Undertakers

"Many fear death, to dem it be da finality of all existence. Most would try der best to put eet off, even sellin’ der souls to become da damned all in order to escape eets icy grip. Ta me, death is merely de next part on the journey of life. De Emperah ‘imself walks between the worlds of de livin and de dead and as his children we must not fear da path he takes but tread in his footsteps instead."

- Unknown Undertaker marine

The Undertaker marines are a loyalist chapter of space marines that arose during the 21st Cursed founding, claiming lineage from the Primarch Vulkan. Before the formation of their chapter, the Undertaker’s home world, the Cemetery World of Creole spent nearly a millenia as an Ork “Toof Mine”, shaping the populace by influencing their culture. Most notably the native populations speech patterns were altered, but a strong sense of superstition was instilled amongst them as they were forced to mine for human teeth from Imperial corpses while being constantly surrounded by death. In addition, Drukhari experimentation during this period lead to an unusual amount of psykers appearing amongst the normal population. These factors would ultimately mold the chapter’s belief about the nature of death, the human soul, and the warp. This would ultimately draw them to the ideal of safeguarding the souls of humanity to their final rest free from the corruption of the forces of chaos.

The most noticeable feature of the chapter is that a mutation in the gene seed has created a complex nervous system allowing the marines to “resurrect” after suffering grievous wounds and continue fighting even if he is considered clinically dead. While their unique gene seed and mysterious beliefs make many weary of the chapter the Undertakers are stalwart in protecting the Imperium regardless of what their peers think.

Chapter History
The beliefs and mannerisms of the Undertakers are the results of millennia of oppression under an Ork regime and the influence of Dark Eldar prior to their formation.

“Da Toof Mine”
The origins of the Undertakers began when a struggling Ork Warboss named Graz Strakafist was barely keeping his warband together. He had been experiencing a streak of unsuccessful raids, and while an imposing Warboss, much of his troop were more swayed by the prospect of loot rather than threats of being krumped. The only source of income the Warboss had at the moment was Teef, but what he had was not enough. Knowing that while not as valuable as Ork Teef, human teeth were still had worth the Ork concocted a plan to satiate his band until he could find a more profitable solution. The Warboss had to choose his target carefully though, as the already agitated warband could disband during the heat of battle if things did not go their way. Graz decided on the cemetery world of Creole due to it’s laxing defenses and the relative distance between it and other imperial worlds in its subsector.

The warband invaded quickly overthrowing the Imperial citizens and sacking several towns but it was not until they reached the largest continent known as the Fields of Peace that everything changed. Graz led his reinvigorated troop onto the Fields of Peace though they were perplexed by what they saw. The greenskins were greeted by a land covered in graves as, along with a sign reading Pax enim imperatoris fidelis. The warband had never seen human graves and thought it was dumb for humans to bury their dead, so they decided the best thing to do was too blow up as much as they could to insult the humans even more. Through the warband seemed to thoroughly enjoy sending human remains several meters up into the air, Strakafist was struck with a brilliant idea as a stray skull bounced off his head. The humans here were already dead and were full of teeth and many of the bodies had jewelry and other trinkets on them, if he could harvest the humans here, he could be rich without spending the resources necessary to kill living humans and extract their teeth. Graz had to be careful though, the lack of combat could drive the Orks to boredom and still cause them to leave regardless of how many teeth he had. So, Graz proposed a contest to the warband to blow up as many graves as possible and the winners would get the best share of the teeth and loot the warband was able to obtain. Thus, the warband set across the continent blowing up what they could and collecting the raining teeth until they eventually stumbling across a large building. Killing the humans manning the building the Orks discovered an elevator that led them deep underground, it was here they found the catacombs. The tunnels of the catacombs were filled with human skulls and corpses and appeared to lead on forever, several scouts were sent into the tunnels and those who returned were those Orks who got bored and were able to remember their way back. Though the Orks were happy in finding the apparent motherload of teeth, they were not entirely thrilled in spending their time extracting them all. While the idea of blowing up the tunnels were passed around quite a bit, Graz ultimately settled of getting the humans to do as there were still plenty of them around. So it was that the Warband began to gather up the remaining humans on the planet and forced them to work in the catacombs now called “Da Toof Minez”.

“Partnership with the Druhkari”
At first things started going smoothly a steady supply of teeth and other trinkets came flowing in allowing Strakafist to solidify his warband and enabled him to purchase better weapons and vehicles from other Orks. The catacombs seemed to span the entire northern continent so there was no shortage of apparent teeth than the Ork had at his disposal, the only issue was mining this resource. Extraction of teeth was a lengthy process and if he were to obtain enough to fund potential future endeavors such as a full blow WAAAAGH!, he would need a substantial population of slaves than the planet could produce, especially after the Warband massacred nearly half of the existing population. While his boyz were willing to capture more humans from other systems, he would need something more subtle as Ork raids tended to attract unwanted attention. Through a series of connections, Strakafist was able to get into contact with a Druhkari cabal operating in the sector and proposed a deal. The Dark Eldar would capture and bring slaves to Creole, and in return the Orkz would work as a military force against their enemies and they would be allowed to take slaves into the deeper catacombs and torture and experiment on them as they wished. Seeing an Ork army as a useful resource against other cabals, the Druhkari agreed bring a new influx of slaves at regular intervals.

“Emancipation”
By 871. M34 the Toof Minez had proven to be an invaluable resource, providing Graz with enough funds to finance several successful campaigns and he had established Creole as his home base. The once pristine cemetery had become a strip mine with the sounds of machinery and the roars of Ork Overseers rising above the moans and cries of their human slaves. The Druhkari had also taken full advantage of this partnership as well abducting humans from chain gangs and taking them into the farthest reaches of the mines where they had established workshops to experiment and torture their victims. While many of them did not return, some were released back into the orks custody. No one knows what the Dark Eldar to these released prisoners, but the progeny of these experiments tended to develop psychic abilities, and over time these psychic genes disseminated into the Creole population causing an increase in psykers in Creole’s population. Creole’s genetic profile was not the only thing to change as centuries of subjugation under the Orkz had changed them psychologically and socially. Similar to the Diggas of Angelis, their language had taken a number of Ork inflections and the years toiling in the catacombs warped their perception on death. While much of the population had lost hope in ever being rescued and merely accepted their way of life, there were still those believed that the Imperium would save and constantly prayed to the Emperor for salvation. A small group of rebellious slaves were able to cobble together a Vox-Caster and had been broadcasting a weak signal on a continuous loop requesting help from any Imperial Forces. The Vox Caster was left on for over 2 centuries without a response, and though it seemed like help would never come, the rebels left it functional as a symbol of their loyalty to the Emperor. Their prayers would soon be answered as several Salamander ships had entered the system following a lead that there was an Ork stronghold somewhere in the sector (some believed the lead was from a Druhkari Cabal that was rival to the one employed by Strakafist, but this has never been confirmed). As the fleet came closer to Creole they picked up on the weak signal and responded soon making contact with the rebels to ascertain their situation. Graz had heavily fortified his fortress, and a frontal assault could lead to many unnecessary casualties, but the rebels had a plan. It was discovered that the catacombs not only span the northern continent but the entire planet and there were different access points on different parts of the world which the Orks did not know about since they would never venture that deep into the crypts. So, the Salamanders settled on a two-pronged assault the main force would make planetfall and keep the brunt of the Ork forces distracted while a smaller group would enter the catacombs via an access point on an island not far off the northern continents coast ad launch an assault from beneath. For three days the Salamanders assaulted the heavily fortified base while the smaller detachment navigated their way though the catacombs with the help of the rebels. Eventually the group made their way into the main quarry and launched attack underneath successfully demolishing several vehicles, turret and anti-air emplacements allowing the main force of the Astartes to break through the fortifications routing the orks and forcing them to flee. Unfortunately, Graz Strakafist fled the planet moments before the walls fell, with enough teeth to establish a base somewhere else. Though the Salamanders intended on tracking Graz down eventually, they first set their priorities on rehabilitating the population and rebuilding the planet back to its former glory.

“The Black Coffin”
Reestablishing order on Creole was not an easy task for the Salamanders. While there were still Imperial supporters on the planet much of the population had devolved under Ork rule forming brutal gangs that roamed the planet with little interest for other outsiders. While it was a cemetery world, the chapter felt inclined to rehabilitate it rather than abandon it to its savage inhabitants, so the Salamanders attempted to reestablish Imperial civilization. Over several years the Salamanders combined with efforts from the Inquisition were able to bring a sense of order to the surface of the planet and faith in the Emperor and the Imperium was reinstated, though many Orkish elements were still heavily engrained in the culture and seemed impossible to remove regardless of numerous attempts at “reeducation”, but as they were usually benign factors they were left alone. Unfortunately, there was another issue the Salmanders to deal with, the Druhkari. While the rebels informed the Salamanders of their presence in the catacombs, they were never encountered during the siege of the Ork Fortress and if they did still reside in the depths, they needed to be purged lest they prey on the populace again. Patrols were sent to clear the catacombs and while initial scans yielded no signs of Dark Eldar, there was indeed indication that the Drukhari had lairs somewhere deeper in the catacombs. Patrols eventually came across dangerous traps such as toxic gas, hidden retracting blades, and even Nightmare dolls imbedded in the catacomb walls. The worst of all is that the Dark Eldar left traps that would warp space and time, some as harmless as teleporting an individual to another portion of the catacombs, to those expelling a small horde of chaos demons, this was of great concern as if these traps became unstable they could inadvertently release part of the warp into the planet so measures were taken to seal these rifts.

After the last of these defenses were removed the Salamanders moved in preparing to face off against the Cabal, only to find a large platform capable of descending into a level deeper in the catacombs. At the bottom of this shaft, the Salamanders came across a massive complex adorned in gold and bearing iconography of the Emperor and the Imperium before the Horus Heresy. Beyond the gilded doors, the Salamanders found halls filled with the graves of numerous individuals, statues to Astartes of various chapters but most of all in the center of the facility a massive black box covered in symbols and seals. Techpriests were able to access the cogitators and were able to verify that this facility did predate the Horus Heresy and served as a burial ground for marines of several chapters who had perished in battles over several millennia. It also served as a reliquary as it appears the marine were buried with there weapons and gear during this era, but unfortunately no information could be obtained about the black box aside from warnings to not open it. This facility was apparently the Dark Eldar base of operations during their time on the planet as the rooms were littered with corpses in various states of decay, abandoned workbenches and operating tables as well as empty holding cages. Damage to the black box as well as Drukhari scrawling on its surface indicated they had also attempted to open the box as well but were unsuccessful. While disheartened that such an ancient monument had been debased by the filthy Xenos, the Salamanders nonetheless secured the location and relayed their situation back to Terra. For a millennium, various Imperial organizations studied the obsidian box now dubbed the Black Coffin but were unable to ascertain its purpose. The location was renamed the Sanctificetur Sepulcrum and proclaimed a holy site for the Imperium and as the Salamanders were needed elsewhere the High Lords of Terra allowed for the establishment of the Undertakers chapter to occur as part of the 21st founding in order to protect the holy site.

"Death of Gulm Klaw’andz"
With a hatred for the vile greenskins burning in their hearts, the Undertakers take part in a campaign against a WAAAGH! led by Gulm Klaw’andz that had been moving along the bottom of Segmentum Temptestus. The impressive Ork warboss known for having both his hands replaced with claws of a Killa Kan had been slowly gaining momentum and size moving along the outskirts of the galaxy and recent movements along systems indicated that that it was heading for the heart of the Segmentum. Imperial forces clash with the WAAAGH! at the planet of Martinique. As Ork and Imperial ships clash in orbit around the planet, Gulm makes planetfall and broadcasts his plans over the vox to all ships. Gulm had the audacious idea to make Martinique into the largest Rok in Ork history, any humans were welcome to try and stop him if they could make it to him. Gulm was located in a mountain he had converted into a fortified fortress and Imperial Forces suffered greatly trying to break through its defenses. Eventually Astartes forces broke through and eventually they came upon Gulm’s command center though he had entrenched himself making it difficult to overcome. A squad of Undertaker marines managed to break into the center though they were eventually all killed. While Gulm’s forces turned their attentions back to the Marines still assaulting them, the dead Undertakers gene seed mutation took hold resurrecting the bodies of the slain who attacked the preoccupied xenos from behind. In the confusion Imperial forces broke though and Gulm was slain in the ensuing battle.

"Liberation of Du’Qam"
The Undertaker’s 5th company The Bleeding Swords investigate the status of the Forgeworld of Du’Qam which has gone silent for over a month. After meeting strong resistance in the form of hijacked planetary defenses, the company makes planet fall on the outskirts of the primary factorum and is greeted by a grizzly sight. Mass graves and what can best be described as organic crucifixes of imperial citizens litter the periphery of the facility, each corpse covered in a black tar like substance. Upon approaching the outer walls, the corpses animated attacking the marines though the company is easily able to dispose of them and breach the compound. Inside the marines find the surviving factory workers enslaved and manufacturing an unusually shaped structure of metal dripping in the same black fluids that covered the bodies outside and emblazoned in unusual symbols. It is here the Astartes meet the perpetrator for the forgeworlds dilapidated status, a large host of Hrud. Using the smoke of the planets factorums to block out the harmful rays of the sun the Hrud had enslaved the planets population to construct large otherworldly structures for some unholy purpose. Unfortunately for the Hrud who had hoped their entropic fields and hybridized weaponry would save them the Undertakers zeal forced them foreword until every last Hrud was eliminated. After a month, the Hrud influence on the planet was all but eliminated, but the company stayed behind for an extra month to bury and sanctify those who had died under the Hrud’s rule so their souls could find peace.

Chapter Homeworld
The world of Creole contains three large continents, and a number of small island chains spread out throughout the planet’s oceans. The southern and eastern continent are reserved for planetary population spread amongst small cities and agricultural facilities while the larger northern continent is reserved for the massive graveyard for primarily Imperial families during an unknown era before the Horus Heresy, though it was later revealed that catacombs filled with countless bodies webbed their way across the entire planet. It is unknown how the Ecclesiarchy lost track of this planet, but most assumed it was lost during the campaigns of the Horus Heresy and no inquiries were made into its final fate. While the Sanctificetur Sepulcrum discovery did lead to an increased interest into the planet, after a thorough examination by several Imperial could no longer provide any more relevant data or artifacts, it was placed in the custody of the Undertakers who were required to maintain it and transmit any developments regarding the activity of the Black Coffin back to Terra.

Climate on most of the planet is subtropical except for the frigid regions in the northern pole of the planet which is temperate with ice capped mountain ranges. It is in these mountain ranges that the survivors of Graz Strakafist’s warband that were unable to flee the planet make their home. Eager to wreak havoc against the humans that pushed them out of their fortress they occasionally make raids down into the warmer lands but are usually forced back by the Undertaker Chapter. Thankfully due to the cold slowing fungal growth slowing reproduction rate and constant Ork infighting, raids are infrequent.

Swamps and wetlands dot the planet’s surface with the largest being Dourlain’s Bayou at the northern tip of the southern continent spanning over 1126 km. These environments house a wide variety of flora and fauna but most notably a species of crustaceans called Craws a large edible arthropod that is highly prized by Imperial Nobles and trapping and exporting these animals has helped in earning capital to rebuild the planet over the centuries. While plentiful, trapping these animals is very dangerous as the many swamps hide dangers such as quicksand pits, poisonous plants and dangerous animals such as Black Ink Viper and most notoriously the Kayma. Kaymas are supposedly descended from croatalids that decided to settle on the planet though no records of them being able to warp travel has been documented so it is possible that they are separate species, but they do share the croatalids powerful jaws and razor sharp teeth, capable of tearing through power armor.

Dourlain’s Bayou is the most renowned and dangerous of the swamps on the planet and is used by the Undertakers to carry out several of their trials for initiates. This is due to the fact that the swamp has encroached into the subterranean catacombs beneath it. While there is usually over a kilometer of soil and several layers of Ferrocrete separating the catacombs from the surface, excavation from the days of Ork Mining have compromised the structural integrity allowing the swamp to pour into the catacombs. The remains of countless imperial citizens diffused up into the surface and one can usually find the human remains engrained into the roots of trees or buried in the soil. The Undertakers (as well as most of the planetary population) believe that the souls of these bodies now haunt the swamp angered that their tombs have been disturbed twisting and corrupting the marsh, making it more dangerous than any other on the planet. Whether it is the souls of the dead or merely warp corruption from some left over Dark Eldar meddling, the flora and fauna of Dourlain’s Bayou is more perilous than the rest of the planet. The swamp’s interior seems to be shrouded in a perpetual dusk, the trees and plants are slightly twisted and appear as if they are grabbing at any who pass by, and whenever the wind passes through their branches, you can hear the moans of humanoids. Spirits have been seen walking on the calm waters only to disappear as a pale Kayma breaches the surface to lunge at the observer. The animals also seem to have changed showing degrees of intelligence not seen by their kin on the planet, this is especially true for the Kayma who have evolved into a subspecies known as the Bone Kayma. These Bone Kayma have taken on a pale coloration from centuries of feeding off of bones exhumed from the catacombs, and while their camouflage has been reduced, they have learned to work together to take down prey to compensate making them more dangerous than their less intelligent kin. The catacombs worm their way throughout the entire planet like a massive ant colony from ancient terra. Most of the structure is several kilometers under the planet’s surface with access points at numerous sites along the planet. The tunnel range in the width of a single individual to that of a Predator tank housing countless tombs for Imperial citizens from before the Horus Heresy. Large chambers also dot the planet connecting various sections of the catacombs as well as housing more corpses and ancient cogitators and equipment from a bygone era. Techpriests studying cogitators in these chambers discovered that they act as environmental control hubs lining the length of the planet at junction points in the catacombs. Each hub governs and maintains different segments of the massive network, and unless compromised by some structural damage, the environmental controls regulate a constant temperature and moisture at a constant preventing damage to the skeletal remains. There is no natural wildlife in the catacombs unless damage to the facility has allowed surface life forms to invade as in the case of Dourlain’s Bayou, but Druhkari dimensional traps have allowed Daemons to break into the materium and they now stalk some of the tunnels hoping to capture a lone patrol off guard.

Creole Dialect
Though the Ecclesiarchy went to great efforts to reform the language of the Creole population back to a standard that could be acceptable to the rest of the Imperium, many Orkish traits were deeply rooted into the populace over centuries of subjugation and torture and like the Orks themselves difficult to remove, lingering to this day. The first noticeable form of influence is in the form of Creole’s dialect. During the reign of the Orks the language of the citizens regressed to the greenskins guttural speech to match their Xenos masters allowing for better communication. Though the Imperium was able to reimpose Low Gothic many Ork terms and words still have common use in the language. Marines of Undertakers who are recruited from Creole also retain this speech pattern, and it has caused some issues with other chapters or recruits from other worlds. When dealing with other Imperial forces the members of the chapter try their best to use proper grammar but during stressful moments they will slip back into their native dialect.

Mortis Gras
A planet wide celebration that nearly rivals popularity of Sanguinalia on the planet. This day remembers the emancipation from the Orks and remembers the souls of the dead who the Orks desecrated for their own personal gain. Citizens are allowed to relax and preform various recreational activities for most of the day. The Undertakers preform their part by supporting Imperial enforcement units to ensure jubilations do not escalate into riots and to prevent any sort of activities that would be deemed heretical from occurring. As night falls the citizenry must return to their homes and give thanks to the Emperor for saving them from Ork rule. It is during this time that the Undertakers retreat to the lower facility of the Mausoleum and preform various rituals such as The Oath of Blood, which reaffirms their loyalty to the Emperor, and reinforce wards on the planet to prevent daemonic incursions and pacify lost souls.

Recruitment
Similar to most chapters, the Undertakers look for individuals that not only show the physical aptitude to be a space marine but have a strong sense of conviction and dedication. This is because their duties bring them in contact with the forces of corruption quite frequently and only those of a strong will are worthy of facing such foes as an Undertaker. Throughout their training a Neophytes devotion is constantly tested, one important trial entails that aspirants are dropped into the center of Dourlain’s Bayou and must remain within the marsh for a week straight collecting remains of the corpses unearthed by the swamp. Throughout this time, they must survive the dangerous environment and wildlife and endure the strain the psychological horrors the corrupted terrain inflicts on an individual. When the surviving brother reaches his extraction, he is returned to the Mausoleum where he buries the remains, laying to rest not only an Imperial soul but his fears and doubts as well.

Those individuals with psychic traits are trained either to utilize their abilities as the chapter’s Houngans (Librarians) or to enforce their psychic fortitude as the Chapters Zanj Squads. These Astartes are taught on how to combat the forces of chaos and powerful psykers utilizing their innate abilities and the chapter’s anti warp equipment that they have developed over the millennia. When their training is completed these marines receive powerful wards in the form of tattoos that decorate their body indicating their purpose in the chapter.

Fortress-Monastery
The Mausoleum us broken into two parts, one on the surface and one underground encompassing the facility housing the Black Coffin deep in the catacombs. Due to the Orks looting and defiling many of the surface graves, enough land was available to allow the construction of the surface fortress. This complex house the training facilities, forge, primary barracks, and storage facilities for equipment and vehicles. The surface facility is linked to the subterranean fortress via access elevators specifically constructed for the Marines. All other forms of access to the undergound facility have either been sealed or are guarded by the chapter allowing only authorized individuals the privilege of visiting the holy site.

As there were no catacombs surrounding the underground Sanctificetur Sepulcrum, the surrounding area was excavated, and the subterranean part of the fortress was built to safeguard the site and to serve as the chapters apothecarion, reliquary, librarius, and crypt. It is here from prying eyes that the chapter conducts rituals to prepare them for battle, ward daemons from materializing in the catacombs, or to lead souls of dead Imperial subjects to their final destination at the Emperor’s side. Marines will rotate shifts between the two segments of their fortress spending half a year serving duties above or below when they are not on duty off world. Communications systems link the two sites so assistance may arrive from either part fortress when requested. A large number of techpriests monitor the Black Coffin for any changes and are constantly trying to restore the degraded cogitators in an attempt to gleam any information as to its purpose, but as of yet have been unable to.

Chapter Organization
The Undertakers are a semi codex compliant chapter when it comes to organization, they have the standard 5 Battle Companies, 4 Reserve Companies and 1 Scout Company, however due to an increased percentage of battle brothers having psyker abilities the chapter has had to modify company structure. While some of these psykers become Houngans, the chapters equivalent of a Librarian, a majority are trained by the Chaplain in combating psyker forces and become assigned to Zanj Squads which are dispersed evenly amongst the companies.

Officer Ranks

 * Loa (Chapter Master)
 * Baron (Company Captain)
 * White Serpent (Lieutenant)

Specialist Ranks

 * Houngan - The librarian equivalents in the chapter, all brothers showing psychic abilities start out as Houngan Asogwe or librarian aspirants. During their training, those marines who do not have the aptitude to master their psychic powers to their fullest extent are instead trained as Zanj. Due to the nature of their abilities, Houngans walk a fine line between purity and corruption by the warp, to counter this the first things Houngans learn is to combat chaotic energies. Alongside their Zanj brethren, Houngans are taught complex rituals and wards that hinder the spread of corruption and how to banish daemons back to the warp. Aside from standard Librarian abilities Houngans have several skills that connect them to the dead including Corpse Scrying which allows them to relive the last moments of a dead corpse’s life and Fury of the Risen which forcibly stimulates the mutated gene seed of the chapter, activating the nervous system of fallen battle brothers bringing them temporarily back to life to fight under the Houngan’s control. One of the most noticeable differences between Houngans and the librarians of other chapters is the use of a Force Cane, used as a spiritual focus this weapon is usually around 1.5 meters (5 feet) covered in symbols and purity seals and the handle is a skull made of different materials the most common being gold, obsidian, crystal or minerals harvested from deep inside the catacombs of Creole. Using their Force Cane, Houngans will draw various wards and symbols into the earth providing various effects, one common use is to sanctify areas to prevent daemons from manifesting. Many of these canes conceal a power sword in them as well and by twisting the handle in a specific manner a Houngan can unsheathe a powerful weapon should they need to engage in melee.

Line Ranks

 * Soul Warden (Sargent)
 * Gravedigger (Veteran Battle Brother)
 * Battle Brother
 * Neophyte
 * Aspirant

Non-Combatant Ranks

 * Hounsi (Serfs)

Specialist Formations

 * Zanj - - Making up 10 to 20% of the chapter, a company of the Undertakers usually employs at least 1 to 2 Zanj Squads as Anti-Chaos and Anti-Psyker units and are identified by their bone white armor with golden accents as opposed to the rest of the chapter’s standard colors. Zanj marines are selected from Houngan Asogwe who are not able to master their psyker abilities to ascend to the rank of Houngan. Though they are unable to wield their psychic abilities with the skill of their Houngan counterparts, Zanj are trained to use their psychic prowess to reinforce their fortitude and conviction making them unflinching against the forces of corruption almost to the level of a Grey Knight. A company will always have 2 to 4 squads of Zanj who take are tasked with either supporting the Houngan or eliminating high priority targets that utilize psychic abilities or the powers of the warp.


 * Samedi Pattern Predator - One of the crowning achievements of the chapter’s techpriests merging the technological prowess of the Adeptus Mechanicus with the spiritual might of the Houngans. A variation on the Annihilator Pattern Predator’s the Samedi Predators are some of the pinnacle examples of the chapters efforts in combatting chaos. The outer and secondary layers of the tanks inner armor is treated with Gris Salt a special psychically aligned mineral found on Creole that the chapter uses in it’s wards and exorcisms reducing damage done by daemonic weaponry. The Samedi Predator also contains a Psy-Matrix a series of circuits and wires shaped into symbols and wards lining the outer layers of the tanks armor and feeding into its weaponry similar to the lattice of Aegis Armor. Via a special station known as the Poto Mitan, a Houngan or Zanj can channel his psychic fury into the Predator’s armor creating a force field of psychic energy around the tank or imbue the munitions to explode with psychic energy. While the Samedi Predator has been proven itself time and again against the forces of chaos, it is unfortunately an uncommon sight on the battlefield as the process to create such engines of destruction is a long and costly process (especially during the creation of the Psy-matrix) and even the slightest errors during the tanks construction could render it ineffective. The Undertakers have very few Samedi Pattern tanks and they are not accessible to every company of the chapter. In fact, the chapter typically uses Deimos or Annihilator Pattern predators, only deploying Samedi Patterns when necessary.


 * Legba Pattern Landspeeder - In an attempt to create a more readily available Anti-Chaos vehicle to supplement the lack of Samedi Predators, the techpriests created the Legba Pattern Landspeeder. Similar to the Samedi, the Legba’s armor is treated in the same manner and a much smaller variant of the Poto Mitan is installed though only Zanj are ever seen utilizing Legbas. While the Legba Landspeeders do not have the firepower to match the Samedi’s they are still capable dealing devastating blows to Chaos predators or daemon engines. Since they are easier to make every company of the chapter has at least 2 Legba landspeeders in reserve which they often utilize when confronting the malignant forces of Chaos.


 * Risen - Death does not always represent finality for a marine of the Undertakers chapter. This is due to the fact that a mutation of their gene seed has developed a highly advanced autonomic nervous system. As long as much of their organs are capable of functioning and much of the hindbrain has not been damaged, the marine’s nervous system will bring the marine back to life so to speak. While their higher brain functions do not work the marine still responds to basic stimuli and continues to attack the enemies it was fighting before it died. While incredibly sluggish for a Space Marine a Risen is still capable of wielding melee and ranged weaponry to an acceptable accuracy and strength, and since its pain receptors do not function properly it will continue to fight regardless of its wounds until it is destroyed completely or incapacitated. Risen are able to identify allies from enemies preventing them from attacking their fellow brothers, though the nature of this phenomenon is not completely understood. The Undertakers claim that though most of the Marine’s soul has has passed on part of it (known as the Gro-bon-ange) remains, guiding the Risen’s actions. Others claim the ability to discern allies from enemies is a reaction between sensory organs and surviving neurons associated with memories that prevent the Risen from attacking its brothers. When not facing an enemy, a Risen will try to find the nearest squad of Undertakers and follow them. If a Houngan is present with the squad it will follow his commands, however if one is not present it does not follow the orders of its brothers, but instead follows them and fight any battles they are engaged in. If alone, a Risen will aimlessly wander till it finds something that triggers a response, or the body finally succumbs to its wounds.

The Risen state can also be induced through rituals by Houngans only in extreme cases where a dying marine is still needed on the battlefield. Using a specialized drink called the Obduxit Somnum or as it is more lovingly referred to by the chapter the “Rum of Eternal Night”, a Houngan can force the Sus-an membrane of the marine to suppress the marines somatic nervous system allowing the mutation to take over. The Risen is oblivious to pain and will follow commands issued by the Houngan who does his best to make his brothers sacrifice meaningful. The Houngans can also induce this state with their Fury of the Risen ability psychically stimulating the autonomic nervous system of a marine’s corpse, but again this is only used in dire needs.

The ultimate fates of the Risen depend upon how much damage has been done to the body and nervous tissue. If it appears that the body will eventually succumb to its wounds the Risen is given the Emperors mercy and its gene seed is harvested, however if the body seems to be salvageable the Chaplain, Houngans, and apothecaries will attempt to revive the marine replacing lost limbs and organs with cybernetic implants or tissue grafts. These revived marines are known as the Reborn.


 * Reborn - Due to their advanced nervous system, Risen of the Undertakers can sometimes be resurrected to cognitive status through the extensive efforts of the Houngans and apothecaries. Unfortunately, the process tends to fragment the memories of these marines and much of their past life is forgotten except for their marine training and their ever-burning hatred for the enemies of mankind. The Undertaker is taken back to Creole and given time to reacclimate to the chapter and hone his skills until his superiors deem him ready to rejoin the ranks of the chapter. At this point the Astartes previous life is declared dead and the brother is given a new identity and a name of his choosing allowing this new persona to create a destiny for itself. Regardless of what position they rise to as a Reborn, the chapter holds these marines with high esteem seeing them as a perfect representation of their ideals having both walked the path of life and death as the Emperor does. A benefit of being Reborn is that the Astartes who was suffering from their Primarch’s curse when they died were seemingly cured of the malaise. The chapter does not see becoming a Reborn as a potential cure for their curse since conditions required to create a Reborn are rare and difficult to achieve, especially on the battlefield.

Damballa Pattern Armor
White and gold trimmed armor adorned by the Zanj used to focus their psychic powers to help resist the corrupting powers of chaos. The armor abilities bear many similarities to the Aegis Armor of the Grey Knights and there have been several accusations that the Undertakers stole the technology from the Knights. In rebuttal the Undertakers claim the design originated from armors found within the Sanctificetur Sepulcrum during its excavation and were modified to help contain the issues created by Creole’s psyker population. As of now there has been no valid evidence indicating the Undertakers stole Aegis Armor from the Grey Knights, so they are allowed to utilize the armors for now, but this has led to some animosity between the two groups. If the armor is indeed stolen aegis armor it has been modified. Such modifications include a lack of built in bolter weaponry, plating being treated with Gris Salt similar to their anti-warp vehicles, and the symbols being from the chapters own iconography instead of the Grey Knights. Regardless of whether the armor was from the Grey Knights or not, it has proven beneficial for the chapter and has helped them overcome the forces of chaos in many battles and the Undertakers are not keen to relinquish this resource any time soon.

Gris Salt
Refined from unusual mineral deposits found throughout the planet, Gris Salt is given to marines in small pouches or containers during missions where they are known to encounter forces employing Daemons or warp abilities. The fine white powder contains numerous micro crystals that seem to be similar to the spirit stones used by the Aeldari though they lack the life force of a sentient being inside them. Instead the salt seems to draw in ambient warp energy, and it has become a valuable weapon against the forces of chaos. The most common use is in the creation of wards, symbols drawn on objects of the ground hindering the manifestations of daemons or to exorcise a possessed object or person or to absorb psyker attacks. The salt also seems to cause physical pain to some warp entities, but its inconsistency has made it difficult to be a reliable weapon.

While deposits of Gris Salt are found throughout the planet it is most plentiful in Dourlain’s Bayou in an area known as the Zo Flats. The Zo Flats, unlike the rest of the bayou are devoid of all life consisting of 10 km of a flood plain pockmarked with mounds of bleached sediment. While the plain yields a plentiful supply, it is a dangerous location as the incredibly high quantity of micro crystals drains the neural activity of anything that lingers for too long and many have lost their lives trying to extract the precious resource. As such, the Chapter only mines the location if they are unable to precure another source of the Salt or as part of a Houngan’s training.

Obduxit Somnum
Also known as “The Rum of Eternal Night” this concoction is used by Houngans to euthanize a dying marine to end his suffering, and to allow a Houngan to make use of the chapters gene seed to revive the body as a Risen. The mixture contains several chemicals including the diluted neuro venom of a Black Ink Viper. The concoction causes a unique interaction with the Sus-an Membrane causing all higher brain functions to stop ending the marines suffering, but invigorates the central nervous system allowing it to restart the marines body and revive as a Risen. A very weak variant is also used by the Chapter’s Houngans to induce a trance like state in aspirants during their training. In these trances the young marine experiences a state between life and death or as the Houngans call it “walking in the shadow of the Emperor”, which helps to remove the fear of dying for the Imperium.

Companies
1st undefined Watchers of the Crossroads

2st undefined Black Crosses 

3st undefined Vanguard of the Eternal Soul 

4st undefinedIron Hammers 

5st undefinedBleeding Swords

6st undefined Twin Moons 

7st undefined Golden Eels

8st undefinedCoiled Serpents 

9st undefined Burning Lanterns 

Chapter Beliefs
Through their planet’s troubled past toiling in the endless catacombs under the tyranny of the Orks, the Undertakers have a strong belief in safeguarding the bodies and souls of the citizens of the Imperium and ensuring that the sacred resting places of the Imperium remain undisturbed. Just as the Emperor guides humanity from beyond the grave, so to must they defend humanity by treading the path between life and death believing that their gene seed mutation is proof of that calling. They actively attempt to prevent the forces of chaos from tempting the souls of the innocent and will stand as a bulwark for innocent civilians under the assault from the hordes of the immaterium. Though the actively oppose the agents of warp, the Undertakers are not above liberating Imperial worlds from the yoke of oppression imposed by various xenos races. Remembering how their people suffered under the despotic greenskins, the Undertakers are among the first to volunteer their services to liberate and rebuild any human worlds subjugated by alien rulers.

Rituals
The Undertakers have numerous rituals (due to the chapters secretive nature surrounding these ceremonies some speculate that the chapter preforms over 100 different rites each year) each serving different purposes such as preparing them for battle, reinforcing the barriers between the warp and the material world, and reaffirming their purpose as protectors of the living and the dead. These rites are almost always preformed in a special chamber in the underground segment of the Mausoleum known as the “Ke Anpere A” before a golden statue of the Emperor with half of his face bearing his resplendent visage while the other half is of a grim skull showing his place as the ruler of man in both life and death. While the chapter preforms different sacraments depending upon various factors, there are several specific ceremonies that Undertakers regard as truly sacred and always uphold as dedication to their righteous cause.

"The Oath of Blood"
Preformed only on Mortis Gras as Creole’s moon Kalfu reaches its zenith. It is at this point the Undertakers believe that the barriers between the world of the living and the dead are at their weakest allowing the Emperor to hear the prayers of his servants at their clearest. The rite begins of the The Chaplain leads the chapter in ritual blood letting over a basin filled with Gris Salt. The salt is then burned creating a plume of red smoke that cascades over the statue of the Emperor, and while prayers are sung by specially selected Hounsi, the Astartes recite their oaths of service and unflinching loyalty to the Emperor.

"The Purifying Flame"
While usually performed by those Astartes becoming Zanj’s, any marines who believes he has failed in his duties can seek atonement through this ritual. During the ceremony the Astartes stands in the center of a golden platform emblazoned with symbols of both the Emperor and the Salamanders. As the marine announces his failures pillars of fire erupt around him, inches from his body. His brothers then take up branding irons bearing symbols of redemption and sanctity, after heating them in the fire they sear the symbols into the offender’s flesh. For Zanj’s this ritual fortifies their spirit against the taint of the warp and prepares them for their duties while for those seeking penance it is a source of spiritual purification.

"War Hexes"
One of the Chapters most secretive rituals, if the Chapter is aware of the identity of their opponent they are about to face in battle, they erect an effigy of their enemy bound in straps of Adamantium and adorned in items and apparel taken from previous battles against these opponents. The marines then take spears known as the Wanga Vindicta and impale them upon the effigy as they hurl curses and hexes at the image of their intended foe. Supposedly this ritual applies curses upon their adversary inhibiting them in some form and allowing the Chapter to gain the advantage in combat. It is unknown if the ritual actually works (though there have been instances of enemies facing the Undertakers experiencing streaks of horrible luck during these campaigns) and many believe this ritual is more to boost moral before engaging an adversary.

Chapter Gene-Seed
As common with most recipients of the Salamanders gene seed, the Undertakers skin takes on a pitch-black hue, though a skin tone of slate grey is not unheard of. The secondary mutation cause by the gene seed implantation is the modification of the marine’s nervous system that allows their body to reanimate after the marine’s death. As the gene seeds begin to acclimate to the hosts body, the astartes Occipital Lobe, Cerebellum, Pons, and Medulla gradually segment allowing for and increased number of gyri and cerebral white matter. Via numerous neural connections to sensory nerves such optic and opthalamic and to cortexes such as the Pre-Central and Post Central Gyri, the marine’s brain is able to relegate sensory input and motor control to these lower segments allowing the marine to properly function with minimal brain activity. The Peripheral nervous system of the Undertaker also goes through drastic changes during gene seed implantation increasing in the number of neurons and the formation of basal ganglia clusters along numerous junction points. These clusters allow for more autonomic reactions aiding what remains of the central nervous system in in motor and combat functions. These ganglia function so well that even amputate limbs still flail and attempt to move several days after separation from their body.

Primarch's Curse: (Impending Corruption)
The Primarch’s Curse for the Undertaker Chapter takes the form of increasing paranoia. While Undertaker’s do not fear danger and imminent death, they do care that their souls and the souls of those around them are not whisked away to be swallowed by the maelstrom of chaos. As such they become more wary of signs they interpret as the influence of chaos on the mortal plain and take drastic measures to ensure the corruption does not take hold.

Stage 1: Ill Omens
A marine starts notice indications that chaos is present even when others do not and attempts to quarantine the corruption and prevent it from spreading to his fellow man.

Stage 2: Looming Dread
The Astartes begins to feel that the shadow of the warp always hangs over him and those around him slowly consuming their eternal souls and begins taking more drastic measures to protect himself.

Stage 3: Consuming Chaos
The Undertakers paranoia takes hold and he begins to see signs of chaos and corruption everywhere, even when it is obviously not present. Outlandish claims such as stating people with specific hair color are daemons in disguise, or certain animals will steal one’s soul just by gazing into their eyes become more frequent, and the marine takes extreme action to stop these so called agents of chaos usually in the form of a violent purge.

Combat Doctorine
Much like their Salamander forebears the Undertakers dedicate themselves to protecting Imperial citizens standing acting as a bulwark against man kinds enemies and liberating human colonies enslaved to xenos overlords. The Undertakers also prides themselves on defending its fellow chapters especially against the debased forces of chaos ensuring their kin are safe from the clutches of chaos even in death and will help in reclaiming the remains of fallen members of other chapters to ensure they receive proper burials.

During combat, the Undertakers unleash an unrelenting assault primarily focusing on high priority targets such as psykers first. Companies try to isolate these opponents from their allies allowing the Houngans and Zanjs to neutralize them, then they eliminate the remaining enemies. In the presence of more dangerous opponents, the chapter deploys their Legba and Samedi Vehicles to aid in bringing down these challenging foes. Though there is a chance that fallen brothers will revive as Risen to reinforce their brethren, the chapter does not rely on them. If the support of the Risen is necessary, the surviving marines protect the Houngan while he preforms the Fury of the Risen ritual to resurrect their comrades to rejoin the battle.

Deathwatch Service
Undertakers are accepted into Deathwatch service with a mixture of respect and suspicion. While their undying hatred for the Orks is renowned even amongst the Deathwatch, the chapter’s secretive nature and affiliation with the dead make many question their loyalty. Zanj’s are usually accepted more than any other member of the chapter as they are efficient at combating aliens with psychic abilities, making them valuable against foes such as the Eldar.

Loa Armand De’lacroix
The current Chapter Master of the Undertakers, Loa Armand he feels he has a great reputation to live up to. This is not only as the current Loa of the chapter, but that he can trace his lineage back to one of the original rebels that helped to bring down Graz Strakafist’s regime. Though Armand has proven himself to be a competent leader, he still feels that he can achieve more specifically in freeing Imperial colonies under the control of despotic tyrants.

Chaplain Sebastien
Often regarded as the Undertakers moral compass, Chaplain Sebastien is diligent in ensuring that the marines of the Undertakers do not fall to the corrupted forces of the warp. The Undertakers walk a narrow path in embracing the secrets of death and Sebastien constantly ensures that the marines embrace death only to walk by the Emperor’s side not as an avenue to the temptations of chaos. When he can, Sebastien also investigates a Risen to see if they should be brought back as a Reborn or be granted the Emperor’s Mercy. No one knows how the Chaplain makes such decisions, but Sebastien claims that he can read the Gro-bon-ange of a Risen and determine if it has the will to be resurrected as a Reborn or should pass on to join the rest of the soul.

Brother Caspian
A rare Reborn that has resurrected twice during his career. Originally Gravedigger Shiloh, Caspian fell in combat against a particularly deadly Daemonette of Slaanesh but became a Risen and was able to finish off his opponent. Reborn as Brother Ignacio, he returned to service almost rising to the rank of White Serpent. Unfortunately, he was cut down again during a campaign with the tyrannids helping hold the line as the planet’s populace was evacuated. Surprisingly he rose again though he had lost an arm and continued to fight till he was recovered by his brothers. Now with a cybernetic arm and several bionic implants, he continues his service struggling to recover the fractured memories of his past lives to guide him though battle.

Chapter Fleet

 * The Final Rite (Battle Barge)
 * Agwe’s Spear  (Apocalypse Battleship)
 * Eternal Lamentation  (Emperor Class Battleship)
 * Blood of the Emperor  (Oberon Class Battleship)

The White Flame
An ancient powerfist excavated from the Sanctificetur Sepulcrum, it was one of the few items left for the Chapter as a sign of trust in their duty to protect the holy site and the Imperium in general. When an Astartes with potent psionic abilities bears this weapon, he is able to wreath the weapon in a sheath of white burning fire. While a potent weapon in its own right it is extremely effective against creatures of the warp and those corrupted by its taint. The chapter is very protective of this artifact and it rarely leaves the planet. Instead it is kept in the lower levels of the Mausoleum to be used as last line of defense for the Sanctificetur Sepulcrum.

The Bones of Laveau
A lot of mystery surrounds the origin of this relic as the only records pertaining to the acquisition of this artifact have been erased from the Chapter’s records (leading some to believe it may have been planted there by insidious forces). The relic consists of a human rib bone, 2 medial phalange, Cuneiform bone, cervical vertebrae and several teeth along with a skull inlaid with gold and various imperial symbols etched on the inside. This relic acts similar to the Emperors Tarot but with greater clarity. To utilize this item, the bones are placed inside the skull and shaken with in it while the user chants prayers to the Emperor. Upon pouring the bones out of the skull, the invoker is able to see numerous future events depending upon how the bones land. The relic has proven incredible accuracy and the chapter has used it to predict numerous events including enemy movements and tactics leading to several victories for the chapter. Though it is accurate, the predictions have been misinterpreted in the past and while the relic does see a fair amount of use, its predictions are usually taken as counsel.

Kouto Nanm
A legendary powersword that supposedly decapitated both the heads of a Lord of Change in a single swipe amongst other countless daemons that have supposedly fallen to its edge. Supposedly the Lord of Change transferred some of its essence into the blade before it fully passed, and it whispers in the wielders ear tempting them to turn to chaos. While it is true that those who wield the blade eventually succumb to their Primarch’s Curse if they do not relinquish it, no correlation to the warp has been found (or recorded).

The Onyx Hex
A power cane of a the powerful Houngan Emmanuel this cane is a dark black, so much so it looks like the wielder is holding a piece of the void of space from afar. The powercane allows the user to utilize their psionic powers without fail or repercussion. It also gives them access to one of Emmanuel’s special spells known as Thought Purge allowing the user to separate a targeted enemies consciousness from their body for a few moments, stopping them the foe in their tracks regardless of level of intelligence.

Chapter Colours
The armor of the Undertakers is adorned in the colors that have symbolic meaning to the Creole people. Green represents faith, purple represents justice and gold represents power all traits that represent the Chapter. While standard issue seems to be green and purple with golden trim, some companies will use variations of these three colors for example the Golden Eels only use purple and yellow in their armor scheme. Zanjs are the exception to this rule as their armor is always white with golden trim regardless of what company they belong to. Barons also deviate from the norm and are distinguished by a white skull painted on their helmets faceplate though they wear the same colors of their company. The chapter is known for hanging skulls and bones from their belts, these are usually acts of penance, taken from imperial citizens they failed to save. The chapter feels that wearing the bones allows the soul of the deceased to witness to the marine’s journey as he bears the weight of his sins until he is either cleansed in the Purifying Flame ritual or preforms a feat considered an act of redemption such as slaying the members group that killed the individual. Once the marine has redeemed himself, he entombs the remains in a special chamber in the Mausoleum known as the Sepulcrum Pacis.

Chapter Badge
The symbol of the Undertakers is a skull with a lit candle on the top, to the Chapter this represents enlightenment in walking the path of death.

Allies
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Salamanders
As their forebearers and saviors of their planet, the Undertakers revere the Salamanders and their ideals. The chapter strives to follow in their example by protecting the helpless citizens of the imperium from the ravages of warfare that has consumed the galaxy. The chapter would love nothing more than to join the Salamanders in battle, but they are committed to their duties that draw them elsewhere.

Grey Knights
While the two chapters have strained relationship, the Undertakers respect the Grey Knights resilience and their dedication to purging the galaxy of the taint of chaos. Likewise, the Grey Knights admire the Undertakers dedication to opposing chaos and protecting the Imperial citizenry, but they feel that much of their success has been built of technology that rightfully belongs to the Grey Knights.

Enemies
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Orks
Almost a millennium of subjugation of their homeworld under the Orks has led to a burning hatred for the greenskins. While their dedication to protecting the Imperium prevents them from doing so, the Undertakers wish to lead a crusade against the foul xenos purging their threat from the galaxy. Strict training has been implemented to temper this hatred, so they do not give chase to the xenos in battle when the lives of innocents hang in the balance.

Chaos
The forces of chaos bring almost as much animosity out of the chapter as the Orks do as they steal the souls of imperium, corrupting their charges and turning them against them. To an astartes of the Undertakers corruption of any member of the Imperium regardless of status is an afront to the Emperor that must be answered with bolt and blade.

Druhkari
While the Undertakers are not fully aware of the extent the Dark Eldar had in Creole’s enslavement, they know they had a hand in it and are dedicated to halting their raids for fresh slaves. If capable, the chapter tries to take Druhkari operatives alive so they can interrogate them for locations where slaves are being held. While it is extremely difficult to get the truth out of the cunning xenos, the Undertakers are not above torturing the Dark Eldar (in secret) and have developed several methods of extracting information that even the Druhkari would praise.

Notable Quotes
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By Undertakers
"Do I remember? E’t comes back in bits and pieces, I remember da pain and den everything went black. Then a bright light and warmth enveloped me, I felt at peace I ‘ad never felt before. From der on my memory fails me but I remember ‘earing da voice of Houngan Arturo commanden me to wake up and I find myself in the Apothecarion."

- Reborn Brother Enrique (formerly Brother Mateo) on memories of the afterlife before becoming a Reborn from a Risen

About the Undertakers
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