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A brand new 1st Post! if the first replies dont make sense, well its because the whole entirety of this post has changed. This post will now reflect the most current and up to date chapter fluff. lots has changed in these last 3.5 years. thanks for stopping by and please contribute to the conversation! Index Astartes http://bolterandchainsword.com/uploads/gallery/album_11085/med_gallery_86595_11085_107117.jpg http://bolterandchainsword.com/uploads/gallery/album_11085/gallery_86595_11085_178195.jpg Origins The War of the Beats brought large amounts of destruction to the Imperium. Lord Commander of the Imperium Maximus Thane had decreed that the Imperium would raise as many new Chapters as they had gene-seed in the great vaults of Terra to sustain. A Fourth Founding chapter, the Legion of the Iron Lion was created with one goal in mind, to engage with the orks. Invictumos, a world that prides itself in its martial ability, and one that has been fighting the orks since the days before the Imperium, would be the homeworld to such a chapter. As to which of the successors of the First Legion provided its veterans to raise the new chapter, it is not known. Only a legend told to initiates remains, "Just as the red halo engulfed the Flame of Consecration, the consecrated Iron engulfs the Sword of the Lion. And as the wings gave flight to the sword of the Angels, the Angels gave flight to the Legion of the Iron Lion" Homeworld: Invictumos To be fleshed out in the future. The Legion and the Unforgiven http://bolterandchainsword.com/uploads/gallery/album_11085/med_gallery_86595_11085_476195.jpg Circles within circles. Truth within lies. Lies within truth. Each cog has its role to play. Only one Legionnaire is ever truly aware of the treacherous acts of Luther and the Fallen, the Grand Arbiter. Personally trained by the Interrogator Chaplains of the Dark Angels, the Grand Arbiter's purpose is to be an extension of the will of the Unforgiven, and guide his Master of the Legion in the Hunt. Fully indoctrinated into the higher levels of the Inner Circle, more so than the Master of the Legion, the Grand Arbiter is the sole Legionnaire to perform interrogations and deliver Judgement and Redemption. As with the other Unforgiven, many lies exist within the truth that is told to those who have been indoctrinated into the Hunt, but how much is truth, and how much is a lie? Rework in progress. Going for a more traditional relationship. The Wings of Judgement and Redemption The Hunt is omnipresent. In honor of the I Legion, the veterans of the first and second century carry the moniker of Wing. The Lion Wing of Cohort Leonus, their pauldron painted bronze underneath the Sword and Cog of the Legion signifying judgment for traitors of the I Legion, they are the Old Guard of the Hunt. The Iron Wing of Cohort Ferrum, their pauldron painted silver underneath the Sword and Cog of the Legion signifying redemption for the loyalist of the I Legion, they are the New Blood of the Hunt. At inception, the Iron Wing and Lion Wing were mirrors of each other. Every space marine had a suit of terminator plate, cataphractii, tartaros, or indomius, and a bike, speeder, or Unforgiven aircraft assigned to him. The veterans would deploy as the mission dictated. Experts in all aspects of war, the coordination achievable by the Iron and Lion Wings was without peer. Of the 100 Legionnaires assigned the century, 30 are selected to be Iron Guard or Lion Guard. These legionnaires would be issued special equipment, a storm shield and Mace of Absolution (Flail of the Unforgiven for sergeants) for use in terminator armor, and a Corvus Hammer and Plasma Talon for use on their bikes. It is from the Iron Guard and Lion Guard that lieutenants were chosen from. All this changed after the devastation of the Legion. After the much needed primaris reinforcements arrived, it was only a decade before the first primaris legionnaire made it into the severely undermanned Iron Wing. He fought alongside the other legionnaires in gravis armor when they were in terminator armor, and in tacticus armor in a land speeder when part of the fast attack detachment. Soon after, one became two, two became ten, and after decades of attrition, ¾ of a century worth of primaris had been inducted into Iron or Lion Wing. After the reorganization of the Legion, all primaris were consolidated into the Cohort Ferrum, and all space marines into Cohort Leonus. From this point on, the Lion Wing became known as the Old Guard of the Hunt and the Iron Wing as the New Blood of the Hunt. The Lion Wing still fights as it has since its inception, but the Iron Wing deploys almost exclusively in gravis armor, mission dictating aggressor or inceptor pattern. Three squadrons of Nephilim and one of Dark Talons sit in their armory for use when needed. The Iron Guard deploy in gravis armor with specially fitted storm shields, Maces of Absolution (Flails of the Unforgiven for sergeants) and fragstorm grenade launchers or jump pack. As is tradition, all Cohort Ferrum lieutenants are drawn from the Iron Guard. The Iron and the Lion http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/357137-the-iron-and-the-lion-prologue/ In current development. this story is very important to me. its this concept that really set the DIY into motion. Only In Death Does Duty End Under repair rename characters with new established naming conventions check for continuity of lore (its a 3 year old story, much has changed since) http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/353770-legion-of-the-iron-lions/?p=5253154 Siege of Liamane Planned for the future

UNFORGIVEN TASK FORCE DETACHMENT Grim Resolve Detachment Rule Add an additional paragraph: ‘In your Command phase, select one Adeptus Astartes unit from your army; until the start of your next Command phase, add 1 to the Objective Control characteristic of models in that unit. So now you can give your Hammerfall Bunker or assorted AIRCRAFT an OC of 1? Drop a Hammerfall next to your homefield objective, then give it OC1 during your command phase?

I just found this animated "short" (More or 50 minutes long) created by Gabriel Christtiane, call The Awakening. A group of Dark Angels try to stop a massive Necron awakening in an imperial world,with a surgical strike. Enjoy!

Let me tell you of your brothers in the East. The watchers in the outer dark. Bearers of the sword of retribution. Let me tell you of the blades that were broken, of wars both won and lost, of sacrifices made without hesitation. Then you may know something of the meanings of duty and honour. Veteran Sergeant Naaman, addressing Scout Infiltration Team Beta at Koth Ridge, the Piscina IV Campaign, 221997.M41

THE KNIGHTS SOVEREIGN CHAPTER GENE-SEED: Dark Angels FOUNDING: 23rd “Sentinel” Founding [M.38] CHAPTER MASTER: Marshal Edmunt Raik, Castellan of the Crimson Rooks CHAPTER WORLDS: Eistvin, Ostlund & Vollstadt FORTRESS-MONASTERY: Durumtal, Eistvin SPECIALTY: Operational control, precision engagements and information dominance BATTLE-CRY: 'Imperator Vult!' is a common warcry, however 'Victus aut nihil' is the Chapter motto CURRENT STRENGTH: Endangered KNOWN DESCENDANTS: Bronze Knights, Savage Brotherhood [disputed] Origins Part of an ongoing struggle for the High Lords of Terra to utilize the pure gene-seed of the former First Legion without the participation and influence of the Dark Angels or their prominent successors, when the Knights Sovereign were created they were tutored instead by a detachment of the Imperial Fists, a worthy selection to guide a Chapter of the Sentinel Founding. The influence of the sons of Dorn can be readily seen in the Chapter for centuries to come, however their brother sons of the Lion were not to be denied. Shortly after the Knights had gained the trust of the Imperial Fists and earned their independence, overseeing a turbulent Sector that had long suffered for its severely lower average technological capabilities, a contingent of the Dark Angels and other successors arrived to acquaint themselves with this new Chapter. How these other sons of the Lion knew of the Knights Sovereign true heritage is not entirely known, expected given their typically reticent nature. Multiple concerted investigations over the past millennia have revealed numerous agents suspected of feeding information to the Dark Angels and their closest successors, and it is assumed they came to this information by similar means. These Chapters showed great honor to the Knights Sovereign, with many of their retinues consisting of their highest ranking officers, including Chapter Master Grasciel of Dark Angels. The inner circles of these Chapters communed together deep within Durumtal, while specialist officers of the First and Second Companies intermingled, enlightening the Knights Sovereign to their own particular brand of war-making. While this communion was short-lived, the bonds of brotherhood forged on this day had a lasting effect, with many of these Chapters regularly appearing within the Knights' territory and vice versa. It had also made an impression on the young Chapter's organization, especially the First and Second Companies. The Knights Sovereign still retained much of their identity as forged under the watchful eyes of the Imperial Fists, but they had grown more insular, more in keeping with the typical Dark Angels character. Indeed, their later character can be readily connected to the manner of the ancient knightly orders of the Dark Angels' long-dead home world. This marriage of traits and ideals, in many ways opposing but also complementary, has guided the Knights Sovereign for the thousands of years since. Chapter Worlds Early in their formation, the Knights Sovereign were given a choice of three feudal home worlds within the Lowermains Sector. Though ultimately settling upon Eistvin, located near the largest nexus of Sector traffic, the discarded worlds of Ostlund and Vollstadt did dominate strategically resourceful zones. Chapter keeps were planted on these worlds, a practice perhaps learned from the Imperial Fists Chapter. Officially, Eistvin alone is classified as an Adeptus Astartes world, however after centuries of keeping close ties and recruitment practices on Ostlund and Vollstadt, the local officials tithe the worlds as if they were. Nestled deep in the Eistvin mountains is the Durumtal, fortress-monastery to the Knights Sovereign. Building began as soon as Eistvin was selected as their home world, and had finished scant months before the Knights showed up themselves. This immense, rugged structure blends seamlessly with its surroundings. If an unaugmented human was to stand upon an outer peak, looking into the range, they would be unable to distinguish the crenelated towers from natural mountaintops. However, the Knights Sovereign took to giving it a different name than the Magos-Tektons provided: the Crimson Rook. With the Chapter keeps on Ostlund and Vollstadt being heavily inspired by, and in imitation of, the Durumtal, they are collectively known as the Crimson Rooks. Current Disposition The Knights Sovereign have been at war with the Orks of WAAAGH! Urlkin for decades, a massive incursion the Sector had never before seen, led by an Ork of such impressive size that Archmagos-Biologis from several Sectors around have insisted could not exist. This Ork, crafty for his kind, has grown large on the excesses of his armies, leading regular hunts into nearby regions with such regularity that the end of most hunts is merely the beginning of another. The Knights Sovereign have tried, unsuccessfully, to convince local Administratum officials to sanction a crusade into Ork territory and end the threat once and for all. However, with the Knights' own worlds declared the targets of a hunt that has virtually emptied the Ork territories for Sectors around, more recently they have become more concerned with defense. The ongoing conflicts have stretched the Knights Sovereign thin. By the close of the 41st millennium, their numbers are reported as being four companies' worth, including officers and auxiliaries. The Chapter has undergone necessary, but drastic changes to their organization, in light of the eradication of two of their battle-companies, as well as their specialized rapid-reaction forces in the 2nd Company, not to mention the depleted numbers of their surviving companies. Chapter Organization The Knights Sovereign would not consider themselves as deviant, however to them it is deviancy from their forebears rather than the Codex Astartes that is relevant. Though the Codex Astartes is, as it should be, held in high regard as the epitome of all things war, the Space Marine way, the Knights Sovereign do deviate in organization. This is not seen as a contradiction or hypocrisy, but merely derived from the simple fact that the Codex could not accommodate all possible circumstances. And indeed, the inheritors of the Lion are of a unique circumstance, and so fashion themselves accordingly. The First Company is organized into the Justiciary, and are of the ordained task of bringing the light of justice and nobility to the darkest places of the galaxy. It is said that all who gain a place among the Justiciars must first confront truth and sin in equal measure, and it is their ash-white armor that shows their absolvement. The Knights also field the 2nd Company as a rapid response force, the Errantry. The Knights-Errant exist outside the normal Chapter organization, and as such they paint their armor a deep black. Unlike the elevated Knights-Justiciar, it is only the master of the Errantry, the Earl-Errant, who sits above his brothers as a member of the Inner Circle. The auxiliary organizations within the Knights Sovereign are primarily Codex-adherent, with the only exception being within the Reclusiam. This deviation is in fact rather common among the Unforgiven, where an additional level in the hierarchy is added. Typically known as Interrogator-Chaplains, in the Knights Sovereign they are the Prelates, a classification of Chaplains second only to the Pontifex, Chapter reclusiarch. The other prominent branches, the ironsmiths and hospitallers, are of no noticeable difference from Codex standard, though their highest ranking officers are believed to be a part of the Chapter's Inner Circle. Fleet Assets The Crimson Galleon – So named for its mimicry of the Crimson Rooks, intended as a bastion equal to these immense fortresses that would ply the stars, delivering the wrath of the angels. This battle-barge is often assigned to the Justiciary. Its current deployment in geosynchronous orbit over the the Crimson Rook of Vollstadt has for several months prevented the Orks from dropping ordinance and savages on the Chapter keep directly. However, the Orks have made planetfall in multiple other regions across Vollstadt, and not the mortal warriors or the Galleon's guns have been able to keep the hordes from laying siege. Recruitment & Advancement The Crimson Rooks are not difficult to access by the mortal populations, unlike the fortress-monasteries of many other Chapters. Thousands of people regularly seek shelter or asylum within its walls, each and every one swearing binding oaths of lifelong servitude to their new transhuman masters. These people form the Chapter serfdom, ranging from mortal knights to spread the law of the Chapter across the world to learned, trained fleet armsmen. Swearing one's life to the God-Emperor's living representatives is no hardship when compared to a life of similar service to some fickle lord or king, and so the Chapter rarely finds itself without a surplus of mortal servants. The majority of these legions of serfs will never leave their world of birth, serving the Chapter well enough there. Rather than seeking recruits from among the general populace, the Knights look to the young of their serfs. Having such large populations spread across three worlds, the Knights have their choice of candidates. The offspring of the Chapter's serfs are a more viable recruitment stock than the general populace, as all their male children go through a more intensive and extensive training in preparation for potential recruitment. However, it is not unknown for the Chapter to look to the outer kingdoms and city-states of their worlds for occasional recruitment programs in an effort to encourage diversity in thought and character, or to recover from devastating casualty rates Upon recruitment and successful term in the Chapter's tenth company, the young scout must petition for advancement into the Reserve Companies, following a path through the Reserve Companies as delineated in the Codex Astartes. In the Reserve Companies, they hold the rank of Knight-Companion, an as yet not fully recognized Knight until advancement into the Battle Companies. A Knight-Companion must be wary of how or when he petitions to join a Battle Company, as their Masters will often refuse a Knight-Companion they deem unworthy to join their company. It is not unknown for Knights-Companion to aim too high in their petitioning, some seeking to skip advancement through the Reserves or will petition for a spot in a master's personal retinue, though it is considered disdainful and will injure the Marines' future if rejected often. No Knight or Knight-Companion can petition to join the Justiciary or Errantry. Those who join these orders are chosen by their lords, an honor none in the Chapter can refuse. To rise in rank to Sergeant within one's company is possible regardless of one's place in the hierarchy. Typically, a Sergeant will select from among his retinue a successor to take his place should he ever fall or advance beyond this station. Sergeants of the 10th Company are provided the customary title of Castellan, sharing in the responsibility of the Crimson Rooks, which collectively fall under the purview of the Master of the 10th Company. These Masters, known by the title of Earl, are one and all arisen from the ranks of the Justiciary, at the behest of the Chapter Master, the Marshal of the Knights Sovereign Chapter. It is the Justiciary, the Earls and Marshal who form the Chapter's Inner Circle. Also prominent in the Inner Circle are the Pontifex, and his Prelates, who are responsible for selecting one from among the Inner Circle the Marshal's successor should he ever fall. Combat Doctrine The strength of their sword arm and the accuracy of their aim are what the Knights most admire. While their battle formations have a strong reliance on infantry tactics, the Space Marine, the Knights are experts in cavalry warfare, utilizing fast vehicles to retain combat superiority and battlefield control. The Knights' approach warfare is thoroughly informed by their copy of the Codex Astartes, a five volume military discourse on: Space Marine recruitment and training; the composition and structure of the Chapter into Companies; practiced field tactics; the conduct of sieges, either offensively or defensively; and the role of the Chapter fleet. In battle, the Knights are the fiercest of foes, full of sound and fury. Early in the Chapter's history, a previously unknown xenoform appeared within Sovereign space. Classified as the Airbreeders for the explosive population increases the xenos experienced when in contact with oxygen, the alien race proved exceptionally difficult to purge in its entirety. The Knights sought to implement purgation protocols proven successful against the Ork, however disaster struck at nearly every turn. Quickly it was discovered that the xenos race had free access to the Knights' vox communications, seemingly unaffected by encryption. Forced to adapt, the Knights began disseminating orders on the battlefield through the use of audible, vocal blasts and visual signals utilizing specialized banners. With this, the Knights were able to reclaim the initiative, and eventually every last of one of the inexplicably duplicating, hulking beasts were burned from the lands of nearly half a dozen crater-ridden Imperial domains. However, this xenos threat would persist for centuries before final eradication, and the antiquated communications became a more permanent feature. Local Rituals & Beliefs Integral to the Chapter cult is the Oath of Office. Like many Chapters, the Knights Sovereign swear oaths before each battle, swearing themselves to the action and sometimes a specific task they set before themselves. The oaths are affixed to their armor, and they are expected to carry through with the oath throughout the action. Oaths of Office, however, are permanent. They are drawn up at their induction ceremony where the recruited mortals have arisen as one of the Knights-Companion, and will remain with them. Addendums are added throughout the Marine's life, marking their progress through the Chapter hierarchy. Each new rank or advancement requires a new Oath of Office, adding onto the old. So it is that the longest serving Marines, the highest ranking of the Chapter, have lengthy and complex Oaths of Office finely delineating their given tasks and expectations for themselves. Like Oaths of Moment, they are highly individualized reminders of their loyalties and responsibilities, as well as personal promises of feats or endeavors, or oaths bonding the Knight in fealty to a lord or in alliance with those outside the Chapter, for the entirety of that Knight's service to the Chapter and the Emperor. Within each Knight's chambers, they keep a locked rosewood box to contain their Oath of Office, centering their devotions upon its yellowed parchment and ink of blood. Normally, a Knight will write his own Oaths of Office, keeping its writings to himself. Advancement, especially to the Justiciary or Errantry, will be the traditional break from this custom. Where a Knight is unaware of the duties or responsibilities that await him, it is his immediate superior who will write these additions. It is not unknown for another Knight to assist in the inscribing, such as a mentor who tasks a promising pupil with surpassing his own achievements. Upon the death of a marine, if recovery is possible, his remains will be interred in a great stone crypt on the grounds of the keep or fortress he last served. The Oath will be placed upon his chest and set alight, his oaths thus fulfilled. Those interred into the mighty Dreadnoughts receive a similar ceremony. Though they serve still the Chapter and the Emperor, they have fulfilled the oaths of the living nonetheless, and exist now free from such burdens. Gene-seed The genetic legacy of the Lion runs strong in the Knights, as pure now as it was in the days of the First Legion, a legacy confirmed by extensive testing by brother sons of the Lion all those centuries ago. Though the foundation of the Knights Sovereign was an experimentation of sorts, it appears that the gene-forges of ancient Mars had learned the lessons of the 21st Founding well. There were no signs of genetic manipulation of the Knights Sovereign gene-seed outside of acceptable parameters. The purity of the Lion's gene-seed has aided the Knights greatly in the past, enabling quick recoveries from crippling losses and a less lethal implantation process. Champions of the Chapter Marshal Edmunt Raik – Chapter Master of the Knights Sovereign, going on the third year of his disappearance. Last seen aboard the Lion's Dagger, the Marshal was to take personal command of the battle for Vollstadt and turn the tide. However, the vessel did not return to realspace at its scheduled time. Investigation along its projected path provided no revelations on its disappearance. Warp-travel is far from precise, and such disappearances are not unknown, but it could not have come at a more difficult time. While the Earl-Justiciar Hadrian Normson has taken nominal command of the Chapter since then, the Inner Circle has yet to meet on choosing an official successor. Pontifex Theocritus VII – Born Prentis Brenmoor, the current Pontifex of the Knights Sovereign is a hard, embittered and unforgiving man, scarred not only from actions on the battlefield but from the resistance of captives stolen from hotly contested secessionist worlds. Like his namesakes, this is not a Pontifex who would prefer to remain closed away within the interrogation cells deep within the Crimson Rooks, but will often be seen at the forefront of battle among his brothers. Earl-Errant Sydorn Lyndswor – Captain of the 2nd Company, and the oldest living Knight outside the Dreadnought ancients. He has led the Knights-Errant longer than any other Earl before him, and none of the Marines under his command have known any other Earl-Errant. His list of achievements and victories are as long as his years, though much is hidden from those not initiated into the higher knowledge. In more recent years, he has been forced to give up the Ironsteed, his advanced years and the inevitable degradation of his transhuman form preventing him from fully connecting and integrating to its biomechanics. Instead, he has taken to commanding the Errantry from the gunner's seat of a Land Speeder. http://i.imgur.com/oei7krh.jpg Knight-Companion http://i.imgur.com/8p56I71.png Knight-Errant http://i.imgur.com/Nprn65r.png Knight-Justiciar Note that unlike other sons of the Lion, the Knights Sovereign have few suits of Terminator armor http://i.imgur.com/x09x5y8.png Pict-capture: Defense of Vollstadt, Knights Sovereign Sergeant in profile http://i.imgur.com/mL3TUUH.jpg Marshal's Banner - The Crimson Rook

Just trying to catchup on what the DA have been up to and where they sit in the current timeline? I think I read somewhere that after Azreal received the Primaris reinforcements from Gulliman he went across the rift to the Imperium Nihilus? What’s their current status and recent goings on right now?

The title says it all, BL announced a new character driven novel done by Gav Thorpe. It will cover Luther of the Dark Angels. Can't copy links as of now due to limited rights at my work pc so it'd be appreciated if someone could link the related article. Love him or hate him, he's going to do it. I, for one, enjoy his DA stuff so I'm eager to read it. Curious if he'll conclude some loose strings from his previous work. Hopefully, though I doubt it, will we have more about such DA enclaves like Wraight implemented in Wolfking. Those were a great inspiration, imho. Cheers, Kel

Hi all- finally starting up a plog to share my progress as I paint up a homebrew DA successor chapter I put together. Lots of different bits of inspiration, including FW Nemean Reaver and Blackshields transfer sheet, and kitbashes from many that post here. I particularly want to call out @SpacedHulk's Sword Bearers (http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/272544-sword-bearers-dark-angels-revenants-8419/) and @DaemonPrinceDargor's 30k DA (http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/355024-dargors-first-legion/) for a lot of what got me inspired to pull these together. To kick things off, a short Index Astartes type writeup for the chapter follows bellow- feedback welcome. As I start and/or complete units, I'll post them here. Thanks for looking.

I have just discovered how hopeless I am at colouring the Primaris Space Marine Heraldry card. I have been trying to use GIMP, but to no avail. So until I can hone those skills, I will unfortunately have to cast myself upon the tender mercies of your imagination, with regards to the colour scheme. Imagine the marine below as one of Cawl's creations. http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/sm.php?b62c=@hdfu0_hIAEG.hgPVa@@@@@@@i7RGA@.@@_hcLAt@@@@___@___@@@@@@@@@@@@@@.hozqS@@@@@@@@@@@@@.hLL9J& [skullheader#276741]The Angels Defiant[/skullheader] Chapter name:___________ Angels Defiant Founding:_______________ Ultima Founding Chapter Master:__________ Hardanger Chapter World___________ Vemork (Western rim of the Segmentum Pacificus) Fortress Monastery_______ Souls' Home Main colours_____________ Black and red Primarch________________ Lion El'Jonson Battle cry_______________ Honour the First! Chapter Icon____________ A Dark Angels' sword, superimposed over a six-pointed star [skullheader#276741]Inception[/skullheader] “Not for naught is their star two points short of Chaos.” Equerry to Lord Stalyn, tasked with carrying an accusation of murder to the Lord Commander’s staff. The Indomitus Crusade heralded a note of hope for a beleaguered Imperium. In the sectors south of Agripinaa, formations of Astartes marshalled from mixed gene-lines did battle with Traitors Marines, cultists and daemons, under the aegis of the Lord Commander’s bid to liberate his Father’s realm. Scattered among these forces were the soldiers that would one day coalesce into the Angels of Defiant. Roboute Guilliman, ever the superlative logistician, grasped the value of guarding his flanks, and had already taken thought for the systems situated west of Agripinaa. Hardly had the Crusade swung its spearheads to the east and south, when his forethought was vindicated. Disaster loomed from the Segmentum Pacificus, taking the form of a tremendous Ork incursion. A chapter comprised entirely of Primaris Astartes barred their rampage, bred from the stock of the First Legion. The Angels Defiant scored their first battle honours during a decade’s worth of war that carried them from Agripinaa to the western edges of the Pacificum. For this, the Lord Commander dispatched an emissary, to reward them with a series of banners, commemorating their triumphs and losses. Some of these standards harkened back to victories won just prior to the Chapter’s founding, when they had still fought in blended companies. The latter was a strange plaudit, for the banners bore small heraldic tokens of the various chapters to which these other marines had been dispatched. Clearly, these awards represented the Lord Commander’s attempt to remind the Angels Defiant of the value of cross-gene collaboration. At the time, they thought little of what this token might portend. [skullheader#276741]Early History[/skullheader] The Angels successfully pushed the Orks beyond Segmentum bounds, by rallying the resources of three Imperial Guard armies, commanded by Lord Generals: Stalyn, Sigorsky, and Kronstadt. Initially, each of these proved invaluable in the campaign. One would become a liability. But the Ork is a formidable foe and the Imperium’s woes were far from ended. Reconnaissance of the Halo Stars revealed more mustering Green-skin fleets. While the Angels settled their home world, to recoup from their losses and prepare for a new campaign, the liberated sectors behind them issued new distress calls. Lord General Stalyn claimed that Sigorsky and Kronstadt had turned traitor, and the resultant anarchy had forced him to assert brutal command over three entire sectors, including a string of lynchpin forge worlds. Not a year passed without a rebellion on at least one system. After collecting intelligence, the Angels Defiant discovered the Stalyn had not simply liquidated Kronstadt and Sigorsky, but nearly all senior officers, severely hamstringing the efficiency of his armies, as well as all leading members of the intelligentsia in the three sectors under his rule. Economic ineptitude had also instigated widespread poverty that would soon spiral into famine. Stalyn also lodged charges of heresy against neighbouring sector commands, claiming that we would soon have no option but to seize control. The monastic and ascetically-minded discerned that Stalyn’s oppressive regime and its bitter exploitation was hardly conducive to stability. Since creature comforts are anathema to the life of an Astartes, they were perplexed by the lengths to which Stalyn’s corruption stretched, especially when the Imperium teetered on the brink of oblivion. During a meeting between Chapter Master Hardanger and Stalyn, the Lord General suffered a fatal accident of an uncertain nature. Without sanction from Hydraphur, the Angels installed governmental councils, charged with preserving security and enforcing a singular standard of living across all three sectors. Whether these bodies will be officially ratified by Segmentum command once the crisis has abated, and whether they will successfully sustain stability has yet to be seen. For their part, the Angels Defiant have withdrawn to the border regions, to confront the Orks again. Since that time Imperial delegations to the Angels Defiant have found an order unusually suspicious of high office, even by the standard of their Dark Angels heritage. Equally, this branch of the Lion’s line evince an affinity for the simple folk of the Imperium; a liking that has, paradoxically, been bolstered by the fact the Angels have no real contact with these people are not familiar with the flaws of this class. Regrettably, the relationship between affinity and practice often becomes tenuous when the needs of war press. “Dem new Mareens? Yeah, I seen ‘em. I ‘spect they’ll do for us just as the ol’ ones did. Mixed bag as usual for the lower orders. Good time ter keep yur head down.” Imperial citizen Sammuel Gamgin, prior to his interrogation and eventual execution by Lord General Stalyn’s officers. [skullheader#276741]Home world and emerging chapter cult[/skullheader] “May the Master of Mankind weigh the worth of my soul and mark in me a spirit malleable only to his will and the word of the Lion. For like the Lord of Caliban, when doubt dulls conviction I keep true. When the fainthearted falter, I keep true. I tread my vocation to its end.” Battle hymn, penned by the Master of Librarians, the Wielder of the Words. Vemork is classed as a Feral World, pitched on the very fringes of the Western Pacificus. Its biodiversity would be reminiscent of ancient Terra, were its inhabitants aware the Throne World’s past. Nevertheless, its climates are deadly and barely supportive of human life. Consequently, collaboration rather than conflict, is the prevailing state, since its peoples are unified by the pitiless exigencies of survival. War is virtually unknown, for the world’s populace can hardly afford it. In fact, some of its most primitive communities have never enjoyed contact with each other, save for those rare few who meet as brothers of the Angels. Given their early experiences, these traits provoked a measure of respect from the Angels Defiant. As the Indomitus Crusade ground on through a century, select features of Vermork’s cultures slowly seeped into the Chapter’s ways. The peoples of Vermork, even those unaware of each other’s existence, all developed a structure of government based on representative communes and elected councils. Such inclusive systems are unsuitable for an Astartes Chapter. But during times of great need, Vermork’s people will elect a single ruler to temporarily shoulder all executive power. The Angels Defiant ritually invoke such moments. Even when their task forces are scattered across the vast stretches of space assigned to their protection, battle-brothers congregate to watch the command staff symbolically relinquish their autonomy to the Emperor, culminating in the Chapter Master (or Company Master) assuming executive supremacy. In deference to Vemork’s cultures, battle companies are named after the much vaunted breeds of hunting dogs, prized by the planet’s mountain folk. Other rites and traditions might emerge over time, for the Brotherhood’s cult is still developing. To date, they remain steadfast adherents of the Imperial Truth. The Chapter’s icons bear no relation to Vemork, since these had been selected prior to the planet’s full-scale settlement. Instead, the sword and six-pointed star, allude to the Angels’ heritage from the First Legion and the days when they had been organised around the secret structures of the hexagrammaton. Given their sparse contact with brothers of the same line, however, they know little of how the Wings functioned, beyond what little Roboute Guilliman related (information which they hold in suspicion). For this reason, among others, they hunger for contact with and lore from their brothers. [skullheader#276741]Contact with the Unforgiven[/skullheader] By the closing stages of the Indomitus Crusade, the Angels Defiant had remained isolated from fellow descendants of the First Legion. Long ago, during their service in mixed formations, they had listened to sons of Fenris and Baal banter about their aspirations to serve alongside their respective founding chapters. The Angels Defiant harboured similar dreams, and had passed these hopes to new inductees. Over a century of conflict had never brought them into contact with the Guardians of the Covenant or with the Storm Angels, who also operated in the Pacificus. The scions of Mortikah VII and Karapasia and had their own calls to answer http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/334683-ia-storm-angels-previously-angels-profundum-wip/. Finally, a delegation arrived. The Ivory Equites, a Tenth Founding successor of the Angels of Redemption, had dispatched a small cadre of Chaplains, Librarians and veterans. Although the Fortress Monastery of the Angels Defiant reflects their sombre and restrained aesthetics, a grand processions was prepared to meet the Equites. Their guests moved quietly and without remark through the phalanx of battle honours, until they reached the banners awarded to them by Roboute Guilliman. Here, the Equites stopped and watched, gazing specifically at the small references to Ultramar, Fenris, Baal and other gene-sources. Not a single word was spoken. The Ivory Equites brusquely demanded admittance to all strategic councils, but never interrupted proceedings. Even when prompted for input, their officers would simply nod accent to any proposal. As suddenly and unannounced as they had arrived, the Equites withdrew after five years, with only a terse promise to return. [skullheader#276741]Fortress Monastery[/skullheader] Soul’s Home has been delved into Vemork’s greatest mountain range. It’s bulk is located underground, carved within the peaks and under the valleys. Its Library is supremely well organised, for when the first Master of the Librarius was nearly killed by the neurotoxins of a mysterious xenos race, his ruined body was permanently bonded to the Library’s central console. From this position, the Grand Master of the Archives dictates the compilation and cataloguing of lore. His knowledge is a vast collation of the entire Library’s contents, and is regularly updated by fresh reports. A large following of lexicaniums and codiciers, take dictations from his eldritch voice, emanating from the broken body perched atop the console. They listen to and archive the elaborate connections he is able to draw between seemingly disparate events and pieces of information, until they too appreciate his deductive reason and intuitive insight. As such, the Chapter’s history, battle reports, and other information from numerous sources around the Segmentum are well-recorded here.

https://www.warhammer-community.com/2024/01/14/sunday-preview-deathwing-assault/ Just a box with Deathwin terminators, codex and datasheets. And few more goodies from BL and other games.