User:Dragonofelder/Sandbox2

The Dread Echoes are a Raven Guard Successor Chapter from the 21st Founding, more commonly known as the Cursed Founding. Like all of the Chapters from this founding, the Echoes suffered from the Mechanicus' attempts to improve their gene-seed stock. The Chapter's main gene-seed flaw is that it rends it's host completely blind, while increasing their hearing far beyond even the Astartes norm. The chapter has adapted around these flaws, such as removing any image displays from their armour and equipment in favour of noise-based ones. The marines use echolocation to navigate, and have even developed a method of communication called Echo-Speak, based on noise pitches and differing sounds.

The chapter specialises in stealth and psychological warfare; while the main Imperial force attacks from the front, the Echoes will be performing sabotage, assassinating commanders, and slowly driving the enemy insane with randomly killed sentinels, mysterious vox-messages, and chilling cries which echo through the dark. Entire cities of rebels have been forced into surrender by such tactics.

Echo of The Curse
As it is with many chapters from the Cursed Founding, much of the Dread Echoes' early days are lost. It is known they were first a fleet-based chapter. The marines became totally blind just a few months after their founding, which had a very negative effect of the mind set of the chapter. Three whole companies went rogue on Crusades, causing the chapter to lose much of it's original equipment and manpower. Eventually an Inquisitor came to them with an offer. In return for being able to call upon their services, he would his influence with the Mechanicus cult Risum Fabrica to have them adapt the chapter's weapon and armour for their unique problem. After a brief period of discussion, the chapter council agreed.

The Inquisitor's first order of business was to settle the chapter upon a homeworld. He chose Chiroptera, both due to it's hidden nature and because it's environment was suited to the chapter's flaw. Then came a period know to the chapter as "Echo of The Forge," in which the Risum Fabrica adepts worked tirelessly for five years to re-build, re-shape and re-make all of the chapter's equipment. While this was happening, the chapter re-trained itself, adapting to their blindness. They learned to hear their surroundings using echolocation, and they also to began gathering new recruits from the Chir tribes in the Hive City.

By the time the Risum Fabrica was finished it it's work, the newly named Dread Echoes chapter was prepared to bring the Emperor's wrath. They would never reach the numbers of other chapters, but they had survived their curse and made it their own. The Inquisitor left then, saying he would contact the chapter when he required their aid. The bulk of the Risum Fabrica left as well, but some stayed to turn Chiroptera's moon into a outpost of their cult.

Echo of Blood
Shorty after the chapter's rebirth, the Dread Echoes became involved in the events that would later become known as the Reign of Blood. The High Lord of Terra Goge Vandire had ruthlessly taken control of Terra, and began shaping the Imperium into his own image. Part of his plans was turning over the control of certain planets over to his supporters. Vasilia was one such planet, its Planetary Governor replaced by Lord Jalaquire, a devout but selfish Upper Hiver. Jalaquire immediately began to enact absurd changes to the planet's infrastructure; destroying all road networks and replacing them with a single, winding road across the whole planet, reworking the government system to create massive loopholes in every law, and raising massive PDF forces for his own protection. The people of Vasilia did not take all this laying down, and began a rebellion. The sides fought themselves into a stalemate, with Jalaquire's forces controlling all the main cities but the rebels controlling most the planet's wilderness and smaller cities. Out of options, both sides sent out telepathic calls for help.

The Dread Echoes 3rd Company received both messages, and stealthily travelled to the system to find out the truth of the matter. Finding the stalemate, the company Captain Townsend had a problem; support the governor who had, apparently, Emperor-given authority, or the rebels who were defending their home. Worried about their perception by the Imperium at the time, the company was prepared to simply leave before Townsend found a solution; extend the stalemate permanently.

The company's forces were split in two, with each going to work on opposite sides of the war. By sabotaging equipment and stealing supplies, offences were halted before they began. The companies techmarines hacked the forces' vox systems, allowing the interception and changing of orders, creating mass confusion. Water supplies were poisoned with mild hallucinations and illnesses, while any artillery ammunition that reached the front were replaced with duds, and every effort was made to lower moral on both sides. Scouts were essential in this campaign, as they could wear uniforms to act as scouts, messengers or even commanding officers, causing even more confusion. For two years, not a single military action happened on Vasilia without the Dread Echoes' knowledge or involvement.

Finally a fleet arrived from Terra, declaring Vandire dead and Sebastian Thor the new Ecclesiarch. Lord Jalaquire was told to relinquish power, but when he refused Imperial Guard forces were deployed to aid the rebels. The still hidden Dread Echoes, now knowing where the Emperor's authority lay, stopped sabotaging the rebels efforts and by night fall all but the capital Hive City had fallen. It's defences were the strongest, dating back to the Great Crusade, so the city could not be taken. Jalaquire was once again given an ultimatum, and told if he did not surrender by dawn the Hive City would be bombed. The Dread Echoes refused to follow this plan however; most of the hive city's population held no love for Jalaquire, yet they would be needlessly slaughtered as well. Instead Captain Townsend enacted the final mission of the campaign; assassination.

Dawn came, and envoys came to the city's gate to hear what Jalaquire had too say. To their surprise, the gates were open, without guard. Inside they found out why; all the guards were dead, necks snapped or stab wounds above the heart. The story remained the same as the Imperial Guard moved through the city to the place, past the confused population; all of Jalaquire's forces, even his elite guard, had been stealthily killed in ways that left little bloodshed. Jalaquire's body was found last, seated upon the throne he had made for himself. His eyes were open in shock, while an unusually large dagger was stabbed straight through his chest. Pinned to the dagger was note, written in ink as black as night: "Hail the Emperor. None escapes His justice."

To this day, the inhabitants of Vasilia don't know of the Dread Echoes' involvement in their own part of the Reign of Blood. Instead they tell of a shadowy spectre known as ' The Emperor's Justice ', haunting the night, killing traitors with a touch. The Inquisition only know of this incident because the Dread Echoes told one of their number. To the marines of the chapter, the Echo of Blood was their most successful campaign.

Home-world
The Hive World Chiroptera is a testament to the ineptitude of the Adeptus Administratum, but also of the resilience of mankind. Located somewhere deep within Segmentum Pacificus, a single clerical error removed the planet from Imperial Records. This meant the imported food and resources that had kept the planet running failed to arrive, and in a few years the planet fell first into anarchy, then into a quiet terror where is still remains today. The few that know of its location are the pirates that once used it as a safe haven, and the Adeptus Astartes chapter who fiercely guards the knowledge.

A world shrouded in perpetual twilight, Chiroptera's atmosphere is filled with thick black clouds, formed from centuries of industrialisation. Much of the world's landmass is covered by a sprawling Hive City, whose name is long lost. The rest of the planet is covered in overgrown forests, filled with dangerous beasts. The City itself is remarkably intact; Imperial architecture and construction materials has allowed buildings to survive millennia, with little damage.

Despite the conditions they face, survivors of Chiroptera's society remain. Calling themselves the Chir out of some distant memory of their home-world's name, they contend against mutants and other tribes, fighting a constant battle over the last remaining resource. As the Chir are the source of the chapter's initiates, the marines will often hide new resources across the City, often in areas that will test the survivors. Through these efforts, the strong are kept alive, and will eventually serve the chapter.

Fortress-Monastery
Located in the centre of the City is the Grand Cathedral of Hope or as it is now known, the Cathedral of Silence, that dominates the skyline. The Dread Echoes have sealed the whole building off from the outside, and have claimed it as their sanctuary. Very little of the original structure is changed; hidden defences have been added, and some areas cut off, but the rest it still as it was. The marines use the long-dead priest's quarters for their own, while the Risum Fabrica and the chapter techmarines work in the crypts. The neophytes sleep up in the rafters, testing their resolve and balance, while the first company watch from the tallest bell tower. The roof now acts as a landing pad for ships, which fly quietly to avoid detection by the Chir. And the great golden statue of the Emperor has been gently worn away over time, as the faithful much touch it to feel his holy presence.

Some mortals live inside the Cathedral; chapter serfs are often chosen from the Chir, mainly those of great strength and fortitude but are too mature to undergo conversion into a neophyte. They are blinded before their arrival to the Cathedral; this is due to the Echo of Doom prophecy. Generally the serfs will work in groups, guiding each over as they perform their task. They are not treated unkindly, but they live in fear of their masters who they cannot seen.

Recruitment
Due to the dangerous they face, and the labyrinthine nature of the city they inhabit, it's common for members of the Chir tribes to become separated. Marines of the chapter silently patrol the City for this exact reason, and when they find a candidate for gene-seed implantation, they bring them to the Cathedral. The new initiates are lodged in the Tower of Dawn, and are rigorously tested, pushing their mind and body to the limit. During this time, they interact little with full members of the chapter, aside from their instructions and apothecaries that perform the gene-seed implantation process. Any initiate that fails the trials, but does not die, is transferred to the chapter serfs.

For the Dread Echoes, the distinction between a initiate and a neophyte comes with the loss of sight. Once the initiate undergoes this change, the are allowed into the Cathedral proper, and begin training even harder. Chapter chaplains, also called Listeners, teach the neophytes the techniques used by the chapter to subvert their flaw, such as echolocation. Because neophyte training usually involves optic-therapy and hypnosis, infra-sound is used in it's place.

Neophytes are rarely sent on missions; they still haven't learned to fully control their overdeveloped hearing, and the normal roles of the scout marine is rendered superfluous. Instead, they are often seconded to companies undergoing stealth missions. Their more normal size allows them to enter places normal marines' cant, especially in watched areas. Goggles or hoods covering the neophyte's milky eyes, and they can pass as normal humans, allowing them to briefly infiltrate guarded areas. All neophytes must undergo one such mission before they are allowed to become full battle-brothers.

When a neophyte has all his gene-seed implants, and is fully developed, he is given a final test. Without aid, he must navigate the Cathedral from the crypts of the techmarines, to the bell tower that is home to the first company. Aside from being a test of their skill at echolocation, it is also symbolic, as the marine travels from the crypts where he became a battle-brother, to the highest honour he could possibly achieve in the chapter.

Gene-Seed
The actual reason for the Dread Echoes' blindness is unclear; some believe it is a fault in the Occulobe, the organ that improves the marine's eyesight. The Lyman's Ear, which is the organ that replaces an ear, then increases it's efficiency to compensate. Others believe a combination of mutations causes the effect. Perhaps it is a curse upon the chapter for some unknown transgression against an unknown entity? The answer will likely never be found.

Their blindness causes a marine's eyes to develop a milky sheen, easily showing their lack of sight. Older marines occasionally growl tough black fur across their body, known in the chapter as "The Bat's Skin." The fur contrast greatly with the pale skin that is the hallmark of Raven Guard successors, alongside the degraded Mucranoid and Betcher's Gland implants.

Chapter Fleet
To serve aboard a ship of the Dread Echoes is to known eternal darkness. Though the mortal crew have set up lighting systems within their areas of the ship, it is still a dim light, and shadows lurk around every corner. Despite the oppressive atmosphere, the ship's crews are loyal, prepared to fight and die for their masters. The ships themselves are not floating fortress, as most Imperium ships are; instead they slide through the void like a shadow, painted black and using arcane technologies and powers to hide their presence. Each ship is fitted with enough auspex scanners to find a pod deep inside an asteroid field, or a ship lurking at the edge of a system.
 * Pteropus - The only Battle Barge the Dread Echoes own, acting as their flagship. Despite it's size, the Pteropus is just as stealthy as the rest of the chapter's ships.

Notable Marines

 * Ragarous the Lost - One of the few Dreadnoughts the Dread Echoes possess, and by far the oldest warrior in the chapter. Ragarous was a captain at the time of the chapter's founding. When their flaw was revealed, three whole companies went on Crusades to attempt to purge their flaw, believing they had failed the Emperor in someway. Ragarous was the only marine that returned to the chapter, battered and blooded, still lacking sight and mute for all time. Interred by Risum Fabrica adepts, Ragarous has silently accepted the changes made to the chapter. Although he rarely sees true combat, he has found a use for his new size; heretics and traitors across the galaxy have suddenly been faced by a silent hulking shadow, keeping pace with them where ever they run, only to vanish once help arrives.
 * Johnathon Townsend - Captain of the 3rd Company during the Age of Apostasy, Townsend devised and lead the hugely successful Echo of Blood campaign. It is unknown when he fell, but he is one of the chapter's heroes.

Allies

 * Adeptus Mechanicus - Due to their creation of the flawed gene-seed that the chapter now posses, the Cult of Mars is distrusted by the Dread Echoes. It is not that the Astartes will not fight alongside the forces of the Mechanicus, they are simply much more carefull in their dealings with them, and freely make their scorn known.
 * Risum Fabrica - Because of their instrumental part of the re-forging of the chapter, relations with this Mechanicus cult is much better than the rest of the organisation. All Dread Echoes techmarines follow the Fabrica's teachings, and Chiroptera's moon is home to a Forge Outpost of the group

Notable Quotes
Feel free to add your own

By
"Fear us, Fear us, Fear us, Fear us, Fear us, Fear us..."

- The hunting chant of the Dread Echoes. Usually in Echo-Speak, but spoken in Gothic for effect

About
"They're everywhere! In the canopy, behind the bushes, in every shadow and hole and.... and the noise, endless noise, and the chanting, 'Fear us', that's what they say, 'fear us fear us fear us...'"

- Vox message from rebels located in deep jungle. The entire group later surrendered to Imperial Forces, aside from those that had committed suicide.