IA: Night Watch

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Index Astartes

NIGHT WATCH

The Brotherhood of Silence

CHAPTER NAME:..................................Night Watch+

FOUNDING:.........................................4th (Astartes Praeses Beta)

CHAPTER WORLD:................................Silence

FORTRESS MONASTERY.........................The Labyrinth

GENE-SEED (PREDECESSOR)..................Dark Angels

KNOWN DESCENDANTS..........................None.

[+ Also referred to as The Brotherhood of Silence in the Mythos Angelica Mortis]

One of the most reclusive and secretive Chapters, the Night Watch nevertheless play a pivotal role in the defence of the Imperium. Created during the 4th Founding, they were part of a second wave of the Astartes Praeses: Space Marine forces whose sole purpose is to guard the Eye of Terror. From their home world of Silence, located in the galactic north of the Segmentum Obscurus, they continuously patrol the surrounding region. From hunting down renegade raiding parties to defending against the full fury of the Black Crusades, the Night Watch is engaged in almost constant warfare with the forces of Chaos. However, unknown to the wider Imperium, the Chapter is also dedicated to another, far more sinister mission. A quest that ties them ever closer to the Dark Angels and the Unforgiven. As a result the Night Watch are torn constantly between two duties, a conflict of interests that may yet lead them into damnation.

ORIGINS

Although most official records from the time have been lost, it is generally believed that the 4th Founding occurred around 612.M32, in the aftermath of the 2nd Black Crusade of Abaddon the Despoiler. Whilst this incursion was a famous victory for the Imperium, with the forces of Chaos unable to breach the newly created defences of the Cadian Gate, the High Lords of Terra were forced to accept an uncomfortable truth. Twice now a tide of destruction had swept from the Eye of Terror, with world after world burning at the hands of the enemy. Each time they had been stopped, but only at a terrible cost. The traitor legions that had been driven into the Eye at the conclusion of the Horus Heresy were far from defeated, and although two devastating Black Crusades had been repelled, it was highly unlikely that they would be the last. Defences would have to be increased still further. In addition, as Abaddon's armies had shattered against the fortresses of Cadia, many of the survivors had dispersed into surrounding systems, starting a guerilla war that was a constant drain on resources and manpower. Additional Astartes forces were required, to hunt down these raiders and widen the ring of defences around the Eye in preparation for the next invasion.

The 4th Founding was designed primarily to add to the so called Astartes Praeses. The original Praeses Chapters had been assigned the guardianship of the Eye of Terror during the time known as the Scouring, and consisted entirely of 2nd Founding Successors to the Ultramarines and Imperial Fists. Chapters such as the White Consuls and Excoriators had been at the forefront of the defence against the Black Crusades. However, the second wave, or Astartes Praeses Beta, were created from the gene stock of all the Space Marine Legions that had remained loyal. Many of these renowned warriors, such as the Iron Talons, Knights Unyielding and Marines Exemplar, are still active to the present day. Amongst their number, only one chapter was created from the geneseed of the legendary Lion El'Jonson. Even at that time, the High Lords were strangely reluctant to sanction new successors to the First Legion, but the need was great, and the pressure from the Dark Angels and the Unforgiven to be included was considerable. So were born the Night Watch, Sons of the Lion, the Brotherhood of Silence.

As with all the new Astartes Praeses chapters, the Night Watch were exceptionally well supported and armed from the moment of their founding. Supplying them with the best weapons, armour and equipment that was available at the time, the High Lords of Terra tried to prepare them for the trials that would lie ahead. Command staff and instructors were volunteered from the Dark Angels and their successor Chapters, while a fleet of newly built strike cruisers and warships was provided by the Adeptus Mechanicus. In addition, it is widely believed that the Unforgiven donated resources from their own, extensive armouries, including many ancient relics and over a hundred suits of Terminator armour. Once confirmed as battle ready, the chapter was dispatched to the Eye of Terror and prepared themselves for an eternity of conflict.

From the very beginning the Night Watch were reclusive and isolationist, shunning the company of their fellow Praeses Chapters. In part this was due to the territories they were assigned to protect. Stationed at the so called North East Portal, a relatively stable minor warp route leading to the edge of the Eye of Terror, they were far from the main concentration of Imperial forces around the Cadian Gate. However, even when invited to participate in the Council of Containment, a grand strategy meeting of all Space Marine, Mechanicus and Imperial commanders in the Segmentum Obscurus, the Master of the Night Watch declined to attend, immediately attracting accusations of disloyalty. Those accusations were silenced the following year, when the Night Watch deployed at full strength to oppose Abaddon's 3rd Black Crusade, playing a crucial role in the defence of Cadia and suffering extremely heavy casualties. Throughout their long history the Night Watch has rarely refused a request for aid and have engaged in almost constant warfare with the enemies of the Imperium. However, despite this their relations with other Chapters and Imperial organisations remain distant at best. The only exception appears to be with the Dark Angels and their successors, with whom the Night Watch continue to maintain close ties.

A particularly curious trait of the Night Watch, and one which has helped isolate them further from the Imperium as a whole, is their refusal to personally speak to any outside their own chapter. Instead, all communication from them to others is relayed through specialist vocalisation servitors. It is believed that no outsider has ever heard the true voice of a Night Watch Space Marine. Amongst themselves, all communication takes place over a sealed, private vox net whenever others are present, and it is presumed even the other members of the Unforgiven are excluded from the private conversations of the Night Watch.

THE UNFORGIVEN

As descendants of the original Dark Angel Legion, the Night Watch have full knowledge of the destruction of Caliban and the hunt for the Fallen. Like the other members of the Unforgiven, this information is carefully restricted within the Chapter. Only the most experienced veterans, Space Marines whose loyalties have been tested again and again, are initiated into the shadowy Inner Circle, and only then when their superiors deem them both worthy and capable of withstanding the shame caused by such revelations. These Shadow Veterans form an additional Company outside the Chapter's standard organisation, and have never been officially declared to exist.

Due to the nature of their deployment, the Night Watch are particularly well placed to search for any of the Fallen who have joined the ranks of the other Traitor Legions. Shadow Veterans keep constant watch throughout the region, carefully searching for any sign that may lead them to their quarry. When a Fallen Angel is located, a heavily armed strike force is quickly dispatched to capture them if possible, or execute them if not. In addition, the Chapter is quite willing to follow the trail of the Fallen wherever it may lead, and there have been confirmed sightings of Night Watch Space Marines as far afield as the Ghoul Stars and Charadon. Such operations have at times resulted in claims of dereliction of duty from both the High Lords and the Inquisition, who believe, even if they cannot enforce, that the Chapter's primary obligation is the defence of the Eye.

Like all members of the Unforgiven, the search for the Fallen is the Night Watch's highest priority, and there have been many occasions where their covert quest has compromised their role as Astartes Praeses. The most infamous example of this was during the 8th Black Crusade, when they were only able to dispatch a single Battle Group, the 4th Company, to the defence of Cadia. The rest of the Chapter had redeployed to the Eastern Fringe some months previously, as part of larger, combined Unforgiven task force. Every member of 4th Company, 92 Initiates and 35 Neophytes, were killed in action defending the walls and fortifications of Cadia from the besieging Chaos forces. Despite this sacrifice, in the aftermath of the crusade the Night Watch were heavily criticised by both the High Lords and many of their fellow Space Marine chapters. To this day, their conflict of interests continues to drive a wedge between the Chapter and the Imperium.

HOMEWORLD

Located in the star system of the same name, Silence is the fourth of eight planets, all of which are uninhabitable. Devoid of atmosphere, it is aptly named: a dry, desolate, lifeless world. However, this was not always the case. Millennia ago, an unknown alien civilisation prospered there, cutting vast labyrinthine cities into the bedrock of the continental plates. At some point, a disaster of cataclysmic proportions must have befallen the planet, stripping away the atmosphere and exterminating all life [Note: some historians believe this to be entirely consistent with the attack patterns of the Hive Fleets. However, the time scale involved would mean a Tyrannic incursion several million years before the earliest officially recognised encounter]. Now all that remains are the ruined towers and subterranean streets of the rock cities. It was within this maze of underground chambers that the Night Watch built their fortress monastery. Known as the Labyrinth, it is situated deep below the planet's surface, and is capable of withstanding almost any orbital bombardment. The few visitors who have been allowed access to the chapter's home have described an endless warren of candlelit tunnels, where robed figures appear and disappear like phantoms.

The planet's surface remains as barren and lifeless as it was before the arrival of the Night Watch. Weapon's batteries and missile silos are hidden amongst the ruined alien architecture, but are as powerful as those of any Astartes home world. A Ramilies class starfort is positioned in high orbit, providing a docking port for the chapters fleet as well as adding it's considerable firepower to the planetary defence grid. However, Silence's greatest defence lies in it's obscurity. Far from the nearest inhabited system, it's existence remains largely unknown even amongst the Chapter's sworn enemies.

ORGANISATION

Although initially organised as a strict Codex Chapter, the Night Watch have diverged considerably from the standard template, partly due to the demands of their Eye of Terror deployment and partly as a result of their Dark Angel heritage. Whilst they share some similarities with their cousins in the Unforgiven, their organisation has evolved to be completely unique. Most noticeable is the inclusion of an additional Veteran formation, meaning that the Night Watch consists of eleven companies rather than the codex proscribed ten. This Shadow Company does not officially exist, which has led to much confusion and contradiction in Imperial records.

Unlike Codex chapters, the Night Watch do not maintain any Reserve Companies. Every brother of Silence is part of the main battle force, and a company is only withdrawn from the front line after it suffers severe casualties. In addition, the Chapter does not have a unified Scout Company. The hellish environs and deadly opponents that the Night Watch regularly face are considered too dangerous to risk the future warriors of the chapter in such an unsupported role. Instead, Neophytes are attached to the main battle line as auxiliary units, while the task of reconnaissance and intelligence gathering is left to other specialised forces within the chapter.

Like their forebears, the First Company of the Night Watch fights exclusively in tactical dreadnought armour. However, unlike the Dark Angels and most other chapters, advancement to the terminator elite is based not on age or experience but purely on combat prowess. The most skilled warriors of the Chapter are singled out and transferred to the First, where they are trained in the use of terminator armour and weapons. As a result, relatively young but gifted warriors often find themselves serving alongside highly experienced veterans. Known as the Vengeance Company, they function as a heavy assault formation, providing overwhelming force wherever it is most required.

The Second Company, or the Night Runners as they are sometimes known, are a dedicated reconnaissance and rapid assault force. Like the Ravenwing of the Dark Angels, they are highly skilled in the use of bikes and landspeeders, specialising in scouting, intelligence gathering and hit & run operations deep behind enemy lines. The Night Runners are also trained as armoured vehicle crews and maintain the Chapters entire fleet of Predator battle tanks, allowing them to support their missions with more heavily armoured, mobile fire power when necessary. Neophytes who show a particular aptitude for this form of warfare are automatically attached to the Second Company, training as scout bike squadrons and landspeeder storm squads before taking their place amongst the Initiates. Unlike the other Companies, assignment to the Second is permanent, once selected each Battle Brother remains with the company until their death. Although Night Runners are initiated into the ranks of the Shadow Veterans, they do not transfer to the Eleventh Company, as the skills they have developed throughout their career are far too valuable to ignore. Now known as Shadow Knights, they repaint their armour as members of the Inner Circle and form an elite bodyguard to the Master of the Night Runners.

Companies Three to Eight are all configured as 'Battle Companies', providing the Night Watch with the bulk of their fighting strength. For most operations the Chapter will deploy a Battle company supported by elements of the specialist and veteran formations. As per the Codex, each Battle Company consists of 6 Tactical Squads, 2 Assault and 2 Devastators. In addition, each Battle Company also includes a contingent of Neophytes who act as auxiliary support units, gaining combat experience fighting alongside their battle brothers. When their training and augmentation is complete, Neophytes remain with their assigned Company until they can be initiated into one of the Tactical Squads. Due to the high attrition rate within the Night Watch, advancement from Neophyte to Initiate is particularly rapid.

Ninth Company is a dedicated mobile infantry formation, consisting of two Vanguard Squads and 8 Assault Squads. Known as the Nightwings, they are recruited from the Battle Companies and fight exclusively as Jump troops. Unusually, the assault marines of the Ninth are more heavily armed than their counterparts in other Chapters, often using bolters, plasma weaponry and meltaguns in addition to dedicated close combat weapons. Serving with the Ninth is often seen as the precursor to selection to the Vengeance Company. However, it is not unheard of for Nightwings to turn down promotion to the First, preferring the speed and manoeuvrability of their flight packs to the ponderous protection of terminator armour.

Tenth Company specialises in siege warfare and at full strength consists of 100 Devastator marines, each selected from within the ranks of the Battle Companies. In addition, the Master of the Forge and the majority of the chapter's Techmarines are permanently attached to this Siege Company, along with the most destructive weapons in the Night Watch armoury. As the most heavily armed formation in the Chapter, the Tenth is deployed whenever the defence of the Imperium is at it's most critical. It is the Siege Company that holds the line when the fighting is at it's fiercest, and as result it rarely operates at full strength.

The Eleventh, or Shadow Company as it is known, consists of the oldest and most experienced veterans in the entire chapter. Each of these warriors has served the Chapter for many hundreds of years, and are easily distinguished by their completely black heraldry. Their armour, tabards and robes are all jet black, representing their induction into the secrets of the Inner Circle. Unlike the other Companies, whose maximum strength (not including Neophytes) is set at 100 battle brothers, the size of the Shadow Company is effectively unlimited, although it's numbers regularly fluctuate due to strict initiation criteria. Highly autonomous, with it's own support mechanisms and dedicated space craft, the Shadow Company could almost be considered a separate organisation, a chapter within a chapter, unknown and unseen by any outside the Night Watch.

On the battlefield, Shadow Veterans form heavily armed kill squads, comparable to Sternguard in more Codex Chapters, as well as acting as bodyguards to high ranking officers within the Night Watch. However, members of the Eleventh Company are also secretly dispatched on intelligence gathering missions throughout the region. Designed for stealth, these Shadow Hunter units are lightly armoured, donning the carapace armour they once wore as Neophytes. Equipped with stalker pattern boltguns and light absorbing camouflage cloaks, they are the eyes and ears of the chapter, constantly searching the worlds surrounding the Eye of Terror for potential Chaotic infiltration and, in particular, any sign of the Fallen Dark Angels.

Each company is led by a Watch Master, a rank equivalent to Captain in Codex Chapters. All high ranking officers, with the exception of techmarines, are members of the Inner Circle and will have served as part of the Shadow Company for a time. Librarians, although no more numerous than in any other chapter, form a crucial part in the Night Watch command structure. Accompanying each task force that departs from Silence, they use their psychic gifts to search both the minds of the enemy for information about the Fallen, and the minds of their fellow Space Marines for any sign of temptation or negligence.

The Chapter is also known to have an unusually high number of Chaplains within it's ranks. Each Company has it's own Reclusiarch to minister to it's brethren, while lower level Chaplains often lead individual squads into combat. These spiritual leaders are the dominant force in the Chapter's command structure. Unlike the Dark Angels, the rank of Interrogator Chaplain does not exist, as any Fallen that are captured are immediately put into stasis and transported to the Rock for their judgement. In addition, the Night Watch is believed to be unique in that it's Chapter Master is always chosen from amongst the Reclusiarchs, rather than the Company Commanders. Known as both the Master of Sanctity and the Lord of Silence, he embodies the Chapter's faith, loyalty and commitment to the Emperor, steering them in their dual roles as both guardians of the Imperium and hunters of the Fallen.

COMBAT DOCTRINE

As Successors to the Dark Angel Legion, the Night Watch operates as a tactically flexible, highly mobile strike force. Nevertheless, they do not shy away from battles of attrition, and indeed, are considered to be as stubborn and intractable as their predecessors. This, combined with the unrelenting nature of their Eye of Terror deployment and the demands of their role as members of the Unforgiven, has resulted in the highest consistent casualty rate in all the Adeptus Astartes. With over fifty percent of Initiates falling in combat during their first thirty years of service, it is only by constant recruitment and questionable training methods that the Night Watch maintains it's fighting strength. Conversely, those that do survive are amongst the most battle hardened and experienced warriors in the Imperium, explaining the Chapter's unusually large number of veteran and specialist forces.

The Night Watch is also renowned for it's use of overwhelming force and a callous disregard for human life, thinking nothing of unleashing devastating firepower even when civilian casualties will result. In addition, there have been several instances when the Chapter has ruthlessly purged whole worlds that have, allegedly, been contaminated by the forces of Chaos. Whether such claims are based on truth, or whether the Chapter is seeking to destroy evidence and witnesses to it's activities is a matter of debate. Regardless of it's motives, the Night Watch has earned a brutal reputation amongst it's allies, isolating them even further from the Imperium they are sworn to protect.

APPEARANCE AND LIVERY

The recognised colours of the Night Watch are bone white armour with a jet black helm. However, this livery alters with advancement through the chapter's hierarchy. As each Initiate progresses, they are allowed to change a particular element of their armour from white to black. In addition, promotion to a particular rank or Company is also accompanied by a change in colours. For example, all sergeants throughout the Chapter repaint both arms completely black as a symbol of leadership, whilst marines of the 2nd Company have black greaves on their leg armour to represent membership of the Night Runners. Upon initiation into the Shadow Company, each battle brother paints their whole armour completely black. They are also the only members of the Night Watch who are allowed to repaint the chest plate, indicating their position at the dark heart of the chapter. Symbolically, these changes represent both a reward and a curse, for advancement into the Inner Circle brings with it the full knowledge of the Fall of Caliban, and the responsibility to hunt down those responsible.

As a monastic chapter, members of the Night Watch also regularly wear robes, cloaks and tunics over their armour. These are considered a symbol of rank and experience, and so are generally confined to officers and members of the Shadow Company. However, an Initiate who has risked his own safety to protect his battle brothers may be awarded the right to wear such robes, although it is often accompanied by scars, disfigurement or bionic augmentation.

Shadow Veteran

Night Runner, 2nd Company Battle Brother

Sergeant, 4th Company

RECRUITMENT

Like the Dark Angels themselves, the Night Watch do not recruit from any single world or star system. Instead a regular tithe of potential recruits is selected from inhabited planets surrounding the Eye of Terror, including Cadia itself from time to time. Neophytes are chosen from a wide variety of different cultures, from the militarised planets of the Gate to primitive feudal worlds with little direct Imperial contact. Whatever their origin, once inducted into the Chapter each subject is effectively mind wiped, erasing all memories prior to their selection and enforcing loyalty from the very beginning.

Due to constant attrition, the Night Watch is forced to recruit at a substantially higher rate than most Space Marine Chapters. Although the tests and trials that new recruits are subjected to are as stringent as any amongst the Adeptus Astartes, once accepted the transition from Neophyte to Initiate is unusually swift. It is suspected that the Chapter utilises hypno-indoctrination, psychological conditioning, and neuro-surgery to an almost unprecedented degree, accelerating the development of new recruits to replace it's almost constant battle losses. Although not prohibited, these techniques are considered by many to be too dangerous to utilise at such high levels, often resulting in physical and mental damage to the candidate. It is unknown what percentage of Neophytes to the Chapter survive this rapid training programme.

BELIEFS

Highly devout, the Night Watch are closer to the Imperial Creed than their brothers in the Unforgiven, believing absolutely in the divinity of the God Emperor and his loyal sons. This motivates them both to defend his domains no matter the cost to themselves or others, and also to strive constantly to redeem themselves from the sins of the past. That these objectives often conflict with one another is considered irrelevant, and frequently drives the Chapter to attempt the impossible in the prosecution of it's duties.

Like their predecessors, the Night Watch are a particularly monastic chapter, with prayer, study and meditation forming an essential part of their daily routine. It is believed by some that this regime of spiritual contemplation is necessary to overcome the psychological damage inflicted by the Chapter's harsh training techniques. Others point to the brutality of the Chapter's actions as an indication of inherent flaws in their character, that no amount of devotion to the Emperor can disguise. For the Night Watch themselves there is no debate. Perhaps the ultimate pragmatists, to them the ends always justifies the means, and they are willing to sacrifice anything to achieve their goals. Faith, and redemption, demands nothing less.

Of particular importance to the Chapter is the Oath of Solitude. Sworn upon their selection to the training programme, the Oath forbids each Night Watch Space Marine from personally speaking to anyone outside the Chapter. All communication must take place through an Intermediary, a specially designed servitor that records, monitors and censors every word spoken. This applies to all members of the Night Watch, from the newest recruit to the Master of Sanctity himself, ensuring that the Chapter's secrets remain eternally hidden.

As with all members of the Unforgiven, the character and beliefs of the Night Watch have been profoundly shaped by the events surrounding the destruction of Caliban. In their particular case, the sense of guilt has led them to worship the Emperor in a way that is far closer to the ideals of the Ecclesiarchy than to the warrior creed practised by most Astartes chapters. Conversely, that same guilt, and the need to hide the truth for fear of reprisal, has driven them to isolate themselves from the rest of the Imperium, both as a penance and as a security measure. However, perhaps the most defining characteristic of the Night Watch is an overriding sense of self doubt. In their eyes, the past has shown that members of the First Legion can fall from grace, and there is no reason why it could not happen again. As a result, the Inner Circle controls every aspect of the chapter with an iron grip. From the moment of their recruitment, the loyalty of each battle brother is enforced and strictly monitored, their very thoughts moulded by the training process and constantly scrutinised for any sign of corruption. In essence, the Night Watch don't trust anyone, especially themselves. The guardianship of the Eye of Terror is just one aspect of their duty to the Emperor, they must also be eternally vigilant for the darkness within.

RELICS OF THE CHAPTER

An ancient Chapter, the Night Watch has accumulated a large number of relics, trophies and battle standards over it's long history. The 9th Company, for example, has access to twenty unique, single thruster jump packs that date back to the days of the Great Crusade. Similar in design to those used by the Blood Angels and their successors, how they came to the Night Watch has long been forgotten, but they remain fully functional and are reserved for use by the Company's Veterans.

The two most well known artefacts are usually carried by the Chapter's Master of Sanctity as a symbol of his leadership. These are The Lion's Wrath, a twinned pair of wrist mounted storm bolters, reputedly from the personal armoury of Lion El'Jonson himself; and the Staff of Redemption, a massive, two handed crozius arcanum handed down from each Lord of the Night Watch to his successor.

GENESEED

As descendants of the First Legion, the geneseed of the Night Watch remains as pure and uncorrupted as the Dark Angels themselves. Nevertheless, as with their predecessors, the High Lords have been reluctant to utilise their genetic material to create new Space Marine chapters, and to date, there have been no Successor chapters created from the Night Watch geneseed. Whether this is due to the fractious relationship between the chapter and other Imperial forces, or because of their close ties with the other Unforgiven is a matter of debate.

BATTLECRY

Unlike most Astartes forces, the Night Watch do not have a battlecry, as the oath of Solitude extends even onto the field of combat. In war, the chapter is renowned for it's relentless advance and implacable defence, each conducted in the same complete, eerie silence.

SELECTED BATTLE HONOUR: THE FIRST SIEGE OF SILENCE

Throughout most of their early history, the homeworld of the Night Watch remained relatively untroubled. Despite it's proximity to the Ocularis Terribus, the isolation and obscurity of the Silence System, combined with it's extensive defences, meant that it had rarely been threatened with attack. As a result when a significant threat did emerge, and from an unexpected source, it caught the chapter almost completely by surprise.

At the close of 041.M34, the defenders of the Cadian Gate were still in the process of repairing the damage inflicted by a Black Crusade forty years previously. Losses such as the destruction of the Citadel of Kromarch had worn the Imperial defence precariously thin. Therefore the arrival of a massive Ork Waaagh! could not have come at a worse time. Originating in the Halo stars, an area long believed free of the greenskin taint, the attack surged through the Segmentum Obscurus at a terrifying speed. As reinforcements were dispatched from throughout the Imperium, the defenders of the region once again manned the battlements, many of them still in ruins from the 4th Black Crusade.

During this time, the Night Watch, like the rest of the Astartes Praeses, stepped into the breach, bolstering the defences wherever they were needed. In addition, the chapter's entire fleet was dispatched on hit and run operations against the Ork menace. Silence was left to the guardianship of the Tenth Company, still understrength from the previous conflict. Although defended by just eighty marines under the command of Watch Master Sergio Vass, the bastion was believed to be safe from attack.

The arrival of the first Ork Terror Ship at the outskirts of the Silence system was not immediately seen as a cause for concern, long range weapons stations easily destroying the alien vessel before it could present a threat. However, two days later a further twenty ships of similar size arrived, overwhelming the outer defences and driving deep into the heart of the system. Even at that point, the Watch Master did not perceive them as a significant danger, confident that the homeworld's defensive grid was capable of repelling the invaders, although a message was broadcast informing the rest of the Chapter of events and requesting assistance when possible.

Sure enough, the Ork fleet smashed into the planetary defences and was promptly blown to pieces, the massed ground and orbital based firepower obliterating ship after ship. However, before they died, each Ork vessel discharged it's cargo into the skies of Silence. For in addition to their usual complement of fighters and assault boats, each Terror Ship towed in it's wake a single Rok, a hollowed out asteroid filled with Ork infantry and weapons. Although the Ork fleet was completely destroyed, twelve Roks survived the firestorm and crashed into the world's surface, their impact gouging huge craters in the landscape of ruined alien architecture. Within hours of landing, thousands of Orks wearing crude survival suits and breathing apparatus were swarming over large areas of the planet, searching for the entrances to the Night Watch fortress.

With the situation now critical, Sergio Vass broadcast another, more urgent request for aid, before leading his company into the warren of subterranean streets and sealing the fortress gates behind them. What followed was four months of desperate tunnel fighting, a cat and mouse game with the Night Watch using their knowledge of the Labyrinth to lure the alien invaders away from the secret entrances to the monastery. The tales of heroism from the siege are countless: entire squads sacrificing themselves so that the rest of the Company could withdraw; lone Space Marines running the gauntlet of Ork infested areas to place explosives in crucial munition dumps; techmarines leading combat servitors into headlong attacks to delay the enemy advance; the critically wounded Devastator who defended a strong point alone for three days, his body found battered but still breathing surrounded by a sea of corpses. By the time Night Watch reinforcements finally arrived, Tenth Company was reduced to a mere handful of active battle brothers, all injured to some degree.

The Chapter's retaliation was swift, a determined counter attack that quickly broke the back of the invasion. Nevertheless, the convoluted landscape made hunting down the Ork survivors incredibly difficult and time consuming, and it was a further five years before the planet was declared free from their taint. Tenth Company had suffered seventy five per cent casualties, including Watch Master Vass, who was posthumously awarded the title Defender of Silence.

What the Orks hoped to achieve with their suicidal assault, and how they identified Silence as a target, remains unclear. In all probability their aim, as always with the greenskin, was simply to cause as much random carnage as possible. However, given the isolated nature of the system, and the secrecy surrounding the Chapter's homeworld, it is postulated by some that the aliens were, at the very least, given information by an outside agency that encouraged them to launch their attack. The Night Watch have always had a multitude of enemies, and it is possible that the Orks were unwitting pawns in a darker, more malicious strategy.

Whatever the truth, in the aftermath of the attack the Night Watch increased the defences of their homeworld considerably, vowing never to leave their fortress so vulnerable again. To this day, the Tenth are known as the Siege Company, in honour and memory of their sacrifice.

SELECTED BATTLE HONOUR: LORGAR'S WRATH

The tides of the Immaterium are fickle, and amidst the warp storms surrounding the Eye of Terror, all manner of detritus and wreckage frequently surface in Imperial space. From colossal space hulks to the frozen carcasses of void dwelling creatures, the defenders of the Eye are tasked with investigating everything that crosses the borders of the Imperium. Anything that can be safely salvaged is recovered, while anything that is inherently corrupt or alien is mercilessly destroyed.

In 084.M41, the calm that followed a particularly savage warp storm was accompanied by an unexpected arrival in Cadian territory. 'Lorgar's Wrath', a Space Marine battle barge last seen nearly 10,000 years previously. Originally named the 'Spear of Ultramar', it was one of a host of warships captured by the Word Bearer Legion during the infamous Battle of Calth. Unseen since the Scouring, it was found adrift in the outer reaches of the Cadian system, and although badly damaged and without power, there were still a large number of life signs detected within it's ancient, battle scarred hull. Imperial cruisers from the system defence fleet quickly converged on the stricken warship, surrounding it with enough firepower to ensure it's annihilation. Conventional wisdom would have been to destroy the battle barge immediately, before it could restore power and become a greater threat. However, such vessels are both a great asset and highly prized by the Adeptus Mechanicum, and therefore recapturing the ship intact was decided as the preferred course of action. With all weapons systems armed and targeting the wreck, the Imperial blockade kept it's distance and transmitted a request for Astartes assistance.

First to respond was the 'Chiron' a Gladius class attack frigate of the White Consuls chapter. Proud successors to the Ultramarines, the White Consuls were eager to return the 'Spear of Ultramar' to it's former masters, and immediately claimed salvage rights over the wrecked warship. However, with only a single squad aboard and an uncertain number of enemies lurking inside the derelict, the commanding officer, Captain Aelius, decided to wait for further instructions and reinforcements from his chapter.

Several hours later, a new vessel translated into the Cadian System. A sleek, jet black warship of unusual design, it transmitted it's identity as the Night Watch battle barge 'Blade of Enmity'. Ignoring all communication from the blockading fleet, including increasingly irate protests from Captain Aelius, the Night Watch ship moved into an attack posture on 'Lorgar's Wrath', launching a wing of Caestus assault craft to board the derelict vessel. Believing the Night Watch to be stealing his chapter's prize in front of his eyes, Captain Aelius had no option but to deploy his single tactical squad via boarding torpedo, giving the White Consuls at least a token presence in the coming battle.

Penetrating the hull of the derelict close to the Caestus entry points, the White Consuls, under the command of Sergeant Leontius, quickly linked up with the Night Watch boarding party. Consisting of over seventy white clad terminators and a further twenty veterans in black power armour, the heavily armed strike force was led by an imposing, skull helmed Reclusiarch. Familiar with the chapter's reticence, Leontius knew better than to attempt dialogue with the Night Watch Chaplain, and instead simply announced their intention to assist the silent warriors as they purged 'Lorgar's Wrath' of the traitors. The Reclusiarch merely nodded his assent, then using standard Astartes battle sign, indicated that the force would split up into parties to search the vessel. Setting off into the maze of corridors, the White Consuls found themselves accompanied by squads of terminators and Shadow Veterans, the Night Watch space marines keeping pace but offering no communication to their allies.

At first the interior of the battle barge appeared abandoned, empty but for the floating bodies of long dead crewmen. The ship's gravity generators were offline, forcing the strike force to magnatise the boots of their armour to proceed through the infrastructure. Emergency lighting flickered on and off, and most areas of the ship were devoid of life support. First contact with the enemy didn't occur for nearly an hour, but when the forces did engage the fighting was intense and brutal. The Word Bearers attacked with incredible ferocity, ambushing each separate boarding party at the same time, a co-ordinated assault that would have inflicted significant casualties were it not for the terminator armour protecting the majority of the Imperial forces. Even so, a number of terminators and three White Consuls were slain before the attack was repelled, their white armoured forms joining the crimson corpses of the enemy.

The second attack followed soon afterwards, but again the Word Bearers were forced to retreat, the terminator armoured veterans of the Night Watch proving decisive in the fierce close quarter combat. Gradually the Imperial forces pushed their way through the ruined vessel, forcing the Chaos marines back and reducing their numbers one by one. The final battle took place on the ships bridge, the surviving Word Bearers trapped with nowhere to retreat. Only the most elite of the enemy warriors had survived to this point, many of them displaying the horrific mutations of daemonic possession. With ammunition on both sides almost expended, the fighting was reduced to vicious, relentless close combat: the lightning claws and power fists of the Night Watch cutting through corrupted armour and flesh that regenerated almost instantly; the poisoned chainswords and daemonic talons of the Word Bearers desperately parried by opponent's storm shields. The ensuing combat lasted over three hours, the last Word Bearer finally cut down by the combined strikes of Sergeant Leontius and the Reclusiarch's crozius arcanum. In the final tallies, the Night Watch had suffered over fifty per cent casualties, and only four of the White Consuls remained standing. Over a hundred Word Bearers had been killed, forty of them in the final battle alone.

In the aftermath, Sergeant Leontius moved to congratulate the Night Watch commander, only to find a gore splattered terminator blocking his path. Surrounded by an immovable wall of silent warriors, he and his men were confined to the bridge while the Reclusiarch and the surviving Shadow Veterans disappeared into an adjoining passage way. When they emerged, they carried with them a large, cloak covered object with the tell tale shape of a stasis pod. Without any communication to the White Consuls, the remaining Night Watch formed into a protective cordon around their leaders and, taking their dead and wounded with them, the entire force withdrew to the assault rams and returned to the Blade of Enmity. Again, with no notification to the surrounding Imperial fleet, the Night Watch warship broke position and headed to the nearest warp jump point, departing as mysteriously as they arrived.

Amidst the carnage of the bridge, whilst the White Consuls tended to their wounds and waited for retrieval, Sergeant Leontius cautiously approached the corridor that the Shadow Veterans had entered. At the end of the passage was a large blast door, cut open by melta bombs. Beyond was a huge spherical chamber, once the war room of the battle barge, the strategarium where the warriors of Ultramar would have gathered to discuss tactics and operations. Now, the inside was lined with hundreds of stasis pods, most of them still functional and powered by an unseen energy source. Almost all of them were empty, but several contained the ossified, still armoured remains of Word Bearers, all in pods which appeared to have malfunctioned in some way. Even more curiously, in the very centre of the strategarium were a number of hibernation chambers that were isolated from the rest. Each of these was powerless and contained the remains of a dead Space Marine. However, these warriors did not appear to have been members of the Word Bearers, as their armour displayed the colours and livery of a dozen different chapters, many from relatively modern foundings.

In the investigation that followed the retaking of 'Lorgar's Wrath', it was presumed that after the ship was damaged, the Word Bearers had used the hibernation capsules to survive. However, there was no obvious explanation for the presence of the other Space Marines, or why the Word Bearers had placed them in stasis with them. Nor could they be identified within any Imperial or Chapter records. As with many mysteries that originate in the Eye of Terror, the matter was declared an 'Oddity of the Warp' and the investigation closed. The 'Spear of Ultramar' was repaired, purged of all taint and re-sanctified by the Adeptus Mechanicus, before being presented to the White Consuls as a spoil of war. Characteristically, the Night Watch have always refused to answer any questions regarding the incident.

[Akatriel]

Awesome chapter! I find the name "Brotherhood of Silence" much better, but Night Watch isn´t bad, either.

 

Really good work with the organization section. It feels like a real military unit, specially the "rotation reserve", and the tactical flexibility of the Shadow Company. More concerned with effectiveness than honor and ritual.

 

The symbolic nature of the painting in the armor is great, too, but maybe you could clarify it a bit. I get that it is increasingly black as one advances, first helmet, then arms, then in the Second Company, legs, but, if a marine progresses without making a tour in the Second, do his legs remain white? I suppose the progression is: battle brother: helmet, sergeant: arms, 2nd Company/???: legs, Shadow Company and above: chest. What about the First Company?

 

Finally, you mention that the scouting is left to other units within the Chapter. You are referring to the Shadow Company exclusively, or each Company has scout-armored battle brothers?

[Arioch]

Awsome chapter indeed and well researched to- Good job! The chapter I am working on reseembles yours a bit. I recall to have read something about these "Astartes Praeses" but couldnt remember their name, so guess my chapter will not belong to them, although their job is pretty much the same as yours: Guard the Eye, look for fallen and stuff :P

 

Exellent chapter :)

[Spaced Hulk]

Awesome chapter! I find the name "Brotherhood of Silence" much better, but Night Watch isn´t bad, either.

Cheers! :) I have to say, your Angels Penitent Chapter is very impressive, and the sheer level of detail you've gone into for them is quite inspiring.

 

The Night Watch are actually an official Chapter that GW has never really expanded upon. The only official fluff for them is that they're Astartes Praeses,, their home world is Silence, for some reason they deployed 11 companies to fight in the 13th Black Crusade, and that they dispatched Tactical Squads to join an Ultramarines-led campaign against the Tau. Basically I decided to take those morsals of info and "Unforgiven-ise" them :P

 

The two names thing is because I quite like the idea that what the Imperium calls the Chapter isn't necessarily what they call themselves.

 

 

Really good work with the organization section. It feels like a real military unit, specially the "rotation reserve", and the tactical flexibility of the Shadow Company. More concerned with effectiveness than honor and ritual.

 

The symbolic nature of the painting in the armor is great, too, but maybe you could clarify it a bit. I get that it is increasingly black as one advances, first helmet, then arms, then in the Second Company, legs, but, if a marine progresses without making a tour in the Second, do his legs remain white? I suppose the progression is: battle brother: helmet, sergeant: arms, 2nd Company/???: legs, Shadow Company and above: chest. What about the First Company?

 

You're right, I do need to clarify the paint scheme. Re-reading that section it isn't very clear. What I'd really like to do is include a gallery of armour varients, but for some reason I'm having trouble with the painting programme. Will keep working on it, but for now:

 

Battle Brother: All white armour, black helmet.

Night Runner/2nd Company: White armour, black helmet & lower leg (up to the knee)

Sergeants: As above, but with black arms (maybe shoulder pads too, haven't decided yet)

Shadow Veteran: Completely black armour.

 

This is where it gets a bit more hazy. Basically, in addition to the above schemes, each individual marine can earn the right to paint aspects of his armour black, either as honour markings for a particular feat of arms or as a sign of their progression towards learning the truth about the Unforgiven. I don't actually want to specify this sequence in too much detail, simply because when it comes to painting an army of them (which is my eventual intention), I want to be able to paint each Marine very slightly differently, effectively giving each one their own, individual livery. It's a bit of an experiment really, in practice it might turn out to be just too messy and incoherent. What I'm hoping is that the combination of black and white will be quite forgiving in that regard, giving the army a sense of uniformity despite each models paint scheme being slightly different.

 

The Shadow Company literally just paint their armour completely black. Basically it's a not very subtle indication of them arriving/returning to their Dark Angel roots. They're also the only members of the Chapter that can repaint their chest armour (again, a not very subtle symbol of their hearts becoming Dark). They won't have served in the Second Company because the Night Runners don't actually advance or progress into other companies . They're essentially a seperate organisation specialising solely in rapid assault. What I do need to do (something I've overlooked) is to make some sort of allowance for Night Runners who have been inducted into the Inner Circle (but will have stayed with the 2nd Company rather than transfering into the 11th). Probably some sort of Night Runner Veteran Squad who paint their armour completely black.

 

The First Company I'm currently undecided on. They do need something to distinguish them, but I want to try to make them different from the rest of the Chapter. Essentially the Shadow Company is their version of the Deathwing (they just fight in power armour rather than as terminators). The Vengeance Company I see as a purely martial promotion; basically they're the most skilled warriors but they don't have any more knowledge about the Unforgiven than members of the Battle Companies. I might try something like white armour, black helmet and red gauntlets/arms (bloody handed warriors and all that) but it'll depend what it actually looks like. Might be too messy.

 

 

Finally, you mention that the scouting is left to other units within the Chapter. You are referring to the Shadow Company exclusively, or each Company has scout-armored battle brothers?

 

The Shadow Company and the Second Company. Basically the Shadow Veterans investigate the Fallen, while the Night Runners do the scouting/recon work.

 

Thanks for the feedback, hope my rambling has made sense :)

[Spaced Hulk]

Awsome chapter indeed and well researched to- Good job! The chapter I am working on reseembles yours a bit. I recall to have read something about these "Astartes Praeses" but couldnt remember their name, so guess my chapter will not belong to them, although their job is pretty much the same as yours: Guard the Eye, look for fallen and stuff :P

 

Exellent chapter ;)

 

Cheers! ;) I did do a fair bit of research, especially into the Astartes Praeses and Black Crusades.

 

Looking forward to reading about your Chapter! :)

[Spaced Hulk]

Ok, managed to get some pics attached and added some extra stuff :D

[Raven Angel]

great stuff man good job

[Myxx]

most IAs only get feedback as criticism. But I really dig yours! Nice work, well thought and well written. Cheers!

[Augustus]

Well done man!

[Malthe]

I like what you've done with the Night Watch, mate!

Always loved that name...

 

A couple of questions:

 

1. Why don't they speak?

If they communicate through servitors (which is cool), then it must be the act of speech that is anathema, not the act of communication.

My reasoning while reading was that they kept silent to eliminate all possibility of the Secret getting out. But that doesn't make sense, if they can communicate through servitors.

Do you have a reason, besides the rule of cool, for this?

 

Personally I'd suggest that the Vow of Silence only be taken by the Shadow Company Veterans, and make it so they are completely(!) forbidden to speak to anyone outside the company.

Seems fitting that the one who know of the Secret are the once who can't speak.

 

Food for thought :)

 

2. Why Master of Sanctity/Chapter Master?

This construction is very common in DYIs, but unseen in canon fluff.

What is the reason for this difference?

One would think that the Unforgiven prefered to keep their eggs in as many baskets as possible.

 

3. How do orks breath without air?

Not very important, but it's got to be hard on a planet with no atmosphere :)

 

Otherwise great work man, I hope you spend some time improving it even further!

Cheers

[Spaced Hulk]

Cheers guys, I really appreciate all the positive feedback! :lol:

 

 

I like what you've done with the Night Watch, mate!

Always loved that name...

 

A couple of questions:

 

1. Why don't they speak?

If they communicate through servitors (which is cool), then it must be the act of speech that is anathema, not the act of communication.

My reasoning while reading was that they kept silent to eliminate all possibility of the Secret getting out. But that doesn't make sense, if they can communicate through servitors.

Do you have a reason, besides the rule of cool, for this?

 

Personally I'd suggest that the Vow of Silence only be taken by the Shadow Company Veterans, and make it so they are completely(!) forbidden to speak to anyone outside the company.

Seems fitting that the one who know of the Secret are the once who can't speak.

 

Food for thought :)

 

2. Why Master of Sanctity/Chapter Master?

This construction is very common in DYIs, but unseen in canon fluff.

What is the reason for this difference?

One would think that the Unforgiven prefered to keep their eggs in as many baskets as possible.

 

Ok, I'll try to answer these two points at the same time, as they're sort of inter-related. Basically, it's all down to how the chapter has been shaped by being part of the Unforgiven. Obviously, from a purely practical point of view, it's affected their organisation, they're involved in the search for the Fallen etc etc. However, when I started writing about them, I decided I want to look into the psychological implications, and how the chapter's 'personality' would have evolved. These are things which I've always found fascinating about the Dark Angels in general, the fact that they're very much flawed heroes.

 

Anyway, I decided three things:

 

First of all, they're ultra-religious. Their sense of guilt/shame has driven them to worship the Emperor in a way that is much closer to the Ecclesiarchy than to the beliefs of other Chapters. The Dark Angel's quest for Redemption has, to me at least, always had very religious overtones, so it's not too much of a stretch to push that just one step further. That's part of the reason why the Night Watch have more Chaplains than usual, and why the Chapter Master is chosen from the Reclusiarchs. The Chapter's faith is very much tied into it's command structure (Plus, to be honest, I had an idea for a Chaplain conversion that uses the Pedro Kantor rules, armed with a two handed crozius(counts as a power fist) and two wrist mounted storm bolters. The rule of cool, as you said ;) )

 

Secondly, they're very isolationist. Again, the sense of guilt is kicking in here, but also a sense of dread. Basically, these guys spend most of their time hunting down 10,000 year old Traitor Marines. However, their own Legion's past is just as treacherous. I think there's a very real fear at the heart of all the Unforgiven Chapters, that if their secret is ever disclosed, it'll be game over. So what do they do? In the Night Watch's case, they retreat into themselves. They don't just hunt down the Fallen and destroy the evidence (and witnesses), they actually isolate themselves from the Imperium they're trying to protect. It's partly a penance (eg: do they deserve to be part of the Imperium?) and partly a security measure, to try to keep their activities as secret as possible. That's part of the reason why they don't allow themselves to speak directly to outsiders. The Intermediary Servitors aren't just their voice, they're also their censers. Who says the Servitors will repeat every word exactly? They're programmed to record, and analyise, and alter (in the worst case scenario) what is being said to outsiders. Of course, it's most appropriate for the Shadow Company to be monitored in this way. But who's to say a normal battle brother couldn't inadvertently let some information slip that they're not even aware is dangerous?

 

Finally, the Night Watch is riddled with self doubt. To them, Dark Angels have fallen in the past, there's no reason why it couldn't happen again. As a result the Inner Circle controls and monitors every aspect of the Chapter. When a new recruit is selected, they're mind wiped to remove any possible previous loyalty. They're forced to swear not to speak to anyone outside the Chapter, unless it's monitored. Their training is like a assembly line, with skills and information surgically implanted, effectively telling them what to think. Whenever they leave their monastery (and probably all the time they're there), a Librarian is with them, reading their thoughts for anything suspicious. The religious aspect is part of this as well, effectively another way to control them.

 

The Night Watch, in essence, don't trust anyone, especially themselves. It's not just the Eye of Terror they're watching, they're also watching for the darkness within. If it wasn't so cheesy, I'd probably make their motto "Trust No-one".

 

So, basically, they're pretty messed up :)

 

I've tried to hint at these ideas all the way through the article, but I think I need to add something a bit more definitive, probably in the Beliefs section.

 

 

3. How do orks breath without air?

Not very important, but it's got to be hard on a planet with no atmosphere ;)

 

Otherwise great work man, I hope you spend some time improving it even further!

Cheers

 

I guess you might have missed this bit ;)

 

Within hours of landing, thousands of Orks wearing crude survival suits and breathing apparatus were swarming over large areas of the planet, searching for the entrances to the Night Watch fortress.

 

 

Thanks for the feedback though, and hope my rambling explanations made sense. I'll try to add something to the Beliefs section over the next few days.

 

Cheers!

[Akatriel]

Don´t forget the deadline! Your chapter deserves to be up there and be part of the competition.

[Spaced Hulk]

Don´t forget the deadline! Your chapter deserves to be up there and be part of the competition.

 

Cheers mate. Yeah, I think I'm nearly ready. Been working on a final addition which I'll hopefully get finished tomorrow.

[Spaced Hulk]

Ok, with the competition deadline extended I thought I'd carry on adding stuff to the article (these things are never really finished are they? :)). Here's the current progress:

 

SELECTED BATTLE HONOUR: THE CLEANSING OF CHAROX

Although the phenomenon is rarely observed, the Eye of Terror is believed to periodically alter it's size and shape, swelling or contracting as the warp storms that surround it change in their intensity. For the worlds at the very edge of the anomoly, this fluctuation is a constant danger, as they can be exposed to the terrors of the Warp at any time.

 

Located on the north western edge of the Eye, Charox was a vitally important mining and industrial planet, supplying the Forge World of Agripinaa with a constant stream of raw materials and componants essential to the Imperial war machine. Due to it's close proximity to the Ocularis Terribus, it was heavily guarded, with a fixed garrison of Imperial Guard regiments and an Astartes Praeses bastion manned by Space Marines of the Crimson Scythes chapter. Orbital defences were kept at constant alert, while warships of Battlefleet Agripinaa regularly patrolled the Charox system.

 

All these defences would ultimately prove to be futile when in 682.M40, the whole system was engulfed by warp storms and pulled into the Eye of Terror. In an instant, the Charox system literally disappeared. The warfleet dispatched to investigate the sudden loss of contact found nothing but empty space at the co-ordinates where Charox was supposed to be.

 

Fifteen years later, Charox emerged once more as the warp storms diminished and the Eye itself receded. At first, the Lords of the Segmentum were overjoyed, for a lost world of the Imperium had been returned to them. That joy quickly soured when the first reports from Charox began to filter through. It appeared that although only fifteen years had passed in real space, the time dilation effects of the warp meant that several thousand had passed for the inhabitants of the marooned world. This, combined with the energies of the Immaterium, had caused the world's population to mutate and devolve into species neither human or even sane. Such physical and mental degradation could not be tolerated, leaving the Administration no choice but to order a complete purge. With the planet's resources still desperately needed by the Imperium, Exterminatus was not an option, so the task of cleansing Charox was assigned to the Night Watch, whose hatred of mutants in all forms was as strong as their Dark Angel predecessors.

[Spaced Hulk]

Been thinking about changing the colour scheme (mainly because I don't think my painting skills are up to the task of a whole army in bone white). A darker scheme might be more appropriate for the chapter's personality as well. This is what I'm thinking of changing it to (Obviously Veterans would still be in completely black armour):

Any thoughts? Better or worse than the initial design? Too Space Wolfy? :D

Finally got round to doing a terminator design (in the new colours) as well. Decided to keep it the same as the Battle Company scheme, to emphasise that although they're in terminator armour, they still haven't yet been initiated into the Chapter's Inner Circle.