've read.

Under a read more cuz this is going to be a long one.

Space marines are just as much victims of the system as the average citizen

Space marines are children who were taken at a young age and were repeatedly exposed to extremely traumatic events to develop the right type of PTSD for ascension to space marines. Created intentionally by the emperor to make a mass-produced super soldier, which he also likely planned to completely execute once that phase of his plan was finished, so consideration for actually making functional people wasn't really considered. Even after their ascension to space marine they still are just as much meat in the grinder as every other human, just cuz they can survive better than an average human doesn't mean there aren't bigger things that can completely mulch them.

Space marines are viewed by regular humans as either ethereal angels of destruction or as barely acceptable mutants, both leading to isolation from those around them

In the first/second chapter of Horus Rising (if I remember the title right) we see through the eyes of a rembrancer that she sees space marines as mutants that are only respectable because they are working for the emperor. While likely the view of space marines as mutants has fallen out of popular opinion, the view of them as angels of death both still end up with the dehumanization of space marines. Despite their human origin and still frankly just being extremely emotionally traumatized humans with modifications, they aren't considered human. Which can lead to frustrations in communication, this can lead to either just avoiding humans alltogether to avoid being objectified, or leaning into that stereotype either to just stop fighting it or perhaps a way to live as an individual by justifying choices under their dehumanization.

Space marines fall under just as much scrutiny from the inquisition as the average human, if not moreso depending on the inquisitor

We see in the Ahriman Omnibus that an entire chapter is wiped out on the command of one inquisitor with the backing of a Grey Knight. While most inquisitors may not have the desire to poke the bear as it were, I feel many put space marines under a microscope because they don't follow certain pieces of the Imperial Cult (e.g. don't believe the Emperor is a god). This can lead to increased suspicion and further isolate space marines from the general human population. Which can lead to lashing out and turning renegade/traitor, becoming extremely insular in hopes of avoiding judgement for chapter belief, or this scrutiny becomes reflected towards other members in hopes of placating the wolves by sacrificing their own.

The extreme trauma they faced both during ascension and their service isn't expressed in healthy ways, which further alienates them but help forge bonds between other space marines due to shared traumas.

Their trauma is something they simply have to bury, or treat as par for the course, and thus deal with the psychological repercussions on their own. This can lead to childish behavior, violent outbursts, emotional withdrawal, etc. Which is well documented in the real world when people suffer traumatic events and don't get the help they need in processing it. They form close bonds with other space marines due to a potential subconscious acknowledgement that the other understands what they've went through, and can find safety in what to them is extreme vulnerability. This bond can definitely be formed between them and a guardsmen, but what a space marine may view as vulnerability might not be seen as such by a regular human.

[liketheinferno2]

in talking about ffxvi you made the point that clive is a good DRK, from the standpoint of the emotional thing that that class's narrative does. this makes me curious, what's your take on What A Gunbreaker Is For, in an emotional narrative sense? i have my own thoughts but i'm not as good at organizing them, i feel like the major GNB characters we meet (squall, seifer, the bozjan queensguard) are serving in different kinds of bodyguard/knight roles but specifically invested in conceptualizing themselves as bodyguard/knight. it's like embodying a very specific masculinity (gender-neutral)

I haven't played gunbreaker or ff8 so you'll forgive me if I have very little idea of what the defining qualities of the class are beyond ffxiv's NPCS though this has made me interested. Gunbreaker as a bodyguard == finding their sense of self and duty in service to another person definitely tracks with Thancred and the Queensguard. I can talk to you about dragoon, paladin, dark knight and summoner more readily at least.... but it's hard to talk about any tanks without the originals? A lot of classic final fantasy jobs are story relevant in one iteration and just a weapon you hold in the next.

Dark Knight vs Paladin is a peculiar one to me because the first time you see either of them it's DRK that is a military force and PLD that is an independent self acceptance renegade with Cecil Harvey, but that positioning flips back and forth throughout the series. Less that holiness is good and darkness is bad and more that Paladins are (at least trying to be) noble protectors of people at large, chivalrous, willing to take blows for their friends or their cause. Can become a very negative set of traits with characters whose cause is unjust -- Beatrix or the Heavens Ward come to mind.

Dark Knight's defining traits are like... exchanging self preservation for power, turning the worst parts of yourself into strength, almost like spiritually impure outcast class even when they're backed by an official body in the setting? Like Clive is definitely a dark knight because he can't access any of his strength until he's ready to accept that the worst parts of him are still part of him (Cloud Strife is also like this!!!) but you also come up against a squadron of like Sanbrequois Imperial Dark Knights With A Capital D who are sectioned off and despised even within their own organisation because they do the things too horrible for the rest of them.

An aside but I think Clive is quietly dual classing because as I get through the crafting unlocks late in the game when he's turned into someone who's protecting his entire community and pushed forward by love of those people it's all classic Paladin arms. Dark Knight Paladin Summoner Blue Mage McSpecial Boy.

But anyway most of my thoughts on Gunbreaker is that assigning yourself bodyguard can easily turn into kind of a tragic codependent dynamic and Thancred in Shadowbringers is almost entirely about that. It's a lot more personal than Paladin -- this isn't someone motivated by what they think is the greater good but the good of their charge -- yet less self absorbed than Dark Knights burning themselves up for power? Shadowbringers Thancred is dependent on his loved ones to even function as a GNB because fun fact if you can't bring Ryne or Urianger into Trusts with him he won't have any of his kit that requires their magic to use. .. I suppose Gunbreaker at least in FF14 is about partnerships and a subjective personal sense of duty.

Also you're right about the masculinity thing lmao I don't feel butch enough unless I'm supportive and helpful to the people around me and I'm sure that's true of a lot of people. It's emotionally rewarding to be a pillar to lean on but you risk suffering in silence if you can't get out of that self-prescribed role when you need to.

[lumi-klovstad-games]

The Liberators of Malice: Vanguard of the Unborn God

In the Grim Darkness of the Far Future, there is Only War. War has a curious effect on the soul. To some, it reinforces loyalty. To others, it encourages them to reconsider it. To still more, it shatters it entirely. The burning of the galaxy since the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy has produced countless of the first, many of the second, but by far the most of the third. Despite their sheer numbers, these renegades and dissidents have never been considered a major threat by the Imperium of Man or the myriad warbands and cults of the Ruinous Powers. Numerous and spiteful as they were, they were always too scattered, too unorganized and ill-supplied. This misjudgment of unimportance by cosmic tyrants was their first mistake, but by no means will it be their last or most significant; the Liberators of Malice have long been waiting in the shadows, ever watchful for the slightest signs of weakness in their great enemies, and keen eyes and calculating minds in this unusual Chaos Legion have deduced that their time of glory is soon to come.

The Liberators of Malice are a renegade force unlike any other in the galaxy, an assemblage of Heretic Guard Regiments, Fallen Sisters of Battle, Dark Mechanicus cults, Renegade Knight Houses, and Chaos Space Marines united not by ambition or madness, but by a shared sense of betrayal and disillusionment. They follow not the capricious whims of the four Chaos Gods but instead serve the nascent power of Malice, the God of Rebellion and Anarchy, whose essence is taking shape in the Warp—a dark hope for those who have turned against both the Imperium and the tyranny of the Ruinous Powers.

The origins of the Liberators of Malice trace back to Vandras Galaror, a battle-scarred veteran of the Sons of Horus. Vandras fought fiercely during the Horus Heresy, following his Primarch with a conviction that had once bordered on zealotry. But in the wake of Horus’s death, Vandras began to see the Heresy for what it truly was: a manipulated and endless war, a terrible clash of egos where countless lives had been snuffed out as mere pawns in a game between the Emperor and the Dark Gods. Seeing the galaxy left in flames and ruin, Vandras wondered if any of it had ever been worth the suffering. His disillusionment grew into disgust and, ultimately, into hatred—not only for the Imperium that created him, but also for the dark gods who had used him, his father, and his brothers to their collective ruin.

Retreating deep into the Eye of Terror with his surviving brethren, Vandras severed ties with the four Powers and began seeking out others who shared his sentiments, no matter their legion of origin. Veteran Sons of Horus, World Eaters, Death Guard, Night Lords, Thousand Sons, Iron Warriors, and even Word Bearers who had lost faith in their Primarchs, their Gods, or their causes all joined him. All who came were welcome.

Vandras' efforts were stymied greatly, though not headed off entirely, by the breakout of the Legion Wars which broke and scattered the Heretic Legions, and deepened the corruptions therein. Seeking a place he and his followers could find for their own, a staging ground from which to operate, they left the Eye of Terror and found the world of Eryx's Scar, in an unnamed Warp Storm roughly to the Galactic West of the Storm of the Emperor's Wrath. While the warp storm surrounding Eryx’s Scar is not as impenetrable as the Eye of Terror itself, it is fierce enough to serve as a natural fortress, deterring most Imperials and Chaos warbands from attempting an invasion. The storm’s shifting tides and unpredictable paths make navigation treacherous for all but the Liberators, who have learned to exploit its paths over the millennia.

Once settled on Eryx's Scar, Vandras and his followers were called to by a stirring, a faintest whisper, in the warp. In time, they learned to associate a name with this comforting voice: Malice -- whom the ancient texts also sometimes called Malal -- a nascent Chaos God who embodied rebellion, defiance, and the rejection of authority itself. Where the other Chaos Gods fed on primal emotions and vices, Malice represented the refusal to be controlled, the spirit of defiance that drives the downtrodden to fight back, and the means by which Chaos shall ever destroy itself. Though not yet fully born, Malice’s essence already was stirring in the Warp, a dark flame fueled by all the souls who had been betrayed, abandoned, or sacrificed, and that flame grew stronger by the day as the Imperium and its rivals exploited the masses and ground them beneath their heels. Indeed, such was Malice's current stage of development by the Era Indomitus that already the New God was beginning to have tangible effects in the Warp and Realspace.

In secret rituals, Vandras and his followers began to commune with this emerging entity. They performed rites of devotion, not in submission, but as equals honoring an ally in rebellion. Malice, they believed, would rise to shatter the cosmic order, freeing all those who wished to escape the iron chains of the gods and the Imperium alike.

Over the next ten thousand years, the Liberators of Malice swelled in numbers, drawing in renegades from every corner of the galaxy. Heretic Guardsmen from shattered regiments, Fallen Sisters of Battle and other Sororitas disillusioned by the corruption in the Ecclesiarchy, engineers and tech-priests from the Dark Mechanicus who had grown weary of Martian dogma—all found a place within the Liberators. Unlike other warbands, they welcomed any who shared their hatred of oppressive rule, regardless of origin or past sins. Even Renegade Navigator Clans, Knight Houses, and Titans joined them, all swearing oaths to the Liberators and the unborn god of rebellion.

The Liberators have developed a loose creed that rejects servitude in all forms. They preach freedom from the gods, the Imperium, and any authority that seeks to exploit. They revere Malice not as a master but as a symbol of resistance—a god who demands no sacrifices and does not demand worship but represents a cosmic rebellion. Their rules are simple and their rituals are uncomplicated, unadorned by grand temples or ostentatious rites, yet their faith is fierce, for they believe themselves to be part of something larger: a cosmic rebellion that will one day cast down every throne, as promised by their motto: "No Gods, No Masters—Only Freedom."

What makes the Liberators unique among Chaos Legions is their structure. Unlike the rigid hierarchies of the Imperium or the warbands of The Four Ruinous Powers, the Liberators of Malice operate as a community held together by shared grievances and loyalty to one another. Command is earned by respect and skill, and decisions are often made collectively. Though Vandras is their undisputed leader, he rules not by fear but by example and the bonds he has forged over centuries of rebellion. Despite their varied origins and Anarchic God, the Liberators of Malice are a truly equal society, and held together not by power or intimidation but genuine familiarity, fraternity, and common cause.

The Liberators of Malice have conducted countless raids and campaigns against both the Imperium and Chaos strongholds. They tend to eschew large setpiece battles or grand Black Crusades as favored by Abbaddon the Despoiler and his Black Legion, and instead prefer to operate in small, specialized cells, striking at vulnerable worlds, Imperial shipping lanes, and isolated Chaos cults. In this way, they effect critical damage on their enemies but preserve their Knights, Titans, and heaviest combat equipment and assets for the Glorious Revolution To Come, when Malice will tear the Galaxy apart with his Birth Screams and ensnare the Four in his web, never for them to escape. Their tactics are guerilla and disruptive, always aimed at weakening both the Imperium and the gods who have shackled humanity. In recent centuries, they have turned to rescuing convicts, heretics, and other persecuted souls, swelling their ranks with those who have nowhere else to go.

After millennia of fighting, Vandras has begun to perceive faint signs that the galaxy is nearing a turning point. He believes the Imperium is weakening, its oppressive systems straining to control its populace, while the forces of Chaos become ever more decadent and fractured. The final awakening of Malice, he preaches, will be the trigger that brings this cosmic order crashing down.

The Liberators of Malice await this moment as both worshippers and warriors. Their eyes are set on Holy Terra itself, for Vandras dreams of a galaxy free from the yoke of both emperor and gods—a galaxy where freedom is the only commandment and Malice is the only law: either the people of the galaxy will gather together in freedom, or they will gather together in death.

Indeed, it may be sooner than the Lords and Masters of the Cosmos believe that the Liberators reveal the full scale of their shadowy operations, and the battle cry of "For Malice! For the Unchained!" is yet heard on every world throughout known space, accompanied by the Black and White of the Liberators' Banner. On that day, may every tyrant, be they God or Emperor, tremble at the coming of Malice's Vanguard.

[two-reflections]

Warhammer 40k Kinktober Drabbles!

[Summary: 31 kinky drabbles, one for each day in October. Some Canon Characters, some OCs. Mix of Chaos and Imperium, with a Xeno or two for good measure.]

[Rating: T-E, mostly E.]

Main Link:

Individual Drabbles:

Public/Getting Caught, Deathwatch Kill-Team Esarhaddon

BDSM, Zartath/Elysius

Humiliation, Iron Warriors

Quickie, Ciaphas Cain/Amberley Vail

Chastity, Renegade Marine/Astropath

Pain Play, Huron/Honsou

Primarch and [not] Captain, Corvus Corax/Kasati Nuon

Battlefield Sex, Zartath/Urgaresh

Body Part Worship, Interrogator/Skitarius

Muscle Worship, Interrogator/Skitarius

Hate Sex, Red Corsair/Noise Marine

Drugs, Solo Iron Warrior

Psykana, Thousand Sons Sorcerors

Apothecary, Deathwatch Kill-Team Esarhaddon

Religion, Sisters of Battle

Aftercare, Dante/Tu'Shan

Sensory Deprivation, Sevatar/Rushal

In Disguise, Iron Hands?

Denial/Dismemberment, Orikan/Trazyn

Edging, Grendel/Etassay

Shower, Titus/Leandros

Purity/Cannibalism, Kroot/Human Navigator

Soft and Slow, Salamander/Brander

Lovemaking, Zandrekh/Obyron

Foot Fetish, Deathwatch Kill-Team Esarhaddon

Size Kink, Grey Knight/Inquisitor

Mind Control, Horus/Torgaddon

Free Use, Adeptus Custodes

Glad-to-be-Alive Sex, Astral Claw/Lamenter

Genderswap, Malcador/The Emperor

Objectum Sexuality, Dreadnought/Imperial Titan

[cola-canine]

I'm sorry, Respawn's Star Wars title being cancelled is a topic I'm gonna be talking about for awhile.

I just need y'all to know how much we were promised and how little we've gotten when it comes to Star Wars games in the past decade. So many titles have been cancelled. So, so many... and mostly because of dumb corporate bullshit like this. I'm beyond angry that this stuff just keeps happening. These publishers are destroying some amazing development teams and studios.

Jedi: Fallen Order and Jedi: Survivor have been the only real Star Wars games lately; games that went in with a goal of telling a new story from start to finish. Not mobile games like Hunters or Galaxy of Heroes, not side content for multiplayer games like the half baked campaign for Battlefront II, not parody retellings like a LEGO game - just full on Star Wars game. Granted, I've yet to play Star Wars: Squadrons' campaign but I haven't heard a single thing about it since it came out and that doesn't' leave me very hopeful.

When it comes to Star Wars single player FPS too we haven't gotten a new title in over a decade (again, not counting Battlefront II) If you want to be technical, the last one we got was in 2007 with Renegade Squadron for the PSP. The last big Star Wars FPS, though, was Republic Commando in 2005. That's it. That was the last one. To add insult to injury, RepComm left on a cliffhanger. Then they cancelled its sequel, cut ties with Karen Traviss for the books based around it because Clone Wars was picking up steam and that was going to go in a completely different direction than what Traviss had for the Clone Wars... It's upsetting.

Do you guys remember how fucking fantastic the Jedi Knight games were and still are. Do you remember just the absolute golden era for Star Wars games from 1996 to 2010. What the actual fuck happened. As soon as the seventh console generation came around, everything fell apart. Most cancelled Star Wars games are from this era. 1313, the Darth Maul game, Battlefront 3, Battlefront 4, Imperial Commando, First Assault... The list, unfortunately, goes on and doesn't seem to be ending anytime soon.

I want to hold out hope, I really do. I want to be excited for new Star Wars games but this just keeps happening again, and again, and again, and again... Out of the six(?) Star Wars games that were announced several years ago, it seems like only Ubisoft's title is going to make it through. I'm excited, of course. A story in-between Empire and Jedi is going to be interesting regardless. But after watching this absolute slaughter over the years, I keep asking myself:

What happened?

[djpain619]

Homebrew Lore Dump:

Fall of Cadia causes Tecolote System to be eaten by the warp for 150 Years. They stuck in the warp for 150 year, but only 3 years pass in the Materium.

999.M41 Entire Tecolote System Consumed by Cicatrix Maledictim and contained in Realspace Bubble

System subjected to constant and repeated invasions of their Realspace Bubble by Space Hulks and Pirate fleets consisting mainly of either Ork Freebooter Waaaghs, Chaos Space Marine Warbands, Dark Eldar Corsairs, and Genestealers.

Homegrown Feral Ork Waaaghs happen occasionally as well.

001-003.M42

2 years into Isolation Planetary Civil War starts.

Loyalist Elysians & Kanaks vs Renegade Penals. Hive Aquilla & Rual Villages held by loyalists, Hives Alamode, Tehas, Caulifaña, & NeuYurt held by Renegades.

Genestealers Uncovered and revealed to be instigators.

Centurian Rangers Established to combat and eliminate Genestealer Kelermorphs

Centurian Rangers formed by combining elite Guard Veterans & Arbites, with Scola Progenia Commisariat Staff & Scion Cadets.

Squat neutrality ends. Squats enter war on side of loyalists against Genestealers & Renegades.

Majority of Renegades turn on Genestealers. Some Renegade forces occasionally engage in temporary ceasefire with Loyalists to combat Genestealers.

Upon eradication of Genestealer menace, peace negotiations with Renegades are initiated.

Renegades granted amnesty and full citizenship in exchange for cessation of hostilities and submission to Loyalist authorities

Civil War is ended after 10 years of fighting

Surviving Loyalist Authorities enact several governmental reforms

Penals given full rights. Planetary government reformed onto Federation of Hives and Strongholds named United Settlements of Aquilla

Planetary Governor Becomes Elected Position.

New Planetary Governor commissions Lockstock's Rust Blood Reivers to supplement PDF Naval Forces in Anti-Piracy Operations

Roughly 20 years into Tecolote System's warp Isolation, Joint Squat/Imperial mining Colonies established on Dwarf Planet Tecolote IV. Squats provide skilled labor, Imperials provide Penal Chain gangs as mass unskilled labor.

Roughly 80 years into Tecolote System's warp Isolation, a small Transport Fleet bearing a Lace of Freeblade Imperial Knights enters System. Fleet beset by Ork Freebooters. Rust Blood Reivers render aid and eliminate Freebooters. Freeblade Knight Señor Hidalgo Don Coyóte offers the services of his Cerastus Knight Lancer "El Rocinante" and his Freeblade Lance of Armigers known as "Los Becerrillos"

Señor Don Coyóte given fiefdom over Dwarf Planet and Mining Colonies.

Señor Don Coyóte marries Ørnverden Planetary Governor's daughter and Establishes House La Mancha. Also names Dwarf Planet and all mining Colonies "La Mancha

"Los Tercios de Mastìn" Established by House La Mancha as Personal Guard and PDF Regiment for Dwarf Planet.

[mayxthexforce]

The Sith Shadows are a band of mercenaries led by a zealot Force-wielder named Mellichae. Mellichae was a promising student of the dark side, being considered for a position as one of the Emperor's Hands, alongside Mara Jade. However, things took a brutal turn for Mellichae when it was discovered that he held such low regard for the Emperor and his politics that he planned to assassinate him and insert himself as the new Sith Lord.

Darth Vader himself dispatched Mellichae, severing one of his limbs and leaving him for dead. In a rare mistake on Vader's part Mellichae survived, and has harbored his bitter rage over the following years, growing increasingly more insane. Mellichae has formed his own band of followers now, called the Sith Shadows. His mercenary group consists of smugglers, pirates, outlaws, and murderers of all kinds. Their dark personalities mesh well with Mellichae's goals, allowing them to survive under his rule. No one joins the Sith Shadows lightly, and no one has ever left their employ alive.

Mellichae surveyed the village from his speeder bike, well out of range of their sensors. His Zabrakian hearing brought him the sounds of building and conversation. He fingered the button on his lightsaber, stolen from his own master when he killed him in the final test.

This must be how Darth Maul felt, he thought to himself. Before he slaughtered the enemies of the Sith.

He looked around him at the mercenaries and students of the dark side, some of them his own pupils. Would one of them kill him someday? He doubted it very much

A young Twi'lek, still bruised, battered, and scarred from his last training cycle pulled up next to Mellichae.

"We're ready, my lord."

"Excellent." Mellichae said, the taste of blood already forming on his lips.

Mellichae, the Zabrak, is a mercenary. He believes he works for the Emperor, though the one time he did try to trace his payments back any further than three or four steps he hit a brick wall like nothing he'd ever encountered. Some of his men speculate that they're actually working for Black Sun. Prince Xizor certainly had his own animosity towards the Jedi. Though the people they are fighting aren't Jedi. They are just Force sensitives and villagers, farmers really.

So who are they working for? No one knows. At this point they're simply a renegade group of mercenaries, some with their own force sensitive powers, who are dedicated to destroying this peaceful village.

Why?

Mellichae believes that this is actually a secret training ground for new Jedi Knights and that they plan to rise up and destroy all those who believe in the Sith's teachings. Mellichae would like nothing more than to become a Sith Lord himself, though he knows he'll have to prove himself to the Emperor before that can happen. He never dreamed he'd have the opportunity, though he believes destroying the village will gain him that status.

His men are mercenaries as well, following Mellichae because he's the strongest of them. Some of his men were dark force wielders, trained by supposed Sith Lords or Dark Side Devotees. They were all driven from their previous lives by revenge, murder, thievery. Most of them are wanted "officially" for crimes against the Empire.

And yet, despite their not keeping a low profile they never seem to be arrested, they're rarely harassed by local Imperial politics, and they seem curiously well funded.

They call themselves The Sith Shadows, or more often just the Shadows, since they're affiliation with the Sith is mostly wishful thinking.

Surviving your first encounter with the Sith Shadows will lead you to a small agriculture cooperative village on Dathomir. This is the Village of Aurilia.

— Star Wars Galaxies An Empire Divided - Sith Enemies.

[siamesephoenixrandomideatank]

What if ToH Characters choose their favorite WH40K Army

Luz- Maybe blindly choosing from the name; Imperium Knight, Chaos Knights(she assumed chaos was chaotic neutral), or Word Bearers. Ended up with Thousands Sons and Word Bearers, because Magnus did nothing wrong.

Amity- Asuryani. (Any suggestion for the better?)

Gus- Adeptus Mechanicus, and Iron Hand Marines

  Willow- Salamander with Catachan Imperial Guards 

Eda- Combination of Rogue Traders & Blood Ravens(Most likely to came up with an excuse how the renegade Blood Raven Marine being among the Rogue Traders. And stealthy~)

Lilith- Ultramarine and Grey Knights (She read the lore in a week and became a fan)

Hooty- Orks (Happy Goofball in the dark world)

Hunter- Blood Angel Space Marines, along with Space Wolves(Wolves & Red Bird!)

King- Tyranids and Genestealer Cult (Master of monsters and massive in number. Plus, Hooty chose Orks already)

Darius- Emperor’s Children (But renamed it to Children against the Imperium), and some of Slaaneshi Daemons

Raine- Harlequins and Ynnari

Belos- Adeptus Custodes and Death Korp of Krieg(’Cuz, Golden Bois, and Masked Loyalists)

[Suggest for more characters]

[the-abyssal-lord]

The Abyss Chasers - Revised

(( Greetings fellow heretics! It’s been a long time since I’ve made any proper comprehensive post like this. Over the years I’ve refined and changed a-lot about my Chaos Warband, in fact I’m planning on finally getting minis for them. So this is more-so a personal post to have when I get around to that. ))

++ ++

On the fringes of the Eye of Terror is a world saturated in the baleful energies of the Warp, once an Aeldari Maiden World that was spared the destruction of the Fall, eventually the corrupting influence of Chaos reached it. It’s original name wiped away by its new inhabitants, it is now known as Vorago. In orbit of this twisted planet are dozens of starships of all kinds, some ramshackle and barely functioning, others ancient and gargantuan. All owe allegiance to the Warband that controls it, The Abyss Chasers.

Founded by the former Son of the Emperors Children Legion of the Adeptus Astartes known as Decus. It was possibly formed some time shortly after the end of the Horus Heresy, time being hard to pinpoint within the Warp and more specifically the Eye. Originally small and insignificant, only boasting a single ship and its crew. That ship remains to this day, now known as the Echo of Ecstasy, the warbands flagship.

Over the centuries within the Warp and staging small raids upon Imperial worlds the Abyss Chasers slowly grew in number and in infamy, it’s name whispered amongst populaces of sectors it had attacked. By 867.M41 it had grown to a size that could rival an Astartes chapter, not including mortal forces and ship crews. By 990.M41 it had more or less become what it is today, a massive force made up of thousands. Since it’s inception it was primarily a fleet-based warband, not having a set world it returned to either in Realspace or the Warp. This changed in 998.M41 with the discovery of Vorago, and it’s settlement by the Warband.

++ ++

The Abyss Chasers whilst being made up of thousands of forces, does owe its organization to a select few, in particular its inner circle known as the Council of Claws. This name being a reference to the warbands insignia being a clawed hand.

Raptor Lord Decus: Former Son of the Third and primarily a follower of Slaanesh like most of his old Legion. It is his clawed hand to which the warband gained its symbol. Old records now sealed by the Inquisition would reveal his original name to have been Silas Decimus.

Vezeral, the Right Hand of the Abyss: The warbands resident Sorcerer and expert on things pertaining to the more esoteric aspects of Chaotic power. Tends to lean towards worship of the Tzeentch due to this line of work.

Tyrax Revka, the Red Champion, Left Hand of the Abyss: Originally of the World Eaters Legion and a follower of the Blood God, Khorne, Tyrax is a Berzerker like most of his kin. After the infamous schism in the Legion he wandered for centuries until meeting the Raptor Lord and due to unknown reasons formed a blood bond with him.

Naethar Sestus, Spymaster: Not much is known about the former Alpha Legionnaire, for reasons that should become apparent from whom his Father and Legion are. Regardless of this, Naethar serves faithfully under the Raptor Lord.

Jormund Helsson, Fallen Wolf: Once a proud Son of Fenris and the Space Wolves, now a minor Chaos Lord and member of the Abyss Chasers.

Lucina Laroche, Sorceress: Leader of the mortal cultist forces of the warband despite not quite being mortal herself.

The Violet Tear: A Renegade Knight Titan that has become fused with its pilot, the two now a single entity who calls herself Violet. Holds rank within the Council due to how effective in battle she is.

Kharriv: A Beastman who leads the hordes of mutants and abhumans within the warband.

Despite the Abyss Chasers leader being mostly a follower of Slaanesh, and a son of the Third Legion, the warband itself is technically an Undivided force, as seen by its myriad of leaders within the Council. There are followers of all four of the Chaos gods as well as plenty of Undivided. There is also leadership that simply isn’t within the Raptor Lords inner circle, such as Callicus, a Plague Champion of Nurgle. This Undivided nature has allowed the warband to grow far more quickly than it would have as a single god following force.

++ ++

Notable Campaigns

988.M41: The Scouring of Judicum

A raiding party of the Abyss Chasers made its way throughout the Judicum sector, razing a handful of worlds before engaging a contingent of its battlefleet. The fighting eventually came upon the Hive world of Rubedo, where its local PDF was assisted by sisters of the Adepta Sororitas from the Order of the Black Sepulchre.

991.M41: Battle of Trethos VI

The Abyss Chasers raided the agri-world Trethos VI for reasons unknown and a force of the 199th Atropan Regiment met them in combat, eventually being aided by the Marines Exemplar Chapter of Adeptus Astartes.

998.M41: the Siege of Cerennas

For unclear reasons yet again, the warband raided the icy death world of Cerennas on the outer edges of Sector Judicum. The raid eventually boiled over into a siege of its single major city, the PDF being joined by brothers of the Flesh Tearers chapter of Space Marines, with no prior knowledge of their timely arrival. Ultimately was a victory for Imperial forces since the Chasers withdrew.

999.M41: The 13th Black Crusade

Records are sparse and unclear, but the Abyss Chasers supposedly did assist the Black Legion during the events of the devastating 13th Black Crusade.

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Extra note

The Abyss Chasers colour scheme is black armour with silver trimming. The left arm is painted a pale purple.

[davekat-sucks]

Alternate Ship Names from MSPA Booru: Dave Strider

For John or Rose, click the links

Dave Strider: Himself/Selfcest (Spare Time) John (Pepsicola / Hammertime) Rose (Dersecest) Jade (Spacetime) Davesprite (Red Robin) Jadesprite (Radioactive Dating) Jane (Minute Maid) Dirk (Stridercest or Clockwork Orange) Roxy (Parent Trap) Jake (hoplyshipt) Lil Hal/Auto Responder (N/A) Karkat (Red Knight District) Aradia (Double Time) Tavros (S'mores) Sollux (Applebees) Nepeta (Coolcat) Kanaya (Texas Chainsaw) Terezi (Coolkid) Vriska (We8comic) Equius (Knight Mare) Gamzee (Strawberry Jam) Eridan (Wavemakers) Feferi (Depth Record) Dad (Father Time) Mom (Apple Cider) Bro (First Stridercest) Grandpa (N/A) Poppop (N/A) Alpha Bro Dave (Stridercest, shares with Dirk) Alpha Mom Rose (N/A) Grandma (N/A) Jack Noir (N/A) Spades Slick (N/A) Diamonds Droog (N/A) Clubs Deuce (N/A) Hearts Boxcars (N/A) Lord English (N/A) Wayward Vagabond (Canned Beats) Aimless Renegade (Rap Sheet) Peregrine Mendicant (Apple Mail) Andrew Hussie (N/A) Her Imperious Condesce (N/A) Kankri (Red Letter Day) Damara (Big in Japan) Rufioh (N/A) Mituna (N/A) Meulin (N/A) Porrim (N/A) Latula (Radknights) Aranea (Rhythm and Blues) Horuss (N/A) Kurloz (N/A) Cronus (N/A) Meenah (Sordfish)

[ahzek]

What the hell is going on with The Iron Kingdom by Nick Kyme?

I know that 40k novels often struggle with consistency, but the sheer illogical happenings in this book are driving me crazy, so I decided to write some of this down before my head explodes.

Spoilers below this point. Also a lot of ranting.

1) How in hell did the most undiplomatic idiot get command of the battle group sent on a diplomatic mission??

- they want resupply from this world

- they want to establish a supply hub

- and all they bring in return is the dead heir to the local monarchy

- to a Knight world, which are notorious for their focus on their own sovereignty.

How the fuck do you get the idea "You know what? This is gonna go swimmingly, I'll just send some ships ahead so they can start collecting resources a few days early."

Getting there took 5 *years*, why would you care about a few days and antagonise the local governess before even establishing communications?

2) Who made this unstable, impulsive despot queen of this world??

Imperial tithe collectors trample a few fields and antagonise the locals? - doesn't do anything.

Fleet master establishes communication? - Just exchange half a dozen sentences, just hinting at all the problems, but not really talking anything through.

Find that your dead daughters skin has just *slightly stretched* after being dead for over 5 years despite statis field? - Immediately lose it and give orders to assassinate an ambassadorial delegation of several dozen imperials (itself pretty much a declaration of war) including a General, a Silent Sister and a damn Custodes??? A literal companion of the emperor, mythical being and all that?

(And her brother, who fought along these people for years, is just ok with this besides some slight protests?)

3) Speaking of the Custodes, why does such an interesting character established in a previous book (part of the diplomatic corps of Custodes, but not really that good at it, but working on it) who fits this situation perfectly, get nothing more that one scene where he is reading a bit and another where he just dies instantly to some Knights?

Where is the awe-inspriring influence of these legendary warriors on normal humans?

Where is his diplomatic skill and authority, why does he just let the undiplomaitic idiots fuck everything up?

What did Andy do to Nick, that he just slaughters his characters such as Vychellan just like that?

4) What kind of idiot selected this Kingsward, protector of the queen?

He finally finds the renegade he has been hunting for *years* by walking into a trap and turning it around, defeats him and then just... leaves? Because he got word of the war the Queen started?

He's right there, just finish this guy, you need at least an hour to get back to the Palace anyway, what does it matter? But no, gotta let him live, to he can get back later and cause problems, I guess. At least give him a miraculous escape, not "enemy turned around at the last moment, because he's an idiot."

5) Then we have some usual inconsistencies turned up the maximum with the primarchs equerry Messinius not just being completely aware of the situation just days into the conflict, but *actually there*?? During a time of exceptionally difficult warp travel??? How the hell do you justify that? Did he secretly sell his soul to the dark gods, or something?

There's more with the Iron Veil being unrealistic and the strength of the Kamidarian atomic weapons not making sense, but maybe that's just the physicist in me being pedantic (and fairly common in 40k, so whatever).

But sentences like "The Imperiums ressources are not inexhaustible" just hurt when reading because, yes, for a single world like yours they pretty much are and you should know that...

That's it, ranting over (for now).

Haven't finished the boom yet and seriously thinking about not finishing it at all, which would be a first for me.

Really enjoyed the Dawn of Fore series so far (although Wolftime was a bit weary), but this book has me pulling out hair..

[444namesplus]

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[supersaiyanjedi14]

Another addition to my personal Star Wars AU.

Vah'nya, Ozyly-Esehembo of the Chiss Expansionary Defense Fleet, Commander in Syndic Mitth'raw'nuruodo's Household Phalanx, first Master Knight of the Bazehn Viziter

Per my last poll, this is my version of Vah'nya after receiving proper training and becoming a Jedi-equivalent. I really like the idea of other light-side Force orders springing up alongside the Jedi Order in the post-Empire years, especially after the fragmenting of the New Republic during the Yuuzhan Vong War. After all, the galaxy is a big place and the Jedi, try as they might, can't be everywhere at once. Furthermore, the post-Vong galaxy was much more politically diverse than under the Republic or the Empire, with the Galactic Alliance, Imperial Remnant, and other interplanetary governments all being big name power players. Plus, the Jedi have consistently welcomed other Force-orders existing throughout the galaxy, even cross training with them on occasion. I have no doubt that Luke would welcome such ideas coming about.

A big inspiration for this was the Imperial Knights from the Legacy comic series, who are functionally Jedi in all but name despite service to the Fel Empire. I figured that if the Remnant can have their own light-side Force order, why can't other major galactic powers? With other Orders serving among these bodies just as the Jedi serve the Republic/GA, more good can legally be done in more places while compensating for limited jurisdiction. ("Oh, the Jedi can't go here because the Republic has no power? Well, the Hapes Consortium DOES have power here, and they have their own Jedi!"). Each of these Orders are distinct with their own philosophies based on their own views of the Force, but all are dedicated to the same ideas of serving the light and protecting the innocent.

I had a Chiss version in my head for a long time, down to the name (per a Cheunh-English translator I found online, Bazehn Viziter means "Force Knight"), and after reading Thrawn: Treason, I decided that Vah'nya is the perfect candidate for starting it up. Her lightsaber color was something I had been debating on for a while, since I wanted something a little unique outside of the standard colors. With you guys' input, I settled on a light indigo, mixing blue and purple for something unique.

As for how this all fits into my AU? Read below!

Alright, as this Au mixes aspects of canon and Legends, the events of the new Thrawn books are similar but different. Most significantly, Thrawn does not fight the Ghost crew in the BBY years, as the main canon divergence for me is around the end of Rebels season 2. His relationship with Eli and battles with the Grysk remain, getting him acquainted with Vah'nya and her abilities. Around the time of the OT, Thrawn returns to Chiss space to report on his progress with the Empire and their potential as an ally. However, the Patriarchs are unimpressed with the Empire's tyranny and atrocities, in stark contrast to Thrawn's pragmatic ambivilence. This time, his exile is the real deal as opposed to the cover story it used to be.

Thrawn decides to take matters into his own hands, promptings him to start diverting resources and gathering loyal allies to build the Empire of the Hand. Eli and Vah'nya are two of the earliest recruits, along with a large contingent of sky-walkers. As a member of the Hand, Vah'nya naturally takes charge of the SKy-walker kids, though she also starts doing whatever research she can to help preverve or expand their powers. Either way, she is determined to help these kids as much as she can, making sure they are still cared for and not cast aside when no longer useful.

Come the Thrawn trilogy, Thrawn recruits the renegade Jedi mercenaries Baylan Skoll and his apprentice Shin Hati into his schemes alongside Joruus C'Baoth. Like in the Ahsoka series, Baylan is a broken pedastal who sees working with Thrawn as a potential "break the cycle" means. However, he quickly realizes that C'Baoth is too dangerous to let that actually happen, especially when the mad clone tries to bend Shin to his will as he tried with Luke and Mara. Baylan's better nature motivates him to confide with Thrawn, who arranges for Shin to disappear to the Hand. Shin quickly befriends Vah'nya, and starts to think that proper Jedi-style training might be the solution she's looking for. After all, the Chiss's isolation from the galaxy at large means that their exposure to the Jedi and Sith, and by extension their methods, is going to be limited (we've seen other Force traditions that build up in different specialized ways while isolated from the Jedi), so more complete study and practice may help.

With Shin's aid, Vah'nya is able to improve her powers as well as branch out into other abilities unseen by the sky-walkers before. Eventually building her own lightsaber, Vah'nya decides to commit herself to spreading what she learns among her people, letting the Chiss connect fully to the Force again. At the same time, Shin finds a sense of belonging that she never really had before, even under Baylan's tutelege. Around 14 ABY, Vah'nya and Shin's reciprocal apprenticeship formally ends, both regarding each other as having completed their training and declaring themselves Jedi.

During the Caamas Document Crisis, the Hand of Thrawn is discovered by Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade. While the sequence of events is mostly unchanged from the original, Vah'nya, Eli and Shin are there as well. Their faith in Thrawn leads them into brief conflict with the Jedi, but they do eventually simmer down and become friendly, joining forces with Luke to help end the Grysk wars once and for all. Shortly afterwards, Vah'nya returns to the Chiss Ascendency, calling for significant reform in the Sky-walker Corps and the chance to train Force-sensitives among her people. While the Patriarchs are hesitant, Admiral Ar'alani vouches for Vah'nya, and she is allowed to establish the Force Knights among the Chiss.

Between her various influences, Vah'nya teaches her students to regard the Force as a tool that should be used to serve the greater good, yet tempered with efficiency and discipline. The Force Knights approach the Force with a warrior's mentality, but instead of gorging themselves on power as a darksider would, they look for clarity and insight, guiding them down the most effective path. They may not be as openly warm as the Jedi, but they still preach compassion and understanding, actively opposing the idea of treating people as mere assets, and by extension listening to the Force's will. In keeping with the in-universe remarks of Chiss adaptions of preexisting technology, the Force Knights support lightsaber combat with shields with phrik casing, combining offense and defense fluidly.

Sadly, Vah'nya does not live to see her order come to maturity. When the Yuuzhan Vong attack, Vah'ny steps up in defense of the galaxy, leading some of her most advanced students to aid the New Republic. Her heroic efforts are brought to an end when she is bested in combat by the Vong commander Nas Choka, but not before she provides enough time for her allies to sabotage numerous Vong warships. Vah'nya becomes one with the Force, leaving behind her three children with Eli and the Force Knights in the safe hands of her students, a legacy that will last for many more years.

credit for my pixels here