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This is Tim Tim Tank Buster to be exact. Tim is in my Feast of Blades tactical squad. Nothing special about it expect it is a collection of successor chapters i painted due to the fact I was getting bored with painting blue. So Tim and his tactical squad went to the store tournament with me Saturday. I had no chance of winning mainly for the fact that i was relearning how to play so I went to have fun, learn and give some people some easy wins, Tim had a problem with the easy win part. First game I played was against a wave serpent spam list. It was a relic game so my opponent assumed he was just going to rush the relic, grab it and bee line back to his line. Tim said no. Wave serpents killed one devastator squad while my other devastator squad popped 2 serpents. Tims squad was cut down to where he was the only one left, he passed his leadership with snake eyes. Tim assaulted the wave serpent and killed it with a krak grenade up the port hole. Sniper scouts picked off the troops carrying the relic and then the game ended. No one had the relic and we wound up tieing for VP. Not bad for my first game, plus Tim Tank Buster was awarded the Imperial Laurels for just being awesome.

This is going to be a new project I will be working on .Already have some of the shoulder pads made up .Just waiting for some bits and have to get some fresh paint.And will be posting a test fig soon.

Greetings Brothers. I have been a long time lurker on these forums and have made the odd post here and there but that has little bearing on this topic. I shall give you a little back ground on my 40k career thus far. I started this hobby due to being over at my friends place while he was having a battle his DA vs. some traitorous rabble. I had heard of 40k before, knew a little bit of fluff but had never seen it played before. "Hey X does that guy have a chainsaw for a sword?" I said pointing to one of his Sergeants "Yup." replied X and then I preceded to ask him everything I could about his armies weapon load out. After the game and a couple hours of talking with my buddy I went out and picked up an AoBR starter set 2 tactical squads and a box of Devs and a Razorback the next day. I now have oh lets call it a demi chapter I have 20 tactical TDA, 18 sniper scouts 2 w/missile 6 tactical squads with sarg w/ chainsword/ bolt pistol and missile/flamer, 2 10 man tactical with plasma gun/ cannon and sarg w/ plasma/power sword, 2 10 man tactical melta/multi melta sarg w/ combi melta/power sword, 3 10 man Dev 1 with 2 missile/ 2 plasma 1 with 4 las and 1 with 4 hb, 2 10 man assault 1 with packs w/ 2 plasma pistols sarg w/ power fist/storm shield the other no packs with flamers bare bones sarg, 2 IC dreads, 2 Ven dreads and 5 dreads all various load outs pretty much one of everything. 1 vindi, 1 whirlwind, 2 preds dakka, 2 thunder fire cannons, 3 speeder typhoon, 1 storm talon. 1 LR crusader, 1 LR phobos(godhammer) 3 drop pods, 3 rhino/razorback. I may have missed a unit or two in this list but I shall now get to the point. I know I want my marines to be sons of Dorn. What I have little or no idea on is which founding are they from. Why were they created? I do know I want to have a sort of CF feel to them that what I have is all that is left from the chapter and that there current strength is due to Necrons(the other 40k army I play). They are fleet based now. Seeing as I have not painted any of my models and barely half of them are even based black a colour scheme is something I need to figure out as well. So what I am asking Brothers is help figuring out a colour scheme, a founding, and a reason for there founding.

On the suggestion of midnight angel, I am setting up a new thread for the actual contest. Rules are basically the same as those posted in the discussion earlier, the only change being that an independent character can be added to another unit. Rules 1. Each Participant may only enter 1 legal unit from Codex: Space Marines. This may include an attached independent character and/ or dedicated transport. They may be painted in the colours of the Imperial fists, official successors, or homebrew successors. Official chapters of other lineages are not allowed. 2. To enter a participant must post their intention to enter the contest in this thread along with a photo of the assembled models. These models may be primed or un-primed. 3. A successful contestant must post photos of their completed models in this thread before 11:59PM November 30, 2013 Eastern Standard Time. 4. Voting. There shall be 2 categories that will be voted on: first is best painted unit; second is best conversion. I am willing to consider submissions for other categories until the second of November. 5. Who can vote. Anyone who enters the contest can vote in any or all categories. Once I have the voting thread up, people will have 1 week to vote. Your vote will be cast by posting in the voting thread. You are not allowed to vote for your own models in any category. If you have any questions feel free to ask them. Posted at 0.820.013.M2

Hello brothers and sisters, children of Dorn all! Welcome to this mini challenge to get people back into this tucked away part of the B&C and to get your painting/writing itch scratched! To keep this as open as possible, I'm keeping the rules simple: You vow to EITHER fully paint a single model representing a Son of Dorn OR you write up a 700 word snippet about a character from Dorn's genetic lineage (Note: entries which do not have the exact number of words allowed shall not be accepted). You may start as of today and must complete your vow by 1st May 2015, 1200 GMT. WIP pictures of your model are not required, but I encourage you paint up a new model and not just re-use an already painted one. Once you have completed your vow, you may post your results in this thread. For completing your vow, you shall receive a special banner to commemorate and celebrate your successful vow! So, brothers and sisters, it is now time to break out your paint servitors/auto-quills and show your dedication to Dorn and the Emperor! Ave Imperator!

I got a fast start on building and priming the tactical squad. The rhino transport is taking a bit longer than expected. Will be posting pics shortly as soon as I figure out the process of posting pics

Hi all, just gathering info about the exorcists chapter. do we know if they are featured in any novels or anything? I know they were in one of the imperial armour books, was any important fluff mentioned about them in that book? cheers

so, under the new rules if your army is unbound you cannot gain the 'objective secured rule'. but, just recently the FAQ's have gone up and pedro kantors rule has been changed to 'an army that includes pedro kantor, friendly units of sternguard have 'objective secured' so in a unbound army they would still have this rule... im confused

I was thinking of getting a couple of terrain pieces to display my army with. What does everybody currently use? I thought the wall of Martyrs would be a good fit for descendants of Dorn, but the Shrine of the Aquila looks awesome, and is actually a good piece of LoS blocking Terrain, so would be good for games too.

So, I want to play Space Marines again.. I have some Space Wolves, But, You basicaly use 3 non HQ units in the book with little to no variation since the other stuff is a bit sub par.. And I kind of wanna play something newer while waiting for a new space wolf codex, And I do realy like the Crimson Fists. So I was wodnering, Are they good? Do they manage well, Or are they under powerd?

Excoriators another project I started awhile back.This is going to be all infantry .

Hi guys , I'm going to be starting a Crimson Fists army in the new year and have a question regarding armour types available to me . I really love the MKII and MKIII forge world armour varients . My concern is that although the Crimson Fists were founded post Heresy how available would the MKII & III have been to their veteran squads ? I would like my army to be reasonably accurate in respect to the fluff . Many thanks , T

Please bear with me, this is VERY rough and just an outline of the idea for the origins of my chapter. Some parts have "INSERT" typed, this is merely a place holder for future material. I have a poor understanding of how the Warp works and since a significant part of my back story is based on that, I need some help from some better lore educated people to round it out. Please, take a look. - While on patrol near INSERT, the Imperial Fist cruiser, INSERT, suffered a catastrophic event. One of the astropath on board was found in his chambers screaming uncontrollably, repeating the phrase, "the reaper has come, the reaper has come..." - Additional astropath confirm that a warp storm located in the INSERT system had occurred and a strong presence of chaos could be felt. - The INSERT and her associated battle group (4 ships in total and 65 marines) change course to investigate. A message is relayed to the main Imperial Fist fleet to request support. - Upon arrival in the INSERT system, IF forces encounter a sizable chaos force near the 9th planet. - Fragmented IF records indicate the INSERT system dates back to pre-heresy days and possibly contains an ancient temple or citadel on the 4th planet. This is assumed the possible reason for the chaos invasion, to secure possible equipment left at the citadel. - Believing the citadel to be the objective of the invasion, the INSERT makes a direct line toward the 4th planet using her support craft as to delay the chaos fleet. - A small scout squad dispatched ahead of the shifting battle confirms the location of the citadel. - In a desperate act the INSERT launches her remaining marines (30 in total) via drop pod onto the 4th planet to defend the citadel until reinforcements arrive. The 30 marines join the scouts that are already planet side. The INSERT is destroyed and the small force on the planets surface are left to defend themselves. - IF forces mount an impressive defense of the citadel, lasting 162 days and at the cost of all but 12 marines and 10 scouts. 1 additional battle brother was able to be stabilized from his wounds but later was interred into a dreadnought sarcophagi. A mixed force of IF, Ultramarines and Black Templars arrive and destroy a significant portion of the chaos fleet that has become known as the Doomreaver's. Though crippled they are not broken and with the help of their leader, known only as the "Reaver" they retreat back into the warp. - With the conclusion of the battle a further assessment of the citadel is conducted. It is determined that this was more than a shrine or temple to honor the emperor. It was in fact a great Moslem housing the remains of heroes from many of the original legions. Additionally there was found deep in holds of the citadel a sizable supply of armor, munitions and other equipment hat would have greatly benefitted the Doomreaver's. This great mosleum and this system had been forgotten with time. - A portion of the IF fleet is left in orbit of the system and the 10 marines and 12 scouts insist on staying planet side to guard the temple. They are reinforced by the Ultramarines and IF's. - The Inqusition INSERT learns of the historical find and dispatches a force to secure the planet. - With the inquisition and 2 Astrades fleets in orbit around INSERT tensions run high as it is determined what is to become of the temple, planet and system. - Tensions peak when a spy is found wondering the halls of the INSERT. Accusations abound and the inquisition flag ship is boarded by IF marines. The Inquisition backs down on their demands and agrees to the forming of a new chapter. Much of the equipment in storage is seconded to the new chapter but portions are divided among the ultras, if's and Bt's. Other chapters are made aware of the location of the chapter so that they may come to honor or move heroes from their past. Many choose to leave the fallen in the catacombs. - The Temple Guard is founded during the INSERT founding. The original 22 IF survivors are seconded into the chapter as is Brother INSERT as the chapters first dreadnought. A small number of Additional Black Templars and Ultramarines that were present at the original battle were also allowed to be seconded into the Temple Guard. - Additional information gathered from with in the archives of the temple identify further systems and other temples that have been forgotten with time. - The temple guard maintains open relations ships with many SM chapters. Particularly those from the early foundings letting them come and honor their fallen and view the banners that hang in the great hall. - The Temple Guard continues to maintain a relationship with the inquisition. As the Guard investigates information and locations. This relationship is looked on poorly by some chapters but understood as needed, because the Guard have always insured that relics, remains or equipment that is found is always returned to the second founding chapter of origin when possible. Other such equipment that can not be returned is honored and stored within the walls of INSERT or returned to Tera to be placed in the emperor's palace. - Since their founding the guard continues to investigate information that is recovered from their records. They have participated in several crusades that have identified forgotten systems and lost worlds. A larger portion of their forces are fleet based, searching for what has been forgotten. - Specialize in drop pod warfare, drop pods as singed to squads, not kept in the armory. - Orange and grey colors - Have a sizable number of tech marines to assist in the gathering of info and the locating of relics. - Sizable fleet broken into 3 watches. Once a place has been discovered the watches rotate between checking in on them. - Works openly with other chapters and when possible invites delegates from them. Particularly when items from that chapter have been located, they are invited to participate in the fight.

Hey y'all, I need a little love getting my new Chapter worked out. I got some things I like already, those are written in white*. There are also some things I need help with, either putting it "in better words" or having facts straightened (meaning if I'm getting fluff or things wrong, let me know). The things I got so far are: Chapter Master: Brictius/ Bastium (Brick/ Bastion). I got the model and loadout, working out the fluff accordingly. Needs a strong name, something with a B like the ones I got. Brictius is latin for piebald, which for some reason I like. Like a "petname" from his battle-brothers. (I imagine he's got pigment spots or something on his head). This wouldn't be on his profile, everyone just "knows" it. Theme for the Chapter: As all Imperial Fists, they are Siege specialist, but they in particular are adept at the gritty in-yet-face-hows-me-powerfist mess of trench fighting. I'm thinking (heavy) flamers, stormshields etc. Colors. Funnily enough, they look alot like the old colors for the Raptors (still called Raptor legion back then). There's good yellow in it, to show they affiliation to the Fists. Facts for the Chapter: Stubborn SOBS like all the sons of Dorn, they have been in many prolonged campaigns and suffered for it. The previous Chapter Master died in their current campaign and the First company's Captain stepped in to fill his shoes. He'll be in command until the end of the campaign after which the Chapter's council will vote in a (new) Chapter Master. They are currently involved in a campaign alongside the Celestial Lions** Chapter, fellow sons of Dorn. The colours. The piebald. (Painting him is next on my agenda). Equipment: Thunderhammer (fist looks more boss tho), Digital weapons (in case it's all 1's rolled to wound NOT ON MY WATCH) and the Shield Eternal. I believe it makes a good combination but I'm open for suggestions all the time. Magnetising his backpack in case he ever needs a Jumppack. So why am I posting this? It's not only to show off my (few) models, it's also because I'm in dire need for a good Chapter name for these boys. I had originally called them the Disciples of Wrath and even tho I still like the name, I someone don't see it fitting for them. I want something that ties them in with the Imperial Fists/ Dorn more than just a "random cool name". With this I would really love some help. In advance, I thank you. *I'm also making this my WIP thread for the Chapter, hence the white text reference. Stuff posted at a later date that I'm not sure about will be in yellow or something. * *The Celestial Lions reference is because they're my primary army. I love the IF Chapter Doctrine and having one army that follows the same rules just helps play. I know the lore on the Celestial Lions. Please don't start telling me things about them. I know it. New and old. This thread is for the boys in the blue-yellow pyjamas.

+ Walls Fail, Fists Do Not! + [+image source+] + + + + + "Since the dawn of the Imperium, the VIIth Legion was known for its mastery of siegecraft. During the glorious Great Crusade, the Imperial Fists were tasked with defending Terra, birthworld of Mankind. They were elevated above their brothers to make sure the bastion of Humanity was safe from any threat. Alongside this unique honour, they were also deployed on battlefields where their brother Legions could not succeed without great loss of life and equipment. The Fists fell upon enemy fortifications like a hammer, blasting their way through rock and steel to make way for the armies of the Emperor. They were also the last line of defence when the thrice-cursed Horus led his corrupted Legions to assault Terra and successfully held the Traitors at bay for months on end. After the Heresy and the rise of the Codex Astartes, the Imperial Fists and their successors are still the undisputed masters of siege warfare. Despite a large number of Chapters finding other areas of bloody expertise, no Son of Dorn has truly forgotten the art of siegecraft and will always stand ready to raise new bastions or tear down the walls behind which the enemies of Mankind cower." + + + + + Introduction With the dust having finally settled from the last Imperial Fists Expansion, it is now time to move on to our next event! This one shall be shorter and in many ways easier than the aforementioned challenge. The idea is for each participant to create a model which represents the Dornian passion and expertise in all areas of siege warfare. Whether you choose to create a Crimson Fist Battle-Brother with a breacher shield or Interdictor Assault Marine with a scenic base representing a blasted Imperial fortress, it is up to you! The limits are your imagination, not the wargear options of the Codex: Space Marines ! Rules Pledge: You must vow to fully assemble and base a single infantry-sized model by 12:00 GMT on Sunday 17th January. The model does not have to be "Codex-legal" and may include items of wargear that are not a part of Codex: Space Marines or the Horus Heresy army lists. An infantry-sized model means a model in Artificer/Power/Scout/Terminator armour. Point values for the models are completely irrelevant for this challenge.Note: The thread will automatically lock once the deadline is reached but shall be re-opened shortly afterwards for the final announcement and rewards. Awards Each completed vow gives a single point towards your total in the Hall of Heroes (incoming). If you choose to paint your model and successfully do so before the deadline or if you add a piece of fluff about the model (of at least 50 words), an extra point shall be awarded. If you paint the model and write a piece of fluff, you will receive two extra points. Signature banners or List of Participants@nortran11 @Dosjetka @Wulfgar Ironmane @Capitano @jimbo13 @Disruptor_fe404 @Helias Tancred @Son of Carnelian @The_Chaplain @Bob Hunk @Brother Cambrius @valhalla130 @BattleBrotherJohn @Logiter @Lachdannan @Thedarkprincesnun @Soric @Brother Pheidias @DracoFox [...]

Imperial Fists Expansion III In the wake of the recent rise in Chaos and Warp activity, the Chapter Master of the Imperial Fists has decreed that his Chapter must bolster its strength to counter the rising and terrible threat. All battle-brothers have been recalled to the Phalanx to re-arm and prepare for the coming onslaught. New aspirants have been recruited in the hope that a number of them will complete the full transformation into an Astartes to replace losses caused by the upcoming conflicts. The Techmarines and their Servitors aboard Chapter Forge-Ships work ceaselessly to repair damaged wargear and produce new materials of war. The Chapter Ancients are being roused to better aid their Chapter with their extensive wisdom and knowledge in warfare. The Chaplains, deep within the Reclusiam, prepare their sermons and most holy relics. The Librarians steel their minds against the predations of thw Warp, expecting the surge of malefic psychic activity. The line Astartes, each confined for a short time to their hab-cells, reflect upon the upcoming war effort, each Battle-Brother with vows to their Primarch and the Emperor of Mankind upon their lips. And yet, despite the martial prowess of the Astartes under his command and the great war machines that he has at his disposal, the Chapter Master, ever concious of the Legions of Chaos that lie in wait within the Great Eye, has sent out astropathic hails far out into the galaxy, attempting to reach the ears of the other Chapters who claim to be of the great line of Dorn. The Crimson Fists, Celestial Lions, Excoriators, Executioners, Subjugators, Iron Knights, and even the renegade Soul Drinkers, have been contacted to send their own Battle-Brothers to fight back their traitorous brethren and corrupted followers. After many months of preparation, hundreds of fully armoured Battle-Brothers assemble in the Great Hall aboard the Phalanx, before the Chapter Master of the Imperial Fists. The thousand voices all shout the same words, loud and clear, in defiance to the Warp-filth that spills forth from the Immaterium: "For Dorn and the Emperor!" Rules You may enter any models that represent the proud Sons of Dorn. No other models/Chapters will be allowed (if unsure, this list gives you a good indication; please note that DIY Chapters are accepted); The Expansion runs from today, 15th September 2015, until 23:00 GMT on 15th December 2015. Any models submitted after this deadline will not be counted; You may make up to six vows over the course of the Expansion. However, if you do make multiple vows, but fail to complete the last one, the previous vows will be counted towards your vow completion total. You must also complete your first vow to be able to make a second one, complete your second before vowing a third, etc; Each vow must be made up of at least one unit from the latest Codex: Space Marines, Imperial Armour Vol 2 - War Machines of the Adeptus Astartes, or the relevant Forge World Horus Heresy books. No exceptions. After each vow is made, you must supply a "starting picture" (the state your models are in before you start building/painting them), at least one "work in progress" (WIP) update, and a final "completed" picture. If you wish to post more WIP updates, you are free to do so. Also, if you wish to post your progress in your own thread in the Forge or here in the subforum, you're also free to do so, providing that you send me a PM with a link to your thread! For those of you who like to write some fluff for your units, I can only encourage you to do so, as their might be a special something for you once the competiton ends (along with a few other potential surprises for others). If you have any questions, please do no hesitate to post them in this thread, or to PM me directly. For the vow, there is no "official" format, but if you copy/paste and complete the following form, you should be good: Vows Imperial Fists Expansion III Vows ID Frater Chapter Units Vow Complete I @Armond Executioners One Chaplain Link Link One five-man Tactical Squad Link Link One Razorback Link Link One five-man Assault Squad, one Land Speeder Typhoon Link Link One six-man Tactical Squad, one Razorback, one Ironclad Dreadnought, one Venerable Dreadnought, one Drop Pod, one Vindicator Link Link One eight-man Tactical Squad, one Razorback, one Ironclad Dreadnought, one Command Squad, one Captain, one Librarian Link Link One Dreadnought, one Drop Pod, three Terminators Link Link II @Augustus b'Raass Imperial Fists One five-man Scout Squad Link Link One Whirlwind Link Link One Whirlwind Link Link One Captain, one Primus Medicae on Bike Link Link One Attack Bike, one Whirlwind Link Link One five-man Devastator Squad, one five-man Tactical Squad Link Link One Razorback, one Attack Bike, one five-man Tactical Squad Link Link III @BattleBrotherJohn Soul Drinkers Two ten-man Tactical Squads Link Link IV @Brother Pheidias Imperial Fists One five-man Tactical Squad, one Captain, one Chaplain, one Librarian Link Link V Interdictors One Rhino Link Link VI @Capitano N/A One Sternguard Veteran Squad Link Link VII @deathspectersgt7 Iron Knights One Captain Link Link [/td] Executioners One Captain Link Link Fire Lords One Veteran Sergeant Link Link Excoriators One Chapter Champion Link Link VIII @Demus Ragnok Death Strike One Chaplain Link Link IX @DimDim Imperial Fists One Praetor Link Link X @Disruptor_fe404 Sentinels Three Honour Guard Link Link XI @Dosjetka Imperial Fists One Chaplain Link Link XII @Gaius Atticus Crimson Fists One ten-man Tactical Squad, one Razorback Link Link XIII @Grotsmasha N/A One Captain Link Link XIV @Helias Tancred Crimson Fists One Ironclad Dreanought, three Land Speeders, one Captain Link Link XV @jimbo13 Imperial Fists One Siege Breaker (Centurion) Link Link One Mortis-Contemptor Link Link One Support Squad Link Link XVI @krakenfiend Imperial Fists Two three-man Bike Squads, each with one attached Attack Bike Link Link XVII @Lachdannan Imperial Fists One Legion Apothcary Link Link XVIII @nightwing1511 Imperial Fists One Command Squad Link Link XIX @nusphigor CrimsonFists Three Captains, one Librarian Link Link XX @ShVagYeR Imperial Fists One Captain Link Link XXI Imperial Fists One First-Captain Sigismund Link Link XXII @valhalla130 Imperial Fists One ten-man Tactical Squad, one Captain, one Librarian Link Link XXIII @WITCHKING501 Imperial Fists One ten-man Breacher Squad Link Link One Sicaran Battle Tank, one five-man Destroyer Squad Link Link XXIV @Wulfgar Ironmane N/A One First-Captain Sigismund, one Captain Link Link XXV @Zopha Imperial Fists One three-man Outrider Squad Link Link + + + + + + + + Before I forget, here is the participation banner that you should all wear in your signature to show your participation in this Expansion! (500x100 pixels) (400x50 pixels) (300x100 pixels) (300x100 pixels) (33x100 pixels) Last but not least, enjoy yourselves! And if ever you fail to make it, there's always the Pain Glove

The start of my Crimson Fist strike force is the command nucleus of Captain and Veteran Sergeant. Captain Tancred on the right and Veteran Sergeant Guy on the left. They don't mess around! http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/gallery/image/149862-captain-and-his-veteran-sergeant/

Long long ago in the way far away I created the Knights of Lydda Chapter. After taking a hiatus from the forum I havefound that nothing remains of my beloved chapter except a picture in one thread. Well, since I am rebuilding my forces, I think it only right to amend the writing from the past to reflect the newer rules and game play. The Knights are a Black Templar off shoot that willplay with their Chapter Tactics. All charactes are created specifically for the chapter without recycling any from the BT list. I am currently rewriting the fluff to the army, here is what I have: Origins The Knights of Lydda were first created during the 20th Founding with Imperial Fist geneseed to deal with the xenos threats which spanned through out the Imperium of Man. Many of the initial training missions were fought against different xenos races. These missions helped to instill the chapter with a fierce hatred for the entirety of all xenos races. To them having a xenos race on Imperial soil is just as bad as having a heretic on Holy Ground. The Knights of Lydda were assigned a permanent post in the Eastern Fringe as it seemed that this was the doorway through which much of the threat to the Imperium was using. The Knights of Lydda were to eradicate any sign of alien contamination they found. Lydda, a world from the Nemarkus System near the center of the Eastern Galactic Fringe, was given to the Chapter as a recruiting ground as many of its initial marines were drawn from this medieval world. The beliefs of the Chapter are like those of the knights that populate its lands. They quite simply translate as protect the weak and destroy all that oppose the righteous rule of the Emperor. The Knights of Lydda live and die by this simple creed. There is no parlay with these warriors, you are on the Emperor's side or you are a traitor. The Knights of Lydda have fought bravely in many engagements against various opponents. Though trained to fight primarily alien cultures, they have had a decent amount of battle experience with the forces of Chaos as well. The illustrious battles fought by this noble Chapter span many volumes in the Chapter's Librarium and shrines to victory and fallen warriors are scattered across many of planets of this sector. The Gresnik War The Gresnik War began as a small operation that quickly spiralled out of control. Imperial Guard regiments were sent to Opathia Prime to quell an Ork rebellion. It seems that the Guard was ill informed of their true enemy. Though green of skin and immensely muscular, Gresnik was not an Ork as the Guardsmen were led to believe, but rather a Chaos Champion. After losing four major cities and the lower continent, the Guard called for help. They still had not seen Gresnik, only his minions who resembled orks. The Knights of Lydda answered the call immediately. After a small warp jump the initial battle was fought in the city Heratomolie. The densely built city hindered the Knights' regular combat doctrines and Gresnik's forces balked them at every turn. Until this point in their illustrious history they had been able to dictate terms to their enemies, now the advantage belonged to the enemy. For months wave after wave of attacks by the Knights were put down. In a brash decision Chapter Master Gregory Harriston declared the entire Chapter, from the most grizzled veteran marine to the newest scout was to fight in this particular theater of war. Two forces were assembled to take part in a decisive strike to lure out the elusive Gresnik. The first was a mobile strike unit of Cheveliers supported by Seige Master stationed at key points through out the battle zone. The second was an entire Order constisting of Assault Marines who would wait to harass and destroy the enemy forces brought into light. After months of recon, firefights, and repositioning of forces the Knights had lost many Battle Brothers. On the three hundred and twenty second day of fighting a ray of hope shone on the Knights of Lydda. The scout recon groups spotted Gresnik himself. Gresnik was a being of pure muscle, tainted green with the rot of Nurgle. A massive power claw formed his right hand while a huge three bladed bionic formed the left. It was easy for any marine there to understand why they were under the assumption they were initially fighting orks. Gresnik made way for the approaching Chapter forces killing two squads of scouts in his attack. As he stood over Chavelier Sergeant Charles Pollinius about to strike the killing blow with the power clawed right hand, the power sword of Gregory himself stopped it. The two were locked in combat while the rest of the Knights of Lydda regrouped and took their fight to the remaining forces of Gresnik's army. Gresnik was finally laid low when Gregory decapitated his mutated head from his body. All of the fallen Brothers had been taken to the apothecaries of the fleet ships for removal of their geneseed. It was here that Gregory the Pious learned of the exact number of the fallen, a full three quarters of his men had died on this world. Gregory consulted the only member of Imperial Law in the field, Inquisitor Marcus Grimm of the Ordo Xenos. The decision was the planet of Opathia Prime would be declared Exterminatus. The Imperial forces bombarded the planet with virus bombs and left it to die. The Knights left for Lydda to re-forge their strength and their numbers pledging that an onslaught like this would never be allowed to happen to the Chapter again. Reconstruction Following the Gresnik War, the Knights of Lydda were all but driven into obscurity. The reconstruction of the chapter was of supreme importance and could not be ignored. Putting themselves into seclusion on the surface of Lydda the chapter drove forward searching for worthy aspirants to fill the void left by the fallen brothers of the chapter. In mid-M.38, during this time of seclusion a vision of prosperity came upon them. This miracle of the Emperor came to them in the form of Jerrulis Resinger, a young masonry serf who had a particular skill with the blade. During the two hundred and fifty year reconstruction of the Chapter, Jerrulius advanced in rank. Once, as the Chavelier Captain of the Lion Order, Jerrulius led his Order into one of the Chapter's most famous battles, facing and defeating many times their number of Eldar. The result impressed Chapter Master Gregory Harriston so much that he took the Captain under his wing to become his successor. After Gregory's fall on Damascus XIV, Jerrulius assumed the mantle of Chapter Master. During this time he was to complete the reconstruction efforts of the chapter and drew up many tenants on how to maintain a fighting force, including the policy of establishing keeps upon uncontested Imperial worlds, expanding the number of potential candidates to recruit from. It is due to these practices laid out in the Bellicus Doctrina, written by Jerrulius himself in his forty ninth year as Chapter Master, that the Knights of Lydda have not faced such a dire need for recruits again. Lydda Lydda, the fourth planet of the Nemarkus System lies in the Daedelus Subsector of the Eastern Fringe. It is a medieval world under the Light of the Imperium for many millennia. The planet orbits the yellow sun of Nemarkus and this star blankets the lands of Lydda with light and warmth while the three planets closer to Nemarkus are too hot for habitation. Only two major continents are found on Lydda, the largest of which is Braxus. Across the blue seas lies the subcontinent of Jacea. The oceans of Lydda contain nineteen island chains, but few of these are actually inhabited. Native animals of this world include the Great Raven ( a bird of titanic size), horses, and the Lava Snake (a large reptile which usually resides in the steam vents of volcanic sites). These creatures are an everyday sight and with species such as the horse, breeding farms have been implemented in many areas of the world. The people of Lydda are organized into a feudal structure. Each kingdom supplies and maintains specific services and militia, levying troops and tithes from the populace to arm these forces. In return the rulers of each land proffer titles of nobility and grants of land. Serf labor makes up a large portion of the inhabitants of each Kingdom. It is this structure that makes Lydda such a fertile recruiting ground. Any boy can leave his position, even as a serf, to join the ruler's army and test himself during the Tournament of Pages. During the Tournament martial testing takes place across the lands and applicants from the age of eight to thirteen subject themselves to various trials, including a trial by arms in which only the victor walks away. Senior Chapter serfs attend each Tournament and choose the most suitable recruits for the Knights, those who survive but who are not chosen to join the Chapter are left to serve out their lives in the service of the lord holding the trials. The planetary population is aware of the presence of the Chapter and its serfs are regarded as a caste of their own among the inhabitants. Though no communication is existant outside the tournament, these individuals are seen as the Emperor's emissaries who stand but a rung below the legendary Knights themselves. If a Chapter serf makes a request for the Chapter from a ruling lord it is immediately fulfilled. No ruler wishes to risk the wrath of the 'Knights from the Emperor's Stars' being visited upon them. Local legends refer to the 'Knights of the Emperor's Stars' as the Emperor's chosen army. They revere these tales and when a Knights of Lydda ship is spotted overhead all that see it immediately inform their lord so that offerings may be made to satisfy the needs of these men who serve the Emperor's glory. It is a common fantasy of many of the planet’s youth to be taken to the stars with the Chapter and live their lives in service. It is a dream only few ever get to realize. Beliefs The Knights of Lydda are a zealous chapter in the tenants of its belief system. Their only mission in life is to destroy the forces which threaten the security of the Imperium of Man. Each marine holds dear the teachings and veneration of the Emperor and is a member of the Imperial Cult. On their homeworlds they were all raised with the knowledge of the God Emperor. They have retained these teachings upon their acceptance into the Chapter and worship the Emperor in much the same manner as the many other inhabitants of the Imperium. No challenge has been made to their belief of the Emperor as a God as it has been cited by the Inquisition on many occasions that to do this would most likely start a rift between the Chapter and the Imperium. No one wants the crusading chapter to ask what else they may have been lied to about if the Emperor is not what they have been taught since childhood. Some Inquisitors feel that this ignorance is bliss for the chapter and helps keep them in stride with the goals set for them in the field. The Sons of Lydda believe the Emperor himself chooses each of them and lays forth a mission to be completed. To die in battle is a completion of your task and grants a Knight a place at the Emperor's side in the afterlife. Any Marine who does not die in battle, but rather falls to treachery or subterfuge is prayed for by his brothers and a Chaplain states the case for the fallen marine to take his place at the Emperor's side during the funeral rites in hopes that the Emperor will still see fit to so honor the fallen brother. Honor is taken seriously amongst the Knights and points of honor between Battle Brothers are often settled by ritual combat. Depending on the severity of the grievance between Marines the combat may be settled by first blood, surrender or even, rarely, mortal combat though in the hundreds of years since the Knights of Lydda were formed this only four duels have been fought to the death. Recruitment Recruiting is done from several worlds now, most notably Lydda itself. On each recruiting world a keep is built and run by Chapter serfs. These individuals see to the needs of the Chapter providing required resources and personnel needed by the chapter thorough a series of tolls and levies in return for the Chapter's protection. Every year on Lydda the Tournament of Pages is held at the parade grounds of each of the twenty-three kingdoms. The purpose of the tournament is to provide a recruiting ground for new soldiers to be inducted and trained into soldiers by each feudal kingdom. All thirteen year old males of the realms are required to participate upon penalty of death, though any lad between eight and twelve years may also partake in the Tournament if he wishes. It is during this time that the Heralds of the Knights of Lydda, in the form of high-ranking chapter serfs, come forth to claim some of the youths present for induction into the chapter. The Tournament of Pages is a military affair using blunted weapons and tests of skill such as riding, jousting, and swordsmanship to show potential soldiers to the kings of the realms. These tests, though watched and held in relative safety, have been known their fair share of casualties and even fatalities among the entrants. However it is not solely martial prowess that the Tournament seeks to showcase, nor is solely battle skills that a potential chapter recruit is judged on. Entrants are also tested on military and legal knowledge, courtly manners and a variety of other subjects as well and some esoteric combination of the results of these tests and battlefield performance decides who is and who isn't recruited. Only the Heralds know these criteria, handed out by senior Knights according to the chapter's strengths and weaknesses and they hold their secrets close to their chests. Training The collected aspirants are brought to Nirvana, the chapter's keep. Here they are initially trained in survival techniques and unarmed combat by the serfs who were once themselves aspirants. During this time the surgical procedures for implanting the geneseed and various other organs to turn these young men into Space Marines are begun by the stationed Hospitaller. The Chapter's Hospitallers are aware of the fact that the Betcher's Gland does not work, as is the case with the Imperial Fists from which they are derived and the Chapter fears further degradation. Due to this concern the decision was made to train more recruits in the arts of the Apothecarium. Thus there is always a knowledgeable Brother on hand to monitor the implanted organs and bio-chemistry of each Marine for purity and proper function. Further all units must report every seven Terran years to an infirmary so that more complete check ups can be made. Once a certain maturity level has been established the aspirants are sent out on the Trial of Fire. This trial has the aspirants traveling to the mountains north of the keep with the goal of obtaining the head of an Inferno Drake (a fire breathing wyvern type, dragon class lizard inhabiting the caves near the mountain lakes). When the aspirants return the head is presented to the Hospitaller Sergeants at the Ceremony of Fortitude as proof of their ability to work as a team. After the process of implantation and psycho-indoctrination the aspirant receives a final test, The Journey of Steel. Taken to the most war torn and intense battlefields of the planet, armed with only a sword, shield, comm-link, and flak armor, the aspirants must return to Nirvana within 30 days. Each aspirant is expected to have a trophy from a fallen foe. These trophies are usually in the form of a weapon, most notably a sword. Those who fail a trial or reject the geneseed implantations are inducted as Chapter serfs. These men often serve in a militia company on the field either next to or in lieu of their masters. From this militia the Heralds are chosen to procure the next generation of aspirants for the Chapter. Battle Cry “Whom Shall I Fear?” Battlecry originated on the sulphur plains of Salpahrus IV where the Knights battled against a chaos cult backed by the Alpha Legion which threatened to consume the system itself. The originator of the cry is unknown, yet it persists to this day upon the battlefield.

I've tried the search functions but I'm convinced I'm not using it properly - does anyone know of anybody trying to develop the background of the Subjugators at all? Any concerted efforts towards developing a "feel" or aesthetic for them?

This thread is to document my WIP of my chapter, the Temple Guard. Progress will be slow, but progress will happen. Once I finish rounding out the fluff I will post it for those interested. In the mean time, here are some ideas I have been throwing around for color and chapter symbol. I came across this image and loved the green, I would like to work with this I think. I would like to give a nod to the original 7th Legion, so I came up with the following that uses this green color; I also played around with some grey, but i feel they look a little "Space Wolves"-ish Personally I like the second, with the Khaki Green and white the best, I think the green/yellow combo is too "Packers"-ish. As for the Chapter symbol I was thinking a Raptor head set against crossing lighting bolts, something very similar to the original iconography of the 7th. I also briefly played around with the idea of using the Dark Angel logo since I have a Dark Vengeance box, but I dont think it works. I am not sure though. Anyway, going for a very military feel with these guys, hoping to build a decent drop pod army and possibly an Assault Marine army using BA rules. A.

Eating back into the hobby and I am looking at Imperial Fists. When I played back in 5th edition I had the entire 5th company assembled, based and painted. Anyway, I sold them, mistake I know. With getting back into it now I would like to do a successor chapter to the IF's. My reasoning is purely logistical and a little fluff. If I want to filed assault troopers and make a all jump troop army I can run them as count as Blood Angels, or I can do the Dark Angle thing, any from a visual perspective I think going with a custom scheme make this a little easier to pull off, I also do t want to paint an entire company worth of yellow again. So I turn to you guys here for name help. Here is what I am thinking so far Imperial Templar's - OD green with yellow shoulders and a Templar cross. Fist of Dorn- Dar Grey with yellow shoulders, I like the idea of sticking with the fist emblem, but the name sounds like something you would find in an adult novelty shop of you catch my drift. Servants of Dorn - a little too soft for the galaxies mightiest, Navy blue armor with tan shoulders. Other than that I am drawing a blank. Any suggestions? I would love to keep the fist icon working as it fits in with the back story I am thinking of. A.

Hello all, After much to-ing and fro-ing, I have (I hope) finally decided to settle with Exorcists as the official Chapter I will play with (alongside my DIY Praetors of Denzarr). So naturally, I got my hands on Imperial Armour: The Badab War Part II and got reading. While I haven't the whole book, I've gone through the Exorcists' entry and some questions have popped up. First of these: Are there any more pieces of fluff which better describe (either in the same Imperial Armour or somewhere else) the different sub-cults of the Exorcists? Secondly, what kind of letters could I use for the script on the Exorcists' armour? I was thinking ancient Greek, but does anyone have any alternatives? Thirdly, what kind of designs could I use to put on their armour? They seem to have geometric patterns but does anyone have any bigger pictures of similar stuff? That's all for the moment. Any help is appreciated ^_^ Cheers, Ludovic

The Alpha Hounds Space Marines Chapter Intercepted Inquisitorial Report regarding subject 'Alpha Hounds'. "I have my doubts whether or not these 'Hounds' can be relied upon or trusted in a time of Imperial need. Should our Lords on Terra call, the Chapter is beyond lethargic to answer. Citing the Emperor against them seems to be the only way to direct them with any kind of haste." -Unknown Inquisitor Available Imperial records have proved mostly reliable regarding the Alpha Hounds Chapter. Their creation was a standard issue order from the High Lords of Terra during the first years of the 26th founding. Their purpose at that time was to keep at bay any enemy forces in the tail of the Sagittarius Arm, which were initially limited to Chaos raids attempting to strike through the frequent warp storms of the region. There is but one noticeable hole in the Chapter’s history that Imperial records cannot fill, which regards their homeworld. The Hounds themselves appear to have these records, but no one outside the Chapter has ever been permitted to see them. Within three hundred years of their founding, the threats they faced evolved into something more substantial with the first expansions of the xenos Tau Empire. Because of the tenacity of the Tau in defending their worlds, the Chapter’s primary objective has become patrolling the border space to prevent them from gaining new foothold worlds and expanding further. This has also brought them into conflict with splinters of the Tyranid Hive Fleet Gorgon. Though they keep largely to themselves, the Chapter has been regularly sighted patrolling assigned space, from the coreward stars of the Tau Empire almost to the end of the Sagittarius Arm. The Triplex Phall forgeworld reports regular supply requisitions from the Chapter. Full Circuit "These systems are backwater, forgotten and unattended by the Imperium. With this last jump here, we have our course; a route to the Arm's end that follows endless night and offers free reign." -Fyvush Feyne The unfortunate mutation of the Alpha Hound gene-seed has at least complemented its fleet based nature, which allows them to avoid the would-be blinding light of a homeworld's sun. The fleet maintains patrols along a series of subsector to subsector planetary systems that has taken Chapter Librarians and Navigators the better part of a century to compile, and completed by a Navigator called Fyvush Feyne. The course, named the Feyne Circuit in his honor, consists of planets used as staging grounds and supply caches, largely uninhabitable and lost in shadow for most of their respective day periods. The Circuit also includes three asteroids which have been equipped to move, providing variables in the course that only the highest ranking Hounds can know. The Alpha Council considers this an essential precaution as all untithed gene-seed produced by the Chapter is kept in the facilities along the Circuit. While each of these 'Night World' bases is fortified, the defenses don't amount to much more than a few orbital defense guns and sensors for tracking activity in each system. The protection of the Night Worlds depends largely on the proximity of the fleet, and secrecy. The Battle Barge called Bastion Alpha houses the Chapter's monastery. Despite receiving supplies from multiple sources, the prolonged campaigns favored by the Hounds quickly drain these resources, and without the stockpiles on the Circuit, the Chapter would be regularly exposed with no means of retaliation, making the Feyne Circuit a necessary supply line asset to defend. Obscure archival footnotes mention a homeworld for the Chapter. Though older navigational charts note the planet as an agri-world, more recent visitors report the planet as destroyed. Cracked nearly in three, the few ruins still visible have clearly been the subject of intense orbital bombardment. No Imperial reports detail what transpired there, and the death of that world is remembered only by the Alpha Hounds. The history kept by the Alpha Hounds tells that less than a century following their founding the Chapter was drawn away from its wards by a chaos fleet, allowing the world to be invaded. The invasion forces did not count on nearby Imperial Navy elements, who notified the Hounds as they engaged the invaders, advising them to make the long journey back. Before long, the commander of the Naval forces began to report that the battle was going poorly, the planet was falling, and exterminatus was beginning to look like the only option. The Hounds still on the planet said otherwise, certain the world could be saved. The Chapter Master and his council of leadership petitioned more than once for more time to bring reinforcements, citing the loyalty of the natives and their faith in the Imperium, but were answered with silence. Sacrificing no more time to leave the Warp for reports, the fleet made all haste towards home. When they emerged from the Immaterium over the homeworld, they found a burning husk. An indelible mark was left on the young Chapter, but in the Emperor’s eyes and their own, they were still bound to serve…and so pressed on. However, not even the Hounds kept any record of what became of the Naval elements that oversaw the death of their homeworld. Rite of Passage Finally, an opportunity. Two of the Kroot had separated, leaving the camp to forage. Waiefei's long wait was ending. Sighting through the Stalker's scope, he led the pair for fifteen seconds til they were just out of sight of the camp. At their next step, he squeezed the trigger with trained precision. The bolt bored through the nearer Kroot's skull, then clipped the further Kroot's shoulder. Instantly adjusting, Darius fired again before the howl of pain could sound, his tactical display registering near simultaneous weapons discharges from his brothers hidden around the camp. The hunt was on. The Alpha Hounds see the honor of living and serving as a Space Marine as a privilege to be earned, not only for new recruits, but for the Chapter as a whole. If a mission should fail, or an engagement is lost and the Alpha Council determines that it stains the Chapter's honor, recruitment will cease until the Chapter distinguishes itself once more. Recruits are usually gathered as willing payment from worlds aided by the Hounds. They are brought to the Circuit for trials and training. The primary qualifications of character for Neophytes are loyalty and ingenuity, and the most frequent challenges throw groups of recruits into lethal situations such as the hunting grounds of nocturnal predators, or squad versus squad combats in different settings. Given few, if any resources, and only each other to depend upon, those recruits who demonstrate a willingness to sacrifice for their would-be brothers and can adapt to their surroundings on the fly are the only ones who have a chance at beginning the implantation process. These groups are often permanent, and the final test of the Initiates before joining the Scout Company is a test of their strength and prowess, and ability to hunt together. Alone on a shuttle, the team of recruits is dropped on a world occupied by the Tau's Kroot allies. Sometimes the Chapter has withdrawn forces to allow the Kroot to establish a presence, only to recover the lost ground with the Initiates. Each team must hunt down and consume a Kroot hunting party, which is usually twelve to fifteen Kroot in strength. If the squad succeeds without casualties, their trials are complete and they are fully inducted into the Chapter. Some initiates follow the Hound tradition, tracking the enemy by use of the Omophagea and forcing the Kroot to isolate themselves before picking them off rapidly, in small groups. Other Initiates are satisfied simply tracking the party, and then falling on them in a frontal ambush. These particular marines tend to become powerful close combat fighters, but are historically rare. After consuming the first kill, the interaction between the Kroot genetic material and the flaw in the Omophagea invariably begins a lifelong desire for Kroot flesh. While not as drastic as in other Chapters with similar gene flaws, the Alpha Hounds have never taken a Kroot prisoner, giving them the honor of dying on the battlefield before the battle-brothers prepare and eat them, usually in camps on the same battlefield. The tradition of Kroot hunting as the final Rite is believed to have supplanted the original indoctrination ritual of apex predator hunts. The change is a reverence to a battle during the Chapter's first encounters with Tau, in which a Kroot kindred ambushed and destroyed almost half a company of marines. Under the direction of their Shaper, the Kroot began consuming the fallen marines, but fled at the first sign of reinforcements. One squad sergeant alone, Brother Anton Windhark, was rendered unconscious, but survived the ambush and witnessed the Kroot feeding on his brothers' flesh. The following night, without orders, the vengeful sergeant tracked down and slaughtered the entire kindred save for the Shaper, who beheld the marine's first bite into the Kroot that had eaten his brothers, before being reduced to slag by Windhark's plasma pistol. Since then, Kroot are viewed as the ultimate prey and the Chapter relishes every encounter with Tau for the chance to scourge the Kindreds. The induction ritual itself is a subdued occasion. Successful recruits go under the Apothecary’s blade once more, and the second bone in the middle finger is removed and replaced with an alloy substitute. Following the operation the neophyte carves his name and the date of his induction into his bone and presents it to the presiding Chaplain. The bone is dipped in adamantium and placed on a chain, to be worn at all times. Over time Alpha Hounds will gather other bones, mostly from foes, but sometimes from brothers, on which to inscribe the deeds of battles and campaigns. These hang from the same chain, forming part of each brother’s legacy. Second Campaign against the Orks of Fi'rios "A riff from the heavy bolters on that hillside, NOW! Jameth, make it rain, brother!" The swarming Orks retreated from the blistering bolter fire behind a rubble-strewn hill, waiting for an opening. What they saw instead were the red tongues of flame falling towards them from the sky, ready to seal them in against any hope of escape. Though a fleet based Chapter, the Alpha Hounds have a marked preference for ground combat, and haven't developed the advanced boarding skills of other fleet based Chapters. They regard their fleet only as their essential conveyance through the void, and respect their original fleet elements as such. Captured ships or those taken as payment are not afforded such respect, mostly due to how rarely these ships mount the weapons or defenses needed to be useful to Astartes. This mentality has led to many of the fleet's lesser vessels often being treated as expendable and used in highly unorthodox maneuvers, including abandonment as battlefield debris or fireships, blockade running, and ramming enemy fleets. If it is possible to draw an enemy force into a land battle, the Hounds will choose a sunlit world over fighting in the confines of a ship's belly. While their tactics frequently make unpredictable changes, the constant is their preference for catching the enemy by surprise and attacking at night. Ambushes, troop lures, and trap laced fortifications are a regular part of Alpha Hound warfare. It can be noted that scouts are frequently at the fore front of an attack, pulling the main force behind them. Leading scout squads are often given the honor of the first shot fired at the enemy, and these first strikes are often combined with simultaneous drop pod assaults, and low altitude Thunderhawk strikes. The most planning goes into capitalizing on the confusion sown by the sudden loss of leadership and the element of surprise. Frequent maneuvers include 'Black Out' attacks aimed at cutting off enemy visibility to allow friendly forces to redeploy, 'Crush' ambushes meant to catch the enemy between two or more units, and 'Base Dropping', a shock and awe strategy that drops a heavy fire base made up of tactical marines, Terminators and Dreadnoughts into the heart of the enemy formation in an effort to scatter them and sweep them as they flee. The normally superior reflexes and enhanced senses of a Space Marine are all but nullified for the Hounds by the glare of sunlight, due to the oversensitive nature of their Occulobes. In daylight conditions, their reactions are hardly any better than a unit of Imperial Guardsmen, or even the Tau they so frequently fight. The battle-brothers of the Alpha Hounds appear to revel in extended campaigns; the longer lasting, the better. Kill markings are considered irrelevant, replaced by campaign marks distinguishing consecutive weeks or months of successive battles. With years at a time spent pursuing enemies across worlds with little time for concentrated maintenance, Hounds marines have made numerous modifications to their weapons and equipment, few of which would be sanctioned by a sane techpriest. These modifications are most commonly based on adapting to the environment of the world where the battle group is fighting. They are also skilled at using their surroundings to complement their weapons, or turning the environment itself into an exploitable asset instead of using specialized gear. The Chapter has trouble maintaining both its Terminator armor and Jump Packs units, and these are rarely seen on the battlefield. Called to serve Him "You are not the Imperium's marines, you are not the tools of Terra. You are the Emperor's Angels of Death, and you will trample His foes beneath your feet and rend them as you go over! We are the Alpha Hounds, and our crescendo will burn the galaxy clean in the Emperor's name! -Chapter Master Moonstride The Alpha Hounds stand at approximately nominal strength and are codex adherent, their only particular variance being the Chapter Command, or Alpha Council, composed simply of the Chapter Master and the Masters of the Companies. It is unknown how or if the companies not on the council are represented, but the will of the Council is unquestionably accepted by all. Neophytes spend at minimum the first ten years of their services as Scouts, integrated into the Battle Companies and rotated whenever a Reserve Company steps in to relieve their attachment. Likewise integrated are the Assault specialists. Because the Chapter so rarely deploys its few jump packs, the Assault marines can afford to go into battle with their brothers, where they not only lead charges, but excel at flanking on foot and serving as decoys for drawing the enemy into the open. The Devastator company remains separate, according to the Codex. The Chapter’s Devastators tend to be the loudest and most abrasive marines, to the degree that it is part of the reason they remain a separate company. It is also noteworthy that the Devastators have more experience with drop pod maneuvers than any unit in the Chapter, with the possible exception of its Dreadnoughts. A Cause for the Lost Sighing, the gray-headed Librarian closed his tome before answering his brother. "No, Sinef, they cannot know or understand that their Imperium is dead. They will never recognize this as the true root of their misery. That is why we watch over them. They have lost their Master as much as you and I." -Cheif Librarian Morianton The Alpha Hounds Chapter cult has never been observed, but what contact Imperial agents have had has made note of the regular absences and gatherings of Chapter members between combats, suggesting that whatever rituals the Chapter does maintain are regularly attended. While as a whole the Chapter appears to be of acceptable demeanor, their attitude towards serving the Imperium leaves much to be desired. The Chapter has never ignored or refused an order from Terra, but in handling local requests for assistance the Hounds have been known to refuse aid without the promise of payment, sometimes going as far as demanding control of a planet's warp worthy ships. Behind closed doors the Chapter Cult is a startlingly somber body, despite the usual boisterousness of its adherents. The Hounds praise one thing only, and that is the Emperor. Here any similarities with the Ecclesiarchy and most similarities with other Astartes beliefs end. The Hounds recognize the Emperor as a Champion of humanity, but a lost one. While they don't dispute that the Emperor may be sustaining his life from century to century, they have no delusions of any distant return or reawakening of their Master. They see their lives as gifts, fruits of the Emperor's labor and recognize no other hand, in giving thanks for their existence. Any semblance of ‘faith’ is seen as wasted. Older Chapter members know the root of this belief to be the result of the tragedy that destroyed the world meant to be their home. It could be said that the Chapter was reborn from this event. The once eager and obedient Hounds took to their fleet, and became lethargic to answer the call of Terra. If faith in the Imperium were of so little value, they would treat it as such. Likely because of this, the Alpha Hounds privately believe that the Imperium died with the Emperor, and is now an empty shell. In the eyes of the Hounds, the Adeptus Astartes exist only to soften the blow for the rest of mankind when the truth strikes them. Only out of respect for the Emperor do the Hounds follow any orders from the High Lords. For governments and leaders both military and civilian, however, they have no regard other than perhaps mild suspicion. While their responses to local requests for aid are justifiably frowned upon, they would never cruelly abandon a world in need, and have sometimes appeared without request to aid a planet in danger. They always, however, demand payment. The payment is always proportional to the planets resources, and is sometimes no more than commissioning a team of locals to collect the bolt casings from a battlefield, just so that they can appreciate the Space Marines' efforts. In truth, the Hounds have a grain of pity for the rest of humanity, even more lost than they without the Emperor. Great respect and reverence is also afforded to the Chapter’s dead. Simple tombs are maintained on several of the Night Worlds where the remains of the fallen are interred. The adamantine bone removed in the induction ritual ensures that something of each brother can endure even the most extreme destruction, and every chain is paired with a plaque displaying the date of the marine’s death. The Alpha Hounds have developed a strong relationship with, and faith in, the families of the Navis Nobilite, and greatly respect the Navigators in service to the Chapter, and these connections have contributed to nuances in the Chapter's beliefs. Some of the principles used by the Navigators are magnified in Alpha Hound beliefs and doctrines. They study the terrain more often than they study the enemy, knowing that while the enemy may change on the eve of battle, the battlefield itself is likely to remain the same. There are scouts in the Hounds who are rumored to know entire planetscapes from memory. As the Navigators say, the better one knows the territory, the more rapidly to traverse it. This study usually takes the place of prayers in the daily routine of other Adeptus Astartes, as well as a major part of the Chapter's tactical indoctrination. The Blind Lead Better So this was war by the light of day. It was truly hellish. Doing all he could not to squint at the filtered light that passed his optics, Brother-Sergeant Miantono fired a burst at the distant Tau squad, barely noting in time the battlesuits moving towards the right flank. Squad Uncas had fallen, then. Miantono rallied his marines, "Incoming on the right flank! Sergeant Requias, prepare your squad to spring a Crush on inbound battlesuits! Let us not leave Captain Longrun to clean up after us!" Cursed be this world and its xenos defenders, he thought as he caught himself squinting. With another five hours til nightfall, their position could not be lost. Records and tithes show that the Alpha Hounds were formed using the gene-seed stock of the Shadow Wolves, who also provided the cadre of warriors that trained the Chapter, making the Alpha Hounds marines of Dorn's lineage. Near the beginning of the Chapter's history, failed attempts by the Apothecarion to restore the flawed organs of Dorn's sons led, as it so often does, to further issues with the Chapter's gene-seed. Already lacking the Betcher's gland and Sus-an Membrane, the Hounds now suffer other defects as well. Most grievous was the mutation of the Occulobe, which has become the blessing and the curse of the Alpha Hounds. The organ has now become dramatically more sensitive, with the naked eye of a Hound able to see the landscape of a moonless night as if it were clear daylight, but barely able to stand the true light of day. Without the modifications made to the optics of their helmets, the Alpha Hounds would be useless on a sunlit battlefield. They can only adapt by seeking to strike first, at night, and inflict as much damage as possible before dawn. Very few individuals outside the Chapter can claim to have seen the face of a Hound. Another mutation has also been introduced through the Chapter's initiation rituals. After the discovery of the Tau, the tradition of hunting the deadly game of one of the Night Worlds was replaced with the more challenging task of hunting the Tau's tribal allies, the Kroot. Successful marines are required to consume the Kroot's flesh, but whether due to the tampering of the Apothercaries or the Kroots' own malleable DNA combining with the workings of the Omophagea, the Alpha Hounds now have something of an addiction to Kroot. Battlecry: Chaplain/Sergeant:"Rend the heel!" Battle-Brother:"Tear the throat !" Notes -Minor changes

Imperial Fist Expansion II In the wake of the recent rise in Chaos and Warp activity, the Chapter Master of the Imperial Fists has decreed that his Chapter must bolster its strength to counter the rising and terrible threat. All battle-brothers have been recalled to the Phalanx to re-arm and prepare for the coming onslaught. New aspirants have been recruited in the hope that a number of them will complete the full transformation into an Astartes to replace losses caused by the upcoming conflicts. The Techmarines and their Servitors aboard Chapter Forge-Ships work ceaselessly to repair damaged wargear and produce new materials of war. The Chapter Ancients are being roused to better aid their Chapter with their extensive wisdom and knowledge in warfare. Hundreds of fully armoured Battle-Brothers assemble in the centre of the Phalanx, before their Chapter Master. The thousand voices all shout the same words, loud and clear, in defiance to the Warp-filth that spills forth from the Immaterium: "For Dorn and the Emperor!" After that little introductory bit of text, I welcome you all to the second Imperial Fist Expansion. The aim of this competition is to enable Imperial Fist players to get the motivation needed to paint their various units so that they can be proud to deploy a fully-painted army of yellow Space Marine on the battlefield! If you want to see how the first Expansion was like, click here! Rules You make a vow of how many models you will paint by the end of the competition. You may vow as many models as you wish, as long as they are painted up as Imperial Fists Astartes. No other Chapters accepted. Then, you crack out your paint pots, brushes and models and get painting! You must provide at least two Work in Progress (WIP) pictures of your vow and then a final picture of the completed model(s). You are allowed to add to your vow if you finish painting your first batch of models, but you cannot remove any already pledged models from your vow! You must do all of this before the end of the competition! As you can see, it is not difficult and it is a great oppurtunity to slap some paint onto your models and show the Imperial Fist community here on the B&C some support :) For the vow, please copy/paste and complete the following form: Vows Rhetoricus - a full Terminator Squad - [Progress thread] Brother Syth - a full Tactical Squad in MKVI armour and a Fellblade - [Progress thread] Battle-Brother Ludovic - half a Tactical Squad - [Progress thread] Grey Paladin - half a Tactical Squad - Kyram'vhett - two full Tactical Squads and First Captain Lysander - Captain Antonius - half a Bike Squad, a Captain on bike, and a Chaplain on bike - moric - a full Devastator Squad, a full Terminator Squad and an Aegis Defense Line - [Progress thread] Coopervisor - half a Devastator Squad - corai - a full Boarding Marine Squad (MkIII armour) and a Contemptor Dreadnought (boarding assault themed) - Mazer Rackham - a full Tactical Squad - Demon2027 - a full Tactical Squad - Lestat - half a Terminator Squad and half a Sternguard Squad (MkV armour) - almightyjesus55 - a full Tactical Squad - Reyner - Sigismund, First Captain - Nards08 - one Stormtalon Gunship - Eliath - two full Tactical Squads, half a Scout Squad, and a Terminator Librarian - Brother Mord - a Drop pod and half a Devastator Squad - Mystech1 - half a Tactical Squad - BattlebrotherJohn - a Captain and a Veteran Sergeant (count-as Veteran Sergeant Haas) - Brother Kataklysm - a single Tactical Astartes - Do not forget to enjoy yourself and if by some misfortune you are not able to complete your vow, just tell us here and then go and spend a couple of weeks in the Pain Glove ;) Last, but not least, here is the participation banner that you should all wear in your signature to show your participation in this Expansion! Sign up will go on until 6th October, so be speedy with your vows! Cheers, Ludovic

[font=Trebuchet MS; background-image:url(http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/hq2.gif); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-position: 8px 2px; padding: 12px 8px 12px 8px; border: 1px solid #DDD; margin-left: 0 auto; text-align: left; color: #fff; text-indent:50px; font-size:130%; width:50%;">Excoriators: A Comprehensive History [/font] The Excoriators are a Successor Chapter created during the dark days of the Second Founding from the genestock of the Imperial Fists. This was done in recognition of these Astartes stalwart defence of the Imperial Palace during the Battle of Terra. The ancient tome of knowledge known as the Mythos Angelica Mortis lists the Excoriators as one of the 20 Chapters of Astartes founded to make up the Astartes Praeses, an ever-vigilant Space Marine task force assigned to guard the regions of the Imperium surrounding the Eye of Terror. Their duty of garrisoning the sectors bordering the Eye of Terror is never easy. The servants of the Dark Gods are ever ready to test the mettle of the Excoriators bastions, gauntlets and cordons, and with recent misfortunes the numbers of battle-brothers holding such precarious boundaries were dwindling. Chapter Symbol http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f262/SGM-Daly91/Warhammer%2040K/ExcoriatorsLivery.jpg Chapter Organisation The Excoriators are regarded as a Codex Astartes-compliant Chapter, as their organisation, order of battle and tactical operations adhering closely to the tenets laid down in that most sacred of tomes to the Adeptus Astartes. There are, however, several noteworthy and substantial deviations from the Codex's prescribed doctrine. Most notable among these deviations are the use of certain honourific ranks and titles within the Chapter, including the following: Vanguard or Honoured First (the Veteran 1st Company) Chapter Scourge (Chapter Master’s Champion) Santiarch (Senior Chaplain) Lord Apothecary (Senior Apothecary) Corpus-Captain (Captain) Chief Whip (Senior Veteran Sergeant) Veteran Squad Whip (Veteran Sergeant) Squad Whip (Sergeant)) Chapter Appearance The Excoriators' Power Armour is painted a cream colour with silver Aquila and trim. Each gouge and las-burn in their Power Armour has the dates and locations where these scars of battle were earned meticulously inscribed into the battle-plate in High Gothic script. The battle-plate of the Excoriators' is often covered in such markings. The Chapter's badge is taken from their lost Chapter standard, the Stigmartyr. This adopted emblem is a scarlet gauntleted fist shot through with lightning bolts that protrude both in front and behind the fist like wicked spikes. Chapter Appearance http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f262/SGM-Daly91/Warhammer%2040K/ExcoriatorAstartes.jpg Beliefs their fellow Successor Chapters of the Imperial Fists, the Excoriators have a morbid fascination with pain and ritual scarring. They too, possess their own unique Chapter traditions. Most notable of these are the "Rites of Castigation" and "Donning Dorn’s Mantle," the latter of which involves ritual mortification of the flesh, particularly about the neck and shoulders. The Excoriators take great pride in the scars they earn through self-mutilation, a practice eerily similar to the World Eaters Traitor Legion's practice of the "Triumph Rope," or Lucius the Eternal's early ritual scarification of his face. However, the Excoriators take this practice to a whole new level, in that they do not concern themselves with just the wounds of the flesh. Scratched in High Gothic lettering, adorning each nick, sword slash and bullet hole on their Power Armour are inscriptions. Their battle-plate is often covered in such markings, with each gouge and las-burn bearing its own notation, dates and location where these battle honours were earned in glorious combat. The ebon-coloured script stands out boldy on the Chapter’s cream-coloured Power Armor. The Exoriators are pious, zealous and uncompromising Astartes who have a deep and abiding faith in the Emperor of Mankind and their Primarch Rogal Dorn. When saluting a fellow Battle-Brother or before going into battle, an Excoriator often recites the ritual prayer Dextera Dornami, which loosely translates as the "right hand of Dorn." Then they form a fist with their right gauntlet before touching their forehead with one knuckle, then their lips and then their breastplate -- one Astartes heart, then the other. As an Imperial Fists Successor Chapter, the Excoriators are known to take part in the Feast of Blades. This tradition was established and first presided over by Rogal Dorn himself, immediately after the Battle of the Iron Cage with their mortal enemies, the Iron Warriors Traitor Legion, on the world of Sebastus IV. Dorn wanted to foster brotherhood between the various Imperial Fists Successor Chapters that resulted from dividing his Legion during the Second Founding. To maintain Chapter relations, the bonds of brotherhood were to be strengthened and tempered through routine competition. Tradition has it that the Feast is a centennial tournament where each of the participating Chapters presents ten of their finest champions. A series of individual fights are scheduled and fought, until only one clear winner remains. The Chapter that claims victory in the Feast is allowed to schedule another one before a hundred Terran years has passed, in order to further capitalise on their previous success. The Feast of Blades serves its purpose. Many pacts are created and obligations honoured amongst the Sons of Dorn – but all Astartes are bred for victory. Reigning Chapters want to build on past triumphs so that their success will echo through eternity and catch Dorn’s approving eye or ear, wherever the Primarch might be. They call the Feast to best complement their advantage – the prowess of their champions and the perceived weaknesses of their opponent Chapters. Like any Space Marine Chapter, they want to win. The recent trials the Excoriators experienced may have been a factor in the Feast’s most recent calling. On occasion a Chapter could request another take its place due to unforeseen circumstances, but a fellow Chapter’s respect is hard won. The Feast of Blades is not, however, an empty exercise. Chapter relations often bear real fruit for Imperial security. During the 816th Feast, the Fire Lords Chapter sent some of their forces to relieve the Excoriators’ beleaguered 2nd Company at Celator-Primus. Combat Doctrine The Excoriators are a fairly pragmatic Chapter of Astartes, for they seek to cause maximum attrition amongst the foe while minimising their own casualties by any means necessary. Fluidity, timing and technique are all subservient to the Excoriators' simple, primordial desire to be the last men standing in any fight. To them, survival is everything. Magnificence with a Bolter or blade is worth little to the dead. Not for them the Imperial Fists’ bombastic last stands or the Black Templars’ relentless advance and indiscriminate purges. Given that their Chapter has managed to survive and thrive in such close proximity to the Eye of Terror, this approach to warfare has seemed to work for them for the last ten millennia. Gene-Seed The Excoriators believe themselves to be pure of heart but not of blood. As former parts of the Imperial Fists Legion and now as a Chapter, they are not alone in their experience of genetic deficiency. The Space Wolves and the Blood Angels, as well as the brethren of other Foundings, carry the flaws of their blood heritage on to new generations. The Excoriators are afflicted by a genetic curse known as Dorn's Darkness. When Dorn's Darkness takes one of their number it might appear to the untrained eye as merely a wretched palsy: slackness of the jaw, a tremor of the limb, the blankness of the eye. But those who survive it report the experience as a living nightmare, a sleeping wakefulness in which they relive the bottomless woe of Dorn’s most trying time – the grievous loss of the Emperor during the Battle of Terra, at least as the ancient Astartes once knew him. This is both their Primarch's genetic blessing and a curse to his sons. It is to know the possibility – for even a second – of an Imperium without the Emperor. To feel what Dorn felt. The profound misery of a Primarch. The paralysing fear that even one as great as Dorn experienced, for himself and for humanity, over the Emperor’s broken body after the end of his battle with Horus. Whilst enthralled by the Darkness, its victims cannot speak or communicate. They cannot feed themselves or take water and seem feverishly insensible to everything happening about them. Unique Relics, Wargear and Abilities Dornsblade - The Dornsblade is an ancient and highly revered artefact of all of the Sons of Dorn. At the end of the Horus Heresy, Rogal Dorn purposely broke the blade he jad used aboard Horus' flagship the Vengeful Spirit after it had failed to protect his beloved father, the Emperor. His second sword, the weapon which is referred to as the Sword of Sebastus or the Dornsblade, emerged with the Primarch from the Iron Cage. It is one of the Sons of Dorns' most revered artefacts, a weapon carried and used by the Primarch himself. The Chapter that wins the Feast of Blades has the honour of retaining the blade and the solemn duty of presenting it at the next Feast – the contest they will host one hundred years later. The Stigmartyr - The Stigmartyr was the Exocoriators' sacred Chapter standard. Rogal Dorn himself entrusted his sons – the Excoriators' ancient predecessors – with the standard over ten thousand years ago during the Second Founding. It displayed the Second Founding’s decree and was threaded with the honours of every battle fought in the Chapter's long, bloody history. It carried the distinction of the Astartes Praeses and the Excoriators' service in garrisoning the Eye of Terror. It bore the Stigmartyr – the emblem that the Chapter adopted as its own - a scarlet gauntleted fist clenching the length of a thunderbolt-shaped scar. The standard was lost upon the world of Ignis Prime, when the Excoriators' Chapter Master Ichabod came to inspect the Excoriators' garrison there. The Alpha Legion waited in ambush and attacked the outnumbered Exocoriators. In the ensuing melee, nearly the entirety of the Honoured 1st (the Chapter's Veteran 1st Company) was destroyed, with the sole exception of Brother Tiberias, as well as the entirety of Ichabod's inner circle, with the exceptions of Santiarch Balshazar and the Chapter Scourge Zachariah Kersh. Ichabod was severely injured, leaving him envenomed by an unknown poison. About the Author Algrim Whitefang (aka Zach Wooten) has been involved with the Warhammer 40K universe since 1989. He is a long time Space Wolves and Angels of Vengeance player, but hasn't been an active player since the mid-90's, but that hasn't stop his love for acquiring as much fluff and artwork as possible. He is a very active contributor to the Warhammer 40K Wiki and is also an avid reader of all things 40K, owning practically every novel ever written, his first being Inquisitor by Ian Watson. Algrim is also fascinated with writing short-stories, creating artwork and trolling the various 40K forums. His DIY Chapters include the Sons of Odin and the Blood Seekers. Chapter Fleet This is a short list of known Excoriator vessels operating within the Imperium: Angelica Mortis (Strike Cruiser) Cerberus (Battle Barge) Scarifica (Frigate) Notable Campaigns The Defence of Certus-Minor (Unknown Date.M41) -The entirety of the Excoriators' 5th Company was lost in garrisoning the Imperial Cemetery World of Certus-Minor against the predations of the Cholercaust Blood Crusade. Certius-Minor lay directly in the path of the Keeler Comet, an ancient blood-red comet whose strange path embodied the will of the Chaos God Khorne, leading the Cholercaust across the stars in a celebration of slaughter for the Blood God. That was until the comet appeared in the skies of the tiny Cemetary World in the Praga Sub-sector. The 5th Company did request reinforcement from the rest of the Chapter but had little expectation of its arrival in time to make a difference. The 5th Company sent long-range astrotelepathic requests to the regiments of the Imperial Guard's Viper Legion at Hellionii Reticuli, the 2nd Company of the Novamarines Space Marine Chapter stationed at Belis Quora and the Angels Eradicant Chapter at Port Kreel. They even sent a message to the Vanaheim Cordon, in full knowledge of its futility, for the Imperial Fists, Exorcists and Grey Knights Astartes stationed there would not leave the line of defence for fear that the Keeler Comet and the trailing Cholercaust Crusade might resume its progress on towards Terra. The Adeptus Astartes contingents stationed at Vanaheim would never leave the sacred soil of Terra open to attack to help defend a tiny Ecclesiarchy Cemetery World. The Excoriators' Battle Barge Certius attempted to reach the Cemetary World to answer their Battle-Brothers' call and halt the progress of the Cholercaust, but they were delayed by strange Warp currents in the wake of the crimson Keeler Comet. The doomed 5th Company faced their inevitable deaths at the hands of the Forces of Chaos, and in desperation sent a last, prayerful plea to the Emperor of Mankind for assistance of any kind. For a miracle. Beyond all hope, their prayers were answered. The Blood God's butchers soon became the butchered as they were completely wiped out by the timely intervention of the mysterious Astartes revenants known only as the Legion of the Damned, though the entirety of the 5th Company was lost in the effort. 13th Black Crusade (999.M41) -The Excoriators fielded 8 companies against Abaddon the Despoiler and his Forces of Chaos during the infamous 13th Black Crusade. Known Characters Demetrius Katafalque (First Chapter Master) –A former Captain of the Imperial Fists Legion, Demetrius had once fought at Rogal Dorn’s side during the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy that followed. During the Battle of Terra, it was Katafalque who bled with his men before the walls of the Imperial Palace, under the horrific onslaught of the Warmaster’s siege, putting his body between the enemy and his Emperor. He made them pay in blood for every treasonous step. Rogal Dorn designated Demetrius to become the first Excoriator; the first Chapter Master of a Successor Chapter of the Imperial Fists. He also took part in the post-Heresy Crusades of penitence against the Traitor Legions during the Great Scouring. Katafalque scribed the sacred tome, The Architecture of Agony, a treatise dedicated to devotional suffering. Demetrius favoured their Primarch’s practice for his brother Excoriators. On their Primarch’s foster world of Inwit, the winters were cold and the lash was hot. Such instruction was adopted across Dorn’s early empire and was favoured by the Primarch personally as a form of martial communion and as purification for the soul. Quesiah Ichabod (Former Chapter Master) –The direct predecessor of the Excoriators' current Chapter Master Zachariah Kersh, Chapter Master Ichabod was known as the greatest Excoriator to have ever lived. When Chapter Master Ichabod had come to the world of Ignis Prime to inspect the Excoriators’ mountaintop garrison of Kruger Ridge, he found a slaughterhouse rather than a Chapterhouse, and a waiting ambush in the form of heretic Alpha Legionaries. It was there, barricaded in the oratorium, that Chapter Scourge Zachariah Kersh had fallen to the Darkness, failing both his Master and his Chapter, and allowing the Alpha Legion’s victory to become complete. Ichabod was severely injured during the failed assassination attempt. Though strong, the Chapter Master’s wounds were grievous, leaving him writhing in envenomed agony. The Alpha Legion’s assassination had ultimately failed, but they had employed a virulent toxin for which the Excoriators' Chapter Apothecarion had no record, nor antidote. Zachariah Kersh (Chapter Master) –As Chapter Scourge, Zachariah Kersh (known as "the Scourge") had spent a lifetime at his Chapter Master Quesiah Ichabod’s side, fighting experienced warriors of all creeds and species, defeating the best sent at him. It had been his singular honour to slay them before they could slay his master. Until the day Kersh failed to stop the Alpha Legion’s nearly-successful assassination attempt and crippling of Ichabod, and their theft of the Stigmartyr, the ancient and revered Chapter standard of the Excoriators dating back to the days of the Second Founding. This was a devastating blow to the Excoriators' morale, and the cause of many problems for the Chapter. These tragic events marked Kersh as persona non grata in the eyes of his Battle-Brothers. To make matters worse, Kersh continually finds himself afflicted by Dorn’s Darkness – a condition in which he constantly relives Dorn’s darkest hour, when he finds the mortally wounded Emperor on the bridge of Warmaster Horus’ Battle-Barge, the Vengeful Spirit. While it is not clear whether the Darkness caused Kersh’s recent failures or was triggered by them, the implication is that this is not a unique occurrence, although far from the inevitable Black Rage or Red Thirst of the Blood Angels. As punishment ‘the Scourge’ is placed in stasis, only to find himself begrudgingly awoken by his peers as their last chance to win the famous Feast of Blades, in a desperate bid to restore some of the Chapter’s rapidly declining morale. So it is under these circumstances that, with a heavy heart, the chapter decides to risk waking the Scourge, as a desperate bid to salvage some honor, after seven of their competitors have been defeated early in the tournament, and the other two are hopelessly outclassed by their upcoming match-ups. It takes a risky intervention to the catalepsean node in order to bring Kersh out of the Darkness, and into something resembling a functional state. Shortly after, the Scourge begins to see things – a revenant in midnight black power armour that shadows him at every step – and questions the effectiveness of the procedure. Still, despite all his concerns and protests, the reluctant Kersh is pressured into fighting in the Feast by the very brothers that despise him. His performance in the tournament causes the Excoriators to win the Feast of Blades for the first time, despite a debatable move that pits him in a three-way duel with the Black Templars and Imperial Fists champions. The victorious Kersh is scheduled to return to Eschara with the prized Dornsblade to show for their triumph. However, new orders from Chapter Master Ichabod change things for Zachariah, when he is given Captaincy of the recently devastated Fifth Company which is now at half-strength and lacking a captain, after a mission to retrieve the Stigmartyr turned out to be a carefully planned Alpha Legion ambush. Kersh is now in charge of the battered remains of a company that hates him, with only Apothecary Ezrachi, who brought him back from the brink of madness, as an ally. To make matters worse, he is constantly questioning his sanity – due to the constant haunting by a revenant Astartes – as well as his suitability for a command position. His first mission as Corpus-Captain is not the revenge against the Alpha Legion that every battle-brother longs for, but a distress call from the obscure High Lords of Terrarld]] of Certus-Minor, where a pyramid of skulls has just emerged from the lake. The world held no strategic importance whatsoever. However, ancient oaths between this world and the Imperium, as well as the fact that a tomb of a very important Ecclesiarch and High Lord of Terra was located there, contributed to Chapter Master Ichabod's decision of deploying the Fifth to such an ignominious goal. Not to mention 'the Scourge' had every intention of not failing his Chapter Master again. This strange phenomenon leads Kersh to postpone revenge even further, when word reaches him that a sizeable Khornate Crusade, known as the Cholerchaust, is making its way to the grave-world trailing a blood-red comet emerging from the Eye of Terror after ten millennia. Much to the Fifth Company’s dismay, he orders a defiant last stand against the invaders, and strands his forces on the world by sending their Apothecary and their crippled Strike Cruiser the Angelica Mortis to a nearby Forge World out of the comet’s path. The weight of the Khornate assault far exceeds Kersh’s estimates, and things start looking grim, until the mysterious Legion of the Damned makes an unexpected appearance stopping the Cholercaust's Blood Crusade dead in its tracks. Kersh was the sole survivor of the slaughter on Certus-Minor. He later succeeded Ichabod as Chapter Master of the Excoriators. Tiberias (‘Honoured First’ - First Company Veteran) -The only surviving member of the Veteran First Company that was slaughtered by the Alpha Legion on the world of Ignis Prime. Santiarch Balshazar (‘Santiarch’ - Chapter Chaplain) –Chaplain Balshazar managed those battle-brothers afflicted with the Darkness; a sort of spiritual treatment that those suffering the Darkness survive, or they do not. He had the afflicted interred within a decorative stasis casket, transported from the Chapter’s Holy Reclusiam on distant Eschara. The casket was beaten from dull adamantium, the box had the dimensions of a sarcophagus and the extravagant garniture to match. Its frontispiece featured a raised depiction of the Emperor-of-All; despite the casket standing upright, it represented him as prone, maimed and broken, following his confrontation with the beast Horus. Balshazar’s solution to the affliction of the Darkness; a darkness of his own. The most solitary of confinements, where no self-respecting Excoriator need look upon his weakness and invalidity. Dardarius (Chaplain) Shadrath (Chaplain) –The senior Chaplain attached to the devastated Fifth Company. He is killed defending the Imperial Cemetary World of Certus-Minor from the Khornate host known as the Cholercaust. Melmoch (Epistolary) –Senior Librarian attached to the devastated Fifth Company. He is killed defending the Imperial Cemetary World of Certus Minor from the Khornate host known as the Cholercaust. Absalom (Lord Apothecary) –Absolom was a former Apothecary of the 2nd Company, but was instead promoted to Lord Apothecary and tasked with coordinating the search and formulation of an antidote for their envenomed Chapter Master Ichabod, whom was mortally wounded and poisoned in a failed assassination attempt by the Alpha Legion. Ezrachi (Apothecary) –A veteran battle-brother of the Chapter. The Apothecary’s right leg was a full bionic replacement and almost as old as Ezrachi himself. While robust and powerful, his bionic leg sighed with hydraulic insistence and lagged a millisecond behind its flesh-and-bone equivalent, giving the impression of a slight limp. He was responsible for the experimental procedure to shock Zachariah Kersh from his fugue state, known as the Darkness. He was later assigned to the Fifth Company as the new Apothecary of the decimated Company and survived the slaughter on Certus-Minor when Corpus-Captain Kersh ordered him to take the company's crippled vessel to a nearby Forge World, effectively stranded the Fifth Company on the doomed planet. Shiloh Gideon (‘Corpus-Captain’ - Captain) - Following the failed assassination attempt of Chapter Master Ichabod by the Alpha Legion and the loss of their sacred standard, the Stigmartyr, the Chapter's morale is at an all-time low. Corpus-Captain Gideon is ordered take their chosen champions and still compete in the centennial competition known as the 816th Feast of Blades, and is order by the Chapter Master to win the contest at any cost. Gideon ultimately makes the painful decision to release 'the Scourge' from his prison within a stasis sarcophagus to fight as the Chapter's sole remaining Champion. Against all odds, Kersh manages to win the final three-way duel against champions from the Imperial Fists and Black Templars Chapters, respectively. It is the first time the Excoriators have ever won the Feast of Blades in the Chapter's history. This greatly raises the morale of the battle-brothers within the Chapter. Thaddeus (‘Corpus-Captain’ – Captain) -Former Captain of the Fifth Company, Thaddeus along with half his company, were ambushed and killed by a devious trap set by the Alpha Legion on the world of Veiglehaven. Bartimeus (‘Corpus-Commander’) –Senior commander of the Fifth Company Strike Cruiser the Angelica Mortis. Dancred (Techmarine) –Techmarine assigned to the Fifth Company. It is assumed that he is killed defending the Imperial Cemetary World of Certus Minor from the Khornate host known as the Cholercaust. Hadrach (Techmarine) Uriah Skase (‘Chief Whip’ – Veteran Sergeant) –Skase is a veteran and senior Veteran Sergeant of the Fifth Company. He is described as being a veteran as the torn and mangled flesh of his face testifies. His visible wound sat upon his face like an ugly, snarling mask, seemingly only held together by the staples, stitches and decorative rings that run across it. Skase was a legend within the company. An assault squad whip, he had more combat experience than the rest of his squad added together. He had walked away from the most grievous injuries and heaviest fighting of the Fifth Company’s many victories and had been at the forefront of the Excoriators’ efforts to reclaim the Stigmartyr from the filth Alpha Legion at Veiglehaven. He was loved by his men, who viewed him as an indestructible force. Skase was so unrelenting on the battlefield that on the midnight plains of Menga-Dardra, a Black Legion Land Raider slammed into him with its dozer blade, ran him down and crushed him beneath its tracks, only for the mauled and buckled Skase to get back to his feet and rush back into the heart of the fighting. He had been Corpus-Captain Thaddeus’s right hand and, with Chaplain Shadrath, had held the decimated Fifth Company together in the wake of the atrocities at Vieglehaven. The surviving battle-brothers of the Fifth have been reorganised by Skase into three full squads. He had taken command of the first squad, Squad Cicatrix. Every Excoriator in the Fifth had fully expected Uriah Skase’s promotion to Corpus-Captain as a given. That was, until Chapter Master Ichabod’s intervention and the promotion of Zachariah Kersh instead. He is killed defending the Imperial Cemetary World of Certus Minor from the Khornate host known as the Cholercaust. Silas Keturah (Veteran ‘Squad Whip’ – Veteran Sergeant) –Keturah was Veteran Squad Whip of the Tenth Company Scout Squads assigned to bolster the decimated Fifth Company. Out of all the Company whips, he was the only battle-brother not under Skase’s influence. Silas Keturah allowed for no other influence upon his neophytes but his own. He clearly did not relish using his young charges to bolster the depleted numbers under recently promoted Corpus-Captain Kersh’s command of the Fifth. He is killed defending the Imperial Cemetary World of Certus Minor from the Khornate host known as the Cholercaust. Ishmael (‘Squad Whip’ – Sergeant) –One of the remaining squad leaders of the decimated Fifth Company. The second squad, Squad Castigir, is led by Skase’s own right hand, Squad Whip Ishmael, an Excoriator crafted of much the same unforgiving brutality as the Chief Whip. He is killed defending the Imperial Cemetary World of Certus Minor from the Khornate host known as the Cholercaust. Joachim (‘Squad Whip’ – Sergeant) –One of the remaining squad leaders of the decimated Fifth Company. Brother Joachim had been recently promoted to whip of the third squad, Squad Censura in the wake of the disaster on Vieglehaven. Joachim was younger and fresher of face, but his devotion to Skase and his ideals was painfully clear, assuming the form of a kind of hero worship. He is killed defending the Imperial Cemetary World of Certus Minor from the Khornate host known as the Cholercaust. Usachar (‘Squad Whip’ - Sergeant) –Squad leader and veteran battle-brother. Loses his match during the 816th Feast of Blades. Basrael (Battle-Brother) Dathan (Battle-Brother) –A young battle-brother who was fast and had a way with a blade. He was severely wounded, losing his match during the 816th Feast of Blades. Occam (Battle-Brother) –During the 816th Feast of Blades he fought well, but not well enough and was killed. Jabez (Battle-Brother) –Jabez was seriously wounded fighting an honorific duel during the 816th Feast of Blades. Non-Astartes Personnel Old Enoch –Kersh’s human seneschal, he was the caretaker of the ceremonial ‘lash’ and overseer of his master’s devotional mortification. Aside from basic servitude, Enoch and his two children were tasked, above all else, to excoriate the flash of their master and purify him of weakness so that he might achieve endorphic communion with the Primarch. Oren -Enoch’s son, is barrel-chested and possess the thick arms of a scud-wrestler. It is Oren’s solemn function to administer ‘the purge’ with all the devotion of which he was capable. His father supervised the ritual, his eyes burning in disappointment that his own son had not been honoured with tissue compatibility for a life beyond mere humanity. Bethesda -Enoch’s elfin waif of a girl who was both gaunt and grim. Bethesda was Kersh’s absterge. She was charged with the routine cleansing and dressing of the Astartes’ ceremonial wounds. Sources Codex: Eye of Terror (3rd Edition) Legion of the Dammed (Novel) by Rob Sanders