Background and Origin: The 977th Space Marine Chapter, the Storm Swords, was created in the 26th founding in 738.M41 to reinforce the Davas sector and repulse an imminent Chaos incursion threatening it. Chaos raids had plagued the Davas sector for centuries and in the last decades had intensified in such a rate that the High Lords feared a more dangerous strike to be close at hand. Another worrying event was the suspected treason of the Omega Bears Chapter tasked with the defence of this area. Since their reported loss to the traitor legions on Trolheim they had refused all communication. The High Lords did not wish to let the conflict escalate any further and the newly founded Storm Swords Chapter, trained in the military bases of the fortress moon Sorrov, was given their first mission. They would engage the Omega Bears in a war of conquest and claim a new home world for themselves. The Omega Bears, in their weakened state, could not match the power of an entire Chapter at full strength and their doom was inevitable. Accompanying inquisitors from Ordos Hereticus and Malleus declared that evidence of heresy and betrayal most terrible could be found, thus justifying the High Lord's decision. The Storm Swords claimed the planet of Hel V at the outskirts of the former Omega Bears territory, while The Omega Bears' home world burned and was declared Perdita. The ban was lifted in silence two centuries later. The Storm Swords began to prepare for the assumed incursion and constantly swept their new kingdom for traces of either traitors or Omega Bears. |
LEGIO INFITIALES VENIA |
THE STORMSWORDS By Henry Vainino ( The Officer ) |
This article has been published with the kind permission of Henry Vainino. Planetary image created by Shadow Guard |
It is assumed that the Storm Swords Chapter was created from the gene seed of the Dark Angels Legion. The High Lords are notoriously reluctant to use the gene-heritage of Lion el'Jonson, so this is largely speculation on the part of the imperial officials. The Storm Swords themselves are convinced that they are the progeny of the Lion and are fiercely dedicated to him. Even the Hereticus inquisitors accompanying them in their first war took note of the budding religious fervour and gave their Ordo a warning that a traitor Chapter may have been replaced with another. The Swords see the Lion as their Father and Lord and to him they own their allegiance. In those early days the Swords attempted to constantly make contact with the Dark Angels, until their Supreme Grand Master offered to send more detailed histories of the Legion to Hel V. These formed the basis of the Swords' religious development. The histories were, of course, edited by the Dark Angels and the events following the Great Heresy were left in the dark. Religion aside, the Storm Sword gene seed has not shown any deviances and is still as pure as that of the Ultramarines, their other suspected parent Legion. The Swords live in a cold world of eternal winter, and this leaves them pale-skinned, but that is only a result of the normal function of their melanochromic organs. The local peoples are tall and have often blonde hair and this follows through the implantation. The Vigil of the Swords still stands, waiting for an attack that never came. Only one event of utmost secrecy did disturb their familiar patterns of waging war and defending the Imperium. In 932.M41 a rebellion in the far side of their reign caught the attention of the Storm Swords, and when the task force sent to quell it returned they brought a distressing prisoner. The man was evidently a traitor marine, but he bore the insignia of the Dark Angels Legion and their colours. The Chapter's commanders spent countless hours questioning him and heard nothing but slander and insults to their Primarch. Some of the stories were disturbingly believable. The interrogation ended soon, as the Dark Angels arrived, for the first time, to Hel V. They demanded the prisoner to be handed over immediately. Their aggressive manner was tempered when the Storm Swords obeyed without question. Upon learning about the stories this strange prisoner had told, the Dark Angels first denied everything angrily, but then, after long consideration, contacted their Inner Circle. After all, were not the Storm Swords absolutely loyal to the Lion? The Inner Circle, too, took their time to contemplate the issue, and finally, a full year after the visit of the Deathwing envoys who had taken the prisoner, the Supreme Grand Master of the Dark Angels himself appeared to Hel V. He gathered to him the very highest officers of the Storm Swords and named them the Inner Circle. They would know, he would tell them. And tell he did, a tale of unspeakable horror to the Swords. It is said that the truth of the shattering of the legion also shattered the sanity of Master Chaplain Nordko. The others were disgusted, but realised it their duty to join the Unforgiven in the eradication of this shame in the past. The Supreme Grand Master made it very clear how well this secret was to be kept. He did not leave any doubt of the fate that would befall the Storm Swords, their home world and all they had any dealings with should the secret be spilled. Any fallen brothers they captured were not to be interrogated, all would be sent to the Tower of Angels. He also instructed the newly founded Inner Circle how to keep this knowledge away from their battle-brothers, only the most dedicated veterans were to be trusted. Then he left, a busy man. The Inner Circle of the Storm Swords sat in silence for a long time. When they rose from their dark thoughts, they began to plan the reformation of their Chapter. After long debates they came to the conclusion that what they were told would help them not if it was know only to a handful of Swords. They decided to tell some parts of the terrible past to their first company, creating their own "Deathwing". They also realised that they themselves had not been told all there was to know. There were gaps and illogical parts in the story. The Dark Angels did not trust them just as they did not trust their underlings. This chafed at some, others understood, but a veil of secrecy and mistrust had landed over the once so clear-minded Chapter. And so began the transformation of a Codex Chapter into an ally of the Unforgiven. Recruitment of the Storm Swords The people of Hel V fear their godlike protectors and many want to share the divine power. The Storm Swords organise the willing and able into groups who are given a quest to perform. These small groups can wander for years, trying to complete their mission and often fighting against other groups. It is not unusual for many groups to compete for the completion of the same task. Survivors will be taken to the foot of the mountains and left in the woods to lead a solitary live of the beast, just as the Great Primarch had lived. Those who are found alive after the set period of time are taken to the Fortress Monastery, the Sword Keep, and tested by the apothecaries and librarians. |
Home world The planet Hel V is located in the system of Hel in the Davas sector, between Mordian and Dimmamar in Segmentus Obscurus. It orbits its bleak star from afar and is shrouded in eternal winter. The planet itself features huge jagged mountain ranges of black stone crossing its vast plateaus of snow and dense forests of gene-modified pine trees. The fauna of the world is also imported and modified to survive in a world where no indigenous life form has drawn breath since the Dark Age of Technology. Relics from that time, tall towers of black iron stand on all continents. Their original meaning and function lost, they now serve as watchtowers for the paranoid Storm Swords, who rule their planet in a harsh manner, using fear and intimidation with no compunctions to keep the populace under sway and chaos cults away. The people of Hel V are believed to be the descendants of an Explorator fleet of sorts, who, near the beginning of the Age of Strife, tried to hastily terraform the world by introducing animals and plants. For some reason they never left or made contact to other worlds, instead leaving their technology to decay until they were rediscovered in a black powder-era stage, living in small settlements or roaming the snow wastes, hunting great beasts. When the Storm Swords arrived, they first fought back, but |
quickly realised that things had changed for eternity. The Storm Sword Fortress Monastery is located in the midst of the most inaccessible mountain range. It is based on structures as old as the Watchtowers. These forts were the reason the Storm Swords selected Hel V as their home. They have constructed planetary defence batteries in their Watchtowers and have a satellite defence system and a small space station in orbit. Their paranoia has also led to a wealth of servitor-manned monitoring stations spread across the area of space they control. This area, named the 'Sword Cluster', consists of full six star systems, mostly barren and lifeless. |
