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Revenants Metallum
The Revenants Metallum are a semi-Codex Compliant Chapter created in the 21st Founding descended from the Iron Hands. Due to the dark nature of the so called "Cursed Founding", and the fate of many Chapters founded during that time, the Revenants Metallum fell victim to a genetic curse. The gene seed of the Revenants Metallum had been tinkered with to accept bionic implantation with an almost 0% chance of rejection. However, this tinkering caused the gene seed to make the Astartes age rapidly, to the point of decay as the years went by. In order to avoid extinction the Revenants Metallum turned to extensive, and perhaps excessive, use of bionics in order to prevent withering way. Since then the Revenants are a Chapter of automatons who despise death and regression.

Troubled Beginnings
The 21st Founding, known also as the "Cursed" Founding, took place in 991.M35, on the cusp of the 36th Millennium, shortly before the start of the Age of Apostasy. The focus of the 21st Founding for the Adeptus Mechanicus was perfecting and removing the existing, identified deficiencies in flawed Adeptus Astartes gene-seed, and ultimately the production of new and improved Primarch-like Space Marines as part of what was called "Project Homo Sapiens Novus."

Unfortunately, the Adeptus Mechanicus' Genetors proved far less skilled in the genetic sciences than the Emperor of Mankind, and their efforts resulted in the development of seriously flawed gene-seed that was used to craft the organ implants for the new Chapters. Matters pertaining to the exact nature of the 21st Founding have long since become shrouded in myth. The various dark ends that have befallen many of this Founding's Chapters have entered it into the lore of the Inquisition and the Space Marines alike as the so-called "Cursed Founding," and with good reason. Many now consider those Chapters created under its auspices as tainted from their very birth. Although some Chapters of this Founding were spared a devolution into something no longer human, its mark is still upon them in the eyes of their fellow Space Marines, many of whom grew to shun these Chapters, regardless of their undoubted loyalty to the Imperium and noble defence of its people.

Being founded in the Cursed Founding, the Revenants Metallum suffered misfortune just like the other Chapters founded in that time. Tinkering with the gene seed of the Iron Hands, the Genetors lowered the chances of bionic rejection rate to almost 0 but, as a result, ended up causing the Astartes to begin aging at an alarming rate; the aging was such that by ten years a Revenant would look as if he was centuries old. Even worse, the Astartes would begin decaying while alive and wither into a husk. With the Chapter's strength dwindling from the attrition of war and the curse, the Revenants desperately turned to bionics, replacing their dying flesh and organs with metal and cybernetics. Soon the entire Chapter had become outfitted with bionics and finally recovered from their curse, though not stopping it either. Some allegations that the bionics are not in line with standard procedures or technology have emerged but have never been proven. The Revenants developed hatred, and perhaps fear, of death as well as a hatred for conservative ideology that has set them at odds with the Mechanicum and their progenitors. The Revenants see the use of bionics as a way to defeat death and strive to make themselves nigh on immortal thus an Astartes of the Chapter will eventually end up more machine than flesh.

Destroyers of Worlds
The Destroyers of Worlds, or the Kshatriya as they call themselves, are a semi-Codex compliant Chapter created from the gene-seed of the White Scars in the 8th Founding. This Chapter has garnered a reputation as being notorious and feared for their extremely brutal methods in carrying out a war that often leaves a world destroyed. They are the Kshatriya, the 'Destroyers of Worlds', and when their name is spoken or their presence noticed, those who know of them fall into a fearful silence as they take one last glimpse at the planet before it is surely scarred eternally from the murderous rampage the Kshatriya will inflict.

A Bloody Beginning
To understand the brutal nature of the "Destroyer of Worlds", one must look back to it's founder, Taban. Taban was once of the White Scars and noted to be an extremely bloodthirsty warrior. Even so, his particular acts of glory earned him the honour of founding a Chapter. The founded Chapter, christened the Destroyers of Worlds, was gifted the planet of Mysurubad, a feudal world wracked by dozens of royal families struggling for ultimate rule over the world. When the Destroyers of Worlds arrived, they demanded the royal families submit to them or be destroyed. When none of the families submitted, the Destroyers attacked the palaces of the five mightiest families and completely wiped them out. Taban made his demand again and the remaining families submitted to the new lords of Mysurubad. The Destroyers built their fortress monastery over the ruins of one of the destroyed families' palaces. As time went by the Destroyers of Worlds slowly replaced their Chogorian heritage with the culture and traditions of Mysurubad.

Deaths of Worlds
The Destroyers of Worlds quickly cemented their reputation as savage killers when their first action was the crushing of a system wide rebellion when a governor allowed power to rush to his head. The Destroyers of Worlds, or the Kshatriya as they began to call themselves, descended upon the system and razed each world to the ground, leaving billions dead and the planets almost uninhabitable while the governor had his skull taken as a trophy by the Maharajah. When called to explain their extreme brutality, the Kshatriya merely replied that they were "doing their duty".

Since then, the Kshatriya laid waste to any world they fought on regardless of it being a rebel or xenos held planet. They would slaughter all in their path, burn the cities to the ground and salt the earth so that crops may never be farmed again. The heads of champions and leaders were taken as trophies or offered as sacrifices to the Emperor in return for His sanction on the duty they had to do. What shocked those who knew of the Chapter's extreme violence was that the Kshatriya took no joy in the wanton slaughter they engaged in and merely saw it as their duty. Of course there was always personal glory and honour to be gained but only in the deaths of worthy combatants or through noble actions, not through killing civilians. To the Kshatriya, the destruction of worlds was seen as a necessity; rebel worlds must be taught never to rebel again, xenos and heretic worlds needed to be completely purged their filth might never spread. If the Kshatriya needed to be seen as bloodthirsty savages then so be it, nothing must get in their way of doing their duty, or Dharma.

Wrath of the Bloodied Wings
Many Chapters take issue with the Kshatriya's ways of war, the Salamanders refuse to even acknowledge the Chapter's existence, however there have been few incidents of violence between the Kshatriya and another loyal Chapter. That is, until 600.M37 when the Kshatriya met the Broken Wings.

The Kshatriya joined a campaign on a rebel world that had been holding off the Imperial Guard liberation forces for a year. Already assisting the campaign were the Broken Wings and the Hounds of the Emperor. With the brutal massed strikes of the Kshatriya, the rapid attacks of the Hounds of the Emperor and the vengeful sky assaults from the Broken Wings, the rebels are swiftly crushed. However, the Kshatriya's rampage did not cease as they began to ravage the world and it's people. Angered by such cruelty the Broken Wings attacked the Kshatriya and another battle began that resulted in blood being shed on both sides. It was only when the Hounds of the Emperor intervened that the two Chapters stood down and parted ways. Since then, the Kshatriya and Broken Wings held a bitter enmity towards each other and refused to ever fight together again. It would seem that this hatred did not last however, as when the Kshatriya heard of the Broken Wings' demise at the Devastation of Baal they mourned them for three days and three nights as well as begging their forgiveness for spilling the blood of fellow Astartes on that fateful night where they fought each other.

Death of Senegas
Senegas was a civilized world said to have beauty rivaled by no other. Alas, like many jewels of the Imperium, it was blemished when the Orks descended upon it. Despite their best efforts, the PDF were overwhelmed and a call for aid was sent out. The Kshatriya answered the call.

Chapter Homeworld
The world of Mysurubad is a feudal world located in Segmentum Obscurus. The planet's climate and people are said to like that of Ind of Ancient Terra. The world is divided into dozens of city states, Rajas, ruled over by Maharajahs who constantly make war on each other for power and land. However, when the Kshatriya arrived the Chapter destroyed the mightiest Rajas and any others who resisted their claim before placing themselves as rulers of Mysurubad. Though they came and took over by force, the Kshatriya are fair rulers who are mostly benevolent unless their hands are forced.

Mysurubad society is divided by a strict caste system that dictates what a certain class can and can't do. At the top are the warriors and rulers and at the bottom are Dalits, untouchables. In theory the Kshatriya take their aspirants from the warrior castes but, in reality, the Kshatriya take anyone who show promise.

Fortress-Monastery
The Kshatriya's Fortress Monastery, Raajaon Ka Mahal (Palace of Kings), is located on Mysurubad, built on the ruins of the former mightiest Raj prior to the Chapter's arrival. Raajaon Ka Mahal is a towering keep where the Chapter resides. Despite the Kshatriya's savage and brutal reputation, the Raajaon Ka Mahal is no keep of horrors with walls covered in skinned corpses but instead bears beautifully wrought carvings and patterns that please the eye. Fine spices and incense fill the air as well as the sounds of instruments. Of course this does not mean the Kshatriya act like lazing highborn for they are still Astartes.

Chapter Organisation
The Kshatriya follow the Codex as their Progenitors, the White Scars, do with some variations. The Kshatriya mostly recruit from the warrior caste Once a young warrior is selected from the feuding Rajs of Mysurubad, loyalty to his family and land is replaced by loyalty to the Chapter and the Emperor of Mankind.

As their Primarch did during his campaign to unite the steppes, recruits from different tribes are mixed together in the White Scars' squads. Each squad of White Scars Astartes becomes part of a Brotherhood, a type of unit that is roughly equivalent to a standard, 100-Astartes company. Each Brotherhood is led by an officer known as a Khan, who is essentially the White Scars' version of a standard Space Marine company captain. The Kshatriya follow a similar format except they recruit from the warrior caste and mix aspirants from different Rajs into a squad. Each squad becomes part of a Gathan, or formation, led by a Raja.

Like the White Scars' Brotherhoods, the Kshatriya do not make use of standard Astartes designations and instead name their Companies as Gathans. Every Gathan has a different title according to the Raja who leads it. For example the Gathan of Raja Vihaan is titled "Bled ka Gathan", Formation of the Blade. The name of a Gathan often changes when it's Raja does. This no doubt causes no small amount of confusion for Imperial officials.

The Kshatriya have a propensity to maintain a disproportionate number of Bike Squads and Land Speeder squadrons within their order of battle. This highly mobile lightning-attack fighting style means the Kshatriya do not make use of as many heavy weapons as other Chapters. Due to their reliance on fast-moving fire support, most of the tanks used by the Chapter have had their armour stripped down so that they are able to keep up with the majority of the fast-moving Kshatriya forces.

Following the same traditions as the White Scars, Dreadnoughts are also rarely employed by the Kshatriya, as the cold, metal sarcophagi of these mighty cyborgs evoke a horror of eternal confinement and induce a feeling of extreme claustrophobia for the warriors who live to feel the wind against their face as their ride to battle. Even so, dreadnoughts do exist and are only manned by the oldest and wisest of the Chapter thus they are not only venerable but extremely lethal in battle.

Officer Ranks

 * Maharajah - Maharajah is the title for the ruler of the Kshatriya. The Maharajah has the responsibility of ruling both the Chapter and Mysurubad, thus he balances charisma and diplomacy with combat skill and tactics.
 * Raja - Raja is the equivalent of a Captain in traditional Chapters and is the leader of a Gathan. Rajas are mighty warriors in their own regard as well as skilled tacticians. Due to the Kshatriya's tendency to go to war as one big horde, they most often serve as advisers to the Maharajah.
 * Talaivar - With Guilliman's reorganisation of the Codex Astartes, several ranks from the ancient times of the Astartes Legions returned to service. The Talaivar is the Kshatriya's equivalent of the Lieutenant. Talaivar lead a Demi Company of 50 warriors and also serve as champions of the Rajas.

Specialist Ranks

 * Skālar - Skālar are the Kshatriya's equivalent of Librarians. They essentially act like the Stormseers of the White Scars.
 * Vāriyar Pūcāri - Vāriyar Pūcāri is the title for the Chaplains and Reclusiarch of the Kshatriya. They usually lead from the front, roaring out teachings of Jaghatai Khan while slaughtering their foes.
 * Cēviyars - Cēviyars are the Apothecaries of the Chapter. Ironically their name means "Saviours" despite the violence their Chapter can mete out.
 * Vāḷkaḷiṉ Cuvar - Though the Kshatriya love to ride on bikes and charge into glorious battle, they too must make use of terminator armour when the situation commands it. The Vāḷkaḷiṉ Cuvar is the name used for those in terminator armour. They teleport into battle and unleash their destructive power while their indomitable armour shields them from all but the most powerful of weaponry.
 * Vēṭṭaiyiṉ Kaṇkaḷ - The Kshatriya's bloody reputation is enough to put fear into any foe, but fighting against them is even more terrifying and many will flee at the sight of their comrades being butchered. Those who dare flee are still not safe for they have incurred the wrath of the Vēṭṭaiyiṉ Kaṇkaḷ, the Eyes of the Hunt. These jump pack wearing or bike riding Astartes are charged with hunting down cowards and slaying them to redeem their honour. These brutal warriors take their charge seriously and will hunt their prey relentless and take their skull as a prize.

Line Ranks

 * Neta - Neta is the equivalent of a sergeant in a Chapter.
 * Vāriyar - Vāriyar, meaning warrior, is the term for standard battle brothers.

Specialist Formations

 * Horde - The Horde is a byword for a storm of death raging towards the foe. Few can stand against the sight of an entire Chapter of bloodthirsty super human warriors shouting war cries riding on assault bikes towards the foe. Against this horde, none can stand.
 * Thuggee - Though the Kshatriya's reputation is enough to cause fear amongst the enemy, the Chapter are more than happy to sow confusion and disarray before they strike. Bike mounted scouts infiltrate enemy lines and carry out hit and run assaults to sabotage supply lines, weaken outposts and destroy unprotected settlements. The sudden attacks and the ability to fade back into the shadows has given the formation its name, Thuggee (Hidden). Recently with the coming of the Primaris, the Kshatriya have used the Vanguard Space Marines to great effect. These ruthless soldiers have only amplified the terrifying and brutal reputation of the Kshatriya and give many pause when their name is mentioned. One favoured tactic of the Thuggee is to strangle unsuspecting foes to death, leaving bloodless massacres.

Order of Battle
Below is the Chapter order of the Kshatriya. For simplicity's sake, the Order is mostly translated to High Gothic.

Combat Doctrine
The method of war taught to the steppe tribes of Chogoris by Jaghatai Khan has served the White Scars well in the millennia that followed. Their modus operandi consists of lightning-fast hit-and-run attacks conducted by highly mobile forces, destroying the enemy piece by piece and never allowing the enemy to force a decisive or static engagement. The Destroyers of Worlds follow their progenitor's ways. Evoking the mounted warriors of their heritage, each Gathan maintains a high proportion of Assault Bikes, Attack Bikes and Land Speeders, and their infantry squads are almost always borne to battle by fast moving vehicles or gunships. Indeed, it is often said that the Kshatriya are born in the saddle and are not at ease unless fighting on, in or from an armoured mount of some kind.

They also make use of Jump Pack-equipped Assault Squads to harass the enemy, and then hit the foe with a full assault when they are at their weakest and most frazzled. The Chapter's combat doctrine is to deliver their forces to the battlefield in a single swift blow; thus, when Drop Pods are employed, the entire force of the Chapter committed to the assault deploys in them in order to avoid the possibility of parts of the force arriving in reserve.

While the White Scars prefer to keep the foe at arms-length, the Kshatriya love to engage in bloody close assaults, and are rightly feared by the enemies of the Imperium, as well as by those who fight alongside the violent Chapter. In contrast, few Destroyers of Worlds Space Marines have ever entered service as a Dreadnought, and only in the direst of circumstances. To the Kshatriya, the thought of spending an eternity sealed within the ceramite sarcophagus at the heart of a Dreadnought, of never again feeling the rush of the air whilst hurtling towards the foe with blade in hand, is a truly horrifying notion.

Also, the majority of heavy weapons normally used by Space Marine forces such as the Heavy Bolter, Missile Launcher, Plasma Gun or Heavy Flamer are frowned upon by the Chapter, and any main battle tank that cannot keep up with the rest of the army is avoided in the order of battle.

For instance, the Kshatriya have no Devastator Squads, and their few Predator tanks may not carry sponson weapons. The Chapter also almost never field any Dreadnoughts, not only because of the slowness of those cyborgs, but also because every Kshatriya Astartes does not want to be crippled to the point that they must be entombed in a Dreadnought's cybernetic sarcophagus. Far better to die and allow their spirits to pass into the afterlife where they may roam freely.

Overall, the Destroyers of Worlds are considered a powerful and effective Chapter when undertaking direct, rapid assaults or carrying out surgical strikes intended to achieve specific operational objectives. However they are also well known, and feared, for their ability to cause untold levels of devastation. However, their lack of units with a great deal of resilience or staying power such as heavy weapons-equipped Tactical Marines, Devastator Marines, Dreadnoughts or the heavier Astartes main battle tanks means that their detachments are more fragile if not used at a tactically appropriate moment or if forced to face prolonged, static combat, particularly against well-defended enemy strongholds and heavily-fortified positions. The Destroyers of Worlds are not a Chapter that would fare well undertaking sieges, for example.

Chapter Gene Seed
The gene-seed of the Kshatriya appears to be stable and initially displayed no aberrations or mutation. However, with the introduction of genetic material from the warriors of Mysurubad, the genome seems to have inherited their thirst for war. Despite the teachings of the Rajas and Daayan, it is not unheard of for feuds to flare up between fellow squad members.

In addition to this, there have been several recorded instances where Kshatriya Gathans have bloodily exceeded their mission objectives, such as the countless massacres they have committed. Whether such incidents are as a result of some inherent flaw in their genetic material is unknown. as if with all Successor Chapters, the Kshatriya are equally ferocious and fine examples of the combat teachings of Jaghatai Khan.

Primarch's Curse: Chogorian Savagery
It is unknown whether the controlled savagery of the White Scars came originally from Jaghatai Khan, or from the wild and fierce people of Chogoris themselves, or even some combination of the two, but whatever the cause, there is a ferocity within their hearts and their blood that grants them great power, but which also threatens to consume all that they are and damn them.

All White Scars are watchful for this necessary yet insidious savagery, and it is only with great discipline, humble introspection and often the watchfulness of their Battle-Brothers that they can hope to master themselves. All White Scars are watchful for this necessary yet insidious savagery, and it is only with great discipline, humble introspection and often the watchfulness of their Battle-Brothers that they can hope to master themselves. When the Chapter's genetic curse manifests itself in an affected Battle-Brother, it comes on in two stages:


 * Stage 1 - A Moment Unrestrained: The Battle-Brother's discipline begins to slip and falter, allowing brief moments of untamed ferocity to emerge in the heat of battle. Often, the Battle-Brother will not even know that he is succumbing to this savagery, and it requires the presence of his Brothers to warn him of his failure.
 * Stage 2 - Suppressed Rage: Within the darkest reaches of the Battle-Brother's mind lurks the shadow of his rage and fury, seeking any opportunity to emerge, and causing the Battle-Brother to become belligerent and quick to anger.

Notable Members

 * Sarthak Bhadula -
 * Ajith Kallan - To say that Kallan was destined to lead the Gathan of Destruction would not be surprising, for ever since he had been inducted into the Kshatriya he was a particularly violent individual. His fixation with destroying all in his path became instantly noteworthy. Thus when he rose to command of his Gathan, it was renamed to the Gathan of Destruction.
 * Gobind Raj -
 * Kiran -
 * Vasuki -

Chapter Fleet
Knowledge of the Destroyers' of Worlds fleet is limited, save that it has a Battle Barge and a number of strike cruisers.
 * Desolation's Son - the Desolation's Son is a Strike Cruiser in service to the Kshatriya. It was present at the Death of Senegas.

Chapter Relics

 * Shyva's Wrath - Named after the Lady of Destruction, Shyva's Wrath is a power spear wieled by Raja Ajith Kallan of the Gathan of Destruction. It has tasted the blood of thousands of foes and suits the Raja well.
 * Sharp Wind - Sharp Wind is an artificer crafted assault bike ridden by the Maharajah into battle. It is ornate and equipped with an iron halo as well as granted two relic bolters that can tear through anything.

Deathwatch Service
Many Chapters send Battle Brothers to the Deathwatch, but few can say they do it enthusiastically. The Kshatriya are one of these Chapters. For the Chapter, the opportunity to send a marine to the Deathwatch, an elite organisation of xenos killers is a great honour as well as a great chance to shed alien blood. The Kshatriya's inborn affinity for fast attacks and swordsmanship make them lethal opponents when utilising the Venator Tactic. It is also noted that a Kshatriya Astartes will go to considerable efforts to befriend his Kill Team or any brother he meets but this is difficult, for the Destroyers of Worlds' brutal reputation and their tendency to adorn themselves with grisly trophies means that only other brutal Chapters are so easily befriended.

Chapter Appearance
As their progenitors do, the Destroyers of Worlds adorn themselves in cultural markings and grisly trophies. It is also common for warriors to go into battle without a helmet and wear finely made turbans. Warriors of the Kshatriya tend to grow their hair long and have beards. Facial markings are uncommon but do appear from time to time.

Typically, an Astartes from the Destroyers of Worlds would be a dark skinned individual with long black hair adorned with icons painstakingly added by the marine himself. There may also be fine silk turbans or robes worn. These luxurious aesthetics make space for skulls, or heads, on spikes and chains. These gory and barbaric trophies usually overshadow the finer aesthetics that prevent the Kshatriya from being seen as a civilised and cultural Chapter.

Chapter Colours
The Kshatriya wear gold and blue armour. Their helms, chest pieces and greaves are gold while their arms, pauldron and backpack are blue. No colour is used to differentiate ranks.

Chapter Badge
The Destroyers' of Worlds badge suits them well for it is a dying world stabbed by a sword. Due to the Chapter's infamy, their badge is more than enough to convince a rebel world to stand down.

Allies

 * White Scars and Successors - The Kshatriya maintain good relations with their progenitors and fellow successors, often campaigning alongside them and competing in contests of headtaking and scalping. Their relations are such that the Kshatriya's infamy is often overlooked by the Scars.

Enemies

 * Broken Wings - Due to an incident that result in the two Chapters fighting a bloody battle, the Broken Wings are sworn foes of the Destroyers of Worlds. Since the incident the Kshatriya and Broken Wings never campaigned nor acknowledged each other for fear of more bloodshed. However, when the Broken Wings died out in the Devastation of Baal the Kshatriya was said to have mourned them for 3 days and 3 nights and begged their forgiveness for the bloodshed. For, in the end, the Kshatriya respected their foes.