Corpse Kings

"Where would the Imperium be without us? Like an artist without his tools. A butcher minus the cleaver. We are all the power it ever possessed."

- Chapter Master Melgrolath Sorrexath of the Corpse Kings

Originally called the Star Hunters, the Corpse Kings are a Renegade Space Marine Chapter who were declared Renegade and Excommunicate Traitoris by the High Lords of Terra on the advice of the Inquisition because of the destruction they brought upon the friend and foe alike to recover an artifact of Chaotic origin. The Corpse Kings still consider themselves loyal to the God Emperor, if not to His Imperium. The Corpse Kings are a Successor Chapter of the Ultramarines, created during the 13th "Dark" Founding.

Chapter History
The history of the Corpse Kings has been put under the Inquisitorial seal up until 002.M39, the year when the Star Hunters officially started walking down the path of the renegade and the excommunicated.

It would all start when the Star Hunters 2nd Company was sent to deal with an uprising upon the Hive World of Rogon IV, a planet of nothing but brown mud and small rivulets, and acquire The Dread Heart, an artifact which every seven years, grants a wish to a mortal that results in the one making the wish to become a Chaos Spawn if the Dread Heart deems them too impure to have their wishes fulfilled. After a long and egregious battle, the Corpse Kings finally reached the artifact only to find out that the Skitarii forces of Forge Word Luximus claimed the artifact for themselves and fled the scene before the Star Hunters could demand the artifact to be handed to them. Though they were ordered to let Forge World Luximus keep the artifact for themselves on the basis that the artifact would be safer in the hands of a Forge World than it would be in the hands of a Space Marine Chapter, Chapter Master Lucius of the Star Hunters marched his entire Chapter against the Forge World Luximus which had been weakened after a daemonic incursion.

Crushing the weakened defenses before them, the Corpse Kings reached the capitol building where the Dread Heart was held. After the heavy resistance coming from the capitol building. wiped out the 2nd and 8th Companies of the Star Hunters, they finally managed to get in after the Star Hunter Scout Marines managed to take down the heavy guns and disable the shield bubble protecting the capitol building. Killing all of the Tech-priests and Skitarii that fought back while allowing the fleeing ones to live, the Star Hunters took the Dread Heart and went back to their homeworld of Zumool II where they learned that Inquisitorial forces under the command of Lord Inquisitor Axrastiya and the remnants of Forge World Luximus were coming to wipe the Star Hunters out for good after learning of their doings from the Planetary Governor of Zumool II. Calculating that the Inquisitorial and Skitarii forces will arrive on the Planetary Governor's daughter's birthday, the Star Hunters began their preparations.

When Chapter Master Lucius was invited to the birthday party, he took the Dread Heart with him in order to gift it to the governor's daughter and frame him with it's theft. Moments before he could gift it however, Lord Inquisitior Axrastiya and her retinue rushed in the room and fired upon everyone in the room. Chapter Master Lucius, unarmed and unready, would die to a melta blast to the face and have the Dread Heart removed from his corpse.

Instantly taking command of the Star Hunter forces, 1st Captain Melgorath Soxxerath lead the Star Hunters against the enemy in a hopeless last stand. Though they managed to wipe out the Luximus remnants, they were out-maneuvered by the Inquisitorial forces over and over again. Declaring the fight hopeless, Melgorath Soxxerath and the remaining 600 Star Hunters fled from their homeworld, leaving the Dread Heart and the corpse of their Chapter Master behind.

Summoning a council composed of the remaining Captains, Melgorath Soxxerath and his Captains decided that the foul mortals that loved to stick their noses into Astartes business were at fault for the downfall of the Star Hunters. Renaming the Chapter to Corpse Kings, Melgorath Soxxerath and his Captains took it to the stars to eradicate all mortals wasting the resources that belong to the Adeptus Astartes.

Notable Campaigns
Pillaging of Oriah IV (210.M39): Corpse Kings 3rd Company, under the leadership of Captain Verad, are sent to the Hive World of Oriah IV to pillage it's resources and take as many worthy subjects as they can. Encountering heavy opposition from the Oriahian PDF, the Corpse Kings take quite a grievous toll -- but topple the loyalist forces after they suffer a sudden betrayal from their own populace.

War of Lies (321.M39): The Corpse Kings Battle Companies, under the leadership of Melgorath Soxxerath himself, return to Zulool II after learning that a new Star Hunters Chapter was formed to cover up the excommunication of Corpse Kings. Managing to crush the young Chapter and leaving them grievously under strength, the Corpse Kings leave after looting the Chapter's Armory when the upcoming arrival of the Inquisition reaches their ears.

Infiltration of the Quaroblig Subsector (571.M39): Veteran Sergeant Xor'gerath is tasked with infiltrating the Inquisitorial Cell operating in the Quaroblig Subsector and retrieve any and all information they have on the Corpse Kings before said information is sent to Terra. Though he comes back to his Chapter successful, his actions grab the attention of Canoness Sabrenta, the six times grand daughter of the Zumool II's governor's daughter the Corpse Kings tried to frame with the theft of the Dread Heart.

Soxxerath Breakout (021.M40): After being arrested by the Inquisitorial Forces, Melgorath Soxxerath is sent to the Prison World of Witopoor III to be further interrogated. Managing to locate their Chapter Master, the entirety of the Corpse Kings Chapter is deployed to Witopoor III to save their Chapter Master. After killing everyone but a young boy named Azzad, who would later become the Chapter's Chief Librarian, the Corpse Kings leave Witopoor III with their Chapter Master before more loyalist forces could arrive to fight them.

Chapter Homeworld
The Corpse Kings do not have a homeworld, instead utilizing the massive starship known as the Lord Freedom.

Fortress-Monastery
Lord Freedom is the massive starship and spiritual home acting as the Fortress Monastery of the Corpse Kings. To prevent any outsiders from attacking it, Lord Freedom is teleported to a randomized location every 15 days. The origins of this ship are known, with many theorizing that the Corpse Kings were either gifted the starship when they were the Star Hunters or stole it from Imperial authorities. Corpse Kings themselves refuse to deny or accept any theories, claiming that it will ruin the mystery behind their Fortress Monastery.

Chapter Beliefs
As befits the inheritors of Roboute Guilliman's superb military genius and ferocity in battle, the Corpse Kings have fought in the manner prescribed in the holy pages of the Codex Astartes for ten millennia. They do not interpret the sacred words of their Primarch loosely, for to do so is considered blasphemy in their eyes. Such deviation is unthinkable to the Corpse Kings. To the Chapter, the Codex is a divine work of wisdom, sanctified by the beneficent Emperor Himself. The Corpse Kings see no reason to deviate from its wisdom.

However, unlike any other Ultramarines successor, the Corpse Kings also carry a hatred for mortals so great that many are driven by their hatred for mortals alone. This hatred originates from the collection of wars that lead to their rebellion which happened only a year after the 10th Black Crusade, where the Corpse Kings would be outmaneuvered by and ultimately forced to retreat from the mortal forces of Inquisitor Axrastia. Believing that mortals put Astartes at an disadvantage with their mere existence, the Corpse Kings treat any and all mortals cruelly unless they deem them worthy of joining their ranks.

Deathwatch Service
Another secret whose answer is only known to the Corpse Kings themselves, the Chapter appears to have a ridicilous amount of marines carrying the holy Deathwatch shoulder pad and arm.Though all info relating to Corpse Kings Deathwatch Marines are either blanked out or put under an Inquisitorial seal, the number of recorded Corpse Kings Deathwatch Marines are but a tiny number compared to the amount of Corpse Kings currently carrying signs of Deathwatch servitude. While many suspect that this is merely the result of the Corpse Kings not caring about what part of the Power Armor they are looting and thus having a great amount of Deatwatch shoulder pads, many others suspect that these Deathwatch shoulder pads are self-made imitations used with the sole purpose of creating the aforementioned theory while also acting as a fear tactic.

Chapter Combat Doctrine
Corpse Kings, like their Parent Chapter, has come to rely on the holy dictates of the Codex Astartes to meet any given tactical situation. This tome contains the wisdom of thousands of Imperial warriors who have contributed to the Codex, and details everything from proper unit markings to how to launch full-scale planetary assaults within its pages. The Corpse Kings do not specialize in any particular form of combat, instead proving to be the ultimate generalists -- surprisingly proficient at every task required in warfare, but not the master or greatest practitioner of any of them. For instance, the Mourning Wardens Chapter is far more skilled in armored warfare than the Corpse Kings, while the Night Ravens are second to none in the use of guerrilla, infiltration and hit-and-run tactics, and the Storm Zealots are the recognized masters of siege warfare. Yet the Corpse Kings' generalist skill in the arts of combat would provide a potent defense against any of these Chapters, and so they are often held up as the standard to which all other Chapters of Astartes are compared, for better or worse.

Notable Corpse Kings
Melgorath Soxxerath: The current Chapter Master of the Corpse Kings. Self-promoted to his position after the death of Chapter Master Lucius, Melgorath is a wise yet brutal man. His recruitment process and promotion to 1st Captain is shrouded in mystery and his service prior to his promotion seems virtually non-existent. One thing that's clear is that he's a man of few words, and has an unnaturally calm demeanor in combat situations. He directs his men decisively, and always gets the job done - no matter how unsavory.

Azzad: The current Chief Librarian of the Corpse Kings. Promoted to his position after the unfortunate demise of Algoner, Azzard had been the youngest prison guard in Witopoor III before the Corpse Kings took him. Clearly his take on becoming a Space Marine Librarian came from watching too many imperial movies at the youth centre with a bunch of 10-year-olds! He wasn't expecting to have to take it to the battlefield...

Chapter Fleet

 * New Beginning (Vengance-Class Grand Cruiser) - The flagship of the Corpse Kings Chapter.
 * Valeire's Demise (Legate-Class Battle Barge)
 * Avenging Son (Warspite-Class Battle Barge)
 * A Chapter, All Alone (Strike Cruiser)
 * A Macgraggian's Faith (Strike Cruiser)
 * Dragon of Mars (Strike Cruiser)
 * Pilgrimage (Strike Cruiser)
 * Verum Imperatorum (Strike Cruiser)
 * Remembrancer's Hope (Strike Cruiser)
 * Second Round (Strike Cruiser)
 * Might of The Imperium (Strike Cruiser)
 * Oath of Fury (Strike Cruiser)
 * Collosal Blade (Strike Cruiser)
 * War Season (Strike Cruiser)
 * The Great Purge (Strike Cruiser)

Chapter Relics
Talkative Plasma Pistol: A Plasma Pistol originating from the times of the Horus Heresy, this daemonic Plasma Pistol is the trusty side-arm of Chapter Master Melgorath Soxxerath. As the name implies, this Plasma Pistol is rather talkative and has been known to have regular conversations with Melgorath on occasion. It is not known who the Daemon within this Plasma Pistol is or what god he originates from as the daemon itself claims that his origins and name is none of the Corpse Kings' business.

Chapter Colors
The Corpse Kings wear dark blue armor with beige trims, with the upper part of their helmets also being beige. A beige trim is usually present on any use of the Aquila in Corpse Kings' iconography. The Corpse Kings' shoulder plate armour trim color, unlike that of the Ultramarines, stays the same for each and every Company. Apothecaries and Librarians make their armour white and blue throughout respectively but possess a single dark blue shoulder plate white trim.

Chapter Badge
The Corpse Kings bear a two sided blade, the so-called "Blade of the Harvest Moon Clan," that originates from the legends of their former homeworld of Zumool II.

Quotes
By the Corpse Kings:"Who sent you, brothers? Actually, don't answer that. It is the Inquisition, it has got to be them."

- Melgorath Soxxerath, talking to a Deathwatch Kill-Team moments before his arrest. About the Corpse Kings:

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