IA: The Sentinels

[Brother-Captain Jericho]

Hello. New poster and long time lurker. Working on an IA, hopefully for the 1,000 Marines Project.

 

 

Origins

 

The Sentinels, part of the 5th Founding of the Astartes, have a long and honored history of faithfully serving the Imperium. Tirelessly, the wage and endless war against the enemies of Mankind. At the time time, they care with them a dark secret that could very well make them enemies to the very thing that they have sworn to protect.

 

The Istvaellys Conflict

 

The Great Heresy proved that the Imperium of Man perhaps faced its greatest enemies from within. Since those dark days, various insurrections have flared up throughout the galaxy. Early in their career, the Sentinels were sent to quell one of these rebellions on a backwater planet known as Istavaellys. There a disgraced PDF Commander named Nathaniel Highwall had allied himself with a band of Eldar raiders and plotted to overthrow the planetary-governor, a pious man named Lucias Corvus.

 

When the Astartes arrived, the conflict had already been raging for three months and escalated to dangerous levels when the rebels seized one of the planetary defense batteries and used it to shoot down an Inquisitional vessel that was sent to aid the Imperial forces. Vengeance was demanded and delivered in the form or orbital bombardments on the planet's surface.

 

On the ground below, the Sentinels found themselves caught up in a whirlwind of carnage. While they aided the planetary-governor's forces against the insurrection they could not help but feel as if they were being manipulated by Corvus. It seemed that all his political enemies were in league with Nathaniel and his rebels. Furthermore, why were the enigmatic Elder involved with a human civil war? While the Inquisition was there to investigate that very matter, the attack on their fleet turned them on the offensive.

 

Now weary of both sides in this conflict, the Sentinels temporarily withdrew their forces and assess the situation. Meanwhile, they sent a small investigative team to the site of the defense laser to attempt to make some sense of the conflict. What they found only pulled them deeper into a conspiracy.

 

The Truth Revealed

 

The order to fire on the Inquisitional fleet did not come from the insurrectionist. While it was true that they seized the powerful weapons system that day, they did not secure it until 0900, two hours -after- the Inquisition was attacked. Furthermore, they learned that prior to the rebellion Lucias Corvus had been visited by unknown member of the Astartes who came to advise him on non-military matters.

 

Deteriorated to uncover the truth, they made secret contact with Nathaniel Highwall and his Eldar allies. Under the cover of nightfall, the Sentinels confirmed what they suspected. Lucias Corvus was the true traitor and had made a pact with an enigmatic Chaos warband known as the Hydra's Brood. They were manipulating the planetary-governor in hopes of fulfilling an Eldar prophecy concerning an unliving legion of warriors that would extinguish all life in the Istavaellys system and start a chain reaction of death in the galaxy, consuming all races in time.

 

The entire war had been a ploy of Chaos and the Imperium had played willingly into the hands of the enemy. Unfortunately, before Nathaniel could confirm to other factions what he told the Sentinels, he was killed in an unscheduled bombing run approved by the traitor Corvus. At the same time, the defense battery's were mysteriously deleting leaving no proof of the governor's treachery.

 

A Secret Alliance

 

The death of Nathaniel Highwall, the unknown hero in the conflicted ended the insurrection. Meanwhile, Lucias Corvus went on to be hailed as a hero. Without proof, the Sentinels could only wait for the governor's plot to come into fruition or take actions into their own hands in secret - they chose the latter.

 

The allied themselves with Nathaniel's xenos allies and waged a secret war against his forces, assassinating key members of the conspiracy. In time, they even claimed the live of Lucias himself, bringing an end to the darkness that would have befallen Mankind.

 

Their victory was bittersweet. While they saved the Istavaellys system from doom, they did so under the cover of darkness. None would ever know their victory and if it was ever discovered they would suffer the same fate of Nathaniel Highwall.

 

 

Homeworld

Coming soon...

 

Beliefs

Coming soon...

 

Combat Doctrine

Coming soon...

 

Organization and Recruitment

 

While the Sentinels are largely a Codex chapter, they believed that Roboute's holy book allows for some deal of flexibility. Various titles and ranks have been changed to better mesh with the with the mysticism that surrounds the Chapter at its core. In addition, the 1st Company has been altered into the Watchers Militant.

 

The Watchers Errant, lead by the Sentinels' Chief Librarian, consists of the chapter's most elite warriors. Clad in black armour with bone markings, they investigate various abnormalities around the Istavaellys region and beyond. Due to their secrecy, the Watchers Militant are closely watched by the Inquisition although thus far they remained pure.

 

In additional to their other duties, the Watchers Errant also have the final word on potential recruits. More often that not, the Sentinels draw their future battle-brothers from the downtrodden and oppressed, believing that the a strong will support a strong body. In particular, they favor war orphans as they have already seen the horror of combat first hand.

 

Appearance and Markings

 

The Sentinels clad themselves in purple power armour with silver greaves, gauntlets, shoulder trim, and markings. The inside of the pauldrons mark the company colour while their helmets are universally black. Squad markings are absent from the armour.

 

In addition, all veteran-brothers are awarded their own personal heraldry. This marks them as leaders among the Sentinels and chronicles their accomplishments. This a mark of great honor for the battle-brothers its treated with a spiritual reverence.

 

Geneseed

 

The Sentinels are successors of Roboute Guilliman although they draw no real pride from this fact. Still, the purity of their genetic stock is important to the battle-brothers and they go to great lengths to ensure that it is free from taint. For this reason, it is not uncommon for an apothecary to join a squadron in the field of battle.

 

Battle Cry

 

“Remember the Fallen, for they hold the Truth!”