Here is some fluff for a Chapter I made up in my spare time one day. Enjoy
Database passcode: ********
Thank you, Inquisitor. You may proceed.
Searching Database…
Type: Mission Debriefing
Submitted: Inquisitor Dolphus Golgotha, 999. M41
Encryption Level: Onyx
Decryption passcode: ********
Decrypting…
Subject: Completion of Reconnaissance Mission Concerning Eternal Watchers Renegade Space Marine Chapter.
My Lord Inquisitors,
I submit this report to inform you of the completion of my mission to determine the combat strength of the Renegade Space Marine Chapter known as the “Eternal Watchers.” I shall relate my mission to you in as succinct a manner as I am able to.
After an entire year of extensive physical conditioning, weapons and combat training, and expansion of my pain threshold I set off in pursuit of the Eternal Watcher’s Space Hulk Vessel, which I learned later was called
Mons Imperator . I caught up with them in the Thaurus Cluster and approached them at a cruising speed, in a small cargo carrier with no insignia save the Aquila, with shields powered down. I was targeted and hailed over the vox, asking me my purpose. I replied that I was a pilgrim, seeking the purest of the Emperor’s subjects, and none were more pure than His own Space Marines. I would like to add that this deception was necessary to convince them that my cause was pure.
They allowed me onboard and took my only weapon, a simple laspistol, away from me. They then subjected me to a series of tests, which among other things involved field stripping an Astartes bolter, branding sigils of purity into my flesh and enduring a thirty minute lashing. Upon the successful completion of these tests they determined that I was not to be killed for being in their presence.
After a day of fasting and meditation to allow my wounds to heal somewhat and prepare my body and mind for the next ordeal, they engaged me with a new set of tests. These involved placing my hand within a Pain Glove for an entire hour, having sections of text from the Codex Astartes cut into my scalp and walking on ten metres of hot coals. After these tests, they determined that I was worthy of walking about the ship, though I was not allowed to go to certain areas at the time.
As I explored the ship, and observed the neophytes train, I got the measure of them. They train in exacting standards, and fatalities occur almost daily. I found out that many of my trials were toned down versions of their own training and purifying exercises. I once observed an exercise where near-mature neophytes were forced to hold their breath underwater for five minutes. One of their Chaplains would stand by the side of a natural pool which had somehow come into existence inside the space hulk and shoot those who surfaced even a second before the time was up, even if they were already dead.
They live in a life of absolute poverty. A ten man squad will share a 50 metre square room. Each marine owns but a single cot, as well as an armor rack and weapons locker. The walls were often completely covered in hand carved devotional texts. Neophyte’s chambers were the same, except that armor and weapons were kept at the end of the room, as they had not earned the right to keep them by their side yet.
The Watchers use only the most basic of weaponry. Every Battle-brother takes a bolt pistol and sword, and by sword I mean a solid adamantium blade with a sharpened edge, into battle with them. This may be because of the difficulty of obtaining promethium for a chainsword’s motor, or perhaps a true devotion to poverty. The Scouts use only bolters, missile launchers and flamers, but cannot take swords into battle as they are not fully fledged Space Marines yet and cannot forge their own equipment. I discovered that they use the equipment of deceased Battle-brothers, and make their own upon taking up power armor. The majority of Battle-brothers use an Astartes bolter in battle, with some using flamers or missile launchers. They do not use krak grenades or any weaponry more advanced than a heavy bolter, deeming these weapons as impure and cowardly. Their Devastators take only missile launchers and heavy bolters into battle. Their Assault Marines take axes and heavy maces into battle with their bolt pistols, and use them to deadly effect. On Mirax IV I saw one of them split a Steel-browed Stegoraptor’s skull clean in two with a single stroke of his axe, which, if my Lords do not know, is renowned for its incredibly hard skull plate. Many of their weapons have sigils or script hand carved into their weapons and every Battle-brother forges his own weapons. Their Chaplains use unpowered weapons as well. I was told that when the Chapter took its vow of purity and humility the Reclusiarch had spat upon the rosarius’ of the Chaplains and the ordered them melted down, and the power generators of the Crosii Arcanum torn out and destroyed.
Their Companies are organized in a slightly different manner to a Codex Chapter’s. Chaplains lead the companies in place of Captains. They’re command squads are much the same as a Codex Chapters, except their company champion normally carries some sort of specialized melee weapon into battle, and use no grenades or ranged weapon into battle. Sergeants lead squads, and will often carry a bolter as well as sword and pistol. Scouts are led by Scout Sergeants and often circle around and enemy and destroy key assets while the Battle-brothers take the enemy head on.
The Watchers only use Rhinos in battle, transporting entire companies into battle on them. Scouts usually are landed first on a planet and set off immediately on foot in order to be in position when the Battle-brothers advance.
After six months on board
Mons Imperator , I was finally regaining some feeling below my knees, and I requested that I be granted an audience with their Chapter Master, Sestus Korton. Before allowing me to see him, they melted my smallest fingers in acid and branded the Aquila into both of my cheeks. I was then admitted into his sparring chambers, where I observed him fight three of the Chapter’s best swordsmen and the Reclusiarch, Jeremiah Pheston. In one minute, he had incapacitated the swordsmen and was dueling the Reclusiarch. The short time was not from the swordsmen’s lack of skill, but from Korton’s ability. I have observed Blood Angels in combat, my Lords, and I must say their very best have no match on him. He moved like liquid, almost dancing around their blades. The Reclusiarch lasted exactly two more minutes. There were sparks flying from both Marines blades and by the time Korton had the Reclusiarch on the ground with his knee on his neck his blades were smoking.
After this demonstration, he took me to his spartan chambers and spoke with me about the mysteries of his heretical version of the blessed Imperial Cult. I listened dispassionately as he explained that he had received a vision supposedly from the God-Emperor himself, where he told Korton that the Imperium was corrupt from within and only one of His own sons could cleanse it of the taint. He charged Korton with purifying the Imperium and setting it on the path to glory once more. He then showed Korton a star map, and told him to travel to the place he had shown him and receive the tools of his mission. Korton promptly loaded the entire chapter into the chapter’s ships and set off. When his fleet arrived at the coordinates shown to Korton, they discovered a vast space hulk. Upon entering it, they were set upon by genestealers and a bloody battle ensued. Afterwards, Korton received another vision form the Emperor, ordering him to cast aside the weapons of the weak and use only what a true son of the Emperor would use.
Korton promptly abandoned all the chapter’s heavy weapons minus heavy bolters and missile launchers, as well as all plasma, melta-, chain-, krak and power weapons as well as all five of the chapter’s suits of Tactical Dreadnought Armor. The above things were used to detonate the plasma reactors in the chapter’s fleet after they moved inside the space hulk. He then explained that because he had received the vision, he was the Emperor’s voice, and simultaneously Master of Sanctity and Chapter Master, leading the Watchers in battle and in spirit, as the Emperor had done during the Great Crusade. He then bade me to go and meditate upon what I had heard, and I was dismissed.
After this, I was treated better amongst the Watchers. That is, they no longer looked at me with hostility and suspicion when I entered a room. I was then able to interview many of the Battle-brothers, and it was then that I discovered that these Marines believe absolutely in Korton, and his word is law to them. They would brook no argument with his words, and were genuinely pleased at the deaths wreaked, even upon brother Space Marines, as the purification of the Emperor’s realm. I reflected that those who objected to the slaughter of ‘impure’ Imperial citizens had probably been executed immediately.
Soon after my interview with Korton, the Watchers took me into battle with them. I was given a greatsword and my laspistol was returned to me. They had landed on a mining colony at Galboron and were testing the purity of the inhabitants. This involved some of the trials I had endured and as my Lords might imagine, they failed. The Watchers and exterminated the colony, and took all the adamantium there was. Though it sickened me to slay innocent Imperial citizens, I took part in the bloodshed to safeguard my ruse. I flagellated myself afterwards as penance for my crime. The Watchers believed I was cleaning myself of the sinful essence of the Imperium.
Roughly one month later, we happened upon the promethium processing plants of Xaros Tertius, which were under attack by orks. It was here that I observed the Watchers tactics and cleansed my heart of guilt in the blood of the xenos filth. I witnessed the duel between Korton and the ork warboss. Korton had the xenos warlord dead within thirty seconds. After the battle, they took the geneseed of the dead and the promethium stores that had not been destroyed in the attack.
About one week after the battle at Xaros Tertius, I witnessed the Watchers take recruits from the deathworld of Gorgon Secundus. Judging by the large gathering of feral humans, who by markings on their bodies I determined were different tribes, this was an anticipated event. Some three-hundred young men were pitted against each other in an arena while the Watchers looked on. When some hundred remained, they called a halt to the fighting and took the survivors and began to subject them to tests of purity. Some twenty survived this. The Watchers took them aboard and we left.
It was at this point that I requested to leave the ship, stating that I wished to spread their message and prepare the Imperium for their coming. They agreed and I left on my ship. I promptly set off for the nearest Ordo outpost to submit my report.
Summary: The Watchers are fanatical, precise killers. They cannot be convinced to deviate from their course and it would take an entire chapter of Space Marines to take them down. If my Lords wish to destroy the moral threat they present, then I believe the best course of action would be to ambush them both in space and on land as they attack a densely populated planet, such as a hive world, where we would not have to fight their full strength at once and they could be forced into kill zones, which I may add they would gladly throw themselves into simply because the zones existed. Nevertheless, any attempt to eradicate the Watchers would be bloody, and we cannot afford significant losses as long as the blasphemous traitor Abaddon remains on Cadia. My humble suggestion is to let them go for now, and bleed themselves out against the galaxy for as long as possible. I estimate that they have some six-hundred Marines, perhaps fifty Scouts and as many as one-hundred-fifty neophytes, of whom I doubt twenty will survive their spiritual purification. The Watchers will die out eventually as with all enemies of the Imperium, and patience will be the key to their annihilation.
With this I close my report, and wish to inform you Lords that the cleansing of my taint gained from being in the presence of the enemy for so long will be well underway by the time you receive this report.
-Inquisitor Dolphus Golgotha
Quote of the Day: It is better to die for the Emperor than live for yourself.
