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| ++BLACK SWORDS++ SPACE MARINE CHAPTER HQ ELITES TROOPS FAST HEAVY Click here to return to ++Black Swords++ Front Page |
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| INDEX ASTARTES: THE BLACK SWORDS The Space Marines of the Adeptus Astartes are the mightiest warriors in the Imperium and their fury in battle is legendary. Few can stand against the might of a Space Marine Chapter and the foes of Mankind tremble at the mention of their name. But there are few that know of the testing that goes on within the labs of the Apothicaries on Terra. Gene seed mixing is a common practice, and the first chapter which successfully used a mixed gene-seed came from a mix of the power of Rogal Dorn and his most powerful warrior, Sigmucson. |
| Dark Foundings
Founded in great secrecy around the time of the Second Founding, (although this is uncertain), The Black Swords are amongst the most highly specialised defenders of Humanity. Following the awesome scale of the bloodshed of the Horus Heresy, and the loss and damage of stored gene seeds, the Imperial Apothecaries had no choice but to start testing and mixing the sacred strands together to form chapters which had more strengths than weaknesses. One of the only Chapters to give their approval of manipulation of gene seed subjects was the Imperial Fists. While over 73 million tests were conducted, only one prototype was found to be a perfect match. That mix was of Rogal Dorn and the First Emperor's Champion, Sigmucson. The resulting gene-seed was used to create a new chapter named the Black Swords. Designated Chapter 999, The Black Swords are known to some chapters as traitors for not following the texts within the Codex Astartes during the creation of the chapter. This new practise of gene seed manipulation, however, was not the only alteration to normal chapter rituals that the High Priests of Terra had planned for the Black Swords. Becoming part of the Chapter Like all other Chapters, The Black Swords have their own rituals for selecting canidates for becoming part of the Chapter. The first and most important choice is that the canidates must be a set of twins. Their selection technique is quite a new strategy. If both candidates pass all the trials, only the strongest out of the two is chosen to take on the gene seed of the Chapter and join the ranks as a Space Marine. During this time, the other twin brother is sent to serve the Chapter as a caretaker, and becomes known as a White Brother. The White Brother, who is always draped in white robes which represent devotion to the Chapter, has only two daily duties that must be up held. The first is to help their brother with pre and post battle rituals, such as dressing his twin in his power armour. The second is to uphold the chapter’s prayer rituals. If the White Brother's twin advances in the ranks, he is draped with an appropriate sash (A librarian's brother would be draped with a blue sash, while a Sergeant’s brother would be draped in a red sash). |
| Armour
The Black Swords colour scheme has the right half of the armour painted black, which represents a shadow figure standing over his White Brother. The left half of the power armour is painted white to signify the purity of the Chapter, even though other Chapters look down upon The Black Swords for their unorthodox practises. Fall of a Brother If a Marine brother falls in battle, the White Brother has his fallen twin’s gene seed inserted into himself. Because of the Black Swords’ unique recruitment methods, the genetic match will be perfect, and the combination will be stable due to the shared genetic code. Eventually, age and time will take its toll on the White Brother. When the White Brother reaches his 40th year, he is and put into a stasis chamber to be kept until the Chapter's hour of need. When his Marine Brother falls, the White Brother is awakened to take his place within the ranks. If due to some tragedy the White Brother dies before the Marine twin, the Marine twin has two paths which he can walk. The first is that he can be sacrificed in the name of the Emperor, and join his brother on the Plains of Eternity. Few Brothers choose this road. Instead, most choose to join the White Tears Company The White Tears The White Tears Company is composed entirely of marines whose White Brothers have fallen before them. Thus the White Tears are in a constant state of complete morning due to the Marine brother's loss. The Company's power armour is painted in black, with a single white tear on the right shoulder plate to represent their sorrow. To come to grips with their loss and personal suffering, the White Tears take to the field as a dedicated assault force, fighting with close combat weapons normally reserved for the assault marines. The White Tears are the Chapter's Hardened Veteran Company, and are renowned for the uncontrollable bursts of fury and anger they unleash upon their enemies. The Oath of Revenge During a White Brother’s time in the stasis chamber, he is fed images of his Marine Brother's battles and accomplishments. This gives the White Brother, once awakened at the moment of his brother’s death, motivation to follow in his brother's footsteps and to live up to his place in the Chapter. One side effect of this process is that, upon awakening, he will have an undying urge to reap revenge on his brother's killer. This, however, can be used to a commander’s advantage, and the Captains of the Black Swords pay close attention to which of their warriors hold vendettas against certain foes. |
| Home World
Just seventy light years away from Armageddon lies a planet just smaller than the size of Terra, Kradial IV. Kradial is the home world of the Black Swords, and it is as unforgiving as the chapter itself. It has an ash world environment, caused by the active volcanos that leave the planet with a scorched black sky and black mountains. The planet is considered quite a death trap to those who don’t know their way through the mighty canyons on the Northern and Southern Continents. The Chapter uses these Canyons as training camps once initiates have past all the necessary biological tests on Terra. The Chapter’s home on the planet is a temple that is 100 km bellow surface level. The only other fact known about this temple is that it holds the Black Sword's most prized and ancient artefact: Excalibur. A Chapter Icon At last count there were over ninety six active volcanos on the planet, and it is from these that the Chapter's powerful Black metal swords are cast. The planet is the only known source of Black Adamantinum, the rarest form of the metal. Once melted down in the volcanos where it is found, the Adamantinum is crafted into sword blades. Once each sword has its silver handle attached, its grip is laced by the leather of a Norrion's belly (a mining creature from the planet) which gives the greatest comfort for the wielder of the sword. A Black pearl shine is given to each sword before it is blessed by the Chapter Master and the Chapter’s three Chaplains before it is given to the veteran Marine, just as the Emperor himself blessed the First Black Sword for Sigmucson. After that, Sigmucson performed the first sword blessing for the Black Swords First Chapter Master: Lionson. Battlecry Bow Before The Swords! |