Dark Hunters Chapter Info

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**FavilleGamingAndTCG**

+++Please Note+++
The chapter does exist, I've just expanded on the fluff vastly.
+++Note ends here+++

Chapter Info
Name: Dark Hunters
Chapter Number: 687
Founding Number: Twenty-Second Founding (400-600.M37), 552.M37
Founding Chapter: White Scars
Founding Chapter Master: Porich Rederus (formerly Por'ich Khan, Captain of the Second Company and Knight Commander of Chogoris)
Rederus was originally born as the son of a Rogue Trader's second cousin (once removed) and a doctor attached to the planet. The White Scars recognized his potential and he was inducted into the White Scars. He served for over 300 years before transferring to the Dark Hunters. He fathered two sons while a neophyte.
Current Chapter Master: Luchtin Zarrius
Homeworld: Phobian, Phobian Sub-Sector, Reductus Sector, Segmentum Tempestus
Fortress-Monastery: the Achluo
Deviance from codex: very little, see Organisation below

Early History (up to 900.M41)

Spoiler:

---Note: this first bit was originally penned by GW, I just added on to it.---
The Dark Hunters, were, from day one, experts at fighting the long war. They were founded during the Occlusiad in 552.M37, using soldiers and gene-seed donated from the White Scars, and were almost instantly charged with fighting Warpsmith Hilghar and his Warlord Titan, Repellus Maximal. Originally, Angnar Khan was slated to be Chapter Master, however, en route to Phobian he was killed by Necrons, and Por'ich Khan, slated to be the new First Captaín, took his place. During the Battle of Bloodsteel, Hilghar was slain by the temporary Chapter Master, now named Porich Rederus. This battle as a whole seeded a deep mistrust of Titans in particular, although the chapter is wary of the Adeptus Mechanicus in general. Nevertheless though, the chapter is highly mechanized.

Porich Rederus served as Chapter Master for nearly 200 years, but was tragically slain by a member of the Punishers warband. This was part of their designated task of the destruction of this warband, however, the Dark Hunters have since made the battle personal after his death. Rederus was replaced by Jullinai Khan, who was the last of the Dark Hunters to call himself "Khan" (in a deviation from tradition and in honour of Rederus' personal choice not to use the title, the title was done away with, one of the few deviations from other traditions the White Scars maintain).
---GW history ends here.---

As part of the 23rd Founding in 122.M38, the Knights of Gryphonne were founded from the Salamanders, and were stationed on Gryphonne II. The chapter had close ties to the Dark Hunters, and in 153.M38 the two served together for the first time during the Bermiut Campaign, deploying four companies each. The campaign was a success, and all Exodite Eldar were slain by the two chapters. The Chapter maintains close ties with the Knights of the Raven as well, having helped defend Coralax from the many xenos entering the Segmentum. They participated in the Perosun Intervention together, where the Dark Hunters committed three companies, and the Knights of the Raven committed two. Their objective was to eliminate the Angels Gallant, a Nurgle-aligned Dark Angels chapter that ravaged many worlds in the southern sectors. By intervening at Perosun, Bakka (the Segmentum capital) was safe from destruction.

Over the four millennia that the chapter had been active, the Segmentum Tempestus had been relatively xenos-free. The chapter had been in 1,762 conflicts, 845 of which they fought with the Knights of Gryphonne or the Knights of the Raven, and 35 of which they had fought alongside the Raven Guard. Of those, only 203 had been lost (the chapter specializes in keeping losses to a minimum, and only in four of the 1,762 conflicts did the chapter lose over 50 brothers).

---Modified GW lore follows.---
In mid-M41, to further reinforce the resolute attitude the Dark Hunters were famous for, an entire company of Dark Hunters held a church for five years against Waaagh! Nagrut during the Dellrond Campaigns.
---GW lore ends here.---

In 882.M41, former Master of the Watch and current chief of the Honour Guard Luchtin Zarrius became Chapter Master of the Dark Hunters. This marked a turn in the chapter's history, although this was merely coincidental. By 900.M41, the chapter's list of dead numbered only 614, but from then on, minimum losses were hard to maintain.

A Change In History (901.M41 to 968.M41)

Spoiler:

The Ghakor Conflict, Early Years (968.M41 to 985.M41)

Spoiler:

The second incident involving large losses began in 968.M41, when the Bloodleecher, a Khornate Daemon Prince, emerged on the steamy Agriworld of Ghakor. On top of the 40-odd Astra Militarum regiments deployed, five chapters of Astartes backed them up. The chapters were:
* Angels of Absolution, who committed their entire Ravenwing (they later deployed two more companies, two squads of Knights and five squads of Terminators)
* Knights of the Raven, who committed two companies and a small detachment of veterans (later four companies, four Terminator Squads and four squads of Vanguard Veterans)
* Knights of Gryphonne, who committed three companies and a contingent of scouts and veterans (eventually seven companies, including the scout company, as well as 50 veterans)
* Dark Hunters, who committed five companies plus 40 veterans and 60 scouts (later the whole chapter)
* Raven Guard, who commited eight companies, 80 veterans and 90 scouts (later the whole chapter, however for various reasons including an Ork Waaagh! near Deliverance and pressure from the Adeptus Terra, they pulled out en masse in 973.M41)
The Ghakor conflict dragged out, and by 972.M41, the opposing forces had reached a stalemate. Every battle fought would gain ground for one side, however usually within an hour that ground was retaken by the other side. The appearance of Dark Eldar raiders in 975.M41 caused much trouble, and two major offensives were foiled by Dark Eldar attacks. In 978.M41, the Eagle Warriors attached two companies to the task force, and the Imperial Fists brought in their 9th Company in 979.M41, followed by their third company in 980.M41. This company temporarily pulled out in 983.M41, but reinvested its commitment in 989.M41.
Vehicular losses were high and by 981.M41, the Dark Hunters had begun to field the outdated Mark IIIb and IIIc Predators, to bolster numbers and replace the Mark IVb Predators lost at the front. MkIb Rhinos were in use with at least three different chapters, especially the Angels of Absolution. By the end of the conflict, five MkIIc Rhinos with spaced armour survived, while 17 of its reinforced brethren remained. In 982.M41, a tactic change yielded interesting results. Living up to its White Scars heritage, bikes saw extensive use, and from the vehicle pool, a new superior vehicle emerged: the Razorback. A robust MkVI Razorback, equipped with twin-linked assault cannons, manned by the remaining six men of the 6th Sternguard Veteran Squad, 1st Company, and named Kilirus after the squad's sergeant, took on a Dark Eldar raiding party consisting of two Venoms, a Talos, and a squadron of Reavers. The Razorback clawed its way through the Reavers, while the men of the squad tore through the Talos using their Vengeance Rounds. The sergeant, carrying a Lucius V7-Beta combi-melta, melted through the Reaver's leader, forcing them to turn back. One of the Veterans was injured, but otherwise the already-weakened 6th Squad took no damage.
Acts of heroism like those committed by the 6th Veteran Squad, 1st Company paved the way for victory on the front. Similar to the Kilirus incident and also in 982.M41, Scout Squad Psi shot down a Voidraven, using only the squad's missile launcher and four of its boltguns. However, in 984.M41, Bloodleecher conversed with his Dark Eldar allies, and they too changed their strategy. Combined Chaos Space Marine and Dark Eldar strikes began to push loyalist troops back, and in 985.M41, the Imperium's forces found themselves back on their original beach-head. Overall force commander Luchtin Zarrius gave Astartes Order 261227A, the evacuation of Ghakor, which was to be followed by an Exterminatus. During the Battle of Raven Point, which was the evacuation of all troops on Ghakor, loyalist forces had begun to evacuate when Veteran Sergeant Favillus of the 7th Assault Squad, 8th Company clambered back into his Centurion warsuit and lead his other two Centurion Assault Marines back into the fray. The rest of the 7th Squad under Veteran Brother Fortol duly backed him up, and they all charged forward. The three Centurions knocked out a Helbrute, while his power-armoured squadmates eliminated the cultists forming the Helcult. This act was not exceptionally heroic, however this inspired a Raven Guard squad to strike from the shadows, killing three Chaos Terminators. These acts were noticed by the company loading up at the time, the famed Sentinels of Terra, saw this act, unloaded again, and fought harder than ever. All the Imperial Guard were inspired, and they too fought back. Within three months the Imperium took back 96 per cent of the ground they had previously lost.

The Ghakor Conflict (985.M41 to 997.M41)

Spoiler:

In 987.M41, having fought for 19 years, Operation Spacestrike began. Planning was tough. Scouts and Land Speeders did daily scouting mission in an attempting to find the lair of the Daemon Prince as part of prong one of the attack. During this period there was a lull in the fighting, and Dark Eldar raids began finding themselves being battered by Whirlwind support fire. Skirmishes would happen all over the front, however they were very infrequent and that year served as a recuperation year. However, in 988.M41, as part of Operation Spacestrike, the Dark Hunters deployed a significant force at the Siege of Hive Ghakor. The Webway portal to Commoragh was located here, and the siege utilized Terminators, Centurions, Devastators and Tarantulas turrets. The Tarantulas were generally equipped with multi-meltas or Heavy Bolters, or even Lascannons, and many of these surprised stray Dark Eldar squads. The siege was prong two of Operation Space Strike. Prong three was also planned: a massive battle to distract Chaos forces. It was rumored that World Eaters had begun appearing, and so prong four was planned. All prongs required more forces, and so the Raven Guard redeployed seven companies, including all scouts and veterans. In 989.M41, they began to stage prong four, in which they'd sneak behind enemy line and attack the rear defenses. The next few years progressed with little irregularity, while Chapter Master Zarrius planned the operation entirely. In 993.M41, in the first ever joint attack, Chaos forces in World Eaters colors attacked alongside Dark Eldar forces. This level of co-operation was unheard of, and Zarrius grew suspicious. His plan was fast-forwarded, and prong five was cancelled, meaning the attack could take place in five years instead of 12. In 994.M41, prong one began. Battle Barges and Strike Cruisers in orbit began firing at targets spotted by patrols. Despite this, the main forces struggled to locate Bloodleecher's lair. A stroke of luck came in 995.M41, when an Angels of Absolution scout located it while sniping some Bloodletters. It was discovered that Bloodleecher was a former Custodes Terminator from the Great Crusade, who had turned traitor during the Horus Heresy. Due to him not being associated with any legion, no one knew he had fallen, and he was reported as 'MIA'.
In 996.M41, prongs three and four began, with approximately 200 Imperial Guard regiments participating, plus the forces of six chapters. At around the same time, the eight-year siege of Hive Ghakor was broken, when Astartes forces began to push into the city. On the other front, scouts of all the chapters and the Raven Guard forces outflanked the Chaos troops and diverted their full power to the main front. Meanwhile, the orbital forces bombarded Chaos units, essentially thinning the enemy ranks. At this time, the First Captain of the Dark Hunters, Seger Polismund, lead a strike force consisting of 50 marines to challenge the Daemon Prince. This force included the famed Tor Garadon of the Sentinels of Terra, and Captain Scotius Favillus, promoted from Veteran Sergeant to replace Vulkulon Peniel of the 8th company, who was slain at the Battle of Raven Point. This force traveled under the cover of darkness, and at around 0200, the 50 marines began dealing with Chaos and Dark Eldar guards around the prince’s “throne” room. While the Force of 50 dealt with the guards, Captain Polismund challenged Bloodleecher. Although Polismund fought valiantly, Bloodleecher had the upper hand, and using his combi-melta, shot through Polismund’s heart using his only melta shot. The next part is not recounted well, but all that is known is that a being, with alabaster white skin and hair as black as a raven’s feathers, swooped in with a jump pack, carrying a Heavy Bolter. This being fired three shots, all of which hit the Daemon Prince of Khorne. The being, which was larger than a Space Marine, knelt down in front of a Tactical Marine from the Knights of the Raven 2nd Company, and spoke two words. No one but the marine heard those words, but he was seen saying “Never more…” It is also known that the Marine, after the battle, requisitioned Corvus pattern Power Armour. However, although the Heavy Bolter did a good deal of damage, Bloodleecher lived. Without a second thought, Captain Favillus activated his jump pack, and he hurtled towards the Prince, Thunder Hammer in one hand and Goethe Mk XX combi-melta in the other. He fired the combi-melta through the Daemon Prince’s skull, and slammed the Thunder Hammer down through Bloodleecher’s heart, finally slaying the beast. This officially ended the war, as Dark Eldar forces disappeared and Chaos retreated. No one would forget the actions of the Force of Fifty for centuries to come.

Later history (997.M41 to present (999.M41))

Spoiler:

In 997.M41, the Knights of Gryphonne sent out a distress call, which the Dark Hunters heeded. Hive Fleet Leviathan was wreaking havoc in their system, having already consumed most of the system, including heavily fortified Forge World Gryphonne IV. Thus, the Evacuation of Gryphonne II began, with the Metamarines and Red Scorpions also participating. After successfully evacuating Gryphonne II (although the planet was consumed), the Dark Hunters turned to defending Gryphonne I, home to the Legio Gryphonicus, and Gryphonne III, an Agriworld. In the Defence of Gryphonne I, the four chapters took a stand against Hive Fleet Leviathan. Despite losing just under 50 marines of the 400 hundred present, Hive Fleet Leviathan was successfully rerouted.

---Note: extensively modified GW fluff begins here.---

Later, during the Lonal Ambush, another tendril of Hive Fleet Leviathan landed on Lonal, only to find the 4th (Battle) and 9th (Reserve, Devastator) Companies defending the area. During the battle, Raven Guard forces baited the Tyranids into directly attacking the Dark Hunters, when the forces of the 2nd Company, Raven Guard, outflanked the Tyranids, preventing the loss of the planet.

---GW fluff ends here.---

As of 999.M41, the Force of 50 has been highly recognized within the chapter. 21 of the 50 were Dark Hunters (9 others were Knights of Gryphonne, 7 were Angels of Absolution, 5 were Raven Guard, 4 were Knights of the Raven and 4 were Imperial Fists), and the force was lead by Captain of the First Company Seger Polismund. Following his death, battle hero and underdog Scotius Favillus was promoted to First Captain, after only 12 years of being a captain (he had, however, spent over a century as second in command, as his predecessor had served for over 2 and a half centuries before his death). This position granted him the chapter’s last set of Cataphractii-pattern Tactical Dreadnought Armour, the title of Regent of Phobian, and a second title that varied based on the captain himself. Favillus, for example, carries a Thunder Hammer and Chainfist, and is therefore called the ‘Hammer of Phobian’. His predecessor was the Shield of Phobian, and Zarrius himself was the Claw of Phobian. Other successful marines include Baranius Uilik, who became head of the 9th Company after his predecessor died in 973.M41. Another marine of the Force of Fifty, Karilis Portol of the Knights of Gryphonne, became Chapter Master in 998.M41. These marines will be forever remembered, as their names are etched into a statue of Luchtin Zarrius, watching over the paddies of Ghakor.

---GW lore begins here.---
In 999.M41, the Dark Hunters were mobilised to the Draven Sector after unusual circumstances prevented Navigators from seeing the Astronomican and caused many Imperial Fleets to become lost in the Warp. Strike Force Guaros was sent to the surface of the tomb world Petk, however, Chaplain Guaros' forces were never heard of again.
---GW lore ends here.---

ORGANIZATION

Spoiler:

Chapter Officers

Spoiler: