Mass Effect: A Custodian's Tale

by Glader96

The Adeptus Custodes. The Talons of the Emperor. The Emperor's Legion. Bar the Primarchs, the 10000 are the greatest warriors sworn to the Master of Mankind. For so long they did not concern themselves with the galaxy beyond Sol, after the Fall of Cadia they now depart the Throne World to wage war. One of their kind finds himself in a galaxy so very different from what he knows.

1. Preface: Notes, Rules, and Stats

Rules for the Custodian's Tale:

- Every chapter will end with 2-3 choices for the main character to follow in the next chapter. Vote for which choice you want the MC to take by reviewing and declaring your preferred choice.
- Votes for character choice will be tallied five days following the chapter posting.
- Each choice has an associated Custodian Stat. After a choice is voted for and wins, the Custodian Stat associated with that choice will increase by 1. Custodian Stats are categorized in a [Stat vs. Stat] format, and when one Stat is picked, it's correlating opposite Stat decreases by 1, into negative numbers if necessary.
- A Custodian Shield Host will be voted on in later chapters, the Custodian Stats of the main character will heavily influence which Shield Host the main character was in before the events of the story. Each Sheild Host has two Custodian Stats of different brackets associated with it, if both of those Stats are the lowest and second lowest Stats by the chapter of the Shield Host Vote, then that Shield Host will be locked out of being voted for.
- Each Shield Host comes with two special traits that after the Shield Host Vote the main character will then begin utilizing. One Shield Host Trait will be unique to that specific Shield Host while the second trait is a more general bonus that one other Shield Host benefits from.- In later chapters, some extra choices will be locked unless enough points in a specific stat were accumulated throughout the story.
- The end of the Custodian's Tale will be determined by the highest 2 of their Stats and the choices they made in the past.

Custodian Stats

Diplomatic (Score_) vs. Dogmatic (Score_)

Merciful (Score_) vs. Unsympathetic (Score_)

Inspiring (Score_) vs. Brutal (Score_)

Possible Shield Hosts

Emessarius Imperator

Shadowkeepers

Dread Host

Aquilan Shields

Solar Watch

Companions

Equipment:

Auramite Power Armor

Castellan Axe

2 magazines of bolter ammunition (12 rounds each), 1 round in the chamber

2 Misericordia

Further Notes:

- This chapter will be updated regularly with updated Custodian Stats.

- After A Shield Host is chosen then I'll reveal the bonuses that the other (not chosen) Shield Hosts would have given the MC.

- If I need to return to this chapter to change the rules for any reason, I'll keep a note of the date and changes in a Change Log.

- After some thought, I have decided to allow the possibility of romance for the MC. This will be entirely dependent on voters' choices, and the choices made for the MC in these first chapters could make the possibility of romance with any of the main characters from the Mass Effect trilogy far more difficult.

- Some choices presented could lead to severe consequences for Mass Effect squadmates.

Change Log
- [1/31/2025 - 4:00 am] Forgot to include how to vote in the initial posting. Added that to the Rules section.
- [1/31/2025 - 5:41 am] A new guest reminded me of the Custodian Misericordia short blade that all Custodians carry, so here is that update. Thanks a bunch new guest, good shout! (A.N: I'm aware I put 2 Misericordia, that's a story tool that'll help us later!)