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-= The Order of the Crimson Crescent =- "Few things better serve The Emperor than a keen eye and a steady hand." - Sister Felcia Rayeland -=Homeworld and Early History =- A Sister of the Order of the Crimson Crescent "Faith can remain pure, even when walls crumble and bodies falter." - Sister Auria Eribell In the year M40.204, A Decree was passed by the highly influential Cardinal Vesur as part of a long-term plan to reinforce the strength of the Imperial Faith in the distant reaches of the Ultima Segmentum. Vesur's plan involved the construction of great cathedrals and shrines, sweeping across three sectors. Entire regiments of Imperial Guard and fleets of Imperial Navy would receive formal blessings from the Ecclesiarchy, and pilgrimages to reclaim lost Holy relics or sites were put into motion. In the midst of this great triumph of the faithful, the Order of the Crimson Crescent was born. The Order takes it's name from the terracotta-hued moon orbiting their homeworld of Terremorn - viewed from within the planet's atmosphere, the moon appears a deep, vivid blood-red colour. On nights when it is particularly clear in the sky, it is said to be a clear sign of the Emperor's favour. Terremorn itself was once a shrine world, whose union with the Imperium dated back to the early days of M36. The planet was lost amidst the ceaseless turmoil of the following centuries, and was thought to have been completely overrun by hordes of traitors. But in fact, the population of Terremorn remained largely loyal and true to the Emperor. Though their shrines fell into disrepair, and then further lapsed into ruin, the people of the world continued to dedicate themselves to reconnecting with the Emperor. When the world was reclaimed in M39, the Ecclesiarchy were somewhat dismayed to note that what had once been a thriving shrine world was now much closer in nature to a hive world - teeming populations and vast structures covered the surface of Terremorn. However, they also saw that the once-proud temples, churches and icons of Imperial faith, though badly dilapidated, remained places of pilgrimage, and so quickly began working to strengthen the faith of the population once more. -= Canoness Isaudrea Fiorle =- "The Emperor protects most those who would protect themselves." - Isaudrea Fiorle, First Canoness of the Order of the Crimson Crescent At the time of the Order's founding, trials were held on a dozen shrine worlds to find women strong enough of body and soul to represent The Emperor's light in what was viewed as a dark corner of the galaxy. Out of the thousands selected to take part in these gruelling trials, over three hundred women succeeded. Amongst those first brave souls, one would truly become a legend to her new family: Sister Isaudrea Fiorle, best remembered as the First Canoness of the Order of the Crimson Crescent. Canoness Fiorle was a giftedly talented strategist, at her best when adapting plans even in the midst of battle. She also had a decided preference for marksmanship and precision over unrestrained agression, using small squads of highly-trained sisters to pick apart isolated or weakened targets without the need to engage them at close range. Even though she was slain in battle seventy-three years after her appointment to the role, to this day the Order of the Crimson Crescent pay honour to their First Canoness in their prayers to the Emperor, and her tomb is the centrepiece of the Order's headquarters. On Terremorn, if your firstborn is a daughter, it is considered good fortune to name her Isaudrea, and numerous petitions for Canoness Fiorle's posthumous recognition as a Saint have been made over the years. Isaudrea Fiorle was also known for her charisma, and her proudly outspoken views unarguably shaped the Order's perception of The Emperor even to this day. -= Beliefs and Doctrines =- "Through our Faith, we must become both a guiding light and a cleansing flame," - Sister Elsabet Mallor Rather than percieving The Emperor purely as a saviour and protector, the Order of the Crimson Crescent view Him as a Warrior-God. They worship The Emperor as a peerless, unimaginably lethal master of war who bestows his blessings only on those He considers strong enough to have earned them. In turn, those fortunate and powerful enough to recieve the blessings of the Emperor are charged with the sacred duty to use those blessings to protect those weaker than themselves. Sisters of this Order will routinely put themselves through trials of great endurance, in order to test their devotion and hopefully prove themselves worthy of the Emperor's blessings in times to come. Another quirk in the Order's system of beliefs is their view on Space Marines. Largely shunning the commonly held "angels of death" belief found across most of the Imperium, the Order of the Crimson Crescent view them as imperfect aspects of The Emperor, cast off and separated from The Emperor's divine magnificence, that he might become even greater. Though the Order's attitude towards Space Marines is largely neutral, the Sisters of the Order of the Crimson Crescent are rarely shy in voicing their views concerning the failings of Space Marines, which seldom earns them any friends amongst the Adeptus Astartes. -= Notable Conflicts =- "Victory in hard-fought battle is the truest way to praise Him." - Sister Melandra Vyne Since their inception on Terremorn, the Order of the Crimson Crescent has proven to be a stalwart force against all threats to the Faithful. Marching fearlessly into even the most fierce battles to bring the Emperor's strength to those in dire need, the Order has a storied history of conflict with xenos and heretics alike. -= The Breaking of Waaagh Toofpulla =- In the year M40.884, Warboss Toofpulla and his considerable horde of "Shootin'est Orkz" carved a bloody path through three lightly guarded systems in Segmentum Ultima, slaughtering Imperial citizens and regiments alike with wave after wave of powerful artillery attacks, striking with surprising co-ordination for greenskins. They would routinely destroy their targets before distress signals could even be sent out. When they crushed Hive Trebalth on the world of Aminast, however, they made the mistake of assuming the collapsing hive had killed everyone within. Sister Jemila and her squad had been tasked with protecting a Deacon of the Adeptus Ministorum on a hitherto routine visit to Aminast, and though the hive had largely been obliterated by the ork's ceaseless barrages of artillery, the basement of the local Church somehow survived intact, preserving not only the Deacon and three local Preachers, but Sister Jemila's squad, whose first action was to alert the rest of the Order to the presence of the orks. And so it was that when Waaagh Toofpulla threatened to engulf the world of Korbor, the Order of the Crimson Crescent, working with the planet's own military, caught the greenskins in a most devastating trap. Deploying their own Exorcist artillery, the Order crippled the xeno's own tightly-grouped, mortar-armed vehicles and their crude artillery batteries. The Sisters themselves were then able to ensnare the weakened greenskin formations with a pincer movement, their massed bolter fire and support from Seraphim squads and Immolator tanks on either side tearing through the greenskins with characteristic efficiency, burning away the aliens' remains until only ash remained. -= "Lord Colliver's Comet" =- Named by astronomers for the noble Lord Coliver, a planetary governor who famously struck down a heretic using a burning branch, this comet crashed into the Agri-world of Dewart's Gate in late M41. At the time it was thought a sign of the Emperor's judgement, until mechanical creatures of unknown origin or design climbed out and began attacking civilians, all the while reciting twisted chants of praise to the Dark Gods of Chaos. The Order of the Crimson Crescent were called in to purge the monstrosities. When the Sisters arrived, the world of Dewart's Gate had been badly scarred and burnt by the attacking creatures. They had raided settlements and destroyed farms. More terrifying still, the corpses of the slain marched alongside them, abominable metal contraptions buried into and across their backs. Their heads lolled awkwardly as they walked, their eyes staring sightlessly at nothing. They stumbled along slowly and made for easy targets, but their hands still gripped weapons firmly and they moved as though controlled by the vile, armoured machines that had been inside the comet, joining them in reciting their twisted sermons. The battle was fiercely fought. Though the enemy's tactics were poor, their puppet-hordes would continue to attack even if set aflame or suffering from lost limbs or gaping wounds - only by destroying the metal devices buried into the dead could they be halted. The leading machines themselves proved highly resistant to flames and most other small arms fire, but the Order's tanks, melta and power weapons were still able to dispatch them in short order when brought properly to bear. When the main body of the Order returned to the comet to destroy it once and for all, they discovered the controller of these gruesome machines - an injured Magos of the Dark Mechanicum. The 'comet' had turned out to be a large, malformed and withered escape pod of some kind from a heretic's vessel. The mechanised creatures within had either been his creations or his slaves. For his sins, the Dark Magos was burnt alive at the stake in the ruins of the largest surviving settlement on Dewart's Gate, hearing the Sisters and crowds of the faithful chant hymns of praise to The Emperor as he perished. -=-=-=-=-=-= EDIT: Updated for great zeal 10/4/2015Also, I changed the colours. Blue robes are cool, but didn't really suit the Order too well. All comments, thoughts, criticism, outright ridicule, insults, random quotes from old films, sage advice and other thoughts, suggestions or ideas are definitely more than welcome!

Devotion beyond Death - The Infinity Knights "Take this broken shell, and harvest from it anything that may still function to give my brothers the strength to continue our Primarch's legacy." - The last request of Chapter Master Cassar Thadrus, Infinity Knights History: "Sometimes in death, we can exceed our achievements in life." - Captain Rall Hamir, Infinity Knights Second Company http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/sm.php?b62c=@i1HDG_hAbQO.i8TzJ@@@@@@@hnVFB@hd0fp@@..@__@@@@____.@.______@@@@@hCmX3hd0fp______@@_____hr3ufiakk7&grid=TRUE Pictured: A tactical marine of the Infinity Knights 4th Company. Created in the 9th Founding, the Infinity Knights were blessed with the geneseed of Rouboute Guilliman via his sons the Ultramarines. Their given mission was straightforward - reinforce the Imperial presence in the area of space close to the border between Segmenta Obscurus and Ultima. The new Chapter would be led by Captain Cassar Thadrus, formerly of the Ultramarines' Second Company. Somewhat surprised by the honour, Thadrus vowed to take his mission to heart, setting forth as soon as possible to put his new brothers to work. The Infinity Knights were assigned a homeworld, Ashar, in the Saias system. Previously noted by Inquisitor Tarret as an eminently suitable world for Astartes to recruit from, Ashar was only a short distance from the space that would later be claimed by The Storm of the Emperor's Wrath. Almost as soon as they arrived there, the Infinity Knights departed in search of battle. All throughout the sector, Space Marines and Guardsmen alike found the call for help answered by the Space Marines of the Infinity Knights. The Chapter seldom fought alone in these early years, instead reinforcing Imperial forces across a hundred battlefields. Chapter Master Thadrus' tenure as an Infinity Knight was regrettably short. He met his end on the surface of Laucus' World, fighting the vile Dark Eldar. His last wishes were simple, if unusual - Thadrus implored that his body to be frozen, and any worthwhile organs harvested to replace damaged ones in his brother marines. This unorthodox request struck a chord within the Chapter - numerous dying marines would plead for a similar fate, until eventually the Chapter's Techmarines were forced to modify a chamber on each Strike Cruiser and Battle Barge to accomodate the willing dead in a form of cold storage. The practice of replacing damaged organs spread throughout the Chapter over time. Eventually, this practice expanded - lost limbs would frequently be replaced with arms or legs taken from fallen warriors of the Chapter, rather than replaced with bionic parts. Although outsiders find the practice unnerving, or even reprehensible, the Infinity Knights see it as a way of honouring the dead - even past the boundaries of their mortality their strength of arm, or keenness of eye earns them honour after honour. Dreadnoughts, too, became prized by the Chapter, for a similar reason. Using these sacred machines, a Space Marine could essentially conquer the domain of death, and defiantly live on past the time alloted to him. Over time, debate rose in the ranks of the Infinity Knights, calling their mission into question. Some amongst the Chapter felt that they should be travelling further afield, aiding Imperial Forces over a much larger scale. Others felt that the Chapter should stay true and steadfast to the original mission dictated to it by only fighting in the sector surrounding their homeworld. Some amongst the dissidents proclaimed that the Infinity Knights could never be true to their mission without expanding their area of influence. The numbers of those in favour of travelling afar grew with each recruitment cycle, and unrest threatened to rear its ugly head. Eventually, after years of debate, and with the consent of the Infinity Knight's Captains of the time, a new, altered interpretation of the Codex-approved Chapter formation was put forward. Now, the Fourth and Fifth Companies were re-designated 'Wandering Companies' and dedicated to ranging further afield than the other companies, seeking out battle wherever they might find it. Since that time, the Infinity Knights have earned a reputation for honour and valor, the Wandering Companies throwing themselves into conflicts alongside Imperial forces across almost the length and breadth of the galaxy whilst their brothers earnestly protect their homelands. Beliefs: "Death is not the end of honour." - Chapter Master Algren Irames, Infinity Knights The death of Chapter Master Thadrus, all those millenia ago, left a profound mark on the Infinity Knights, who found a deep and satisfying meaning in the simple request of their mentor. The spread of marines donating their bodies to the apothecarium rose with startling quickness, but quickly became just another part of ordinary procedure for the Chapter, and is now surrounded with ritual customs and practices both seen as ancient and hallowed by the Infinity Knights. Cybernetic parts are infrequently seen within the Chapter, although organic replacements are quite commonplace, especially amongst older marines. The Chapter's views on death are also somewhat unusual - marines whose organs or limbs are used after their death to repair injured brothers are said to gain a portion of every honour that the repaired marine earns from that point onwards. Dreadnoughts are seen as an extension of this - allowing a worthy marine to surpass his alloted lifespan and continue to serve the Emperor in defiance of the boundaries of death. Battle-Brothers whose limbs or organs have been biologically replaced frequently engrave or paint the names of their donor-Brothers on their armour. An evolving tradition within the Chapter is to paint or engrave the names of organ donors on the inside of a marine's armour, rather than the outside. In recent times, one increasingly frequent behavioural fault has surfaced within the Chapter; sometimes older Infinity Knights suffer from mild bouts of schizophrenia, sometimes borrowing mannerisms or personality traits from their donor-Brothers, or answering to their donor-Brother's names as well as, or instead of, their own. Occasionally, afflicted Battle-brothers also find themselves using 'We' rather than 'I' as a personal pronoun. The Infinity Knights' fervour in the pursuit of their mission has also burnt itself into the Chapter psyche. They respond to any Imperial call to arms with zeal and haste, diving into even the most dangerous of battles without further thought. Though this approach has cost them dearly in lives, through these actions the Infinity Knights have forged good relations with the Adeptus Mechanicus, Imperial Guard and even some of their brother Chapters. On some occasions, Strike Cruisers have returned with barely any marines alive after desperate battles. Sometimes the Cruisers never return at all, leaving their true fate unknown to the rest of the Chapter. The losses of life on these missions, so far from home, is still a cause of some tension within the Chapter, for some Infinity Knights still disagree with the decision to wander so far abroad. The Infinity Knights, like most Space Marines, venerate the Emperor as the pinnacle of Humanity's potential. Guilliman, as the Chapter's great ancestor, is held somewhat above the other Primarchs. However, the Knights hold all the loyal Primarchs in good esteem, feeling each represents both a being of truly steadfast honour, and a legacy of great servitude to humanity. Organisation: "Our mission should be to protect the whole Imperium, not simply one portion of it." - Chaplain Sedris, Infinity Knights 4th Company The Infinity Knights, while fundamentally reverent of the Codex, tenuously adopted an altered Chapter formation to better deal with their changed perception of their mission. The 4th and 5th Companies would take up the mantle of 'Wandering Companies', using the Chapter's Strike Cruisers to reach further out into the stars. Whenever a Wandering Company returned home, they would replenish their ranks and exchange roles with another Battle Company, allowing a fresh division the chance to serve Humanity and The Emperor further afield. The most notable difference is that each Wandering Company is given the right to induct any worthy recruits discovered on their travels into an ad-hoc Scout formation. These recruits are then admitted to the Tenth Company on their return to Ashar. When a Wandering Company returns home, there is usually a brief celebration in honour of their success, then a period of re-arming and re-organizing before the Company leaves again. Often the returning Wandering Companies will rotate various members back into the ranks of the Battle Companies. This serves the dual purpose of allowing more marines to experience combat in faraway places against a myriad of new foes, and allowing the marines with that experience a chance to utilize their new knowledge in defence of their home. Apothecaries are highly prized in all companies, for only they can perform the difficult surgeries used to replace damaged or failing bodyparts with those of the fallen. Such is the importance of the role to the Infinity Knights that the Chapter has expanded its Apothecarium to accomodate a greater number than commonly seen in Codex-adherent Chapters. The Infinity Knights also boast a higher than average number of Dreadnoughts, gifted over the centuries by the Adeptus Mechanicus as rewards for battles fought alongside explorator fleets. These treasured machines are always treated with utmost reverence and looked after with extreme dilligence - a practice that has earned much respect from various factions within the Mechanicus. Combat Doctrine: "Only victory lives forever." - Captain Bruc Haedar, Infinity Knights Seventh Company The doctrine of the Infinity Knights on the battlefield is simple - strike enemies hard and fast. The Chapter, to this end, often engineers its strategies in favour of a single, fatal attack, most frequently revolving around the deployment of the Chapter's Dreadnoughts to 'tear the heart from the enemy' and break down their strongest forces. It is worth noting that the Infinity Knights sometimes take higher losses than other Astartes Chapters, as this strategy is occasionally employed even when not an optimal way to achieve victory. The Infinity Knights' unusual views on death, however, mean that they do not neccesarily view this as a drawback. After victories, the Infinity Knights are known to linger for long enough to gather their dead and bring them before the apothecaries, a duty usually supervised by a Chaplain who chants litanies to ensure the continued purity of the lost marines. Homeworld: "My life began and will end here on Ashar, but it will be spent waging war amidst the stars." - Sergeant Raul Dussan, Infinity Knights Fourth Company Ashar, the main recruiting world of the Infinity Knights, is a large planet, substantially bigger than Holy Terra. Much of its landmass is barren desert, with widely scattered mountainous regions. Humans mostly survive in two ways on Ashar. Either by seeking cover in the mountains, on the slopes of which vast, sheltered cities have evolved; or by travelling in tribes across the desert. War between cities, or between tribes, is commonplace on Ashar. The Infinity Knights themselves have taken an active hand in influencing their homeworld. Junior members of the Apothecarium are required to spend several months travelling from city to city, or from tribe to tribe, practicing and teaching such medicine as required by the Asharans. As such, the people of Ashar have an inbuilt respect for doctors and medicine, and to raise a hand in anger against one can have dire consequences. It also means the Asharans have advanced in the field of medicine - in many cases showing an understanding of biology and medical science that belies their primitive technology. The Infinity Knights hold recruitment trials out in isolated, desolate locations, accepting volunteers from all walks of life to try and earn their way into the Chapter. Those that arrive at these trials in the deserts are made to work with members of other tribes or cities, and pitted through gruelling challenges designed to test the limits of the human body. Those that pass these tests are considered eligible for recruitment, and taken via thunderhawk to the Fortress Monastery, built into the side of a cliff near the north coast of the largest continent. An old Asharan tradition amongst the city-dwellers is that dead warriors are buried in the valleys that run between the mountains, their graves marked by a spear driven into the ground. Whilst the Infinity Knights have taken to ritually freezing the bodies of their fallen brothers, the technology used to do so is not perfect, and over time even those carefully managed and frozen body parts can suffer damage that renders them useless. In homage, perhaps, to that Asharan warrior tradition, whenever a Company returns to Ashar, the remains of any dead Infinity Knights borne by the Company are buried in vast caverns beneath the Fortress Monastery. Most frequently, the bodies have many functioning organs removed prior to the burial, and kept for as long as possible in the specially modified storage rooms aboard the Company's vessels. A popular rumour amongst Asharans is that on the day the Emperor walks again, he will restore the dead Astartes from the depths of Ashar, made whole and incorruptible, to serve alongside him once again. Geneseed: "In life and death both, we embody the legacy of our Primarch." - Apothecary Asir Sciran, Infinity Knights Tenth Company The geneseed of the Infinity Knights comes directly from the lineage of the Ultramarines, the sons of Roboute Guilliman. It is considered a link not only to the Primarch, but to all heroes from any Chapter descended from this noble lineage. However, over the centuries, a minor flaw has revealed itself in the geneseed - older Astartes are occasionally prone to a slow degredation of the organs that mark a Space Marine. For the most part, the failing organs can easily be replaced with working ones via surgeries, so as yet this flaw has not directly claimed any lives within the Chapter. While much study has gone into determining the cause of this degradation, Apothecaries, Librarians and scholars alike are yet to find the source of the problem. Theories that the geneseed's recent degredation are linked to the schizophrenia developing in the Chapter's veteran circles are presently considered groundless. Battle Cry: "Victory Eternal!" -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Updated 05/04/2016 (English date) Thanks for reading! See any mistakes? Think something needs to change? Give me a shout! All opinions and criticism welcome, as always.

*Picture of Space Marines here, still WIP* "A poor hunter chases prey. A good hunter waits for it." - Chapter Master Koganeth, Champions of Athlum, M38.224 Early History: "Some battles are decided before swords are drawn" - Athlumi proverb Amongst the first Chapters created in the 18th Founding, the Champions were given clear objectives from their very inception. Sent to the south-east of the Glastheim Rifts, the Chapter was to establish a base of operations and destroy a festering empire of brutal, lizard-like xeno raiders called the Khovata. Arriving at their designated area of operations, the Champions immediately began a war of calculated aggression, striking the xenos occupiers wherever their defences were weakest and clearing the path for larger Imperial Guard and Navy forces to push the xenos back. On the border of the Kohvate empire lay the Death World of Athlum, a stunningly beautiful but barely hospitable planet filled with hyper-lethal plant and animal life. The Chapter found the planet's climate produced hardy, viable recruits, and quickly adopted Athlum as a homeworld, allowing them to replace the losses incurred during the Khovata wars. The final assault against the Khovata empire saw their homeworld of Lor conquered, the aliens massacred and the scant handfuls of survivors fleeing into distant space. Lor fell into Imperial hands, and was quickly turned into a mining colony to supply the Adeptus Mechanicus with ores and oils. The Champions, having succeeded in breaking the strength of the Khovata, found themselves suddenly beset by Dark Eldar - the Kabal of the Shattered World began launching raids on nearby Imperial worlds, forcing the Champions to chase after this elusive foe. At the same time, Chaos cults began to surface across multiple systems, sometimes in great numbers or with hordes of mutants or daemons in thrall. Beyond this, remnants of the Khovata sometimes launched their own bloody raids from the distant, disparate worlds they had fled to, cutting into the Champions' territory like a scythe, intent on causing as much damage as possible. The Champions were unable to easily pursue foes across so many fronts, and so changed their tactics, drawing inspiration from the hunters on their Homeworld of Athlum. Studying the habits and attack patterns of their enemies, the Champions were able to use smaller forces to lie in ambush, using guile and forward planning to intercept enemy attacks. Chapter serfs were employed as agents, gathering intelligence and acting as watchful eyes for the Chapter on many worlds. When enemies massed in large numbers, the Champions would seldom attack them head-on, instead sending strike teams of a few squads to destroy enemy supplies and materiel, sabotage enemy defences or ships, or assassinate key enemy figures. The Chapter quickly became famous for their "Death of a Thousand cuts" approach to warfare, weakening an enemy to the point the battle was all but decided before the Champions deployed their companies in open war to finish a foe. The Champions of Athlum would, in M37, become part of the "Silver Circle", a band of Chapters around the Glastheim Rifts sworn to defend the Imperium's holdings in that area. Heretics lurking in the Warpstorm-addled Rifts themselves and xeno predators attacking from all angles made the Rifts a dangerous place, but the alliance of Space Marine Chapters worked together - albeit grudgingly - to grant the Imperium some additional purchase in the region. In late M40, the Champions discovered the lost world of Kynasa, that was in many ways a mirror of proud Athlum. Home to a hardy, primitive population dwelling in the forested ruins of ancient Imperial cities, rich in danger for the unwary, and isolated enough to have largely avoided the predations of enemies. Claiming recruitment rights from the world at the same time as claiming Kynasa for the Imperium, the Champions even transported a small but significant portion of Athlum's population to Kynasa to help ensure the world's viability for future generations of recruits. The occupation of Kynasa went smoothly, and the Chapter successfully took it's first batch of recruits from the world before disaster struck, a scant few years later. After feinting an attack at the Maladar system, the Kabal of the Shattered World were able to deploy a large-scale raid on Kynasa, killing or abducting every man, woman and child from the young colony, and retreating back into the webway at blinding speed. The Champions, overcome with grief and rage, raced to get vengeance. In their haste, the Chapter made several errors of judgement that led to an extended series of defeats. Their supply lines were repeatedly targeted by the Drukhari, several Chapter serfs killed or kidnapped while attempting reconnaissance, and on two occasions Company Apothecaries were assassinated in the midst of otherwise unimportant skirmishes with unaffiliated foes. The Champions came to their senses and saw that the Dark Eldar were trying to play them at their own game. The Chapter refocused their anger, turning it from a burning rage into an ice-cold, murderous focus. To this day, both the Kabal and the Chapter remain locked in an endless series of raids, ambushes and gruelling small-scale warfare all across the south-east of the Glastheim Rifts. Recent History: "Our success depends upon our strength. Our strength depends upon our success." - Brother Maliad, Champions of Athlum 7th Company, 516.M41 Amongst the many disasters that befell the Imperium with the opening of the Cicatrix Maledictum, Athlum came under direct attack, thanks to the machinations of the heretical Blades of Atracia. Cults sprang up, seemingly in synchronicity with the appearance of the Cicatrix, no doubt seeded and sheltered by the traitors in the Glastheim Rifts for this very purpose. The Champions were, as always, quick to react, dispersing their forces to be the rock against which this wave of heresy would break. While the Champions were thus occupied, the Blades of Atracia struck at Athlum itself. With half the Chapter still entangled with enemy forces off-world, and less than eighty marines left standing in Athlum's defence, the Champions mounted a desperate last-ditch defence at their Fortress Monastery, gathering as many of the civilians as they could and bunkering down. Before the Blades of Atracia could do much more than breach the second layer of walls, however, reinforcements arrived from an unexpected direction. Companies of Primaris Space Marines, bearing the livery of the Silver Circle's Chapters at the head of innumerable hosts of Adeptus Mechanicus Skitarii and Imperial Guard. The Indomitus Crusade had arrived, and with it came thunderous, inevitable victory for the Champions and the Imperium. The Riftmark leading the Chaos forces was slain, trampled to death by the unyielding Kastelan Robots of Forgeworld Valstrax, causing a mass breakdown of the heretic's command structure. The Champions were much less active in the century following the Battle of Athlum, their efforts focused largely inwards as the Chapter adapted to the changes wrought by both the attack on their own world and the Indomitus Crusade. Eventually, however, the Champions re-emerged from the Battle of Athlum with renewed purpose, striking remorselessly at heretics and aliens wherever they may be found with the Chapter's traditional precision and focus. Recruiting more serfs from other worlds allowed the Champions to spread their intelligence network further while tightening their control on the systems and subsectors around Athlum. Taking steps to ensure Athlum would never be so exposed to enemy action again, a hundred Primaris marines were assigned to what was informally called "The Sentinel Company"; a group dedicated directly to the protection of Athlum itself. Homeworld: "To be entranced by the flower is to forget the presence of the poison." - Athlumi proverb http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/sm.php?b62c=@hXbsb_hOPYE.hmmn0@@@@@@@_@.@@i8khii8khi@@@@@@@@@@@_iakk7_iakk7@@@@@@@@@@hCmX3.@@@@@@@@@@@@@.iakk7&grid=TRUE A Battle Brother of the Champions of Athlum Athlum, the chosen homeworld of the Champions, is a beautiful, verdant paradise, crawling with life. But behind the beautiful visage is a world of extreme danger. Almost every life form on Athlum is dangerous, from the incredibly poisonous blossom trees that turn the forest canopies lilac and pink once a year, to the myriad of insects whose bites can cause permanent damage to unlucky victims. Amongst the deadliest things on Athlum are the carnivorous Wyverns, house-sized flying carnivores that roam the skies looking for exposed targets to feast upon, and the Dirgewolves, giant wolves whose front half is largely covered in scales and bone protrusions, making them very hard to hurt with conventional weapons. The humans of Athlum live in scattered clans, and mostly survive as hunter-gatherers, armed with the finest bows, spears and traps that their craftsmen can make. Only the patient and the skilled can survive on Athlum, and it is from the youth of this hardy caste of hunters that the Champions draw most of their recruits. Known as the Great Spire, the Fortress Monastery of the Champions of Athlum was constructed in the centre of the planet's highest mountain range. The mountains themselves are called "The land of Angels" by the natives, and none dare tread on such sacred ground, leaving the Champions to keep a distant vigil on the people below. The outside of the Spire is faced in gleaming white marble, and it can be seen from almost a week's journey away on the plains below, reaching above even the high peaks. For recruitment trials, the Champions drop would-be aspirants in one of several pre-selected starting points, roughly a day's travel from the base of the mountains, and simply instruct them to reach the Spire. The trial routes bring aspirants face-to-face with some of Athlum's most dangerous wildlife, and then pits survivors against the treacherous, unfamiliar terrain of the mountains as they seek to reach their goal. The Chapter's outlook and methods of war are shaped to a certain degree by the native hunters of Athlum. Patience, planning and decisive action are the keywords by which both hunter and Space Marine live and die. Beliefs: "War is not the only duty of a Champion." - Chaplain Durran, Champions of Athlum 1st Company, 113.M42 Parhaps the most unusual aspect of the Champions of Athlum's outlook on the Imperium is their view on The Emperor. The Champions feel that He looks upon His Imperium with great sorrow, a soul-deep melancholy that what should have been His greatest work was laid to ruin. Additionally, the Champions believe that His Space Marines are the only surviving means of truly uniting and protecting the Imperium, and that The Emperor intended for Space Marines to not only safeguard ordinary humans, but to embody the best aspects of humanity. Thusly, the Champions of Athlum believe the Chapter must excel in all disciplines to be as The Emperor intended them to be. To this end, the Chapter can boast well-practiced craftsmen, diplomats, artists, musicians, and architects as well as great fighters and insightful strategists. The Champions point to their Primarch, Guilliman, and his own multi-faceted talents as further proof that Space Marines should be more than simple fighters. Though this diversity of disciplines obviously serves the Chapter well in many respects, it does come with its own drawbacks. Those who study non-combat disciplines are, inevitably, somewhat less-practiced in war. While the difference is almost imperceptible to outsiders, even fractional hesitations or marginal errors in a combat situation against the enemies of mankind can mean the difference between victory and death. This has led, over the centuries, to something of a culture of preservation in the Chapter, where battle-brothers skilled in one or more non-combat arts are considered to be, informally, of somewhat higher value than their purely war-trained kinsmen. This is done simply to prevent the Chapter's expertise in esoteric disciplines from diminishing, and preserve the reputation of the Chapter as a whole. Furthermore, such is the Champions' conviction that they are closer to The Emperor's ideals for the Space Marine, that many amongst the Chapter tend to treat other Chapters as either short-sighted fools or wilfully ignorant of their true purpose. Thus, the pride of the Champions remains a stumbling block in their relations with other Chapters. The Chapter's diplomatic corps exists, in part, to manage this issue - keeping the more self-assured Champions firmly in line as well as minimizing the risks of conflict between brothers. Battle Doctrines: "Squad Amanir, close with the objective. Squad Uthag, fire on my mark..." - Sergeant Galborn, Champions of Athlum 3rd Company, during the battle of Kryndaia, 233.M41 The Champions of Athlum are somewhat atypical for Space Marine Chapters in that most of their defining victories ultimately come from small-scale actions. Kill Teams sent to eliminate key or isolated enemy figures, or sabotage enemy materiel, or disrupt a foe's supply lines. Combat Patrols using carefully gathered intelligence to cripple an enemy force before it ever truly musters its' strength. Small-scale strikes used to cause large-scale effects, so that when the time comes for the Champions to muster at Company strength and take to the battlefield, often the result of the battle is decided before the Company even deploys for battle. On the battlefield proper, the Champions of Athlum fight as befitting an Ultramarine successor, with fluid battle plans that take advantage of an enemy's weaknesses as they are presented. There is a noted predilection to the use of ambush attacks, outflanking strikes and the use of carefully laid traps, mirroring the methods of hunters on Athlum. The use of camouflage is not only considered acceptable, but encouraged by the Chapter, though their innate pride ensures they seldom completely cover their Chapter's heraldic colours. Organisation: "A leader must set an example. We must set an example." - Codicier Kyrloth, Champions of Athlum 1st Company, 167.M42 Taking pride in the heritage of their Primarch, Roboute Guilliman, the Champions of Athlum proudly adhere to codex-mandated Organisation. Such structure has served the Chapter well in their time in the Glastheim Rifts, being able to disperse or gather to deal with encroaching threats as they rise. For a long time, the only notable deviation was the renaming of the traditional rank of Company or Chapter Champion as "Headtakers", given that each Battle-Brother is already a Champion in name. The arrival of Primaris marines placed the Champions of Athlum in a difficult situation with regards to their Codex-Adherence. Considering themselves exemplars amongst marines, how they handled the issue of the Codex Astartes not making provision for the Primaris Marines was seen in the Chapter as a decision of the utmost importance, and arguments amongst the Champions' leadership for how to handle the issue were commonplace. Eventually, the Primaris marines were all provisionally placed into an Eleventh Company, until such time as a satisfactory decision can be agreed upon by the Champions' leadership. Despite being technically limited to one company, the Primaris marines were scattered to reinforce the existing ten Companies around the Rifts, mirroring the way the First Company veterans are seldom gathered together. A hundred Primaris marines of varying experience and role are kept at Athlum, known within the Chapter as the "Sentinel Company" or "Vigilants" to better ward against another attack at Athlum itself. Marines in the Sentinel Company are rotated back into the regular companies on a yearly basis. Those amongst the Chapter assigned to keep a vigil on specific systems or areas of space where enemy activity is expected are given the honorary title of "Marchwarden", taken from an old Athlumi title. The Title of "High Marchwarden" is bestowed to the marine assigned as the leader of the Sentinel Company. Geneseed: "To excel in all matters is the goal of all right-thinking sons of Guilliman" - Brother Nabirad, Champions of Athlum 2nd Company, 783.M39 The Champions of Athlum bear the genetic lineage of the Ultramarines. Proximity to the radiation of the Glastheim Rifts has caused minor mutations in the Melanchrome, causing the hair of most Champions to transition to bright white from an early age. The Chapter has been known to suffer a lower successful implantation rate for geneseed in new recruits than most Ultramarine successors, but such is the pride of the Champions that they would never deign to simply request more geneseed from any stock but their own. Battlecry: Outside of company-level engagements, the Champions seldom make use of traditional battlecries, however the commonly-used motto "For Athlum and Emperor" seems to double as their most typically-used war call. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Updated: 13/7/2021 Quotes! Also added and refined some more stuff, addressing more points raised by my erstwhile and vigilant Brothers. Specific relations with the rest of the Silver Circle will have to wait until I've actually defined the rest of the Silver Circle. Updated further, trimmed a few words. It hasn't made much difference to the size of the article but I suppose every little helps!

The Kabal of the Shattered World Early History: "You are a worthless coward, who only stabs his foes in the back!" - Last words of Edariphel Blacksword "Correction: I have others stab my foes in the back." - Kalios Rhidainyan, at the Battle of Ardanu The Rhidainyan family has long been one of Commorragh's noble class, famed for producing numerous talented warriors over the millennia, many of whom are even primarily loyal to the lords they choose to serve. When the youngest son of Irnach Rhidainyan, the ancient and cruel Master-Patriarch of the Rhidainyans, proved to be essentially worthless as a warrior, Irnach carefully arranged a suicide mission for his son to lead, in the guise of a 'daring raid' at the head of a number of other lacklustre warriors. In this way, Irnach planned to avoid tarnishing the reputation of the Rhidainyan family. Accompanying his son were a handful of Irnach's personal enforcers, to ensure the youth 'died heroically' in the coming battle, as well as their personal enoturages of skilled veteran warriors. But the son in question, one Kalios Rhidainyan, was no fool, and laid his plans to counter-act his father's death sentence. While he was, in truth, a poor combatant, Kalios' real strength lay in his natural charisma and cunning. Whilst en route to the planned 'raid', on the Imperium-held world of Ardanu, Kalios was able to win the loyalty - if temporarily - of not only the bulk of inexperienced troops, but several of his father's veterans, promising them a glorious future if he survived the inevitable betrayal. Sure enough, the Imperial World of Ardanu was much too heavily defended for a raiding party to make much progress, but Kalios was prodded into leading the battle from the front by his father's enforcers. When the Imperial defences began firing, the enforcers were supposed to cut Kalios down. Instead, the enforcers themselves were torn apart by the rest of Kalios' army. Kalios immediately ordered the retreat, but the webway portal used to access Ardanu was damaged by Imperial artillery, and did not lead the Drukhari home. Instead, the portal spat them out in a dark, forgotten corner of the webway, the way out behind them sealed by the destruction of the webway gate on Ardanu. In this un-natural realm of twisted and broken paths, Kalios and his party were lost. Only the constant threat of attack by monsters both terrifying and malign kept the raiding party from fracturing into squabbling fragments, along with the slick charisma and guile of the wily Rhidainyan son. After an interminable time wandering the broken paths of the webway, the raiders happened across what was, unmistakably, the ruins of a long-forgotten Craftworld. Long-bereft of life and covered by the undisturbed dust of countless aeons, the raiders were at last able to find shelter against the monsters that dwelt outside. At the Craftworld's heart, the raiders found a webway gate, that, in response to their presence, flickered into fitful life. Kalios, fearing what could happen if he returned alive to Commorragh, swiftly made the proclamation that this broken shell, dormant and forgotten in a nameless, dark corner of the webway, would be their new home. He swayed the raiders and their leaders with promises of a glorious future, one rich in prisoners and treasure, where they would rule this broken city as kings. And thus, the Kabal of the Shattered World was created. Recent History: "We are no longer simply soldiers to die at Lord Irnach's will. We have become the destroyers of worlds - and no foe can stand before us." - Archon Mephirion the Bleak The Kabal of the Shattered World operate mostly around the region of space called the Glastheim Rifts. Nominally an Imperial territory with thinly-spread defences, Kalios' aptitude at picking his fights carefully has seen the Kabal grow considerably in strength since their creation. The Rifts are anything but a soft target, however. No fewer than Six Chapters of Space Marines encircle its borders, embroiled in an eternal battle not only with alien invaders, but against the God-cursed servants of Chaos. Besides these arrogant giants, the Rifts boast a myriad of Imperial regiments, fleets and even an Order of the Adepta Sororitas. Nevertheless, Kalios is adept at reading the flow of the eternal wars that rage around the Glastheim Rifts, and is most often found guiding his Kabal to battlefields of his own choosing, away from impossible odds. Hundreds of worlds have felt the poisonous wrath of the raider-kings of Kalios' Kabal. This is not to say the Kabal of the Shattered World are afraid of the Imperial war machine, however. Notably, in the dying years of the 41st millennium, the Kabal of the Shattered World completely enslaved the population of the Space Marine recruitment world of Kynasa, formerly in use by the Chapter called the Champions of Athlum. Those who were not taken by the Drukhari were slain, their skin torn from their corpses and used as banners by the Kabal. This act has earned the undying hatred of the crimson-clad Champions, who have since devoted themselves to intercepting and destroying the Kabal wherever they can be found. Most recently, the Kabal of the Shattered World have managed a successful raid on the world of Talhon, the homeworld of the White Hawks Chapter of Space Marines, burning a town to ashes and taking many prisoners for their experiments. While it is surely inevitable that the Kabal of the Shattered World will eventually either be rediscovered by the keepers of Commorragh, so far the Kabal of the Shattered World remain isolated. Kalios is building the power and grandeur of his Kabal with the eventual intent of returning home a conquering hero, at the head of the most elite military force ever to grace Commorragh. In this way, the unwanted heir of the Rhidainyan family hopes to supplant his father as the leader of the family and it's strongest political force. Homeworld "Don't you see? We've built something here that nobody can take away from us - not even my Father!" - Kalios Rhidainyan The Kabal of the Shattered World live in the crashed ruins of an ancient Craftworld, deep in some dark, forgotten corner of the Webway. Access to and from this ruined ship's webway gate is generally limited to areas around the Glastheim Rifts. The vessel itself was, originally, covered in runes so ancient that even the most learned amongst the Kabal struggled to decipher their meaning. Time had at least partially eroded many of the runes, but those that remained seem to speak of sombre despair and the pain caused by grief. This is, of course, of scant regard to Kalios and his Kabal, who have converted most of the remaining sections of the ancient ship into something more befitting the Drukhari. Gladiatorial arenas, slave pens, and twisted laboratories dominate much of the vessel, surrounding Kalios and his generals' personal quarters inside a large, metal tower at the ship's centre. Organisation "We were all supposed to die. That's the truth of it. Instead, countless worlds cower at the thought of us. This is the destiny we were born to achieve." - Morrlagh the Dreaded As noted, Kalios Rhidainyan is not a warrior. He leads through cunning and guile rather than brute force. He holds the rank of "High Archon", allowing his lieutenants to claim the rank of Archon for themselves. Interestingly, Kalios always makes sure to treat his generals and most prized fighters well. This is but one of the reasons none have sought to overthrow him - nobody in Kalios' inner circle can be truly sure the rest of the Archons would back anyone else attempting to usurp the Rhidainyan Scion. In other respects the Kabal is organised mostly as one would expect a Drukhari force to be organised - factions vying for influence and power have sprung up between the Kabalites, all competing for the "right to raid" under one of Kalios' Archons. Battle Doctrines "Death comes for them, in a blaze of violent glory!" - Idarileth Skinsplitter The Kabal of the Shattered World prefer to face unprepared foes, or those already weakened through hard-fought battles. But when forced into action against a competent foe, they have proven to be fierce foes. Focusing mostly on superior speed and mobility, the Kabal typically use Scourges, Hellions, Raiders and Ravagers to strike at a foe's flanks whilst the bulk of their infantry, beasts and haemonculus-created monsters march forward at the centre, crushing any foe unfortunate enough to be caught in their way. The Kabal uses lots of Wracks in support of their Warriors and other units - there is much evidence to suggest these Wracks are created mostly from human prisoners, primarily the ones taken from Kynasa. These lumbering shock troops are treated as utterly disposable, since the Kabal make a point of breeding their prisoners to ensure there is always plenty of "fresh meat" available. [+--++ Pict-Captures of the Kabal of the Shattered World's forces are currently Pending ++--+] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=