Imperial Sentinels

Imperial Sentinels
"We are the watchers in the Void, we are the shield that guards the realm of man, we are His watchful gaze made manifest, we are the Imperial Sentinels and we shall have our vengeance!"

-Lord High Sentinel Caspian Artorious

The Imperial Sentinels Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes have been waging war across the stars in the name of the God-Emperor for seven thousand years. A serious, dour and subdued lot off the battlefield and an inexorable, unstoppable line of black and gold on it the Sentinels have earned the respect, even reluctantly and begrudgingly, of many they have fought beside. They are highly disciplined, fearless, and know not the meaning of the words hubris or arrogance. The warriors of the chapter do not break formation to pursue an apparently routing foe unless ordered to. Some chapters of Astartes deem them cowardly and/or dishonorable for not seeking personal glory, but an Imperial Sentinel desires not fame nor reward, only victory at any cost.

Founding and Early Beginnings
Founded sometime in late M32 or early M33 alongside the Howling Griffons in the 6th of the Astartes Foundings to replace lost chapters from the War of the Beast. Post-traumatic stress disorder gripped the Imperium collectively following the titanic conflict that saw the return and death of the Salamanders Primarch Vulkan and as such their mandate upon inception was to pursue and annihilate the greenskins wherever they could be found. For six Terran centuries they perfected their skills as void combat and sieging enemy strongholds. Minor Waagh!s that could've once threatened the Imperium were thrashed in transit or fell in droves after being caught in carefully laid out kill zones.

By the time they emerged from this time of blooding to join the Dark Angels in the Red Stars Campaign they stood at full chapter strength and boasted one of the largest and mightiest fleets for such a young chapter. The Imperial Sentinels proved their worth, systematically tearing apart the Waagh! of the Ork Warlord Zogax the Great. Smashing the shambling voidcraft known as Kroozers upon their gilded and armored prows, putting untold thousands of xenos brutes to the sword, or delivering judgement from the heavens either with orbital bombardments or the payloads of Stormbird strikecraft. A century later they fought alongside the sailors of Battlefleet Tempestus, breaking the Siege of Lakadamon.

A New Foe
For a millennium the Imperial Sentinels become dormant as far as Imperial records are concerned, that is until the beginning of the War of Recovery. During the course of the conflict they obtained a shard of an STC, a new pattern of Krak Grenades, and upon the war's conclusion travelled to the nearest Forge World, Proxima, home to the Legio Invicta of the Collegia Titanica. After translation back to realspace the Sentinels' warfleet was beset by warships of an unidentified Iron Warriors Chaos warband. The Sentinels fought through the besieging voidcraft to high orbit of the Forge World before disgorging hundreds of drop pods, almost the entire strength of the chapter. The arrival of His Angels of Death revitalized the Skitarii and PDF defenders whilst removing some of the pressure from the beleaguered God-Machines of Legio Invicta. With the orbit lost and the tide of battle turned firmly against them the Traitor Marines reaped a toll before succumbing to defeat.

The discovery made by the Chapter Apothecaries upon examination of the Traitor gene seed in comparison with that of the Sentinels and their supposed Primogenitors the Imperial Fists was horrifying and shameful. Even after suffering immense losses the chapter had always had extremely rapid and stable gene seed, now they knew the terrible truth as to why. The Imperial Sentinels were not Sons of Dorn, but Scions of Perturabo. To keep the chapter united in purpose the then Lord High Sentinel, Caspian Artorious delivered a rousing speech and vowed that the chapter would not lay down their arms till their traitorous father and brothers lay dead, dying, or in chains.

Rededication
With newfound purpose and oaths of hate and vengeance inscribed the Sentinels sailed for war. They undoubtedly found it, but when is unknown until the Second and Third Wars for Armageddon. Arriving with the forces of Lord Commander Dante of the Blood Ravens in the former to relieve the depleted Guardsmen of the Steel Legions and in the latter fighting primarily in the void, claiming the honor of destroying two space hulks. Despite holding the same rank as the Black Templars' High Marshal Helbrecht Taren Lash surrendered overall command to the elder Chapter Master at the start of the war, earning the Templars' favor with the decision. They sailed alongside what they once regarded as their brothers but now would be more akin to cousins in pursuit of the Ork Warlord Gazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka.