[center][indent][indent][sup][i]Long ago, when the God-Emperor still walked amongst men, he created legions of the finest warriors man had ever seen; none stronger, none quicker, none smarter and none purer before or since. So great where their numbers and deeds that they conquered world after world, system after system, star after star. These soldiers without skill were the Legio Astartes, the Space Marines; humanity at its highest apex. But even during the Emperor's glorious Great Crusade, cracks began to show. Quirks and differences in thinking that only divided the legions. Such could have been ignored or remedied if given time, but something sinister sought to infect the cracks and tear the legions asunder: Chaos. Seeping into the pure minds of the Astartes, it proved that nothing was beyond the corrupting grasp and maleficent gaze of the Chaos Gods. And when the War Master was turned to the dark shadows of the Warp, twas only little time until the the curtains were pulled back to reveal a production most vile. The void was to be set awash in fire and death as the stars themselves cried and weeped. Billions prayed and hoped in watery eyes that this age would be but a passing moment. But their tears would do nothing to quell the largest civil war mankind had ever faced. Countless lives were lost, planets eradicated and wonders destroyed as super humans warred and fought and the galaxy itself shook under the weight of:[/i][/sup][/indent][/indent] [hr][hr][h1]–=+=–[b][u]THE SCHISM OF MAN[/u][/b]–=+=–[/h1] [hr][hr] [IMG]http://i63.tinypic.com/124zcqv.jpg[/IMG] [hr][hr][i][sub]"They shall be my finest warriors, these men who give of themselves to me. Like clay I shall mould them, and in the furnace of war forge them. They will be of iron will and steely muscle. In great armour shall I clad them and with the mightiest guns will they be armed. They will be untouched by plague or disease, no sickness will blight them. They will have tactics, strategies and machines so that no foe can best them in battle. They are my bulwark against the Terror. They are the Defenders of Humanity. They are my Space Marines. And They Shall Know No Fear." ~ The Emperor of Mankind[/sub][/i] [hr][hr][/center] [h2]++ [b]Introduction[/b] ++[/h2] [indent][indent]Welcome to the Age of Heresy; the era of mankind divided. Inspired by [url=http://www.roleplayerguild.com/topics/79728-the-grand-crusade-an-alternative-warhammer-40k-rp-open/ooc]The Grand Crusade[/url] and [url=http://www.roleplayerguild.com/topics/93744-the-grim-crusade-warhammer-30-000-rp/ooc]The Grim Crusade[/url] (credits to both GMs/authors), the Schism of Man will focus on the Heresy which followed the Great Crusade. Players will be making their own Primarch and Legion to fill in the 18 open slots available. (There are still 2 "lost" legions but they are now the 9th and the 17th). Something that is very important that you must be clear on is that [b]YOU WILL PICK YOUR SIDES AND ULTIMATE FATES.[/b] Basically, OOC everyone will know who will end up traitor and who stays loyalist and what ultimately becomes of them (dies, becomes daemon, fucks off somewhere, etc) but not those in-character. If you say "well that's stupid, what's the point?" then I'd like to direct you to the fact the Horus Heresy book series exists despite the fact we know what is going to happen in the end. I trust that people will be mature enough not only not to metagame but to also have their primarchs interact with one another according and NOT be plotting against each other for no real valid in character reason. The start of the RP will be post-Ullanor Crusade and only two or three people at most falling to chaos from the get go. [b]The fact that the Warmaster will turn traitor is something I will not be changing.[/b] The first event might just be everyone gathering around to decide who will be the Warmaster.[/indent][/indent] [h2]++ [b]RULES[/b] ++[/h2] [indent][indent]• Forum Rules Apply - [i]Just because its the grimdarkness of the 31st millenium doesn't mean you can RP your throwing-people-into-jet-engine fetish or make thinly veiled racist comments. That said, this is [s]40k[/s] 30k so if you do push the line for writing bloody battle scenes or if you're chaos and its part of the job descriptions, just don't go overboard.[/i] • Be Mature -[i] Basically do not godmode/cheat/puppet/metagame/be a dick. Metagaming is especially important not to do considering we already know whose traitor and whose not and what not. Just, be coolio mate and use your common sense.[/i] • My Word is Divine - [i]My word and will as GM is absolute and I tend sugar coat things as well as Rogal Dorn does (so not a lot). You must understand that my goals and desires as a GM is fundamentally different than that of a player's to a certain degree; I still want to write and have fun, but keeping the RP in order is my primary job. The word of my coGM/s is also absolute unless I overrule them. In addition, I reserve the right to break any of my own rules as I see fit. My coGMs will be [@Yennefer] and [@agentmanatee], the latter of which will be playing the role of Warmaster and Arch Heretic.[/i] • Activity & Posting - I'm not going to force any "post X time in Y period or else!" thing, but do try to post regularly especially if you're interacting with someone else. That said, if you say "oh I'll post tomorrow" for two weeks straight, we're going to have to talk. Even if you aren't posting, be active and engaged OOC and what not, even if you just shitpost memes. As for posting quality, this is a "low advanced" meaning that I expect your posts to be neat and readable but not like a 10 page essay since let's all be honest, those can be a bitch to write and read. Just don't do like single paragraph posts and we're good. • Character Limits - Generally it should be one Primarch/Legion per player, but if the need arises, I will allow players to pick up a "minor" primarch/legion whose there but isn't quite as crucial (Think Iron Hands vs Imperial Fists during the Heresy). That said, if you drop/go silent for a month, I will be giving your Legion over to whoever expresses interest since I can't just preform the old Squattage-ing on them. • Have Fun! - Seriously, have fun, enjoy reading and writing posts and making characters! We're all here to have some fun, tears, gasps, etc over a rewrite of the Horus Heresy as 40k nerds and fans so enjoy yourself with other fans! [/indent][/indent] [h2]++ [b]INFORMATION[/b] ++[/h2] [indent][indent]This will obvious follow canon for the most part and have a similar time line of major events. This includes most notably, the Warmaster turning traitor, an Istavan V-like battle and a Siege of Terra with a potential for the Burning of and the Schism of Mars depending on how things play out. There are a few new concepts that will be present in the SoM, all lifted from the Grim Crusade: [quote=BCTheEternity][hider=Female Space Marines] In canon, Space Marines can only be male for various reasons, with the Primarchs themselves following this trend. In this game, however, you can choose between male and female for your Primarch's physical gender, with the rest of their Legion following suit. The nature of this decision, of course, will be such that men cannot be inducted into a female Legion, nor can women be inducted into a male Legion, since the geneseed involved will reject those of the opposite gender to their intended recipients, killing the victim and wasting precious resources. That said, whilst gender has a bit more of an effect for the Primarchs themselves, female Space Marines will likely be very similar to their male counterparts. To quote 1d4chan on the matter: [quote]...[female Space Marines] would probably have very few notable female features left following surgery and genetic fuckery; they'd have very similar musculature to males, most likely would lack breasts (due to both the removal of sex hormones and the trimming of any "fat" that would make armor uncomfortable), their body shape would only differ very slightly to a male's because of their enhanced skeletal structure (though they would have wider hips, as women's pelvis' are wider than men's), and all of this would be compounded by the fact that Space Marines are renowned for wearing fuckhuge suits of armour that obscure most of their physical features anyway. A female Space Marine with her helmet on would look like a regular [male] Space Marine.[/quote] [/hider] [hider=Conversion of Human Adults into Space Marines] Along similar lines to female Space Marines not existing in canon, viable candidates for Astartes conversion in canon must be around ten to fourteen years old, as the implants and hypno-therapy required will not properly integrate into their bodies and/or function correctly if they are too old. In this setting, the vast changes to the Emperor's biology from canon has changed this state of affairs, vastly expanding the pool of potential Marine candidates to include adult humans by allowing the necessary implants to integrate properly even into theoretically fully-grown men and women, as well as having the implantation of the Catalepsean Node and other brain-integrated organs slightly alter their thought processes to be more malleable to subsequent conditioning toward the ultimate mindset of any given Legion. This has the advantage of allowing human soldiers with many years of experience to be forwarded to a Legion's ranks, often with a somewhat lower chance of death compared to a child due to the hardier overall constitution that adults possess, but comes with the corresponding disadvantage of substantially slower transition from mortal to Marine, since the rapid-onset growth period that is puberty cannot be exploited to speed the conversion process along in an adult. [/hider] [hider=Psykers and Sorcery] Officially, the position of the Emperor and the Imperium on psychic powers is the same as in canon, i.e. "the human form is absolutely perfect, so no psykers allowed", other than the need for Navigators to ferry ships through the Warp, as well as a certain number of Astropaths specifically gathered for extreme long-distance communication. Unofficially, thanks to a certain amount of internal persuasion, the Emperor is actually a touch more lenient on this topic than in canon, such that whilst the common rabble will still be culled for being a psyker in any form, the higher-ups in the Imperium's ranks such as the Primarchs and their Legions are allowed their psychic quirks under supervision, under the "justification" that having more or less psychic power than average isn't technically an alteration of the human form. Thus, your characters will not be censured unnecessarily for utilizing their psychic powers in agreed-upon "safe" manners or being psychic nulls, unless doing so actually screws everything up on a notable scale (see: Magnus the Red). However, consorting with the denizens of the Warp is still absolutely forbidden, for obvious reasons, as is sorcery for purposes beyond those deemed acceptable by the Imperium and, ultimately, the Emperor himself. [/hider][/quote] [/indent][/indent] [h2]++ [b]CHARACTER SHEETS[/b] ++[/h2] [indent][indent]Hey kids, here's your Create-A-Primarch area! Come now and you'll also be able to create a legion of killer super human soldiers for free! Seriously though, all CSs should be posted OOC for review. You can use canon characters as a base, but do not copy them out right. Bonus points if you use a non-human character as inspiration. The order which people submit their Legion will be their number unless requested otherwise. I would recommend you write it either "Wikia style" (professional and formal) or "1d4chan style" (informal, more relaxed and casual), although in reality you should aim for a balance of both leaning towards Wikia style to keep things interesting and fun to read. Ideally Primarchs won’t automatically seem like the side they are on. Like how Magnus was actually an optimist who really wanted humans to progress and for knowledge to be free for all and then got Tzeentch’d. Might take some collaboration if you do it like this. [hider=Create-A-Primarch] [b]Name:[/b] Self explanatory; feel free to include any titles they might have after their name. [b]Gender:[/b] Self explanatory; will also determine the gender of their Legion. [b]Homeworld:[/b] The planet your Primarch was sent to via the Warp. Include its name, the biome or biomes present on it (particularly where the Primarch landed and/or was raised), the degree of hostility the world exhibits, and the sort of challenges the average inhabitant might have to face on the planet. There's a whole galaxy's worth of worlds out there. [b]Alignment:[/b] Are they Loyalists or Traitors? If Traitor, do they devote themselves to one god or are they undivided? Include the reason they picked the side they did if you wish. [b]Fate:[/b] Basically what becomes of them. Do they die in the events of the heresy? Do they live on to see the rebuilding of the Imperium/start of the long war? Where and why do they fuck off to in the search of object X for reason Y that all primarchs seem to love to do. This is more of a "predetermined destiny" but it can still change so take it with a grain of salt. [b]Appearance:[/b] What does your demigod look like? Describe them out of armor in text unless you can find a picture that fits. You may also describe their power armor and their regalia. Remember that no matter male or female, Primarchs are usually a solid 11 feet tall and muscular. [b]Wargear:[/b] Any special equipment that you may use. Remember, the Emperor's still around and the Heresy hasn't started yet meaning you as the favored children get to play around with all kinds of fancy, sparkly toys by throwing your daddy's name around. Just don't go to crazy. [b]Skills:[/b] Anything special about your Primarch in terms of abilities? Anything they really excel at or any mutations that might grant them some ability? This is also where you would write down you Primarch's psychic level; even if they have none just write "none". Again, these should remain reasonable. [b]Personality:[/b] Your Primarch's character traits, their positives and negatives, their highs and lows, where they excel and what their flaws are. Remember: the Primarchs are human, and yet far beyond human, capable of far more intensity than any mere mortal in all of their emotions. In other words, they're almost literally larger than life, and should be portrayed as such. Their most defining traits should be easily recognizable. [b]History:[/b] The story of your primarch's life before and after they were picked up, what they did during the Great Crusade and what ultimately causes them to fall to Chaos if they do. Any notable achievements should be listed here and more importantly, what the meeting between the Emperor and your Primarch was like. You don't need to give conversation but keep it sort of like a third person overview. [b]Relations:[/b] Basically what is your stance on the Emperor? Your Primarch siblings? Any other random people you have a connection with? Do you have any Primarchs you really like or despite completely? Remember, they don't have to end up on the same side as you do to be your best friend here and nor does the people you hate have to be on the opposite side. I encourage people to go beyond the Loyalist/Traitor lines here when selecting friend (who should obvious match up to some degree with you). [/hider] [hider=Build-A-Legion] [b]Legion Name:[/b] The Legion's name. This can be its original name as described by the Emperor, or a name given to it by its Primarch after their recovery by the Imperium. Or you could list both. The Warmaster's Legion will be called the "Sons/Daughters/Children of _______" and then later, the iconic "Black Legion". [b]Legion Number:[/b] The Legion's number, in Roman numerals up to twenty (I, II, III, IV, and so on up to XX). Obviously, only one Legion per number, on a first come first served basis. [b]Legion Strength:[/b] How many members the Legion possesses. This can be anywhere from "merely" several thousand Astartes, to substantially greater than one hundred thousand units, and will determine the overall strength of the Legion in terms of sheer brute force, though how skilled its members are are is another matter entirely. [b]Armor Appearance:[/b] [url=http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/smpbeta.php]Using this SM armor painter[/url], make the color scheme of your space marines, they haven't turned full chaos yet so they won't be having any of the spikey bits and stuff. I'm not going to be too much of a stickler for exact marks of armor and such, but you should not be having like Mark 8 power armor. [b]Warcry:[/b] What members of the Legion yell when going into battle, e.g. "Courage And Honour!", "Repent! For tomorrow you die!". A Legion may possess more than one warcry. [b]Important Figures:[/b] Besides your Primarch, who else is a "major player" in your Legion? This could be anyone from company commanders to techmarines or medicae or whatever. If you have a splinter force of your Legion who did not follow with your Legion's overall choice on what side to be on in the Schism in the future, this is where you would put them. [b]Tactics/Roles:[/b] Basically how does your Legion fight and what job/role do they normally occupy? Are they siege specialist? Melee champions? Ranged marksmen? Or something else? What kind of vehicles do they have and do they use orbital assists? [b]Traits/Ideology:[/b] How does your legion think and appear? Is it due to the Imperium/Chaos influence, its gene-seed, its Primarch or its recruits/homeworld? Essentially, what is the "personality" of your legion and what kind of look they take on that could take cues from real world cultures. Traditions can also be listed here. [/hider] [/indent][/indent] [center][hr][hr][h1]–=+||+=– [u][b]THE LEGIONS[/b][/u] –=+||+=–[/h1][hr][hr] [img]http://whec-assets-live.s3.amazonaws.com/2015/01/45615_9dea9e12ba37b28fa0e43f803d741501.jpg[/img][/center] [indent][indent]I - II - III - IV - V - VI - VII - VIII - IX - [color=9e0b0f][b][PURGED FROM RECORDS][/b][/color] X - XI - XII - XIII - XIV - XV - XVI - XVII - [color=9e0b0f][b][PURGED FROM RECORDS][/b][/color] XVIII - XIX - XX - [/indent][/indent] [hr][hr][center][h3][sub][sub]The Schism of Man is now upon us; mankind is divided. Will the Galaxy Burn or Does the Emperor Protect?[/sub][/sub][/h3][/center] [hr][hr]