u/AskAGinger

Mods, please remove this or let me know if this violates either the sub rules or the 40k lore as a whole.

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A message comes through to your Chapter from the Warp, from a relatively unknown Chapter. A slow, steady voice echoes from the vox.

"Hail, Brothers and Cousins, and Warriors of the Emperor. My name is Atum Kantius, Forge-Captain of the Wanderers. I wish to propose an exchange of information, skills, and training.

Our Chapter is young, though we have been hardened from an unfortunate stay far from home. The purpose of my message is thus: I wish to send you one or two of my brother Wanderers. For one year, or as long as you wish, your Chapter will gain a proud Son of Vulkan. He will live, eat, breathe, and serve as one of your brothers. He will be, for his time with you, a son of Sanguinus. Of Guilliman. Of Dorn. If he should die, he will die as one if your own. At the end of his time, I would ask you to send him back to us, where he will share his knowledge and strengthen our Chapter. He will pass his knowledge and skills to you, thus bettering us both.

May this exchange serve both our needs, and may it allow the bond between cousins to crush our enemies and serve the Emperor. From the Ashes."

The voice trails away, and attached is a contact coordinate.

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What each of our Chapters gain from this: fresh skills and training. New methods of combat to incorporate into their combat discipline. A new contact and future partner in missions and task forces.

What I gain from this: an opportunity to incorporate new lore and practices to my fledgling Chapter, and an opportunity to create a unique force with colours shared from across this whole community. I intend to include an accent of your Chapter on several of my minis, to commemorate their service.

What I need you to do to your chapter or lore: nothing at all. All I would ask is some general lore bits from your Chapter that a visiting brother might learn during his year with your force. Your chapter's primary armour colour would also be helpful, if images are not available.

What I am NOT trying to do: replicate or subvert the Deathwatch. There have been several posts recently of some of you lovely people creating Deathwatch fortresses, and I have pledged Wanderers to serve the Long Vigil. This experiment simply gives me a lore-based excuse to have small splashes of colour on my models.

Please let me know if you have questions or comments, or if this is just a bad idea all 'round! The Emperor Protects, brothers and sisters.

Much if this will look similar to a previous homegrown I made. This is the latest version, under a different name.

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The Wanderers are a Salamander Successor Chapter, originally formed from a collection of squads from various Salamander companies. While on the hunt for a Chaos cult that was threatening a colony, they found themselves and their ship, Visions of Ash, suddenly pulled violently into the Warp. Because of the sudden nature of the shift, and the machinations of the cult that they hunted, their Navigator and psyker were both killed, leaving the ship stranded in the Warp. In their own timeframe, the collected squads spent over one hundred standard years surrounded by Chaos and hunting for a way to return to normal space; in reality, however, approximately 900-1000 years passed. Captain Atum Kantius kept the squads together and eventually reformed the Astartes under his command into a semblance of a Chapter.

Chapter History

Approximate timeline

The squads that would become the Wanderers were initially drawn into the Warp somewhere between WAAAGH! Garskrak (600.M40) and WAAAGH! Bogga-Bogga (910.M40). The Knights missed the Gothic War (139.M41 - 151.M41), the Macharian Crusade (392 - 399.M41), and the Tears of the Emperor (500.M41), only returning approximately 10-12 years ago.

Return from the Warp

Under the command of Captain Kantius, the Wanderers tracked cultist movements to a hulk in the Warp, which turned out to be a primary base. Preliminary scans of the hulk determined that specific portions of it had functioning Gellar fields, though whether or not the cult was present could not be determined. Now-Lieutenant Monus lead the charge into the hulk, surprising Goulrulak, the Sorcerer who had actually dragged the Visions of Ash to the Warp in the first place. Working with typical Astartes efficiency, and fueled by wrath and vengeance, the Wanderers swept through the cultists and broke into an inner chamber, disrupting a ritual to draw the attention of Ahriman and destroy the Astartes. Monus himself landed several crippling shots into Goulrulak, who began to flee. The energies gathered during the ritual, no longer having a focus, began to unravel and several surviving cultists were simply unmade. Goulrulak fled through the hulk, intent on reaching a vessel himself. Kantius ordered the immediate withdrawal of his troops to the Visions, hoping to catch the fleeing sorcerer.

Unfortunately for him, Goulrulak ripped the hole to realspace as the Visions reached him, and during the transition to realspace, the Visions of Ash smashed directly through Goulrulak's ship, which exploded. The Wanderers found themselves being hailed by a Salamanders patrol craft, who was stunned to find a ship that was supposed to have been lost a thousand years before. In the next several years, each and every member of the new Chapter was thoroughly tested and examined by Salamander chaplains and techmarines, as was their ship. Each battle-brother was found to be pure of Warp taint, save the change in eye colour. After a meeting with the Forgefather, Vulkan He'stan, and Chapter Master, Tu'shan, Captain Atum Kantius was promoted to Chapter Master of the new Successor, the Wanderers.

Organization

Companies

Company 1: Veterans - Emberguard

>(Chapter Master) Forge-Captain Atum Kantius

>(Master of Sanctity) Caller of the Wanderers Shuboka

>Chief Apothecary Damoxia

>Master of the Fleet: Lord Captain Emalia Spahr

Armorium

>Forgemaster: Vitessios

Librarius

>Chief Librarian: Berus Trismantar

2nd Company: Close Support / Fire Support - Inferno Wardens

>Master of the Arsenal: Captain Nahir Ortoza

3rd Company: Battleline - Flameblades

>Master of Rites: Captain Harann Mendane

4th Company: Scout - Shadowsmoke

>Master of Recruits: Captain Sigot Darserro

Notable Traits

Wanderer practices

When a Brother dies, if his body is recoverable, it is cremated following the extraction of the gene-seed, without exception. During an incursion of cultists into Visions of Ash, a Sorcerer was able to, briefly, animate the body of a fallen battle-brother and puppet it. Once the incursion was repelled, the body and equipment of that brother was incinerated completely, and both Captain Kantius and Caller Shuboka implemented the policy that all fallen brothers are to be cremated at the earliest opportunity.

As part of this, any battle-brother who was particularly close may take a portion of his ashes and keep them as a personal relic. The fallen brother's name and cause of death is inscribed on it as well.

Notable oddities

The Wanderers possess remarkably few Librarians, or even any Astartes with any notable psychic talent. A brief investigation into the anomalous gene-seed sought to determine if the Warp-taint caused less psychic talent, but the results were inconclusive. The lack of psyker ability did not appear to stem from their time in the Warp; instead, it may simply come down to poor luck. A total of three Librarians have manifested and been trained since their return, including one that manifested while exiled. None of these three have been EXCEPTIONALLY talented, but like all Librarians they serve their chapter to the best of their ability. It is because of this oddity that Captain Kantius, with the approval of the Salamanders Chief Librarian Vel'cona, submitted a request to two other Salamander Successor chapters, the Dark Krakens and the Covenant of Fire, for any trained Librarians. The Dark Krakens responded, and sent Berus Trismantar, who has become the Wanderers' Chief Librarian. In return, if the Dark Krakens require aide and the Knights of Ash are not ACTIVELY engaged, the Wanderers will always be the first to bring the fight to the Krakens' enemies.

Notable Wanderers

>Chapter Master

>Forge-Captain Atum Kantius

Captain Kantius still generally refers to himself as "captain", and "forge-captain" on occasion. He of course recognizes his rank and status as a Chapter Master, as recognized by the chaplains and leadership of the Salamanders, but Kantius still seems himself as a soldier and leader of troops first and foremost. It was Kantius' efforts and will that kept his companies forging onwards to find a way out of the Warp.

>Master of the Arsenal

>Captain Nahir Ortoza

Captain Ortoza is the current captain of the 2nd company. Ortoza has a particular fondness and characteristic strategy of "light targets on fire and shoot whatever flees".

>Master of Rites

>Captain Harann Mendane

Captain Mendane is the captain of the 3rd company.

>Master of Recruits

>Captain Sigot Darserro

Captain Darserro is the captain of the 4th company. Darserro was assigned the 4th company after the previous captain, Torfyn Sicaros, fell in battle just a few short months after the Knights returned from the Warp.

>Master of the Fleet

>Lord Captain Emelia Spahr

Captain Spahr is not, in fact, an Astartes, but an ordinary human Navis Imperialis officer. Forge-Captain Kantius recognized that the leadership of the Wanderers was better suited for ground-based combat, and that he himself could not be everywhere at all times.

Some four years ago, fully half of the Wanderers were engaged in a combination Cult Hunt and rescue mission when a previously undetected Emperor's Children ship entered the system and began an assault on the Wanderers. Captain Spahr was the commanding officer of an Imperial cruiser, the Bastion's Echo, that happened to be in the area as part of a group action against an Ork Warband. When she heard the Wanderers' request for aid, she did not hesitate and moved the Bastion to provide much-needed assistance. She and her crew were able to disable the Chaos ship long enough for the besieged Astartes to complete their rescue, and provided covering fire while Captain Ortoza and several squads boarded the same ship. A running firefight, punctuated by Imperial Navy fire, completed with Ortoza personally gutting the Sorcerer commanding the craft.

In recognition of Captain Spahr's bravery and direct action, as well as her masterful use of precision violence despite the presence of Astartes on board an enemy craft, Forge-Captain Kantius offered Captain Spahr the unique position of Master of the Fleet for the Wanderers. While their fleet may be small, Kantius still feels that an experienced naval officer is the best fit to guide their ships.

>Master of Sanctity

>Caller of the Wanderers Shuboka

Shuboka is the Master of Sanctity. During the Knights' exile to the Warp, he began to refer to his fellow brothers as "the Wanderers", and a portion of his time was spent calling his brothers and leading them in sanctifier rites. When Forge-Captain Kantius officially formed the Wanderers, he was named as the high Chaplain, and Shuboka himself named his position "the Caller of the Wanderers". His 'rank' or salutation is simply 'Caller'.

>Chief Apothecary

>Apothecary Damoxia

Damoxia is the Chief Apothecary. His primary duties are as Apothecary on the battlefield, but he DOES have some training as an Apothecary Biologis.

>Forgemaster

>Vitessios

Vitessios is the Master of the Forge, and received his training and indoctrination from Argos, the Salamanders' own Master of the Forge. Vitessios was one of only four Techmarines present during the Wanderers' exile to the Warp, and was one of only two who managed to survive the ordeal, Brother Marqothar being the other. Captain Kantius approached both Techmarines after returning to realspace, and Marqothar actively expressed disinterest in becoming the Forgemaster; thus being saved a difficult decision, Vitessios was promoted, though they do work closely together in the execution of the Forgemaster duties.

>Chief Librarian

>Berus Trismantar

Trismantar is actually from the Dark Krakens, a brother Successor chapter of the Salamanders. Due to either a gene-seed oddity or just bad luck with psychic talent, the Wanderers have remarkably few Astartes with any reasonable psyker ability. Thus, Forge-Captain Kantius requested aid from and the Covenant of Fire the Krakens, who responded. Trismantar has been a formidable ally for his new Chapter, and has accepted his new role with both vigour and grace. He has had a hand in training the few Librarians the Wanderers have produced, and two of the three are currently undergoing further training with Vel'cona, the Chief Librarian of the Salamanders.

>Lieutenant Kalaphrach Monus

Lieutenant Monus is bold, almost dangerously so. He takes risks that he feels is worth the trade-off, when others might reconsider. He gets results, but on occasion requires backup and extraction. Monus is attached to the 2nd company.

>Brother Algenius

Brother Algenius is a Dreadnought assigned to the 2nd company.

Notable Relics

Ex Inferno - a suit of relic Saturnine power armour. The suit was found scattered in over a dozen different crates, all liberated from a Khornite cell's treasury. The cell had collected crates from nearby systems but had yet to catalog their contents. The Wanderers learned of the treasury and sought to both relieve the cell of its ill-gotten treasure and also to stamp out a nest of Heretics. The Khornites put up a fight typical of the servants of the Blood God, but the Wanderers proved victorious. Vitessios and Morqothar investigated the crates and, to their surprise, found pieces of a Saturnine suit. The two techmarines consulted manuals and performed the necessary rites and declared the suit operational and fit to serve. Shuboka ensured that the suit was cleansed, and presented it to the Forge-Captain.

Inferis - a power sword forged by Forge-Captain Kantius. Its power field generator was exposed to raw Warp during its forging, causing the field to glow a sickly green instead of the more typical blue. Caller Shuboka inspected Inferis and performed many rituals over the sword, and has declared it to be free of daemonic influence; the only difference between this sword and any other is its colour. Inferis is currently wielded by Captain Ortoza.

Wrath - a master-crafted bolt rifle wielded by Lt Monus. Monus made the weapon himself, but before he and his fellow battle-brothers were lost to the Warp.

Monolith - a power sword crafted by Forgemaster Vitessios around the same time as the crafting of Inferis. Monolith is wielded by Lt Monus.

Memoria Inferi - a portion of a daemon's head horn that was shorn off while hunting for the Cult of Tzeentch in the Warp. While aboard the hulk, shortly before returning to realspace, the Cult summoned forth a daemon to hold off the Wanderers. Captain Kantius, with the aid of fifteen full seconds of sustained bolter fire from two of his squads, was able to put down the daemon and reduce it mostly to slag and gore. He hacked off a portion of the beast's horn and carried it through the remaining battle as a war trophy. Upon his return to the Visions of Ash, he ensured that the horn was properly consecrated and purified, to remove any chance of a "Warp incident", and continues to carry it even now.

Chapter Appearance

>Chapter Colours

The Wanderers wear purple power armour. 4th Company brothers do not typically have pauldron trim, so their entire pauldrons are purple. The Aquila or Imperialis is brass.

The Chapter Badge is worn on the left pauldron; in white for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd companies and in black for the 4th company. The Wanderers do not typically display battlefield role, as this is incorporated into their company.

>Rank and Company

Sergeants are denoted by a blue helmet. Lieutenants have their right pauldron trimmed in brass, with their left pauldron trimmed according to their assigned company. Captains have both pauldrons trimmed with silver, and both kneepads in light blue.

Companies are distinguished by different colours on the pauldron trim. 1st company use light blue trim, 2nd uses red, 3rd uses black, and 4th uses purple, for those 4th company Brothers who have pauldron trim.

Veterans of the Wanderers are distinguished by red helmets; veteran sergeants have a light blue stripe down their helmet’s crest.

A flame pattern on the bottom of their right or left shin guard denotes a Battle-Brother who has performed acts of bravery, heroism, and valour beyond the norm of his Brothers.

Chapter Badge

A 4-pointed star swooshing upwards

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Let me know if there are questions, commentary, or criticisms!