I am very new to warhammer tt RPGs, but I have been invited to a group that is consisting of a party of space marines (so I sort of beleive this is the system they are playing) i have a idea of a character and hombrew chapter i want to play (as they are all homebrew chapters based off others), but unsure how i would do it. I do have a lot of the homebrew chapters lore and info down, but im unsure how to build it and maybe anything else to add to it.
My current thought is this:
I am a marine of the Sanguine Suns, a blood angels descended (interestingly enough unknown to even them a lost flesh tearers sucessor chapter) that was brought back from the brink of destruction by primaris reinforcements with only at the time 100 (now like 28) first born marines. They are (despite their true origins) a very stable blood angels chapter with a significantly decreased number of those whom fall to the black rage, but a very open and very prominent focus on the red thirst that afflicts its members. The chapter has a very "unique" chapter culture, iconography/colorscheme/armor appearence, beliefs, and history that is very much inspired by mezzoamerican (primarily Aztec and some Mayan) culture.
The chapters founding is a bit mysterious (some beleive it was a 13th founding, but what is known was that it was between the 34th and 36th millennium) but what is known is the core information that defines them and led them to become as they are now.
The chapter was given the chapter homeworld of "Texco C0" a primitive deathworld of jungles and forrests, mountains and active volcanic sites, arid areas from badlands to deserts, and long plains across the furthest north and south hemispheres on its landmass. Rivers both massive and mundane run throughout that lead into a number major lakes across the landmasses. There is a large ocean that exists on the edge of the super continent that makes up a large portion of the world, but most of it is warm shallow seas with deep blue holes outside a stretch that exists of the side of the world farthest from the main land mass. This ocean has a number of verdant tropical isles similar to that of the Caribbean or Polynesia with several large ones generally controling the ocean that are a mix of sizes between madigascar and Cuba. As a final note on the worlds geography it has numerous caves and underground passages that run very, very deep (some natural, others...well...you will see) some traveling beneath the ocean creating paths to the isles, as well as some paths that some speculate are either touched by the warp or alien influence as they not only should intersect with other tunnels...but travel within seem to bypass what would be a great deal of travel on the surface.
The worlds wildlife is while not catachan levels of deadly, hostile enough that it makes survival incredibly difficult on the mainland, this added with violent tropical weather along the coasts and across the isles of the sea (including awe bringing megastorms) have resulted in humanity living lives that are at the best of conditions comparable to our own (if not slightly better where the imperium settles) and at worst caveman levels of society, with a majority on the continent living lives comparable to those of natives in the new world prior to colonization in america. While a good deal of wildlife is alien (with quite a few beasts implied to be exodite in origin resembling great and terrible dinosaurs) a number of species that have found potent niches are implied to be Terran in origin if mutated and adapted to live on this world.
The most well known being the Panthera Immanis Dominator or "Terrible tyrant cat" or to the natives as "Emporors Judgement Jaguar" (couldn't think of a better name) a absolutely massive big cat/beast that resembles a jaguar that through dark age science, warp influence, or emporor knows what become a absolute monster that locals revere and fear. It hunts generally solitary, but has been known to work in prides to bring down even the most immense of beasts (even the areas t-rex and sauropod equivalents do not stand a chance) are incredibly almost supernaturally durable with hides, muscle, and bones that are renforced with materials not naturally found in wildlife, have claws that shred through ceramite (even ripping through a armored vehicle with enough effort to reach the crew inside), and a bite that can even crush the breast plate of a marines power armor and bend admantanium. As a final horrific note, it is more intelligent than it should be...and seems psychically attuned to mess with its preys senses, cloaking its presence and seemingly popping in and out of perception to strike blending into shadows and almost disappearing in a puff of smoke. (The nature of this is still a subject of great debate to magos biologis).
Its other known native creature that has a almost religious like worship is the "Ingens Tempestis Serpens" or "Great Storm Setpent" or in the locals tounge "Coatl" a xenos lifeform that is native to the mountains of the world that resemble great vibrant winged serpents that are seen by the locals as sacred and in awe. They are psychic and seem to have control over lightning, rain, and storms...but some say also have a great gift of divination, control of luck, fate, and fortune. They are highly intelligent and are able to communicate psychically with those they interact with and either see not as a threat or respect greatly. They are few in number, but seemingly immortal and have been on this world in their words "since the oldest of masters, since the war in heavens, before the realm of souls became a storm ruled over by cruel masters, ages before you or your greatest foes became as they are" and some had apparently "spoke with your highest lord, and agreed with him on many things" (this is kept deliberately vauge) . They seem fundamentally tied to this world as removing just one from it caused a great disaster that changed the world forever resulting in any subsequent attempts to be for one reason or another canceled, thwarted, or resisted greatly. They can be wrathful and resentful for this last transgression, but with time have returned to a more benevolent if on guard behavior, especially well known for interacting with "kind souls" or appearing to "warn" those of incoming great calamities and hidden threats that have saved the residents of the world, and even the chapter many times. As a final note, the locals including the chapter view them with a great deal of respect and have their thanks...and despite being "xenos" find them worthy of protection for one reason or another, especially as they keep to themselves and seek not to impose their will upon humanity outside of protecting them and their home time and time again.
When the chapter arrived on the world they were a typical blood angels chapter (or rather fleshtearers inspired chapter) and we're initially deployed to aid the locals whom were in a guerilla war vs. A returning colonozation group of aeldari exodites. This war was rough and cost the chapter a quarter of its number by the time the war was done, it would ally itself with a newly formed regiment of guardsman native to the world that while primitive were skilled in guerilla tactics they copied from the xenos (think similar to some tribes of native Americans both in the north and south of america) including taming and riding their warbeasts, living off the land and using its revources to the most efficient and effective means, and striking in quick attacks only to scatter and regroup. Durring this time 7 (very small) hive cities were established to process recources on world to both help the war, study recovered tech from original human colonists lost in the oceans and jungles of the world (as well as secretly xeno tech both beneath the worlds surface, and in the hands of the exodites) study the biology of the world to best find uses for it in the impetium at large, and train and eventually deploy the people of this world as guardsmen.When all was said and done with the war against the exodites an inquisitor heard rumors of the coatl and seeked to capture and study one, despite psychic warnings of other coatl to those whom they managed to meet in private with important individuals (often in dreams) of great calamity that would come of this, they would be ignored.
The great calamity would then occur as the coatl taken seemed to turn into a burst of raw energy the second the ship tried to enter the warp, this energy ripped through the system destroying 90-95% of all void craft in the system with the only vessels spared being located behind the worlds hidden from the destructive wave of raw energy. Only The Sanguine Suns chapter master taking some warning from the coatl after it had saved his life managed to place 1/4rth of his chapters fleet including the groups prized battle barge "Obsidian Bound" in a location the coatl advised of him...the end result being of the 100 ships that remained in the system (a majority being strike craft and system bound defense forces (many whom took warnings from the coatl as well) , 38 of the most powerful and capable were the chspters establishing void dominance in system. The more pressing matter though was that this burst of energy created a series of warp storms that isolated the star system from the imperium as a whole...one that would not abate until the 38th millenia. Within this time much would happen that would shape the Sanguine sons into the chapter they would become...
The most pressing being the revolt of 3 of the 7 hive cities whom were being left undersuplied turned to cannibalism and worship of the blood god khorne...one that took the chapter that had before the calamity number 750, and brought it down to 250 total marines (what is only known to the chapters elders is that 250 of their number turned traitor and fell with the cities to khorne, and the remainder went to killing the traitors and destroying the cities in their entirety) they had managed to purge all the presence of chaos...but not before a traitor (they do not mention they were the captain of their 8th company) by the name of "Fertinand Kortez" ascended to the role of demon prince of khorne through immense offering of skulls of atleast 8 BILLION slaughtered (mainly his own traitor forces and cultists but also a lot of innocents) they were banished by the efforts of the chapters elite, but would cost the life of the chapter master and the high chaplin of the order.
When the war was over 4 hive cities remained, 50% of the planets total populous was dead, and the chapter numbered a total of 250 marines with no chaptermaster and no high chaplin, and from the conflict the chapter was struggling as a strange curse afflicted upon their chapter was threatening to bring many to the edge of falling to the black rage. It is then appearing to a council made up of the new chapter master (whom was the captian of the 5th company selected by his remaining loyal peers and high ranking officers within each remaining company) and the remaing librarians and chaplins (atleast those whom were not believed dead (some survived but were trapped underground trying yo find their way out having fled the hive cities before orbital destruction)) a "Saint of the emporor" came forward to guide the chapter in customs and beleifs that would "save them" (was this actually a saint, the emporor himself, a coatl, or benevolent warp entity is unknown...but the result and logic it conveyed in the meeting was so good they accepted it). From then on the chapter would quickly recruit from the world to quickly replenish their numbers, even if it resulted in the beleifs and ideals of the chapter to drift drastically. Some changes were small if against the standard codex astartes (the removal of the 8th company entirely and avoiding the number 8 in general) and creation of a 11th and 13th company (one to replace the role that was the 8th, and an additional company of scout marines) but other changes would come to define them.
This was mainly the "Gore Rites" a series of brutal rituals and beleifs that with time all would come to beleive that defined their chapter (and inadvertently stole power, emotion, and energy that would feed khorne and give it directly to the emporor himself). These rites were: The honor of blood shed, the purpose of thy flesh consumed, and the duty of blazing hearts. The honor of bloodshed was an idea that for every drop of blood shed would bring prosperity and strength to endure to the chapter and imperium as a whole, be it freind or foe, be it in battle across the ground or on walls or voluntary blood letting rituals (often running a barbed vine or twine with obsidian blades or cactus needles through a piercing in the tounge, and then using sanitized (and in some cases "numbing") cotton to clean the wound, before gathering the blood using parchment, paper, or said cotton and offering it with incense by burning it). The purpose of thy flesh consumed was a beleif in the harvesting and consumption of the dead which was the beleif that the flesh of the fallen be they freind or foes "untainted by the warp" (including non toxic xenos) was a gift from the emporor to sustain them, bring them great strength, honor fallen allies, and cure them of their weaknesses. This beleif was among both marines, but also their chapter Serfs and the guard native to the world...though in the later two cases the spine, skull, and contents of which were to not be consumed. A big importance is the preparation of meat, harvesting of recources (with skin, bones, hide, and fur used for decoration and purposeful objects) with a key detail (and middle finger to khorne) being the crushing of the skull after its contents are removed into a fine powder and either spaced to be "lost in the void" or dumped in the ocean..."the skull has no meaning or value outside of the one whom it came from" (this also inadvertently results in the chapter and world unconsciously avoiding and using skull based imagery in everything with even their chaplins instead using on a modified beaky helmet that looks like that of a tropical bird, and servo skulls more often being replaced with cybernetically augmented creatures with the brains of humans/others plugged into them). The final and most sacred rite is The duty of blazing hearts, which involves the ritualistic harvesting and gathering of the hearts (or races equivilenr) of fallen foes and or allies (be they dead or unpreferorably alive if necfesary) and either performing a sacred ritual on site, or preserving it by all means to keep it fresh (and preferably alive)). The ritual of offering requires a chaplin, sanguinary priest or veteran individual to say a series of lost ancient blessings and praises to the emporor (its rather brief admitting and can be said durring the harvest if harvesting in the middle of combat from a foe) and the heart is either in ritualistic basin pyres or held within ceremite hands (often with small powerful flamers built into the palm) set aflame until it is nothing but ash which is left to blown away to be carried to the emporor. The chapter beleives that every heart offered goes directly to the emporor to sustain them in their duties against the immaterum and empower them to act and intervene more in the world of men...fresher hearts from better sources (be they truly worthy alies or terrible mighty foes) are preferred, but any and all hearts go to him in the end. The chapter hoards them at times after battles and considers which hearts and how many must be offered...because they beleive if there is ever a day in the imperium in which enough hearts is not offered to the emporor across the imperium they would falter and result in the fall and death of mankind...thus they will ensure this will never be the case by any means necessary.
A number of other tribal customs and conditions would be adopted by the chapter with time (incuding implementing bone, hide/pelts, and feathers into their armor kit), but eventually the warp storms would abate. It was then the marines were rediscovered by a sisters of battle crusade fleet led by high canonness and future saint "Maria Muerte" whom came expecting the world lost to some terrible force. They would almost come to blows was it not the arrival of a large druhkari raiding force (that resemble something more akin to the conquistifors in behavior and appearence) this would result in the martyrdom of the canonness making them "Saint Murte" and the order they led would reform to become a death worshiping/respecting order whom are a bit fatalisticaly pious with a number of sisters repentiant.
The final event of note from them (that rendered them down to 100 marines before primaris reinforcements arrived) occurred after a fleet of adeptus mechanicus (whoms skitari and knights were based off colonial forces in mindest and appearence ) came to further develop the world...but decided to poke and investigate tunnels the locals refused to mess with...said tunnels revealing the world was in reality a minor tomb world (that the exodites settled before the fall of the aeldari empire) and the mechanicus had put into motion a series of events that would result in the awakening of the dynasty (based of ptolomeic egypt mixed with the Aztec underworld) the end result with great sacrifice being a gross majority of the chapter of marines, a stupid number of lives, and one of the remaining 4 hive cities on the world which were developing at this point to be like normalish hives.
If it was not another kick in the crotch the planets webway network would become active after the galaxy was split and the exodites would return to begin a gurilla war against the humans as they try to reclaim the world again...however, luckily enough a leagues of votaan force would be present in system and make a deal with the imperium in system to help wage war ahainst the amish space elves in exchange of the harvest rites of recources in the areas they deploy in (they being inspired by Victorian England mixed eith the East Indian Trade company in appearence in mannerisim) and this war is technically ongoing even to this day...if made much harder by the nature of the war, and forces of the guard and marines being sent off world to deal with threats across the imperium and other systems in the subsector.
As for my actual character im trying to make them a melee monster that specializes in flame weapons, and chain weapons (with one current weapon being basically a chain version of a Macuahuitl) that maybe leans into more faith based stuff similar to a chaplin. I am unsure if it can be done...but im open to any advise both in character and lore building, both mechanically and in crunch.
