Need Fluff Assistance..

[Lost Nemesis]

Well, you probably get a whole bunch of these topics, but I didn't know where else to turn!

I'm currently creating a new Space Marine chapter. They are mainly Bike-based with four Land Speeders and a single Whirlwind possessed by the Power of the Machine Spirit.

First warning - I don't like to run things like a codex Marine chapter, so they won't exactly be the utmost extreme of SM...

Second warning - I admit that I know very little about fluff!! Which is a big problem!! :huh:

Be Swift as the Wind, Suffer Not the Alien to Live ('Nids)
Aspire to Glory, Faithful Unto Death

I want these guys to be a successor chapter of the White Scars. However, I definitely don't want the 2nd founding...or 3rd, or 4th...I was thinking more like something about the 18th founding. I'm looking for a number much later than the original foundings so I can sort of steer away from them being completely devoted to the ideals of their Primarch, and aren't as "clansy" as the White Scars were.

I'm also looking for a name...I am having trouble thinking of one, and any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I'm going to end up playing these guys and Tyranids, so I've decided to interconnect their fluff together - I'm looking to have them based on a planet pretty far away from the rest of the Imperium that is being currently ravaged by 'Nids, and these guys are the biggest protection. I'm not familiar with "Inner" and "Outer Rims" and all of that...and even if I have to create the planet, I still need to know "where" it's going to be. Their home planet being assaulted gives me fluff reasons to:

1) Have no Scouts.

2) Choose both Aspire to Glory and Faithful Unto Death to represent dire losses.

3) Have fun with converting, and while I'm connecting 'Nids I can add some extra parts to make the trait shown by "trophies" and the likes...Scything Talons in the sides of Bikes. ^_^

Also, I was wondering if anyone could help explain the Power of the Machine Spirit to me? Not the rules, the fluff. I would like to learn more about it so I can write up some suitable fluff as to why my Whirlwind has it!

Thanks in advance, and if anybody wants to know anything else I'll be happy to respond. This is mainly to help focus my core ideas and make sure they make sense to all of you...hm. My army list is up in the Space Marines forum for any and all to see, as well. Thanks again!

[Sanctus]

Originally Posted by Lost Nemesis

Also, I was wondering if anyone could help explain the Power of the Machine Spirit to me? Not the rules, the fluff. I would like to learn more about it so I can write up some suitable fluff as to why my Whirlwind has it!

The Machine Spirit is what makes all of the vehicles for the space marines run. It is a engine so to speak. The Machine god is what the techpriests of mars worship and so when they build the tanks and vehicles they give it a machine spirit which as far as I know is like a part of the machine god. It allows the vehicle to operate itself to a certain extent. It also helps when the vehicle has become damaged.

As to the rest I don't know that much about white scars or I would offer some help.

[Lost Nemesis]

Originally Posted by Sanctus

The Machine Spirit is what makes all of the vehicles for the space marines run. It is a engine so to speak. The Machine god is what the techpriests of mars worship and so when they build the tanks and vehicles they give it a machine spirit which as far as I know is like a part of the machine god. It allows the vehicle to operate itself to a certain extent. It also helps when the vehicle has become damaged.

As to the rest I don't know that much about white scars or I would offer some help.

But how is the Machine Spirit placed into the vehicles? Is a TechMarine required? Why would a Machine Spirit be placed in a vehicle, when it isn't placed in other vehicles? Things like that. ^_^ Thanks for the reply.

[Sanctus]

The techmarines use rituals and rites which is really like what our mechanics do today except with alot of chanting and uneccesary motions. The Imperium has lost the knowledge of how to maintain their machines save through these rituals that are just a diffrenet way of changing the oil. It goes like this.

Adeptus Mechanicus way of changing oil.
1. Chant the proper incantaions for the machine spirit to prepare it for cleansing.
2. drain oil.
3. Place wards and blessings on the new oil
4. Put new oil in.

Our way

1. drain oil
2.Put new oil in.

This is a very dumbed down version and I am well aware that this is not all the steps to changing oil. I am also aware that they proably don't use oil in Rhinos since they are fusion powered. The machine spirit is what the Techmarines think keeps the machines running. They look at them as more of a alive thing than a machine. The spirit of their god is in the parts so it is not just a machine. It is a superstiotion. If anyone would like to correct me please do as I think I am right but am always open to correction.

[Lost Nemesis]

Alright, hmm...

That gives me kind of something to look over, but I'd like to find out more about the Machine Spirit that can be put into vehicles...if anyone has info? Direct links would help as well.

[Applebone1]

haven't seen you in a while LN
Machine spirit is our version of AI. all SM vehicles have got it, since they are more advanced design than what any of the other Imperial forces usually get (IG). It's programmed during the manufacture as part of the vehicle, and is activated by one of their rituals. It kicks in wheneer the driver dies/is incapacitated, and has sensors that warn of danger, and occasionally helps driving, like the more modern cars of today. of course, techpriests don't know that the machine is only going by sensors and reacting, and so it seems to them that the machine it alive. They then built a complex system of rituals and sacrifices to "appease" the machine spirit, and to continue it's holy guidance.

documented rituals are fairly rare, but i do know tht they melt down every 13th rhino as unlucky, and every 666th is unusally holy, so goes through more rituals as a benefit to commanders and VIPs. Plus they test the healthiness of the machine spirit by revving the engines 13 times, and if something is wrong, they scrap the whole batch as posessing no machine spirit.

as from that, if you're fighting a lot of nids in an outta the way location, a good place to put your chapter is the eastern Rim of the galaxy, as that's where the hive fleets usually come from.
names...names...well, i good place to start is the heraldric colour of your chapter, and the totem it uses for it's badge eg. Red talons, if you had a claw and were painted red.
to really have no scouts would pretty much mean large plains, where the more mechanized approach of your force would be much more helpful.

that's it for the mo, so give a yell if you want more suggestions!

[Lost Nemesis]

Originally Posted by Applebone1

haven't seen you in a while LN
Machine spirit is our version of AI. all SM vehicles have got it, since they are more advanced design than what any of the other Imperial forces usually get (IG). It's programmed during the manufacture as part of the vehicle, and is activated by one of their rituals. It kicks in wheneer the driver dies/is incapacitated, and has sensors that warn of danger, and occasionally helps driving, like the more modern cars of today. of course, techpriests don't know that the machine is only going by sensors and reacting, and so it seems to them that the machine it alive. They then built a complex system of rituals and sacrifices to "appease" the machine spirit, and to continue it's holy guidance.

documented rituals are fairly rare, but i do know tht they melt down every 13th rhino as unlucky, and every 666th is unusally holy, so goes through more rituals as a benefit to commanders and VIPs. Plus they test the healthiness of the machine spirit by revving the engines 13 times, and if something is wrong, they scrap the whole batch as posessing no machine spirit.

as from that, if you're fighting a lot of nids in an outta the way location, a good place to put your chapter is the eastern Rim of the galaxy, as that's where the hive fleets usually come from.
names...names...well, i good place to start is the heraldric colour of your chapter, and the totem it uses for it's badge eg. Red talons, if you had a claw and were painted red.
to really have no scouts would pretty much mean large plains, where the more mechanized approach of your force would be much more helpful.

that's it for the mo, so give a yell if you want more suggestions!

Hmm...

So, why would they build tanks that don't have the PotMS? Or is that simply only something in the Army List that has no connection with fluff?

And yeah...I was thinking either an arctic/subarctic "wasteland" type of place, or something along those lines..not sure yet.

[The Doctor]

Well, you already know my suggestion for an Army Name. Hell's Angels.
And I know you said you don't want "Angels" in the name...but whatever.

For fluff, you could make your army the remains of various Biker units from septerate armies that banded together after a Nid attack on thier homeworlds. Since they were on Bikes, they could outrun the Nids whilist thier Marine brothers were ripped limb from limb by the wretched xenos. Now these remaining Bikers have sworn revenge against the Hive Mind.

How's that for fluff off the top of my head Blue

[Applebone1]

Originally Posted by Lost Nemesis

Hmm...

So, why would they build tanks that don't have the PotMS? Or is that simply only something in the Army List that has no connection with fluff?

And yeah...I was thinking either an arctic/subarctic "wasteland" type of place, or something along those lines..not sure yet.

no connection, all SM vehicles have some sort of Machine spirit, if only imagined. However, you pay for the upgrade in the game to make the tank better, and they couldn't think of another name for it.

as for planet, maybe a tundra world, with lots of volcano ranges, very specialised towards your force. lots of open space, where mobile inf/mechanized is at it's best, but with enough terrain to force open combat and have some interesting locations to fight for. a ball of ice tends to get a little boring after a while, and it gives the place some significance to humans being there (mining).

as for the doctor...unlikely in the extreme. it would take a good few SM chapters to have that many random's sm squads around, and they would usually fight on until death. they don't know the concept of dishonourable retreat, and are hard pressed to even fall back to more tactical positions. but hey, dabbling in the unlikely is what this game is about.

[Lost Nemesis]

Hmm.

I'm not too keen on the idea of volcanoes...too many volcano style worlds, and I don't want "heat, fire, hell" anywhere in the fluff of this army.

I'm also thinking maybe a "temperate" world...a few scattered forests, though not many. Odd chains of mountains connected by wide expanses of plains. I like green worlds...rich in life, but not a jungle. A few arctic subregions for the most extensive training (especially with their bikes...if you can drive well on ice, you can drive well period!) and the fields being called something like the "white plains" or something...I'll come up with specifics later, but the tall grass is a pale yellow/white color.

As for the Whirlwind (the only Hvy Support in my army) it has the Power of the Machine Spirit..hm..I do have an idea about it, but I'll save that for when I get all my fluff together in one spot.

Thanks for the help applebone, and any more suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

I keep finding myself wanting to change a few things in my army list, and wanting to keep it the same...Power Fists on every Vet. Sergeant, for example. I like it, then I want swords...then I want the fists again. I think I'll just keep the Fists, but in the fluff have every Marine issued a blade as well.