Charnel Brethren

""Born of the blood, made by the blood, undone by the blood. From the Red Angel's thirst is born righteous rage!""

- Battle Catechism of the Charnel Brethren

The Charnel Brethren are an Astartes Chapter of Blood Angels descent, created during an Unknown Founding but said to relatively early perhaps even as early as the 2nd Founding. They are a slowly dying Chapter whose numbers have believed to have fallen below 300 Astartes. Though they are very loyal to the Emperor of Mankind their heavy affliction with the twin Flaws of their Primarch Sanguinius has led to their investigation on charges of heresy by the Inquisition. They have been cleared of suspicion at present, but many believe that that it is only a matter of time before they cease to exist. Like their Progenitors, the Charnel Brethren are known for their bloodthirsty nature in battle, bad temper and feared for the Flaws - the Black Rage and the Red Thirst - that they carry within their gene-seed. The Charnel Brethren follow the tactical organisation pioneered by the Blood Angels, favouring close combat over ranged warfare.

History
The Charnel Brethren were created sometime in the early days of the Imperium in either the 2nd or  3rdFounding from the gene-seed of the noble Blood Angels. Fragmentary evidece has indicated that the Charnel Brethren may be direct decendents of the 109th Compay of the IXth Legion as this notoriously violent company were known as the Charnel Brethren, but whatever thier origins the Charnel Brethren were created and unleashed upon the galaxy. Since that time they have gained a reputation for savagery and bloodthirstiness beyond what is expected of even a Blood Angels Successor Chapter, so divorced from the rest of humanity have the Charnel Brethren become, that they are shunned by the rest of the Imperium, and only in the very direst of circumstances is their help accepted as the  danger of fighting alongside these near-crazed Astartes is often too much for most Imperial Guard commanders to accept.

Unlike some other's of Blood Angel decent, the Charnel Brethren are also known to fall prey to the Black Rage and Red Thirst more often than sme other Sons of Sanguinius. These twin-flaws are killing the Chapter as more and more of their Battle-Brothers fall to their ravenous effects. Those that do, are taken into the depths of the Fortress of the Blood where they are chained and bound, until such time they are needed, when they armoured and armed and unleashed upon the enemy.

Noctis Aeterna
During this dark period the hopes of trillions was reignited with the return of one of the Emperor's loyal sons - the Primarch of the Ultramarines - Roboute Guilliman and he brought with him the fruits of 10,000 years of research - the Primaris Space Marines. The Charnel Brethren were present on Baal when Guilliman's Indomitus Campaign came to the Sons of Sanguinius's aid and the Charnel Brethren and their Brother Chapters swore to serve the son of the Emperor in perpetuity. Soon Primaris Astartes were serving alongside them with distinction, but unlike many other Chapters that received full grown and battle-hardened Primaris, the Charnel Brethren instead received the technology and knowledge to create their own Primaris Space Marines.

The wargear to arm these formidable warriors was also received including 500 suits of Mk X Power Armour in their various patterns, hundreds of Cawl and Belisarius Pattern Weapons, four Redemptor Dreadnoughts Chassis, 2 Overlord Gunships and two Repulser Grav Tanks, all of which have been assigned to the 9th Company. Thanks to this great fortune the Charnel Brethren now prosecute their wars with even greater vigour. The numbers of Primaris Astartes currently serving are unknown, but during the battles of the Indomitus Crusade they were able to field an entire company. Despite these advances the Primaris Astartes have been witnessed to be afflicted with the same gene-seed flaws as the rest of their brothers, and just as aggressive and unhinged as the rest of the Chapter, with some even having to be inducted into the Death Company. What other flaws may manifest in the future is unknown.

Homeworld
Initially the Charnel Brethren were a Crusading Chapter until they discovered the World of Sanguinius Light in M35, taking the world's name as an omen, they claimed the world for themselves and constructed their massive fortress-monastery in the wastes of the planets primary moon. The World of Sanguinius Light is very much like that of Baal's moons's, an heavily irradiated wasteland where pure human tribes battle for supremacy against foul  cannibalistic mutant tribes and ferocious predators,Settlements are few and far between and are more mobile fortresses than mere villages as they must fight a constant battle for survival.

The world's inhabitants are of pre-blackpowder era, and have been found to be perfect Astartes recruits, To ascertain who is worthy to join the ranks of the Charnel Brethren, the adolescents of the feral tribes of Sanguinius Light who would be Charnel Brethren Aspirants take part in violent games and tournaments oce every generation, battling against the harsh landscape and their peers. Sanguinius Light has a large population of feral scavenger tribes who have to compete with those foul mutants. Needless to say, men from these tribes make for formidable Space Marine Aspirants.

So it came to be that consciously or sub-consciously the Charnel Brethren have found or maybe even created a second baal, all the better as it is from the ashes that an Angel rises.

Their homeworld's exact location is unknown in currant Imperial records, but it may be located in the Segmentum Ultima as the Blood Angels were known to have captured a world known as Sanguinius Light during the Great Crusade ten millennia earlier, but whether their Chapter planet is one and the same, is unknown.

Notable Campaigns

 * The Centurion War (931-954.M41)- This was a brutal campaign launched by the several Adeptus Astartes Chapters to eradicate secessionist forces located in the Centurion Sector of the Segmentum Ultima. The secessionist forces included (sadly) two Renegade Astartes Chapters. The war would later be determined to have been the work of Chaos. The Charnel Brethren and the other Space Marine Chapters eventually pushed the Forces of Chaos to Iterium VI, and broke them in a cataclysmic final battle. One of the Astartes Chapters would be nearly destroyed while the other would fall to Chaos and become known as the Bringers of Change.
 * The Devastation of Baal (999.M41) - As loyal sons of the Angel the Charnel Brethren fought during the defence of their Progenitors homeworld and the resting place of Sanguinius shimself. During the Fighting all of the Chapters Captains were killed and Lord Glorion so badly wounded that he was entombed in Comtemptor Dreadnought.
 * The Teutoberg War (100.M42) - In the aftermath of the Great Rift many worlds fell to infighting and anarchy as insurrections and outright rebellion swept across the Galaxy, the system of Teutoberg fell to rebellion in 099.M42 and the call was sent, the Adepta Sororitas Order of the Emperor Resplendent responded in kind along with four Chapters of Astartes and 14 Regiments of the Astra Militarum. The Order sent seven whole companies of Battle-Sisters to assist the beleaguered system. In one notable incident during the brutal campaign, the Order found themselves fighting alongside the the Astra Militarum on Teutoburg VI as well as the notorious Charnel Brethren, Flesh Rippers Space Marine Chapters, who had appeared and joined the war. Also serving were the Skull Reapers and Corvus Legion Chapters. The Blood Reaver Erhlen denied Canoness Anastasia any tactical counsel whatsoever and even refused to meet with her. Talks between the two Imperial forces was conducted by the Captain of the 6th Company of the Charnel Brethren, Blood Captain Gideon. After nearly 2 century's leading her Sisters to war, occasionally alongside Space Marine Chapters, this treatment came as no surprise. But the Order's main grievance was with the way the 2 of the Chapter's conducted themselves during the ensuing battle. The Battle-Sisters struck the massive Traitor army as it changed positions from shelling the main Defences of Gaius City, to occupying the settlement. Battered by three days' bombardment, the loyalist population of Gaius City had dug underground and, under the careful ministrations of the Order's Sisters Superior and the Sergeants of the Astra Militarum, were determined to form an ad hoc militia to defend their homes, alongside them stood the Adeptus Sororitas and 8 full regiments of the Astra Militarum. The Flesh Rippers and Charnel Brethren launched their attack on the Traitor column when it was approximately one Imperial mile from Gaius City and, hitting the Traitors in the rear and flanks, they drove the disorganised enemy into the Battle-Sisters' and Guardsmens' waiting guns. Caught between Battle-Sisters and Space Marines, thousands were slaughtered, with the survivors mounting their vehicles to escape with all haste. The Sisters first noticed something was very wrong when the Traitors began pouring towards the Imperial line. Cannoness Anastasia saw in the faces of the soldiers, absolute terror, and they displayed no fear of the massed guns of the Imperial Forces, only a desire get away from the Flesh Rippers and Charnel Brethren, who apparently driven mad by some kind of battle-frenzy, crashed into the Traitors rear ranks, just as the first soldiers reached the loyalist Astra Militarum's lines. The crazed Space Marines fell upon the Traitors in an orgy of bloodletting. Many Astartes had removed their helmets, and eschewing the use of pistols and other ranged weapons, set about the soldiers with chainsword, chain-axe, combat knife and even their own teeth. Cannoness Anastasia witnessed in mute horror, Astartes ripping out the throats of men with their bared teeth. The raw fury and love of carnage she saw in their faces, as they literally tore the enemy apart, made her shudder in fear. The traitor forces were annihilated within minutes of the Space Marines' brutal attack, but the small number of the enemy were simply not enough for the Flesh Rippers and Charnel Brethren, who by now seemed to have been driven into a fever pitch of absolute bloodlust. With no more traitors for them to butcher, they scrambled over the breastworks of the Astra Militarum and Militia and smashed into their line. Properly driven into a true battle frenzy now, the Flesh Rippers and Charnel Brethren performed acts of the most debauched nature, in the name of violence.Every guardsmen they found, fell beneath their blades. Even though they were allies, none were spared by the Marines crazed attack, Men, women and youths, all fell beneath their blades. The old, the infirm, none were spared the Marines crazed attack. The Canoness later reported that she had personally witnessed cannibalistic acts committed by the frenzied Marines. She ordered a hasty withdrawal of her Sisters from the Flesh Rippers and Charnel Brethren with all haste, before they reached their positions. The Canoness later reported the incident to the Inquisition. Her report stated that both the Flesh Rippers and Charnel Brethren were unstable beyond redemption and that they were not fit for duty anywhere within their mighty Imperium. The Canononess firmly believed that it was evident that the Flesh Rippers and Charnel Brethren had devolved far beyond any point reached by a loyalist Chapter and requested their immediate destruction. The Corvus Legion and Skull Reapers were spared a request for their destruction. The current whereabouts and operational activities of the Flesh Rippers remain unknown but reports from the fringes of Imperial Space have begun filtering back of excessive casualties in tactic-less displays of horde warfare and their are even reports that the Flesh Rippers' Imperial allies have sometimes become subject to the Flesh Rippers' fury even as as world after world falls to their savage berserker fury. The Corvus Legion and Skull Reapers were spared a request for their destruction. The last known sighting of these four Space Marine Chapters was made by an Explorator augury-beacon, which marked them tacking course through the Warp towards the Segmentum Obscurus. The current whereabouts and operational activities of the Charnel Brethren remain unknown.
 * Shadow War on Teutoberg (100.M42) -  The event that became known in Imperial records as the Shadow War was fought in 100.M42 during the Teutoberg Campaign. The wreckage the Massive Hive Corinium was was located in the dust wastes of the forlorn world of Teutoberg VI. Within the Hive was a nightmarish scene of carnage and destruction rarely witnessed before by men. A bloody battle had been fought between four Chapter-sized forces of Space Marines from the Corvus Legion, Skull Reapers, Charnel Brethren and Flesh Rippers against the Heretic Astartes of the Night Lords 38th Company, Alpha Legion and the World Eaters. These seven forces, infamous for their savagery and unyielding stances towards their foes, had fought each other to a bloody standstill. The base around them was ripped apart and many of the bodies of both sides showed signs of having fought on despite suffering horrendous wounds, severed limbs and massive trauma that should have felled even an Astartes, and several were found locked in deathly, gore-splattered embraces, striking at their foes with their last ebbing strength. The Loyalist soon departed taking their dead with them while the Traitors were left to rot. a testament to the hatred that existed between them.
 * Daemonic Invasion of Hades Prime (111.M42) - In the aftermath of the Great Eye opening the Galaxy was plunged into disorder, Chaos erupted across the Imperium's world's, systems and entire sectors were plunged into darkness, only a Son of the Emperor, a Primarch could stem the tide. Roboute Guilliman led his Crusade across the breadth of his fathers realm, saving what he could and destroying what he couldn’t save. And now one hundred years have passed and the Indomitus Crusade has ended, the Imperium stabilised but there are still many worlds that remain under the control of the Great Enemy, Hades Prime was one such world. Hades Prime was once a verdant paradise world, crystal clear waters and vast forests surrounding cities of marble and gold, well that was the world that was now it is a blasted wasteland. A massive Khornate war host struck at the World 1 year ago, led by the infernal Daemon Prince known as the Slaughter King they rampaged across the world until nothing was left. Where once there had been rolling hills, now there was rivers of Blood, Mountains of Skulls and Daemonic sentient trees. Lord Michaelus, newly elevated Chapter Master of the Charnel Brethren could not let this stand, he could not stand by and watch as yet another of the Emperors worlds was lost to the infernal machinations of Chaos. He led his entire Chapter in a great assault against this blasted world, gunships and drop pods roared though the sky and the Charnel Brethren erupted from them and the Khornate Hoste leapt to met them, bolters roared in their hundreds scything down daemons and chainaxes smoked as they bit into into Damonic flesh. Michaelus was a veritable Angel of Death as he plunged into the Khornate Host, an aura of power surrounded him and he fought as though he was Sanguinius reborn, with every blow he sent daemonic corpses tumbling through the air, Jugganaught heads were torn from their shoulders, Bloodletters pulverised and monstrously powerful Heralds of Khorne ripped apart as if they were nothing, none could match him, in truth none even came close. For an entire solar day the 2 sides fought and at the climax of this cataclysmic battle Michaelus fought the Slaughter King in single combat, the Slaughter King was a being of grotesque power, a manifestation of the unimaginable rage and savagery of his vile god, muscles able to rip apart a dreadnought with ease barely contained within Daemonic flesh as strong as Ceramite and razor sharp talon's able to cut armour with ease jutted from every finger tip, whole worlds trembled at the mere mention of his name yet he was laughably outmatched in every regard, the 2 duelled for mere moments before Michaelus overwhelmed and defeated the vile Daemon, ripping him apart and sending him screaming back to depths of hell where he belonged. With the loss of their leader the vast legions of Daemons lost a semblance of coherence but the battle was far from over but the Charnel Brethren were by now driven into a Blood-Maddened frenzy and tore into their remaining foes until finally the last of Khornes Daemons was sent screaming back into the Warp, the world had been saved but it was a hollow victory, nothing was left of the great world it had been and so Michaelus ordered it destroyed. Taking their dead and wounded with them the Charnel Brethren returned to orbit and their great fleet began their work, impossibly powerful weapons pounded the World for a day and night until finally it broke, shattering into a million pieces. It stands today as a testament of what lengths the Imperium will go too to save Humanity even if it destroys itself in the process.

Chapter Organisation
The Charnel Brethren were originally organised exactly like the Blood Angels but in the years since their founding the constant battle and the Flaws have reduced them to a fraction of their original number. The Charnel Brethrern are now organised into 3 Battle Companies, each expected to be able to fight on their own if needed, and each self-contained, maintaining their own Power Armour and fleet assets as well as their own Terminator Squads. Each Company Chaplain has the unenviable task of watching over his fellow brethren looking for the telltale signs of the Flaws and acting accordingly. However since the return of the Primarch Roboute Guiliman and the Primaris Astartes the Charnel Brethren have returned to full strength but continue to break with Codex by having no reserve company's or scout company, only the 1st Company and 9 Battle Companys, notable for a Chapter in the 42nd Millenium the Charnel Brethren continue to primarily recruit Astartes of the old type over the new Primaris. Vehicles are organised differently from other Chapters in that transports and battle tanks are allocated at the company level while gunships are spread across the Fleet and each Battle Company contains its own Scout Units which are drawn from the Chapters pool of Unassigned Neophytes

Order of Battle ca.111.M42
The following represents the disposition of the Charnel Brethren at the time of the Daemonic Invasion of Hades Prime ca.111.M42

Chapter Gene-Seed
Descended as they are from Sanguinius they bear all the hallmarks of their Progenitors, suffering greatly from the Flaws, but unlike some other Chapters who feel its touch at a lesser rate, the Charnel Brethren constantly teeter on the edge of insanity. All the Battle-Brothers of the Chapter know that it is only a matter of time before the madness takes them too. At first their fall is subtle, but once it has taken hold it will rapidly take over every aspect of their being until they are ultimately lost. T

he gene-seed of the Charnel Brethren bears all the hallmarks of the Successor Chapters of the Blood Angels. Its best known characteristic is the psychic imprint of Sanguinius' final memories, which leads to the affliction known as the Black Rage. This can cause them to go insane and enter a berserker rage prior to or during battle as they feel the anger that Sanguinius himself felt during the Battle of Terra. The condition is largely irrecoverable and incurable. The Charnel Brethren are known to fall prey to the curse of the Black Rage far more often than members of any other Chapter descended from Sanguinius' lineage. This is believed to be due to a mutation in their gene-seed, but their combat doctrines and military philosophy may also influence the frequency of the tragic psychogenetic syndrome.

At the time of their formation, the Charnel Brethren Chapter discontinued the Blood Angels' practice known as Insanguination which involved the drinking of a small sample of Sanguinius' own blood in an artefact known as a The Crimson Chalice to activate the implanted gene-seed within their Aspirants. Some might speculate that this practice could have contributed to the horrific mutation and degeneration of their gene-seed without the Primarch's blood to serve as a stabilising factor.

Unlike the Blood Angels and their other Successors, the Charnel Brethren along with the Flesh Tearers are far further along in the descent into madness and their gene-seed carries a heightened version of the flaw which may well spell their complete annihilation within the space of a few short solar decades. This means that even the most mentally stable and strong-willed of the Charnel Brethren feels the touch of the Black Rage and the pull of the Red Thirst, knowing full well that it is only a matter of time before they succumb and the madness takes them completely.

A Charnel Brethren who has begun to fall more heavily under the effects of the Primarch's curse begins a rapid and terrifying spiral into uncontrollable rage and fury which places not just himself, but everyone he comes into contact with in danger. A Charnel Brethren Battle-Brother knows that as soon as he becomes an Initiate of the Chapter it is not a question of if, but when, and how long he has until he completely loses his ability to tell friend from foe.

The Chapter's Apothecaries believe that their gene-seed also grants its recipients a significantly extended life expectancy, even for an Astartes, in keeping with its lineage. However, this point is largely moot. The life expectancy for most new Initiates to the Chapter is less than two standard centuries. While a few of these inductees may die from the exigencies of war, the vast majority fall prey to the Black Rage.

For unknown reasons, the Charnel Brethren succumb to the Black Rage far more than any other Successor Chapter of the Blood Angels bar the Flesh Tearers, and therefore these Astartes were dwindling in numbers before their recent reinforcement by the Primaris Space Marines. Numerous efforts have been taken to attempt to mitigate the sudden and severe onset of the Black Rage among the Chapter's Battle-Brothers. The adoption of nightly bloodletting and purification rituals have not been shown to assist Battle-Brothers in their efforts to resist the Black Rage, nor has it mitigated the syndrome's effects once a Space Marine has entered the latter stages of the curse.

The only treatment for those who fully succumb is reassignment to the Death Company and isolation within the Chapter's Tower of the Lost in its fortress-monastery. A fortunate few find solace in death, when they continue to serve their Chapter on the battlefield as members of the Death Company. Less fortunate Battle-Brothers are subject to permanent incarceration once the High Chaplain of the Death Company has lost the ability to control them. The combination of a rapid decline due to the Black Rage and their proclivity for brutal assaults has increased the Chapter's rate of decline. This is why the Chapter currently only has enough Space Marines in its ranks to deploy 4 full Battle Companies. In many instances, Charnel Brethren have died before their Progenoid Glands could be properly harvested. This combination has cut into the Chapter's available supply of gene-seed as well as limiting the number of Veteran Space Marines capable of training new inductees. For this reason, the number of members assigned to Apothecary training has recently increased, as has the prioritisation of recovering these precious glands from fallen Battle-Brothers. The cumulative effect may be that the Charnel Brethren could become a non-sustainable Chapter within a relatively short time frame unless some sorts of extreme measures are considered.

The Charnel Brethren also suffer from the Red Thirst, an overwhelming desire to physically taste their enemies' blood. Unfortunately, when this trait is combined with the Black Rage it can devolve into outright cannibalistic assaults by the enraged Space Marines. The cursed Astartes of the Charnel Brethren seem doomed to watch the ongoing collapse of their beloved Chapter. Even as they revel in the destruction of the Emperor's foes, they must also watch as their comrades give in to the curse of Sanguinius' gene-seed. In spite of this, they remain valiant servants of the Imperium. Rather than give in to woe and despair, they constantly strive to fight against the curse as bravely as they fight those who oppose Mankind. As true tragic heroes, the Charnel Brethren remain devoted to their cause, even in the face of ultimate defeat

Chapter Beliefs
As the Black Rage continues to consume its membership, the leaders of the Charnel Brethren have come to the inescapable conclusion that their beloved Chapter may be doomed to eventual disintegration. They continue to seek a cure for this curse, but some consider their eventual depletion inescapable. Some among the leadership have begun to embrace the notion that if they cannot continue then their best approach is to make certain that they leave a bold legacy in keeping with the Chapter's proud traditions.

Most vital to these traditions is the way that they embrace savagery in combat. This is likely a combination of their susceptibility towards the Black Rage as well as the Blood Angels' tradition of excellence in assault actions. Even with their acquisition of Cretacia as a homeworld, the Charnel Brethren proudly exhibited this preference. For the natives' survival in the face of that planet's massive creatures requires an ability to overcome even the most extreme odds through constant warfare. Of course, the Charnel Brethren are tremendously unlikely to compromise with regards to their savagery. The Charnel Brethren have a long tradition of attempting to honour these memories by fulfilling the Primarch's and Emperor's wish for a galaxy under complete Imperial Compliance. In many instances, the only way the Chapter had a reasonable chance to achieve victory is by taking the most extreme of actions against its opponents. There are very few known instances where Charnel Brethren commanders ever hesitated to unleash weapons of cataclysmic proportions.

With each battle won, Battle-Brothers of the Charnel Brethren Chapter feel confident that their Primarch's legend has been preserved. This serves as the most effective method of preserving his glory as well as that of the IX Legion he once led. In many cases, the worlds targeted by the Chapter have strayed in some significant way from the Imperium. It is these conflicts that offer the greatest temptation for Charnel Brethren to fully engage their thirst for savagery. Those who show any taint of heresy, or who even choose to ally themselves, however briefly, with Heretics, are targeted for purging. In some instances, purges have continued well beyond a reasonable level, as Battle-Brothers of the Chapter continued their acts of savage brutality long after any justifiable conflict had been completed.

For many Charnel Brethren Space Marines, such frenzied battles represent a very real warning of the doom that encroaches upon their minds. With each period of savagery, their chance to return to a more normal state of consciousness can become increasingly difficult. This represents a very real sign to these Battle-Brothers that their final emotional and mental collapse approaches them.

Primarch's Curse: Dark Fury
When the Chapter's genetic curse manifests itself in an affected Battle-Brother, it comes on in three stages:

Stage 1 - Extreme Frenzy: The Battle-Brother completely loses control when he frenzies and finds it almost impossible to claw his way back to reason as long as there are foes to fight and blades drawn. Even when foes are not near, the madness of Frenzy grips him and he rages endlessly for battle and blood, howling out his anger and striking the ground with his blade. The Battle-Brother must take care, lest he lose control at any moment. Any time the Battle-Brother takes damage, is confronted with a clear threat, or is put in position of great stress, he must summon all his willpower in order to contain his fury for the duration of an encounter with an enemy.

Stage 2 - Blood Madness: The Charnel Brethren thirst for the blood of their foes when in the grips of the Red Thirst and long to see it spilled across the ground in great arcs and gouts. They also crave the feeling of hot blood on their skin and splattering across their armour, staining the dark red battle-plate a darker shade still. The Battle-Brother must engage foes in close combat if possible, either making melee attacks against them or shooting point black with pistols so that their blood spills at his feet. When he downs a foe, he must resist the urge to hack or blast the foe's corpse apart. If the Battle-Brother is attacked by a new foe while he is in this state while hacking at another foe, he will turn his attention to his new attacker instead.

Stage 3 - Animal Within: Near the end, a Charnel Brethren is little more than an animal filled with fury and madness striking out at all those around him. While he may still have lucid moments where he remembers the warrior he once was, these are fleeting and quickly gone to be replaced with only the thought of killing and the thirst for blood, and he will attack the nearest target (friend or foe) if there is more than one to choose from. At this point, the Battle-Brother is completely within the grip of the Black Rage and must be transferred to the Death Company.

Chapter Combat Doctrine
As with all aspects of the Charnel Brethren Chapter, the Black Rage strongly influences its strategic approach towards military engagements. As Charnel Brethren prepare for combat and see the enemy, they often choose to directly engage their foes in melee combat. This proclivity extends throughout the Chapter from the leadership elements to the newest recruits. As such, when preparing for an engagement, the Charnel Brethren' commanders generally plan their tactics in a way that takes advantage of this tendency, instead of attempting to fight against it. Consequently, the Chapter often fields an inordinate number of its Battle-Brothers equipped as Assault Marines. In contrast, they seldom field squads of Devastator Marines. Even among their tactical units, heavy weapons are often left behind, as many Charnel Brethren Sergeants are reluctant to hold their units at range long enough for the weapons to be used effectively. In many ways, this restricts the Chapter's tactical flexibility and ability to adhere to the tactics presented in the Codex Astartes. However, considering the overall efficiency of their Assault Marines, it is difficult to rationalise such a criticism considering the results of a Charnel Brethren unit in close combat.

Like other Blood Angels Successors, the Charnel Brethren field members of the Death Company as part of any significant conflict. However, due to the nature of their curse, this complement is often larger than the ones exhibited by other Blood Angels Successor Chapters. In many instances, the Death Company's membership includes some of the Chapter's most experienced warriors. This has often led to the Death Company being even more devastatingly effective than when used by other Chapters descended from Sanguinius' blood line. The vast majority of the Charnel Brethren' vehicles are transports, specifically Rhinos and Razorbacks. Just as the Chapter seldom fields a significant number of squads equipped with heavy weapons, it also limits the number of armoured vehicles that it deploys. The Charnel Brethren prefer to charge forward into direct melee whenever possible as heavy infantry, eschewing the limitations imposed by a battle tank. The primary exception to their movement away from vehicles regards the numbers of Dreadnoughts that the Chapter maintains.

Many of the Charnel Brethren' most respected heroes fall prey to the Black Rage before they can suffer a noble death in combat. Whenever possible, these respected warriors are assigned to a life-support sarcophagus where their abilities and knowledge can be preserved and used in future engagements. Many of these Old Ones enter combat with their fellows in the Death Company, charging directly forward to eliminate any foes that stand before them. Tragically, this results in an unacceptably high incidence of death among the pilots of these machines, but this does have the benefit of freeing new sarcophagi for the use of other Battle-Brothers that fall prey to the Black Rage.

As the Charnel Brethren often charge into battle, they have taken a number of specialised measures to assist them as they charge. The Charnel Brethren also have a unique battle cry that they let loose as they attack their foes. While the cry is created by the Space Marines' vocal cords, it is enhanced and amplified by their Power Armour's Vox-systems. First-hand reports confirm that opponents are often stunned into immediate submission when they hear the terrible sound as defenders come face-to-face with the savagery of these Battle-Brothers.

Notable Charnel Brethren

 * Lord Glorion - Chapter Master at the Time of the Centurion War and the Devastion of Baal. During that terrible event he was so badly wounded that he was entombed within a mighty Comtemptor Dreadnought, despite that he continued to lead his Chapter for another one hundred years before finally relinquishing the title to Michaelus, it was rumoured that he was waiting for someone worthy to lead the Chapter before he gave up command, if so than Michaelus must be great indeed.
 * Lord Michaelus - Chapter Master of the Charnel Brethren since 111.M42 obtaining this position just before the attack on Hades Prime, a Massive Astartes he towers over his fellow Charnel Brethren, unknown to any outside the Chapter, he is afflicted by the Flaws but has somehow managed to keep it in check but sometimes even his iron-will can be broken and the beast that lives inside of every son of Sanguinuis will come to the fore and he descend's to the same Blood-Soaked depths as those unfortunates in the Death Company until his sanity mercifully returns and he continues his eternal and ultimately fruitless battle.​​​​​​ In battle he wear the magnificent Armour of the Blood and wields the magnificent Angels Blade and Pistol of Raldoran, named for the Heroes of Old.
 * Brother Azkaellon 'The Blooded' - Chapter Champion and one of the most formidable warriors in the Chapter, he epitomises everything that the sons of Sanguinius stand for but all is not what it seems, Azkaellon is a broken man, lost in the depths of the Black Rage. He lives only for the thrill of Battle and the feeling of Blood splashed on his face, chained up when not in battle and screaming in rage he is unleashed only at the word of his Chapter Master and whose word is the only one capable of halting his rampage.
 * Brother Machiavi, Herald of Sanguinius - The Chapters Herald of Sanguinius, clad in a mighty suit of alabaster Armour and wielding a weapon of magnificent quality he stands at the forefront of the Sanguinary Guard, his sole goal to protect the Archangel, he will never falter in this task and only death will end his service.
 * Captain Meros 'The Executioner'- Captain of the 9th Company and a hulking Primaris Astartes, Meros commands his company with a skill and determination that will rank amongst the greatest in the Chapter's history, his command of the Centent Pacification earned him the sobriquet of the Executioner and the respect of the Lord of the Blood Angels Himself. Clad in Mk X Armour he stands at the forefront of Angelic Host. But even the greatest angel can fall, the flaws have taken hold and whilst he remain's a captain, he more and more often descends to the same Blood-Soaked depths as his Brother's in the Death Company, how long he can continue to pull himself from the depths and return to a semblence of sanity is unknown and it is likely that in time he will fall completely into the abyss.

Chapter Fleet
The Charnel Brethrens Fleet is comprised of the following vessels:

Indiviual Companys save the 10th are assigned their own vessels with the 1st, 3rd and 4th Companys garrising the Chapter Flagship the Blood of Baal, the remaining 6 Battle Companys garrison their own Strike Cruiser.
 * Blood of Baal (Relic Battleship - Unknown Class)
 * Unknown (Strike Cruiser)
 * Unknown (Strike Cruiser)
 * Unknown (Strike Cruiser)
 * Unknown (Strike Cruiser)
 * Unknown (Strike Cruiser)
 * Unknown (Strike Cruiser)
 * Blood Chalice (Strike Cruiser)
 * 12 Escorts (Type Unknown)

Chapter Relics
The Crimson Chalice - An ancient and ornate blood red chalice replete with jewels taken from the irradiated soil of Baal. Given as gift from the Blood Angels on the day of their founding, it is said to have once held a portion of Sanguinius blood, as part of the Aspirants creation they are expected to drink from this cup in order to absorb a part of their Primarch's power

Armour of the Blood - A golden suit almost unparalleled perfection, it's plates a masterpiece of craftmanship, ancient and said to date back to the time of the Heresy the Armour of the Blood is almost impervious to damage, shrugging off shots that would pierce even Terminator Armour, sized to fit Michaelus perfectly it is one of the Charnel Brethren's greatest treasures. Only a hero like the Archangel Michaelus is worthy enough to don armour of this magnificance, it's like can no longer be made in this technology stagnated Imperium

Angels Blade- A weapon of almost unparalleled perfection, a masterpiece of craftmanship, the Angels Blade is a massive and ancient two-handed blade modelled on the Blade Encarmine and said to date back to the time of Sanguinius himself, it can cut through armour with ease and the unknown properties of the blade is an anthema to denizens of the warp sending them screaming back with it's merest touch. Only a hero like the Archangel Michaelus is worthy enough to wield a weapon of this magnificance.

Pistol of Raldoran - An ancient and Master-Crafted Archeaotech pistol scaled perfectly to the size of Lord Michaelus, it's projectiles hit with the force of a Lascannon shot and in the hand of the Archangel it is a devastating weapon.

Sword of Azkaellon - An ancient and Master-Crafted Relic Blade modeled on the blade wielded by Azkaellon and named for that Hero of old, able to cut through the thickest armour with ease only a true son of the Angel can wield this weapon

Colour Scheme
The Charnel Brethren wear black and crimson coloured Power Armour. Like most Blood Angels Successor Chapters they field both a Death Company and Sanguinary Guard, both whom wear bone-white Power Armour, whilst the Sanguinary Guard wear black wings on their jump packs.

Chapter Badge
The Charnel Brethren utilise the same Chapter badge as their Progenitor's - the so-called 'winged drop' or as it is known in High Gothic, the alatus cadere - which consists of a pair of ebon-coloured angelic wings framing a droplet of precious vitae, centered on a field of crimson.

Relations
Feel free to add your own

Allies
Feel free to add your own

Notable Quotes
Feel free to add your own

By the Charnel Brethren
"It was humility that made Astartes as angels. But it was pride that changed angels into devils."

- Reclusiarch Armandus Vitruvio, personal musings on the nature of the fall of the Traitor Legions during the Horus Heresy

Feel free to add your own

About the Charnel Brethren
"Man is neither angel nor beast; and the misfortune is that he who would act the angel, acts the beast. Such is the dichotomous nature of our bloody-handed cousins. Remember...in every angel, a devil hides. And in every devil, an angel strides."

- Bashenga T'Shaka, M'limu (Chaplain) of the Silverbacks Chapter

"Weakness. That is what kills our brothers in the Charnel Brethren, Epistolery. It is the weakness born of shame and denial. They fight that which should be embraced and honour that which should be shamed and punished. All we can do is hope that when they die, their weakness dies with them."

- Leadros Kerventes, Chief Librarian of the Wings of Salvaxes

"They are dying, spiritually as well as physically. It is no small miracle, or maybe curse, that they have clung on for as long as they have without faltering. I hope that when they fall, they manage to fall with some semblance of the honour they deserve, but as with so much in these dark days, hope is so often the first casualty."

- Lophess Ovair, First Captain of the Obsidian Blades

"They are but a word from salvation, a plea from redemption, a scream from acceptance. All they need do is ask, and they will be absolved of all their sins, and embraced for the disciples they have always been. So sad."

- Valkyura Warpschild