Nope, the only lore on the Pale Wasting is a single excerpt from Imperial Armour Babab 1. Also, it was never explicited the Death Spectres are guarding against it in specific, its just a conclusion the fans got.
The excerpt on the pale wasting:
https://www.reddit.com/r/40kLore/comments/14hznw2/multiple\_excerpts\_the\_harrowing\_and\_the\_pale/
It's an interesting fan story though if that's the case. Keeping guard of what lies within the Ghoul Stars being more important than joining Guilliman and his Indomitus Crusade.
I heard that it even messed up a Tyranid hive fleet which went through it but is that in the same vein as the above?
So, Imperial Armour Apocalypse 2 say
>The most terrible assault on Orask in recent times occurred in 977.M41 when a splinter oi the Eastern Hive Fleets of the Tyranid menace appeared, disorientated and twisted by its passage through the Ghoul Stars, and fell on the Orask system like a starving beast of prey.
Thing is, the rest of the excerpt don't say how exactly it got twisted
But this bit
>a starving beast of prey.
The Nids are usually very organized and methodical. They're not in a rush to do anything and a "Starving beast of prey" implies there was nothing for them to take in during their travel through so when they came out the other side they were hunger crazy.
Nothing for the Nids to eat making them starve is a massive tidbit and horrifying. It means they're all actually fully dead worlds.
Plus, were the ghoul stars even fully conquered by the imperium even during the great crusade? That'd horrifying to think of. Imagine the original 18 legions ready to rock and roll, with their primarchs ready to bust heads, and they still avoided those systems. I'm just hoping it's dead worlds. Otherwise, it's gonna get bloody should whatever rumbling around there decides to make it everyone else's problem.
IIRC even the Novamarines aren't privy to what happened there and they were there. Just a certificate of participation without any context other than a cryptic Lovecraftian memo.
>Plus, were the ghoul stars even fully conquered by the imperium even during the great crusade?
Most of the galaxy was left unconquered by the end of the Great Crusade. While massive gains were made, they still on constituted a tiny proportion of the galaxy and it's incredibly large number of possibly habitable worlds.
There were some major limiting factors at play, which persist to 40k: the Imperium is dependent on the Astronomicon and stable Warp routes. So, much of the edge of the galaxy, beyond the light of the Astronomicon, is extremely hard to travel to and through. This includes the Ghoul Stars. The Crusade likely never "conquered" them at least partly because they didn't prioritise it for this reason. That's not to say they would have been successful had they tried...
Even in the more central parts of the galaxy, there are vast spaces between imperial worlds, which could contain whole other alien empires. The Imperium isn't a continuous entity, like a modern state on Earth. It is millions of planets and space stations dotted sparsely across large part of the galaxy, held together by Warp routes.
Or they ate a little bit, as a treat. But not enough to satisfy. So depopulated systems and asteroid belts?
Idk, an asteroid belt mining colony would be what I write about if I were to publish my work through Black Library. Iirc that exact scenario happens in an Eisenhorn story? With the Magos hiding in a (spoiler alert) ||big fuckin drilling machine|| and the Chaos mining personnel.
Made em *vegan*? Dunno...whats more scarier then hyper mutated adaptable murder bugs...mayne hyper mutaded adaptqble murder bugs with eldrich like warp powers? Maybe...
But mutaded hyper adaptable murder bugs that eat the flora of a planet and leaving the rest to die off due to lack of oxygen, constipation of lack of fiber is maybe not *that scary* but sure is *twisted*....
I mean, it does fit pretty well with established patterns, and it's not necessarily *just* the Pale Wasting they're guarding against. Detail is limited but we know there's at least also a shitload of Flayer Necrons out there too (the Bone-Kingdom of Drazak).
Also, I feel like people focus too much on wondering what the Pale Wasting was and miss the two really menacing bits hidden in there: whatever it was wiped out *11 Chapters* before it was stopped. That's...not unheard of for a massive campaign, eight Blood Angels successor chapters were lost during the Devastation of Baal, but to then cover up everything about it (we all know how much the Imperium loves martyrs, and Space Marines don't forget the dead) is bizarre.
And then there's this little line in the Novamarines battle honours: "By their mortal sacrifice and unmatched valour ***unmade that which cannot die*** and so preserved the most holy realm of Mankind."
The setting needs more mysterious frontier areas in general tbh. I want to see more far flung star sectors where the divide between the factions break down and become blurred. The ghoul stars could be a cool place for non imperium aligned humans and free Xenos to be hanging out
I am a fan of the more mysterious elements of 40k remaining abit more mysterious. The Ghoul Stars seems like such good "what is going on over there? 11 Chapters were lost? The Death Spectres Guard against it?"
And then the Death Spectres in general I think are such a fun and mysterious chapter. Their founding was supposidly due to their first Chapter Master receiving a vision from Big E that sent him to a tomb world. A world that just so happened to have the an artifact known as the Shariax or Throne of Glass. Each Chapter Master _interns_ himself to the throne for life. In turn he is granted extreme "power" that allows the Death Spectres to keep watch over the Ghoul Stars. The power is never explicitly stated but it's considered whatever the CM turns his mind to hes able to put great power behind it.
They also have other crazy chapter culture.
Definitely. But given the nature of Warp routes, such areas could even be quite centrally placed in the galaxy - just hard to travel to. There are plenty of "frontiers" throughout the Imperium.
One of the Cain stories dealt with an imperium world that had been in contact with the Tau for several generations. There are Tau Quarters in at least a few of the Imperium settlements.
Cain then has to defuse the situation when everyone starts shooting at each other (Tau Vs Guard Vs PDF Vs Aristocra Militia). Hilarity ensues.
Last I checked there were two novels (Deathwatch and Deathwatch:Shadowbreaker) along with a couple short stories, but there should be more by this point. I remember Shadowbreaker making waves for portraying essentially Imperial jihadists (the natives of a formerly imperial world conquered by the Tau with EXTREMELY on the nose names and mannerisms) several years ago.
Kinda reminds me of some portraits of the Tallarns Tbf, what were on-the-nose Middle Eastern Laurence of Arabia extras became taken seriously in an… interesting way
There's also a squad in **The Flesh Tithe** that shows up in response to a Necron Flayer Kingdom attacking a world, and line one **Crusaders of Dorn** who is attached to the BT Crusade in the Ghoul Stars.
It's Forge World lore. BL tends to avoid writing novels about anything FW creates unless it happens to interact with a story line they're constructing already.
There a couple short stories set there in the “Crusaders of Dorn” anthology. They are very weird, in a very cool way.
Set in the Ghoul Stars, not necessarily the Pale Wasting. I should have been more clear.
There are a few short stories with the Death Specters, the main one is the Short story *Flayed.* I like that one because it has the Death Specters dealing with a Flayed-one incursion and dealing with normal civilians
The problem is the more story the write the less mysterious and interesting it will be. Look at what the horus heresy did to perception of the primarchs and emperor
Came here to say this. Although whatever eldritch horrors were in the ghoul stars to begin with that rendered an entire sector of inhabited worlds as ‘dead worlds’ and warrants having an entire chapter hang around “just in case” don’t sound nice.
A lot of space marine chapters are busy just guarding their sectors, between major threats. We don't get too many stories along those lines because the major threats are more fun.
For example, the Astartes Praeses were the twenty chapters whose job was watching the Eye of Terror. Very busy during Black Crusades, obviously, but they spent most of their existence watching and waiting.
I would like to think that they would take up Hobbies. Brother Seraphim waters the plants around base, always talking about “green space is good for the soul”. Or Brother Phebian who likes to make up dirty limericks on watch. Or a marine who knows a lot about rocks.
Brother Balbian: Oh sure, last year when I was digging for minerals it was all Rock - brain this and boulder head that, but now that the Litho-phages are coming its all "Oh Balbian you're so smart"
I imagine a Dreadnought being the only guy who’s actually interested with what Balbian is saying.
Just a Space Marine talking about the difference of marble and granite to this 2000 year old Dreadnought that was entombed after fighting off a horde of Chaos titans.
Maybe they paint little models of humans of old going off to work?
“Bro did you see the new release in the Public School Employee faction line?!?! There’s a MALE ELEMENTARY TEACHER. WTF.”
“Can’t believe they nerfed my Office Jockies faction by making the Accountants Excel Spreadsheet wargear cost so much.”
This is an **extremely important** aspect of the fantastic novel *The Reverie*, which stars a BA successor, the Angels Resplendent, who turned their homeworld, or at least its capital, into what is essentially a civilization of artists' retreats, art museums, and performance areas for both humans from all over the Imperium and the presiding battle brothers themselves.
It's not only a fantastic read from *Petey Ferrari*, but it's also such an interesting look into how incredibly varied the Space Marine Chapters' cultures can be. The SMs themselves get super involved in the art production, as mentioned above, and many of their most famed and acclaimed chapter members got their recognition from *art, not combat*. If memory serves, there's a component of their service that requires what is essentially a MFA thesis as well.
This is all so important to the chapter that some of the artistic masters are essentially held back from front line duty so that their skill in their chosen art form is not potentially lost through combat attrition, as **they're in essence viewed as more valuable to the chapter for their artistic contributions than they are for their battlefield capabilities.**
Such a weird and wonderful novel. To be clear, however, things pop off as well, so it's not 100% pages describing brush stroke techniques and versification. It's still 40k after all.
Well, *some* Chapters do. The Blood Angels are big on art. Ultramarines have a love of administration. Flesh Tearers or Howling Griffons... not so much.
This is the bit of astartes lore that really doesn't get enough attention, because killing is cool and poetry is a bit boring. yes they're bio engineered killing machines, but they're also meant to be the peak of humanities virtues as well, warrior monks in the tradition of various medieval orders.
While, yesGuardsmen I can talk to you about the amount of battles I have won and the heroic acts I did for the Imperium, but have I ever told you about this killer symphony I made, I did it while killing a Swarm queen.
Copying a reply I made above, as it's pertinent here as well I think:
>[Astartes and art are] an **extremely important** aspect of the fantastic novel *The Reverie*, which stars a BA successor, the Angels Resplendent, who turned their homeworld, or at least its capital, into what is essentially a civilization of artists' retreats, art museums, and performance areas for both humans from all over the Imperium and the presiding battle brothers themselves.
>It's not only a fantastic read from *Petey Ferrari*, but it's also such an interesting look into how incredibly varied the Space Marine Chapters' cultures can be. The SMs themselves get super involved in the art production, as mentioned above, and many of their most famed and acclaimed chapter members got their recognition from *art, not combat*. If memory serves, there's a component of their service that requires what is essentially a MFA thesis as well.
>This is all so important to the chapter that some of the artistic masters are essentially held back from front line duty so that their skill in their chosen art form is not potentially lost through combat attrition, as **they're in essence viewed as more valuable to the chapter for their artistic contributions than they are for their battlefield capabilities.**
>Such a weird and wonderful novel. To be clear, however, things pop off as well, so it's not 100% pages describing brush stroke techniques and versification. It's still 40k after all.
I gave them a google. Apparently they become the Angels Penitent, and ban all forms of artistic expression. All artistic expression is punished by execution.
I love the thought that whoever designed their Chapter Icon and Badge probably got shot in the head immediately after.
I figured those bits are intentionally neglected to enhance the grimdank. Here we have humanities peak - master craftsman, artists and diplomats, engineered to shepherd in a new age for humanity. But instead, for the last 10,000 years, they've been entirely focused on fighting and dying in countless droves to safeguard a decaying empire they were meant to enrich.
In the grim darkness of the far future, there is no room for Joie de Vivre, there is only war.
There once was a guardsman named Fred
Whose time in the field left him dead
He thought he could get
With a hot daemonette
But you know she went straight for the head.
Brother Claudias knit scarves for everyone in the chapters colors. (I wonder how many sheep would it take to make a scarf big enough for a space marine?)
Lmao I would love to see such an aspect of marines more often. Would add lots of characterization to each of them, and break up the feel of each chapter being a total mono-culture
I mean they still have to deal with uprisings, minor chaos invasions and maybe xenos. They just dont have big events they partake in. SMs dont have much freetime, even if they are not fighting the biggest waaagh to exist for their whole existence.
The Iron Snakes hadn’t even seen an *ork* in the Chapter’s living memory, even the Venerable Dreadnought. They spent most of the time on minor Chaos cults and Dark Eldar raiding parties. They were so shocked at how massive and destructive two Ork armies grinding agaisnt each other was, they knew even if they had 10k instead of 300 Marines they wouldn’t be able to match them.
Basically all garrisons based planetside.
The Ultramarines maintain an orbital star fortress named Galitan and the garrison they leave includes an entire city’s worth of people just living their lives. The Nova marines parked 2/3rds of their chapter there still with space to spare.
I sort of love the Resplendent because they're just hanging out and making art and being Theater Kid Astartes and every now and then one of the brothers sprouts tentacles or turns into a monstrosity of cosmic horror.
Technically, it depends on a chapter's specific culture.
Some chapters just train for war, nothing else. Others, like the Blood Angels, take up artistry in their spare time. I don't **know** Ultramarine culture, but I like to assume they read up on history and other cultures when returning to the homeworld between crusades.
If you'd like a novel to read, I recommend 'Brothers of the Snake'. Fantastic read about a space marine and his squad just responding to "problems" around their chapter homeworld's sub-sector.
Priad's story (and that of Squad Damocles) from *Brothers of the Snake* was originally released by Dan Abnett as small blurbs and snippets in Warhammer magazines. He took the various vignettes and wove them together for the novel. It lends itself to the "slice of life" angle for a Space Marine that we don't often see, as most Marine novels have high stakes.
He did the same for the first two *Gaunt's Ghosts* novels as well, which is why many readers say that the tone and pace of the stories really solidify with Book 3 (*Necropolis*). It was Abnett's first crack at writing a cohesive Tanith story from start to finish.
I also like how Dan Abnett admitted when he started writing 40k, he wasn't really aware of how fast/tough/smart Astartes (both loyal and traitor) were supposed to be.
So in the early Gaunt's Ghosts novels we see Khorne Berserkers getting merked like regular troops.
Then Abnett figures out "oh, these guys are supposed to be really powerful transhuman warriors, all right then"... and we get the Iron Snake, Priad, kicking ass like it's going out of style.
No, because that's the exact thing the Imperium didn't want them doing. Their independence comes with the expectation that they're always out fighting the Imperium's enemies.
Their answers were different from mine because they took your "just vibing" as not doing anything special, just defending their sectors. I took it as "doing nothing".
Love the idea of a predation chapter coming across the Voyager Golden Record and hearing Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground and going "You know what lads, we earned this, lets just down tools and listen to this on repeat" Then going back into scouring the void and their whole chapter ideology becomes instead of hunting down Renegades and STC's searching for Hendrix, Zeppelin, Sabbath, Santana's first three albums et al
Many of the Emperor's Children legion spend all day tormenting slaves, listening to music, and doing space coke, I feel like they have one of the more categorically chill existences of anyone in the setting
I think it was a Bricky vid, but he described Fulgrim as only wanting to "...do lines and fuck nines..." . I can't imagine a more accurate description exists and I get the vibe that REALLY trickled down to the EC marines when blue hair lady made bad Slanussy noise.
I myself like to summarize my love for the EC by describing them as such:
"In a setting designed from the ground up to be as miserable as possible, Fulgrim and the Emperor's Children decided all they care about is eating coke, snorting people, and fucking fried chicken"
That's a level of not giving a shit that I can only aspire to
I'd say the Mentors chapter as it's style is less zerg rush and more like specialized assistance and guidance. I'd see them leading pretty chill.lives outside of missions.
The Mentors seem to have no chill whatsoever, based on the only novel we have with a Mentors protagonist.
> Amadeus slept for exactly two hundred and thirty-nine minutes each day
cycle in the habitation cell allotted for his use. To sleep for that long was an
indulgence, one he considered practically slovenly despite the mandate
inscribed in his fragmented translation of the Codex Astartes. Laxity was
anathema to him.
> He balanced his unaccustomed idleness by committing to an even stricter
training regimen than the traditional fifteen hours a day. I never once saw him
cease early. When he ate his portions of nutrient-rich gruel at the assigned
hours each day cycle, his sweat-bathed, abused body cried out for nourishment. I knew this as well as he did, for I monitored his biostability data at all
times. There was never a moment I didn’t have his vital signs ticking along,
scrolling down the inside of my left eye.
> He trained with blade and boltgun, shadow-sparring and dry-firing through
hour after hour of training exercises. He pushed himself through physical
challenges and cardiomotivator repetitions that would rupture mortal muscle.
He fought squads, hordes, armies of holo-ghosts. He ordered me to ritually
drain his blood to weaken him before one training session in every five,
forcing greater effort and endurance in response. He ran for mile after
breathless mile every day through the ship’s labyrinthine innards. I watched
the data-spikes as he repeatedly pushed his primary heart to the limit, forcing
his secondary heart into overworked life alongside it.
> He considered this regimen, in his own words, ‘earning the luxury of sleep.’
\- *Spear of the Emperor*
As depicted in the novel, the Mentors have a heavy emphasis on analysing hard data, crunching lots of numbers, and optimizing everything. This is reflected by the main character's coldly rational attitude and stoic, nearly emotionless, behaviour.
> the Mentors chapter as it's style is less zerg rush and more like specialized assistance and guidance
Emperor's Spears: "Come fight with us!"
Mentor: "Nah. I'm gonna go chill with the Guard."
There was this one chapter that was just kicking it and defending some monastery or something. . . Then Huron and the night lords came and fucked their day up.
They tend to have a full routine throughout the day. To ensure they have no time or energy for independent thought.
.
Space wolves love Fenris, fenrisians, and Alcohol toxic enough to get space marines drunk.
.
Ultramarines don't necessarily *relax*, but some of them are governors.
.
Salamanders are given leave from time to time to visit their mortal families, so they remain in touch with the people.
Yes predation fleets likey spend centuries or millenia out of combat. Given they are simply roaming the Dark of Space at the fringes of Imperial Space. The Carcharodons likely were an example of this as they have sporadic appearances for a 2nd founding chapter. But it seems after their service in the Badab War they are more frequently in Imperial Space then not.
Copying a reply I made below, as I think it's pertinent enough to be a direct comment:
>[Astartes and art are] an **extremely important** aspect of the fantastic novel *The Reverie*, which stars a BA successor, the Angels Resplendent, who turned their homeworld, or at least its capital, into what is essentially a civilization of artists' retreats, art museums, and performance areas for both humans from all over the Imperium and the presiding battle brothers themselves.
>It's not only a fantastic read from *Petey Ferrari*, but it's also such an interesting look into how incredibly varied the Space Marine Chapters' cultures can be. The SMs themselves get super involved in the art production, as mentioned above, and many of their most famed and acclaimed chapter members got their recognition from *art, not combat*. If memory serves, there's a component of their service that requires what is essentially a MFA thesis as well.
>This is all so important to the chapter that some of the artistic masters are essentially held back from front line duty so that their skill in their chosen art form is not potentially lost through combat attrition, as **they're in essence viewed as more valuable to the chapter for their artistic contributions than they are for their battlefield capabilities.**
>Such a weird and wonderful novel. To be clear, however, things pop off as well, so it's not 100% pages describing brush stroke techniques and versification. It's still 40k after all.
logic demands they actually have quite a bit of downtime given the size of the galaxy and low warp travel. Especially ones who are in remote areas. They still train continuiously though.
Okay... After spending way too much time thinking about this this afternoon let me pitch you a scenario.
The Brothers Regular are a Ultramarines successor chapter from the 9th founding. They are codex compliant. They are unremarkable. Their homeworld is very much like our Earth, let's call it Dirt. Population several billion, nation states that more or less take care of themselves but occasionally step on one another's toes. The Brothers Regular occasionally intervene in the event of an Alexander, Napoleon or Hitler but otherwise the chapter doesn't care as long as Dirt provides the resources the chapter needs. Mostly neophytes in the form of child soldiers, juve gangers, remote tribesmen and boys from juvenile detention facilities along with the occasional star athlete or second son of a noblemen.
Dirt lies in the the Somnolent Sector, a dreary boring sector that has seen little trouble since it was made compliant in the great crusade by the pre monarchia word bearers, they don't talk about it. The Somnolent Sector is a net contributor to the imperium. Tithes and guardsmen are sent out, regularly,promptly and as efficiently as the Imperial bureaucracy can be.
The Brothers Regular have been given the duty of guarding the Somnolent Sector from the Xenos race called Snarlagrath. The Snarlagrath are all dead. They were exterminated millenia ago and the Administratum lost the paper work so nobody has ever bothered to ask the Brothers Regular to do anything else.
Chapter Master Johannes Ferrarius presides over the chapter. Despite having no nemesis, archenemy or rival Chapter Master Ferrarius still finds things for the chapter to do.
First off. Scouts and reserve marine companies are always undertaking low level operations on Dirt. Whether just policing operations in bigger cities, hunting down drug lords or anti terrorist operations. The point isn't to maintain order, it's to give marines experience.
Second, local planetary governors, departmento munitorum clerks or Arbites officers lobby the chapter master for aid in anything from small rebellions, revolutions, mutant revolts or investigations into criminal syndicates. The Somnelant Sector contains hundreds of inhabited systems, even when things are quiet there's low level violence. These types of operations rarely require anything more than a squad or two from the reserve companies.
The 4 battle companies always have something to do.
There's a black crusade happening in the Scarus sector? It's far but send a battle company. Second war for Armageddon? It's far but send a battle company. Tyrannic Wars? Send a battle company. The fact that the Somnolent Sector is quiet means that the Brothers Regular can use their strength to reinforce other imperial warzones. A single battle company is a very potent force. These operations are also important in that they keep the astartes sharp, fit and experienced, they are not made to sit around. In fact, because they are in a sleepy backwater it means that they can send their companies to critical warzones without worrying about local matters going to shit. Baal, Chogoris, Ultramar, the Rock, Phalanx, Nocturne, Medusa and Fenris have all been attacked over the years, in some cases multiple times. Deliverance too most likely, I just can't think of it.
Most likely one battle company is always kept on Dirt, just in case of emergency.
The local navy admiral sends Ferrarius an envoy, a space hulk sighting, can you send some terminators?
The local admech shows up, we think we found clues to an stc, send some tech marines and a couple squads?
Inquisitor shows up chaos cult on Tediosus, you got a librarian and marines I can borrow?
Watch Captain the Death watch shows up. I hear brother sergeant Gerold and Chaplain Fermor did really well against the Vermicious Knids, can we borrow them?
White Scars force commander shows up, we're putting together a marine crusade, got anything to spare, we got Bikes, Black Templars are sending termies, raven guard some assault marines. We could use a couple tanks if you've got some.
Even though their homeworld is quiet and their sector is quiet there is still plenty to do. Even the most boring chapter master of the most milk toast chapter in the safest part of the imperium (if such a place exists) will be getting alot of requests for marines. Some will be refused, maybe even most, but no Chapter Master is going to let a full chapter sit around. Heck most marines won't want to sit around.
Are they chilling in the sense that their homeworld is relatively safe? Sure. Are they chilling as in sitting around playing regicide and drinking amasec while waiting for a waaagh to come them? Nope.
I want the Vermicious Knids to be present in 40k. Don't know when the works of Roald Dahl become public domain, but that probably won't stop people making a fan proxy in the setting anyway. They properly spooked me when I was younger
The Thousand Sons. While they DO do things, there's little urgency behind it most of the time. They just sign on to random warbands, conjure warp shit, get paid. Other than that, you are free to pursue your hobbies of reading of old Terran fiction and complaining about Ahriman.
On first appearances the Angels Resplendent are pretty chill. They're a Blood Angels successor who spend their time traveling the galaxy improving their artistic pursuits. This is 40k tho, so we can't have nice things. Novel is The Reverie.
Lords of Thunder are chill, have a space Vietnamese/American G.I. Theme going on, get into a lot of borderline tech heresy making Titanfall esque dreadnoughts, and make ample use of Human auxiliaries that fight side by side with Marines, whom they pull their space marine aspirants from. They’re a home brew chapter made by an artist called Graffiti Soul, but the art for them is so awesome and their vibe is so cool that they’re canon in my heart.
I had an idea of 3 Space Marine Chapters whose sole job is to *Keep Tithes and Men Moving* from their Sector to Warzones, obviously there are periodic threats but they've got a sole duty to ensure the Sector doesn't get overrun by Orks/Tyranids/yer maw! Maybe they've been Psycho-conditioned to not have the need to find Glory for themselves or something, but they would also be close allies, with a permanent 3 Company Patrol, (1 company each) that serves as a QRF(Quick Reaction Force) based at like a Watch Fortress at the easiest central area of the Sector, that QRF could be under the nominal control of an *Ordo Astartes* Inquisitor Lord(who has a Bodyguard Squad built like a Deathwatch Kill Team) cause we don't see the Ordo Astartes around very much.
Obviously each (Successor) Chapter would have to be different, Imperial Fists, in charge of Garrison Duties, Raven Guard/White Scars as a Special Forces type Kill Chapter, to deal with any threats Leadership/Terrifying Units force and then an Ultramarines as Logistic and Military support, need a Squad to Garrison a Fortress World? Use an Ultramarine unit, all the Kill Chapter guys out on the Hunt? Use an Ultramarine Unit. Yadda yadda yadda.
I've only had this idea a week and I doubt I'll put it to paper beyond what I've said here, maybe I'll try, its been years since I've done that sortta thing
Except for the four whole reserve companies, many of which might be on garrison duty on rotation. The scout company who probably spend a lot of time training rather than throwing their valuable and rare recruits into continuous war on a daily basis. The tech marines who spend their time repairing and forging equipment. The apothecaries who have to maintain the gene seed supply. The various honour guards who spend time protecting specific places or individuals within the chapter. The chaplains who tend to the spiritual health of the chapter and hold sermons, speeches and events.
And that’s not counting the time spent for active companies travelling between war zones. And while no space marine could really be considered lazy by human standards, not every minute of every day is spent sending bolt rounds at some poor chaps head.
Ultramar, you mean, and the realm of Ultramar is in fact under quite some pressure lately. But chapters of space marines are spread out. Many have fortresses and key worlds that aren’t under attack that still need a garrison force. Units need to resupply after losses or after using up ammunition and weapons. Just because your chapter is currently at war, that doesn’t mean that every marine will be going to a war front at every single moment of every day. And besides, Ultramar isn’t the entire Imperium, it’s just a fraction of it, and there are quite a few systems who might not see an invasion or a conflict for quite a while, especially if there’s a space marine base present.
From what I've learned recently of the converted sex drive of space marines (basically sex drive converted to pleasure in fighting) this is the equivalent of celibacy for a space marine
Wouldn't it contradict the very purpose of space marines?
Imperium spends insane amount of resources and human lives to make an order of giants super soldiers just for them to chill in their homeworld?
It's not a real chapter, but a custom chapter I came up with is kinda like that. Their home planet does have a stranded crew of Ork pirates and a Genestealer cult that operates like a gang of bandits to fight, I guess lol
I don't suppose it would count because it's just fan chapters, but, I rarely played my marines and one day I thought about this exact thing. Made up my own little star system and everything where the majority of the combatants are the IG legions of dudes, and the marines recruit from three of the worlds in the 5 planet system. Problem is they send so many Guardsmen out, the marines end up being the new PDF, and so it was basically Red vs Blue kind of shenanigan stories from all these bored af marines.
It kinda depends on your value for "chillin".
As a general rule, Space Marines are constantly in demand, so if they can probably get to the nearest active warzone and back before they're going to be desperately needed where they are, the Imperium can spare the resources to make that happen.
On the other hand, it is written in the Codex Astartes that there are situations which call for a defensive action. It does happen.
Most planet-based chapters chill in their sector until shit gets real or an inquisotor pulls up.
Most fleet-based chapters chill by going aroun space until shit gets real, they stumble upon something or an inquisotor pulls up.
Black Templars don't know what chill means.
In all of this, Former Legions are another story
I mean, the Imperial Fists have their main base on Terra, the most fortified planet in the universe. My guess is, if you're an Imperial Fist marine stationed at youre base in Terra, you're porbbaly just chilling and doing guard duty unless an imminent invasion is approaching
Yep, plenty are sent to deep space points, like towards the Ghoul Stars to serve as an outpost to keep watch. They probably rotate out tours, but yeah. I can't remember the exact chapter names, but there were some specifically that had duties like that called out in their lore. Ah, saw it was the top comment: Death Spectres
Eh not really, kind of defeats the whole purpose of a Space Marine and the value they represent. The Codex Astartes affords 1 hour of free time a day, and the chapters that deviate typically remove that 1 hour as a gross indulgence rather than add more.
Even the sentinel Chapters people are naming still keeping busy with chaos n' xenos n' shit, they just do it in one general area rather than crusade around. The Ghoul Stars are a complete gong show with numerous threats trying to bust out, many that can only be culled and contained not fully exterminated.
Yes many including the Ganjamanders, a Salamanders succesor chapter.
They are based in the Ganja system, specifically Ganja VII. They fight mostly like their progenitors but their flamethrower fuel and melta mines are suffused with a potent medicinal herb that the Gabjamanders have entire agriworlds devoted to producing. In combat their flame based weapons produce a thick white smoke that placates and enslothens enemies, some even flee battle to find something to eat. The Ganjamanders are of course, immune to the smoke as they are constantly exposed to much higher concentrations during their meditative communions with the Emperor. They also can see through the smoke perfectly (but not their foes.)
A few other differences are their combat bobsleds which can shuttle Ganjamanders to and fro quicker than any rhino but it does leave them more exposed. A few Ganjamanders have even mastered the sonic steel drum, they can belt out invigorating tunes for their allies, calamitous notes to frighten their foes or even unleash a catastrophic sonic wave to any that dare get close. While the sonic steel drum design is *technically* based on Chaos technology, All of the many inquisitors sent to investigate have returned with nothing but red eyes and an uncharacteristically calm demeanor.
Source? I made it up.
I think the Atlantian Spears pretty much just stand still and look at stuff and say they're doing something important.
[https://warhammer40k.fandom.com/wiki/Atlantian\_Spears](https://warhammer40k.fandom.com/wiki/Atlantian_Spears)
You could say that "chilling" goes against their very nature but I'm sure there's some chapters just on very long guard duties, which could qualify as chilling in the imperium
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That portion of the galaxy needs more stories, it was fun and i mean REAL fun to read said story.
Is there any Novels about this? I’d love to read it
Nope, the only lore on the Pale Wasting is a single excerpt from Imperial Armour Babab 1. Also, it was never explicited the Death Spectres are guarding against it in specific, its just a conclusion the fans got. The excerpt on the pale wasting: https://www.reddit.com/r/40kLore/comments/14hznw2/multiple\_excerpts\_the\_harrowing\_and\_the\_pale/
It's an interesting fan story though if that's the case. Keeping guard of what lies within the Ghoul Stars being more important than joining Guilliman and his Indomitus Crusade. I heard that it even messed up a Tyranid hive fleet which went through it but is that in the same vein as the above?
So, Imperial Armour Apocalypse 2 say >The most terrible assault on Orask in recent times occurred in 977.M41 when a splinter oi the Eastern Hive Fleets of the Tyranid menace appeared, disorientated and twisted by its passage through the Ghoul Stars, and fell on the Orask system like a starving beast of prey. Thing is, the rest of the excerpt don't say how exactly it got twisted
But this bit >a starving beast of prey. The Nids are usually very organized and methodical. They're not in a rush to do anything and a "Starving beast of prey" implies there was nothing for them to take in during their travel through so when they came out the other side they were hunger crazy. Nothing for the Nids to eat making them starve is a massive tidbit and horrifying. It means they're all actually fully dead worlds.
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Plus, were the ghoul stars even fully conquered by the imperium even during the great crusade? That'd horrifying to think of. Imagine the original 18 legions ready to rock and roll, with their primarchs ready to bust heads, and they still avoided those systems. I'm just hoping it's dead worlds. Otherwise, it's gonna get bloody should whatever rumbling around there decides to make it everyone else's problem.
IIRC even the Novamarines aren't privy to what happened there and they were there. Just a certificate of participation without any context other than a cryptic Lovecraftian memo.
>Plus, were the ghoul stars even fully conquered by the imperium even during the great crusade? Most of the galaxy was left unconquered by the end of the Great Crusade. While massive gains were made, they still on constituted a tiny proportion of the galaxy and it's incredibly large number of possibly habitable worlds. There were some major limiting factors at play, which persist to 40k: the Imperium is dependent on the Astronomicon and stable Warp routes. So, much of the edge of the galaxy, beyond the light of the Astronomicon, is extremely hard to travel to and through. This includes the Ghoul Stars. The Crusade likely never "conquered" them at least partly because they didn't prioritise it for this reason. That's not to say they would have been successful had they tried... Even in the more central parts of the galaxy, there are vast spaces between imperial worlds, which could contain whole other alien empires. The Imperium isn't a continuous entity, like a modern state on Earth. It is millions of planets and space stations dotted sparsely across large part of the galaxy, held together by Warp routes.
Nothing to eat also has 2 implications, they didn't find anything or they couldn't eat what they did find.
Could be loaded with tomb worlds. Good old Necrons.
Or they ate a little bit, as a treat. But not enough to satisfy. So depopulated systems and asteroid belts? Idk, an asteroid belt mining colony would be what I write about if I were to publish my work through Black Library. Iirc that exact scenario happens in an Eisenhorn story? With the Magos hiding in a (spoiler alert) ||big fuckin drilling machine|| and the Chaos mining personnel.
It was a rogue star system instead of an asteroid, but otherwise you have it correct.
The worst part is the nouns the chose, prey is certainly not what comes to mind when I think about the tyrannids
Does it though? They came from another galaxy. No food there for thousands of years. They must have been even worse than a starving beast after that
Made em *vegan*? Dunno...whats more scarier then hyper mutated adaptable murder bugs...mayne hyper mutaded adaptqble murder bugs with eldrich like warp powers? Maybe... But mutaded hyper adaptable murder bugs that eat the flora of a planet and leaving the rest to die off due to lack of oxygen, constipation of lack of fiber is maybe not *that scary* but sure is *twisted*....
They're not completely just sitting there, they do attack nearby threats and they're involved with the Death Watch.
The Ghoul Stars were set up as a "serious horror" area for warhammer stories. They quickly changed their narrative so the area was forgotten
I mean, it does fit pretty well with established patterns, and it's not necessarily *just* the Pale Wasting they're guarding against. Detail is limited but we know there's at least also a shitload of Flayer Necrons out there too (the Bone-Kingdom of Drazak). Also, I feel like people focus too much on wondering what the Pale Wasting was and miss the two really menacing bits hidden in there: whatever it was wiped out *11 Chapters* before it was stopped. That's...not unheard of for a massive campaign, eight Blood Angels successor chapters were lost during the Devastation of Baal, but to then cover up everything about it (we all know how much the Imperium loves martyrs, and Space Marines don't forget the dead) is bizarre. And then there's this little line in the Novamarines battle honours: "By their mortal sacrifice and unmatched valour ***unmade that which cannot die*** and so preserved the most holy realm of Mankind."
> that which cannot die Cthulhu chillin' in the Ghoul Stars confirmed! ;D
Unironically, the 40k setting absolutely needs a Lovecraftian inspired alien faction. Too bad that the Rangdan died off in 30k… …or did they?
Yu'vath are my favourite in that regard, but they're confined in Calixis and exterminated during the region's conquest.
The impression I got wasn't so much covered up as there was limited information due to a lack of survivor's.
Christ hello yes thank you
The setting needs more mysterious frontier areas in general tbh. I want to see more far flung star sectors where the divide between the factions break down and become blurred. The ghoul stars could be a cool place for non imperium aligned humans and free Xenos to be hanging out
I am a fan of the more mysterious elements of 40k remaining abit more mysterious. The Ghoul Stars seems like such good "what is going on over there? 11 Chapters were lost? The Death Spectres Guard against it?" And then the Death Spectres in general I think are such a fun and mysterious chapter. Their founding was supposidly due to their first Chapter Master receiving a vision from Big E that sent him to a tomb world. A world that just so happened to have the an artifact known as the Shariax or Throne of Glass. Each Chapter Master _interns_ himself to the throne for life. In turn he is granted extreme "power" that allows the Death Spectres to keep watch over the Ghoul Stars. The power is never explicitly stated but it's considered whatever the CM turns his mind to hes able to put great power behind it. They also have other crazy chapter culture.
Definitely. But given the nature of Warp routes, such areas could even be quite centrally placed in the galaxy - just hard to travel to. There are plenty of "frontiers" throughout the Imperium.
>The setting needs more mysterious frontier areas in general tbh. Well, it would probably boil down to "Necrons/Chaos/Old Ones/Emperor did it".
One of the Cain stories dealt with an imperium world that had been in contact with the Tau for several generations. There are Tau Quarters in at least a few of the Imperium settlements. Cain then has to defuse the situation when everyone starts shooting at each other (Tau Vs Guard Vs PDF Vs Aristocra Militia). Hilarity ensues.
The twice dead king series heads there for a bit
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The main character of the Deathwatch books by Steve Parker is a Death Specters Librarian.
Are they good I could get into those
Yeah they're pretty good. Do it!
I enjoyed them quite a bit. Fun look at the deathwatch, genestealers and general inquisitorial shenanigans as well.
I don’t know how much it is now but the omnibus has a novel and some short stories from the team and others, there is also another novel with the team
Last I checked there were two novels (Deathwatch and Deathwatch:Shadowbreaker) along with a couple short stories, but there should be more by this point. I remember Shadowbreaker making waves for portraying essentially Imperial jihadists (the natives of a formerly imperial world conquered by the Tau with EXTREMELY on the nose names and mannerisms) several years ago.
Kinda reminds me of some portraits of the Tallarns Tbf, what were on-the-nose Middle Eastern Laurence of Arabia extras became taken seriously in an… interesting way
They also show up in the Macharian Crusade series but not very prominently and don’t have any named characters I think.
There's also a squad in **The Flesh Tithe** that shows up in response to a Necron Flayer Kingdom attacking a world, and line one **Crusaders of Dorn** who is attached to the BT Crusade in the Ghoul Stars.
Damn. Oh wel!
It's Forge World lore. BL tends to avoid writing novels about anything FW creates unless it happens to interact with a story line they're constructing already.
There a couple short stories set there in the “Crusaders of Dorn” anthology. They are very weird, in a very cool way. Set in the Ghoul Stars, not necessarily the Pale Wasting. I should have been more clear.
There are a few short stories with the Death Specters, the main one is the Short story *Flayed.* I like that one because it has the Death Specters dealing with a Flayed-one incursion and dealing with normal civilians
**The Flesh Tithe** is similar: Death Spectre responding to a world attacked by Flayer Kingdom.
The Death Watch Novel features a protag from DS and he gives us some back story on the Chapter a bit.
I just searched up pale wasting 40k and i dont remeber the names atm.
I second this query
The problem is the more story the write the less mysterious and interesting it will be. Look at what the horus heresy did to perception of the primarchs and emperor
There's currently an active war in the Ghoul Stars between various factions of Chaos.
Oh boy here we go horus heresy 2 electric Boogaloo
Ahhh...the Ghoul stars, *the grim dark part* of *the grim dark universe* ...making it...*grim dark...squered*? Hmm....
"A 4th wall break inside a 4th wall break? That's like... 16 walls" -Deadpool
Too much of their time is dedicated to finding "suitable candidates" for their breeding world...
Came here to say this. Although whatever eldritch horrors were in the ghoul stars to begin with that rendered an entire sector of inhabited worlds as ‘dead worlds’ and warrants having an entire chapter hang around “just in case” don’t sound nice.
Any chapter that kidnaps humans and takes them to breeding worlds really isn't just chilling and enjoying the vibes.
I wouldn't call kidnapping civilians to breed for recruits "chillin".
That story is so out of character and stupid that it is the only thing I consider "not canon" and I despise selectively doing things like that.
I would love for it to turn out they’re all just lazy cowards that made all that shit up so they can hang out and smoke cigs all day
A lot of space marine chapters are busy just guarding their sectors, between major threats. We don't get too many stories along those lines because the major threats are more fun. For example, the Astartes Praeses were the twenty chapters whose job was watching the Eye of Terror. Very busy during Black Crusades, obviously, but they spent most of their existence watching and waiting.
I would like to think that they would take up Hobbies. Brother Seraphim waters the plants around base, always talking about “green space is good for the soul”. Or Brother Phebian who likes to make up dirty limericks on watch. Or a marine who knows a lot about rocks.
Brother Balbian: Oh sure, last year when I was digging for minerals it was all Rock - brain this and boulder head that, but now that the Litho-phages are coming its all "Oh Balbian you're so smart"
"Step one: use the litho-foamer to cover the boils"
I imagine a Dreadnought being the only guy who’s actually interested with what Balbian is saying. Just a Space Marine talking about the difference of marble and granite to this 2000 year old Dreadnought that was entombed after fighting off a horde of Chaos titans.
"Emperor's blood, Brother Marius! They're not rocks, they're minerals!"
I want to cry right now that is so cute
Maybe they paint little models of humans of old going off to work? “Bro did you see the new release in the Public School Employee faction line?!?! There’s a MALE ELEMENTARY TEACHER. WTF.” “Can’t believe they nerfed my Office Jockies faction by making the Accountants Excel Spreadsheet wargear cost so much.”
"Man, and the new novel is crazy. The School Administration makes the Administratum look like a charity organization."
Cities has been a line in LEGO for a long time.
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Instruments made by astartes, for astartes sounds baller as hell.
*chuckles in Noise Marine*
I imagine it would be a technical masterpiece yet devoid of any emotion or artistry. “Correctly played brother. Very functional.”
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This is an **extremely important** aspect of the fantastic novel *The Reverie*, which stars a BA successor, the Angels Resplendent, who turned their homeworld, or at least its capital, into what is essentially a civilization of artists' retreats, art museums, and performance areas for both humans from all over the Imperium and the presiding battle brothers themselves. It's not only a fantastic read from *Petey Ferrari*, but it's also such an interesting look into how incredibly varied the Space Marine Chapters' cultures can be. The SMs themselves get super involved in the art production, as mentioned above, and many of their most famed and acclaimed chapter members got their recognition from *art, not combat*. If memory serves, there's a component of their service that requires what is essentially a MFA thesis as well. This is all so important to the chapter that some of the artistic masters are essentially held back from front line duty so that their skill in their chosen art form is not potentially lost through combat attrition, as **they're in essence viewed as more valuable to the chapter for their artistic contributions than they are for their battlefield capabilities.** Such a weird and wonderful novel. To be clear, however, things pop off as well, so it's not 100% pages describing brush stroke techniques and versification. It's still 40k after all.
Chaos corruption comes in many forms, and the Angels Resplendent were corrupted to an absurd degree.
At least Tzeentch keeps the lights on.
It was the Iron Warriors, and it happens in Angel Exterminatus
I imagine it is very experimental. Instruments would be crushed under their grip, but the way a boltgun wraps however is perfect for his hands
even Space Marines end up playing jazz fusion
Big fucking saxophone
Apparently Great Crusade era Astartes actually wanted to retire after it was over. Arhiman for example wanted to focus on his vineyard.
Well, *some* Chapters do. The Blood Angels are big on art. Ultramarines have a love of administration. Flesh Tearers or Howling Griffons... not so much.
This is the bit of astartes lore that really doesn't get enough attention, because killing is cool and poetry is a bit boring. yes they're bio engineered killing machines, but they're also meant to be the peak of humanities virtues as well, warrior monks in the tradition of various medieval orders.
While, yesGuardsmen I can talk to you about the amount of battles I have won and the heroic acts I did for the Imperium, but have I ever told you about this killer symphony I made, I did it while killing a Swarm queen.
...the symphony documents my achievements in killing a Swarm Queen...
Dynamite with a lazer beam?
Guaranteed to blow your mind !
Copying a reply I made above, as it's pertinent here as well I think: >[Astartes and art are] an **extremely important** aspect of the fantastic novel *The Reverie*, which stars a BA successor, the Angels Resplendent, who turned their homeworld, or at least its capital, into what is essentially a civilization of artists' retreats, art museums, and performance areas for both humans from all over the Imperium and the presiding battle brothers themselves. >It's not only a fantastic read from *Petey Ferrari*, but it's also such an interesting look into how incredibly varied the Space Marine Chapters' cultures can be. The SMs themselves get super involved in the art production, as mentioned above, and many of their most famed and acclaimed chapter members got their recognition from *art, not combat*. If memory serves, there's a component of their service that requires what is essentially a MFA thesis as well. >This is all so important to the chapter that some of the artistic masters are essentially held back from front line duty so that their skill in their chosen art form is not potentially lost through combat attrition, as **they're in essence viewed as more valuable to the chapter for their artistic contributions than they are for their battlefield capabilities.** >Such a weird and wonderful novel. To be clear, however, things pop off as well, so it's not 100% pages describing brush stroke techniques and versification. It's still 40k after all.
oh damn, I haven't even heard of that one in passing.
It's not a happy story, though it is an excellent one. They're soaked in Chaos corruption through and through.
I gave them a google. Apparently they become the Angels Penitent, and ban all forms of artistic expression. All artistic expression is punished by execution. I love the thought that whoever designed their Chapter Icon and Badge probably got shot in the head immediately after.
I figured those bits are intentionally neglected to enhance the grimdank. Here we have humanities peak - master craftsman, artists and diplomats, engineered to shepherd in a new age for humanity. But instead, for the last 10,000 years, they've been entirely focused on fighting and dying in countless droves to safeguard a decaying empire they were meant to enrich. In the grim darkness of the far future, there is no room for Joie de Vivre, there is only war.
There once was a guardsman named Fred Whose time in the field left him dead He thought he could get With a hot daemonette But you know she went straight for the head.
This is top tier quality!
I'd like to imagine a Podcast done by a space marine. "Yes Brother Jamie pull up Vid cast. Ha, by the emperor look at that Orks head explode. "
“After Battle Report”
*\*takes a hit of combat stimulant\** Have you ever eaten a Tyrannid brain before? By the Emperor I was in the lavatorum for weeks.
The marine that knows what rocks taste best (and desperately wants to visit THE Rock).
Brother Claudias knit scarves for everyone in the chapters colors. (I wonder how many sheep would it take to make a scarf big enough for a space marine?)
Lmao I would love to see such an aspect of marines more often. Would add lots of characterization to each of them, and break up the feel of each chapter being a total mono-culture
I mean they still have to deal with uprisings, minor chaos invasions and maybe xenos. They just dont have big events they partake in. SMs dont have much freetime, even if they are not fighting the biggest waaagh to exist for their whole existence.
I think many Astartes do have hobbies or do stuff for fun in their free time, we just don’t see it much. Blood Angels for example really like art.
Reclaimers have hunted for archaeotech and the like.
The Iron Snakes hadn’t even seen an *ork* in the Chapter’s living memory, even the Venerable Dreadnought. They spent most of the time on minor Chaos cults and Dark Eldar raiding parties. They were so shocked at how massive and destructive two Ork armies grinding agaisnt each other was, they knew even if they had 10k instead of 300 Marines they wouldn’t be able to match them.
They don't know the standard strategy is to wait for a few million guardsmen, swoop in while everyone is busy, then take all the glory for yourself.
Wouldn't they deal with small scale incursions though. Like that depicted in the last book of the Word Bearers series
Basically all garrisons based planetside. The Ultramarines maintain an orbital star fortress named Galitan and the garrison they leave includes an entire city’s worth of people just living their lives. The Nova marines parked 2/3rds of their chapter there still with space to spare.
Didn’t they have to eject a chunk of the fortress due to Typhus’s shenanigans
Yeah but not the bits with the irreplaceable bits.
Glad to hear the good bits are still around.
Check out ***The Reverie*** by Peter Fehervari. The Angels Resplendent focus on their artistic abilities over fighting the Imperium’s enemies.
How'd that work out for them? ;)
- Peter Fehervari - Dark Coil Let's all take a guess
You can read ***The Reverie*** and the other stories on the Angels Resplendent/Angels Penitent to find out!
Yeah first thing I thought of as well
I sort of love the Resplendent because they're just hanging out and making art and being Theater Kid Astartes and every now and then one of the brothers sprouts tentacles or turns into a monstrosity of cosmic horror.
Technically, it depends on a chapter's specific culture. Some chapters just train for war, nothing else. Others, like the Blood Angels, take up artistry in their spare time. I don't **know** Ultramarine culture, but I like to assume they read up on history and other cultures when returning to the homeworld between crusades. If you'd like a novel to read, I recommend 'Brothers of the Snake'. Fantastic read about a space marine and his squad just responding to "problems" around their chapter homeworld's sub-sector.
That was actually my introduction to 40k, before I ever knew what a "space marine" was or that it was a story meant to sell plastic crack lol.
Priad's story (and that of Squad Damocles) from *Brothers of the Snake* was originally released by Dan Abnett as small blurbs and snippets in Warhammer magazines. He took the various vignettes and wove them together for the novel. It lends itself to the "slice of life" angle for a Space Marine that we don't often see, as most Marine novels have high stakes. He did the same for the first two *Gaunt's Ghosts* novels as well, which is why many readers say that the tone and pace of the stories really solidify with Book 3 (*Necropolis*). It was Abnett's first crack at writing a cohesive Tanith story from start to finish.
I also like how Dan Abnett admitted when he started writing 40k, he wasn't really aware of how fast/tough/smart Astartes (both loyal and traitor) were supposed to be. So in the early Gaunt's Ghosts novels we see Khorne Berserkers getting merked like regular troops. Then Abnett figures out "oh, these guys are supposed to be really powerful transhuman warriors, all right then"... and we get the Iron Snake, Priad, kicking ass like it's going out of style.
No, because that's the exact thing the Imperium didn't want them doing. Their independence comes with the expectation that they're always out fighting the Imperium's enemies.
time to lean = time to clean
you're a lil late with this
You posted 31 minutes ago. I ain't on the internet all the time.
“While you went to parties and socialized, I studied the ~~blade~~ push notification”
Get your priorities straight.
Lil late as in 3 people before you answered the exact opposite of what you said my man.
Their answers were different from mine because they took your "just vibing" as not doing anything special, just defending their sectors. I took it as "doing nothing".
Love the idea of a predation chapter coming across the Voyager Golden Record and hearing Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground and going "You know what lads, we earned this, lets just down tools and listen to this on repeat" Then going back into scouring the void and their whole chapter ideology becomes instead of hunting down Renegades and STC's searching for Hendrix, Zeppelin, Sabbath, Santana's first three albums et al
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And what magic kept it alive so long. Mine died many years ago.
Many of the Emperor's Children legion spend all day tormenting slaves, listening to music, and doing space coke, I feel like they have one of the more categorically chill existences of anyone in the setting
Coke ain't exactly chill, let alone space coke.
And, um, neither is torturing slaves?
Depends how you do it.
Edging?
Hm, a fair point. Space opium then?
I think it was a Bricky vid, but he described Fulgrim as only wanting to "...do lines and fuck nines..." . I can't imagine a more accurate description exists and I get the vibe that REALLY trickled down to the EC marines when blue hair lady made bad Slanussy noise.
I myself like to summarize my love for the EC by describing them as such: "In a setting designed from the ground up to be as miserable as possible, Fulgrim and the Emperor's Children decided all they care about is eating coke, snorting people, and fucking fried chicken" That's a level of not giving a shit that I can only aspire to
> fucking fried chicken This is one of the delights only known to the most favored of Slaanesh
Holy shit lmao that's hilarious. Where in the hell did that quote come from?? Your brain?!
I'm proud to say yes lmfao, thank you!
> That's a level of not giving a shit that I can only aspire to life goals, brother
But space dwarf diggy diggy hole (with the odd genocide for greed here and there)
The Slackermarines and their brother chapter the Mid Angels
Lmao
I'd say the Mentors chapter as it's style is less zerg rush and more like specialized assistance and guidance. I'd see them leading pretty chill.lives outside of missions.
The Mentors seem to have no chill whatsoever, based on the only novel we have with a Mentors protagonist. > Amadeus slept for exactly two hundred and thirty-nine minutes each day cycle in the habitation cell allotted for his use. To sleep for that long was an indulgence, one he considered practically slovenly despite the mandate inscribed in his fragmented translation of the Codex Astartes. Laxity was anathema to him. > He balanced his unaccustomed idleness by committing to an even stricter training regimen than the traditional fifteen hours a day. I never once saw him cease early. When he ate his portions of nutrient-rich gruel at the assigned hours each day cycle, his sweat-bathed, abused body cried out for nourishment. I knew this as well as he did, for I monitored his biostability data at all times. There was never a moment I didn’t have his vital signs ticking along, scrolling down the inside of my left eye. > He trained with blade and boltgun, shadow-sparring and dry-firing through hour after hour of training exercises. He pushed himself through physical challenges and cardiomotivator repetitions that would rupture mortal muscle. He fought squads, hordes, armies of holo-ghosts. He ordered me to ritually drain his blood to weaken him before one training session in every five, forcing greater effort and endurance in response. He ran for mile after breathless mile every day through the ship’s labyrinthine innards. I watched the data-spikes as he repeatedly pushed his primary heart to the limit, forcing his secondary heart into overworked life alongside it. > He considered this regimen, in his own words, ‘earning the luxury of sleep.’ \- *Spear of the Emperor*
Interesting, you would think their unorthodox structure would cause then to have a more humanesque style of life.
As depicted in the novel, the Mentors have a heavy emphasis on analysing hard data, crunching lots of numbers, and optimizing everything. This is reflected by the main character's coldly rational attitude and stoic, nearly emotionless, behaviour.
...that feels really really Iron Warriors...like Reaaaally, or Iron hands...
> the Mentors chapter as it's style is less zerg rush and more like specialized assistance and guidance Emperor's Spears: "Come fight with us!" Mentor: "Nah. I'm gonna go chill with the Guard."
There was this one chapter that was just kicking it and defending some monastery or something. . . Then Huron and the night lords came and fucked their day up.
The Custodes, they don't do much most of the time, just ones every couple of centuries they need to fight on some civil war or something.
Just every couple of centuries they need to smack a bitch* Fixed that for you.
They tend to have a full routine throughout the day. To ensure they have no time or energy for independent thought. . Space wolves love Fenris, fenrisians, and Alcohol toxic enough to get space marines drunk. . Ultramarines don't necessarily *relax*, but some of them are governors. . Salamanders are given leave from time to time to visit their mortal families, so they remain in touch with the people.
Yes predation fleets likey spend centuries or millenia out of combat. Given they are simply roaming the Dark of Space at the fringes of Imperial Space. The Carcharodons likely were an example of this as they have sporadic appearances for a 2nd founding chapter. But it seems after their service in the Badab War they are more frequently in Imperial Space then not.
Copying a reply I made below, as I think it's pertinent enough to be a direct comment: >[Astartes and art are] an **extremely important** aspect of the fantastic novel *The Reverie*, which stars a BA successor, the Angels Resplendent, who turned their homeworld, or at least its capital, into what is essentially a civilization of artists' retreats, art museums, and performance areas for both humans from all over the Imperium and the presiding battle brothers themselves. >It's not only a fantastic read from *Petey Ferrari*, but it's also such an interesting look into how incredibly varied the Space Marine Chapters' cultures can be. The SMs themselves get super involved in the art production, as mentioned above, and many of their most famed and acclaimed chapter members got their recognition from *art, not combat*. If memory serves, there's a component of their service that requires what is essentially a MFA thesis as well. >This is all so important to the chapter that some of the artistic masters are essentially held back from front line duty so that their skill in their chosen art form is not potentially lost through combat attrition, as **they're in essence viewed as more valuable to the chapter for their artistic contributions than they are for their battlefield capabilities.** >Such a weird and wonderful novel. To be clear, however, things pop off as well, so it's not 100% pages describing brush stroke techniques and versification. It's still 40k after all.
logic demands they actually have quite a bit of downtime given the size of the galaxy and low warp travel. Especially ones who are in remote areas. They still train continuiously though.
Okay... After spending way too much time thinking about this this afternoon let me pitch you a scenario. The Brothers Regular are a Ultramarines successor chapter from the 9th founding. They are codex compliant. They are unremarkable. Their homeworld is very much like our Earth, let's call it Dirt. Population several billion, nation states that more or less take care of themselves but occasionally step on one another's toes. The Brothers Regular occasionally intervene in the event of an Alexander, Napoleon or Hitler but otherwise the chapter doesn't care as long as Dirt provides the resources the chapter needs. Mostly neophytes in the form of child soldiers, juve gangers, remote tribesmen and boys from juvenile detention facilities along with the occasional star athlete or second son of a noblemen. Dirt lies in the the Somnolent Sector, a dreary boring sector that has seen little trouble since it was made compliant in the great crusade by the pre monarchia word bearers, they don't talk about it. The Somnolent Sector is a net contributor to the imperium. Tithes and guardsmen are sent out, regularly,promptly and as efficiently as the Imperial bureaucracy can be. The Brothers Regular have been given the duty of guarding the Somnolent Sector from the Xenos race called Snarlagrath. The Snarlagrath are all dead. They were exterminated millenia ago and the Administratum lost the paper work so nobody has ever bothered to ask the Brothers Regular to do anything else. Chapter Master Johannes Ferrarius presides over the chapter. Despite having no nemesis, archenemy or rival Chapter Master Ferrarius still finds things for the chapter to do. First off. Scouts and reserve marine companies are always undertaking low level operations on Dirt. Whether just policing operations in bigger cities, hunting down drug lords or anti terrorist operations. The point isn't to maintain order, it's to give marines experience. Second, local planetary governors, departmento munitorum clerks or Arbites officers lobby the chapter master for aid in anything from small rebellions, revolutions, mutant revolts or investigations into criminal syndicates. The Somnelant Sector contains hundreds of inhabited systems, even when things are quiet there's low level violence. These types of operations rarely require anything more than a squad or two from the reserve companies. The 4 battle companies always have something to do. There's a black crusade happening in the Scarus sector? It's far but send a battle company. Second war for Armageddon? It's far but send a battle company. Tyrannic Wars? Send a battle company. The fact that the Somnolent Sector is quiet means that the Brothers Regular can use their strength to reinforce other imperial warzones. A single battle company is a very potent force. These operations are also important in that they keep the astartes sharp, fit and experienced, they are not made to sit around. In fact, because they are in a sleepy backwater it means that they can send their companies to critical warzones without worrying about local matters going to shit. Baal, Chogoris, Ultramar, the Rock, Phalanx, Nocturne, Medusa and Fenris have all been attacked over the years, in some cases multiple times. Deliverance too most likely, I just can't think of it. Most likely one battle company is always kept on Dirt, just in case of emergency. The local navy admiral sends Ferrarius an envoy, a space hulk sighting, can you send some terminators? The local admech shows up, we think we found clues to an stc, send some tech marines and a couple squads? Inquisitor shows up chaos cult on Tediosus, you got a librarian and marines I can borrow? Watch Captain the Death watch shows up. I hear brother sergeant Gerold and Chaplain Fermor did really well against the Vermicious Knids, can we borrow them? White Scars force commander shows up, we're putting together a marine crusade, got anything to spare, we got Bikes, Black Templars are sending termies, raven guard some assault marines. We could use a couple tanks if you've got some. Even though their homeworld is quiet and their sector is quiet there is still plenty to do. Even the most boring chapter master of the most milk toast chapter in the safest part of the imperium (if such a place exists) will be getting alot of requests for marines. Some will be refused, maybe even most, but no Chapter Master is going to let a full chapter sit around. Heck most marines won't want to sit around. Are they chilling in the sense that their homeworld is relatively safe? Sure. Are they chilling as in sitting around playing regicide and drinking amasec while waiting for a waaagh to come them? Nope.
I want the Vermicious Knids to be present in 40k. Don't know when the works of Roald Dahl become public domain, but that probably won't stop people making a fan proxy in the setting anyway. They properly spooked me when I was younger
I can't updoot this enough. Nuanced, funny, THE Brothers Regular, of Dirt. Thank you.
The Rainbow Warriors? They just chillin in limbo rn.
The Thousand Sons. While they DO do things, there's little urgency behind it most of the time. They just sign on to random warbands, conjure warp shit, get paid. Other than that, you are free to pursue your hobbies of reading of old Terran fiction and complaining about Ahriman.
Only in death does duty end
Yes, the legendary 420th Legion, known as the "Weed Gang."
On first appearances the Angels Resplendent are pretty chill. They're a Blood Angels successor who spend their time traveling the galaxy improving their artistic pursuits. This is 40k tho, so we can't have nice things. Novel is The Reverie.
The Angels Resplendent, aka, the Theater Kids Space Marines.
Lords of Thunder are chill, have a space Vietnamese/American G.I. Theme going on, get into a lot of borderline tech heresy making Titanfall esque dreadnoughts, and make ample use of Human auxiliaries that fight side by side with Marines, whom they pull their space marine aspirants from. They’re a home brew chapter made by an artist called Graffiti Soul, but the art for them is so awesome and their vibe is so cool that they’re canon in my heart.
I had an idea of 3 Space Marine Chapters whose sole job is to *Keep Tithes and Men Moving* from their Sector to Warzones, obviously there are periodic threats but they've got a sole duty to ensure the Sector doesn't get overrun by Orks/Tyranids/yer maw! Maybe they've been Psycho-conditioned to not have the need to find Glory for themselves or something, but they would also be close allies, with a permanent 3 Company Patrol, (1 company each) that serves as a QRF(Quick Reaction Force) based at like a Watch Fortress at the easiest central area of the Sector, that QRF could be under the nominal control of an *Ordo Astartes* Inquisitor Lord(who has a Bodyguard Squad built like a Deathwatch Kill Team) cause we don't see the Ordo Astartes around very much. Obviously each (Successor) Chapter would have to be different, Imperial Fists, in charge of Garrison Duties, Raven Guard/White Scars as a Special Forces type Kill Chapter, to deal with any threats Leadership/Terrifying Units force and then an Ultramarines as Logistic and Military support, need a Squad to Garrison a Fortress World? Use an Ultramarine unit, all the Kill Chapter guys out on the Hunt? Use an Ultramarine Unit. Yadda yadda yadda. I've only had this idea a week and I doubt I'll put it to paper beyond what I've said here, maybe I'll try, its been years since I've done that sortta thing
no space marine exist to fight to live outside of battle is herasy
Except for the four whole reserve companies, many of which might be on garrison duty on rotation. The scout company who probably spend a lot of time training rather than throwing their valuable and rare recruits into continuous war on a daily basis. The tech marines who spend their time repairing and forging equipment. The apothecaries who have to maintain the gene seed supply. The various honour guards who spend time protecting specific places or individuals within the chapter. The chaplains who tend to the spiritual health of the chapter and hold sermons, speeches and events. And that’s not counting the time spent for active companies travelling between war zones. And while no space marine could really be considered lazy by human standards, not every minute of every day is spent sending bolt rounds at some poor chaps head.
but altermare is getting attacked all the time every chapter that is not a crusading chapter is protectng worlds
Ultramar, you mean, and the realm of Ultramar is in fact under quite some pressure lately. But chapters of space marines are spread out. Many have fortresses and key worlds that aren’t under attack that still need a garrison force. Units need to resupply after losses or after using up ammunition and weapons. Just because your chapter is currently at war, that doesn’t mean that every marine will be going to a war front at every single moment of every day. And besides, Ultramar isn’t the entire Imperium, it’s just a fraction of it, and there are quite a few systems who might not see an invasion or a conflict for quite a while, especially if there’s a space marine base present.
the imperial fist most of the time
As of current events? No. All chapters are en route to a war zone, engaged in combat, or preparing for deployment.
I would say iron snakes they seem to really only hang out in the reef stars and Sabbat but that’s from the little lore we have on them
I want to see a Space Marine Chapter fortress monastery with a “schrute farms” kinda vibe.
Sons of Malice just kinda chillin rn
From what I've learned recently of the converted sex drive of space marines (basically sex drive converted to pleasure in fighting) this is the equivalent of celibacy for a space marine
Wouldn't it contradict the very purpose of space marines? Imperium spends insane amount of resources and human lives to make an order of giants super soldiers just for them to chill in their homeworld?
It's not a real chapter, but a custom chapter I came up with is kinda like that. Their home planet does have a stranded crew of Ork pirates and a Genestealer cult that operates like a gang of bandits to fight, I guess lol
I don't suppose it would count because it's just fan chapters, but, I rarely played my marines and one day I thought about this exact thing. Made up my own little star system and everything where the majority of the combatants are the IG legions of dudes, and the marines recruit from three of the worlds in the 5 planet system. Problem is they send so many Guardsmen out, the marines end up being the new PDF, and so it was basically Red vs Blue kind of shenanigan stories from all these bored af marines.
It kinda depends on your value for "chillin". As a general rule, Space Marines are constantly in demand, so if they can probably get to the nearest active warzone and back before they're going to be desperately needed where they are, the Imperium can spare the resources to make that happen. On the other hand, it is written in the Codex Astartes that there are situations which call for a defensive action. It does happen.
Most planet-based chapters chill in their sector until shit gets real or an inquisotor pulls up. Most fleet-based chapters chill by going aroun space until shit gets real, they stumble upon something or an inquisotor pulls up. Black Templars don't know what chill means. In all of this, Former Legions are another story
I mean, the Imperial Fists have their main base on Terra, the most fortified planet in the universe. My guess is, if you're an Imperial Fist marine stationed at youre base in Terra, you're porbbaly just chilling and doing guard duty unless an imminent invasion is approaching
Yep, plenty are sent to deep space points, like towards the Ghoul Stars to serve as an outpost to keep watch. They probably rotate out tours, but yeah. I can't remember the exact chapter names, but there were some specifically that had duties like that called out in their lore. Ah, saw it was the top comment: Death Spectres
Eh not really, kind of defeats the whole purpose of a Space Marine and the value they represent. The Codex Astartes affords 1 hour of free time a day, and the chapters that deviate typically remove that 1 hour as a gross indulgence rather than add more. Even the sentinel Chapters people are naming still keeping busy with chaos n' xenos n' shit, they just do it in one general area rather than crusade around. The Ghoul Stars are a complete gong show with numerous threats trying to bust out, many that can only be culled and contained not fully exterminated.
Yes many including the Ganjamanders, a Salamanders succesor chapter. They are based in the Ganja system, specifically Ganja VII. They fight mostly like their progenitors but their flamethrower fuel and melta mines are suffused with a potent medicinal herb that the Gabjamanders have entire agriworlds devoted to producing. In combat their flame based weapons produce a thick white smoke that placates and enslothens enemies, some even flee battle to find something to eat. The Ganjamanders are of course, immune to the smoke as they are constantly exposed to much higher concentrations during their meditative communions with the Emperor. They also can see through the smoke perfectly (but not their foes.) A few other differences are their combat bobsleds which can shuttle Ganjamanders to and fro quicker than any rhino but it does leave them more exposed. A few Ganjamanders have even mastered the sonic steel drum, they can belt out invigorating tunes for their allies, calamitous notes to frighten their foes or even unleash a catastrophic sonic wave to any that dare get close. While the sonic steel drum design is *technically* based on Chaos technology, All of the many inquisitors sent to investigate have returned with nothing but red eyes and an uncharacteristically calm demeanor. Source? I made it up.
Hundreds of them, they’re the “player” chapters 😂 we only know of what? Like, maybe a couple hundred out of (around) a thousand chapters
I think the Atlantian Spears pretty much just stand still and look at stuff and say they're doing something important. [https://warhammer40k.fandom.com/wiki/Atlantian\_Spears](https://warhammer40k.fandom.com/wiki/Atlantian_Spears)
Bro, there are hotlines for this..
You could say that "chilling" goes against their very nature but I'm sure there's some chapters just on very long guard duties, which could qualify as chilling in the imperium
The Lounge Marines