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Part One: Enter Caduceus The pirate frigate had first tried to flee, but the first time it had reemerged from the Immaterium, the green clad Astartes frigate had been only moments behind. Each time after that, there was one more Astartes ship than before. Seeing the uselessness of running, the pirates had put up stiff resistance, but could never have hoped to out maneuver so many ships. The way they moved, like one long segmented vessel, seeking to encircle the pirates in a death grip, the Space Marines appeared to treat the battle with disturbing leisure. Three times the hapless vessel tried to fire on the more predictable escorts in the coiling Astartes formation, but each time the lead frigate would strike in the opening with its own lasers, followed by a torpedo, and to change targets only resulted in a blow from another unattended angle, every salvo obliterating gun batteries until none remained. Anticipating another attempt to flee, the Space Marines ships fired on the pirates’ engines, and after a number of shuddering internal detonations in the ship’s aft it began to drift listlessly. Moments later a much larger vessel broke through the warp, a strike cruiser bearing that same heraldry, the serpent, winged and crowned. No sooner did it appear then it had launched a single Thunderhawk which streaked across the void and came to rest on the hull of the disabled pirate frigate, clamping down near one of the breaches left by a destroyed laser battery. A dozen Astartes descended the ramp, their leader a Marine in identical armor save for the gray tabard covering it and the gold coloring of his helmet’s radio spine, unlike the red on his brothers. Three Marines immediately broke from the group and made towards the aft of the ship. The remaining nine briefly surrounded the mangled hole left by a destroyed gun emplacement. Through the sparks that pierced the darkness they could just make out the shape of the torpedo that had punched through. Apparently satisfied, the Marine leading the squad lowered himself into the opening, pushing off the rim until his boots could lock onto the deck. As his brothers followed into the dark, he crossed silently to the nearest hatch leading toward the bridge. It appeared to have been sealed prior to the chamber’s decompression…unusual. Cocking his head toward the rear of the ship a vox crackle finally cut the silence among the Astartes. “Brother Lorens,” the voice was low, hardly more than a whisper, and chillingly smooth, “We’ve encountered a sealed bulkhead. They may have been prepared for the virus warheads. Have you reached the environmental systems?” The voice that responded was deeper, and coarser, but equally cold, “Negative Captain, ETA in thirty seconds.” “Very well,” returned the Captain, checking that the eight marines with him had fallen in, “it will take us more time to reach the bridge, and if they sealed any more bulkheads, we’ll likely meet resistance. Introduce the agent with a five minute time release, then meet us at the bridge.” “Yes, Captain Vitras,” the line died with the simple reply, and the Captain returned to the sealed hatch blocking their path. He gestured at the nearest Marine, who held a plasma rifle, stepping back as the weapon unleashed its blue fire on the door. The blast dissipated before the vacuum could throw it back in their faces, and when the initial mixture of smoke and atmosphere cleared, there wasn’t much left of the hatch. Streaks of atmosphere still pulled at the ragged edges of the opening as the corridor on the other side continued to depressurize, and moments later a limp form slammed through the opening trailing a spray of red. If the pirate hadn’t already been dead, he was now, the limply held mask in his hand too little too late now that he and his right arm were drifting slowly apart, the silent marines looking on approvingly. Vitras wordlessly stooped through the now crimson rimmed opening, eyes and helmet optics accommodating for the deeper darkness. The marines filled almost the entire corridor as they followed it deeper into the ship. They reached the next bulkhead almost without incident, but just as the plasma gun was about to do its work, lights flickered on overhead, and a blast door came down behind them. With a pneumatic hiss the hatch before them unsealed and burst open, autogun fire already spilling through. With no door on hand, Captain Vitras let roar his chainsword and tore through the wall to his right, finding sleeping quarters on the other side. Four of his men further back found doors on the other side of the corridor, while two more followed after Vitras. The brother bearing the plasma gun, and the brother behind him made no move, already in the act of carrying out the order that followed. “Cover fire!” Barked Vitras just as the bolter fire began, “Brother Viboras, to ash with them!” Vitras and his men leaned into the corridor to fire as one while a pair of plasma blasts streaked into the flashing gunfire that was the enemy. The volume of incoming fire immediately dropped, and as it did Vitras thundered back into the corridor, the bulkheads shaking with the collective pounding of his ceramite form and the renewed roar of the chainsword. The rest of the squad followed after, though all they really had time to see was the Captain surrounded by a halo of autogun fire and viscera as the chainsword arched and slashed, cleaving everything before it. Seconds later, the corridor was silent again except for the quiet dripping of blood both from the chainsword and the ceiling. Brother Viboras stepped up behind the Captain and could see that the autoguns had chinked away enough armor on his arm to expose the bionics underneath. These whirred briefly as Captain Vitras gestured to his squad once more, and they passed through the scene of the carnage. “Captain,” the vox crackled with the incoming hail. “Speak, Brother,” Vitras’ voice remained disturbingly level. “The distributor is in place, as are we.” “Status of the bridge?” “The corsair is cowering here with his retinue, awaiting your arrival.” “Excellent. Trigger the distributor. How much time was left?” There was a chuckle on the other end, “A minute and thirty three seconds, Captain.” “Hm, best time yet.” An alarm began to sound, and the lights dimmed, replaced by pulsing red glow, a sign that the ships environmental systems had been compromised. Through the next unsealed hatch was the short corridor leading to the bridge. Visible through a small viewport, two of the pirates stood guard about thirty feet outside the door, though they seemed awfully relaxed for their situation. Both leaning almost casually against the walls, they at least gripped their weapons tightly. When the Marines appeared in the corridor…the pirates didn’t move, nor did the Marines react to their presence, but strode directly towards the bridge access doors. Around the necks of the brigands hung oxygen masks ready for use, but the dimness of the corridor made it difficult to distinguish their faces until they were close. Neither Vitras nor Viboras payed them any mind, but walked past the guards to the door controls, the Captain replacing his pistol on his leg as he went. Each Marine except the last ignored the guards as though they weren’t there, the brother in the rear removing his bolt from its maglock as he approached. As his brothers approached the door he leaned down to see the face of each pirate. Satisfied with the terrified, strained and even tearful faces he found, he put a bolt round into each one’s head, practically destroying their skulls. At the door, Captain Vitras had found to his surprise that the controls weren’t locked out, and the doors opened to the last echo of the bolt shots. The bridge was darker than the rest of the ship, lit more by the panels and instrumentation than anything, and as the hulking marines fanned out into the room they found that each of the stations was still occupied by a crewman, and the captain sat in his throne in the center of the chamber, facing the Astartes, his mask only half on. There were several other armed pirates around the room, but each lay on the ground in an awkward position, unmoving, but with apparently unwounded. As Captain Vitras stalked across the chamber to the captain the rest of his men drew their pistols, and when the Captain leaned down and spoke, gripping the back of the throne with a bionic fist, his words came with the staccato of the bolt shots executing his crew. “Your struggle against the Imperium is at an end, heretic,” breathed that cold, smooth voice out of the helmet, “I am Captain Vitras of the Basilisks. You have lived to this moment only so that the fear of our name can go with you into death.” He lowered his hand and tapped the arm of the throne, where the pirate captain was still depressing a rune with a white knuckle grip. An attempted transmission, or a successful one in truth, as the text on the tiny screen above it indicated that the corsair had opened a line to somewhere…and they were still listening. Whether a call for help, or last instructions to another clan of raiders, whoever was at the other end was hearing the grim last moments of the doomed ship. “Consider it a final act of loyalty to--” “Cap-tain,” the pirate had managed to speak! To resist the Basilisks’ nerve agent to that degree without the help of a mask would have required bionics in the lungs. Apparently this was not an average pirate, and Vitras soon discovered why, “I ha—mess-age,” with enormous effort, the pirate lifted his finger, releasing the rune to allow return communication. A garbled voice came hissing through the ship’s vox, barely distinguishable as Low Gothic. “Blood of the crowned snake! Vengeance for Bahl’s sons!” There were a number of flashing lights through the viewports and, crossing rapidly to the nearest, Captain Vitras peered out into the void. A sizeable fleet of Astartes-class ships had emerged from the warp, easily twice the strength of the circling Basilisk fleet, and from where he stood Vitras could already see guns turning on his brothers…as well as the disabled ship where they now stood. “Lorens, now!” he cried, voice turning ragged, drawing his pistol and unloading into the viewport, and in answer, a meltagun discharge struck it from the outside, bathing the room in white for a moment before the meter thick panes disintegrated and exploded into space. Vitras and his men inside barely had time to lock their boots, but no sooner had they done so than they charged out of the opening onto the ship’s hull, greeted by Brother Lorens and his two companions. Behind them the bodies of the crew and the still living pirate captain vented into the void, but the marines were already traversing the hull towards the Thunderhawk as fast as they could go. Flashes above them told Vitras that the enemy fleet had engaged them, and a shudder below told him something had struck the frigate. A violent buckle and a blossoming orange glow from behind followed promptly, and two of the Marines were swatted off the hull by the impact, no chance to react. The rest of the squad carried on, and they soon reached the boarding ramp of their ‘hawk. Detaching as soon as the last marine had a sure foot on the ramp, the Marines locked themselves in place and the Thunderhawk rocketed away from the frigate. The former pirate ship was already coming apart, wracked with explosions both internal and external. In the tense minutes since the appearance of the enemy fleet, the Basilisk’s hadn’t yet lost a ship, but as the Thunderhawk docked with its Strike Cruiser, Vitras leaping prematurely from its hold and making for the command deck, the voxes announced the destruction of the frigate Stone Fang. Bursting into the command center, Vitras’ gaze sought the ship’s commander. “D’selvus, status!” “Captain! The enemy is unkown! Our formations are dogged but holding, reinforcements enroute!” “Damned heretics! I want to know who these faithless traitors are!” “Vitras!” The Captain whirled to find Codicier Seranus striding into the command center, “I have your answer,” Vitras followed the Librarian to the viewport where both could clearly make out the dulled, dark red hulls of the enemy ships, the symbols at their prows all but erased for want of attention, save one. A red serpent coiled threateningly over the atlas ellipse of an unknown world, resting on a sand colored field…familiar, “They are Pythons,” Vitras’ head snapped back to the Codicier, revealing shock and disbelief, “That’s right, brother, the Baal Pythons have returned.” ~~~~~~~ Comments & Critiques very welcome, looking forward to refining and expanding this story.

(Part I) Chapter Datafile: Venerators of Korumani Founding - M.34 Progenitor Legion - Dark Angels Known Descendants - None Homeworld - Korumani III Allegiance - Loyalist Notable History The Venerators of Korumani Chapter was more commonly known simply as "The Venerators." The Chapter amassed a respectable battle record in the six hundred years of its existence, including the Paramon Crusade, the Vandressen Punitive Expedition, and the Defense of Ferotas IV. The Chapter is most well known, however, for sacrificing itself in order to ensure the defeat of the daemon prince known as “Doombreed” when that fell being led a bloody black crusade in early M35. Despite being descended from the Dark Angels Chapter, the Venerators of Korumani followed the dictates of the Codex Astartes quite closely and aren’t known to have deviated from that tome in terms of organization and heraldry as commonly followed by the other Unforgiven Chapters. In addition, there is no evidence that the Chapter maintained a close relationship with its predecessor during its six hundred year existence. Some speculate that the Dark Angels Chapter turned its back on the Successor on the basis of the High Lords’ decision to create the Venerators of Korumani despite the severe losses the Dark Angels had suffered during the Fourth Black Crusade of Abaddon the Despoiler. Livery The Venerators of Korumani wore silver armour. The Chapter badge depicted a black shield with a yellow winged lion passant in chief bearing a sword upright in one hand. Company affiliation was indicated by the addition of the company number in white at the bottom of the shield in the Chapter badge, an uncommon practice, but one within the broad interpretations of the Codex Astartes. Squad affiliation was indicated by the squad number in white upon the black squad badge, with the Chapter using the style of squad badges most commonly used by those Chapters that adhere to the Codex Astartes. When wearing tactical dreadnought armour, the Chapter badge was worn upon the right shoulder and the number upon the shield indicated the squad to which the terminator-brother belonged (since the Venerators of Korumani followed the dictates of the Codex Astartes and only allowed the trained veterans of the 1st Company to wear the rare tactical dreadnought armour). The veterans and officers of the Chapter often wore black tabards, though this practice was by no means universal. The winged lion image is used by kind permission of Mike Harpin. You can see more of his work at http://dribbble.com/cre8ivmike. I've been debating whether to post this in the Dark Angels forum or in Liber Astartes. In the end, I decided to post it within the Dark Angels forum because the Chapter was developed as part of the Brotherhood of Angels project and is posted as a continuance of that project. I will probably take the steps to link to it from the Liber Astartes forum later. As the "(Part I)" at the top indicates, there's more to come (wheels within wheels...).

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b257/alienbastard89/Warhammer/PAeECover.png At the same time the lighting systems failed, the firefight escalated, illuminating the corridors with the flashes of autogun and lasgun fire. The dim, stuttering light was punctuated by the brighter flash of plasma blasts and bolt explosions; whoever was returning fire was doing so with superior arms. Electrical fires gave flickering life to the corridors where the fighting had ended, or moved on, illuminating the upturned and grimacing faces of the fallen. The barge shuddered under another exterior barrage, its plates and its men groaning beneath the punishment. The ship was lost. From the black recesses of a ceiling vent a quartet of glowing red optics kindled to life, looking into the corridor below. A lithe form, feminine but otherwise indiscernible in the dark, dropped with trained silence onto the floor. The sounds of the battle were not far off, and as the figure edged cautiously to a corridor crossing, it cocked its head to listen. "Arrrgh!" "Cover fire, someone pick that shield up before we're broken completely," A defender, then, rallying the ship's crew, "If we don't give them enough time, it's all for noth---" Another voice, volume enhanced by a vox amp, cut through the rallying call, "It's over, heretics! Surrender and you may yet be redeemed!" At that, the volume of fire from the defenders appeared to redouble. There were no doubts as to what 'redemption' meant. Still the voice demanded acknowledgment, "Then die as the Emperor's enemies, and we will take them anyway!" Like a shadow, the red eyed figure flitted across the opening, pausing only a moment more to listen, but the two forces had resigned themselves to the fury of combat, and the only thing to hear were incoherent shouts and the grunt of life being extinguished by each true shot. A plasma bolt cleared the melee, traveling the length of the hall and flashing before the figure's face, leaving a scorch mark on the bulkhead as it struck. The flash revealed a full body suit of mostly white, with a few black panels, and the four glowing optics organized one each above and below where the eyes ought to be. The illumination was only momentary, as the plasma flash prompted the figure to turn and sprint into the darkness of the hall. The sounds of weapon fire faded as she ran, making one turn, then another, the sounds of battle replaced by the rasp of air recycling through her breathing unit, perfectly regular, timed with her every move. The barge shuddered again, more violently, and the ship listed slightly. Already at a turn, she compensated, footfalls finding purchase on the wall instead of the floor. She righted herself with the ship and went on without breaking pace. The floor panels shuddered again, but not from an external blow, and she stopped, straining to hear any sign of an approach. A security bulkhead somewhere between her and the fighting had been breached. After a moment, two rasped breaths, she took off again. Turning one more corner, a dim flashing red light ahead told her she had reached her destination. Too late, though. She could hear shouting now, on the otherwise of the wall beside her, and ran faster. "You'll never find her! They're gone, both of them!" And then that same vox-cast voice that made her blood boil, "You reveal too much. I'm close, aren't I?" She heard the thud, a body striking a wall, between her and the room, and then the wall set aglow for a second before exploding into the corridor in her path. She knew it was coming, and training cut off any instinct to scream or gasp. Instead she flung herself through the smoke and fire like a bolt. As if time had slowed, she saw a light blossom in the heart of the smokey opening, and could only hope to be through before the plasma found her in its path. She felt the heat, but no pain came, and she landed safely only meters from the room she'd come all this way to get to. The cruel voice echoed through the smoke, accompanied by hastening, but heavy footsteps, "Ah, and there you are. Almost too easy!" Optics flaring as she glanced over her shoulder, she saw first the boots, then the broad brim of the hat, the seal of the Inquisition breaking the smoke. There was the glow of a plasma pistol from one side, and at the sight of the flickering muzzle of an inferno pistol, she turned her attention back to the escape. In two bounds she passed below the flashing red glow and into the embrace of the shadows within. The Inquisitor pounded after, diving without hesitation into the darkness, only to be greeted by a metallic roar and the terrifyingly close whirring of a massive mechanical limb. A fraction of a second slower and the Inquisitor would have lost his head. As it was his hat disappeared beneath the giant’s swipe and the powered fist punched through the wall as the Inquisitor ducked beneath it and made to level the inferno pistol. Finally this elicited a response from his prey, as with a snarl the female dropped from the shadows above, slashing at his midriff with a glowing orange blade. The Inquisitor was forced to roll back towards the doorway. With speed belying its size, the owner of the powered fist wrenched it from the wall, circling with thunderous footsteps deeper into the room and leaving an electrical fire to spring to light behind it. The Inquisitor slowly rose, staring down the two forms before him in the new, flickering glow. Towering above him was a Dreadnought, one of its arms missing- not damaged, but removed. The ancient shell was white, while the sarcophagus in its center was yellow, along with a single stripe that rose from its center up over the hull, with identifying markings in black, most of which differed from standard Astartes patterns. Silently, the female dropped again from her vantage point above, landing astride the dreadnought, and staring unyieldingly back at the Inquisitor. His pale face was given stark contrasts by the fire light, and his crooked, self-satisfied smile was broken by a neat scar beginning below his chin and crossing the bridge of his nose, over his left brow and into dark hair, currently matted with sweat. At last he spoke, this time foregoing the vox amp. "Both together, eh? The Emperor has truly smiled upon me. Look," he leveled both his weapons at the pair, then slowly lowered them to the deck, "we can help each other. No need for you both to perish here. If you aren't heretics, turn yourselves in, and I can protect you from the repercussions. You must know there is no way to escape, but I can spare you! The secrets that must lie in your minds," his eyes flashed hungrily as he looked at each of them, "I have laid down my weapons. As a token of good faith...why not tell me who sent you?" The female raised her hand towards the Hereticus operative, as though about to strike, but a voice rumbled from the dreadnought, not loud, but firm,"No, Jacqueline." Slowly, her hand lowered. The Inquisitor took this as license to continue, "Yes, very good, just come quietly. We want you ali--" She brandished a spherical object, no doubt explosive, and the Inquisitor's eyes widened. If it were possible, a smile could be heard in the dreadnought's voice. "Now. Do it." ~~~[/intro] So I've decided to try and piece this idea together, detailing the Cerberus Chapter's Operation Shingle . I enjoyed how this first bit came out, for being typed on the phone during the 20 hour drive to Utah. I'd love to get C&C, both on the story and the 'cover' I'm working up, if the artist permits me to use the subject piece I have in mind. Anyway, more to come before too long, I hope. Edit: original cover art image by .

+++++++ Gods created their angels not to dispense peace upon the meek, but to bring death to creation's teratisms Gods created their angels not to sit and defend the hearth, but to visit bloody vengeance upon oathbreakers We were created in the image of those very beings by our beloved Emperor Why should we be any different? The Proclamation of the Sanguine Twillight +++++++ >>>>Accessing File 3384772-81<<<< >>>>Please stand by<<<< .... .... .... >>>>Access granted<<<< >>>>Unspooling telemetric datastorage<<<< CHAPTER: The Emperor's Reavers HOMEWORLD: Polybius(Recruitment Planet) & Kula(Main Vessel) STATUS: Operational, nearly at full strength, loyal CODEX ADHERENCE: Divergent in extremis EMBLEM: The Gauntlet Argentum LIVERY: Bisected, aquatic green & dark lilac FOUNDING: 3rd (Officially) PRIMOGENITOR: Ferrus Manus (Allegedly) +++++++ -Lord Inquisitor Colmar, I bring you the geno-screening results. The process has been repeated thrice, as per your request- -Very well, you have my thanks. The results?- -Yes of course. The Emperor's Reaver's geneseed is derived from the line of Ferrus Manus and has deteriorated little. The acceptance of mechanic augmentation is formidable and the displayed zeal and contempt for 'lesser mortals' is comparable to those of the Iron Hands and Brazen Claws. However, divergent strains have been discovered- -Divergent strains, genetrix?- -Yes lord. Not so much impurities, but rather underlying strains of genic material that I was able to discover by manually dissecting and analyzing the material you have provided me with instead of feeding it to the machines. The resulting markers point to the Raiders of Dusk and the Children of the Night, both of Terran stock- -What conclusion do you draw from this?- -There are two distinct possibilities, lord Colmar. Either, I have made a severe mistake in my analysis and accused an ancient and respected chapter of not only muddied blood, but tainted one too- -Or?- -Somebody has manipulated technology and records for millenia in order to hide geno-heresy. I believe later to be the truth, my lord. Who sanctioned and supervised the creation of this chapter?- -Two seals are imprinted upon their chapter history and data-troves. One belongs to a now dissolved coven of genetors that had been put in place by the High Lords- -The other?- -The Sigillite- +++++++ +++++++ Why is it, that the sons bear their fathers' taints? Why is it, that sin is passed down by blood? Why is it, that where once a rotten apple has grown, ne'r a sweet and healthy one will do so again? If corruption can be passed down, then why not virtue too? How can corruption sprout from virtue, but virtue not from corruption? Is it not the son that understands his father's sins the best? Is it not he that has the greatest reason of all to aspire towards greatness: redemption? I say, it is not blood that taints the sons of lesser fathers, it is the minds of zealots and mongrels. I say, let a phoenix arise from ashes, for the deepest darkness is still cast by the greatest fire. I say, let Dracul's heir strive towards light, for at least he may immolate himself in his gambit for redemption. Greatness and, indeed, purity can be wrested from darkness. If a chance is given, that is. Al'Amir, Pre-Imperial Philosopher, early m3 +++++++ +++++++ Polybius, the frozen jewel of the Segmentum Obscuros. Situated close to the galactic north, a scant few lightyears away from the eternal void, lies the home-world of the Emperor's Reavers. Where Fenris is trapped in an eternal cycle of furious ice and roiling summer's heat, Polybius is a sphere of eternal, silent glaciers so clear, that one can, at times, see miles below oneself. Several great hive-cities dot the landscape, all isolated for decades at times, save for the few traders and smugglers that operate in the ever-hungry wastes. Considering the mineral wealth of Polybius, it is not surprising that the Mechanicus had taken great interest in the planet in millenias past. One hive, a decrepit thing destroyed by glacial shifts, had been given to refugee-priests of forgeworld Shyngar, which had been destroyed somewhen in m33 due to massed orkoid attacks. The chapter allows the since then estabilished coven to practice their faith upon Polybius and mine as much material as needed, provided they use their knowledge and mastery of the iron arts to supply the chapter with a rich variety of weapons, tanks and armours. Apart from this hive, aptly named the Cauldron due the seas of boiling water that had formed around it, the chapter recruits exclusively from the various gangs that have formed in the underbellies of the various mega-cities, much like how the Imperial Fists prefer certain hardied stocks when drawing new blood from Necromunda. +++++++ +++++++ The Emperor's Reavers place little emphasize on personal valour and honour while recruiting from the local gangs. Instead, they search for small groups of individuals, preferably between five and ten in number, which are then collectively subjected to trials of skill, strength and knowledge. It is their aim to create a pool of recruits that already shows an affinity for working together and in tight, gang-like unity; such qualities are desired amongst the Adeptus Astartes, especially chapters that focus on Zone Mortalis and boarding actions, such as the Emperor's Reavers. Armed with sword, axes, and simple stub-pistols, the recruits are sent into the lowest underbellies in search of hidden caches of bolt-shells. Each recruit is to bring one to his future lords. Those who fail, who fall to treason or to the eldritch fauna within the cavernous halls of ice, are left there to rot, their arms and clothes scavenged by their fellow men to ensure better survival. Polybius is a hard world and it breeds cutthroats, corsairs and drug-frenzied berzerks alike. The Reavers welcome all with open arms. +++++++ +++++++ The chapter cares little for the structures laid out by the codex astartes and has faced critique time and time again from both the Imperial Fists and the genealogy of Guillaume. It was during m39 that the Genesis chapter and the Emperor's Reavers had come to blows over an insult that had been voiced by Captain Irilius of the Genesis' second company. Since then, contact has been scarce between the two chapters and the Genesis have been declared unwelcome within the domain of the Reaver's and that no fraternity shall exist between the two chapters, unless Ilius would be willing to settle his differences in a duel. The nine companies of the Emperor's Reavers are expected to function as independently as possible, thus recruiting and providing independently of each other. The chapter master, called Imperial Commander, presides over the company he had led before his election; it is Imperial Commander Ivan that leads the chapter at the helm of the fourth company. Each company has an own cadre of veterans and is expected to keep its suits of terminator armour in battle-ready condition. During the efforts of the Indomitus Crusade, lord Guillaume has brought the knowledge of Primaris creation to the Reavers. What conversations had been held between Ivan and the lord commander were not recorded, but both parties had parted in surprisingly amicable mood. +++++++ +++++++ Indeed, the integration of Primaris Astartes has occurred seamlessly and without the creation of new companies or philosophical strife. Much of the armoury that lord Guillaume had provided, however, had been traded with other chapters or heavily modified in order to fit the Emperor's Reavers modus operandi better. The bolt-rifles have been replaced with the RT-B01 subtype Umbra-pattern bolter, a weapon very common amongst chapters that fight within tight confines as its compact size, decreased weight and high fire-rate have proven to be invaluable in such circumstances, even if it requires more maintenance and is more prone to jamming. Each primaris is equipped with slightly modified mark X armour, usually modifications apply to shoulders and helmets, a bolter and a close combat weapon, be that a knife, machete or power-swords in the case of the chapter's Reaver equivalent, the Bukavac. Indeed, primaris Reavers and Intercessors have been blended together in purpose, as the stripped down mark X armour that Reavers usually employ has proven to be too unstable in boarding actions. Inceptors do not feature within the chapter, for all companies have abandoned such equipment in favour of more common assault formations and tactics. Aggressors, and indeed Gravis armour, are still a heavily discussed topic within each company's strategium, as some argue that with modifications, such units could prove much valuable to the chapter's tactics, while other argue that the material invested in the production of gravis suits should rather be invested in tactical dreadnought armour. +++++++

-Except from Administratum database: Index Astartes- -Clearance Level: Inquisition- -Access: Granted; Limited- The Praetorians (Chapter) The Praetorians are a Chapter believed by the Imperium to have been created in the Thirteenth Founding. They are noted for daring strikes at the heart of the enemy and precise disruptions of enemy infrastructure. They have been declared Lost twice and have been brought to the brink of annihilation on innumerable occasions, but have endured due to the resourcefulness and pragmatism of the Astartes. Colours and Chapter Symbol http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e319/Kelbeef/Praetoriantactical-1.jpg http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e319/Kelbeef/ChiRho.jpg Origins Records Lost The early history of the Praetorians has been lost to all but themselves. This is not an uncommon occurrence, especially for Dark Founding Chapters, but also due to the Age of Apostasy, which resulted in the loss or destruction of many records. The loss of records regarding the Void Stalkers Chapter and its demise may not have been caused by the Age of Apostasy, but rather a result of deliberate intent. It is believed by members of the Ordo Scriptus that only one Chapter was involved in their destruction and that the Chapter was the newly-formed Praetorians. Solid evidence still eludes them, but why this would be the case remains to be discovered. They suspect that the revolt was a much more serious affair than the limited Inquisitorial reports suggest. Like all of the Chapters founded during the Dark Founding, the reason for their founding have either been deleted from Imperial records or have been lost in time. The only hint to the reason being an early incident regarding the destruction of the renegade Void Stalkers Chapter not long after the Praetorians Founding. The records of the forces involved in the conflict do not name the Astartes Chapter that was present, but the Praetorians own records state they were involved in the conflict. The equipment and fleet of this 4th Founding Chapter vanished after this event, with only past Gene-Seed tithe and scant records of their past remaining to substantiate their existence. Homeworld Byzantium is a Feudal World that is located in the centre of a major cluster of systems that form the Byzas Subsector. Aside from the period which trapped the Praetorians in the Sector it is one of the few relatively safe routes for Warp travel in the Northern Segmentum Obscuris. It is a planet where fortified city-states and republics constantly rise and fall across the habitable regions of the planets equator. The planets population is focussed on the main continent, with a large inland sea where the most powerful city-states and republics reside along the coast. This inland sea is dotted with large volcanic islands, the home of port-cities and pirates. This sea is almost divided by a peninsular into two seas. Historically, the city-state or republic who controlled the city built on the peninsular was the most influential (and wealthy) on the planet. The Byzantines have a classical warrior culture, with the greatest ambition for every boy being to be granted command of their city-state or republics military. However soldiers are almost useless against the sophisticated fortifications of the major towns and cities on the major continent. The generals must rely on subterfuge, sabotage and assassination to allow their armies any chance of occupying these fortresses. As such, each State and Republic have extensive spy networks, as well as highly trained assassins that are recruited from orphans as soon as they can stand to be brilliant, but silent killers. These methods are the only way to have any chance of taking these fortresses without destroying the military, as losing excessive numbers of troops will result in the generals own rapid replacement and disappearance. The population is renowned throughout the Sector as ruthless and cut-throat, happy to murder anyone if it would help to improve their social status. The population is therefore constantly fighting each other, either for the honour of their city-states and republics or for social promotion. As such a strict code of honour has been necessary in the prevention of assassinations, with no-one allowed to go within an arm's length of each other. This has resulted in forging a scheming, deceptive and politically-minded population, very happy to get their hands dirty but also very good at not being caught doing so. To rule in the City-States or Republics is to live a hard and fast existence, with the entire nobility constantly looking for ways to gain greater privileges, usually via a well-placed knife in the dark. The Byzantines view the Praetorians the same way they view each other; with great suspicion, but with a general acknowledgment that their presence provides long term protection against a Galaxy of horrors. Finding a population with similar ideals that the Chapter upholds, the Praetorians established their Fortress-monastery; Castra Praetoria. The Fortress and city that surrounds it is situated on the peninsular which forms a bottleneck of the major inland sea, allowing the occupant of the city to control all trade between the major city-states and republics. The location was formerly controlled by the rebels of the planet when the Praetorians arrived, and thus received their highest level of attention. Castra Praetoria is now viewed by the Byzantines as a reminder of who holds supreme power over the population, but also of the glories and majesty of the Imperium. Early HistoryThe Praetorians built a reputation as a ruthless fleet-based Chapter, famed for their flexibility and on destroying their opponent's leadership structures rapidly. The first know Imperial record of the Chapter in action being the cleansing of Nerus, a rebel Forge World in the Segmentum Obscurus. In this they won great renowned for their rapid assault on the Ad Mechs headquarters early into the campaign, disrupting the rebel Skitarii legions, resulting in a fast conclusion and surrender of the rebels. Prior to this, there are Imperial reports that suggest they took part in the conflicts revolving around the Age of Apostasy and Plague of Unbelief. Another notable campaign in their early history was a crusade into the Halo Stars region. They wished to bring the Halo Stars region into the Imperium, and hopefully re-discover lost human colonies. Here they lost contact with the Imperium for two centuries, only to resurface below half-strength to declare only the dead reside in those stars, giving no other explanation for their absence or heavy losses. The reason for abandoning their fleet-based past was due to the events now remembered as the Pacification. The Praetorians were requested by Lord Solar Theodosius to spear-head the assault on the Byzas Sector; only infamous for being a hotbed for Xenos, rebels and pirates on the Northern edge of the Galaxy. The campaign was a drawn out affair due to the sheer number of different rebel factions, but ended with great success for the Imperial forces. However during the campaign, the Chapters Librarians and Astropaths felt great turbulence in the Warp, which was confirmed by a Warp storm erupting into existence, engulfing the entire sector, cutting them off from the rest of the Galaxy. Undaunted, they continued their mission until completion. This period of isolation from the Imperium was to last for over a Millennia. What exactly transpired during this period of isolation, just like the Halo Stars incident remains a complete mystery to the Imperium, and is never openly discussed by this reserved Chapter. Upon the Warp storm abating, the Inquisition moved into the Sector and assessed the Chapter. Finding the Chapter to still be completely loyal despite their isolation from the Imperium, the Inquisitors recommended that the Praetorians be gifted the Byzantine System formally and charged with garrisoning the Sector. This the Chapter were granted and to this day the Praetorians now garrison one of the few reliable routes through the Northern reaches of the Segmentum Obscuris. Since the end of their isolation, to continue their tradition as a fleet-based Chapter the Prefect Heraclius started a two-Company crusade to last for a century a time. This has resulted in their involvement in conflicts all across Imperial space, but in particular the conflicts surrounding the Eye of Terror, including the Gothic War. Details of the conflicts these Crusades fight in are fragmentary at best, at worst result in the disappearance of two whole Companies for a whole century before returning to Byzantium. Recent History Centenary Crusade The Chapters past is a strong source of pride for the Praetorians, and their past as a fleet-based Chapter is of particular importance. Indeed if it was not for the fact that they were granted the planet and had resided among their population for over a Millennium, they almost certainly would have taken to their old ways again. They still retain a particularly large fleet, alongside the Imperial Navy stationed in the Subsector. To not be found idle, each Century two Companies from the Chapter, alongside the entire Scout Company take part in a Centenary Crusade. In this they feel they can send aid to other Sectors, or even different Segmentum when the need is particularly dire elsewhere, such as during the Macharian Crusade, and also the ensuing Heresy. The greatest threat to the Byzas Sector in the last century was a revolt against Imperial rule, believed to have been instigated by the Alpha Legion two solar years after the Justinian Plague ravaged the Sector, resulting in the death of the Guard Stratagos Justinian. Initial conflict led to substantial losses, mainly due to the rebels hitting simultaneously on many different key planets throughout the Sector, which overwhelmed the Praetorians and Guard Regiments. Captain Apollyon of the 3rd Company was elected to the position of Prefect, mainly due to his Company getting results against the uprising. The Prefects more patient hit and run policy, designed to probe the rebels bases for weaknesses soon put the rebels onto the back-foot. This resulted in a swift conclusion to the conflict, however in the final days of the campaign, the Alpha Legionnaires escaped the battle and the Sector. In the final years of the M41, the Praetorians have been charged by the Ordo Hereticus and Xenos with the pacification of the neighbouring Pergamus Sector, since it has largely fallen into rebellion. Upon hearing that this rebellion is fronted by a Chapter located in the Sector, Prefect Apollyon has issued the mobilisation of six of the Chapters Companies with the intention of destroying the rebel Astartes in this Sector, supported by the regiments of Guard raised on the planet Thassalos, the other inhabited planet in the Byzantine system. At the same time, as is tradition within the Chapter two Companies are on a century long Crusade. This is a tradition to remind the Praetorians of their past as a fleet-based Chapter. Currently the IV and V Companies are en-route to the Eye of Terror to help the desperate defence of the Cadian Gate from the 13th Black Crusade. Timeline M36 Early M36 - War of Brothers: The Praetorians records state involvement in the renegade Void Stalker Chapters destruction. All Imperial records remain classified regarding the conflict. Early M36 - Age of Apostasy & Plague of Unbelief: Conflicting reports suggest Praetorians took part in these conflicts. 516.M36 - Nerus Rebellion: Forge World Nerus revolts, Praetorians commit the II Company. Rebel leaders killed in there first assault. First known engagement of Praetorians to the Imperium. M37 209-513.M37 - Halo Crusade: Entire Chapter deployed to search the Halo Stars for human occupation. Contact is lost with the Imperium for two centuries; Chapter declared lost 342.M37. Praetorians re-emerge from the Halo Stars with only four Companies remaining. Contact re-established with Imperium. Praetorians report that the Halo Stars are only inhabited by the dead. Despite the losses, they immediately offer aid to the Iron Knights Chapter, with their howeworld under siege by an unknown Xenos threat. 550-560.M37 - Occlusiad Wars: Chapter played some part in the war against the Apostles of the Blind King. Exactly what role remains a mystery. M38 101.M38 - The Watch: Chapter spends several centuries patrolling the Eye of Terror, aids in the defence during 9th Black Crusade. 877.M38 - The Pacification: Lord Solar Theodosius requests Praetorians aid in purging the Byzas Sector. When the campaign is near completion, a Warp storm erupts, trapping Imperial forces in the Sector for over a Millennia. Declared Lost to the Imperium. M39 M39 - Insolation: The Chapter is not seen or heard from for the entire M39 due to the Warp storm. What transpires in the Sector remains a mystery to the Imperium. M40 131.M40 - Isolations End: Warp storm abates, and reveals the Praetorians in control of the Byzas System. Formally gifted Byzantium as a Homeworld for remaining loyal. 139.M40 - Crusaders Legacy: Prefect Heraclius declares century long fleet action on the boarder of the Eye of Terror. The V & VIII Companies are the first dispatched. 619.M40 - Wraagh! Gorgotha: Ork invasion sweeps the Byzas Subsector. It is halted and crushed on Byzantines moon, Constance II, but not before the II & IX Companies were wiped out. M41 139.M41 - Gothic War: Companies III & IV take part in the Gothic War against the Despoiler. Heavy losses suffered during the battles in the Schindlegeist system. 979-981.M41 - Insurrection: Revolts break out all across the Byzas Subsector, two years after the start of the Justinian Plague. Heavy initial losses. Captain Apollyon declared Prefect. Tide turns against the rebels. Finally beaten above the planet Megara, but Alpha Legion cell responsible escapes. 997-present day.M41 - Pergamus Purging: Beginning of a crusade against the Pergamus Sector, after it fell to revolt and xenos invasion. Conflict on-going. 999-present day.M41 - 13th Black Crusade: IV & VI Companies dispatched to aid in the defence of the Cadian Gate. Gene-Seed The Gene-Seed is stable and exceptionally pure, with the only mutation being to the Occulobe, causing the iris of all Marines to turn orange or red. The Neophytes produced by this Chapter are renowned for their relatively rapid development into Astarte form, and the quality of the Marines that are produced. This is at complete odds with the Praetorians claimed descent from Corax, the Primarch of the Raven Guard, with a Gene-Seed that is known to be deteriorating. As such, there Gene-Seed has been analysed on numerous occasions by the Adeptus Mechanicus. Their findings have publicly concluded that the Gene-Seed is indeed descended from the Raven Guards, but the actual reports have never been made available. The Raven Guard themselves have never acknowledged the genetic link to the Praetorians. Whether this is because they just do not want any link to be known, or because they do not believe there is a link remains a mystery. Beliefs Like most Astartes, they do not view the Emperor as a God, but as the greatest example of Humanity, a pinnacle whose example all should strive towards. As with most Chapters who share this view, this puts them at odds with the Ecclesiarchy, but there is little ill-will between the two organisations. They maintain strong contacts with the Mechanicum, despite finding the worship and hoarding of technology distasteful. Reports suggest that the Praetorians secured a working STC in their reclamation of the Byzas Sector and gifted it to the Mechanicum upon the end of their isolation. These reports remain unsubstantiated, but it would explain there armoury being particularly well-stocked even after extensive periods of isolation. The Praetorians have always been renowned throughout the Imperium as being ruthless and efficient, even before their isolation. Recruiting from the Byzantine population has only heightened this sense of identity and their secretive nature. They were greatly influenced by the Chapter Master Scapula, who adopted Byzantium as there Homeworld, and with it adopted many of the Byzantines cultural practices, such as the Byzantine code of honour and the local language. Organisation The Praetorians broadly follow the tactics presented in the Codex Astartes, though like the Raven Guard they do not see the Codex as infallible and emphasise more flexibility in interpretation to suit their own fighting preferences. The Chapter deviates from the Codex in the structure of its Companies; most notably that there Battle Companies have there own Veterans. The I Company are specialised in boarding actions, so still maintain the Tactical Dreadnaught Armour and most of the Centurion War suits, though its members are not considered "Veterans." The X Company is a standard Scout Company, however when the Neophytes are close to completing their training and development they are selected by a Company to finish training alongside there future Battle Brothers depending on their mentality and skill set. This is a legacy of their isolation, with all Companies being required to fight on multiple planets and systems with no hope of outside support. To honour their past as a fleet-based Chapter, two Companies are launched into a Century-long crusade which has seen the Chapter fight all over the Galaxy. The two Companies selected also take the Scout Companies entire collection of Neophytes with them to maintain there numbers during the Crusade, meaning that once every Century the X Company has to be completely replaced with fresh recruits. Titles also differ from Codex Chapters, the Chapter Master being referred to as the Prefect though their function is usually identical, other titles for Codex units are referred to by the Byzantine languages interpretation, such as the Honour Guard being the famed Varangian Guard. The Kataphraktos make up the land vehicles of the Chapter, including Bikers, tanks and Land Speeders. Recruitment Each Company is responsible for completing the training of Neophytes. This is done to allow the Companies to focus on there specialty, and recruit appropriately. As the population of Byzantium is in a state of constant war among themselves, they make for brilliant recruits for the Astartes. Those that reside among the city-states where most recruits originate from, are trained as soon as they are able to fight. The only time the Byzantines will trust another being when they are marching to war together. Hypnotherapy is only utilised to ingrain trust for their fellow Battle Brothers to temper the populations cutthroat nature. The most notable quirk of there recruits is the speed with which they mature into their Astartes form, and the individual quality of the neophytes. The reason for these quirks are unknown to all outside of the highest ranking members of the Adeptus Mechanicus considering the Chapters claimed descent from the XIX Legion. Combat Doctrine The Codex Astartes is viewed with high regard by the Praetorians, even if they do not follow it to the letter. They see the Codex as a great guide, but not infallible and thus open to interpretation and change if the situation demands it. Many speculate this unpredictability originates from there conflicts with renegade Chapters and Traitor Legions, who are either ingrained with the teachings or have experience fighting against its teachings. The Praetorians put greatest emphasis on eliminating command and supply structures, resulting in the rapid collapse of the opposing military. More emphasis was put on this maxim during their periods of isolation, where they had no hope of reinforcements or resupplies and therefore had to plan every use of resource with meticulous detail. Thus their attacks initially involve stealth and reconnaissance, followed by rapid insertion of forces to key positions. When on the back-foot, they utilise sorties, hit-and run tactics, though this is usually intended to be a precursor to getting back on the offensive. They are known to have the uncanny ability to hit an opponent where they are most vulnerable, which is achieved through the diligent work of their Scouts. The Praetorians take the lessons they learn while Neophytes very seriously, allowing them to approach an enemy without alerting them. Usually the first moment the enemy notices the Praetorians is the flash of their Bolters at close range. Equipment Due to their periods of isolation from the Imperium, the Praetorians do not count on being resupplied for long periods of time. This has resulted in the recycling of armour, weapons and vehicles, and with the loss of most of their Land Raiders. Only a single Land Raider Redeemer, Byzantines Flame is still in service. The Prefect himself must sanction its use; such is its importance to the Chapter. Notable Members of the Praetorians Prefect Apollyon - Current Chapter Master, formerly Captain of the III Company. Ended the Cultist insurrection in the Byzas Sector, currently leading the Pergamus campaign. Known for being calculating, patient and resilient; he was seen as the best option for leadership during the insurrections. Prefect Heraclius - Former Chapter Master. Began Century long crusading tradition after Isolation period. Chapter Master Scapula - Former Chapter Master. Reorganized the Chapter after the Pacification events. Codicier Garro - Librarian, earning distinction in the 13th Black Crusade. Notable Elements of the Praetorians Megara - Flagship and former Fortress-monastery. Details as to when the Praetorians acquired this Battle-Barge is unclear, it was first sighted in the Nerus Rebellion. Byzantines Flame - Land Raider Redeemer, earned distinction during the period of Isolation in the Byzas Sector. Blade of Valens - Polearm that dates back to the Chapters campaign in the Halo Stars, this has been the Prefects symbol of office since there return to Imperial space. Motto Per ardua. (Through adversity).

Greetings! I am building my first ever 40K army, though I am an experienced painter and WHFB player. I like the White Scars, but always have to put my own spin on things, so I will be creating a successor chapter: the Storm Brothers. I will be following the WS codex 100%, so only painting/modeling tweaks. My original thought was purple and gray, with yellow highlights, but the test model came out too dark for my taste. So I have used the awesome SM Painter to try out a lighter gray, more of it, and more yellow. I like this version a lot- I think it will paint well, show up strongly on the table, but not be too "busy". Opinions welcome! http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/sm.php?b62c=@iagtx_hnsaQ.i2SsX@@@@@@@i6hFq@hozqSiakk7.@@.hozqS@.@__.@__@.@i3rau_@____@___hozqShozqSiakk7..@@@hozqS@@@@@@hozqShU25M&

Well to follow on my new post in the WIP forums bringing back Operation Reclamation, which some of you older members may remember form around 2010-11, here's the Completed, or "Reclaimed" thread, where I showcase the completed miniatures from my exploits! Now to start off with, I'm very embarrassed to say the first mini I'm showcasing is one that I in fact damaged/abused. After getting my first Storm Talon through the post from GW, I immediately got to work on building it and I decided it would be in the colours of my newest Space Marine army, a Crimson Fist successor called the "Vanquishers", who are the masters of city-fighting and urban warfare. Unfortunately, I made a mistake I will only ever do once, after discovering what a lamp's light bulb does to a Storm Talon if too close. I was trying to dry the blue wash on the cockpit glass, but I got too engrossed in an Imperial Armour book and must have lost a few minutes, which led to this horrific outcome, after 12 hours of work on it: Needless to say, I was pretty stunned and felt a bit hollow after seeing what I'd done, the Talon was so close to being finished too, all it needed was some washes, detail painting and transfers and then it would have been finished! But pretty much immediately after this moment of neglect happened, I immediately got to work on making emergency repairs, seeing this as a chance to make my Storm Talon look a teensy bit more unique. Grabbing my Green Stuff, I started to work on fixing the giant hole in the Talon and start making a base for my plasticard shrouding on the aircraft: Eventually, I managed to build a suitable Plasticard cockpit shroud/cover, making it look like a field addition for added shielding and worked on finishing the Storm Talon and its base. Unfortunately, the painting gods were clearly not on my side as more calamities befell the Talon. My black wash went crazily goopy and all over the place, leading to horrific streaks and other nasties and the 'Ardcoat I added onto the cockpit area did not cooperate well with the plasticard, leading to a bit of a mess on the front edges...but I stuck to it and finished the Storm Talon up, leading to this: And here's a better look at the base, where I made a custom satellite dish using a round base and some sprue pieces, along with other detritus I had in my bitz box. The Vanquishers are the masters of city/urban warfare, so I wanted to emphasise that with the pieces on the base: Whilst the Storm Talon isn't drop-dead gorgeous, I'm very proud and happy with how it looks after my huge error. Unfortunately, I had no way of repairing the upper vent intakes on the Talon, so I've kept them as they are and I've come up with a back story for this Storm Talon to explain its appearance: The Storm Talon "Kalore's Revenge", is a venerated aircraft in the armoury of the Vanquishers chapter. Kalore's Revenge has a very unique cockpit shrouding addition to it, along with distinctive battle damage along the top of its fuselage. This damage, and the subsequent naming of this Talon to be "Kalore's Revenge" emerged in the wake of the fall of the Hiveworld Kalore in M37; where a Chaos incursion, led by the Oblivion Warriors occurred. In the final days of the war, where the Imperial forces worked on evacuating as many citizens and Imperial assets as possible, the Storm Talon and its pilot, Techmarine Tandiel worked on harassing enemy aircraft to prevent them from attacking the evacuation forces. Despite the overwhelming numbers against Tandiel and his Storm Talon, they successfully brought down four Heldrakes and two Hellblades, before a squadron of Heldrakes managed to score a direct hit on the Storm Talon with a combined cataclysmic torrent of balefire. The top of the Storm Talon suffered serious damage, with the cockpit and upper fuselage being melted away and warped from the tainted flames, but remarkably, in his sheer stubbornness of refusing to die, Techmarine Tandiel and the Storm Talon continued to battle with the Chaos flyers, taking out the squadron with barely contained fury before retreating after expending all ammunition and running out of fuel. When Tandiel returned, his fellow Techmarines were stunned and awed by the damage wrought upon the aircraft and the apothecaries marvelled at how Tandiel was still alive, despite suffering catastrophic burns to his upper body and bionics. Eventually, with Kalore lost to an Exterminatus and the Vanquishers returning to their homeworld of Caeron, the Techmarines of the chapter began to work on repairing the Storm Talon. Despite the horrific damage from the taints of warpfire, they discovered that the Machine Spirit within the aircraft was defiant of the damage and still pure from any taint. Eventually, the Storm Talon and Tandiel were ready to take to the skies once more, with both having been extensively repaired and healed form their damage. The Storm Talon was giving extra reinforcing to repair its damage and was given an up-armoured cockpit, which also added sensor filters to better aid its pilot in dogfights. Upon flying with his Storm Talon once more, Tandiel declared that it would be renamed "Kalore's Revenge," bringing fire and vengeance for all those lost on Kalore. Kalore's Revenge continues to serve in the Vanquishers' forces, attached to the Fourth Company and has earned further honours since the Fall of Kalore. To pilot this aircraft is seen as a great honour and responsibility amongst the Techmarine pilots of the chapter and only the very best are permitted the honour to fly it into battle. And that's that! I will hopefully bring new images of reclaimed miniatures soon, now that I have a RT Land Speeder being stripped along with a classic Apothecary, so stay tuned! Any and all comments/critiques are greatly welcomed and appreciated! Cambrius

Greetings denizens of the B+C! Some of you may remember a couple of years back my old "Operation Reclamation" thread, where I took abused and poorly built/painted/damaged Space Marines and proceeded to fix them up with some stripping and a new colour scheme befitting their status as the Emperor's Finest. Each mini I would "reclaim" would be given one of my numerous DIY colour schemes and perhaps a small background on that chapter. Thus far since I started in 2010, I have reclaimed over 20 miniatures, each in a different colour scheme and a small handful being used in my current Sons of Doom or Vanquishers army. So to give you an idea, here's how some of the original victims in need of some TLC looked, from an eBay job lot I won back in late 2009: It might not look too bad, but the white paint what Humbrol enamel, so the shoulder pads were a serious mess and the paint was put on thick for their eye lenses and other spots. These were in fact the least damaged minis from the lot I got, I've since gone on to fix other, even worse looking miniatures from this and another job lot I got for cheap. But here is how some of them look now, guarding a tactically vital "asset" : But that's the past, now onto the present with my newest effort in reclaiming damaged minis and giving them the paint job and love they deserve! This time I'm going seriously old school with something I got from a friend, which he once owned as a wee little 10 year old, it's scary to think this vehicle may very well be older than I am: Yes indeed! It's an old school Land Speeder, armed with a Multi Melta beneath the cockpit and a Heavy Flamer on the turret! I have no idea how this thing is put together as I didn't have any instructions, so once I've stripped it down, trying to build it will be fun! Actually if any old school veterans of the hobby are reading this, can I ask if all the pieces are there or is there anything missing I'll have to kitbash to replace it with? I also have another miniature currently in the stripping tub right now, which is going to become an Apothecary for my Vanquishers' Command Squad eventually: And that's that on this thread for now! I will be posting an Operation Reclamation - Completed thread in the Hall of honour very shortly, displaying my newest reclaimed mini after I made a HUGE boo boo involving a Storm Talon and a lamp being too close to it... Any comments etc. are greatly welcomed and appreciated! Cambrius

I'm beyond pleased to present the artwork and spread for Commander Greysight, one of my special characters in my work in progress DIY Chapter Lore Supplement. Commissioned as a belated birthday present from my gaming group, I have Ruslan Korovkin to thank for bringing my character to life. If you're interested in reading more about my White Scars successors, the link is in the signature.

Across a thousand war zones, the Imperium conscripts billions to stem the tide of Chaos vomited from the Maelstrom. Dozens of systems around it are engulfed in warp storms following the catastrophe of the Cadian Gate, and the Imperium fights simply to salvage what is left. In the coreward systems, the Storm Sons of the Adeptus Astartes sends its Brotherhoods to contain the Entropic Chorus, and deny them valuable resources. Taciturn and deliberately opaque, it has been long rumoured by the Storm Sons’ allies that a cursed Brotherhood exists within their ranks; an order that fights with brutality without any concern for restraint or civility. For their part, the Chapter has never formally confirmed the existence of any such force, but when rumours persist, there is often a kernel of truth concealed within. These outcasts are known to the Storm Sons as the sagyar mazan, and they are a much older organisation than most Imperial scholars would ever conjecture. This cursed Brotherhood have existed in the secret histories of the Khagan’s geneline since the Great Heresy, a dark stain on the V Legion’s long roll of honour. The criteria for conscription into the sagyar mazan varies a great deal; from a grievous infraction of the Chapter’s sacred laws, to self-imposed exile following some personal transgression, and each case is determined by the Stormseers. Those condemned to serve in the sagyar mazan are compelled by the tsusan garag, the Blood Rite, and cannot be revoked in life, their armour scoured of any markings and identifiers. Only death in battle will release the exiled from their curse and honour restored, expunging their transgression. The kill-teams of the sagyar mazan are deployed where the fighting is at its thickest; where the odds are so heavily stacked against them that most commanders would never entertain the thought of sending their troops into what can be generously described as a suicide mission. It is in these insurmountable odds do the sagyar mazan operate, in order to turn the tide by achieving the impossible, or die trying.

Well, this took much longer than expected as there was a lot to repair, throw away and remake in the 13 years since I wrote the article for my first army. But here is how it stands right now for all you delightful fluff maulers to enjoy. +++++ THE SONS OF DOOM A Chapter that has pushed itself through constant trials of torment and endurance in their very short history, the Sons of Doom display the classic traits of an Imperial Fist descendant. With their fierce and aggressive countenance in the eyes of impossible odds against the forces that threaten the Ultima Segmentum and Imperium at large, the Chapter refuse to falter as they advance upon the foe in a storm of firepower, until they tear the foe apart toe to toe with blade and fist. Chapter Symbol CHAPTER NAME: Sons of Doom GENE-SEED (PREDECESSOR): Crimson Fists (Imperial Fists) FOUNDING: 26th, 747.M41 CHAPTER MASTER: Oros Sirion HOMEWORLD: Auton, Amdo Cluster SEGMENTUM: Ultima FORTRESS MONASTERY: Onyxspire (on Gravik, Auton's Moon) COLORS: Azure and Bronze SPECIALTY: Aggressive Assault and Asset Defence STRENGTH: ~800 Astartes 450 First-born / 350 Primaris BATTLE-CRY: Call : "Death is a gift!" Answer: Accept it! History Brother Athiair of 5th Company prior to the Hadean Assault. Right knee-pad and shoulder-pad trim denote Company. C reated in 747.M41 during the 26th Founding, the Sons of Doom were created from the seed of the Crimson Fists to plug the gaps left behind in the aftermath of the First Tyrannic War, which had blunted a vast amount of the Imperium’s defenders in the Utima Segmentum. Taking the Chapter roster number of 412, inherited after the mysterious annihilation of the Shield Brethren chapter a few centuries prior, some murmured their inheritance of their number was an ill-omen and courted fate to go against them. But the newly formed Chapter paid no heed as they grew in number, learning their craft alongside Marshal Gredus’ ‘Aberios Crusade’. The young Chapter, grown from the small retinue of Crimson Fists chosen by newly promoted Chapter Master Dolomitis, adapted themselves to the aggressive, close quarters tactics of the Black Templars that had been sworn to train the new Chapter. They chose their name to be the ‘Sons of Doom’, as their sworn pledge and duty as sons of the Imperium was to be the doom of all those who dared to defy the Emperor. After a near half a century of training and growing to a complement of over five hundred Astartes, the Sons of Doom fledged themselves from the Aberios Crusade and forged out across the Ultima Segmentum’s galactic spiral arm. After establishing their new homeworld upon the extremely volcanically active world of Auton and embedding themselves into its culture over the generations, undertaking their colours in a way to tie the Chapter to their new home and its people to remind themselves of who they fight for. Auton was strategically placed to allow for rapid response to threats in the gaps the Sons of Doom had been created to fill, the chapter sought to grow and establish their influence across the Amdo Cluster, with numerous victories as they grew to full strength, notably against the marauding Chaos Marine warband of the Hatred’s Tools and ending the threat of Warboss Nekshredda. But the first moment and arguably, one of their most catastrophic moments of ill-fate befell them decades later in 992.M41. The Gaia Harrowing R eaching the Gaia Primus system after receiving distress calls about severe uprisings upon the system’s major planets, the Sons of Doom answered the call to cleanse the region of the rebels under the banner of the “Imperium Respawned”. The manufactorum worlds of Holmna and Driax, paired with the Hiveworld of Gaia itself was a vital lynchpin in providing material for the chapter and a myriad of forces nearby. Deploying the Second, Third and Fifth Companies, alongside a myriad of other Imperial forces, the Sons of Doom prosecuted a vicious war of fire and fury in the underhives of Gaia and amongst the manufactora of Driax and Holmna. The reasons behind these uprisings however became horrendously clear upon the discovery of Genestealers, and as the light of the Astronomican disappeared within a week of this knowledge Hive Fleet Kraken arrived. The ensuing warfare that followed as the Tyranid hordes fell upon the worlds is one that matches many tales of horror involving the devouring xenos. As the Sons of Doom were left stranded across the three worlds, alongside their human Imperial allies, they prepared to defend the soil of the Imperium, after their ships had been rendered useless and destroyed from the sheer numbers of Bioships that emerged from the void before any valid evacuation could take place. As the weeks of gruelling combat and survival passed, the Sons of Doom were whittled to near the very last across all three worlds. The Remnants and Memory of Gaia Three grievously wounded Astartes were interred into the new Chapter’s remaining Dreadnought sarcophagi, each becoming sacred links to their past where they stubbornly stood their ground against impossible odds. As the chapter sought to rebuild themselves slowly, with the catastrophic loss of geneseed from the terrible events that unfolded, the Sons of Doom remade the standards of the three companies, each displaying the planet they fought on proudly behind the golden skull and scythes that was the symbol of the Chapter. These company standards are now sacred relics that remind the Sons of Doom of their past and to never give up in the face of the impossible when the lives of Humanity were at stake. Driax soon fell with the complete loss of the Third Company as a retribution fleet containing the rest of the chapter arrived, launching a brutal multi-planetary assault to purge the Tyranid foe from its surface. Alongside their allies, including the Autonian 44th Armoured Regiment from their own homeworld and the forces of Demi-Legio Hastus to reclaim the Mechanicum manufactora. Reinforcing the beleaguered and exhausted Astartes upon Holmna and Gaia and bringing fire and vengeance upon the fallen of Driax, the retribution fleet broke the back of the splinter of Hive Fleet Kraken with the death of their synapse minds, paid in blood and fire. The death toll upon the Sons of Doom from Gaia Primus was high indeed, with the complete loss of the Third Company and all Captains, with only twelve and twenty-four surviving from the Second and Fifth companies respectively. Returning to Auton with the remnants of their lost wargear and few bodies that hadn’t been devoured, the Sons of Doom committed their fallen brethren to the tombs of their Fortress Monastery upon the moon of Gravik. Chapter Master Dolomitis swore the Sons of Doom would rebuild and to their former strengths and remain unbroken against the enemies of the Imperium. The Gaia Cluster he declared, displayed the chapter’s fortitude and stubbornness at the very thought of retreating and self-preservation over the Imperium’s inhabitants. Following these catastrophic events, the Sons of Doom sought to deploy to eradicate any threat of the Tyranids as much as possible, as Hive Fleet Kraken continued to split of into smaller splinter fleets, bringing ruin across the Ultima Segmentum. But with their numbers cut drastically, the Chapter were dismayed at not being able to prevent a lot of the losses wrought by the all-consuming xenos. As a result, the Tyranids are viewed with a vehement abhorrence and hatred amongst the Sons of Doom and if any intelligence is received of Genestealer Cults, the Chapter deploys rapidly to purge the threat. Noctis Aeterna and Reward of Duty A s the Sons of Doom sought to rebuild from their heavy losses following the Gaia Harrowing, the Imperium at large began to face its darkest time since the Horus Heresy with the 13th Black Crusade spilling out form Cadia and leading to Noctis Aeterna. The tearing open of the Cicatrix Maledictum led to numerous threats emerging and the fortunes of the Chapter to remain grave, as the Chaos warband of the Hatred’s Tools spilled out from the tears in reality, heading towards the Amdo Cluster in a bid to settle their grudge against the Sons of Doom and others in the centuries prior. With little in the way of reinforcement as the Imperium descended into tumult and chaos with the Astronomican shrouded in darkness, the Sons of Doom grimly held the line against the Hatred’s Tools and their daemonic allies across the Amdo Cluster. With losses mounting, including the shattering of the Sixth Company’s Strike Cruiser, ‘Firespite’ in a cataclysmic warp-drive detonation after being infiltrated by Warp Talons mid transit, numerous planets fell or were reduced to Exterminatus and the toll kept rising amongst the Sons of Doom. The young Chapter remained fiercely steadfast despite the ill-fortunes befalling them, with Master Dolomitis declaring that this was the ultimate test of conviction and duty as sons of Dorn and the Emperor. The war within the Amdo Cluster eventually came to a head upon the Shrineworld of Erdavus, which had become corrupted with a warp rift opening in the holy city of Saint Justina. First Master Carrek Dolomitis The founding Chapter Master of the Sons of Doom, Carrek Dolomitis is an Astartes that has served the Sons of Doom since their founding, now interred within a Contemptor Dreadnought’s sarcophagus after grievous wounds banishing the Hatred’s Tools’ Daemon Prince, Lord Kalkus in 021.M42 at Erdavus. His enormous double-headed axe, which was rarely seen without him whether he be in armour or not, known as “Doomstrike” has now been placed in the main chapel of the Sons of Doom’s fortress monastery on Gravik, to be returned to combat when called for by the new Chapter Master, Oros Sirion to wield, or one he has blessed the honour to carry it into battle. Committing their entire force of approximately four hundred Astartes, the Sons of Doom sought to stop the Chaos force upon Erdavus. In a colossal open battle, the sons of Auton managed to break the back of the Chaos rampage, relying on fixed points of firepower as their infantry moved around them to break the tide of daemonic warmachines and bitter Chaos Marines that emerged from the rift. Chapter Master Dolomitis himself would face the Hatred’s Tool’s own leader, the Daemon Prince Lord Kalkus in a duel that shattered the earth beneath them, before Dolomitis was laid low as he banished the Daemon Prince back to the Warp with a titanic strike to the monster’s heart, receiving a mortally crushing blow from the monster as it flailed in anguish at being cast back into the warp. With the loss of their leader, the daemonic forces began to melt back to the Warp and the Hatred’s Tools sought to escape. As the threat diminished and the remaining Sons of Doom counted their losses and recovered their fallen brethren, an impossible miracle appeared with the arrival of elements of the Indomitus Crusade as it made its way to Macragge, including the arrival of the Primaris greyshields. The news that these new Astartes were to become the new reinforcement and brethren of the Chapter initially brought scepticism amongst the Sons of Doom, fearing that despite their sacrifices in the past centuries, they were to be replaced and forgotten. But after Master Dolomitis had been interred within the Chapter’s sole Contemptor pattern Dreadnought’s sarcophagus gifted from their founding, the reborn First Master declared the Primaris marines to be a gift from the Emperor and was the Sons of Doom’s reward for their duty to stubbornly remain unbroken against the fates that conspired to have destroyed them. Returning to Auton, the Sons of Doom welcomed their newer brethren, integrating them into their shattered forces to rebuild once more, empowered and filled with a hope that their duty and faith had been rewarded by the Emperor and His Imperium. Homeworld and Recruitment The Promotion Tithe An odd tradition is held amongst the Chapter, that is viewed to them as a reminder of the Sons of Doom’s future beyond their lives and of what each Astartes owes their brothers. Whenever a brother has risen a rank, they must spend a month alone down the hellish mines of Drokanas, to the southern pole of Auton, retrieving the ores and minerals within, which are used to build and repair their wargear. The mines themselves are fraught with peril, both from the risk of explosions and also from saurian predators that sometimes lurk within the dark passages, drawn to the sound of the mining and scent of flesh, providing a test of combative skill and vigilance whilst the Astartes complete their tithe. Should a battle brother be promoted whilst in active combat, he doesn't receive the full uniform of his rank until he's "paid his tithe to the Chapter’s future”. Their squad insignia or heraldry is then covered in a grey cross until it is fulfilled. Once the Marine has fulfilled the tithe, he's fully promoted in a ceremony in the eyes of the Chaplaincy and commanding staff present. A uton, is a hellishly violent, volcanic planet where humanity has managed to cling onto life in this constantly changing, barren and inhospitable wasteland. The planet's surface is often changing across its numerous tectonic plates, with new mountains of fire growing out of the black, basaltic ground annually, making it almost impossible for the Imperium to map in the active regions. But due to its violently active nature, the planet is rich with mineral resources that are mined and scoured for the Sons of Doom’s supplies and to the Adeptus Mechanicus of the nearby Forgeworld of Adelan-Tertius. The calmer regions of stability are found in the poles of the planet, where the majority of the population live in varied tribes and clans, notably the Ordovs and Silurs, which control a large amount of the local politics and trade amongst the Autonians. These clans are always at war with each other for dominance of the viable stable lands to live upon and for the precious resources and minerals that are mined from the planet’s crust. The human inhabitants praise the Sons of Doom as their watchful protectors despite the clans’ constant battles for dominance and survival, unknown to them that the Chapter is responsible for ensuring that the turmoil and constant wars between the tribes never truly cease, achieved through politics using their chapter serfs and secret sabotage and assassination missions, ensuring that there is always a viable source of young warriors to recruit. Initiates are brought to the chapter's fortress, based on Gravik, which is Auton’s sole moon. Every five years, the Chapter also holds a sacred tournament of battle and skills between the young champions of the clans, where peace is enforced amongst the humans on pain of death for any who would break it during the event. Aspirants of the tournament wear traditional armour from the planet’s ancient history, consisting of blue war paint over their bodies and wearing bronze armour upon their shoulders, shins and entire left arm. It is from this traditional armour that the Sons of Doom created their unique armour heraldry as they sought to embed themselves into Auton’s culture and be seen as the watchful warriors of legend that protect and rule over the region. The Sons of Doom often train on Auton, due to its violent nature and unpredictability, making the reflexes and senses of the Marines as sharp as can be and to teach the skill of self-awareness and spotting risks. Although some have been unfortunate to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and encased forever in a tomb of volcanic rock, these incidents are surprisingly rare, given the danger of Auton’s more active regions. Many Astartes hold and trophy burns from training upon the planet, some requiring bionics to replace limbs ruined or lost. This training also includes their methods of ensuring that the tribes of Auton are always in some form of war between each other, through numerous assassination, reconnaissance and sabotage missions. Geneseed T he geneseed of the Sons of Doom is deemed stable, continuing to carry the Imperial Fists' trait of the Sus-an Membrane and Betchers Gland continuing to be rejected by the progenoids implanted into the aspirant. As the Sons of Doom hold the strong beliefs of their pasts linking to their duty, the genetic legacy of the geneseed is revered to an extreme extent, as it carries the histories of their previous owners. To lose any amount of geneseed, whether through corruption or destruction is a grave moment of sadness to the Astartes of the Chapter following the end of their battles/campaigns. A 'Vigil of Lost Legacy' is held within the Transept Sanctorum in the Fortress Monastery, Onyxspire, where the legacy of these lost geneseeds are read out as the names of those who bore those blessed progenoids are inscribed in gold on the sable 'Columns of the Lost', which tower above the Sons of Doom and their servants in their prayer. Combat Doctrine T he Sons of Doom are a fiercely aggressive fighting force, utilising the teachings from their founding cadre in the Crimson Fists, alongside their growth in the Aberios Crusade to bring forth a punishing amount of firepower in a constant storm as they advance, or redeploy when in defence to plug gaps or capitalise on the assaulting enemy’s weak spot. Their heavy losses following Noctis Aeterna and their re-forging afterward in the advent of the Primaris have also been integral in the alteration of their fighting styles as they have readily welcomed their new brethren to the Autonian brotherhood. The Chapter rely heavily on their infantry assets and they often utilise their Battleline and first-born Tactical squads in paired 5-man demi-squads to allow for flanking and covering fire in their rapid assaults under a storm of boltgun fire, accompanied by their assault assets in the form of bikes and Land Speeders to harass and pin the enemy, as the withering bolter line advances. With the addition of their Primaris brethren, the Sons of Doom have rapidly adopted the use of Inceptors and Suppressors to augment the mobility of their attacks whilst their Intercessor brethren act as moving bastions of firepower. The use of flamers and plasma weaponry is a favoured item amongst commanders and tactical squads, viewing them as exacting the purging fires of Auton upon the enemy. The Chapter possess a small number of Land Raiders that often spearhead their attacks alongside Predators and Razorbacks, providing a storm of firepower for the scant few Terminator suits they possess. Vanguard firstborn and more recently, Gravis armoured Aggressors often substitute for their might of the Terminators instead. Infiltrating units have not often been used by the Chapter, preferring to face the foe head on instead of hiding in the shadows, but the Sons of Doom are more than willing to utilise such actions as required in more protracted campaigns against Genestealer Cults and Chaos induced rebellions. The Chapter still possess a decent amount of heavy ordnance, with recent additions of the Repulsor and Impulsor to bolster their mobile firepower. When the Chapter must stand their ground over advancing towards their enemy, the Sons of Doom heavily utilise their tanks to act as the strongpoint of defiance and punishment, whilst their infantry move as needed to plug gaps and break weak points within the enemy’s advance. Organisation T he Sons of Doom are a primarily codex oriented Chapter, who have embraced and accepted the newer changes wrought by Primarch Guilliman during the era Indomitus and the advent of the Primaris joining their number. Their rebuilding of their losses after Noctis Aeterna is still underway, with the Chapter nearing full operational strength at near 800 Astartes, with just under half being Primaris. Their command structure is standard current Codex practice, with the relatively unique practice of ensuring that squads are not filled with Astartes that have all descended from one clan upon Auton, but shared as equally as possible. Marks of their origins can be found upon their company kneepad or Cloaks of Office when ascended to the rank of Command. This practice has grown from the teachings of their founder, First Master Dolomitis, who instilled the importance of their origin to remind them what they fight for and that regardless of their birth, the Chapter’s duties itself overrides all their previous animosities. With their current rebuilding of their fighting force, the Sons of Doom are both growing their numbers of First-born and Primaris, to utilise the wargear at their disposal to the best of their abilities and to be fully restored to complete combat-readiness in the fastest way possible. A number of First-born have attempted and achieved the Calgarian Rites of becoming Primaris Marines, which is currently only permitted by those Astartes that have served for at least a century and have proven their strength and fortitude to undertake such a painful process. Those that survive and are reborn anew as Primaris are viewed amongst their brethren as walking icons of endurance and duty. The Chapter do not possess a large amount of Dreadnought chassis, with their honoured brethren only being summoned from their slumber in times of great need. Truly, it is a time of dire consequence for more than three Dreadnoughts to walk the fields of battle. The newer Redemptor Dreadnought pattern are slowly building in number, with supplies arriving from the tithed Forgeworld of Adelan-Tertius. Beliefs T he Sons of Doom view the Emperor as the great master who forged the Imperium together so that all humans could unite under one banner. They also believe him to be a great warrior who’s the “Grandfather” of the Chapter after their Primarch, Rogal Dorn who’s seen as the “Father”. The Chapter has fully embraced the teachings of First Master Dolomitis’ importance of taking root in their pasts and origins and the shared history all Sons of Doom hold, as they carry out their duties upon the battlefields. This is displayed in their clan or origin markings upon their armour and also with honour markings of campaigns that Astartes have participated in as they forge the history of the Sons of Doom with blade and boltgun. Being a young chapter with less than a millennium of history, the Sons of Doom hold a hopeful edge to their outlook on the Imperium’s future, tempered by the return of Primarch Guilliman, despite the cataclysmic events that have befallen the Chapter and the Imperium itself since the turn of the 42nd Millennium. So long as a son of Auton stands in the colours of the Sons of Doom, the Imperium still lives. Battlecry T he traditional battle-cry for the Chapter is in two parts, where the Sons of Doom’s commanders would roar at the enemy “Death is a gift,” with the rest of the Chapter then answering in unison “Accept it!” as they would charge. The Sons of Doom have also adopted roaring in unison “Doom” and also maintain the litany of the unbroken as they advance: "Unbowed. Unbroken. We stand eternal." ++++++++++++ Well, there we have it, 13 years later and updated. Still got a number of things to add, notably in the beliefs section and some other items, as by the Emperor's toenails, I have 13 years' worth of content I have done across the board to use and pick out. :dizzy: Cambrius

Greetings everyone! It's been quite a while since I made a WIPlog here, but with 12 Months of Hobby and the Liber Martiale taking place, I figured I should chronicle the development of my miniatures for the events. Some of these are ones I started over a decade ago, but remained incomplete as I took a minor sabbatical and suffered from Hobbyist's Short Attention Span (HSAS)... This WIP log will follow as I build and grow my two established DIY Chapter armies, the Sons of Doom and the Vanquishers, both descendants of the Imperial Fists. So to start it off, as per my vow for May in the 12 Months of Hobby, I will be completing a model I started 12 years ago as my Chapter Master for the Sons of Doom, but was left by the wayside for far too long. Thus here we have Chapter Master Oros Sirion of the Sons of Doom in his current state, the Lightning Claws are an ornate master crafted pair called the Pyre Claws, which were one of the first creations made by the founding Master of the Forge, Zicronam when the Sons of Doom were founded in 747.M41: He looked to be lacking a good amount of ornamentation to befit a Chapter Master, thankfully in 12 years my bitz box has grown considerably and I have some fresh pieces to help out, including the cloak you can see form the Chaos Terminator Lord set and also now with some other bitz and pieces as can be seen below: So the plan at the moment is to add the ornamentation, liquid green stuff the holes in the cloak and work on painting Sirion to the best of my ability. More to come soon. Cambrius

Well, time is running out, so here's something to put on the board to at least help establish some idea onto who my Cursed Founding chapter are, as part of the LASC. Plenty more additions to come to build and refine this work, but here's some outlines and some early history and Chapter structure. DEATH CASTERS Chapter: Death Casters Founding: 21st Homeworld: Lacrima Geneseed: Blood Angels Organisation: Codex Chapter Master: Nikel Fulmos Heraldry: Legacy Created in the ill-fated 21st Cursed Founding, the Death Casters have long walked across the knife-edge of destruction, not only from the enemies of mankind, but from elements within in Imperium itself. Fashioning themselves to appear as blessed angels of deliverance to the Imperiums citizens and of retribution to their enemies, the chapter hide beneath this appearance a dark and destructive flaw that has given them the reputation of monstrous butchers to survivors of their ill-placed fury. Born from the Angels Encarmine, their initial growth was one without major fault or aberration, as they utilised the Blood Angel geneseed stock given to them at their founding by the Mechanicum. Recruitment proved to be more difficult from the norm, as a larger than average number of aspirants died during the application of the Black Carapace, but this was not seen to be an issue of great worry as many more passed and became fully fledged Astartes in their formative decades. As the Chapter grew to a viable fighting strength to be independent in their campaigns, it became increasingly clear to observers and allies that the Death Casters possessed a near preternatural knack of working with their brethren as combat grew in intensity akin to a shared consciousness. As larger numbers of the Death Casters fell in combat, their ferocity increased to savage levels as the sons of Sanguinius would fight to avenge their fallen. Some Imperial commanders and eyewitness accounts from battlefields shared with the new Chapter described how the ferocity of the Death Casters squads would reach wild levels of barely controlled rage as squad-mates fell or were grievously wounded. As the corrupted seeds of the 21st Founding began to bear its tainted fruit across the Imperium in the centuries following, the Death Casters faced much closer scrutiny from elements of the Inquisition as they fought for humanity in numerous campaigns and crusades. Being tasked with the defence and pacification of the Luctum sector, located to the very northern borders of the Imperium in the Segmentum Obscurus, the Death Casters were sent to cleanse and establish the Imperiums foothold by scouring it clean of the Ork and other minor xenos presence. Some observers tacitly commented on this being a method to remove the risk of an aberration in a Chapter that originated from the Cursed Founding. But despite this arduous and impossible task, filled with a desire to prove their worth to the Imperium and that they were loyal and pure sons of Sanguinius and the Emperor, the Death Casters succeeded in establishing a foothold in the Lacrima system, named for the unique tear-drop shaped continent on its primary planet, which became the homeworld of the chapter as they established their base of operation. The system began to grow and settle with fresh citizens from across the Imperium and the Death Casters sought to cement themselves into the culture of Lacrima, looking to be their angelic protectors and saviours in purple and bone. For the next half-millennia, with aid from elements of other Imperial forces and brother Chapters, the Death Casters suitably cleared the xenos corruption of the Luctum Sector and Rogue Trader and Explorator fleets began to found new settlements and trades, which the Death Casters swore to defend at all costs. A number of strong ties were made between a small number of Rogue Trader houses, which has proven useful in negotiation with other elements of the Imperiums groups, including elements of the Ordos Xenos Inquisition. Within this time however, the increased levels of ferocity and synchronised reaction between squads and Companies at heavy losses began to become more noticeable as larger threats appeared to challenge the new Imperial presence, including Drukhari raiders and elements of Chaos bleeding through strongholds in the distant stars surrounding the Luctum Sector. Internally, the Death Casters command elements sought to find the source of this issue as further aberrations to the implantation of the Black Carapace became more pronounced as the centuries marched on from their founding. The truths of the Black Rage and Red Thirst were already well known to the chapter from their parentage in the Angels Encarmine and they dealt with those consumed by the Black Rage in the method almost all Blood Angel descendants have done. But the divergent unique mental bond between squads and the consequences of losses within them was becoming harder to hide as elements of the Inquisition kept close scrutiny of these sons of the 21st Founding. With increased research from their Librarius and Apothecarion, they came to the conclusion that a latent psychic link was shared between all members of the Death Casters and severe traumatic events such as grievous wounds or death would mentally assault them, leading to a faster fall into the Black Rage as the Astartes would descend into a savage and wild blood craze, ending all threats perceived before them. An increase in psychically gifted Astartes also pointed further to this theory after initiates received the chapters stock of altered-geneseed as Librarians dealt even further with the psychic shock of the death of their brethren, but the Psychic Hoods utilised by the Librarius proved to be useful in dampening the shared pain. Thus, unique mantles were formed akin to the metal and crystal shrouds used by the psykers to help limit the mental pain and anguish, limiting it mostly to more traumatic deaths amongst squad-mates. But a boon of this unique flaw was that battle-brothers in squads also possessed a useful link to synchronise their attacks to seem to work as one, complementing each others flows and firepower when they reach the peak of their combative abilities in open warfare. Atop this, as the chapter continued to scour the Luctum Sector clean of Xenos presence, they also secretly searched for any source of psy-damping technologies to add or enhance their protective mantles, utilising their links with the Rogue Trader houses and Mechnacius forces that they had formed allegiances and pacts with during their formative centuries. What technologies they have earned is not known beyond the Death Casters upper echelons of command and those they have made deals with amongst their allies, but some unique bespoke armour worn by the highest ranks of the chapter hint at unique methods or technology being utilised to prevent them from falling to the flaws of their geneseed and psychic link through the bond of those that they command into battle. As the centuries have passed from this, the Death Casters earned a number of notable battle-honours that have held them in good stead with a number of forces throughout the northern region of the Segmentum Obscurus, including with Rogue Trader House Cassilon, which was first forged with the cleansing of the Luctum sector. Often the Death Casters have provided them with battle brothers to protect the Rogue Traders ships as they seek new planets and resources. In return, the chapter have received a supply of those resources in gratitude. But countering these bonds of friendship and honour pacts, the Death Casters have also earned the ire and scrutiny of a myriad of Imperial forces due to their afflictions effects. The Stain of Parallax A notable incident and mark of shame that has marred the Death Casters reputation even now in the Imperium Nihilus originates from fighting alongside the Shield Bearers chapter, after both suffered catastrophic losses during the Parallax Genocides in 380.M37, against the brutal forces of Lord Discordant Tarr's Word Bearers. The wild ferocity of the Death Casters combat was one that perturbed the more martial and systematic combat of the Shield Bearers, which strained ties from the earliest points of the campaign. But as the Death Casters suffered more losses, including deaths from malefic methods of warfare utilised by the corruptive Word Bearers, a chain reaction of falling to the Black Rage and Red Thirst occurred across their squads. The chapter attempted to obscure these terrible occurrences, but as both chapters attempted to defend and evacuate Hive Aurus Prima, reinforcing elements of the Shield Bearers discovered rogue, maddened Death Casters indiscriminately killing all and feasting upon the blood of the fallen. Carrying a contempt for any and all mutations and enshrining purity above all else, the Shield Bearers declared the Death Casters to be corrupted and opened fire upon their afflicted Astartes of the Death Casters to purge the aberration of Astartes purity. This action was answered by the full fury of the Death Casters fleet above the Hive when they received word of what had happened. Captain Heleas ordered for that sector of the Hive City to be bombarded with their full arsenal to purge all elements of the Word Bearers forces, but also hiding the evidence of what had been seen, preserving the Death Casters secret. The bombardment completely annihilated the Shield Bearers that had fired upon the Death Casters forces, but also wiped out any remaining forces of their own battle brothers as well, who sacrificed themselves for the good of the Chapter. This single, desperate act completely shattered all bonds of brotherhood between the Shield Bearers and the Death Casters, as the sons of Lacrima explained their reasoning that the Hive City was too far gone with corruption. The Shield Bearers cut off all communication and the two chapters fought their battles separately, avoiding all opportunities to aid each other. The Parallax Sector fell soon after, becoming a charred husk from countless Exterminatus orders to end further daemonic incursions and the sheer madness that had been created by the forces of the Word Bearers, as neither chapter could counter the forces of Chaos on their own. Sending word of their suspicions to the Death Casters actions, the Shield Bearers brought the investigations of Inquisitor Kovohr of the Ordo Hereticus upon the sons of the Cursed Founding. The chapter were placed under arrest upon arrival at Lacrima, undertaking strenuous tests and investigations of loyalty and purity. It was fortunate that those who had fallen to the Death Casters curse and subsequent Black Rage had already been given the Final Mercy prior to their leaving of the Parallax Sector. But the actions undertaken over Hive Aurus Prima and the close ties the Shield Bearers held with the Inquisition and Inquisitor Kovohr led to the Death Casters receiving a century long Penitent Crusade, with recruitment of new aspirants forbidden during that time. The subsequent crusade nearly halved the chapters number of Astartes, but they emerged unbroken to the eyes of the Imperium. However ever since the shameful events of the Parallax Sector, elements of the Inquisition continue to monitor the Death Casters at every turn as Inquisitor Kovohr's retinue spread these beliefs of the Death Casters being a Chapter to always scrutinise over the centuries and millennia, until it became gospel by the end of M41. However, with the events of Noctis Aeterna and the tumultuous events following the cutting off from sacred Terra, large elements of these Inquisitorial forces were annihilated through the madness and chaos that descended across the Imperium Nihilus and the memory and teaching of the Death Casters being a risk have slowly faded from focus as greater issues and threats in the besieged and isolated half of the Imperium. The Call to Baal and Noctis Aeterna In the final centuries of the 41st Millennium, the fate of the Death Casters seemed increasingly grim, as the sheer ferocity and relentless nature of enemies, both xenos and chaos continued to harass and attack the Luctum Sector and beyond. The reputation of the chapters tainted ferocity and from incidents across the millennia had led them to become outsiders to numerous forces of the Imperium and treated with distant contempt by some commanders and brother-chapters of Astartes. The curse and afflictions that affected them seemed to increase further as a direct result of these arduous campaigns and battles they faced, often without reinforcement. As the final century of M41 dawned, the Death Casters suffered a crippling blow of the utter extermination of the Second Company and their geneseed, as they sought to purge a Necron tomb-world that had recently been discovered, only to awaken the metal Xenos and be systematically wiped out within a short span of weeks as the curse ruined any chance of a retreat, such was the excruciating brutality of the deaths of their comrades to a full legion of Necrontyr that awoke at their trespassing. But this was but the prelude to the harrowing centuries that would follow as the Death Casters neared total and irreversible losses to their numbers through further degradation of their affliction through further terrible and brutal events the chapter desperately fought to maintain their control of the Luctum Sector and protect its people. When Hive Fleet Leviathan descended upon Baal and Commander Dante made the call to all descendants of the Blood Angels to answer the call and defend the planet, Chapter Master Phakeos deployed the Sixth Company to immediately make way to Baal, whilst he recalled and mustered all available Death Casters not engaged in critical battles to make their stand alongside their fellow brethren. Their remaining chapters journey to Baal was one that became a nightmare of destruction and madness as they became caught in a colossal Warp Storm in in the Nohs Gulf, as the events upon Cadia sent shockwaves across the galaxy. By the time the Death Casters reached Baal, their numbers were halved from the fighting within the warp storm that trapped them for what was mere days in realspace, but were weeks for the chapter until they broke free. Upon their arrival, the fighting against the Tyranid and Daemonic hordes at Baal were at their peak. The Death Casters sought to aid and reinforce their brothers of the Sixth Company that had already arrived in the weeks prior. But no remains of the Sixth were present, having already been lost and devoured in a void battle to shatter a splinter fleet in a pyrrhic sacrifice before the bulk of Hive Fleet Leviathan had fallen upon the Baal system itself. At the conclusion of the Devastation of Baal, the Death Casters now stood at a fifth of their original number that had deployed to Baal, enough to build a mere one and a half companies. Chapter Master Phakeos had survived, but the same could not be said for the four Captains lost in the fierce fighting. With bonds forged with their fellow sons of Sanguinius and with the true horror of the Cicatrix Maledictum forming across the length of the galaxy, the Death Casters sought to return and rebuild upon Lacrima. The loss of so many of his brethren however became a burden too great for Chapter Master Phakeos as he meditated during the journey home, descending to the Black Rage and was summarily given the Final Mercy before he truly fell into utter rageful madness. At this time, all sense of hope was now but a guttering flame in the hearts of the Death Casters as their geneseed continued to degrade as they sought to rapidly grow in number, despite the near-logarithmic increase in attacks against Imperial worlds. But soon that light would be rekindled at the arrival of the Torchbearer Fleet decades later with the gift of the Primaris. The Advent Primaris became a pivotal moment in the potential fate of the Death Casters as the arrival of the Custodes and their new Greyshield brothers bolstered and regrew the chapter anew. The secrets of creating the Primaris Marines and their new bank of genestock were immediately utilised by Chapter Master Nikel Fulmos. Having been blessed with this new reinforcement of new Death Casters, the chapter have ranged out to retake lost worlds across the Luctum Sector to maintain and Imperial stronghold to the northern edges of the Imperium Nihilus. Numerous firstborn sought to undertake the crossing of the Rubicon Primaris as well, but these were limited in number simply due to the need of active Astartes to counter the threats constantly emerging. As the centuries have passed into the 42nd Millennium, the chapter have also noticed a lack of affliction amongst their newer Primaris brothers raised with the new stock of geneseed provided by the Mechanicum, but the larger than usual amounts of psychically gifted Astartes that grow from these supplies have tempered any true hopes of a turning in the curse that has gripped the Death Casters since their inception. But regardless of their faults and afflictions, the sons of Lacrima continue to fight on as the angelic champions of the Luctum Sector and the Imperium, striving to maintain the example of their genefather Sanguinius and that of the Emperor Himself. Chapter Organisation The Death Casters follow a similar set up to their fellow sons of Sanguinius, adhering to the Codex Astartes, but with additions that are standard across most Blood Angels successors including a Death Company, which with the mutations of their tampered geneseed, it has been heavily utilised in their combat methodology due to the sheer numbers that have fallen to the Black Rage from their plight in recent centuries. Their Chaplaincy, referred to as the Ebon Sentinels continue the standard rite and duty of leading their afflicted brethren into combat and guiding them where they are to meet the merciful embrace of death in combat against the Imperiums foes, or to administer the Final Mercy once the battle is ended and some continue to survive. However, in recent history with the sheer loss of number and increased levels of desperation, the Death Casters leadership have sought to utilise the Death Company in more than one battle if possible, interring those surviving Astartes in stasis caskets akin to ones used in Dreadnoughts until they arrive at their next battle. But often these second or third engagements, these surviving brethren are fully fallen to the Red Thirst and are unleashed as a wave of mad and bloodlust driven fury that often die quickly as they engage in the deadliest of combat zones on the battlefield. The chapter also possess a Sanguinary Guard amongst their First Company, their colours inverted to be of polished bone with purple pauldrons, to stand out and reflect the light of the Emperors fury upon their enemies. Often those within the Sanguinary Guard are those that have survived the afflictions of their geneseed and the loss of their brethren and squadmates. Still, they can fall to the Black Rage and Red Thirst as every descendant of Sanguinius is doomed to suffer inevitably and their sacred and masterly-crafted angelic armour is stored in the Detraxi Vaults beneath Lacrima, waiting to be used once more as others ascend to the vaunted ranks of the Sanguinary Guard. As is typical with Blood Angels successors, the Death Casters to possess an increased amount of psykers within their Chapter. But in their case, it is further increased by their unique genetic flaw from their creation, with an even greater number of Librarians being found within their Company and Chapter structure. Librarian Dreadnoughts can be found across the Companies and have been seen to lead their fellow Astartes in a number of engagements and deployments. Librarians often attempt to dampen the shared link between their fellow Death Casters using their abilities by keeping some distance from the battle lines but often it cannot be done when combat is fully joined. The arrival of the Torchbearer fleet and the Primaris Decree was greatly welcomed by the Chapter after the tragic and cataclysmic events that had befallen them and the Imperium at large during Noctis Aeterna and their misery in trying to reach Baal. The additions of the new Primaris Astartes and war material have been quickly integrated into the Chapters structure, with a more than half of their Companies being made almost entirely of Primaris marines to fill the empty ranks and lost companies. The Death Casters attempt to maintain a strong Scout Company to ensure their legacy continues throughout the dark era the Imperium Nihilus is enduring. This includes breaking typical Codex teachings by increasing the retinue of their Tenth company to anywhere between 150 to 200 when at full strength simply to replace their constant losses from combat or from their genetic curse, but often it is depleted quickly throughout their history from the constant intense battles the Death Casters face and from undertaking marks of penance throughout their history. Combat Doctrine The Death Casters maintain a very similar methodology of combat as their sibling chapters born from Sanguinius' Blood Angels, relying heavily upon mobility and ferocity to meet the enemy in close quarters, where they exact their fury by bolt and blade. The sons of Lacrima have fully embraced the use of their Primaris brethren, especially the Assault Intercessors are part of their main line of combat, delivered by Storm Ravens and the new Grav-Tank vehicles created by Belisarius Cawl. Belief Despite their marred and tainted history and legacy through the ill-fortunes of their creation, the Death Casters maintain a strong and unshakable belief that despite their afflictions wrought by their geneseed, they are all champions and angels of the Imperium sent to protect humanity from the myriad of enemies that seek to bring ruin and death to the Emperors citizens. As such, their armour is often fashioned to look as celestial and noble as is possible, with little in the way of terrifying effigies or icons of death and despair towards their enemies. They see their actions in combat and a visible enough symbol to those that earn the ire and vengeance of the Emperors Angels that scour away the abominations that seek to destroy the Imperium. The curse itself that all Death Casters will suffer and inevitably succumb too is looked upon without shame, but one of acceptance of the sacrifices they must undertake to ensure the Imperium survives, especially during the current era after the Cicatrix Maledictum tore the Imperium in two and their stranding within the northern regions of the Imperium Nihilus. The chapters link to their Primarch, Sanguinius is one that is held in the highest regard. The Death Casters hold the opinion that their genefather was the greatest hero of the Imperium during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy after the Emperor himself, for Sanguinius had selflessly sacrificed himself fighting the arch-traitor Horus to allow the Emperor to defeat them and send the traitor Legions retreating into the Warp. Icons of a teardrop of blood is often worn across their armour and adornments, reminding the chapter of their legacy as they seek to follow Sanguinius example. ++++ TO DO LIST: Recruitment And that's it for now, hopefully COVID work doesn't fully draw me away to get this done in time. Feedback as always is welcomed. Cambrius

Hello Guys! I have been a hobbyist for (records expugned from the Administratum by inquisitorial decree) and have been on this forum for almost the same amount of time.In all of these years i've had different threads in different parts of the forum, but trying to keep them attractive to new viewers and getting feedback has been quite difficult, all the more credit to each brother that has given me their thoughts whenever i posted something new of course. So i was thinking last night that it might be easier to merge my separate armies into one thread, tat way i can update it constantly when i paint something new, because i always work on different things at the time. So, i'd like to start this album with some of the minis i've already painted from different armies. I hope you like them I'll be uploading some of my Orlocks soon, though i still have to paint their bases

Well now, this had been a very, very long time since I posted an IA here for you Liberites to feast over and tear to pieces. () But I am back with all of this 13th Black Crusade nonsense going on and figured I should bring back an IA from the Archives and see if I can refine and complete it anew. Some of the old hands may remember these guys. Anyway, onto the article! Decimators My brothers, we live in a universe of apathy, greed, corruption and power. Xenos attack our Imperium’s every front and heretics attack from within. Humanity is weak against this perpetual fight of survival, we see it in their flesh and in their actions. They require protectors that reside above such weaknesses of the flesh, and in this nature we serve. For we are the Decimators, the sons of the iron fisted Ferrus Manus, pure in thought and action. We are the hammer that strikes against the anvil of war. We cleanse the xenos, purge the heretic and eradicate all who attempt to destroy us. May our enemies fear our name, for we are their destruction! - Chapter Master Fernos during the siege of Garosh. The Decimators have a long history of executing justice upon the enemies of the Imperium. Forged from the gene-seed of one of Ferrus Manus’ successor chapters, the Brazen Claws, the Decimators were raised up to be a great hammer to strike against and annihilate the enemies of mankind. Created during the 17th founding, the young chapter was trained in the Segmentum Obscurus by their parent chapter in battles against the Eldar and Orks. Captain Anton Grevius of the Brazen Claws’ 3rd Company was bestowed the honour of becoming the leader of a new chapter, his blunt and direct style of warfare being key to creating the Decimators’ battle doctrine over its growth as a chapter. After just over a century of fighting under their parent chapter’s tutelage, the Decimators had built up their numbers and resources to become a fully-fledged chapter with the strength of four Companies. To fully declare the chapter independent, Chapter Master Grevius declared a campaign against Ork Warboss ‘Eadkruncha’s building Waaagh!, which had begun to plague the Imperial worlds of the Nexus Ring. Leading his chapter as an example of heavy hitting annihilation, Grevius and his Decimators destroyed ‘Eadkruncha’s Orks with devastating ease. This doctrine grew into the Decimators’ most favoured method of war, using overwhelming brute force to utterly annihilate a foe. Striving for perfect eradication, the chapter would not declare their most righteous work done until every last enemy they faced had been destroyed. Campaign after campaign, the Decimators proved their aptitude and skill as the Emperor’s avenging angels of war. But, like all chapters of the Adeptus Astartes, the Decimators also learnt harsh lessons during their history which would shape their outlook on warfare and the Imperium. The greatest lesson being the loss of their homeworld, Kairus at the hands of those who were once allies. The Desolation of Kairus Chalice Knights The Chalice Knights descended from the geneseed of Sanguinius’ Blood Drinkers. The Decimators had worked alongside them in a number of key campaigns, within the Segmentum Obscurus against a variety of foes, both Xenos and Chaos. The two chapters held a close bond for over two millennia prior to the Desolation, aiding each other when required and openly sharing their knowledge of current threats within the Segmentum Obscurus. The Chalice Knights’ betrayal, falling to Chaos and to Khorne, cut the Decimators deeper than any blow an enemy could inflict, leading to great changes in the outlook of the sons of Ferrus on the inhabitants of the Imperium of Man. The fall of the Decimators’ home planet, referred to as the “Desolation” occurred at the start of the 874.M37. A large force of the Chapter, including a large amount of its command staff were engaged in the retaking of the Calanus Gulf from an Ork incursion, leaving the Fourth, Seventh and Tenth Companies to guard and protect their homeworld of Kairus. When the expedition force returned from their campaign, they found their home system to be desolate, Kairus itself scoured clean of all life. As the stunned and battle-weary fleet searched through the wreckage of a space battle above Kairus, it was clear that their planet’s defenders were annihilated by Space Marines. It was soon identified the force responsible were those whom Decimators had once regarded as close allies. Discovering the distinctive chalice symbol with an eight-pointed star behind it upon shattered enemy ships, it was insurmountably clear to the Decimators that the Chalice Knights had turned their back upon the Imperium. Stunned and close to despair, Chapter Master Harmun ordered his Chapter to investigate the ruins of the Decimators’ fortress monastery. Mercifully, the chapter’s geneseed vault was found to be left intact, its hidden location deep underground protecting the vault from the destruction above. For the three companies guarding Kairus however, the same could not be said; each and every corpse found had been butchered and robbed of their geneseed. Enraged further by this callous act, Harmun declared the Decimators would engage in a crusade to find and eradicate every trace of the Chalice Knights from the galaxy, avenging the loss of their homeworld and to bring justice for the desecration of their battle brothers. Harmun then declared that he would slay the leader of the Chalice Knights personally to truly eradicate the taint of the renegades. Reporting the heresy of the Chalice Knights and recovering whatever they could from their planet, the Decimators began their crusade to purge all traces of the now traitor Chapter. Over the next century, the Decimators searched for and destroyed any trace of wherever the Chalice Knights had been with elements of the Ordo Hereticus in tow, baptising their crusade as the ‘Cleansing Hunt’. The now renegade chapter had left increasingly frenzied assaults upon planetary systems they found, as they began aligning themselves further to the Blood God, Khorne. The two former allies, now hated enemies, eventually faced each other in full force, ironically, within the Calanus Gulf, where the Decimators had been deployed when Kairus fell. The controlled, righteous fury the Decimators brought to bear in the void and upon the surface of a number of worlds eventually overwhelmed and defeated the bloodthirsty and frenzied attacks of the Chalice Knights. The Chaos renegades were dealt a final blow upon the planet of Grimhold, where Chapter Master Harmun finally faced off against the Daemon Prince that now led the once honourable and loyal Chalice Knights. Engaging each other in singular combat as the battle raged around them, Harmun eventually felled the Daemon Prince with his mighty hammer, ‘Ironfall’ at the cost of his own life as the Daemon Prince speared its warped blade through the Chapter Master’s hearts in a final, hate filled strike. The Huntsmen After the sundering of the Chalice Knights on Grimhold, a handful of Decimators felt that any remnant of their enemy’s existence was a stain upon the galaxy to be cleansed. Requesting that they band together as a group, whose sole purpose was to destroy all remnants of the Chalice Knights, the new Chapter Master of the Decimators acquiesced to their request. Naming themselves the Huntsmen, this small group of twenty Astartes headed for the Eye of Terror, intent on finding any trace of the Chalice Knights and destroying it utterly until nothing was left of their existence. Each Huntsman altered their armour’s colour by replacing the red of their helms, chest Aquilas and gauntlets with an all consuming black. Contact with this band of Decimators was lost a decade after they had reached the Eye of Terror. The fate of the Huntsmen is unknown to the chapter, some believing they died as glorious martyrs, whilst others hold the belief that the Huntsmen still fight within the Eye of Terror, eradicating all traces of the Chalice Knights. The Decimators keep a constant vigil for any sign of their crusading brethren, should the Huntsmen ever return with their deed done and oath fulfilled. As the Daemon Prince was cast back into the warp, the few still sane remnants of the Chalice Knights began to fall back towards the small rift the death of their master had created, as the malefic body was sucked back into the realm of Chaos, knowing that the battle was lost and more slaughters awaited them in the future. With the battle over, the Decimators felt their duty to destroy the Chalice Knights had been done, the traitor Astartes having splintered into small warbands as they fled into the warp rift before it closed. However, the Decimators were dismayed to discover that the body of Chapter Master Harmun was lost to them, having been sucked into the warp with the Daemon Prince he had felled. All that remained of Harmun was his thunder hammer, ‘Ironfall’ and his broken helm, which had been knocked aside in the battle earlier. Reverently recovering these items of wargear with pride for Harmun’s achievement in fulfilling his oath, the Decimators returned to Kairus to choose their new leader and prepare for their next action. Having acted as a fleet based chapter whilst hunting for the Chalice Knights and seeing its benefits, the newly appointed Chapter Master Kell began preparations for the Decimators to become a permanent fleet based force. The High Council of the chapter decided that Kairus’ now desolate surface was a perfect place to train the recruits they would need in future and their Fortress Monastery was to be used a crypt for their fallen. As the Decimators regained their strength and reflected upon the horrific events of the Desolation and the Cleansing Hunt, the chapter grew an increasing wariness of those descended from Sanguinius geneseed. The chapter became convinced that the flaws within The Blood Angels’ geneseed were a major weakness that could be utilised by the ultimate enemy of the Imperium. This wariness also flowed on to a mild distrust of other chapters who have descended from what the Decimators regarded as “flawed and impure” geneseed. In more recent centuries after the Desolation, the Decimators have faced the forces of Chaos repeatedly, seeking to purge any trace of its twisted mutations and weaknesses from the Imperium’s worlds. Their location within the Segmentum Obscurus has also seen the chapter face the numerous Black Crusades the Despoiler has unleashed since their founding. The Decimators have always committed their entire chapter strength against the Chaos armies during these crusades. The greatest and most hard fought defence the Decimators participated in was the 12th Black Crusade, when Abaddon’s forces emerged into the Gothic Sector, close to the region the Decimators’ protect. The chapter suffered heavy losses, but their duty in cleansing the region of the forces of Chaos was achieved with the aid of their fellow loyal Astartes chapters and the further armies and Ordos of the Imperium. The Decimators have now developed their combat methodology to specifically counter the power armoured forces of the Traitor Legions. Beliefs Descending from the seed of Ferrus Manus’ Brazen Claws, the Decimators inherited the belief of the flesh being weak from their parent chapter. When a recruit is blessed with his black carapace, it is traditional the recruit also has bionics implanted into his body to ensure that he lacks weakness. The most common body parts that are replaced are the arms and hands, so that the initiates appear and feel closer to their Primarch and Legion of origin. As well as developing a wary mistrust towards chapters with mutated geneseed, the Decimators have grown to hold a far greater contempt towards what they regard as “impure” humanoids, such as the Imperial Guard’s Ogryn and Ratling soldiers. The chapter has been known to refuse to fight alongside any abhumans in a number of campaigns when possible. As a result of one infamous event; the Decimators are remembered with disgust by the Tarnus 12th Imperial Guard Regiment, after the chapter executed a large cohort of Ogryn from the 12th in the aftermath of their defeat on the planet Sarrim. The Decimators came to the conclusion that the impurity of the Ogryn had been one of the factors of the campaign’s loss. When the Inquisition was made aware of this incident by the Regiment’s high command, the Decimators were issued a warning by the Ordos. When a similar incident occurred 5 years later under similar circumstances, the Decimators were sent on a penance crusade in the far edges of the Segmentum Obscurus for three decades. The chapter still refuses to fight alongside abhumans of any kind, but the memory of their penance crusade by the Inquisition reminds them to keep their views in check, or they will suffer greater consequences for their actions. The Decimators see the Emperor as the greatest warrior in the history of mankind and that they should all strive to be warriors following the Emperor’s example. The chapter view their Primarch as being the great fabricator of the war machines of the Imperium and they believe that their wargear possesses the mark of Ferrus’ soul within the machine spirit. Thus, the Decimators revere every piece of equipment they possess, seeing it as a direct link to their gene-father. Since the events of the Desolation, the chapter have developed an enormous hatred for the dark armies of Chaos. On the armour of the Decimators, verses of loyalty and purity are embossed in gold script, to remind them that their belief in the Emperor is absolute and that they will remember to keep their perturbation towards what they regard as impure allies in check, lest they suffer the consequences. In the chapter’s ten year cycle, there are two great markings of remembrance; the first being the Feast of the Founding, where the Decimators celebrate their creation and it is regarded as a time to reflect on the past year’s events and their achievements and losses. The second event is the Night of the Heresy, where the chapter remembers the great betrayal of Horus and the ten legions that cast their oaths of loyalty to the Emperor into the dust, turning away from His light. It is during this time that the chapter claim their oaths of loyalty once more and they punish themselves for their actions over the past decade if they had sinned. The traditional punishment is that a fellow battle-brother takes a whip with lead ball bearings on the tails and the sinner is given 10 lashings for each sin they have caused, which is placed in a log over the decade and is called out during their punishment. Since the loss of Kairus and the turning of their brother chapter, the Decimators are even more stringent in choosing new members and their Librarians constantly examine their brothers for any sign of taint before, during and after a campaign. Organisation The Decimators follow the Codex Astartes with little deviation from it, bar some of the names in their rank structure. But the chapter’s battle brothers are encouraged to not follow the codex by the letter, focusing on their own knowledge and initiative. In terms of wargear, the Decimators notably rely heavily on Predator Destructors in lieu of the Annihilator variant, after losing a large amount of their Annihilators during the Gothic War. A larger amount of Vindicators populate their armoury than what is considered the norm, with each Battle Company proudly containing their own Linebreaker squadron. Land Raider Gladius The Land Raider Gladius is a rare variant of the mighty vehicle and six are known to exist within the Segmentum Obscurus. It consists of a twin-linked autocannon tank turret atop the Land Raider’s hull, with twin-linked heavy bolters on its sponsons and frontal turret. Troops cannot be deployed within the Gladius, due to the amount of ammunition needed to be stored, but it has proved to be an effective battle tank against masses of Orks and other xenos with light armour. Their use against power armour however, has not proven to be as effective, but the variant has stood its ground on more than one occasion during sieges and assaults against the forces of Chaos. The Decimators’ 9th Company withholds most of the extremely heavy and rare vehicles of the chapter. These include at least one of the Land Raider Terminus, Ares and Achilles variants. It is also known that the Decimators created a unique variant of the Predator and Land Raider chassis, as a result of two separate, vicious campaigns. The first being the Land Raider Gladius, created in M36 from the damaged remains of the Chapter’s Predator Destructors and a Land Raider Prometheus, during their fight against the Ork’s Goff clan. Four are known to exist within the chapter’s armoury, after the first Gladius proved its effectiveness against the Orks. The unique Predator variant created by the chapter is aptly named Predator Decimator. Created during the 11th Black Crusade by High Techlord Heran, the Techmarine built a Predator wielding a twin-linked autocannon turret with plasma cannon sponsons, its use against the advancing forces of Khorne’s forces, at the defence of the hive-city Brasshold. The tank proved to be lethal with its plasma cannons paired with the autocannon turret annihilating the power armour of the Chaos Marines. The variant has been adopted by a number of chapters the Decimators had fought alongside during and after the 11th Black Crusade, notably the Crimson Fists, Sons of Doom and the Swords of Orion. Recruitment Geneseed The Decimators use the seed of Ferrus Manus and there are currently no known mutations with their geneseed. The tithes with the Mechanicum have always been kept up to date, it is known for the Decimators to ask for their geneseed to be analysed more often, to ensure that it is as pure as it can be for the next generation of Astartes. Being fleet based, the Decimators recruit new warriors from a number of planets varying in their geography, including desert planets and hive worlds. The process for recruitment is one that begins with the hopeful aspirants being told that if they chose to join the Decimators, they would serve the Emperor and the chapter no matter what would happen. They are then taken off their homeworlds to the deathworld of Dermur, where the aspirants face the most gruelling and toughest challenges where failure means death or eternal slavery aboard the ships of the Decimators as servitors and chapter serfs, thus keeping the promise that the aspirants would serve the chapter and the Emperor. The first challenge is a great march through the mountain ranges on Dermur’s largest continent, a region filled with vicious predators that stalk the ridges of the mountains. Those who fall are left where they are and the survivors are picked up later by the sergeants to convert them into servitors for the chapter’s fleet of ships. Other challenges and tests taken include tests of faith and skill, such as the aspirants being required to defend themselves from fast approaching targets whilst answering questions from their tutelage, on the history of the Decimators and the legacy of their gene-father, Ferrus Manus. The second major test is one of combat expertise, where the initiates are scattered across the remains of Kairus’ surface, the now inhospitable land providing the perfect challenging environment. Each recruit is given a sword, krak grenade and a shield before being ordered to return to the ruins of the Fortress Monastery. Many initiates fail at this point, either by the harsh climate of the Decimators’ former homeworld, or from myriad of predators that still roam the harsh wastelands, but those who pass are taken to the crypts of the Decimators, still intact beneath the fortress monastery, to make the final test before the statues of the great fallen commanders of the chapter and of their Primarch. The initiates must chisel their name into the “Stones of Kairus”, placing their name alongside the many warriors who have served the Decimators over its history. When they have finished this task, the initiates are sent back to the Decimators’ flagship, the Divine Eradicator and become full members of the Scout Company, blessed with a bionic implant to bring them closer to their gene-father’s legacy. Combat Doctrine Battlecry The battlecry of the Decimators is commonly where the senior commanders shout “In the name of Ferrus!” and the rest of the chapter bellow in response “Hammer down the foe!“. In some cases, though the marines simply shout out the latter cry as they rally their brothers for a charge against the enemy. The Decimators are generally a codex-oriented chapter when it comes to their combat doctrine, but they have a tendency to use Devastator Squads and heavy weaponry more than their Assault Squads. The chapter do however use Landspeeders and Bike Squadrons often, utilising their speed to strike at an enemy whilst they are being bombarded by the heavy weaponry brought to bear. Due to their origins from the Iron Hands, the Decimators utilise a large amount of exotic and rare technological weaponry, such as the use of plasma guns and meltas being favoured in most engagements. The Devastators typically use the more exotic Lascannons and Plasma Cannons over their other options, having grown used to dealing with the heavy armour of Chaos Marines. Due to their constant battles against mechanised forces in offence and defence, the 6th squad of every Battle Company is regarded as the “Tank Hunters”, in which the squad is armed with melta weaponry. The squad is always attached to a heavily armed and armoured Rhino, ensuring that their mobility is at maximum to deal with any armoured threats quickly and effectively. The chapter excel at destroying fortified defences more than fighting in close quarter combat, but after a number of engagements against the forces of Khorne, led primarily by the remnants of the Chalice Knights, the Decimators have developed a unique fighting style for the frenzied attacks of the Bezerkers, the chapter’s developed method proving useful against the Ork menace. The chapter’s recent actions has seen them face an array of xenos, including the sadistic Dark Eldar and the ever marauding Orks, but their most common enemy is the forces of Chaos. As a result, many of the bolters and other weaponry of the chapter have been painted gold to reflect the Emperor’s light and have been anointed with holy oils, to ensure the purity of the machine spirit within. Thunder Hammers are the most common close combat weapon amongst the veteran sergeants of the chapter and the Assault Terminators commonly prefer the use of them over a pair of lightning claws. ++++++++ And there you have it! As always, any and all Comments/Critiques/Ideas are greatly welcomed, so I leave the floor to you all! Damn is it good to be home. Cambrius