Breaking out the Fluff

So my Evandalist Space Marine Chapter are coming along, but one thing I've not shown yet , is the background. I know a lot of people don't find background neccessary, and thats fair enough. Wargaming is one of those hobbies that encompasses so many aspects, from modelling, terrain, gaming, painting, fiction etc, that we, the hobbyists can give, take or even avoid what we wish. Some people just paint well enough to get their force onto the table and start rolling those dice, others prefer to avoid the numbered cubes and just spent their hobby time painting and modelling. Myself, I'm into a bit of everything.

It occured to me that after the first 10 or so games I'd played that little stories had been created. Certain sergeants had done well, and as new units were added more and more history was being made. I've always been a fan of the fluff and enjoy reading many of the Black Library books, so what better to honour my Chapter than to give it its own background. I've already mentioned a few choices previously about my direction for the Evandlists, but so far the actual fluff I've written has been unseen. Until now. It needs a lot of editing and work but its coming along. Any thoughts are welcome!



The Evandalists


Space Marines are the greatest defence against threats from within the Imperium or from xenos scum. While the number of Space Marines is incredibly low compared to the imnumerable forces of the Imperial Guard, new Chapters do appear and are always well met by members of the Imperium.  The Evandalists are one such chapter that has a relatively short but storied history.

The Chapter itself is thought to have been made from the gene-seed of the Ultramarines, although when created, officers from several Chapters were introduced to lead the young army. Hence the multitude of colours used by the Chapter in honour of its forefathers varied background. In battle the Evandalists are very methodical in how they fight. As a young chapter they usually enlist at least one unit of scouts in most battles to gain eperience for its recuits as often as possible. Because of this the chapter has less assault squads than other adeptus astartes, however their devastators are gaining a notoriety for their marksmenship due to the training given while in the 10th company.

Led by Chapter Master Vincent Eniko they have proved themselves a valuable asset to the defence of the Imperium. Recent campaigns have included searching for an ancient weapon known only as Codename: Angel in the Scintilla System. This weapon is thought to pre-date the Imperium and is rumoured to contain immense power. Reports indicated that Choas and Necron forces were in the Callixis sector and a combined force of several Space Marine Chapters and Imperial Guard regiments are all hunting for the weapon so best to defend it from the vile enemies. Orks were also encountered in the system but lack of pattern seems to indicate that they're simply looking for a fight and have so far been contained.

While relatively young the Chapter itself is fast becoming well known and has competed in several campaigns already. One of its earlier actions saw the Chapter battling Chaos forces in the Eastern Fringe. A warband lead by the renegade Balekith the Banefist had been spotted jumping between Imperial and Tau space, and the Evandalists were sent to hunt them down and possibly find out why. Evandalist battle barges found a small chaos fleet anchored around a planet not recorded on Imperial records and hidden from the fleets navigators. As the Chapter's Battle Barges engaged the Chaos fleet Thunderhawk gunships were deployed with 3 companies of Space Marines to the surface to engage the foe. The majority of the enemy seemed to be focussing their attacks against an alien stronghold and looked to be breaking their way in. Evandalist Thunderhawks opened up with a barrage that caught the chaos forces off guard and then deployed their forces.The second and third companies were to engage directly with the warband while the fifth company looked to outflank the Chaos forces from the only route the enemy could escape..

As the traitors realised they were outnumbered and started to fall back the Fifth company launched their assualt. The battle lasted just 7 hours until the enemy was crushed. A small number of the heretics escaped, among them thought to be Balekith. The Evandalist's Second Company Captain Erasmus Torgeaz lead his force to march to the alien stronghold to discover what Balekith was after, and upon approaching the main entrance the huge metal gate slowly opened. What appeared were small ab-humans who seemed cautious, but relieved they had been saved from a terrible fate. These stuntied survivors were found to have been the once thought annihilated Squats, who had created a cloaking device which had kept their planet a secret and safe from xenos threat until one of their kind had turned traitor and alligned himself to Chaos. Balekith had wanted to enslave the Squats to convert their techology and attempt to incorporate it onto their ships to be able to launch invasions into Imperial systems without being detected until they had made planetfall.

The ancient cloaking device was developed shortly before the Horus Heresy broke out millenia ago, and was used to keep themselves hidden as much traitor activity began occuring in their sector. The Squat stronghold new that such a huge and bitter civil war would destroy them and so set upon the task of survival by using a device that made their planet invisible to any nearby ships. Such devices are incredbly rare and difficult to mantain, thus it is testament to the ab-humans ability to machine and technology working they had remaind hidden for so long.

With parts of their stronghold destroyed, the Squats now had nowhere safe to live. The Evandalists young Master of the Forge, Kyrann Locke, could see just how incredible the Squats skills with technology were. After meeting with firstly Vincent Eniko and then the leaders of the Squats, it was decided that the Squats would be taken to Mars and meet the Adeptus Mechanicus. There they could safely reside and share their wisdom to the Techpriests and learn of what the Imperium had become in the years since their hid away. A small number of the Squat clan petitioned themselves to be allowed to travel with the Evandalists while they campaign, so as to work within the Chapters Armouries where their skill could be put to use maintaining and creating new technolgy. Chapter Master Eniko was weary of such a thing, but Kyrann Locke persuaded him that their skill was too great to not take advantage of. The leader of this group of Squats, Thorod Thorlak proceeded to gift the chapter an ancient preheresy weapon. The weapon, which was a precurser to the Lascannons of today, was a mighty Conversion Beamer. Master of the Forge Kyrann Locke quickly learned to use the weapon and it has seen much use on the battlefield when ranged fire is needed.