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I suppose it's time to tell you as much of the rest of the story as I can. While I had originally intended to present a story in which you never quite knew whether or not the Accusers existed, I mucked that up in telling the Homecoming story. It was such a compelling vignette, though, that I couldn't resist telling it and spoiling the secret. Yes, the Accusers existed. They were created in the 2nd Founding and were one of the Primogenitors. While many of the members of the chapter may have been inducted at the tail end of or after the Horus Heresy, perhaps serving during the Scouring, the senior members of the chapter were veterans of the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy. Led by Astinax Megaeros, a chapter master in the Ultramarines Legion and first (and only!) Chapter Master of the Accusers Chapter, the Accusers embarked on the core mission of the Scouring: pursuing and destroying the traitor legions. They participated in the combined action of multiple Ultramarines Legion successors at Tsagualsa. After the apparently mortal wounding of Roboute Guilliman by Fulgrim and the subsequent placement of the former in stasis upon Macragge, Megaeros, utterly devoted to his gene-scion, led his chapter in a crusade against the traitor legions. Slowly, Megaeros descended into an existence of wrath and hatred, the majority of his chapter willingly following his lead. Eventually, however, some members of his chapter resisted and the chapter was broken by a schism. Megaeros and his followers were defeated, though we don't know of Megaeros's fate. The mystery, then, is why we've never heard of this chapter; and what became of the loyalists. The answer in my mind is that the Ultramarines and their Primogenitors are not as squeaky clean as many suspect, and that they, too, are capable of subterfuge and deception. In this case, the Ultramarines and their successors decided to pretend as if the Accusers never existed, destroying all evidence to the contrary. The code word for this is the Corrigere Sanction, whose meaning is known only to the Primogenitors (including the Ultramarines Chapter). This means that any records of the Accusers' existence were either destroyed or hidden away. Yes, this throws the pedigree of the Apocrypha of Skaros into question (though the official expansion of the 2nd Founding, which happened after I created this chapter, has already done that). Just as the Unforgiven chapters hunt for the Fallen, the Ultramarines and other Primogenitors follow the Corrigere Sanction in concealing the existence of one of their own falling to Chaos. From an in-universe perspective, the fall of the Accusers would be only the first of multiple scions of Roboute Guilliman to fall to Chaos over the millennia, but it was a traumatic event for Guilliman's sons at the time. For what it's worth, the sword described in the Homecoming story, which was presented to Astinax Megaeros by Roboute Guilliman upon the chapter's founding, was recovered and returned to the Ultramarines. That sword is now known as the Talassarian Tempest Blade and is currently borne by Cato Sicarius, the Commander of the Victrix Guard. How that sword returned to the Ultramarines is not my tale to tell. I previously mentioned that the Accusers present me with a ready-made chapter if I ever do a force for the Scouring. Knowing that some of them fell to Chaos, it should be obvious that the Accusers also present me with an opportunity to create my own Heretic Astartes warband, perhaps even one that operates during the Era Indomitus. I had an idea when I first started working on the story, but I was approached by another member of the B&C community who had an idea for a DIY chapter that meshed quite well with what I was working on. We decided to combine our efforts. No, I won't tell you who that member was, nor will I tell you the name of their chapter. It has been over a decade since I corresponded with them, but as far as I'm concerned, the intertwined story that we collaborated on remains as valid now as it was over a decade ago. The tale of what happened to the loyalist Accusers, whether or not they still exist in the Era Indomitus, and what they've been up to over the intervening millennia is theirs to tell. This whole idea was an interesting exercise. The return of Roboute Guilliman to the Imperium creates risk for this DIY, however. After all, the Primarch almost certainly remembers Astinax Megaeros and the Accusers Chapter; and he most likely recognized the Talassarian Tempest Blade wielded by Cato Sicarius as the weapon he once bestowed upon his devoted son. Would Guilliman seek answers from the Ultramarines, who likely have the records hidden away deep within their librarium? Would the Accusers be reborn as a Primaris chapter in the Ultima Founding? Or should I just consider this one of those fan-fiction DIYs that can't exist as true "canon" since the official lore ignores them, implying that they never existed? Or should I entertain the pipe dream that GW might some day incorporate the Accusers into the official lore (I won't hold my breath )? But really, what happened to the loyalist?

The second DIY Chapter I created at the B&C was the Accusers. Actually, that might be an accurate way of describing it. The Accusers may have existed. Or maybe they didn't. My goal with this chapter was to explore some of the preconceptions of the community. At one point, the size of the 2nd Founding was set in stone, as defined by the Apocrypha of Skaros. Though many hobbyists tried to shoehorn their DIY chapter into that founding, conventional wisdom was generally to avoid the 2nd Founding. As Games Workshop continued to develop the lore, however, it became apparent that the true size of the 2nd Founding was larger than we once thought. Still, some hobbyists persisted in advising others to avoid that founding. Given the plausibility of additional, and possibly unknown, 2nd Founding Chapters, I decided to experiment. In addition, I wanted to use a presentation method that was very different. Often, hobbyists present their DIYs in as factual a manner as possible, with Index Astartes and similar articles providing a relatively objective description of the Chapter. Even when in-universe ambiguity is incorporated, the information is generally sufficient to develop an understanding of the chapter. What I wanted to present, then, was a series of events that portray how the supposed Accusers Chapter may or may not have existed. The story was presented in serial installments, inspired by the side story in The Anphelion Project. I got carried away at one point, tipping the scales in favor of the likelihood of the chapter's existence; but I'll leave it to you to figure where I did that (when I post that installment). Of course, anyone that has read the original discussion has a good idea of what I was trying to achieve, as well as the evolution of the concept from inspiration to narration. Other members of the community provided a lot of very good feedback that helped me to significantly improve the quality of the work. As usual, however, there were those that tried to persuade me to follow their method for developing a DIY even when I was very clear on the front end that I didn't want to do that. One interesting development, however, was that another member of the community contacted me on the side and we worked our DIYs into a synergistic whole. We never revealed how we did this, however, and I won't tell you who that was or the name of their chapter. I could see collecting a small force of this chapter, perhaps a kill team or combat patrol. If I ever dip my toes into the Horus Heresy setting, I may fudge that a little and present this chapter in the context of the Scouring (or perhaps later, but not in the state of being that you'll see here). Overall, I found this to be a very challenging project - much more difficult than typical DIY chapter creation. For your viewing pleasure, here's a picture of one of the original sources of inspiration for this project: No, I'm not saying that image represents the Accusers Chapter. However, I did "borrow" the color scheme for my own project. The various installments of the story I developed for the Accusers will be posted as subsequent blog entries. I won't post all of this as an article because I don't think that format works in this case. The Mystery Begins Forgery! The Hidden Meaning? False Interpretation of the Namis Arkaid Homecoming Echoes in the Warp

Echoes in the Warp +++ INCOMING MESSAGE +++ +++ DECRYPT CYPHERS ORDER ACCEPTED +++ +++ PRIORITY ALPHA-1 +++ TRANSMITTED: Macragge RECEIVED: Wrath of Ventanus, Magog Cluster DATE: 6405707.M38 TELEPATHIC DUCT: Librarium-terminus Marcelius SUBJECT: Request for forces THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: The drums of war call out to you Rogue Trader vessel Torchbearer, Captain Subicere commanding, to explore space hulk designated Herald of Misery near Anguis Cluster Herald of Misery previously located near Chinchare sub-sector 698.M35 Indomitus [ref. Task Force Megaeros/Tisiphone] believed component of Herald of Misery Matter urgent [ref. Corrigere Sanction] Ultramarines unable to provide forces due to Brasidas Crusade Can Inceptors fulfill Corrigere Sanction? +++ MESSAGE ENDS+++ +++ INCOMING MESSAGE +++ +++ DECRYPT CYPHERS ORDER ACCEPTED +++ +++ PRIORITY ALPHA-3 +++ TRANSMITTED: Wrath of Ventanus RECEIVED: Macragge DATE: 7419707.M38 TELEPATHIC DUCT: Librarium-terminus Vindicel SUBJECT: Request for forces THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: We obey the teachings of the Primarch Inceptors will fulfill Corrigere Sanction Coordinating instructions requested +++ MESSAGE ENDS+++ +++ INCOMING MESSAGE +++ +++ DECRYPT CYPHERS ORDER ACCEPTED +++ +++ PRIORITY ALPHA-3 +++ TRANSMITTED: Macragge RECEIVED: Wrath of Ventanus, Magog Cluster DATE: 4523707.M38 TELEPATHIC DUCT: Librarium-terminus Marcelius SUBJECT: Request for forces THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Let no one dishonor your past Minimum sized force needed Condition force per Corrigere Sanction protocols If able, recover evidence Rendezvous with Torchbearer at coordinates P9 456/A4 4551707-4559707.M38 +++ MESSAGE ENDS+++ +++ INCOMING MESSAGE +++ +++ DECRYPT CYPHERS ORDER ACCEPTED +++ +++ PRIORITY ALPHA-3 +++ TRANSMITTED: Wrath of Ventanus RECEIVED: Macragge DATE: 7530707.M38 TELEPATHIC DUCT: Librarium-terminus Vindicel SUBJECT: Request for forces THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: The mistakes of the past will be cleansed in fire Squad Praetus, Venerable Brother Praetus commanding, dispatched Squad Praetus conditioned in accordance with Corrigere Sanction protocols, trigger “Sanctitas” Will relay result of mission +++ MESSAGE ENDS+++ +++ INCOMING MESSAGE +++ +++ DECRYPT CYPHERS ORDER ACCEPTED +++ +++ PRIORITY ALPHA-1 +++ TRANSMITTED: Wrath of Ventanus RECEIVED: Macragge DATE: 7826707.M38 TELEPATHIC DUCT: Librarium-terminus Vindicel SUBJECT: Sanctitas Mission THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Look to the Codex Astartes for guidance Sanctitas mission successful Indomitus rectified Corrigere Sanction targets recovered Wrath of Ventanus en route to Macragge, estimated arrival 7943707.M38 Summon oath-bound for conclave +++ MESSAGE ENDS+++

Homecoming Astinax knelt before the Primarch, head bowed in veneration. None would ever mistake him for a handsome man, and it is doubtful that he would have been handsome had his body been allowed to develop naturally instead of being subjected to the process by which the Legiones Astartes were made. His one remaining eye was closed, the other having long since been replaced by an augmetic eye after being lost to the blade of a traitor of the VIIIth Legion in the Battle of Tsagualsa. The replacement eye glowed a deep mechanical blue within a metallic frame from which several small wires ran down into his armor. The flesh of his exposed head was a mass of scars and re-grown tissue, mostly discolored. The broad nose bore the signs of having been broken on multiple occasions, and upon his brow were two implanted studs, one a silver Aquila and the other a bronze skull. Once a youth on Macragge, he had served within the XIIIth Legion since the Primarch was discovered by the Emperor. He had foregone having any additional studs implanted since the Second Founding had taken place and he had left the XIIIth Legion to lead his own Chapter. He cradled his helmet in his right arm and from beneath the cloak that covered his left side a scabbarded sword was held, armored hand resting upon the pommel. Both the cloak and transverse crest of the helm were the deep crimson that signified the officers within his Chapter. Though the left pauldron was covered by the cloak, the right was visible and upon its dark crimson field was a golden Aquila within a silver laurel, the insignia of his rank as Chapter Master. The rest of his armor was a pale yellow. Upon its surface were various silver carvings and inlays, the decorations telling the tales of his battles while covering the scars of those battles at the same time. The last time he had knelt before the Primarch was a century prior. Then, too, he had held the title “Chapter Master,” though his armor had been cerulean blue instead of the pale yellow that he now wore. On that august occasion the sword he now held had been bestowed to Astinax, a symbol of the bond between Primarch and Chapter Master. The weapon originated from Talassar and the decorations upon the ruddy scabbard commemorated the victory of the Legion over the Orks upon Glaudor, a campaign in which Astinax had lost his right arm in single combat against a hulking Ork. There was no conversation with the Primarch on this occasion, however. The Primarch’s unmoving form lay in stasis, a mortal wound across his neck from the blade of one of his demigod brothers. Ignoring the honor guard of Ultramarines terminators that surrounded the Primarch, Astinax looked upon his Primarch like a dutiful son grieving over his father. Others waited within the Temple of Correction, patiently keeping their distance. As Chapter Master, it was Astinax Megaeros’ prerogative to pay reverence before the other members of his Chapter. To the rear of the temple stood the senior officers of the Chapter, including the Chapter Warden and the High Chaplain. These officers, too, had fought alongside Roboute Guilliman as members of the Ultramarines Legion, and now fought in the colors of the Accusers Chapter under their chapter master, the Custodian, Astinax Megaeros. These Adeptus Astartes stood respectfully and silently, stoically waiting for the chapter master to complete his viewing. When Astinax finally completed his reverie, he stood slowly, releasing the scabbard to hang at his side. He then turned and walked to an alcove while his officers approached the dais in order to pay their own respects to the Primarch. His gaze fell upon the delegation that awaited him. There were five of them, each an augmented transhuman member of the Adeptus Astartes. Two were dressed in simple white robes while three others wore power armor from different chapters. Astinax bowed his head as he reached the group, and one by one each of the five bowed his in return. For long moments the six silently regarded each other, the gravity of the situation palpable. Finally, one of the robed figures spoke, “It is good to see your ugly face again, brother, even if it is under these circumstances.” Astinax suppressed a grin, “You were always too pretty for fighting, Antilochus. Tell me, brother, who will lead the Ultramarines now?” Antilochus shrugged his broad shoulders slightly, “I don’t know, brother. The Chapter Council is consulting the Codex Astartes. The choice seems obvious, but we obey the teachings of the Primarch even in these days.” “And the Legion?” continued Megaeros. “My brother, the Legion is no more. Our father disbanded the XIIIth Legion into the Chapters so that the Warmaster’s treachery could never be repeated. Though we have fought together since that day, I suspect that Tsagualsa and similar events will not be repeated.” At the mention of the attack on the Night Lords’ world, Astinax reflexively reached up with his free hand to touch the metallic housing of his augmetic eye. His gauntlet clenched into a fist a moment later and he lowered it to his side. Astinax looked to his Primarch again, remembering the puissant lord’s brilliance at that momentous battle. After a few moments Astinax continued, “They will pay for this. My brothers and I will not allow those that did this to our father to go unpunished.” “Patience, brother,” cautioned one of the others. “Your devotion to the Primarch is well known, but this is not the time for rash actions.” Astinax turned to regard the new speaker. This one, too, was in battle armor, though of a blue and white quartered livery with a haloed skull upon the shoulder. “As always,” answered Astinax, “your words are filled with wisdom, Lucretius. Have no fear. My brothers and I will not rush headlong into a fight we cannot win.” Astinax looked back at the Primarch. By this time, the senior officers of his chapter had finished. The rest of the chapter was filing by in turns, starting with the veterans of the First Company. As each squad of warriors reached the viewing point, they faced the Primarch, removed their helmets, and knelt in unison. They remained kneeling for a period of time, heads bowed and eyes closed in reverent silence. Once completed, they stood, faced about, donned their helms, then marched away as the next squad moved into position. Astinax and the other chapter masters watched this sequence of events unfold several times. Throughout, Astinax mouthed a silent litany, keeping perfect time with his battle-brothers before the Primarch. After several iterations of this ritual, Astinax spoke to his fellow chapter masters. “Do you see the battle-brothers of my chapter there, brothers?” At this, Astinax gripped the scabbard of his blade in his left arm and raised it so that his fellow chapter masters could see it. “Each is renewing the vows he swore upon this blade; the same vow I swore to the Primarch when he gave it to me a century ago.” He paused to watch more of his battle-brothers enact the ritual then turned to face his brother chapter masters. “I have been the custodian of this weapon since that day, and the brothers of my chapter call me by that title, “Custodian” in recognition that I am merely the instrument of our Primarch’s teachings and the Emperor’s vision. While I lead the Accusers, greater loyalty is owed to the Primarch and the Emperor. The Accusers will not rest while our treacherous brothers go unpunished.” He turned to face the other chapter masters before saying, “Tonight we grieve for our fallen Primarch. On the morrow we will grieve no more and at dawn the Chapter fleet will depart for the Maelstrom where we have located one of the hidden bases of the Twentieth Legion. This sword,” he said, raising the weapon high, “will be the tempest of the Primarch’s wrath upon those that know no loyalty.” At these words, the countenance of Astinax became set with grim fury and all those assembled knew that there was no further point in trying to restrain their bellicose brother. All had sworn similar oaths, the only real difference being in how each intended to pursue the vendetta against the traitors. One by one, each acknowledged the pledge by making the sign of the aquila – the chapter master of the Silver Eagles first, followed by Nemesis, and so on until each had saluted their brother of the Accusers Chapter. Accepting the salutes of his brothers, Astinax lowered his weapon and turned without a word to once again watch his chapter pay its respects to the Primarch. Little did Astinax Megaeros of the Accusers Chapter know that when his chapter departed the next day, he would never again see the planet of his birth, Macragge.

False Interpretation of the Namis Arkaid Among the items recovered from the fortress of Inquisitor Lerneaus was a sheet with a few brief notes on it. The scrap of paper was entrusted into the care of Inquisitor Lord Naukara, who transferred it to the Order of the Sacred Oath on Holy Terra for evaluation. +++ Date: 2006791/M38 +++ Ref: OM/32099147/ED +++ By: Sister Sarojini, Order of the Sacred Oath, Convent Prioris, Holy Terra +++ To: Inquisitor Lord Naukara +++ Re: Inquisitor Lerneaus +++ Thought: The strong are strongest alone Inquisitor Lord, The document you forwarded has been evaluated as you instructed. This document is a passage from the "Namis Arkaid" which is an obscure epic poem originating from the Memnos system in the Segmentum Obscurus. The Memnos system was brought back into the light of the Imperium in M35 by the Imperial Fists Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes, who discovered a lost pocket of humanity upon a world that had been obscured by intermittent Warp storms. As the inhabitants of the system were brought into compliance with the Imperium and the Imperial Cult, this epic poem was studied. As far as could be determined, the humans upon Memnos V were the remnants of a colony pre-dating the Wars of Unification. In the thousands of years that they had been separated from the rest of the species their culture and technology had debased to pre-industrial levels. Situated near the Eye of Terror, the population suffered minor levels of mutation and were frequently attacked by the nightmarish denizens of that region of space. The more egregious strains of mutation were culled when the population was brought into compliance, though the percentage of psykers was higher than normal and was sufficient to provide for the needs of the Emperor. When the Dominion of Fire took place, the forces of the Great Enemy overran the world. Those that weren't destroyed were enslaved and worship of the Dark Powers spread. The world was later cleansed in the aftermath of the Dominion of Fire and is no longer habitable. The "Namis Arkaid" was said to be an epic poem re-telling the key events of one of the many wars against the Dark Born (which appear to have been some form of Chaos servants). In this poem the world is attacked by the warriors of the Dark Born, only to be rescued by the intervention of the "son of Meleus" who is described as a champion from the stars. This poem is thought by most Imperial scholars to be either epic myth or a form of prophecy. The latter seems more likely as the Imperial Fists recorded significant battles against renegades in recovering Memnos. The version of the poem that Inquisitor Lerneaus studied was the Calmain translation of M37. This translation was not well-received by most Imperial scholars. One of the most interesting elements of this translation, though, was that the scribe Calmain wrote both the original and translated forms side-by-side. In this, he inspired the later Arkues and Fitzimoor translations (the former considered the definitive translation). The passage in question is translated somewhat differently in both the Arkues and Fitzimoor translations, so the use of the Calmain translation by Lerneaus was deliberate as it allowed for certain alternative interpretations that may have supported the renegade's objectives. If Inquisitor Lerneaus' notes are interpreted correctly, he speculated that the poem was actually a documentation of the involvement of the Accusers. That line of speculation seems highly unlikely, though, as even the elements that he uses to support it are inconsistent with the known facts. If we assume that the Megaeros in question was Chapter Master Megaeros of the Ultramarines Legion, whether or not the description of him as the "Son of Meleus" is unknown as the records of that ancient Space Marine have been lost to time. Meleus itself is a name that occasionally appears in Macraggian male citizens, though, its use is very rare and it is considered archaic. Similarly, the parentage of the Great Crusade era Space Marines named Meleus (from the Iron Hands and Alpha Legion) is also unknown. It is interesting to note that the name Meleus was known to be used in the Iron Warriors Legion, with at least two battle-brothers of that legion bearing the name. Likewise, "Champion of Terre" would seem to imply someone that was from Holy Terra or fought at the great Siege of Terra during the Horus Heresy. Regardless, we can't specifically tie a "Son of Meleus" to any specific legion or individual Space Marine. The reference to a "champion of Terre" and "fabled Sol's war-like child" is also interesting as it implies that the individual to whom it refers was based at Holy Terra (likely the Imperial Fists Legion, the Adeptus Custodes, or perhaps an older member of one of the legions pre-dating the re-discovery of the Primarch of that legion). Alternately, it could be one of the heroes of the Siege of Terra (again, the Imperial Fists Legion, though the Blood Angels and White Scars Legions also fought at that great and terrible event). Neither the Ultramarines nor Iron Hands Legions were present at that battle. A more sinister interpretation might be that the Namis Arkaid is actually describing traitor Space Marines, twisting the views of a "champion of Terre" to a renegade. This might explain the higher levels of mutation that were discovered upon that world when the Imperial Fists Chapter finally brought it into compliance. Regardless, the singular lack of any records on a Chapter named "Accusers" and wholly speculative nature of Inquisitor Lerneaus' notes serve to completely undermine his arguments. The only other documentation the Order has for that Chapter is the Insignium Astartes Anguis, though that has by this time been proven to be a forgery. Based upon the proof of Inquisitor Lerneaus' subornment by the Alpha Legion, this fragment would appear to be an example of his efforts to plant seeds about the existence of the Accusers Chapter in preparation for some plot by the traitor Legion. The fragment of the Namis Arkaid has been placed in the Telemus Archive under guard by Sisters of the Order of the Argent Shroud. Sister Sarojini

The Hidden Meaning? Milord, I conducted a study of the book as instructed. There were faint traces of the energy of the Empyrean upon the book, but these could very well have stemmed from the book having been aboard a space hulk and likely exposed to the Sea of Souls for some duration. Certainly there were no hidden writings or patterns that established any sort of link, no matter how small, with the Warp. However, I found the page in question most curious. While it shows what appears to be the standard imagery of any Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes, I wonder if there is some hidden meaning. I've drawn the image below for clarity: The symbol looks innocent enough - the golden eagle's head granted in heraldry to those who provided some service to the Immortal Emperor (praise Him!) superimposed over a white halo that is derived from several awards common within the Legiones Astartes during the Great Crusade. If you look deeper, though, the image may have some blasphemous meaning. The eagle's head draws the viewer's attention, implying holiness through the association of that image with the Emperor (may He rule forever). However, the design of the halo is reminiscent of heretical glyphs associated with the dark powers. The juxtaposition of the two elements draws upon similar heresies espoused during the Bollen Schism [M35] and needs no explanation. I must concur with the Adepta Sororitas assessment that the document is a hoax and conclude that it is intended to mislead the reader into thinking that such a Chapter actually existed. I can only speculate as to who may have crafted such a ploy and for what purpose, though it seems readily apparent that these are the machinations of the servants of the Great Enemy. Who knows what calamity might befall us should this book fall into the wrong hands? I most humbly, yet urgently, recommend that we destroy the book immediately. Your most obedient servant, Archivist's Note: This transcript is from a document recovered from the wreckage of Inquisitor Lerneaus' fortress after Inquisitor Lerneaus was declared Extremis Diabolus and executed by a cell of the Ordo Malleus led by Inquisitor Lord Naukara in 791.M38. The report appeared to have been deliberately damaged so as to conceal the signature and name of the author. The Insignium Astartes Anguis was not recovered and was presumed to have been destroyed, though one pict capture of a fragment remains preserved within the archives of the Order of the Sacred Oath, Convent Prioris, on Holy Terra.

Forgery! +++ Date: 4029709/M38 +++ Ref: Ast/38571391/INS +++ By: Sister Sarojini, Order of the Sacred Oath, Convent Prioris, Holy Terra +++ To: Inquisitor Lerneaus +++ Re: Anguis Codex +++ Thought: Trust no one else, and trust yourself less. Inquisitor, I have completed my initial evaluation of the codex you entrusted unto my care. The codex is not an abridged version of the Codex Astartes, as was initially thought. It is instead a form of insignium - a handbook about uniforms and regalia. Focusing on the Adeptus Astartes, this insignium would properly be referred to as an Insignium Astartes, and we have further identified this insignium based on the location of its discovery, Anguis. A number of characteristics point to this insignium dating from the early years of M31. Chief among these is the Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes that are depicted within. While over half of the pages are damaged and/or decayed to the point where the material is no longer legible, the pages that can still be read either partially or in their entirety all portray Chapters known to have been created in the 2nd Founding (with one notable exception that I'll cover later). In and of itself this might not be conclusive as similar codices have been created during some of the foundings in order to catalogue the Chapters created during those foundings, though this has been far from a universal practice and the accuracy of these codices has varied. Another characteristic pointing towards M31 is the style of the embellishments that decorate the insignium. Chief among these is the decorative bars that separate certain elements of information, the bars being augmented at each end with small vertical hashes, with the top and bottom of the hashes and the ends of the bars forming stylized versions of a cross motif that was commonly used by Imperial forces during the Great Crusade. This style of decoration fell out of favor during the latter half of M31, and though it has occasionally been used over the years, such uses have been very rare and have generally been tied to emulations of written works from the Great Crusade. The cover of the codex also points to an origin some time in M31. The lettering style used on the cover and as titles of pages was common during the rebuilding of the Imperium after the Great Heresy, used most commonly by Terran scribes through about 300.M31. In addition, the gold filigree upon the cover depicts scenes of battle that appear to be smaller renditions of scenes from the time known as the Scouring, the years immediately following the defeat of the Warmaster as the still-loyal forces of the Imperium fought to destroy the remaining traitor forces and recover territory lost to the traitors and other forces when the Warmaster broke faith with the Emperor. The style of writing and formatting within the insignium bear a strong resemblance to the second version of the Gant Manuscript within the Ceris Archive and it appears to have been written by the same hand. Certain phrases are common between the two books, further pointing to both similar authorship and date of origin. However, deeper investigation leads me to suspect that the insignium is a clever forgery. I mentioned previously that all but one of the Chapters that can be seen in the insignium are known to be from the 2nd Founding. The one exception is the Accusers Chapter. There are no other records of such a Chapter ever existing - no Chapter listings in any of the versions of the Codex Astartes or other insigniums include the Accusers, nor are any Chapters known to have used the livery portrayed for that Chapter in the insignium. The entry implies that the Accusers were created from the Ultramarines Legion, making them one of the Primogenitor ("First Born") Chapters. This is supported by several phrases most often used to indicate the various Primogenitors, including: + "true son of Macragge" (indicating that the Chapter Master was born on Macragge) + "disciple of the Primarch's teachings" (indicating that the Chapter Master was fully indoctrinated in the Codex Astartes) Though records are scant, I found records of three members of the Adeptus Astartes named "Megaeros" from the time of the Great Crusade. There was a Commander Megaeros of the Ultramarines Legion, but the limited records we have indicate that he was killed in action during the Scouring, those records being the posthumous awarding of the Comminus Imperator. The other two were from other Legions (Sergeant Megaeros of the Iron Hands Legion is thought to have been killed during the drop site massacres on Isstvan V; and a Captain Megaeros is mentioned in the annals of the Alpha Legion, though his fate is unknown). Of the ships named in the text, there are no records of the Ultramarines Legion operating a battle-barge named Indomitus; and the Guilliman's Charter belongs to a Chapter created during the 3rd Founding. Two of the strike cruisers, the Contus and Cruciare, fought under the flag of the XIIIth Legion. There are no records of an Ovatio Tonare belonging to the Ultramarines, but the Battle of Tonare was fought during the Scouring, so the vessel may have been either commissioned or re-named subsequent to that battle. Since many records were lost during the reign of Goge Vandire, I also resorted to requesting from some of the Primogenitor Chapters any information they might have on a Chapter named the Accusers. Most of the Chapters didn’t even answer my appeal, including the Inceptors, Aurora Chapter, Novamarines, and Genesis Chapter. Only two of the Chapters responded: the Praetors of Orpheus and the Doom Eagles. Both of these Chapters provided curt answers that they had no records of such a Chapter ever having existed. Assuming these responses were accurate, the information contained in the Insignium Astartes Anguis appears to be highly suspect. The lack of cooperation on the part of the Adeptus Astartes was expected, however, and I suggest that a visit to the Chapters in person might garner a response where an astropathic appeal failed. If you choose to pursue this, I recommend the Praetors of Orpheus and Ultramarines as they have proven to be the most approachable. Another fact to consider is the existence of a servant of the Dark Powers colloquially known as "the Accuser." This being was first identified by the Praetors of Orpheus Chapter during the Nova Terra Interegnum, though there have been several reports of this individual since that time. Most recently, a combined Novamarines/Praetors of Orpheus force faced the Accuser during the Skilthras Wars early in this millennium. This fell warrior did not wear armor colored as the Accusers in the insignium, instead wearing armor of deep black. This warrior led a force comprised primarily of Alpha Legion Chaos Space Marines. Though the identity of this creature has never been identified, there is a strong possibility that he is the former Alpha Legion Captain Megaeros. This codex has been labeled as the Insignium Astartes Anguis and is tentatively identified as a forgery pending further investigation. I am at your disposal should you decide to appeal directly to the Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes in this matter. Sister Sarojini

Fragment of a document reportedly recovered from the space hulk designated Herald of Misery in M38 by the rogue trader Ibram Subicere: Accompanied by a demi-squad of the Inceptors Chapter, Captain Subicere and his crew aboard the Torchbearer were exploring the Anguis Cluster near the Maelstrom. There they discovered the Herald of Misery. Auspex readings indicated that the vessel was comprised of several major vessels and a number of smaller ones, including a few Imperial vessels and pre-Imperial human vessels. The Inceptors boarded the hulk in terminator armor, establishing a lodgment from which Captain Subicere and his crew could salvage while the Space Marines explored the deeper reaches of the hulk. Two days into the operation, Brother-Sergeant Praetus and his squad suddenly returned. Putting his battle-brothers on guard, Brother-Sergeant Praetus returned to the Torchbearer. He privately entered the astropath’s quarters, ignoring all questions from Captain Subicere, and returned to the space hulk. He said one word to his battle-brothers: "Sanctitas." At this word, the terminators left their posts and returned whence they came, each carrying loads of demolitions. Brother-Sergeant Praetus then informed Captain Subicere that his squad had discovered a grave threat within the depths of the hulk. He and his squad were to destroy the threat by planting demolitions at structural weaknesses within the hulk, during which time Captain Subicere and his crew would have five hours to recover as much as they could before returning to the Torchbearer. At this, Brother-Sergeant Praetus turned and followed his battle-brothers into the depths of the hulk. One of the items that Captain Subicere was able to retrieve from the hulk was a small book. Beneath a thousand years of dust, the leather-bound book was decorated with gold filigree and the aquila of the Imperium. On the pages within, Subicere saw pictures of different Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes, a small guidebook to the names and liveries of over a hundred Chapters. Instinctively, Subicere kept the book secret from Brother-Sergeant Praetus and his Space Marines, locking the book within his private sanctum aboard the Torchbearer before the Space Marines returned from their mission. When Brother-Sergeant Praetus and his battle-brothers returned from their mission, they were laden with two containers they’d recovered from within the Herald of Misery, two of the terminators immediately returning to the Torchbearer with the containers as Brother-Sergeant Praetus and the two remaining battle-brothers remained, ostensibly to provide security as Captain Subicere and his crew completed their own tasks. Once all hands returned to the Torchbearer, Brother-Sergeant Praetus directed Captain Subicere to move the Torchbearer to stand-off distance. From there, the veteran Space Marine command-detonated the demolitions, entirely destroying the central vessel of the hulk and sending the debris of a dozen other vessels scattering through the void. He then informed Captain Subicere that the Inceptors had recalled the demi-squad and that they must return to the Chapter immediately. No explanation was given, and Captain Subicere was more than happy to see the Space Marines depart. Upon completing the exploration of the Anguis Cluster, Subicere and the Torchbearer returned to Terra where the book was dutifully handed over to Inquisitor Lerneaus of the Ordo Malleus. The Inquisitor found one page, pictured at right, puzzling and required expert investigation, so he forwarded it to the Order of the Sacred Oath, an Order Dialogus of the Adepta Sororitas, for study and authentication.