full image - Repost: Cooked up a Space Marine Chapter. CC welcome (from Reddit.com, Cooked up a Space Marine Chapter. CC welcome)
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I'll post a link to the 40k Fanon page Orcinus Astrabut I'll copy and paste it below.They're a loyalist (presumed) Salamanders successor chapter who act as anthesis/rival to the Carcharadons. It's not quite done but I'd like to get some feed back on the lore I outlined for them.Orcinus Astra, aka "The Blackfish"The Blackfish are a loyalist successor chapter of unknown origin. Though there are strong indications of their succession from the XVIII Legion, Salamanders. Founded some time during the 25th Founding, the exact purpose in their founding is unclear but there are three predominant theories:The Adeptus Administratum saw a dearth in their aquatic capabilities and created the Orcinus Astra to spearhead the development of techniques, tactics, and equipment within that realm of engagement.It was a PR move within certain sectors Administratum out of a concern that millennia of neglect and indifference to large swaths of the civilian population had played a role in the growing number of traitor legions and worlds falling to Chaos.Given the peculiar way the Blackfish structure their hierarchies, the Ecclesiarchy pushed for their founding knowing full well the influence the Cannoness Preceptor stationed on their home world could exert over the fledgling chapter of Astartes.Whatever the motivations behind their founding were, the Orcinus Astra live and die by the code, "Protect all humanity by preserving your own humanity". Notorious for what has been called, "suicidal heroism", they possess a deep and profound regard for human life. "No person is beneath saving" is a principle that puts them at odds with much of their fellow Astartes but it is what leads so many to regard them as successors of the Salamanders. Wherever "innocents" are endangered, no matter the odds, the Orcinus Astra will fight to the last man to ensure that every human life that could be saved, is. It is not unheard of for a Blackfish Astartes to barrel his way through a horde of tyranids in a valiant (but often fatal) effort to save a single child. Though the war masters and genetic engineers are almost always utterly aggrieved by these antics, they undeniably generate the desired response from the Imperium populace. Very few things will bolster the faltering resolve a line of guardsmen like a company of Blackfish literally leaping headlong into the fray.Home WorldDark Age of TechnologyFor much of the Imperium's history Oceanus would have been classified as a Feral World. Gargantuan swaths of open ocean dominate the planet covering over 85% of its surface. Seas separate relatively small island continents. With most of the land mass centered between its 45th N and 15th S parallels, the majority of terrestrial biomes vary between temperate forests & grasslands to sub-tropical jungle. In most regards the world is a disquieting echo of ancient Terra. The overgrown ruins of terraformers host a bevy of secrets from the Dark Age of Technology. It was a human world lost to the Age of Strife. It was these signs of long lost technology that commanded the attention of the Adeptus Mechanicus.RediscoveryThe tech-priests of Mars were not so blessed to discover the precious treasure) they desperately sought, but they did manage to deduce the world's original purpose. It was once a planetary preserve designed to reintroduce a wide variety of ancient Terra's extinct species. With Oceanus' expansive and fertile oceans, the gentle giants of the ancient seas thrived. The choir of hundreds of whale species could be heard across the globe. As such, whales became a centerpiece of the surviving humans' culture. The one held in the highest regard among the Oceani was the uncontested kings of the seas: the orcinus orca. Much of their culture came to reflect that of the orca. Society centered around moderately large tribes lead by an elderly matriarch. They worshiped a pair of "higher deities" and a host of animal spirits. The pair where "Father Sky" and "Mother Sea".The ecclesiarchal missionaries were often pleasantly surprised by how willingly the local populace accepted the Imperial Creed, as the worship of the God-Emperor syncretized quite well with their concept of the "Sky Father". Yet the one facet of their prior beliefs that persists to this day is that of "the God Mother", whom they insist: exists, is lost, and must be found. Almost all structures are viewed through the lens of family. This why the Sisters/Daughters of the Emperor found as much success as they did. Similarly, the Astartes found a warm reception as "grandsons of the God Father". Since the Imperium asserts its dominion over all of mankind, the Oceani concept of family gets extended to the entirety of the species."All people are part of the pod and the pod is family." -Old Oceani proverbThis also had the unfortunate consequence of normalizing incest as the phrase, "we're all brother and sister", got repurposed for radically different context than it was intended. The planet's new designation as an Imperium Pleasure World and the subsequent influx of wealthy nobility attracted by all that comes with that designation, greatly exasperated the crisis. This would ultimately lead to an outbreak of Slaaneshi cults but the decisive actions of the Adepta Sororitas averted a demonic incursion. The Order Dolphinus of the Orders Militant was established specifically to guard the newly re-designated Shrine World from any further "Chaotic perversions". Saint Amphitrite would be appointed as the first Canoness Preceptor of the Order Dolphinus and defacto planetary governor of Oceanus.Na"Na" means "home" and when capitalized is directly referring to the Abbey of Our Lady Amphitrite, the headquarters of both the Orcinus Astra and the Order Dolphinus of the Adepta Sororitas. The exquisite alabaster monastery-fortress overlooks a pristine cove with clear blue water and white sands. The local cetacean populations regularly frequent the cove and their songs echo along with those of the Blackfish and Dolphina giving rise to it's name: Choir Cove.Chapter HistoryThe records of the chapter's earliest years are exceedingly sparse. Some within the Administratum have gone as far as to suggest that such poor recording keeping rises to the level of deliberate obfuscation. As is so often the case among countless chapters across the Imperium, no one amongst the Administratum can claim to have a concrete understanding of the Orcinus Astra's origin. What scribes have been able to ascertain is that their founding was almost certainly a response to the infamous Lan Austere Affair.Lan Austere AffairUpon Oceanus' designation as a Pleasure World in the year 347.M40, a great deal of Imperium nobility sought the world out as their verdant playground. Unfortunately a number of the Oceani's beliefs and practices would be appropriated for debauched intentions. While the small tribal societies that spent entire generations sailing across the world's vast oceans had permitted cousin-marriage out of necessity, it was not a lauded nor exalted practice. However, the wealthy nobility that came to the planet would often ingratiate themselves into a tribe for ulterior motives. Forbidden affairs purchased (quite literally) legitimacy through extravagant gifts to tribal leaders. Over a period of decades, perverted outworlders had effectively co-opted a majority of high-clan congress' and councils through out and out bribery.The most notorious of these perverted outworlders were the twin-lovers of House Lan. Celeste and James were brother and sister born into phenomenal wealth and privilege. It is unclear whether their forbidden attraction was born of their corruption by Slaanesh or if their tryst is what had invited the Chaos god into their lives. Regardless, they had crossed that line in their adolescent years and were well and truly enthralled by the Prince of Pleasure by the time they came to Oceanus. They conducted increasingly debauched orgies through their heretical cult: the Austere, an expansive list of progeny of great Imperial houses that had fallen sway to the temptations of Slaanesh.Yet the noble and faithful, in their own fashion, Oceani people would not themselves be tainted by such heresy. They turned towards their "Daughters of the Sky Father" and "Grandsons of the Ocean Mother" for their liberation and salvation. The Adepta Sororitas had long held a substantial presence on Oceanus, even going as far to induct many of the planet's young women into their own ranks. In the year 423.M40, the then Palatine of the Order of the Ebon Chalice, Ariel Amphitrite led the purging of the depraved heretics from the veritable paradise. Yet as her Battle Sisters closed in on the embattled Lan twins, they partook in a ritual so depraved that all record of it was wiped from the histories and were transformed by their malefic benefactor into demons and lead the fledgling demonic incursion in a vicious counter offensive that threatened to overrun Amphitrite's forces.Inquisitor Floch stood upon his flagship, the Rose, ready to issue the order Exterminatus on the world but his hand was stayed by the insistence of a commander of a fleet coming from Nocturne. The 6th Company, "The Flamehammers" led by Captain Ur'zan Drakgaard. Descended upon the embattled world and with a coalition of Battle Sisters and Oceani Skana (native tongue for Blackfish) warriors, eradicated the demonic scourge. In the climax of the battle, Palatine Amphitrite and a mighty Blackfish warrior by the name of Natsilane did battle with the demonic Lan twins. Amphitrite plunged her holy blade through the demonette Celeste's heart as a fiend James was pummeled to death by Natsilane's bear fists.For her triumph; Amphitrite would be sanctified and appointed the Canoness Superior of the newly formed Orders Militant Dolphinus. The other great hero of that day, Natsilane, would seemingly vanish for several centuries only to re-emerge as the Chapter Master of the newly founded Orcinus Astra astartes chapter at an unspecified date.Befriending the Salamanders and Natsilane's DisappearanceIn the following weeks the Flamehammers remained on the world to help rebuild and restore what had been destroyed. They discovered a deep kinship with the Oceani people and their shared virtues of self-reliance and selflessness. The Oceani principle of "the family of humanity" blended well with the tenants of of the Promethean Cult. The philosophy that would ultimately manifest would later be known as "the Orcan Creed".It is at this time that Natsilane and around a hundred of his fellow Skana warriors simply disappear from record at the same time a temporary "7th Company" of Salamanders forms only for "horrendous record keeping" to erase all details of their existence. It is commonly claimed that either "a fire drake ate the records" or "the library was destroyed in a volcanic eruption". Occasionally a less mentally adept Salamander librarian has uttered the phrase, "a volcano ate the fish."The Blackfish Return?Several centuries later Natsilane and around a hundred battle brothers returned to Oceanus as the Orcinus Astra, a newly christened astartes chapter and had the planet declared their home world. Unlike the vast majority of Space Marine chapters, he refused the defacto role as planetary governor. Instead Natsilane and his battle brothers affirmed the traditions of the people and swore allegiance to "the High Matriarch", Ariel Amphitrite. Ever since that day the Blackfish and Dolphina have been an inseparable union. One does not act without the other. They are brother and sister in faithful service to the Sky Father and God Mother.The friendship of Natsilane and Nerissa endures to this day.Father and MotherA persistent rumor among the ranks is that at some point (varying in time depending on whose lips the words escape), is that Natsilane and Nerissa are more than "eldest brother" and "eldest sister". It is said that the two were wed in secret as to avoid the peril of being proclaimed heretics by the Ecclesiarchy. At the present time the Adeptus Ministorum...officially...regards this claim as false but neither will they condemn it as heresy. The offcial statement reads:"In keeping with their present duties to the Faith and Empire, through the lens of Oceani culture, it is only natural for many to extrapolate on the paternal and maternal roles filled by the Chapter Master and the Canoness Superior. Whilst the Ministorum understands where the confusion arises, we must insist that such spurious rumors be silenced. For such an act in blatant defiance to the faith must surely be decried as heresy and met with merciless judgment."OrganizationThe Blackfish are a mostly Codex-noncompliant Chapter. Similar to the Space Wolves, they eschew the formalized strictures of the Codex Astartes as laid out by Ultramarine's Primarch and Lord Commander Roboute Guilliman. Much like the Wolves, the Blackfish organize themselves into Pods as opposed to the standardized squads. "Moieties" (companies) will always be comprised of both Space Marine "Nukoh" (Battle Brothers) and "Nukah" (Battle Sisters) Sororitas. Moiety forge a deep, familial bond and will not be easily interchanged and vary wildly depending upon the health of their "family". Given their prevalence, Nukah tend to outnumber Nukoh at least two-to-one. Though nowhere near as regimented as the Codex would like, the Blackfish do in fact employ far more structure than do most Space Wolves, occupying a middle area between the two extremes.In keeping with their home planet's culture of matriarchal hierarchy, all Blackfish officers are expected to show deference to their equals within the Order Dolphinus. This iron clad loyalty does not extend to all of the Adepta Sororitas however. Whilst all mankind may be family, Oceani recognize staggered levels of familial piety. "A cousin is not the same as a sister", "Your aunt is not your mother", "Your mother-in-law is not kin": are common refrains said by the Blackfish when working with other Sororitas orders expecting the same deference to be granted to them.CorpsPods forgo specialization in favor of a corps system that ensures every unit has some capacity in all realms of combat. The tendency is for the Nukoh to serve as heavy infantry shock troops while the Nukah provide light fire to cover their "brothers'" charge into hand-to-hand melee, where they can do the most damage. Though the exact number of how many soldiers and precisely which units can be found in a pod will wildly vary.Active MarinesOne realm in which the Blackfish are technically in compliance with Codex is that their roster of active marines numbers somewhere around 750 but they also maintain an inactive roster of another 750. Blackfish Marines, following the example of the Salamanders again, are required to serve in tours of duty and then return to a civilian tour of service in which they return to their homes and participate in the community.There are multitudinous reasons for this practice:above all else, the belief of being there for and taking care of one's family. The duties on the home front are just as critical as the battles on the war front.it fosters and reaffirms a Space Marine's commitment to the "human family" while reminding them of their own humanity in the face of the horrors of the galaxy.a morally dispirited and exhausted Marine is not an effective Marine.it allows them to work around the 1000 man limitallows inactive Marines to raise up and mentor the next generation of recruitsRecruitmentThe Blackfish recruit near exclusively from their home world of Oceanus. Civilian Service Astartes serve as the eyes for talent and early mentors to instill the beliefs, values, and practices into recruits many years before they're even eligible. Contrary to the practices of most other Astartes chapters, the Blackfish do not recruit before adolescence. They want their future Nukoh to have had a taste of life so that they'll know what they're fighting for and develop familial bonds that will anchor them to their humanity. As such, mind scrubbing is a strictly banned practice and only resorted to at the explicit order of the Canoness Superior of the Dolphinus Order in times of dire necessity.K'aa KlunThe Klun are the Blackfish's dreadnoughts. Whilst they are still readily utilized by the chapter, there is a profound distaste in "disturbing a brother's peace". As such, the Second Moiety "K'aa Klun" (sleeping giants) is a company comprised exclusively of dreadnoughts and are only ever awoken in times of extreme peril or the defense of Na. They all remain entombed within the mausoleum at the Abbey of Our Lady Amphitrite, in their dreadnought armor.Specialized Ranks & TitlesXung - the Blackfish's equivalent of Chapter Master. Meaning "father".Aw - the Blackfish's name for the High Matriarch and Canoness Superior of the Order Dolphinus. Meaning "mother".Kyaaga - Blackfish's equivalent to a Space Marine Captain. Meaning "uncle". Stands as a deferential equal to his Canoness Commander counterpart.Kwaay - Blackfish's equivalent to Space Marine Sargent. Meaning "older brother". Stands as deferential equal to his Canoness counterpart."Nukoh" for their fellow chapter mates and "Nukah" for their Dolphina compatriots.Dawnaay - initiates and junior Marines. Meaning "little brother". Equivalent rank to Dolphina novitiates.Giid - chapter recruits. Meaning "child".Klun - dreadnoughts. Meaning "giant".Combat DoctrineGiven their natural size and strength advantages in relation to other Space Marines, in addition to Oceani culture's tradition of hand-to-hand combat, the Blackfish have a pronounced affinity for melee combat. Much of their combat training specializes in various martial combat doctrines. No Astartes forces is as adept at tossing and throwing their foes as the Blackfish. Working in tandem with the Dolphina who provide covering fire; Blackfish will ambush their targets, disorienting them and interfering with their means of communications through powerful whistles and clicks amplified by voxcorders as they charge head long into melee combat. The momentum of their charge only serves to amplify the power of their strikes.Their preferred weapon is the power fist. They smash into their foes, crush them in their hands, and then begin to use their enemies' bodies as makeshift clubs or simply hurl their shattered bodies into their comrades, further destabilizing their lines and formations. Despite the brutishness of their combat; Blackfish employ well planned and highly coordinated tactics in the lead up to their assaults. They will often hold back, waiting for a section of the enemy force to expose themselves and then unleash a brutal counteract. To this end they regularly taunt and bait their opponent into attacking; using their singing to antagonize their enemies as well as obfuscate their actual positions. Their primary objective in their counter-charges are to shatter enemy lines or break their formations, causing a greater collapse throughout the enemy army. This then leaves their allies able to close in and surround the enemy.In keeping with the Chapter's often underestimated cunning, Blackfish are rigorously trained for situational awareness and the ability to employ the environment to their advantage. Weak points in surrounding structures will be targeted as to collapse them on foes. Points of passage will be destroyed as the enemy is using them. Particularly against larger targets, they will land synchronized strikes to amplify their damage on an identified weak point. As a result they are notoriously effective at dealing with vehicles and monstrous foes.No Brother Left BehindA pod of Blackfish will readily sacrifice all their lives to safe a single nukoh from capture. In the rarest instances where they cannot rescue their brother or Dolphina sister and not die trying, the rescue mission of said nukoh or nukah immediately becomes the pod's highest priority. No matter the odds, no matter the foe; family is never abandoned. A lone Blackfish will abandon a Crusade to charge into the Eye of Terror alone to save a single battle sister. Though such are despised by the Ecclesiarchy and Administratum, that does little to dissuade a determined Blackfish. Just about the only thing that can is the insistence of a Dolphina.Civilian RescueSince "all mankind is a family" and "family is never abandoned", the Blackfish are famously staunch defenders of Imperial Citizenry. Individual Blackfish have been known to charge through an unending tide of xenos foes to save a single child. Though they are not prepared to go to quite the same insane lengths as they would for a fellow nukoh or nukah, there are exceptionally few among any Imperium ranks that could match their zeal for the task. When defending civilians or guardsmen, common practice is for the Blackfish is to use their own bodies as a shield wall as the civilians either retreat or file into a transport vessel. Only after all others have been safely evacuate will the Blackfish themselves withdraw. Their relative adroitness at these defensive situations leads some to surmise their descent from the Imperial Fists, but this is an obscure opinion held by an extreme minority.BeliefsSacred FamilyAbove all else, the Orcinus Astra believe in the importance, divinity, and necessity of family. All of mankind is one hyper extended family and thus a duty is owed to all of them. This also means that "traitors to the family" are held to be the epitome of evil. This makes the Orcinus Astra a ferociously loyalist chapter and joyful arbiters of the Ordo Hereticus. Those whom have "turned against the family" the most vile, loathsome creatures in the galaxy. To harm the family is the greatest heresy one can commit. Though this often puts them at odds with both the Ecclesiarchy and Administorum as well. Though not prepared to openly denounce nor defy these organizations out of a fear for/desire to protect their own more immediate family, the chapter is more than willing to subvert and undermine what they view as "heretical orders" wherever possible.This is expected to be the reason why their record is so often so shoddy and lackluster.As a consequence the Orcinus revile all Imperial forces that have no regard for "lesser men" and utterly detest those whom actively prey upon them. This has brought them into a great deal of conflict with other Space Marine chapters. The most notorious of which is Nastilane's ongoing crusade against the Carcharadons.Search for the God MotherThe chapter's belief in a divine feminine counterpart to the God-Emperor is the factor above all others that leave outsiders dumbfounded that they have not been declared heretics and summarily crusaded out of existence. This mostly due to a misunderstanding of terms and work of the Order Dolphinus to actively maintain that misunderstanding. To the Ecclesiarchy, "the God Mother" the Blackfish speak of is presumed to be the Abbess Sanctorum. When in truth the chapter is referring to a long lost divine mother to compliment the "Sky Father".The Blackfish are frankly disgusted and appalled that the Imperium, the Space Marines, and especially the Adepta Sororitas have forgotten their "God Mother". The highest priority of the chapter is to find the lost God Mother. Their efforts have little to show for it. Their belief is that the reason why the galaxy is so badly broken is because "the cosmic family is in disarray" and it's in disarray because the cosmic mother is absent. Things will only begin to improve when she is returned to her rightful place alongside the Sky Father.Though there are rumors of a "perpetual" on Holy Terra."Protect Humanity, Preserve Humanity"To the Blackfish "humanity" is more than a species. It is the innate spark of the divine in all living people: the inherent goodness and intrinsic worth of that life. For this reason Chaos it utterly abhorred as it is seen as the corrupter of that inherent divinity. Yet they see much "Chaos" in how the Imperium choses to treat the rest of its own family. To guard against Chaos one must strive to preserve and uphold the humanity within themselves."Long is the war that weighs heavy on a man's soul"For this reason, the chapter demands its members maintain a life outside the war. To protect the greater family onw must know what it means to be part of a family.MatriarchyAs was dictated by Oceani culture before their founding, the Orcinus Astra rigidly adhere to notion that the best rulers are a society's grandmothers. By extension they most highly value communication, care, and emotional intelligence. The boorish machismo or self-important stoicism of many of their contemporaries among the Space Marines is anathema to their sensibilities. It also serves as the root of their deference to the Order Dolphinus. Though in a round about fashion, their own zealotous devotions have made converts of those who had originally been installed to be their masters. They dearly adore their sisters and over the years that love has been returned in kind.Gene-SeedThe gene-seed of the chapter is derived from it's Xung and the founding moiety.The PleaAll the Nukoh share of a very mild psyker potential that primarily manifests as a very limited telepathy with one another. It's so mild that it often gets written off as empathic intuition. While they cannot project proper words so to speak, they can impart feelings and a general sense of direction. A Blackfish can effectively send out a psychic cry for help and have his nukoh be able to deduce his location and plight. With training the "plea" can be honed into a short range radar burst as the Blackfish whistles at the correct frequency. One with an abnormally potent potential, sufficient to be recognized as a proper psyker, will be trained as a Librarian and taught to further hone the Plea into a psycho-sonic attack.Singing is a cornerstone of of the chapter's culture. It's how the nukoh train their use of the Plea. When done in concert with one another, a pod of Blackfish singing creates a powerful psychic ward that boosts friendly morale while taunting or intimidating their foes.Dark as the DepthsThe most obvious clue as to their chapter's descent is unquestionably the jet black pigmentation that consumes their whole body while simultaneously causing them to lose all their hair. When swimming in the the depths of the ocean it acts as camouflage for an unsuspecting target peering down into the murky depths. While generations of living at sea did much to adapt the Oceani to life in the water, the Blackfish's gene-seed seems to further those adaptations. A Blackfish can hold his breath underwater for over half an hour unaided and their ability to withstand the 26 atmospheres of pressure from deep water dives only serves to further enhance their strength and durabilityEven for their size, Blackfish are abnormally strong for Space Marines.Alone in the DarkThere would appear to be a mutation from Vulkan's gene-seed, if the Salamanders were in fact the progenitors of the Blackfish. Instead of the Salamander's growing obstinance, Blackfish become hyper social; reaching a point where they cannot be alone without going mad. A lack of social interaction begets a crushing depression that further devolves into murderous rage. As the madness sets in, so does an uncharacteristic silence the belies a mounting rage just waiting to explode in a violent spectacle that greatly increases their already phenomenal strength. A Blackfish that has stopped singing is one of the most dangerous things in the galaxy.Though there have been no recorded incidents of a Blackfish falling to Chaos; they are well aware that nukoh "Alone in the Dark" is highly susceptible to Chaos influence or even corruption. It is this genetic trait that serves as the primary source as to doubting their heritage from the Salamanders. There are those who have theorized that the Orcinus Astra are in fact Space Wolves successors (Sea Wolves if you will) or possibly the Carcharadons.FleetRelicsChapter AppearancePhysical CharacteristicsOn average, an Oceani stands a foot taller than the average Imperial citizen. Whereas as a man could be expected to stand around six foot tall on most other worlds, an Oceani would be expected to reach seven feet. The same applies for space marines. Whereas the average space marine could be expected to reach seven and a half foot tall, the average Blackfish is expected to reach a height of nine feet.After undergoing the implementation of their gene-seed, a Blackfish's skin will begin to turn as black as the darkest depths of the sea. Their pupils grow to such a size that one can easily mistake them for having black eyes. Instead they have very thin irises that typically take either a brick red or sky blue color.ArmorGiven their abnormal size, it is common practice for all Blackfish to wear terminator armor.
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