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This is a Chapter concept which has existed for a while. I liked the idea of a Chapter forced to struggle to survive - warriors in patched-up battleplate, carrying weapons that have been salvaged or scavenged. I also liked the idea of non-Astartes psykers escorted by guardians (and executioners) into battle. I think that the Chapter needs overhauling - and perhaps a new name. I would love to see what you think! Against the Dark: The Redemptors "You say psykers would light our way in this dark wilderness. I say they would be a beacon, inviting the multitudinous hordes of Chaos to descend upon us. I say I would rather struggle in the dark. I say there shall never be a psyker clad in the colours of the Redemptor." - The Decree of Terentius The Imperium of Man stretches across the galaxy, and yet at the furthest reaches of Imperial space, the light of the Astronomicon is dim and the authority of the Golden Throne is ignored or flouted. The Emperor Himself is considered by many to simply be a myth; calls for aid go unanswered and a planet could secede from the Imperium for many centuries before the High Lords would even notice. Much of the information available to the Imperium regarding the Chapter known as the Redemptors comes from gregarious Rogue traders returning from the southernmost fringes of the Segmentum Tempestus, or those few Inquisitors granted leave to serve with the Chapter. The Redemptors, it is said, maintain a constant vigil far from the heartlands of the Imperium. Whilst the Chapter has never taken a homeworld, their recorded actions centre over a swathe of sectors that might be considered their territory. The Redemptors' warriors are dispersed across several strike craft and patrol vessels, enabling them to respond swiftly to any threat against the Imperium. There are few records of the Adeptus Mechanicus sustaining forgeworlds within the fringes, and it is speculated that the Chapter maintains supply bases throughout their areas of operation; varying in size from small armouries and arsenals to asteroid facilities housing forges that are manned by the Redemptors' serfs, these would provide the Chapter with valuable arms and materiel to allow them to wage war effectively. When studying pict-captures and vox-intercepts of the Redemptors at war, several unusual features can be identified; the brothers of the Chapter can be identified entering battle in older marks and patterns of armour, with battle-damage hastily patched over and with other signs of field-repair. It can be theorised that the Chapter's extreme isolation has placed great strain on its ever-dwindling supply of raw material and spare parts. Doubtless the Techmarines of the Chapter must be required to make great efforts to keep the Chapter's wargear functional until such time as proper repairs can be carried out and the machine-spirits assuaged. There have been recorded instances of the Chapter negotiating with Rogue Traders and outlying colonies in order to procure weaponry, or even resorting to hand-to-hand combat to save ammunition. This pragmatism seems to run deep within the Chapter, as records have shown the Chapter using atypical weaponry such as las- and auto-rifles, alongside weaponry that would match patterns assigned to PDF garrisons, and even mining tools. It is said that the brothers of the Chapter are taught to carefully ration their equipment, and that needlessly wasting ammunition is seen as a serious infraction. The Chapter's roots stem from its first master, a Captain of the Castigators by the name of Terentius. Chapter records relate the tale that, upon learning of his new charge Terentius undertook an extended period of meditation. He is said to have received a vision of a lantern, burning bright against the dark. No matter how fiercely the winds assailed it, the flame continued to burn, brighter than before. Terentius saw this portent as an analogy for the Chapter's charge; the warriors of the Astartes were, he considered, a raging light, a flame of purity that stood defiant against the tide of filth that assailed the Imperium. He saw the Emperor and the Astronomicon as symbols of light against and amidst the darkness of the warp. The Redemptors would serve to bring some of that same light to the darkest reaches of the Imperium. The Redemptors hold that it is their sworn duty to bring the light of the Emperor to the faithless and uncivilised. Their rites emphasise their responsbility in their mission to 'bring light to the darkness'. The Chapter's ceremonies are often heavily linked to lanterns and torches. The symbolism inherent in such objects is of great significance - the Redemptors' faith burns, despite the depravity and evil they see; despite the depredations of chaos and the debasement of man in an age of darkness. It is the burning light of their faith that keeps them loyal and true until death. Upon the death of a Redemptor, his body is - whenever possible - recovered and his progenoids removed. His body is then ejected into the heart of the nearest star. In this way, the Redemptors are bound to the systems they stalk, perpetuating and fuelling the blazing light of the Emperor. The Redemptors themselves are dour, their existence on the edge of the Imperium distancing them from the trappings of an Imperial civilisation that are not theirs to enjoy. Instead they approach their lives with the quiet, unshakeable piety of those who have seen what happens to mens' souls on the edge of a vast nothingness. The Redemptors are known to not field any psykers in their ranks. Terentius was drawn from the Castigators, a Chapter notorious for their intolerance of mutants and psykers. Upon taking command of the Redemptors, he issued a decree forbidding psykers from ever entering the Chapter. Over the years, the Redemptors have maintained that decree - for honour and loyalty are paramount to the Astartes. It is an unavoidable truth, however, that Psykers facilitate easy communication among the Chapter throughout the wilderness of space. The Chapter has been known to utilise Sanctioned Psykers acquired from the Adeptus Astra Telepathica in order to coordinate their forces. In this way, they abide by the word of Terentius' decree - though perhaps not its spirit. This compromise sits uneasily with the Redemptors, but it is seen as a necessary measure.