Emperor's Nightmare

A sketch by Technomancer, showing a marine of the Emperor's Nightmare with dreamcatcher charms.

This chapter symbol, dubbed "owlglass", is the currently (02/07/11) accepted version, but may change at some point. Note: The body of the owl is that of an hourglass combined with the infinity symbol.

The Emperor's Nightmare Chapter is what happens when a fa/tg/uy with the Chapter Creation tables from Rites of Battle calls for people to roll the dice. Hilarity ensues, but the outcome is awesome as fuck. Basically, insomniac narcoleptic Raven Guard successors that battle chaos awake and asleep.

After much arguing (and in order to address the issue of how they can be stealthy while doing their the shock and awe/pride in the colors thing), it was decided to split the color schemes into two distinct subgroups now known as Battlegroup Primus ("The Dawn", shock and awe tactics) and Battlegroup Secundus ("The Dusk", stealth and black ops). Colors can be found in the gallery below.

Fluffy bits

Founded in the 39th Millennium, on the Hive World of Icelus as a successor Chapter to the vaunted Raven Guard. They have taken to parent chapter's talent for stealth in the duty to the Emperor. Oddly enough, their gene seed bears a strange Catalepsean Node mutation that causes long bouts of sleeplessness alternating with long coma-like rests. This mutation would almost be unremarkable except for the chapter's close connection to the Scholastica Psykana. It is said that the Marines continue to fight on even in their long rests battling the machinations of the Warp alongside the Psykana. Some Marines even awaken to claim to have fought side by side with the Emperor himself. These claims have attracted the attention of certain members of the Inquisition, and not always for the better...

Their Chapter Master, a former Raven Guard captain who got his own chapter after single-handedly slaying a Tzeentchian daemon prince, is dreadnoughted at the Fortress Monastery of Betten-Burgen and cannot be roused from his slumber. The Wake, a council of senior marines (not necessarily captains, as it cannot be guaranteed that they will be awake at any given time) governs the chapter's day to day activities. The August Dreamwalkers In Iron aka Venerable Dreadnoughts are said to be fighting chaos in their dreams, aided by chapter librarians as well as Scholastica psykers and diviner serfs.

Organization

Chapter Master Randolphus

First and only Chapter Master. Entombed within a dreadnought but his mind has been stolen by Tzeentchian sorcery.

The Wake

The council of viziers that commands the chapter until such time as Randolphus' mind can be returned to him. It is nominally comprised of the two Lord Adjutants, the Chief Apothecary, Master of Sanctity, Chief Librarian, Master of the Forge and five of the Night Owls Venerable Dreadnoughts for a total of 11 voting members. However, meetings at full strength are so rare as to be worthy of note in the annals, since such a gathering is dependent upon all visiers being awake at the same time. Usually, Resting viziers are substituted for by trusted associates, though it has on occassion come to pass that so many viziers and associates were resting at the same time that marines further down the chain of command (though usually still of veteran rank) were called upon to fill the seats.

The Battlegroups Primus and Secundus

The Emperor's Nightmare divide their strength into two battlegroups of similar structure but wildly different doctrine. Both consist of four companies organized after Codex patterns, though of more than standard strength. This deviation from the codex is accounted for by the practice of not counting Resting marines, though nominally active members of their company, against the company limit imposed by the Codex. Two company captains, one from each battlegroup, are elected Lord Adjutant, and serve to represent battlegroups in the Wake.

Battlegroup Primus is the chapter's mighty fist and exemplifies the shock and awe tactics the chapter uses to great effect.

Battlegroup Secundus stands in stark contrast to Primus in that it follows a doctrine of stealth rather than shock. In this, the heritage of the Raven Guard doctrine can be seen as "breeding true".

Scout company

Nominally separate from either battlegroup, the chapter's scouts field along Secundus deployments more often than Primus.

Veteran company

Called "Night Owls", the veteran company is independent from the larger battlegroups, even though it is comprised of marines originally hailing from either. It is the organizational home of the chapter's dreadnoughts, though they are most often seconded to companies of Battlegroup Primus. The very oldest of these dreadnoughts often have spent so much time battling the forces of chaos awake as well as asleep that their prowess is no longer limited to either the Emyprean or the real world; these "August Dreamwalkers" possess great psychic potential and are greatly revered, not only for their age and valor.

Sleepless

Not included in the official roster are the Sleepless, those marines who are completely unable to sleep and have been driven insane. These warriors are not uncommon, but once their inability to find rest at all is realized by the Chapter, they are considered dead, stricken from the chapter's list of serving marines, with a scout promoted in their place. (Of course the apothecaries and chaplains keep an unofficial tally of how many Sleepless there are.) These tragic souls are organized into their own special assault squads and released ahead of the main battlegroup, so that in death they might find their well-deserved rest.

(As yet unconfirmed idea): Sleepless are overseen by pairs of August Dreamwalkers in Iron, operating in tandem. In the event one of the dreadnoughts falls into slumber, the other can remain active. These overseers are also outfitted with outsized narthecum as their close-combat weapons, possibly granting some sort of poison effect as they deliver crippling doses of power tranquilizers and depressants. These are the only thing that can sedate the Sleepless, and only enough to pacify. Sleepless interred in dreadnoughts are also equipped with voxcasters, booming maddened litanies of stream of consciousness as they barrel towards their hapless foes, completely beyond the capacity to feel pain or fear.

Crunchy bits

Chapter History

39th Millenium Founding

Chapter Progenitor

Raven Guard

Chapter Purpose

Standing

Chapter Demeanour

"See, But Don't be Seen."

Stat Bonuses

+5 Perception, +5 Intelligence

Gene-Seed Purity

Mostly Pure

Gene-Seed Deficiency

Mutated Catalepsean Node leading to greatly skewed circadian rhythm (weeks or months of insomnia followed by nigh comatose sleep)

Chapter Flaw

Pride in the Colours

Organization

Slight deviation from Codex, mostly organizational. Company strength is set at more than standard to ensure combat readiness even when 30-50% percent of a given company are Resting at a given time.

Combat Doctrine

Shock and Awe. Bombardment by battlebarge followed by large-scale drop-pod and Thunderhawk deployment

Restriction

Cannot be Devastator. Ranged fire support outside of specially equipped Tactical squads is entirely given over to Dreadnoughts and vehicles.

Special Equipment

Totem (see Trappings)

Chapter Belief

Honor the Ancestors. These include exemplars such as the Chapter Master, the August Dreamwalkers and similar veterans.

Chapter Founding Father

Chapter Master Randolphus, a Raven Guard captain who slew the Tzeentchian Daemon Prince Khaliman

Chapter Strength

Nominal (by Chapter standards, slightly above by Codex standards, see fluff on Battlegroups)

Chapter Homeworld

Hive, Wasteland

Chapter Rule

By Stewardship. The ruling hive elites are put in place by and report directly to the Wake, but little effort is made to shape policy beyond what is necessary to meet the chapter's need for supplies and recruits.

Chapter Friendship

Scholastica Psykana, providing much-needed support for the marines' fitful sleep-battles in the Empyrean

Chapter Enemy

Khaliman, the very same Daemon Prince of Tzeentch slain in M39 by then- Raptors 4th Company Captain Randolphus. Following this mighty deed Randolphus' broken body was entombed within the mighty iron sarcophagus of a dreadnought and seconded to the newly created Nightmares to be their first leader. After serving the Emperor in this fashion for many centuries one of the powerful minions of Khaliman sought revenge for its master and stole away Randolphus' mind with foul Tzeentchian sorcery. The Nightmare continues to hunt down Khaliman's minions in hopes of one day restoring their founding father to his rightful glory.

Chapter Battlecry

"NO REST, NO REMORSE, NO RETREAT!" (standard)

"TO SLEEP, PERCHANCE TO DREAM!" (battle cry of the Sleepless)

Advance Table: Behold our Wrath

• Intimidate 100 xp
  • Intimidate +10 100 xp
    • Intimidate +20 100 xp
• Interrogation 100 xp
  • Interrogation +10 100 xp
    • Interrogation +20 100 xp
• Iron Jaw 300 xp
• Duty Unto Death 700 xp
• Crushing Blow 500 xp
• Double Team 100 xp

Solo & Squad Mode Abilities

Secrets of Fluidity (Chapter Solo Ability)

In lesser men, the long periods of insomnia and sleep deprivation would induce madness within a few days, and even a Marine can only go on for so long. But for a Nightmare, the time between Rests can easily stretch on for more than a month, and the abnormal activity of the Catalepsean Node that keeps him awake during this time also provides him with reflexes well beyond the norm.

While in Solo Mode, the Battle Brother is considered to have the Lightning Reflexes Talent.

At Rank 3, the battle brother receives a +10 to all Dodge tests.

At Rank 5, the battle brother is considered to have the Rapid Reaction Talent.

At Rank 7, once per game session the battle brother may automatically pass any one Agility based test. (For purposes of opposed rolls they are considered to have rolled a 01.)

Oath of Vengeance (Chapter Squad Attack Pattern)

Action: Free Cost: 1 Sustained: No

When any member of the Kill-team suffers Damage the Character receives a +4 bonus to damage rolls against the attacker.

At rank 5 this ability may be sustained.

Courage Under Fire (Chapter Squad Defensive Pattern)

Action: Free Cost: 0 Sustained: No

The battle brother inspires those under his command to press on in the face of danger. When this ability is used the battle brother and any within support range of him may immediately recover from being pinned.

At rank 4, those under the effect of this ability may also make a Half-move as a free action.

Chapter Trappings

Totemic Charm

Blindfold of the Ebon Sight

The marine may don his blindfold (helmet must be removed) and place himself in a meditative state, doing so will allow him to reduce his battle fatigue by 1 point every 30 mins. While in this state marine suffers a -20 to perception tests.

Book of Reveries

Once per gaming session the marine my make a hard difficulty (-10 or -20 i think) int role to gain any insight into overcoming his current foe. Each degree of success grants additional info although any such knowledge will be in the form of dreams and portents.

Tabletop

For tabletop, it has been pointed out that Blood Angels are a good codex, what with the Death Company standing in for the Nightmare's raging, wide awake assault troops, the Librarian Dreads as counts-as for the August Dreamwalkers In Iron, and fast vehicles that mirror the twitch reflexes of Nightmare marines in their Waking cycle.

Gallery

• 

  This metallic quartered scheme is the generally accepted livery of Battlegroup Primus.

• 

  The non-metallic rendition of the Battlegroup Primus scheme.

• 

  The original baseline scheme for Battlegroup Secundus. Unto this, appropriate camoflage is applied.

• 

  Another proposal for the Primus color scheme. Has been considered too stark, and the inverse trim seems to ruffle people's jimmies.

• 

  Proposal of a stealthy scheme for Secundus.

• 

  Livery scheme for Battlegroup Secundus

• 

  Secundus proposal.

Writefaggotry

Several stories have been made across the span of the threads, including:
Sleepless
Watcher and Sleeper
Dreamer
Ravens

External Links

• First Thread: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/13780616/
• Second Thread: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/13783333/
• Third Thread: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/13806286/