Differences of the Successors - Update Project - GotC

[Tiger9gamer]

hope this isn't necromancy)

hey! loved the article on this. The ideas are going to help shape my army a little more (and hopefully play less like a noob, knowing I must study stuff >.<)

I think the idea that the GotC having more chaplains would be a cool idea. maybe tying in some ideas with The knights as marines that are being reviewed for the Chaplaincy. I still have to get used to the "tutores" name but it's growing on me more and more

[WatchCaptainAzrael]

Minor gripe: the Dark Angels were just the 1st Legion before the Heresy. The Mortikahns would refer to them as such.

 

Nitpicking: a bit more info on the battles at the edge of the galaxy against exotic xenos threats would be nice too.

 

Nerd rage: ZOMG FALLEN R GOODGUYS AGAIN??? RLY??????

[facmanpob]

Nerd rage: ZOMG FALLEN R GOODGUYS AGAIN??? RLY??????

eh? Confused as to where you would get that from

[WatchCaptainAzrael]

Nerd rage: ZOMG FALLEN R GOODGUYS AGAIN??? RLY??????

eh? Confused as to where you would get that from

the scholarly studies of the Guardians have yielded many of the Fallen that have turned away from fighting altogether to enjoy a simple life in a remote part of the Imperium. Their downfall typically is in a single legendary battle where a simple man of the village faced off and defeated a nigh impossible foe.

I said nerd rage, not rationally exposed pet peeve after all.

[facmanpob]

Nerd rage: ZOMG FALLEN R GOODGUYS AGAIN??? RLY??????

eh? Confused as to where you would get that from

the scholarly studies of the Guardians have yielded many of the Fallen that have turned away from fighting altogether to enjoy a simple life in a remote part of the Imperium. Their downfall typically is in a single legendary battle where a simple man of the village faced off and defeated a nigh impossible foe.

I said nerd rage, not rationally exposed pet peeve after all.

Yeah, fair enough, but that line you quoted is basically paraphrased from page 12 of the 4th Ed DA codex, so its hardly new stuff!

Right - setting myself a task for the weekend.....finish Sammael on Corvex, and make an attempt to gather together everything in this thread into a coherent re-write of the fluff.......OK so that's 2 tasks

[Tiger9gamer]

going to open a new thread, or use the dying one i put out, Faceman? just wondering :P

 

also, would it be fluffy if you had Azreal as the "master of the hunt" in addition to Samuel? the idea is that he is the leader of all the GotC's efforts towards finding the fallen and can take command of any force to hunt more effectively. 

[WatchCaptainAzrael]

Yeah, fair enough, but that line you quoted is basically paraphrased from page 12 of the 4th Ed DA codex, so its hardly new stuff!

The Heresy runs deep.....

[facmanpob]

Okay, so I've finished the rewrite of the GotC stuff......it currently stands at 4,600 words! lol! Anyway, I'll re-read it tonight and make any obvious corrections, and then hope to post it up in bitesize chunks tomorrow. :)

[Tiger9gamer]

Can't wait, Facman!

[facmanpob]

OK, here we go. First I would like to offer thanks to everyone who has contributed to this thread. I've done my best to work in as many of the excellent suggestions into the story of the GotC, and I think the tale is all the more colourful and interesting for it. I'd also like to offer thanks to Grandmaster Belial, without whom we wouldn't have had the bedrock on which to build the updated histories of the 'official' successors. One caveat before I continue, although they say you should never start with an apology! I'm not a writer, far from it. I actually trained as a physicist so complete sentences without mathematical operators are not supposed to be my forte, but I've tried to do justice to this history, and constructive criticism is appreciated. So, without further ado, on with the show!

 

CHAPTER NAME:..................................Guardians of the Covenant

 

FOUNDING:..........................................unknown, possibly 8th or earlier

 

CHAPTER WORLD:...............................Mortikah VII

 

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

 

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

 

 

http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/mediawiki/images/9/96/Guardians_of_the_Covenant_symbol.png

Guardians of the Covenant

 The Story of Gedael

 

Extracts from Archive log 1366907A-3F

 

Gedael crouched at the edge of the clearing idly thumbing the selector switch of his rifle as the Thunderhawk settled to the ground in front of him, his camouflage cloak shifting gently in the breeze. The ramp lowered and a lone figure emerged, encased in armour the colour of flame-blackened steel. Blue robes covered his shoulders, sweeping aside as the figure moved purposefully down the ramp to the forest floor below. The figure reached the bottom of the ramp, turned to face Gedael and beckoned.

 

Gedael smiled, knowing that although he was effectively invisible to normal eyes, the subtle powers of a Chronicler Librarian would not be so easily fooled. Standing, he stalked towards the gunship, halting and kneeling several metres from the Librarian.

 

The armoured figure spoke, repeating the words he had said a hundred times before, on a hundred different worlds, “Petitioner Gedael, you aspire to join the ranks of our battle brothers, and leave the 10^th Company which has been your home. You have called and we have descended from the void. Have you completed the task that was given by the Keeper of Mysteries?”

 

His head remaining bowed, Gedael replied in the ancient form without yet understanding the full meaning of the words, “I have returned from the wasteland. My task is complete, and yet my burden is just beginning. I become Unforgiven, but you cannot grant me forgiveness. I would return to the fortress to petition the Keeper.”

 

“Very well, Gedael, rise and enter.”

 

 

Origins

 

The origins of the Guardians of the Covenant are shrouded in mystery, much like that of other Unforgiven Chapters. What is known is that they are a successor chapter of the Dark Angels, and that they adopted the world of Mortikah VII some time after their founding. In the records maintained by the Inquisition, this homeworld adoption is known to have taken place prior to M35, when the world was rediscovered by explorator fleets, which could place the origins of the chapter around the time of the 8^th Founding in mid-M34. This is speculation, however, and there are possibilities and rumours that the chapter dates back as far as the days of the Great Crusade where it could have operated as part of the 1^st Legion.

 

 

Gedael knelt in the shadowy alcove, quietly speaking to the servo-skull scribe floating in front of him. Almost fifty alcoves cut deep trenches into the walls of the Chamber of Authors, although at this time only three were occupied. Gedael had knelt unmoving for 96 hours since returning to the Chapter fortress on Mortikah VII, and felt stiff and fatigued despite the improved metabolism of his gene-enhanced body. His report was almost complete, however, and his mind turned to the upcoming interrogation by the Chroniclers and Masters of Sacraments. The Librarians and Chaplains would no doubt be true to form in their questioning, ensuring that he had completed his mission to the harsh standards required, before recommending him to join the 9^th Company as a full battle brother.

 

The servo-skull’s mechanical eye blinked in front of him, giving the impression of impatience where none existed. Gedael realised he had stopped speaking, and quickly regained his focus. He was nearing the end of his tale, one that a human youth might find full of heroes and derring-do, but which for him was simply the culmination of 2 years of lone intelligence gathering for the databanks of the Chapter. His mind strayed briefly once more, contemplating the irony of a Space Marine scout carrying out secret intelligence gathering operations against an Imperial world.

 

And such intelligence that he had gathered!

 

 

Homeworld

 

The mountainous world of Mortikah VII lies near the Western Rim of the Imperium in the Segmentum Pacificus. Its denizens are a hard but peaceful people, descended from the original human settlers from the time of the Stellar Exodus, prior to the Dark Age of Technology and the fall of mankind’s first interstellar empire. They carve out their existence subsistence farming in the highlands, or in the nomadic herding of great beasts of burden and cattle in the lowlands.

 

High in one of the great ranges lies the fortress monastery of the Guardians of the Covenant, a beacon to the human inhabitants of the power and might of the Imperium of Man. However, below the surface of these majestic mountains lies a darker realm, to which the outside world is not privy, for the guardians of that dark realm are a tight-lipped and close-ranked as any of the Unforgiven.

 

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A Veteran Sergeant of the 2nd Company, leading the charge

Yet even the wildest speculation would not come close to the mark. During the time of the Great Crusade, the 1^st Legion was personally led by the Emperor in the days before the finding of the Lion on Caliban. During that time, the Legion found the Mortikah system, and compliance was easily achieved over the seventh planet, its only inhabitable world. The human iterators accompanying the Legion fleet were amazed at the uncanny mental ability of the local population to preserve historical information dating back thousands of years. Hearing of this, the Emperor himself came to visit the world, and decreed that Mortikah VII would be a place of knowledge and art, and set to work the creation of a massive repository for the works of the Great Crusade and the History of Mankind. The most gifted of the inhabitants would assist the iterators and remembrancers of the Crusade in storing and interpreting the enormous quantities of data pouring in from the fleets of the Crusade. The Mortikans blessed and revered the Emperor for his gift.

 

Years passed, and the repository grew ever larger and more impressive. But beneath its noble exterior, there lay hidden a more sinister aspect. Known for his introspective and insightful manner, Lion el’Jonson saw a deeper purpose behind the Emperor’s actions in creating the repository on a world controlled by the 1^st Legion, and set in motion the collection of information and military intelligence on any threat to either the Emperor’s rule or the actions of the 1^st Legion. Techmarines loyal to the Legion were stationed on Mortikah VII to oversee the data security and integrity of the repository, and librarians used to mine the repository for information of use to the 1^st Legion in their military actions. Over time, these Astartes became known only as the Guardians.

 

After the terrible years of the Heresy and the Fall of Caliban, contact was lost with Mortikah VII, and the fate of the Guardians became unknown.

 

Indeed, it would be several millennia until the planet was rediscovered by the Imperium, with the Explorator fleets finding a world on which superficially little had changed over time. During initial contact with the elders of the highland tribes, who by this time had styled themselves “guardians”, a single question was asked which set in motion a train of events leading to the present day.

 

“Where is the 1^st Legion, the Angels of Death? For only with them will we speak.”

 

Within a short time, a small fleet of Dark Angels had arrived, and in secret conclave with the elders they relearned of the Emperor’s decree and the Primarch’s hidden repository. Indeed, it was only then that the fate of the original garrison was discovered. After countless years without contact from either Caliban or the 1^st Legion fleet, and with the hidden data repository in danger of failing without intervention, the garrison Techmarines took the unprecedented decision to hardwire themselves and the garrison librarians into the data repository. They remain sentient over the millennia, their minds roaming the archives and protecting the records from corruption. Although so subsumed into the data stacks that direct conversing is difficult for all but the most gifted of the savants using the repository, they now act as an oracle for the Dark Angels, sifting through the vast amounts of data that are constantly added, looking for patterns that will yield clues in the hunt for the Fallen and the enemies of the Legion.

 

Within weeks of this meeting, more Astartes had arrived, clad in silver and black armour obscured by flowing red robes. Declaring themselves to be the ‘Guardians of the Covenant of the Emperor and the Lion’, bearers of a sacred duty given to them by the Supreme Grandmaster of the Dark Angels, they declared Mortikah VII to be under their protection, and re-occupied the great fortress in the mountains, delving deeper into the bedrock for a purpose none outside the Unforgiven can say.

 

 

Twelve hours later, Gedael stopped speaking and stood. Turning, he strode purposefully over to the duty Sergeant and bowed. “All done Gedael?” asked the Sergeant, smiling and ignoring protocol for once. As fate would have it, the Scout Sergeant had supervised most of Gedael’s early training, and was pleased to see him on the verge of becoming a full battle brother.

 

“I have, Sergeant”, replied Gedael, “and I place myself at the convenience of the Interrogators”.

 

“Good. Return to your cell and await them, Gedael, but take sustenance first. You will need your strength for the trial that awaits.”

 

 

Doctrine

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Brother Sergeant Ixara, Veterant Sergeant of the Tutores Foederis

The Guardians of the Covenant have extensive battle arenas where they train in the subtle art of war. Their study of the tactical writings of the Lion and other prominent Astartes allow them to see patterns of war often before the first enemy has deployed for battle. Through the study of an enemy’s culture and military drill, they know their enemy as well they know themselves. In battle, they attain victory with very few casualties. Many an Imperial Commander has also benefited from their advice, shortening what would normally be a very lengthy conflict to one lasting only a matter of weeks or months. To that end, many Imperial units and even some other Astartes Chapters have requested their help in devising new training procedures and to develop new battlefield tactics. Though this knowledge comes with a hidden price; for the Guardians study their allies as eagerly as their foes.

 

Unusually for a marine chapter, the Guardians of the Covenant make use of non-psyker Librarians to record the activities of any that might be deemed a threat to the Imperium or the Unforgiven. This process is not without risk and it is up to the Interrogator-Chaplains and the true Librarians to verify the reports and to check their purity.

 

The Guardians of the Covenant will study their opponents closely before committing to action. During this time they study patterns within patterns, terrain features, and equipment all the while formulating plans to counteract any perceived strengths and exploit the most minor of weaknesses. It was this scholarly aspect to their combat doctrine that gained them their most celebrated victory against the Lelith incursion. The Lelith, a brutal and warlike species, were slowly and inexorably subjugating an entire sub-sector out near the Western Rim of the Segmentum Pacificus. The Guardians of the Covenant, being one of the closest Chapters of Space Marines, were sought out for assistance by the Sector Imperial Commanders when it became clear that the fight against the Lelith could not be won by conventional means. Initially, the Chapter appeared to do nothing, save for acknowledging the request. For two long years, the Imperial Commanders sent plea after plea, but the Guardians were unmoved. Then, without warning, a large fleet appeared over the Imperial Command world, the entire Chapter of the Guardians of the Covenant were moving to deploy. Assuming command of the sub-sector, the Astartes dispersed their fleet, taking with them only the most elite Imperial formations, and in a sequence of lightning raids over the course of a single month, crippled the logistical backbone of the Lelith occupying forces. Forced into retreat, the Guardians ambushed and annihilated the Lelith fleet, and subsequently launched a crusade into the heart of the Lelith empire, bringing it to its knees within 5 years. When asked by the Imperial Command why the Chapter had not acted sooner, the Grandmaster of the Chapter was brief in his reply, saying only this, "Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win."

 

Of particular note, the Guardians of the Covenant have become a bane of the agents of the traitorous Alpha Legion. Many a plan had been unravelled by the discrete intervention of the Guardians, educating the wayward agents back into the Emperor’s Light and revealing the folly of the Alpha Legions plans.

 

 

The Keeper of Mysteries looked up from his desk as the Master of Sacraments entered his chamber.

 

“You have read the report of Petitioner Gedael, Brother?”

 

“I have, Lord Keeper.”

 

“And your thoughts......” The Keeper left the words hanging as he leant back into the overly large chair.

 

“His words are, well, I am honestly not sure how to describe them, My Lord.”

 

The Keeper sighed, “The Master of Sacraments at a loss for words. Not something that happens every day. Let’s just say that they are not what we were anticipating when we sent him on the mission. You must administer this trial personally Brother. Zianor will be your Chronicler.”

 

“As you wish, Lord Keeper.”

 

 

Organisation

 

The Guardians of the Covenant follow the Codex Astartes and Requiem Angelis to a similar extent as other Unforgiven chapters, and as such are, on the surface, hard to distinguish organisationally from the Dark Angels.

 

1^st Company

 

The ‘Tutores Foederis’, or Tutores for short, are the Inner Circle of the Guardians of the Covenant. Led by Prefect Chamuel, the Company takes its operational lead from the Dark Angel's Deathwing, exclusively wearing Tactical Dreadnought (or Terminator) armour in battle, and preferring teleport assault over other forms of delivery into combat. The term 'Tutores' holds a dual meaning within the chapter. On the one hand meaning 'Teacher', the term reflects the guiding role the Inner Circle have in training and instructing their brethren in the esoteric ways of the Unforgiven. However, the term has an alternative meaning: Guardian. The Inner Circle are, quite literally, the Guardians of the sacred and most secret Covenant laid down by the Grandmaster of the Dark Angels prior to the Chapter’s arrival at Mortikah VII.

 

2nd Company - Quesitores Vindictae (The Seekers of Forgiveness)

 

The 2nd Company, the Quesitores, uses speed and stealth to act as the eyes and ears of the Chapter. Venerating the bike, speeder and fighter, the Company excels at lightning fast raids on the enemy, completing assaults themselves, or paving the way for accurate teleport assault of the Terminator armoured 1st Company. Its two most senior officers, Prefect Cassiel (Grandmaster) and Magister Sacrorum Orfiel (Interrogator Chaplain) exemplify the flexible nature required in commanding and controlling a fluid and rapidly changing battlespace. The Seekers have a dual role within the Chapter, not only acting as fast attack and reconnaissance troops, but also spearheading the Chapter's hunt for the Fallen.

 

Other companies operate as Battle companies as per the Codex Astartes. However, two subtle variations appear in the Guardians of the Covenant. First is the size of the Scout Company, and the second variation is with the Techmarines. While the number of Techmarines is not unusual, their aloof character seems to be absent. Of particular note are the occasions where marines would assist Techmarines in working on an assortment of machines, indicating that the even the secrets of the Adeptus Mechanicus are not hidden from the scholarly Guardians. Although

the secrets of the repository are not known to the wider Imperium, it is clear that the melding of the original garrison of Techmarines and librarians to the data store has altered the way Techmarines are viewed within the chapter.

 

10th Company - Auctores (The Authors)

 

The 10th Company is shrouded in mystery, far more so than would normally be expected of a Space Marine Chapter’s scout company. On the surface they act as any other 10th Company, training recruits and inducting them into the ways of the Astartes. Under that surface lies a more esoteric purpose. On achieving the rank and position of battle brother, a Space Marine would normally leave the 10th Company and progress into the Devastator Squads of 9th Company, but this process appears delayed within the Guardians of the Covenant, although why this should be remains unclear. The hidden truth is that their scouts are not permitted to achieve the rank of Battle Brother until they have conducted a successful reconnaissance and intelligence gathering mission, and returned to the chapter fortress to scribe their report. Both the purpose of these missions and their targets are unknown. The Commander of the 10th Company, or Grandmaster of Recruits and Keeper of Mysteries, is also something of an enigma. On achieving the position, this senior member of the Inner Circle steps aside from the normal Command structure of the Chapter and will never again set foot outside the Chapter fortress, and for this reason the other members of the Inner Circle may give their lives for the Emperor, safe in the knowledge that the secrets of the Chapter and its role within the Unforgiven would be maintained. In fact, the Grandmaster of Recruits is considered second only in rank and seniority to the Grandmaster of the Chapter. His personal heraldry is that of an empty scabbard, but which sword it is waiting for is known only to him, the Council of Grandmasters, and one other.

 

Senior Ranks

 

The Chapter is led by Grandmaster, the Lord Guardian, who sits on the Council of Grandmasters. Second in Command is the Grandmaster of Recruits and Keeper of Mysteries, the 10^th Company Commander. Two other Grandmasters complete the Senior positions, the Grandmaster of the Tutores, and Grandmaster of the Quaesitores, the 1^st and 2^nd Company Masters respectively.

 

 

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Brother Sergeant Furlac, 1st Sergeant of the 3rd Guardian Company, leading a combat squad of Brother Guardians

Gedael stumbled to one knee, centred himself, and slowly rose once more. Blood pooled on the stone floor of the cell, his blood. In a bizarre parody of normal human thought processes, his mind flickered between thoughts of having to clean the cell, and whether or not there would be stains for the next occupant to see if he didn’t survive to clean the mess. Two armoured figures slowly revolved around him as he struggled to focus on them in his psychically addled state. Blue robe, black robe, blue robe, black robe .... it seemed to go on forever. He snapped back into focus, drawing on the reserves of his strength, and took stock of his surroundings once more. This was his cell, the one he had slept in for the entirety of his training when not off planet or engaged in field exercises. It was the way of the Chapter, prisoners were interrogated in the hidden dungeons, petitioners and battle brothers in their own cells. By this subtle difference alone did he know that he was still in consideration for joining the ranks of the battle brothers, and not simply being tortured to death.

 

The black robe halted in front of him, “Chronicler Zianor, you are sure you detect no taint?”

 

The blue robed figure responded front behind Gedael, “I am certain, Brother, he tells the truth, shocking though that truth might be.”

 

The Chaplain lifted Gedael’s chin, the gentleness of the movement making a mockery of the physical and psychic punishment he had been dealt over the past week. “Petitioner Gedael, you have returned from the wasteland, and your task is complete. Your burden has begun.” The ritual words energised Gedael; was he nearing the end of his ordeal? And yet, as soon as he had begun, the Chaplain deviated from the ritual. “Gedael, the report you have filed contains revelations which are difficult to believe. No, difficult is not the correct term. They are abhorrent to the Chapter. And yet there is no taint within you, and both I and Brother Zianor can detect no deceit. You present us with a puzzling situation. Await our return.”

 

With that, both robed figures swept from the cell, leaving the door swinging open. This is unusual, thought Gedael, as he sank to the floor and finally passed out.

 

 

Beliefs

 

The Guardians of the Covenant attempt to learn all that they can of the enemy prior to deployment so that in combat they will be unsurprised by anything that they may encounter. This has served them well over the years for there are legends told throughout many allied units of the nigh unshakable demeanour of a Guardian of the Covenant. One particular legend had a combat squad of Guardians on a world targeted by the Tyranids. This particular squad stood motionless as a Lictor terrorized the local PDF regiment sent to destroy it. The PDF troopers were in a state of panic but the Guardians stood resolutely still save for a single shot. The Lictor was found dead some days later from the bolt wound, but by then the Guardians of the Covenant had left the battle site without fanfare.

 

The Guardians understand that knowledge is the power by which the 1^st Legion was undone at the time of the fall of Caliban, and understand the need to keep the knowledge of the Fallen and the history of the Unforgiven safe from prying eyes. The battle brothers venerate learning as much as martial skill, and devote much time to studying the data held deep within the fortress monastery. In addition, Battle Brothers are expected and encouraged to delve deep into the ancient written archive to further their learning, and are regularly tasked with scribing ancient texts, lest they be lost due to the ravages of time. As they rise through the ranks, they are indoctrinated further into the secrets of the Unforgiven, and learn of the dark days of Heresy and the fall of Luther.

 

The Guardians do not worship the Emperor as a God, understanding that the Imperial Truth proclaimed at the time of the Crusade was wholly and unconditionally believed by the Primarch. In fact, the repository contains one of only two full and uncorrupted copies of the teachings of the Lion, the 1^st Legion equivalent of Roboute Guilliman’s Codex Astartes.

 

The Guardians are suspicious of the Ecclesiarchy, believing them to have fundamentally undermined the core tenets of the Emperor’s vision for the Imperium of Man.

 

 

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The Chaplains and Chronicler Librarians are key to preserving the purity of the Chapter

An hour later the robed Astartes returned, flanking a third figure robed in red and armoured in gold. The golden figure entered the cell, and knelt in front of Gedael, laying a hand on the arm of the slowly stirring Scout.

 

“Gedael” he said gently, “I make no apology for the harshness of

the interrogation carried out by Attaris and Zianor. It was necessary in order to satisfy ourselves that you had not been compromised by our

enemies. Now, look me in the eye and answer a single question. Did you see it with your own eyes?”

 

Gedael looked into his eyes with trepidation, the breach of protocol almost unmanning him, “Yes, My Lord Guardian, as close as you are to me now.”

 

The Chapter Master of the Guardians of the Covenant nodded, stood and turned to the others. “Brother Attaris, continue the trial in accordance with the Requiem Angelis, I will investigate this matter personally. Zianor, follow me and kindly inform the Keeper of Mysteries that I require his presence in the Inner Sanctum.” With those words spoken, he pulled the red robe around his body and departed, Zianor close behind.

 

Interrogator Chaplain Attaris, Master of Sacraments, moved slowly into the cell.

 

“Stand, Gedael”, he said firmly. Gedael pulled himself up a final time.

 

“Petitioner Gedael, you have returned from the wasteland, and your task is complete. Your burden has begun”, the Chaplain repeated his earlier words. This time however, he continued the ritual. “You have become Unforgiven, but I cannot grant you forgiveness. You have been found worthy, and may petition the Keeper.”

 

The Chaplain turned and walked out of the room, stopping once at the door and turning. A rare smile crossed Attaris’ face and he fixed Gedael with his piercing gaze, “Well done brother, you will be a credit to the ranks, and have strength enough for the Chaplaincy...... should the Chapter survive that long”.

 

 

Role withing the Unforgiven

 

 

The Guardians of the Covenant seem to be the least likely to blindly follow a rumour regarding the Fallen Dark Angels, preferring to study, gather information and wait until acting. In truth, the scholarly studies of the Guardians have yielded many of the Fallen that have turned away from fighting altogether to enjoy a simple life in a remote part of the Imperium.

 

Like all Chapters of the Unforgiven, the Guardians are tight-lipped about their history, beliefs and operational motives, and there are secrets more subtle and dark than the Covenant with the Emperor held deep within the caverns of the Chapter fortress. The nature of these is obscure, although if keen-eyed observers were allowed to live to share their stories, they would undoubtedly mention the regularity with which Grandmasters of all of the Unforgiven Chapters visit Mortikah, and possibly note the fact that behind the walls of their fortress the Guardians use ancient terminology when referring to each other, appellations which have not been heard for 10,000 years. It is for these reasons and more that the Chapter's inner sanctums are hidden from all but the highest ranking members of the Unforgiven, and most especially from the most prying eyes of the Imperium, for if those secrets were to be revealed......

 

Uppermost in the functions of the Guardians is the provision of knowledge. The repository of data left in the care of the chapter is a living breathing archive, and provides intelligence and information to all of the Unforgiven chapters.

 

Second only to this is the spiritual role of the chapter. As keepers of the ancient teachings of the Primarch, but out of the ‘limelight’ taken by the Dark Angels and other more celebrated successors, the Guardians are in a favourable position to offer guidance to the senior commanders of the Unforgiven, acting as advisors of historical precedent or offering examples of the Lion’s wisdom to assist in critical decision making. It is as the spiritual guardians of the Legion that the chapter helps to maintain the delicate balance between fulfilling the needs of the Imperium and the duty to hunt the Fallen.

 

Last but not least is a role entirely unknown to those outside the most senior of Unforgiven. If the Consecrators are the keepers of the most ancient wargear and relics of the 1^st Legion, the ‘Armourers of the Legion’ if you will, then the Guardians of the Covenant could be thought of as the General Staff of the Legion. Deep within the bowels of the fortress monastery on Mortikah VII, far from the Rock and the prying eyes of the Inquisition, the war council meets, awaiting the end times.....

 

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The Keeper of Mysteries bowed deeply, the act casting even deeper shadows across his hooded mien. “Welcome, Supreme Grandmaster, to our humble fortress.”

 

A flicker of a smile shot across Azrael's eyes, although the rest of his face remained impassive. “You haven’t changed, my old friend.”

 

“Changed, My Lord? There are those that would declare change to be tantamount to heresy.”

 

A snort of derision erupted from beneath a third hooded robe. The figure, swathed in black, approached the pair and declared, “And those fools would have damned us all a hundred times over if they knew the truth of it”.

 

“My Lord Consecrator”, replied the Keeper of Mysteries, once again bowing deeply. “I thank you for your presence. I regret that my own Lord Guardian is absent at this time. However I have been instructed to take his place in the Inner Sanctum”.

 

“Very well”, said Azrael, “is the rest of the Council assembled?”

 

"My Lords of Redemption and Absolution are not in attendance, Lord Azrael”, responded the Keeper, reverting to the vernacular, “they are currently prosecuting rumour and supposition in the search for our dark brethren.”

 

“Do not refer to them as such, Keeper”, snarled the Lord Consecrator, “they are traitors who do not deserve the accolade of being called brethren.”

 

“As you say, My Lord. Nevertheless, once they were called our brothers, and we do well to remember it”. The Keeper motioned for the two Chapter Masters to follow, and led them towards a shadowy alcove in the corner of the chamber. Hidden in the recesses of the alcove, the entrance to a long narrow corridor could be glimpsed, flanked by two hulking members of the 1^st Company elite, the Tutores Foederis. A pair of storm bolters rose to the ready as the trio approached, and the terminators moved to block the entrance. The Keeper of Mysteries spoke the approved words of passage, and the guards stepped aside, raising their powerfists to the salute.

 

The trio of Unforgiven entered the long corridor, and began the twisting and torturous descent to the chamber hidden deep in the bedrock of Mortikah VII. Braziers lined the corridors and passageways, the crossed swords icon of the Guardians of the Covenant backlit by deep red flames, echoing the Chapter colours from time immemorial.

 

Finally, they completed their descent, halting in front of a pair of doors crafted in ancient days from the trees of lost Caliban, flanked by a second pair of Tutores Foederis. Placing his palm against the sigil in the centre of the doors, the Keeper spoke the words of entry, and they swung inward, revealing the hidden Council chamber, and the waiting Chapter Masters of the 1^st Legion, the Lion’s Legion, the true Dark Angels.

 

 

Chapter Motto

 

Power through Knowledge

 

Strength through Thought

[Tiger9gamer]

Really good write up, Face man! what about the lilth though? O.o

[facmanpob]

Really good write up, Face man! what about the lilth though? O.o

err, yeah, I forgot about the bit in the actual codex! lol! Will have to retcon them back in tonight :D

[Tiger9gamer]

heh yea. Actually really curious to know more about them. Also that "Record of Oblivion"

 

 

Sorry to be nitpicky >.<

[WatchCaptainAzrael]

... I love you.

 

This is now regarded as an official source in my head-canon and will be defended with all the spastic vigor I demonstrate whenever annoying an unfortunate soul.

[Tiger9gamer]

it is really good, I have to say :D

[Grand Master Belial]

Awesome work! I am impressed. 

[Spaced Hulk]

Excellent work and a great read! I've always liked the Guardians colour scheme and thought that they deserved a more detailed background. You've certainly done them justice!

[facmanpob]

 

The Guardians of the Covenant will study their opponents closely before committing to action. During this time they study patterns within patterns, terrain features, and equipment all the while formulating plans to counteract any perceived strengths and exploit the most minor of weaknesses. It was this scholarly aspect to their combat doctrine that gained them their most celebrated victory against the Lelith incursion. The Lelith, a brutal and warlike species, were slowly and inexorably subjugating an entire sub-sector out near the Western Rim of the Segmentum Pacificus. The Guardians of the Covenant, being one of the
closest Chapters of Space Marines, were sought out for assistance by the Sector Imperial Commanders when it became clear that the fight against the Lelith could not be won by conventional means. Initially, the Chapter appeared to do nothing, save for acknowledging the request. For two long years, the Imperial Commanders sent plea after plea, but the Guardians were unmoved. Then, without warning, a large fleet appeared over the Imperial Command world, the entire Chapter of the Guardians of the Covenant were moving to deploy. Assuming command of the sub-sector, the Astartes dispersed their fleet, taking with them only
the most elite Imperial formations, and in a sequence of lightning raids over the course of a single month, crippled the logistical backbone of the Lelith occupying forces. Forced into retreat, the Guardians ambushed and annihilated the Lelith fleet, and subsequently launched a crusade into the heart of the Lelith empire, bringing it to its knees within 5 years. When asked by the Imperial Command why the Chapter had not acted sooner, the Grandmaster of the Chapter was brief in his reply, saying only this, "Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win."

 

As was humorously pointed out to me, I had managed to write the entirety of the backstory whilst missing out the little bit that is actually in the codex! So I've reintegrated a short paragraph about the Lelith incursion back into the Doctrine section (after having a bit of a formatting nightmare which took 30 minutes to fix!)

[facmanpob]

Further edited Beliefs section

The battle brothers venerate learning as much as martial skill, and devote much time to studying the data held deep within the fortress monastery. In addition, Battle Brothers are expected and encouraged to delve deep into the ancient written archive to further their learning, and are regularly tasked with scribing ancient texts, lest they be lost due to the ravages of time. As they rise through the ranks, they are indoctrinated further into the secrets of the Unforgiven, and learn of the dark days of Heresy and the fall of Luther.

[Tiger9gamer]

Sweet!

[Darkn3ssF4lls]

Oh this is great :) love it will pour over it, was there anything new in the new dex? I saw that we got a HUGE one page entry of the photo that was a mini photo last dex [pictured here]

[JJD]

the scholarly studies of the Guardians have yielded many of the Fallen that have turned away from fighting altogether to enjoy a simple life in a remote part of the Imperium. Their downfall typically is in a single legendary battle where a simple man of the village faced off and defeated a nigh impossible foe.

The 8 foot tall 10,000 year old ripped as hell super human quite man of the village that some how no one noticed until the day of the battle.

 

Edited to stay on topic and say this is a really great read.