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So I am about to start writing the background to my new Red Corsair warband, and sorceror Lord.

Long story short, He's a sorceror Lord associated with Tzeentch.
Ex epistolary of the marines Errant, who betrayed the IoM and joined the Red Corsairs during the Fall of Vilamus.

What I want to know is..

Just what sort of apptitudes are the Marines Errant known for, how would they respond to threat? How easily would they turn?
What sort of filler about the nature of the Marines Errant and vilamus can I expect? Just how likely is a marine to turn? How closely monitored are the Librarians? Basicly anything and everything that may be relevant as I flesh out the background.

You should read Blood Reaver.

Its about the Night Lords, the Red Corsairs, and yes, the Fall of Vilamus. It portrays the attack, the Marines Errant's reaction to it, and that sort of thing.

I have read it.
But its very NL centred.

I'm much more interested in the mindset that might cause them to join the corsairs in the middle of the assault.
Along with any Marines Errant specifics.

The mindset of Astartes, and even how he may be treated. The leader reistance of the SW strike cruiser, was given command of that vessel, how does that work on the ground?

Honestly, since Space Marines don't feel fear (or according to some sources, they do feel emotions similar to fear, but it doesn't cloud their thinking like normal fear does), I doubt a Space Marine would randomly defect during the Fall of Vilamus.

I mean, these Red Corsairs are attacking his home, killing his brothers, and they're just doing it for geneseed. They'd be trying to kill anyone wearing the colors of the Marines Errant. It doesn't make sense that the Fall of Vilamus would make a marine defect.

Yet that's exactly what happened to the space wolf strike cruiser.

So I'm then looking at whispers from Chaos, but what sort of screening and monitoring.

 LoneLictor wrote:
It doesn't make sense that the Fall of Vilamus would make a marine defect.

Anything grimdark makes sense in 40k.

Marines wouldn't turn traitor through fear, but the corruption of a witch-mind by Tzeentch isn't unheard of.

He may of known of the approaching danger, after warning his brothers he was shunned as a heretic and locked up awaiting a mock trial. He was found and offered freedom

His lust for power drove him to forming a witchs coven, a secret sect within the chapter (like the lodges during the heresy.) He manipulated his brothers into betraying the chapter with mindtricks n' stuff.

Within a full chapter there are bound to be secrets and privacy, this one sorcerer could of been the source of an "infection" of hidden heresy, weather he knew it or not. (Corrupted by Tzeentch?)

Possessed by an unknown entity/leech whilst exploring the Ghoul Stars, it's own desire to survive brain washed him to betray his brothers for the slim chance of survival.

Distaste at the fake nobility of his Chapter, he wanted to be free from the shackles forced onto him by the chapter and the bureaucracy of the Imperium.

Literally anything you want.

Bear in mind that (I think it's under the Fallen DA fluff) that those who fell to Chaos can still believe they're fighting for the Emperor against Chaos.

Chaos makes everything work.

Maybe he defected after the attack instead?
Realised how little help they were getting, how they were expected to go out with some kind of heroic noble self-sacrifice and decided it would be a better idea to jump ship and save himself.

I am aware of the bulk of the defenders had to choose between the Apthecarion with the Gene Seed Vaultas and the Reliquary and the chapter relics.

My working premise at the moment is that the the Librarian and maybe a couple of others were pinned intyo the Fortress Librarium, and so avoided the worst of slaughter, abandoned and alone from his Chapter, a self less defence, but will crumbled as it sank in that his was the ultimate failure, the Chapter doomed to a slow demise.

I'm much more interested in the mindset that might cause them to join the corsairs in the middle of the assault.
Along with any Marines Errant specifics.

I don't know much about the Marines Errant, but if you read "The Gildar Rift", there's a section where a Red Corsair Space Wolf pretty much explains exactly what you're asking there. I'd summarize it here, but I'm a little foggy on the specifics now.