The Malum Vigilia - Codex

[FattyLumpkin]

The Malum Vigilia is my OC faction of space marines, and this is the codex!  I will update it as i gather more and more detail and figure more things out about the chapter.  If you like the vibe, have idea, questions, or points of interest, please leave a reply, ill keep all of my content to edits.  As you can tell from the numbers and gaps in logic, this is part of a much larger document, im just posting the pieces i have figured out and concrete.
 

1. Chapter identification

• Full Chapter name: The Malum Vigilia

• Common short name: The Vigilia

• Accepted translation or meaning: The Evil Watch

• Founding: 26th Founding

• Approximate founding date:

• Gene-seed lineage: White Scars

• Known gene-seed mutations or peculiarities: None known

• Chapter classification: Fleet-based; broadly Codex-adherent

• Current estimated Astartes strength: Approximately 1,000

• Primary theater of operation: Ultramar and the Five Hundred Worlds

• Primary recruitment territory:  Ultramar and the Five Hundred Worlds

• Formal Imperial designation: Prototype Astartes / Mortal Integration Chapter

• Common informal description: First responders / mortal liaisons

2. Founding mandate

• Who authorized the Chapter’s creation: The High Lords of Terra.  Later selected for specific reformation by Roboute Guilliman.

• Why the Chapter was created: To exploit the unique advantages of Mortal and Astartes service members, as well as the unique traits that emerge from their pairing, in order to create a large rapid response network throughout the five hundred worlds of Ultra Mar.  

• Why a new Chapter was considered preferable to modifying an existing one:  Marines of The Vigilia can be created with the values of the Chapter in mind.

• What strategic weakness it was designed to address:  

  • Astartes often clash with the Imperial Guard or other forces that they are tasked to work with.  The Malum Vigilia are a Chapter of Space marines in the heart of Ultra Mar that is uniquely trained to work with mortal forces.  

  • Astartes response time can often be slow, and only called for after a great tragedy has occurred.  They maintain an active watch over the five hundred worlds and spread their forces wide in an attempt to respond to any threat with an Astartes grade response before tragedy strikes.

  • Additionally, Space Marines are costly, and limited within a Chapter.  Creating highly capable mortal members whose abilities pair and amplify with an Astartes is how the Vigilia maintains strength while spreading thin.

  • Throughout the Imperium there are often individual Astartes grade threats that do not warrant an entire chapter's strength, and thus are never addressed.  The Vigilia aims to respond to every threat.

• Why White Scars gene-seed was selected:They are a very stable gene-seed, whose carriers are not bound by tradition, or genetic variations.  Carriers of the Khans genes are fast, independent, and used to decentralized or unusual command structures.  

3. Development of Bond Cell doctrine

• Was the Bond Cell structure planned before the Chapter’s founding, or developed during its earliest missions:  The Mortal and Astartes forces were constructed and developed separately, with the knowledge that they would be integrating with each other.

• Who designed the first proposed Bond Cell: Brother Leontes Ghanzorig.

• Who commanded the first experimental cell: Brother Leontes Ghanzorig in conjunction with [ ]

• How the first five mortals were selected:  Brother Leontes Ghanzorig chose his Bond Cell members for Operation Hive Ganger.  All of his initial choices agreed instantly.

• What the first Bond Cell mission was: Operation Hive Ganger

• When hounds were formally integrated:  Once they fully embraced the system of widespread Astartes coverage they began to look for additional force amplifiers.

• Why permanent teams replaced temporary mortal attachments: A permanent team is made of members that want to be there.  If a Space marine wishes to be excised from his cell, this can be taken into consideration.  If a Mortal wishes to be placed back into the selection pool, this can be taken into consideration. 

6. Chapter command

• Current Chapter Master:

• Chapter Master’s formal title:  Vigilia Domini

• Founding Chapter Master:

• Master of Sanctity:

• Chief Librarian:

• Master of the Forge:

• Chief Apothecary:

• Commander responsible for hound breeding and training:  Eli Voss

14. Panoply of war

Astartes

• Preferred armor: Mk VI Corvus / Phobos armor

• Use of heavier armor:The Chapter uses heavier armors selectively, up to and including Terminator Armor.

• Standard primary weapon:  A Marine of the Vigilias Primary weapon is his Melee Weapon.  However, various bolter marks are assigned to marines that specialize in their use, as well as on a mission sensitive basis.  Assault, stalker, and carbine bolters are all commonly used.

• Common ranged weapons: Bolt carbine family

• Common ammunition:  Standard or suppressed bolt rounds.

• Common sidearm: Plasma Pistol or Bolt Pistol

• Common melee weapons:  The Malum Vigilia maintains a wide variety of melee weapons and encourages each Marine to learn as many as he can, and find his own preferred weapon.  Common among these are powered and chain variants of the sword, axe, hammer, spear, claw and gauntlet as well as more esoteric weapons like the gravity hammer, bo-staff and many more.

• Common shield patterns:  The Vigilia maintains all shield patterns within their arsenal, though individual marines specialize.

• Specialist heavy weapons:The Vigilia maintains a suite of heavy weapons, such as the heavy flamer, bolter, and more.  They also maintain multi-meltas, and plasma cannons, as well as solid projectile explosive launchers.  Their selection of mounted weaponry is more sparse.

• Interference Pattern drop pod:  The Malum Vigilia maintains a pattern of drop pods meant to accurately and discreetly deploy single astartes.

• Helmet and sensor-suite designation: Mk VI Corvus / Phobos armor.  Helmet systems are extensive and tailored to each marine individually before deployment.
   

21. Bonded Thallax and Mortal Preservation

• Common informal name: Bonded Thallax / Thallax Veterans

• Nature of the process: A Thallax-derived preservation procedure that replaces most of a catastrophically injured operative’s body with a heavily armored mechanical chassis.

• Who possesses the conversion technology: A sect of The Ordo Reductor

• Where conversions are performed: Central Thalaxii precessing facility in UltraMar

• Whether the Chapter can manufacture chassis independently: No.

• How common they are within the Chapter: Common among senior mortal veterans by Vigilia standards, but extremely rare elsewhere.

• Is conversion voluntary: Yes, but opting in is also required in order to be considered for work with an Astartes.

• Can an operative withdraw consent: No.

• Whether age or terminal illness can qualify: Yes.

• Can anyone be ordered into conversion: No.

• Does the veteran retain their name: Yes.

• Does the veteran retain rank and honors: Yes.

• Does the veteran retain Bond Cell membership: Normally, where the original cell still exists.

• Does the veteran retain legal personhood: Yes; they are not servitors or Chapter property.

• Why the Vigilia preserve mortal veterans: Proven mortals are too valuable to discard after one natural lifetime or catastrophic injury.

• How the program supports the Chapter’s mandate: It retains experience, reduces permanent mortal attrition, and creates operatives capable of surviving closer to Astartes operational tempo.