A question about the Space Marines came up in our session today, regarding which Space Marine Chapters may be operating in the Koronus Expanse?

In attending to my new colony, our colonists stumbled upon a Dreadnought, and he's still functioning (I don't think one can rightly say he's still alive). There are no solid identifying markers. At first, we thought he might be a Black Templar, a member of the Deathwatch, or perhaps a Grey Knight. We haven't awakened him yet, and we don't really know what we're supposed to do in how to awaken the sleeping Space Marine within. We're currently looking around the site that the colonists found him for any clues as to his chapter, his mission on this world, and whatever else. We've transported him back to the ship.

My Astropath is considering broadcasting a message to all available Space Marine ships in the Expanse. But I'd prefer we'd find out first who might be out here before we make our call.

The Storm Wardens are a definite possibility, since they are based in the adjacent Calixis Sector.

The short answer is: as many as you like!

The Koronus Expanse may not count as Imperial space (yet), but many Marine Chapters venture beyond the border to scout out unknown worlds, and the fleet-based Chapters in particular are known to launch their own crusades from time to time.

"The Space Marines are the Imperium's elite fighting troops, a core of highly mobile shock troops trained to fight on land and in space. On the battlefield they are expected to take part in the most dangerous and important attacks, to hold their positions no matter how hopeless their situation. Space Marines are entrusted with all sorts of perilous missions, such as lightning raids behind enemy lines, infiltration attacks to capture vital positions, and tunnel fights in enemy held cities. They also undertake long voyages of planetary exploration and conquest on behalf of the Imperium, earmarking planets which are too well defended so that they can be attacked later with the support of the Imperial Guard. "

-- GW Epic 40k, Forces of the Imperium, The Space Marines

If I recall correctly, FFG likes to link the individual game lines' locations; for example, forces from Dark Heresy's Calixis sector are fighting in both Deathwatch's Jericho Reach as well as Only War's Spinward Front.

Suggestion: throw in a single strike cruiser from Dark Heresy's Storm Wardens Chapter, carrying a Battle Company reinforced by elements from the Reserves (vehicle drivers and some fire support) who are on some sort of quest. They're not directly connected to the findings of your players, but they can get them in touch with their brethren who are.

Then add in some uninvited guests in the form of Chaos (either just CSM or a mixed CSM/daemon/cultist force like Sabathiel's crusade) for a team fight in space and maybe on the ground, with the obvious reward being an IOU from at least one Astartes Chapter.

[edit] ninja'd

The short answer is: as many as you like!

The Koronus Expanse may not count as Imperial space (yet), but many Marine Chapters venture beyond the border to scout out unknown worlds, and the fleet-based Chapters in particular are known to launch their own crusades from time to time.

"The Space Marines are the Imperium's elite fighting troops, a core of highly mobile shock troops trained to fight on land and in space. On the battlefield they are expected to take part in the most dangerous and important attacks, to hold their positions no matter how hopeless their situation. Space Marines are entrusted with all sorts of perilous missions, such as lightning raids behind enemy lines, infiltration attacks to capture vital positions, and tunnel fights in enemy held cities. They also undertake long voyages of planetary exploration and conquest on behalf of the Imperium, earmarking planets which are too well defended so that they can be attacked later with the support of the Imperial Guard. "

-- GW Epic 40k, Forces of the Imperium, The Space Marines

If I recall correctly, FFG likes to link the individual game lines' locations; for example, forces from Dark Heresy's Calixis sector are fighting in both Deathwatch's Jericho Reach as well as Only War's Spinward Front.

Suggestion: throw in a single strike cruiser from Dark Heresy's Storm Wardens Chapter, carrying a Battle Company reinforced by elements from the Reserves (vehicle drivers and some fire support) who are on some sort of quest. They're not directly connected to the findings of your players, but they can get them in touch with their brethren who are.

Then add in some uninvited guests in the form of Chaos (either just CSM or a mixed CSM/daemon/cultist force like Sabathiel's crusade) for a team fight in space and maybe on the ground, with the obvious reward being an IOU from at least one Astartes Chapter.

[edit] ninja'd

Well, I'm not running the game. I'm only a humble Rogue Trader in the service of the Emperor. Personally I have no connection to any of the Astartes, and I'm hoping this will serve as a potential contact with the available Chapter in the Koronus Expanse. We shall contact the Storm Wardens and determine a course of action. Thanks!

This Map:
https://sites.google.com/site/heroicsystems/rogue-trader-2oo/regional_map_rt_40k

based on some research on various sites like lexicanum and dakka, etc.

on locations of SM homeworlds.

I found 4 : IDUMEA, SACRIS, DRACONITH, and PACIFICA

Tomb Brother, Storm Wardens, Gold Legion, Star-Dragons.

YMMV.

I'm a firm believer that no matter how many Chapters of the Astartes you can name, there are only a small number of these august superhumans in the galaxy, so to get ANY Space Marines to a situation means you really can't be too picky WHICH ones you get, and with some of the best ships, fastest Navigators, and Deathwatch-supported warp maps, really any Chapter MIGHT end up there, and that doesn't even include mishaps. Honestly, if there is a Chapter you like, or favor, you can say it was them, and get away with that. I'm not saying you can't/shouldn't pick a "local" chapter, but if there is a specific Chapter you are very familiar with, say you like the Blood Angels way to much, or you are another Smurf, in support of Lord McCragge's Ultramarines, you shouldn't feel limited to say "well, the Deathwatch-only? Chapter, that they invented for this line series (Storm Wardens) are close, while the Ultramarines are closer to Jericho than they'd ever be to here...", when any group of Astartes might appear any place.

Granted, I chose to use the power of "it's my story", to attach any Space Marine fluff to my lines. I have one RT NPC with ties to the Raven Guard, and it was from AGES before he got the Warrant (never come up to use, while I was still writing that one), and the other, Qel-Drake, has loose association with the Salamanders, from when his grandfather did a considerable service for the Chapter. The ship in question did the classic "warped there because the universe said so", and was certainly never intending to enter that part of the galaxy. So yeah, if you have a group you like, or enjoy airing out, from time to time, use them. If not, the others above have mentioned the good contenders, of which I'd choose the Storm Wardens.

Here's hoping he's not really a Chaos Dreadnought I choose to believe they can't ALL be spiky monstrosities, and it might more explain him being left there, rather than any Battle Brothers coming to get him. GO Alpha Legion infiltration dread

Here's hoping he's not really a Chaos Dreadnought I choose to believe they can't ALL be spiky monstrosities, and it might more explain him being left there, rather than any Battle Brothers coming to get him. GO Alpha Legion infiltration dread

If he is, someone's going to get a bad performance review.

I took the notion he might be Chaos into account already. Our Astropath is dabbling in Theosophamy, and he assures me he's not Chaos. Of course, our Astropath has been wrong before, and when he's wrong, really horrible things happen. It's uncanny! There's no fuzzy areas here. "That Void-Kraken is dead," he said. "Snokgritz is a moron," he said. "That's not a Halo Artefact." "These are friendly Keebler Eldar!"

Fortunately the Dreadnought's been damaged enough that his weapons are not functioning and he can't move, probably also due to all the sand that's in him (our colony world is almost completely desert, and they get sandstorms that last weeks out there). But if he is Chaos, I've got him in a position where all anyone has to do is open the landing bay doors and blow his carcass into space.

But if he is Chaos, I've got him in a position where all anyone has to do is open the landing bay doors and blow his carcass into space.

Still the best way of dispatching monstrous evil thingies from outer space.

It doesn't have weapons neither can it walk?

Just wake it up already - WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG.

Who else wants it to be a crazy blood angles Pysker dreadnought

Who else wants it to be a crazy blood angles Pysker dreadnought

Well, thankfully, it wasn't up to you or anyone else. And fortunate for us too, because our lovely Missionary from the Sisters of Battle somehow woke the guy up, and apparently he's a Space Wolf seconded to the Deathwatch. Which might as well be a Blood Angels Psyker as far as I'm concerned. I don't want anything to do with Space Wolves. My Carouse skill isn't high enough.

On the lighter side of the news, we just lost our Astropath Transcendant. He got killed by an Ork. So now we need to put an ad on Craigslist for a new Astropath! Dammit!