Was hoping you could help me flesh out this idea for a space marine chapter.
>The Somber Gargoyles
The Somber Gargoyles are a secretive Dark Angels successor chapter tasked with guarding the planet Quasimodo and its secrets.
Now, gene-seed mutations are often quite dramatic. Prospective new successor chapters may end up with special abilities (such as bone spikes, or heightened psychic ability) or they may be so catastrophically defective that they must be immediately aborted and purged from the record. For purposes of this concept, let's say that a certain number of attempts in creating new successor chapters result in gene-seed mutations with more mundane defects. The Magos Biologis might develop a promising new batch of space marines only to note minor but highly debilitating mutations resulting in memory loss, seizures, or muscle atrophy. Rather than terminate these rejects outright, suppose the Imperium were to instead allow these misfit marines to live out the rest of their lives under observation on a remote death world? That way, at least they might yet yield some potentially useful data.
Quasimodo is a once-populous former hive-world turned cratered death-world in a quiet corner of Imperium space. It is here that defective astartes offshoots may be permitted to live out fulfilling lives exploring catacombs and fighting monsters under genetorial scrutiny. However, they cannot be permitted to self-rule; a chapter of healthy, loyal space marines must be assigned to guard over the planet Quasimodo to keep its inhabitants contained and hidden.
The Gargoyles have had morale problems in the past. They used to recruit from a feudal world near planet Quasimodo. The valorous people of that world make for fine astartes indeed, but unfortunately they are poorly suited to the Gargoyle's mission. Even with hypno-indoctrination, recruits from that world often fell into despair upon learning their purpose, and tended to abuse their wards on Quasimodo. The Gargoyles began settling human colonists on Quasimodo to live among the misfit marines residing there. The death world's conditions would make for hardened recruits, and exposure to their future wards would help to instill them with a sense of duty appropriate to their task.
>The Somber Gargoyles Standing force Founding date [Classified] Progenitor: Dark Angels[Classified] Gene-Seed: Pure Chapter Demeanor: See, But Don't Be Seen Chapter Flaw: We Stand Alone
Lincoln Garcia
I think the main issue is, why have an entire Marine chapter guardians defective Marines? It sounds like a waste of resources and it seems like the gargoyles wouldn't get involved in very many wars.
Maybe put a more potent threat under Quasimodo. Like a Necron tomb or a Chaos Warp Portal.
Alexander Cruz
Hey, yeah!
Someone high up in the Imperium could be using a planet full of defective marines to cover up for something else. I mean, Quasimodo is currently a death-world, but it used to be a hive-world (I needed something for the misfits to do besides sit around, so I went with dungeon exploration.)
But Necron tombs and Chaos warp portals are common enough as it is, and don't really merit such elaborate cover-ups. Maybe the Gargoyles and their wards are on Quasimodo as a cover for the Imperium's own misdeeds?
Bentley Myers
Could be interesting. Some horrifying escaped experiments.
Given that the mechanicus are involved, maybe a daemonically possessed AI created by a rogue tech priest?
Adam Lopez
Good idea!
Hmmm...
...So would the mechanicus station the Gargoyles and their wards on Quasimodo to cover up an act of tech heresy that was committed there? Or to surreptitiously conduct an investigation into the events that transpired? The magos can't just pop down to Quasimodo and start taking readings without telegraphing their movements to the guilty parties. Using space marines, however, would give the mechanicus a semblance of plausible deniability.
Alexander Cruz
Hmmm...
Maybe Quasimodo is in ruins because it was targeted by an Exterminatus under false pretenses? Perhaps the people of Quasimodo were accused of tech heresy? But in fact, the people of Quasimodo were killed because they knew too much. A rogue tech priest planted evidence of tech heresy on Quasimodo and had the planet burned in order to silence them and to deflect attention from himself.
Some tech priests have misgivings about the events on Quasimodo, however. They can't launch an investigation directly without the rogue tech priest knowing that something is up. So they arranged for Quasimodo to be made a chapter planet for a newly formed chapter of space marines: the Gargoyles. The marines could then perform clandestine investigations under the guise of training operations.
Joshua Diaz
The defective marines serve two purposes: 1) A justification for stationing a space marine chapter in such a relatively quiet area, and for being hush hush about it. 2) A bait to pique the rogue tech priest's interests and potentially draw him out.
Now, for a rogue tech priest to have the power to plague bomb a whole world on accusations of tech heresy, he must be a big shot. Indeed, the guy has to be a pretty big deal for the adeptus mechanicus to go through all this effort messing with space marines to try and draw the perp out. Maybe the rogue tech priest is in charge of a forge world?
>TFW you totally want to see a Warhammer 40k Emperor's day special TV show.
Leo Powell
some idjit found a man of iron and thought it was a good idea to turn it on. The tunnels that used to be the under hives are now filled with self replicating T-1000's on steroids that need to be kept down.
Cooper Ortiz
That was all I could think of when I was writing this. I have Gargoyle marines here, but I was half tempted to make them Lion Angels or something like that. Thought that would be too on the nose though.
But now the idea is sort of snowballing into a weird area since I have to justify having a chapter of space marines around to guard a planet of misfit space marines (because you can't just leave a planet of mutated misfit space marines to guard itself because Chaos happens, but you don't want to just exterminate them right away for reasons I've already contrived in the first post, and because it's not like you exterminate the guys who drink blood or the guys with the bone spikes.)
Charles Turner
It's really getting away from the original premise.
Okay, planet of misfit marines! What to do with them?
Ryan Fisher
You know, from the last thread, I liked the idea that the planet is also used as a "Just in case" scenario for mutations that might be useful in very specific situations. Like, perhaps, the Marines that rapidly de-age: They are incredibly adept at fighting against Hrud, as their natural deaging counteracts the Hruds atrophic field. Or perhaps they are simply being kept so as to be studied on?
Henry Morales
Oh, yeah!
On the other thread, I had an idea for a gene-seed mutation that causes age regression in astartes so that they eventually become muscular infants. Obviously, that is not a good mutation for super-soldiers. But the Hrud idea is interesting.
Other ideas!
A gene-seed mutation that generates an electro-magnetic field around the space-marine sufficient to disable technology. Prevents them from using powered armor and bolters, but still potentially useful.
A gene-seed mutation that makes astartes abnormally placid. They are incapable of being upset about anything. Potentially useful as a defense against the corrupting fury of Khorne, but not otherwise a desirable trait in what are supposed to be the ferocious slayers of filthy xenos and heretics.
Somebody in that other thread also suggested 'sleepy marines'; space marines with severe narcolepsy. Could be useful if they have psychic powers that function while they sleep, but not otherwise a useful mutation.
Charles Kelly
OK. How about this then:
The misfit marines themselves are the Gargoyles. Or maybe the Grotesques would be a better name for them?
The official story is that they are a Dark Angels successor chapter that is closely allied with the Adeptus Mechanicus, and has been stationed on Quasimodo for purposes of rooting out tech heresy in the region. The entire story has been constructed to cover up the fact that the whole chapter is a heterogeneous grab-bag of semi-functional prototypes from multiple aborted successor chapters.
Austin James
>Or maybe the Grotesques would be a better name for them? Too Dark Eldarish. I do love rest of the post.
Benjamin Williams
It seems like a really cool concept, my only criticism is this ; The Somber Gargoyles is a terrible name. So is The Grotesques.
Carson Moore
Why not have their gene-seed mutation be something like Greyscale from GoT?
Their flesh slowly turning stone-like, yet they still yearn to serve the Emprah, even as they become living statues, literal Gargoyles
The ones with the most advanced cases are indistinguishable from real stone, and are set at the walls and entrances to the chapter's base, guarding against intruders and reawakening when needed to serve as expendable living statue shock troops
Luke Sanchez
Now I'm imagining some kind of planet based space hulk.
>hive world + chaos incursion + adeptus biologis Heretek making genetically modified horrors + fuck it why not have Genestealer cults in the undercity
Space Hulk the Planet
Luke Butler
Well, imagine Fabius Bile or another Heretek gaining access to all that geneseed.
Alternatively, Maybe the Somber Gargoyles took pity on their brothers, and regularly send parties across the galaxy, trying to find archeotech an biological knowledge to cure the marines under their care. Maybe they have to hunt for excaped marines. Maybe they retrieve deficient chapters in the entire galaxy when the AdMech notice that the geneseed samples are corrupted. Maybe they also guard the sector around their homeworld.
Just throwing ideas here.
Brandon Wilson
Thanks!
Well, I am a little fond of the Gargoyle theme to go with planet Quasimodo. It's just a matter of figuring out what to pair with it. Dark Gargoyles? Star Gargoyles? Just Gargoyles?
Asher Brooks
>Maybe they retrieve deficient chapters in the entire galaxy when the AdMech notice that the geneseed samples are corrupted. That's what I was picturing.
The chapter takes in all defective marines who can still be useful for studying not just marines from one specific batch.
Luke Bailey
I like Space Gargoyles. You can use colors (Black Gargoyles), metals (Iron, Silver, Gold Gargoyles, or Copper Gargoyles if you like puns), places (Gargoyles of Demos), greek alphabet (Omega Gargoyles) and a ton other things (Fire Gargoyles, Millenial Gargoyles, Doom Gargoyles, Celestial Gargoyes, Gargoyles of Vengeance/Vigilance, Gargoyles Repentant, (Blood Angel successors mainly use that with Angel)
Or Monstrum Stillicidium, Monster Eavesdrip in pig latin.
Kevin Cox
I think just Gargoyles. Focus on Termies (hunchbacks) and Vanguard/Assault Squads (gargoyles) and have some fun with it. Maybe take some design tips from Charcadons?
It'd be great for you to get pretty cheeky with it, too. Have a Puritan Inquisitor that despises the chapter, a SoB contingent they're working with, etc. Bonus points for working in more stuff
Hunter Hughes
That should provide enough occasion for fights. >Hello fellow marines, would you like to be incarcerated in a remote corner of the Imperium? >They're powering their weapons, my lord.
That probably won't give them many friends in other chapters, too.
John Mitchell
>It'd be great for you to get pretty cheeky with it, too. Have a Puritan Inquisitor that despises the chapter, a SoB contingent they're working with, etc. Bonus points for working in more stuff That's Quasimodo, that priest and Esmeralda, right? Cheeky, indeed.
Jordan Green
Esmeralda's a gypsy (that use charms), so she should be some kind of voidborn astropath
Gabriel Allen
Might as well go all the way and name their fortress Notre Damme.
Sebastian Evans
Nostradamus?
Nathan Nelson
That can be the capital/crater. Kind of prophetic to name it that, wasn't it?
Christopher Thompson
Bump
Jeremiah Edwards
>Dark Angels successor
Ooh, I'm sorry user, but it seems you just built another expansion in the secret Dark Angels Legion instead of Your Dudes. Better luck next time!
