Contrite: Adjective; Feeling or expressing remorse or penitence; affected by guilt.
After the events on Monarchia, the Word Bearers Legion had been left humbled and shamed; their Primarch foremost amongst them. But where Lorgar and the vast majority of his Legion had finally accepted the Emperor’s truth, there was one chapter amongst their ranks who remained loyal to their fanatical doctrine. For the brothers of the sacred tome this was viewed as a test of devotion and piety. They felt that the legion had grown lax of late, and that there was need for atonement.
Chaplain Elendin proclaimed that the Ultramarines were clearly in favour with their god emperor, and that through accompanying the sons of Guilleman they might be able to better understand the divine will of the emperor and their purpose within his great scheme. Thus the sacred tome chapter of word bearers left their parent legion and beloved primarch and travelled with the expeditionary fleets of the Ultramarines.
The Ultramarines found a new respect in these Word Bearers, and were impressed with their desire to learn and emulate aspects of the XIII legion. However, within the confines of their own ships they continued to pray to the emperor and stayed true to their ideals. This was reflected in their recruitment of new neophytes at an alarming rate from recovered planets using exclusively the gene seed of Lorgar and so ensuring the purity of their genetic heritage. This went on for over 40 years, and the Ancient tome chapter swelled in size, becoming diverse. The Ultramarines who first looked upon these word bearers with distrust learned to respect and create ties of genuine affection with their brothers despite their vast cultural differences. This culminated in their Chaplin even being invited to counsel with Guilleman himself.
Thus when the great warmaster ordered the ultramarines to join with the Word Bearers to put down a growing WAAAGH in the Eastern Fringe, Elendin and his chapter rejoiced at the chance to show both their parent and foster legions the righteous fury of the purest disciples of the holy emperor. From their orbiting ships Elendin and his men saw with horror what had become of their brother word bearers during the separation. Tears of rage were shed and litanies of hatred were spoken as Elendin turned away from his once beloved primarch and moved his fleet to help the sorely outnumbered Ultramarines.
Through hit and run boarding actions the ancient tome managed to cause heavy casualties early on, sowing confusion within the ranks of the word bearer’s much larger fleet, but were soon forced to seek refuge on Calth as their heavily outnumbered armada began to fall apart. As the First Chaplain Erebus, corrupt and bloated by foul chaos magics, cast the ruinstorm the ancient tome fought their brothers with a burning hatred and righteous fervour that saw the ultramarines gain the upper hand in many battles. When the fires of battle had finally died out the Chaplain was gravely wounded and there were but 370 ancient tome battle brothers left alive. Seeking to protect their spiritual leader the ancient tome left Calth to lick their wounds and played no further part in the horus heresy.
After these events the ancient tome regrouped in the Ultramar system and awaited their fate. Elendin (now interred within the sarcophagi of a dreadnought) eventually met with Roboute Guilleman himself who recognised that the ancient tome were no traitors and had played a pivotal role upon Calth. He offered the remaining ancient tome to be assimilated into a new chapter for their loyalty and devotion with Elendin as their chapter master. Elendin initially refused the honour arguing that his remaining loyal ancient tome needed to reap retribution upon their traitorous gene brothers, and that it would take millennia for such a purge to reach fruition. Guilleman, impressed by the tenacity, loyalty and sacrifice shown by the former Chaplain gave him his approval to create in secret a chapter which owed its genetic heritage to the ancient tome. Elendin renamed the chapter the marines contrite and had his brothers change their armour to blue (to represent their allegiance to the ultramarines) and white (to show they had been absolved and were pure as the armour they wore). Officially the Chapter were deemed successors of the Ultramarines and measures were put into place to make certain that the secret of their heritage remained so.
In the 41st millennium the marines contrite are a crusading chapter hunting the foul denizens of chaos wherever it’s malignant influence takes hold. Elendin and the ancient tome represent great heroes from the chapter’s inception, brave warriors of Macragge who fought for their Primarch Roboute Guilleman almost to their own demise. Only the Chapter Master and his most trusted chaplains know the truth, for it is a terrible burden to bear. So it is that the marines contrite fight zealously for an imperium that, if not for a necessary deceit, would obliterate them.
Okay so there's a bit of fluff for my space marine chapter and I'd love to hear feedback about it. I'm also thinking of making it into a proper army so any suggestions of what kind of force the marines contrite would field would be great