This is the version 3 notes of the Dark Swords. This is the backbone, the skeleton. I will be writing my IA based on this.
Dark Swords Notes v3
Overall Theme: I see a lot of Chapters that are made with classic Marine archetypes, like the crusading knight, fanatical monk, etc. Also a lot of Chapters based on (and often over themed on) cultures: Vikings, samurai, whatever. Also a lot of animal-based ones.
I don’t think I’ve seen “Modern Military” represented, so I want to try that. I want the hand signals, Marines shouting military jargon at each other, call signs being slung around, use of a phonetic alphabet, stuff like that. There’s just something I find appealing in modern day special forces, the aura of mystique, the nearly superhuman competence and badassery and so on.
The overall idea is to employ the 1st Company as an elite black ops unit while the younger Marines scream in on drop pods and Thunderhawks to smash the enemy with blitzkrieg attacks.
Origins
● Gene-seed: Ultramarines
● 12th Founding
● High Lords of Terra commission the Dark Swords in response to increasing xenos activity in Ultima Segmentum
● Specifically: there is a certain sector in US, Eurales (Yur-al-EEZ) Sector, that is important to the Imperium. High concentration of Imperial-held worlds, rich in various resources, something of that nature. Outlying sectors are reported as being under attack by alien species, and the HLoT fear that if they don’t respond, Eurales may be under attack in a few centuries.
● Chosen to train this new Chapter is Raziel Scryer, 3rd Company Captain from the [Chapter name]
● This is where things get a little tricky. The parent Chapter I’m thinking of is similar to a traditional knight-themed Chapter, very elitist and stuck in its ways. The parent Chapter likes to charge headlong into the enemy. They have the whole “Camouflage is the color of cowardice, sniper rifles are the weapons of cowards, close combat is most honorable” type of thinking. Raziel doesn’t like this. He feels his parent Chapter is becoming stagnant and argues for a different interpretation of the Codex, including use of “dishonorable” tactics. The Dark Swords are in part a reaction to the old Chapter’s methods. Although Raziel is not particularly ambitious, the Chapter elders don’t like Raziel’s influence on his fellows and use the 12th Founding as an excuse to essentially exile him and prevent an ideological schism. I’m not totally comfortable with this, because I feel like I’m setting up a parent Chapter to be a fall guy so my guys look good, and I don’t want to directly link my Chapter to an UM Primogenitor because it would make them look bad.
● Once the Chapter is ready, Raziel takes his men and his new fleet and makes for Eurales Sector. Upon arriving, he finds the outskirts of the Sector are already under attack from the alien hordes and swears to cleanse the Sector and surrounding areas of alien filth. The Chapter has been at this job ever since.
Chapter Fleet
● The Dark Swords have never settled on a home world, as they are constantly traveling to hotspots, holding back the tide or leading expeditions to conquer alien-held worlds in the glorious name of the Emperor.
● Originally, the fleet consisted of two battle barges, Hour of Reckoning and Silence of Contemplation, five or six Strike Cruisers, and escorts.
● Hour of Reckoning was lost in a ferocious battle with the naval armada of Craftworld Imbrathil, probably in defense of some Imperial shipyard. The remains of the Hour of Reckoning were turned into a memorial to the lives lost and anything salvageable was grafted onto the Silence of Contemplation.
● Over the millennia, the Silence has been continually expanded and refitted. In the “present day,” the Silence has become a baroque leviathan, able to accommodate the whole Chapter and deploy 400 Marines simultaneously, although this capability has almost never been used in the Chapter’s history.
● The fleet has gradually expanded as well. New ships are taken from enemies and repurposed or accepted as gifts from allies. The fleet is highly self-sufficient and can operate near indefinitely without resupply.
● The Imperial Navy, understandably, is a little concerned about the size of the Dark Sword fleet. They argue that they have too many ships and too many guns. The Dark Swords say, they’re a fleet-based Chapter, cut them some slack. Some in the Imperial Navy even accuse the Dark Swords of having the controversial Nova class frigates, although these allegations have not been proven. The Chapter has pretty good relations with most everyone else in the Sector: Imperial Guard, Inquisition, AdMech, etc. and they have a long service record with few or no black marks, so no one except the Navy really looks too closely into the fleet size of the Dark Swords. There may be some incidents down the road that give the Swords some ammunition against the Navy, further increasing the tension between the two powers.
Recruitment and Training
● The Dark Swords recruit from virtually every world they come across, so long as the child candidates are suitably tough, badass and genetically compatible. However, their three favored recruiting worlds are:
● Braxus IV, home to the Iron Wolf tribes. Ice world, the people are basically Nordic I guess.
● Ceres III, agri-world home to hunter clans that track and kill extremely dangerous herd animals and apex predators; the meat is considered a delicacy and the other animal products are also quite valuable. The people here can be Plains Indian, Bedouin or any other pastoral society.
● The Guerren warrior people from [Planet Name] III, based loosely on the Gurkhas.
● There is also an Imperial Guard World, dedicated solely to raising and training soldiers to serve in the Imperial Guard. Per ancient agreements (I guess), the Dark Swords are allowed a pick of the most promising and genetically compatible child candidates.
● There is the usual brutal training. I am not a fan of the idea of using Neophytes as Scouts, for various reasons; the 1st Company takes care of covert missions in my Chapter.
● The Neophytes begin their new lives aboard training vessels in the Chapter Fleet with all the appropriate facilities including recreations of various types of terrain. For the final phase of their training they are sent to serve a few tours of duty with the Imperial Guard. This allows them to “test the waters” by exposing them to some relatively low level combat that they should be able to easily handle, and ensures that they start to learn to work with their Imperial Guard counterparts at an early stage.
● The Neophyte is initiated. I had an idea that the initiation should play like the baptism scene from the Godfather, because that scene is awesome. I am not a Christian, though, so I have no experience with baptism, Latin or the Bible.
● The new Initiate goes into the Devastator Reserve, where he starts out as a spotter, bodyguard, and ammo carrier for the heavy weapons user. If he shows aptitude with heavy weapons, he may decide to become a Devastator, otherwise he is promoted to Tactical.
● After several tours of duty in the Tacticals, he may qualify to become an Assault Marine. According to the Dark Sword theory of war as laid down by Raziel, close combat is the most deadly arena of warfare because it requires split-second decisions and precise application of deadly force, often in an enclosed space with many combatants in close proximity. For this reason, Initiates must have accrued considerable combat experience before qualifying. Assault Marines are also called upon to perform other roles such as tank hunting and guerilla raids. This tactical flexibility is another reason for the additional combat experience being a requirement.
● After many years of service, an Assault Marine may be inducted into the 1st Company to perform covert missions.
Chapter Organization
● The Dark Swords adhere closely to the organizational dictates of the Codex, but differ slightly in terms of tactical application.
● 1st Company are the Veterans of the Chapter. Clad in black carapace armor over specially designed sneaking suits, they form the black ops unit of the Chapter, inserted covertly to “develop a reign of terror” behind enemy lines.
● 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th Companies are the Companies of the Van, and contain the prescribed mix of Tacticals, Assault and Devastators.
● 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th are the Companies of the Reserve.
● Due to the way Chapter progression is structured, the 8th Assault Company are composed of some of the the oldest and most experienced Marines, the oldest being the 1st. The 8th rarely deploys in force, instead being attached to the Battle Companies to provide extra melee punch and mobility.
● Due to the Chapter’s heavy reliance on Land Speeders in their combat doctrine, the 7th Company tends to deploy more often on their Land Speeders than as Tacticals. 7th Company squadrons are frequently attached to Battle Companies like the 8th.
● 10th is of course the training company.
Combat Doctrine
● The Dark Swords live by two mantras: “Minimum effort, maximum effect,” and “What is necessary, not what is wanted.”
● Mostly Codex adherent, but they have evolved their own preferences over time. They conduct war according to Raziel’s teachings and his interpretation of the Codex.
● The cornerstone of the Dark Sword theory of war is mobility. He who is fast is versatile. He who is fast can bring the enemy to battle at a time and place of his choosing, and can just as easily withdraw only to strike from another front.
● Dark Sword strategy is generally two part. First we have the 1st Company Veterans who are covertly inserted first, gathering intelligence on enemy positions and scouting out landing zones. Then, the main force deploys via deep strike and wipes out the enemy.
● In a more protracted conflict, the 1st Company Veterans become invaluable, as they can operate virtually indefinitely behind enemy lines and perform many functions that would be unsuitable for normal Marines: long range reconnaissance and patrol, directing Imperial Guard artillery, sabotage, search and destroy, assassination, VIP rescue, securing sensitive materials and documents, etc.
● Land Speeders and Dreadnoughts are the favored heavy support options because of their mobility and ability to deep strike. Indeed, the Land Speeder is regarded as the embodiment of the Dark Sword theory of war, being fast, mobile and able to deliver heavy firepower at any point on the battlefield at a moment’s notice. I wonder if the Dark Swords would have more Land Speeders and Dreadnoughts, but I don’t know where they would get them.
● Assault Marines are also charged with tank hunting.
● Predators and Land Raiders see less use, because I assume they would be a little more difficult to quickly get onto the battlefield. They are still used, but only when the situation calls for it.
● The Dark Swords have no problem with fighting dirty. They strike where the enemy is vulnerable and then withdraw before he can recover and retaliate. They use sniper rifles. They appear to retreat only to lure the enemy into ambushes and prepared kill zones. They make liberal use of chemical weapons and firebombing when appropriate.
● Librarians often make use of a unique brand of sorcery to further deceive the enemy.
● Naturally, other Chapters condemn the Dark Swords for being dirty cowards and not fighting honorably. The Dark Swords argument is, “they’re just aliens and heretics, who cares how we kill them?” The Dark Swords tend to be brusque and aloof, if not outright hostile towards other Chapters with this attitude. They believe that it’s not about the Marines themselves, it’s about the Emperor and His Imperium. You must do what is necessary to win, not what satisfies your ego. The Dark Swords believes they are one of the few Chapters that are giving their 100%.
Chapter Cult
● Hmm, this one is pretty hard. I have been trying for a while to nail down their beliefs, let’s see if I can do it now.
● Like most Chapters, the Dark Swords see the Emperor not as a god but as a man.
● They revere the trinity of the Emperor, Guilliman, and Raziel Scryer: the Emperor, undisputed master of Mankind; Guilliman, his greatest son; and Raziel, their natural heir and successor. Raziel was beloved by the Chapter and left an indelible mark on them. The Chapter sees him as a tangible link to the Emperor and Guilliman, putting the awesome power, glory and majesty of the greatest of men just within the realm of the obtainable. He is an example of what you can become if you dedicate yourself to the betterment of the Imperium and the furthering of the Emperor’s vision.
● They believe in the Emperor as the master of mankind, but they also see him as its greatest servant. Everything he did, even his own life he sacrificed out of love for mankind. As his chosen, the Astartes have naturally inherited the responsibility of protecting and guiding humanity, and any who forget this are not fit to be called men, let alone Space Marines. Unsurprisingly, this attitude creates a great deal of conflict with other Chapters who place considerably less value on human life. The Dark Swords are not idle in the defense of their beliefs; they have frequently threatened reprisals against other Chapters perceived as using excessive force or causing unnecessary civilian deaths, and they wholeheartedly support Inquisitorial investigations into these Chapters. Obviously, they tend to have few friends, but those who do share their beliefs consider them firm allies.
● Okay, here’s where things get tricky. I think of Raziel Scryer as an idealist and optimist. Maybe even naïve. He believed in the goodness of humanity, despite its faults.
● At the same time… Humans regularly do unspeakable things to each other on the flimsiest of pretexts, or sometimes none at all. And we don’t even have Chaos Gods influencing us to do evil. The Dark Swords are going to find it really hard to reconcile what Raziel believed with what they often see. What I’m trying to shoot for is that “yes, humans can be real bastards, but there’s still a little good left in the galaxy, and it will always be worth fighting for.”
● The Dark Swords try to be the defenders of truth, justice the Imperial Way, blah blah blah… But consider this. The United States has one of the greatest armies in the world, the most advanced technology, etc. They still accidentally cause civilian casualties. Now we have the Space Marines, super men that can individually slaughter thousands by themselves, equipped with rapid-fire rocket launchers as their standard armament, and possessing the technology to scour entire worlds clean of life. Civilian casualties are going to be unavoidable and staggering, intended or not. That’s going to be hard for a Chapter whose creed is “To protect and serve.” The Dark Swords will still obey their orders. They’ll slaughter entire populations if it means achieving their objectives (though I can’t imagine why). Sometimes they’ll do it as a mercy killing, to prevent even more suffering at the hands of Dark Eldar and Chaos raiders. They do what is necessary, not what is wanted. But even if there is no other option, that does not make it right. I have this idea that every X number of years, battle brothers must have a day of penitence where they reflect on and atone for the innocent lives they have taken, intentionally or not. Meditation, ritual scarification, mortification of the flesh, that sort of stuff. There is a strong undercurrent of atonement and redemption in the Dark Swords cult. A Dark Sword must always be ready to hold himself accountable and take responsibility for his past mistakes.
● The Dark Swords are firm believers in the manifest destiny of mankind. Having spent so long fighting aliens (although Chaos is an occasional concern), they naturally loathe aliens, viewing them as abominations to be scoured from the sight of the Emperor. If humanity is to inherit the stars, then the alien filth must first be cleansed. The Dark Swords reserve their greatest hatred for the Eldar of Craftworld Imbrathil, with whom they have had a number of bitter encounters. It is not merely that the Eldar have wounded them so; the Dark Swords despise them for what they represent. That a dying race continues to hold itself superior to mankind and gladly slaughters a million humans to save one of their own enrages the Dark Swords to no end. The Swords frequently volunteer themselves to battle zones where there is a suspected Eldar influence and have become acknowledged experts in fighting Eldar. They consider the extinction of the Eldar race a long term priority.
Gene-seed
● Ultramarines
● Pure and stable, not much else to add.
Company Mottos
● I decided I ought to go one step beyond and give each Company their own motto, and maybe a Chapter motto. Battle cries vary, from reciting litanies to screaming wordless defiance, but a recurring favorite is “For Scryer, for Guilliman, for the Emperor!”
● For the 1st Company, I think I have two choices. Either I could go for something suitably heroic, like De Opresso Liber – the motto of the United States Special Forces. Or, I could have something more reflective of their black ops work.
● 4th Company is “Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken.” This one I’m sure about.
● Another one I’m on the fence about: Semper Fidelis. Obviously the US Marines motto, but so very applicable to the Astartes.
● I collected a list of possible mottos to use:
De Oppresso Liber
Deeds Not Words
Who Dares Wins
From the Darkness the Light
By His Grace We Triumph
Semper Fidelis
Through Misdirection, Thou Shalt Do War
Let Them Hate, So Long As They Fear – Oderint Dum Metuant
Pauci sed boni – Few Men, But Good Ones
Post tenebras lux – After the darkness, comes light
Exemplo ducemus – We lead by example
What is Necessary, Not What is Wanted
E Tenebris Lux – From the Darkness, Light
To oppose the Alien, to abhor the Alien, to destroy the Alien
Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken
Fear no challenge, fear no pain, fear no death
Will be looking for more.
