Lightning Wraiths

"You know nothing of me, and I know everything of you."

- Jaghatai Khan

The Lightning Wraiths are a Loyalist Space Marine Chapter founded on the 37th Millennium as a successor to the White Scars. As such, the Lightning Wraiths retained some of the White Scars' traditions and combat doctrine. They were created in response to an increase in Chaos activity in the Segmentum Obscurus. The First Preceptor, Khugol Khan, had forged his chapter into a swift and silent killing machine with the guidance of the first Iakugo, Tarac Re'Nali to deal with Chaos Warriors and cultists - specifically Khornate worshippers - efficiently and as penance for a failure that had cost Khugol his honor and the life of the Great Khan Chaigut. A chapter born from shame, hate, and vengeance, the Lightning Wraiths are a reclusive chapter with traditions that derive from various death and warrior cults of their home planet. As such, they are quite autonomous from the Imperium at large, sometimes acting on their own accord rather than from the orders bestowed upon them. Their loyalty is questioned at times, but they have proved time and again that they would rather die than betray the Imperium that Jaghatai fought for. Very few are welcome among the ranks of Lightning Wraiths, and in turn very few trusts the Chapter.

Marines hailing from the chapter are taciturn individuals, speaking only when the situation requires clear and concise communication. Even then, they speak very little to those who are not of the Lightning Wraiths. The only exception to their introverted attitudes are the White Scars, as the Lightning Wraiths are fanatically loyal to their forefathers, and children, as a deep paternal instinct that was never removed from psycho-indoctrination compels them to protect the next generation at all costs. However, in the fields of battle, the normally introverted marines turn into savages fuelled by their undying rage. Although they avoid direct confrontations, the savagery within the Lightning Wraiths directs them to the heart of an enemy flank, leaving a bloody swath as they cut down anything that was too slow to react to their advance. At the end of a battle, they are the last ones to leave. Not to act as a rearguard, but to scavenge any equipment that was left behind and could be of use to the Chapter.

As of the 42nd Millenium, the Chapter is currently recovering from the near decimation of two Battle Companies, otherwise known as Pillars of Wisdom, during the expansion of the Eye of Terror into the Cicatrix Maledictum. Massive warp storms had appeared after the Fall of Cadia, and the fleet containing the 5th Pillar of Wisdom was begotten with misfortune as one such warp storm coalesced on its flight path. The accompanying 2nd Pillar of Wisdom's fleet was close enough to receive some of the survivors of the 5th, but it too had suffered losses in its attempt to rescue some of their brothers.

Chapter History
"Never assume that you completely understand an enemy, lest they use your perceived knowledge against you."

- Vizier Raul Ortega

A non-Codex compliant Chapter, the Lightning Wraiths believe the Codex Astartes to be too rigid and too constraining. While they do not despise the Codex, seeing as Guilliman's words have some wisdom to them, their utter disregard for the word of Guilliman gain the ire of devout practitioners of the Codex, such as the Hammers of Dorn. Their lack of compliance with the codex has resulted in disagreements between Lightning Wraith Captains, otherwise known as Viceroys, and other chapters in response to various threats to humanity. They believe that the best strategies stem from long years of experience, as the insight a Veteran provides in the chaotic dance of war is just as good as any passage in the book of Guilliman.

Part of the reason why they do not comply with the Codex is due to their preferred style of warfare. The Lightning Wraiths combined the Raven Guard's stealth-based tactics and the White Scars's hit-and-run tactics to great effect. The core of their combat doctrine revolves in the brutal and explosive exploitation of an enemy's weakness in a manner such that the enemy is left dazed at the Lightning Wraiths' sudden emergence and the ferocity of the subsequent assault. As their combat doctrine is a combination of speed and stealth, the Chapter has no need for Devastator Squads or armored vehicles. The lack of armoured vehicles such as the Predator and Land Raider would have substantially decreased the firepower that the Chapter could lay on the enemy. This shortcoming was mitigated by their expansive airforce. A part of their armory also includes equipment taken from abandoned battlefields and repurposed for Astartes use. The possession of these controversial weapons was the Chapter's saving grace during their first encounter with the Tyranid menace.

Many of their traditions are taken from their feudal homeworld, Morozhko. Most of which derived from the Order of Brehus, an alliance of Morozhkan Kingdoms that dissolved when the kingdoms that made up the order were destroyed during a brutal war between the Order and the rest of Morozhko. All that remains from the Order are savage tribes scattered on the eternal winter plains of Morozhko. From the aspirants to the Chapter Master, otherwise known as the Preceptor, every Lightning Wraith has spent years learning the ways of the people Morozhko, especially the ways of the remnants of the Order of Brehus. There are three main tribes that an aspirant must learn from. The death cult of the Vossmortin, the warrior tribe of Laeda-Krovus, and the nomadic hunters of Oxthonik. When an aspirant has an easier time integrating with one of the three tribes, the Chapter Council, known as the Cabal of Khugol, will take interest in the aspirant. Vicars, the Chapter's Chaplains and Apothecaries, have almost always been aspirants that bonded with the Vossmortin. Many of the chapter's greatest warriors have taken to following the ways of the Laeda-Krovus while those who follow the paths of the Jäger maintain close ties to the Oxthonik. Although they recruit from many worlds, each Lightning Wraith is expected to spend time with the locals of Morozhko during their training to become an Astartes.

The First Lightning Wraith
The Lightning Wraiths' history is deeply rooted in vengeance and hate. The seeds of the chapter were sown during the Yolan Defensive, a campaign between the White Scars and a Drukhari invasion force on the Imperial Colony Yolan on 672.M37, where a Harlequin Troupe ambushed one scout squad conducting surveillance. All but three members of the squad barely managed to survive due to the timely interference of White Scars Bike Squads. One of these survivors was the future Lightning Wraiths founder and Preceptor Khugol Khan.

Khugol was unique among his peers because he was not chosen from a multitude of promising Chogorian souls to take part in the chapter’s trials. When he was a child, the White Scars came to his world in order to purge it from a xenos infestation. During their arrival, one of the chapter’s Thunderhawks had landed near Khugol’s home village. Rather than be stricken by fear and hiding from the unknown and terrifying noises, the boy that was to become Khugol snuck out of his village to investigate the landings. His young mind bore witness to the disembarkation of White Scars armoured vehicles in flashes of white and red. Curiosity had coaxed the boy to approach and attempt to sneak into the large spacecraft in order to learn more about its machinations. Due to his inexperience in the fields of stealth and his childish eagerness to satiate his curiosity, two individuals thwarted the boy by the time he reached the ramp. One was a giant clad in pure white armour, with scrolls and animal bones dangling from chains and thick twine cords or welded onto flat surfaces. In his hands was a massive falchion that glowed with barely contained energy and on his back was a bulky jump-pack with its machine spirit growling with anticipation. The other was slightly smaller, but a giant nonetheless. Unlike his armoured compatriot, the smaller of the two men could barely be seen as a cloak of changing colours hung from his shoulders and a hood covered his face. Although, small glimpses of white armour can be seen in areas not covered by the cloak. The boy did not know what they were and had perceived them as monsters who were going to eat him. As such, he tried to attack them with his tiny fists. His efforts were for naught as at that moment, he was trying to fight Scout Sergeant Ugon Tavre and Lord Executioner Chi-Long Khan. Although the two men were able to subdue the boy without any effort, they were interested in him as his fighting spirit and fearlessness was something seldom seen in children not belonging to a Death World or the underhives of a Hive City. As such, they took him into their ship and sent him off to Chogoris for training when the extermination of the Xenos on the boy’s planet was finished.

The boy, then named Kol’rha, was subjected to the White Scar’s training regime upon arrival to Chogoris. Kol’rha struggled in many fronts, as the plains of Chogoris were unfamiliar to him and the shift from his world to White Scar’s savage lands was so sudden for his young mind. The main source of his struggles were surprisingly from the other aspirants. Some of the Chogorian youths despised him for he was an outsider and felt that his presence was a crime against their ancestors. As such, many of them made it their personal missions to make Kol'rha's life miserable. However, young Kol'rha's spirit was strong and unyielding. He took each act against him as a challenge and retaliated against them with wrath burning in his small heart. His actions gained the respect of many of his peers.

By the time he was inducted into the Windspeaker Brotherhood, the White Scars' Scout Company, he was one of the most well-respected initiates in the White Scars and had been renamed Khugol Tsogai. His skill in tracking and reconnaissance was unmatched among his fellow aspirants. For his skills, he would have been favoured for a promotion to become a Scout Sergeant. However, his trials against the Chogorian-born aspirants had ignited a flame in his soul that would not be tempered. He became very hot-headed, almost belligerent towards his superiors as paranoia from his aspirant years had taken root in his mind and he could not bring himself to trust any Chogorian at face-value. This shortcoming almost costed him his life during the Yolan Defensive. When an Apothecary had cleared him to be fit for combat again, he was ordered to await transfer into a new squad. Khugol perceived this as the Chogorians accusing him of weakness and was consumed with fury and rode to the frontlines in a bloodthirsty haze. His explosive arrival surprised both Dark Eldar and fellow White Scars as he crashed his bike into a Drukhari transport craft before launching himself into the Dark Eldar horde with complete disregard for his life. Khugol would have perished on that day if it wasn't for the intervention of the acting commander of the White Scars force, Chaigut Khan of the 3rd Brotherhood.

Descending from the skies, Chaigut and squads of Assault Marines tore into the Dark Eldar. He had been awaiting the perfect time to strike and Khugol's sudden appearance provided his troops an ample distraction to make a decisive attack to break the Dark Eldar. The suddenness of his assault forced the Dark Eldar to conduct a retreat, but the White Scars had been anticipating it. Land Speeder Typhoons that hid in the valleys of the planet were given the order to attack the retreating Dark Eldar. Before the Dark Eldar could register what happened, they were caught in between the chainblades of Chaigut's forces and the firepower of the Land Speeders. In his berserk state, Khugol did not register the arrival of reinforcements or the Dark Eldar's broken morale. So when Chaigut approached him to stand down at the end of the fight, the scout attacked his commander with animalistic growls.

The relatively young marine was hopelessly outmatched by Chaigut and was restrained by the Khan in short order. Khugol had to be beaten into submission to bring him out of his bloodlust. He was detained in the Strike Cruiser Chogorian Warhorse for insubordination, assault on a fellow marine and assault on an officer. Typically, these crimes against the Chapter was met with either death or conversion into a servitor. However, Chaigut had requested Khugol to be spared from severe punishment as the scout was a gifted asset, despite his short temper. It surprised Khugol that the man he tried to kill wanted to spare him, as even Khugol himself had accepted that he would die for his crimes. Instead of death, Chaigut offered that Khugol would do penance under his watchful eye and requested Khugol to be attached to a Scout Squad liaisoned to the 3rd Brotherhood.

When Khugol approached Chaigut and asked why the Khan spared him, Chaigut told Khugol that he knew about Khugol's distrust for the Chogorians and why the distrust existed as Chaigut had his eye on Khugol ever since the scout's prodigal skill emerged. He told Khugol that he would endeavor to destroy that distrust as brothers are supposed to watch over each other. However, it did not mean that Chaigut forgave Khugol's actions. Quite the contrary, Chaigut was furious that Khugol had the gall to assault another battle-brother. As such, Chaigut also informed Khugol that he was also under the 3rd Brotherhood's command because Chaigut would personally teach him to temper his fury and savagery. In fact, Chaigut admitted that he would have executed Khugol on the battlefield because he was a danger to everyone if he didn't know about Khugol's circumstances.

It marked the beginning of a bond between two brothers, forged out of mutual respect and fear at one another. Chaigut was wary of Khugol's fury, but was determined to bring out the potential of the young scout because a prodigal White Scar who was not of Chogorian blood was last seen at the dawn of the Horus Heresy. Khugol on the other hand, respected Chaigut's calm and stalwart demeanor. However, the young warrior knew that behind that calm lies a storm that overpowers his own. Khugol knew that when Chaigut's patience reached its limit, he would not survive the ensuing battle between him and the Khan.

Through his time with Chaigut, Khugol became a warrior worthy of attention since his undeniable skill in the arts of the scout was no longer marred with insubordinate and hot-headed behaviour. Chaigut's teachings helped him find inner peace with the grudges that he carried towards those who have wronged him in his youth and had helped him control the Primarch's Curse within their gene-seed. The teachings also made Khugol a lot more cautious and methodical, a total far cry of his wild and uncontrollable former self. It made him slower in deployments, but the information he was able to gather bypassed many of those his peers. Before long, Khugol was promoted to Scout Sergeant and at the same time, Chaigut was chosen to become the new Great Khan of the White Scars.

Tragedy soon struck Khugol on 994.M36 during a campaign against World Eater Warbands invading a planet known as Agathon. The planet had sent distress calls when Chaos ships began to appear on their orbital sensor arrays. The White Scars had answered the summons with Chaigut leading them as his fleet was the closest to the planet. Khugol, who was still undergoing penance, requested that he would be among the first to land on the planet to scout. His request was accepted. While the majority of the fleet hid behind a neighboring planet, a Thunderhawk containing three scout squads made planetfall. When Khugol arrived, he and his squad immediately went towards the planet's PDF headquarters. To their surprise, the PDF's headquarters were already under assault. The PDF troopers were inside of the buildings and were firing upon a massive horde of people who were throwing themselves upon the windows and entrances with reckless abandon.

The scouts noticed that many people within the horde had numerous lacerations, most of which appeared to be self-inflicted. One of the horde's members carried a bloody banner aloft, marked with a sigil of the Blood God. The sight of the banner sealed the fate of the cultists and Khugol ordered his men to fire upon the horde from the shadows. Subsonic rounds tore through three or four people at a time and the sudden deaths caused confusion among the members of the horde. Khugol contacted the PDF within the building and when he appraised them of the situation, the volume of fire from the buildings doubled. Within seconds, the cultist horde was eradicated and the gates of the PDF headquarters opened for the White Scars.

Khugol soon received reports from the other scouts detailing the same phenomenon. Khornate cultists attacking both the Planetary Governor's residence and buildings containing the Astropathic Choirs. The scout squad sent to investigate the Planetary Governor's residence arrived too late as the cultists had already broken through and were ritualistically murdering its inhabitants. As for the Astropathic Choir, the cultists were already in the process of murdering the Astropaths by the time the scouts shot them down. Some managed to survive, but not enough to send an astropathic message into the void to call for assistance. The highest-ranking PDF officer at the station, Corporal Natalia Isenhart, told them that the cultists began their attack as soon as the Chaos ships were spotted. When the servants of the Dark Gods made planetfall, many of the PDF were not able to defend themselves as they were occupied with holding off the cultists. The PDF HQ was lucky as it was located in a backwater city of the planet and not in the capital.

As soon as Khugol learned of this, he instructed the remaining PDF to send a message to the awaiting White Scars fleet. Tears were shed in hope as the message was relayed. The White Scars soon arrived in force and immediately went on the offensive as soon as their tires touched Agathonian soil. The sudden appearance of the White Scars caught the invading Chaos Marines off guard and were initially swept away by the speed and ferocity of the counter-offensive maneuvers. After the warriors of Chogoris successfully made landfall, the ships of the White Scars fleet engaged the Chaos fleet. The war seemed to be in favour of the White Scars as they slew more and more Chaos worshippers and Khugol reveled in the glory he was attaining. That was before they all received a distress call from Chaigut's honour guard, notifying the White Scars that they were ambushed by a horde of Khornate Berzerkers that managed to slip past the White Scars.

A hidden passage only known to the natives of the world was the means that the Berzerkers used to get behind the White Scars' frontlines. The ambushing Berzerkers overwhelmed most of Chaigut's honour guard and accompanying warriors. Those who survived were barely able to hold off the World Eaters long enough to call for aid. Chaigut slew many warriors with his massive power axe, sustaining injuries that would have felled lesser Astartes. His defiant last stand inspired his men and delayed their deaths. However, the tide of maddened Khornate Berzerkers became too much for Chaigut and the remnants of his honour guard. By the time reinforcements arrived, among them were Khugol and his squad, the Berzerkers had finished a ritualistic beheading and scalping of the Great Khan.

At the sight of Chaigut's lifeless corpse, something finally broke within Khugol's soul. Decades of tempering his fury and practicing discipline were thrown away in favour of engulfing himself in rage once again. The wrath of Khugol was a sight to behold, a culmination of all his rage from birth to that very moment. He unloaded his weapon on the closest Berzerkers to Chaigut and when his sniper rifle ran dry, Khugol threw it away and pounced on the dying Berzerker who had scalped his friend and master. While the Berzerkers engaged with the fresh waves of vengeful White Scars, Khugol tore off his victim's helmet and beat his skull into a pulp with his bare hands. Such was Khugol's strength under his trance of wrath. Once his vicious deed was done, he approached his friend's corpse and collected his power axe. With Chaigut's weapon in hand, Khugol rode to seek the Warlord of the Burning Heart Warband.

Many warriors shared his vengeful fury and rode alongside him. Those who remained requested a medevac and prepared the bodies of their comrades so that the Apothecaries may extract their gene-seed. News of Chaigut's death spread fast and the World Eaters became emboldened when they noticed that some of the White Scars faltered. A haze of bloodlust consumed the warriors of Khorne and they were killing more and more White Scars before they could be put down. Khugol and his entourage of vengeful battle-brothers arrived when the White Scars were about to conduct a tactical retreat. Righteous hatred fueled Khugol and he inspired the faltering White Scars to reap vengeance to those who have dared invade an Imperial World.

The battle reached a tipping point when Khugol finally found the Warlord of the Burning Hearts Warband. Ionus the Bloodmonger was at the epicentre of the battle, slaying Imperial warriors with his massive axe. While the warlord was distracted, Khugol rode towards his target and strapped detpacks to his bike's frame. His fellow riders saw what he was planning to do and rode ahead of him to clear a path to the warlord. With a prayer of apologies to the vehicle's machine spirit, Khugol dismounted the bike as it hurtled towards Ionus. The warlord was unable to defend himself when the bike crashed into him and could only scream in agony when Khugol detonated the detpacks. Surprisingly, Ionus was not killed by the explosion, but his limbs were torn off by the force as many organs were ruptured. Khugol saw this and approached the incapacitated Khornate warlord. Before Ionus could say a word, Khugol swung Chaigut's axe and decapitated Ionus. Raising the warlord's severed head to the sky, Khugol proclaimed to the skies of Agathon that Chaigut has been avenged. The battle from the point on was a manic slaughterhouse as White Scars regained morale and destroyed the remnants of the Burning Hearts.

After the campaign, he was promoted to Khan of the 10th Brotherhood for his actions and was forgiven for his past crimes of insubordination and assault. Instead of rapture or pride, Khugol only felt disappointment and sadness. To Khugol, the promotion was another farce in order to control him. Khugol had lost the only person who actually knew him, and because of his loss, Khugol had reverted to distrusting the White Scars again. The warrior became inconsolable and holed himself in the Chapter's archives and the Reclusiam to mourn for 18 days. In his solitude, Khugol poured over records of White Scars campaigns from the days of the Great Crusade. He felt responsible for the death of Chaigut, believing that if he had known of that hidden passage then the Great Khan would never have been ambushed. He studied strategies, intelligence reports, battle reports and Jaghatai Khan's written words of wisdom. The more he learned, the worse he felt about his lack of vigilance on Agathon and the guilt for Chaigut's death grew.

When he finished mourning, Khugol threw himself into a self-imposed duty to beat in the importance of intelligence into the new recruits of the Chapter. The new Master of Recruits vowed to himself that as long as he taught warriors, none of them will make the same mistakes he made. Due to his tutelage, the Chapter began to deploy planetside slower as the scouts would take longer to conduct reconnaissance on the planet's surface. They took it upon themselves to learn as much about a planet and its people as possible, as was what Khugol taught to them. Some also inherited some of Khugol's belligerence, but were reprimanded by the Khan of the 10th Brotherhood. He was called out for his hypocrisy, but he paid the claims no mind as long as his students would become better men than himself.

When news of a Founding reached Khugol, he immediately requested that he would take part. Shame for his lack of incentive at Agathon fueled his desire for further penance away from the White Scars. He felt that if he remained in the Chapter, then he would sully their reputation by his mere presence. Knowing that he would not be swayed, Chaigut's successor allowed it. Those who wanted to take part in the founding of the new Chapter with Khugol were those who rode with him on Agathon after Chaigut's death. Some who came were scouts who learned under Khugol's tutelage and refused to part with him.

Before he set off into the stars to find a new home, High Chaplain Khazim Rashak gave Khugol Khan the power axe he used to cut off Ionus the Bloodmonger's head on Agathon. The final gift broke the hateful spell that lingered in Khugol's heart, and he embraced the High Chaplain as brothers would. With a company's worth of men, a small fleet and enough resources to begin recruitment, the newly founded Lightning Wraiths set off to Segmentum Obscurus to wage their war against Chaos.

Morozhko: Homeworld and Battlefield
After the Chapter's Founding, the Lightning Wraiths sought out a suitable homeworld within their assigned sector of Segmentum Obscurus. Through expeditionary fleets consisting of a handful of squads and a member of the high echelon, the Lightning Wraiths soon found the Feudal World of Morozhko. The head of the expeditionary force that found Morozhko was a former White Scars Stormseer named Tayang Ganbold and with him was one squad of scouts, one squad of Tactical Marines and the Gladius-class Frigate Exodus. At the time of their arrival, Morozhko was experiencing a prosperous and peaceful Iron Age. The frigid surface was littered with Empires of varying sizes and might. The largest and mightiest of these empires was known as the Ghonzi Empire under the rule of a man named Lord Amadeus Schreifter. The Ghonzi Empire and fifteen other empires scattered across the habitable plains of Morozhko formed the Volair Coalition. It was the prince of the small nation of Inxi that had spotted the Lightning Wraiths' landing ship and because it was a part of the Volair Coalition, it shared the knowledge regarding the new arrivals to its allies. Before long, every single monarch became privy to the news that a star fell to Morozhkan soil and was tempted to investigate it.

And so, as the Lightning Wraiths expedition party landed, dignitaries from every Morozhkan Empire came to greet the strangers from the stars. Initially, they thought that the Astartes were messengers from their pagan gods who have come to deliver them to the path of absolution and glory. This forced the Lightning Wraiths to educate the dignitaries of the galaxy and the Imperium. The expeditionary force had landed far from any habitations as they intended to investigate the planet's surface in solitude. If they were greeted by a small party, then it would have been a simple task of silencing them. However, the large crowd of dignitaries and their subjects marching towards them made it an impossibility to conceal their presence without incurring the military might of the entire planet. Although they were Adeptus Astartes and would be more than a match against millions of feudal soldiers, the thought of killing humans due to a misunderstanding did not sit well with the expeditionary force. Through the wonders of science and the oratory skill of the mortal shipmaster, the dignitaries were awed by the vastness of the galaxy and humanity's domain.

Little did the Lightning Wraths know that deep within the Ghonzi Empire, a daemon laid dormant within an ancient relic. It was awakened when it felt the psychic presence of the former White Scar Stormseer. The daemon had been banished to the Warp centuries ago by the White Scars and it longed for revenge against the warriors clad in white and red. It had managed to crawl back into realspace at the dawn the Morozhkan Empires, but only through a foolish Morozhkan's attempts to peer into the void. Even then, the daemon was trapped inside a mirror and was used by the Lord of Ghonzi to peer into the other Empires' state of affairs so that he may capitalize on any weaknesses. This was how the Ghonzi Empire grew to its massive size and it was how the daemon began its plot of revenge.

As the many monarchs traveled the Morzhkan wastelands to greet the strangers, the daemon's plans began to unfold. As she wandered the hallways of the Ghonzian Fortress, Lydia Ergenweld, the wife of Lord Schreifter, was drawn to the hidden mirror through a seductive and hypnotic song that emanated from it. Before she knew what was going on, the daemon possessed her and used her body to murder the Lord of Ghonzi a few days after his arrival. Through false tears and sorrow, the possessed widow blamed the 'demons from the stars' for murdering Schreifter and demanded that every kingdom should join arms and remove the invaders from the planet. Initially, many of the Kingdoms refused to listen to her demands, claiming that it was just her grief that was directing her actions. However, strange murders began to plague each of the Morozhkan empires, each one was immensely brutal and can only be achieved by beings of great strength. Fear and panic began to seep into the minds of the monarchs, and when one of them became the victim of the brutal killings, they sprang into defensive action. All but nine amassed their armies to march towards the Jirae Mountains in order to drive the strangers away.

The nine monarchs who refused to drive away the Lightning Wraiths were part of a union known as the Order of Brehus, named after the first Lord of Morozhko and the Mountain King of Jirae. These nine lords immediately set out to the wastelands with a small coalition of their families and honour guards to warn the giants of bone and blood red. When they arrived, Ganbold had already sensed the daemon's malign presence and had contacted the rest of the Chapter for aid, but was told that it would take months for the closest expeditionary fleet to arrive due to the Immaterium's turbulence at Segmentum Obscurus. Even if their warning was obsolete, the Monarchs of the Order pledged themselves to the Lightning Wraiths under an oath of honour at the moment of arrival. They guided the Astartes to a hidden tunnel network under the infamous Jirae Mountains so that they may prepare for the war before returning to their Kingdoms to marshal their troops. Instead of being offended by the monarchs' assumption of their lack of combat skill, Lightning Wraiths were impressed by their willingness to protect strangers and had the beginnings of kinship with the Monarchs of the Order as those mortal men and women were considered outcasts by the majority of the 'civilized' empires of Morozhko.

Each monarch of the Order ruled an empire at the frontiers of Morozhko's plains, pushing the limits of humanity's resilience and desire to expand. Some of them even bond with the volatile fauna and either make them into their pets or as their war beasts, from an enormous avian capable of transporting two heavily armoured warriors known as the Ayur Hawk to the Polshta Nemeans, lions coated in pure white fur that frequently stalk the only volcano in Morozhko - Mount Estia. Some still clung to gladiatorial rites of passage for teenagers, so that their warriors would be a fearless and experienced flock. Others practiced a religion that placed a heavy emphasis on death and ascendance to immortality through said death. Of the nine monarchs, the Lightning Wraiths found themselves to enjoy the company of Izhmael Kalator the most.

Izmael Kalator was the Preceptor of the Crypt-Watchers, an ancient order tasked with safeguarding the location of the Jirae Mountains' greatest treasure - the Tomb of Brehus, and the king of a small nation called Qashai. A diminutive and intelligent man, Izmael always tried to find time to communicate with the imposing warriors. His desire to learn and teach was contagious and his soft-spoken nature made it imperative to listen whenever he spoke. He had been the one to suggest that the Astartes should plan for the incoming war within the tunnels of the Jirae Mountains. It was Izmael who insisted that he would guide Tayang and his men to the Tomb of Brehus with the promise of revelation. It was within the Tomb of Brehus where the Lightning Wraiths understood why the Order was willing to fight and die for them.

They had discovered that the Tomb was an enormous Imperial Shrine with Imperial iconography painstakingly carved into the walls of the mountain. Time had eroded some of the detail, but the rough outlines of twin-headed eagles and the vigilant guardians of the Adeptus Astartes could still be made out. At the centre of the tomb was a small structure with nine pillars carved into the likeness of nine people holding up a gilded roof. Each of the pillars had a bronze plaque at its base containing the name of the person the pillar is modeled after, their history and a virtue that they represented. Within the structure, an upright marble sarcophagus faced the only entrance and exit. Its lid was carved into the lifelike image of the First King of Morozhko and the sparse amount of offerings at the foot of the sarcophagus indicated that the Tomb has very few visitors.

As the nations gathered their armies, the possessed Lydia began the creation of Chaos cults and had seduced many citizens to join with promises of power and wealth. Many had been tricked to act as vessels for daemons to bolster the Morozhkan armies in their crusade against the Lightning Wraiths. Others were taught to speak in daemon tongue to prepare for the inevitable summonings of Greater Daemons. An enormous amount of people were driven insane by the increasing whispers of the Immaterium and were granted inhuman strength through their insanity. Before long, the once proud and mighty Ghonzi Empire became the epicentre of madness and mindless violence. Its streets were littered with corpses showing signs of ritualistic sacrifices and the sigils of Chaos were branded onto the minds of everyone who remained alive. Days after the call to war was made, the entire military force of Morozhko bar the Order of Brehus arrived at the foot of the Jirae Mountains. While knowledge of the Crypt's existence is widespread, the entrance to it is not. In an attempt to find it in a short amount of time, large patrols were sent to scour the mountains to search for it while some of the engineers attempted to tunnel into mountains of interest. The engineers were met with little success as their steel pickaxes struggle to chip away the thick layers of rock that conceal any potential tunnels underneath. On the other hand, reports of patrols going missing began to increase. Some of the missing patrols turned up with one or two members remaining and their wills to fight broken. Soon, stories about how the Mountains have spirits that are protecting the strangers surfaced among the warriors.

These disappearances are the work of the skilled mountaineers of the Xulka Empire, who are renowned for their innate skill in navigating the treacherous slopes of the Jirae Mountains. Under the cover of the thick snowfall, Xulkan Jagers ambush the patrols with crossbows tipped with poison before cutting down any survivors. Alongside their mortal comrades, Lightning Wraith Scouts eradicated any patrols they came across with nary a sound thanks to their silenced sniper rifles. Tayang and his accompanying tactical squad were confined to the tunnels of the mountains as their heavier armour would give them away. They despised the claustrophobic halls, but swallowed their pride as they found it to be necessary to maintain the element of surprise.

Some of the Order's warriors, most belonging to the Ayur Hawk riding Uzeki Knights of the Umfasir Kingdom, were taught how to operate Imperial com-beads as they were tasked with reconnaissance. Through these com-beads, Uzeki Knight Narruk Olasiya reported the arrival of reinforcements and an increase of patrol deployment. When the next batch of patrols were dealt with by the wandering Jägers and scouts, they were appalled to discover their countrymen and family members as a part of the patrols. Many of their countrymen had their tongues cut off and their hands bound to their weapons, rendering them unable to warn the defenders or to plead for mercy. Those who weren't subjected to this kind of mutilation were victims of another affliction. While they were alive, the hidden warriors noticed that they moved with an unnatural gait, as if they were struggling to control their own bodies. When the ambushes were sprung, it required significantly more effort to kill one of them. Their bodies would become a pincushion for poisoned crossbow bolts and the only proof of their bodies feeling the impact of the bolts or the poison coursing through their veins was a strangled cry of ecstasy. Decapitation was the only way to ensure that they would stay dead.

These findings were immediately reported to the gathered monarchs and Tayang. It was deduced that the Morozhkan armies against the Order had split apart during the journey towards the mountains and had targetted the Kingdoms of the Order. The gathered monarchs were. In a sign of good faith in the willpower of the gathered leaders, Tayang revealed to them the truth of what their captured countrymen had become and told them of the daemon residing on the planet. The warriors felt that the time had finally come for their attack. And so, at the break of dawn, the war drums of the Order resounded off the intertwining tunnels underneath the Jirae Mountains. At the end of the war, the reinforcements that Tayang had requested arrived and among them was Khugol Khan.

Khugol Khan claimed the world to become their homeworld and with Tayang's recommendations, began the construction of their fortress-monastery as a massive tunnel network underneath the Jirae Mountains, with the Tomb of Brehus as its epicentre.

Aedalur Massacre
At the wake of the 9th Black Crusade, an enormous Space Hulk exited the warp at the edge of the Aedalur System. Accompanying the massive machine was a small fleet of Khornate warships, with Yhar’gol, a Khornate Champion with an insatiable drive for daemon ascension, commanding the invasion party. The attackers consisted of the Chaos Warbands, the Hand of Khorne and the Blackblood Hounds, as well as auxiliary support in the form of daemon engines and an entire Traitor Guard regiment of Khornate Cultists hailing from the Bellowing Daemon Cult.

The first planet that was invaded was the feudal world of Salis. The entire population was either murdered or indoctrinated within a week by a company of Hand of Khorne Berzerkers. However, only the strike cruiser Song of Violence was provided for the attack of Salis. The rest of the fleet remained beside the space hulk as it made its way through space towards the Forge World Nivera.

As the space hulk slowly drifted in space, psykers that were either planetside or serving in a nearby Imperial ship began to writhe in agony or jerk spastically as they experienced a seizure brought about by an immensely powerful psychic presence. The sight of astropaths and navigators foaming at the mouths, screaming in pain as they spasmed on the ground scared those who were unfortunate enough to witness the phenomenon. Merchant ships were not able to enter the warp in order to make a quick escape due to the phenomenon, rendering them effectively trapped in the warzone that encompassed the Aedalur system. Some psykers became a conduit for a warp gate, spewing forth daemons of Khorne upon the populace of a planet or the crew of a ship.

Amidst the agony she felt, one astropath had projected a powerful psychic message with the remaining vestiges of her energy. The sheer might required for her astropathic message to be sent coupled with the pain of feeling malicious psychic energies caused her to perish. Her final act was what would save Nivera from total destruction as a fleet consisting of the Lightning Wraiths' 3rd, 4th, and elements of the 8th Pillar of Wisdom received her message and warped into the system a few hours later.

The carnage that met the Lightning Wraiths as they returned to realspace was nothing short of sickening. The carcasses of destroyed ships drifted lazily in the void. Worlds that were subject to the Khornate Fleet's bloodthirsty warriors were either burning or stricken with a red miasma that clouded the minds of the weak-willed. Each world conquered gave the fleet more followers and gave Khorne more devout worshippers. The centre of their attention was on the drifting Space Hulk inching closer to Nivera. The Hulk was identified as "The Silent Blade", with Imperial records claiming that it was last seen at the aftermath of the 5th Black Crusade.

During their journey through the Immaterium, Magister Polsheyeska Khazan had sensed the powerful psychic presence that was killing Imperial psykers in the system. When they returned to real-space, he was subjected to the full offending might of the psychic aura and it caused Khazan to fall to his knees. Despite the pain that he felt deep within his immortal soul, Khazan was able to use his gifts in order to pinpoint the source of the presence. Before he forced himself to a state of unconsciousness to protect his brothers from a potential psychic backlash, Khazan relayed to the Viceroys of the fleet that the presence's source was deep within the Space Hulk.

Before the Lightning Wraiths could act upon the information bestowed upon them, they received news that many of the Khornate Fleet's ships had broken off formation and were headed straight to Nivera to drop their cargo of warriors and Berzerkers. This update forced the Lightning Wraiths to split up what forces they have between killing the source of the psychic energy and protecting the Forge World. Viceroy Attilus Paran of the 4th Pillar of Wisdom volunteered to board the Space Hulk and requested all present Veterans as well as Machinists to aid him in his hunt for the Chaos psyker. The rest would deploy on Nivera to aid the Mechanicum's defense forces on the planet.

Viceroy Paran and the Veterans were given the rare duty of donning Terminator Armour for their mission in Space Hulk as the Lightning Wraiths never found a proper scenario where its usage would benefit their combat doctrine. Within the confines of the Space Hulk, speed was a factor that only served as a detriment and because of this, Paran found it prudent to use the Terminator suits. The Strike Cruiser Dissonance of the Void was seconded to Paran so that they may board the Space Hulk with its Boarding Torpedos and be extracted with the onboard Thunderhawks.

As Viceroy Paran's Killteam boarded the Silent Blade, Pioneer Squads from the 8th made swift landings onto Nivera's surface via Thunderhawk Gunships. They arrived under a hail of fire from patrolling Traitor Guard Valkyries, losing a Thunderhawk due to sheer amount of ordnance and enemy Valkyries that controlled the skies of Nivera. When the Thunderhawks managed to unload the Pioneer Squads, it was an uphill battle against the Traitor Guard to return to the Lightning Wraiths' fleet. One of the Pioneer Squads, lead by Kapitulant Mattias Vohl, was able to contact the commanding officer of the Mechanicus residing on Nivera. With their help, communication with the Lightning Wraits fleet was achieved and data was traded in preparation for the relief force.

An updated holomap of Nivera revealed that the majority of the planet was covered in narrow, winding pathways. The labyrinthine passageways were a boon for the Skitarii and Mechanicum conscripts as navigating large forces was difficult in this environment. However, Lightning Wraiths aircraft would struggle to provide any form of support as many of their ships are much too wide.

Death of Laiko
On ___.M__, Preceptor ___ was conducting the Chapter's centennial tradition of giving the White Scars a tribute consisting of over one hundred promising aspirants. The 1st Pillar of Wisdom and the 9th accompanied him in his journey to Chogoris. However, during their transit through the Warp, the fleet was forced to return to realspace as the tides of the Immaterium became too tumultuous to travel in. They exited in the ___ Sector, where the Agri-World Laiko was located.

As soon as they exited, they received distress calls from the Agri-World. The calls told of a cult uprising that appeared out of nowhere consisting of mutated cultists. Suspecting a Genestealer Cult, the fleet immediately closed the distance to Laiko and sent its scout teams to investigate.

The Lightning Wraiths had resorted to using heavily modified equipment from the chapter's armory to combat the devourers. Through the use of modified Chem-cannons stolen from abandoned Bane Wolves and flamers with a more potent mixture of promethium in their tanks, they managed to hold off the threat from devouring the Agri-World Laiko. The chapter’s usage of these modified weapons proved to be their saving grace from total annihilation during a confrontation with a splinter force belonging to Hive Fleet Kraken during the Second Tyrannic War. However, the swarms of the Great Devourer had proved too much for the Chapter and they began to take heavy losses. With a heavy heart, Preceptor Antalleus Kiro ordered the deployment of the Harbingers and the infamous Desolation of Khan to lay waste on the Agriworld. The deadly combination of promethium, toxic chemicals, and radiation killed scores of the smaller broods and weakened the larger ones significantly.

There had been repercussions for their usage of terror weapons from various chapters, but the Lightning Wraiths paid no heed to them as the grief that burrowed in their hearts for the death of the Agri-World numbed them from the scathing remarks of those who weren't there.

Dawn of the Primaris
Despite the losses that the Chapter sustained at the dawn of the Dark Millenium, the Chapter remained true to its oath of tribute and loyalty to its progenitor. As such, the Lightning Wraiths' 1st Pillar of Wisdom made haste to Chogoris when news of a Chaos fleet's arrival on the sector reached them.

Notable Campaigns

 * Irquos Uprising (211.M38) - A planetary governor refused to pay his Imperial Tithes and had gained the support of many generals. Imperial delegation parties were shot upon when their landing craft breached the atmosphere and any survivors were executed. A strike force of Lightning Wraiths Jägers accompanied by Vizier Aleksei Nikorov were sent to quell the rebellion before it escalated even further. Any attempts of communication and negotiations were denied by the power-hungry planetary governor. A week after their arrival to the sector, the planetary governor was found bound and gagged in front of his home with the renegade generals' dead bodies accompanying him. He was last seen on his way to a meeting with his generals on the previous night. The man was considered mad as all he spoke of were about the undead coming to rip out everyone's soul from their bodies. However, news of his madness and the dead generals convinced any further usurpers to consider rebelling against the Imperium. The new planetary governor, the exiled son of the previous and an Imperial loyalist, denied any accusations that the Imperium had any hand in the event.
 * Purge of the Zhau Sector (427.M38) - A Lightning Wraiths arrived at the Zhau Sector, which was located at the edge of Segmentum Obscurus, after receiving news of Drukhari presence. Once the fleet made contact with the Dark Eldar,
 * Seryaj Campaign (830.M38) -
 * Bayhan Rebellions (153.M39) - A violent rebellion on the Agri-World Bayhan was quelled by the Lightning Wraiths exploiting the populace's superstitions.
 * Indomitus Crusade -

Chapter Home World
Morozhko is a hostile feudal world, cast in an almost permanent winter due to its distance to its star.

Fortress-Monastery
The Crypt of Brehus is a massive tunnel network hidden within the heart of the Jirae Mountains. It is both the Lightning Wraiths' Fortress-Monastery and an honoured shrine dedicated to the Lords and Ladies that were part of the Order of Brehus. There are nine entrances to the Crypt, each one is blocked by thick plasteel doors that only open when the Chapter's Vicars decide that it is time to accept new aspirants. However, finding these entrances is not an easy task, especially during the aspirant trials as the harsh weather of Morozhko coupled with the almost impossibly steep Jirae Mountains hide the tunnels from the untrained eye. Even if one manages to find an entrance, they would have to traverse the pitch blank tunnel while avoiding the creatures that reside within the shadowy depths. If they manage to survive these first set of Trials, they will be greeted by another plasteel door that only opens through a dual biometric system, as the Chapter Serfs tasked to guard the doors outside and inside are required to have their blood drawn through a hidden scanner at the same time. Behind those gates is one of the revered Tombs of Brehus. Each entrance leads to a Tomb that contains a Lord or Lady of the Order. To the general populace, these Tombs are shrines of the Imperial Cult. Many brave the treacherous Morozhkan mountains in order to pay their respects to the heroes of the Uprising and to profess their undying faith to the Emperor. To the aspirants, the Tombs are a sign that their path to become Astartes has truly begun.

Within the highest peak of the Jirae Mountains lies the Sanctum Astralis, an observatory that is psychically attuned to the Immaterium's everchanging paths. The Magister and his Viziers reside within the Sanctum and use it to scry into the everlasting void to search for any calls for aid or drifting Space Hulks ripe for an expedition into its bowels. Wards are engraved into the walls of the Sanctum in order to prevent any potential exploitation of the psychic attunement by the daemons of the Immaterium. Sometimes, they abduct and train Blanks to guard its sole entrance so that neither the daemon within nor daemons without may exit or enter the Sanctum.

The Khaganate Sepulchre
The Khaganate Sepulchre is a massive underground library filled with ancient tomes and books containing knowledge regarding the galaxy's inhabitants.

The Sepulchre is protected by the Kharash, an honour guard consisting of the greatest Morozhkan warriors, and a contingent of Lightning Wraiths Astartes and serfs.

The only way to access the Sepulchre is through the behest of the Preceptor or the Oathtaker, as they are the only one who know its location and the access codes required to open the massive doors that protect its invaluable treasure.

Deathwatch Service
For a fairly young chapter, the Lightning Wraiths have gained a unique reputation within the Deathwatch and its members. On one hand, a Lightning Wraith is often insubordinate towards many of his ranking officers as the free-spirit of a Morozhkan would not be doused by those who think themselves as masters of a Lightning Wraith. Gaining a Lightning Wraith's unquestioning compliance in the fires of battle is an uphill struggle of earning his trust and respect.

On the other hand, the main reason why any insubordinate Lightning Wraith isn't immediately disgraced by the Deathwatch is due to the immense wealth of knowledge they seem to have regarding the xenos. Whether it is about the nuances of Ork hierarchy or a word-for-word translation of a dialect of the T'au language. Lightning Wraith Vicars have also been noted to be one of the forefront experts in xeno-biology amongst their peers in the Deathwatch. Many experimental serums and biological weapons specifically created for a certain strain of xenos are accredited to the expertise of a Lightning Wraith Vicar. One such experimental serum is a powerful bio-acid that travels through a victim's bloodstream in a dormant state and activates through a chemical reaction unique to the Kroot. Meaning that traps in the form of corpses to be devoured are left for any unsuspecting Kroot squad to discover. Another unique trait of this acid is it returns to its dormant state once its host is dead. This serum was developed from the acid sacs of a captured Tyranid Warrior Brood and modified with the aid of Genetors from the Adeptus Mechanicus.

It is not uncommon for a Lightning Wraith to leave behind a legacy of knowledge for the next generation of Deathwatch. Historical tomes and philosophical texts are examples of written 'gifts' that a Lightning Wraith leaves behind in a Watch-Fortress' expansive libraries. Lightning Wraiths are also a common sight in a Watch-Fortress' Reclusiam and Librarium as those areas are where the Lightning Wraiths are most comfortable in. Many relics from Space Hulks have also been placed in the armories of the Deathwatch as the Lightning Wraiths Scavengers' expertise in Space Hulk expeditions always results in a discovery of an arcane Imperial relic with minimal casualties. These Scavengers have a sixth sense of sorts when inside a Space Hulk. They seem to innately know where the many dangers of a Space Hulk, such as a gravitational anomaly or a Genestealer nest, may lay before auspices could detect them. As such, Lightning Wraith Scavengers are highly prized by the Deathwatch are among the first to be sought when the threat of a Space Hulk looms over an Imperial planet.

Despite the fact that the Lightning Wraiths seem to thrive in the Deathwatch when their insubordinate behaviour has been curbed, many Lightning Wraiths fight for the promise that they will return home to Morozhko to resume their vigil as the Wardens of their small sector of Segmentum Obscurus. To many Lightning Wraiths, eternal secondment to the Deathwatch is akin to forgetting one's self and having one's entire life rewritten by another - a fate worse than death. As such, many Watch-Captains are careful around any Lightning Wraith that the Ordo Xenos has taken an interest to, as the past has taught them that these scions of the Khan are ready to throw themselves into death's embrace than serve in the guise of another identity. A strong bond with a Killteam is an absolute necessity to ensure that a Lightning Wraith would not do anything foolish that may jeopardize a mission in a fit of depressive fury.

Chapter Organisation
Many of the Lighting Wraith's ranks were taken from the armies of the Morozhkan Monarchies. Specifically those of the nine monarchs that remained loyal to the Imperial Truth during the Morozhkan Uprising.

Officer Ranks

 * The Preceptor - The Lightning Wraith's equivalent of a Chapter Master, the Preceptor is chosen from a cabal of men consisting of members of the 'Farshan', the Armorium, the Librarius, and the Viceroys. One is chosen through a vote among the cabal and would be favored for being an exemplar for all Lightning Wraiths. He must have all the qualities of a Lightning Wraith in spades, from the insatiable desire to learn to the ferociousness of a warlord. Upon his ascension, a Preceptor would become the Viceroy of the First Pillar of Wisdom and the Lightning Wraiths' representative during their centennial voyage to Chogoris. While the Preceptor has command of the entire Chapter, he often lets Viceroys command their own Pillars of Wisdom as they see fit. The only time he overrides a Pillar of Wisdom's command structure is when the Viceroy is either dead or unfit to command.
 * Ensigns - The Lightning Wraith's equivalent of a Primaris Lieutenant. A new addition to the Lightning Wraiths' ranks, the Ensigns are a Viceroy's second-in-command in the battlefield and his personal bodyguard. Initially, the first wave of Primaris Reinforcements were treated with suspicion as the Firstborn thought that they were not only created to replace them, but to spy on them. As time went on, the suspicion ebbed away, but was replaced with exclusion in some cases. Some of the Firstborn firmly believe that the genetic mutations of the Lightning Wraiths are an integral component of the Chapter's identity. The lack of genetic mutations from the Primaris have earned them the title of 'Faceless' from these Firstborn.
 * Viceroy - The Lightning Wraith's equivalent of a Company Captain. These men lead a company into battle and are in charge of duties that help the Chapter run smoothly. Viceroys are chosen from the ranks of the Chapter's Veterans, typically those who were former members of said Pillar of Wisdom and those who have a knack for tactics. Viceroys are also in charge of diplomatic relations with other Imperial forces. As such, many Viceroys are taught by Morozhkan nobility and poets in wordsmithing along with expansive knowledge in human psychology. It is said that Lightning Wraith Viceroys are among the best diplomats in the Adeptus Astartes due to their extensive knowledge of how the human mind works and their silver tongues.
 * Vizier - The Lightning Wraith's equivalent of a Chief Librarian. Those who are given this rank are given the duty of being a Preceptor's key advisor. The opinions and advice of Viziers are held in high regard by Preceptors for Viziers are the greatest scholars in a chapter full of scholars.
 * Magister - The Lightning Wraith's equivalent of a Librarian.
 * Koval - The Lightning Wraith's equivalent of a Forgemaster. A position of both prestige and respect, the Koval is the greatest Machinist within the Armorium. His skill makes him the only person qualified to conduct maintenance and repairs on the Chapter's Relics. The Koval is also the one who creates the guidelines on how to modify and tinker equipment that was scavenged off of the battlefield, a secret that the Chapter's Oathtaker guards vehemently. He works with the Viceroy of the 5th Pillar of Wisdom to safeguard the relics and to ensure that the Armorium is always fully stocked. Interestingly, his title stems from a Morozhkan tradition of having a surname that coincides with a familial trade. Koval was the last name of a family from the Order of Brehus with unparalleled skill in metallurgy. When the chapter was founded, the first Forgemaster adopted the title out of respect for the family line and his first duty was to create the revered Crown of the Old Kings.
 * Machinist - The Lightning Wraith's equivalent of a Techmarine. The Chapter's expansive airforce and high numbers of bikes demand a fairly high amount of specialists trained by the Adeptus Mechanicus to maintain and repair these tools of war. Due to their training with the Mechanicus, they are forced to renounce their oaths of non-augmentation in order to gain the knowledge that the Priests of Mars selfishly guard. Unlike many Techmarines of other chapters, a Machinist strives to maintain his personality during his time with the Mechanicus and would cast aside whatever loyalty he has with the Mechanicus for his Chapter. A Machinist is also the only rank that has a personal retinue of servitors to assist him rather than Chapter Serfs due to the dangerous tasks he has to undertake which require the expendable yet robust slaves.
 * Bannerlord - The Lightning Wraith's equivalent of a Standard Bearer. Carrying the pride of a Pillar of Wisdom or the Chapter into battle is a great honour, but one that comes with great risk. Every enemy of the Imperium knows by heart that those who carry the standards is responsible for upholding the morale of an army. This knowledge drives them to seek and desecrate any Company standard that enters the warzone. This duty is only given to battle-hardened Veterans of the Lightning Wraiths as they will ensure that nothing will ever desecrate the banner.

Specialist Ranks

 * Iakugo - Instead of having a champion in each company dedicated to hunting down enemy warlords, the Lightning Wraiths have one Champion to represent the entire chapter. The Iakugo, meaning "bewildering force" in Common Morozhkan, is the greatest warrior in the Chapter. His previous name would be forgotten, as it is a tradition for him to become one with the weapon that bears the same name as the position he is to hold. His duties consist of safeguarding the Preceptor, spearheading mass assaults, and hunting down Warlords. The Iakugo is the Preceptor's shadow, his guardian and his executioner. With an oath of silence and a mask of Jaghatai Khan welded onto his face, the Iakugo is seldom seen or heard as he lurks in the shadows but is never too far to intervene any attempts on the Preceptor.
 * Vicars - Vicars of the Chapter are the amalgamation of an Apothecary and a Chaplain of the Codex Astartes. Healers of both mind and body, the Vicars are held in high regard and are often the ones with a security detail accompanying them with the exception of the Chapter Master. Due to the combination of two roles, the Reclusium and the Apothecarion are also merged into the 'Farshan', a Laeda-Krovian word that roughly translates to 'House of Healing' in Low Gothic. There is also a larger than normal amount of Vicars, when compared to a Codex-Compliant Chapter's amount of Apothecaries or Chaplains, to compensate for the combination of two roles.
 * Oathtaker - The Oathtaker is the combination of a Reclusiarch and a Head Apothecary. Those who are given this position are responsible for inducting Neophytes into the Chapter, overseeing ascensions of Captains and Chapter Masters, and ensuring that the Chapter's relics are cared for. Oathtakers are also the ones who keep the Chapter's dark secrets under wraps. Only the high echelons of the Chapter know of the secrets that an Oathtaker guards. One such secret is the location of the Chapter's gene-seed repositories.

Battleline Squads

 * Dragoon Squad - The Lightning Wraith's equivalent of a Battleline Squad. They are the only ones beside the Jägers and the Harbingers who have access to the few heavy weapons that the Chapter keeps in their armory. Heavy Bolters with a drum magazine and Rocket Launchers are the support weapons of choice by Dragoon Squads as their combat doctrine requires them to be mobile even with the presence of heavier equipment. Dragoons are also extensively trained in mounted combat and either use the bikes as a means to travel great distances or as a means to wage warfare. Those who dedicate themselves as members of a Bike Squad are split into two designations:
 * Hussars - Those who prefer strike hard and from a distance while in motion ride in Attack Bikes and are known as Hussars in homage to the heavy cavalry of the __ Empire, famed for their flawless piercing charges through an enemy's formation.
 * Lancers - Those who prefer to close in with the enemy ride the Assault Bikes and are known as Lancers in homage to the highly effective anti-cavalry formation that __ used during the Morozhkan Uprising.

Close Support Squads

 * Skirmisher Squad - The Lightning Wraith's equivalent of a Close Support Marine, a Skirmisher has mastered the art of close-quarters combat as well as guerilla warfare. Skirmishers are also the ones who are trained to pilot each type of aircraft in the Chapter's Air Force.
 * Pioneer - The Lightning Wraith's equivalent of a Scout.
 * Kapitulant - The Lightning Wraith's equivalent of a Sergeant.

Hellscreamer Squad
A new addition to the ranks of the Lightning Wraiths, the Hellscreamer Squad is the Chapter's equivalent to a Fire Support Squad. This is the only Primaris-only squad in the Chapter. The dawn of the Primaris introduced another means for the Chapter to retain both their lightning-fast tactics and fire superiority. Marines trained to be a Hellscreamer are either trained as Primaris Suppressors, Primaris Hellblasters or Primaris Eliminators.

Specialist Formations

 * Jägers - Jägers are a covert infiltration team of Astartes specializing in sabotage and decapitation strikes against the enemy while deep behind enemy lines. Jägers typically consist of particularly gifted scouts that have finally earned their Black Carapace and Power Armour, but have refused to leave the 8th or 9th Pillar of Wisdom. Armed with Stalker Bolters along with one support weapon and enough explosives to demolish 5 hab-blocks, their purpose is to cause as much havoc at the heart of the enemy either through a decapitation strike on an enemy's leadership or through a destructive sabotage campaign. The presence of Jägers is the precursor of an assault by the Lightning Wraiths. The integration of Primaris Marines into the Chapter increased the number of Jägers as Vanguard Primaris Marines, specifically Eliminator Primaris Marines have found a place within the ranks of the Jägers.
 * Dark Prophets - Dark Prophets are squads of disgraced Astartes who have shamed the Chapter through their pride or lack of self-control. Like the Sagyar Mazan of their forefathers, these warriors are put under a death oath and would spearhead any engagement or act as the rearguard in order to restore their honor. Their insignia would be blotted out, indicating that their actions have made them unworthy of wearing the mark of a Lightning Wraith. Squads would be led by Veterans hand-picked by either the Preceptor or the Oathtaker and each Veteran would be given permission to execute any Dark Prophet who is beyond redemption.
 * Harbingers - Harbingers are marines who are tasked to render the very ground they stand on inhospitable and impossible to use. Harbingers are treated with a kind of sympathy within the chapter as they are given the difficult job of transforming Imperial ground into a wasteland to deny any enemy resources. Despite the similarities to the Destroyers of the past, Harbingers are different because they were not warriors with no qualms with rendering worlds unsuitable for life. Rather, the roles are given to those who have bleeding hearts as they understand the severity of their tasks and would take great care to ensure that there will not be a second occurrence at the same location. Armed with promethium-based weaponry as well as hand-held Chem Cannons stripped and modified from Imperial Guard Banewolves, Harbingers either scorch or disintegrate any lifeform on a planet's surface. Furthermore, Harbingers would have an iron mask fashioned in the likeness of their faces prior to the assignment so that when they perish in battle, they will be buried with dignity.
 * Stalkers - Among the ranks of the First Company, a squad or two receives training on the usage of Terminator Armour. However, these men will not be using these cumbersome suits in combat scenarios. Instead, they will be the ones who will board any Space Hulks that the chapter comes across. It is an impulsive act for the Lightning Wraiths to scour the decks of derelict ships in order to find some ancient relic or a repository of information. The unstable conditions and the possible presence of xenos or daemons within a Space Hulk requires the additional protection that Terminator Armour provides its user. Those who are interred into a Stalker squad are typically the daredevils of the chapter with an insatiable desire for danger and knowledge. Whenever a Relic is found, the Chapter will search Imperial databases to discover its original owners. If a match is found, then the Chapter will return the Relic to whomever it belonged to. This comes at a price, as the Lightning Wraiths would bargain for priceless tomes of knowledge from a Chapter's library in exchange for the relic. If the Chapter refuses, then the Lightning Wraiths would keep the relic for themselves.

Lightning Wraiths Librarians
Like many Space Marine Chapters, the Lightning Wraiths has a contingent of powerful psykers who act as advisors and keepers of the Chapter's many traditions.

Lightning Wraiths Viziers have developed unique psychic abilities that are unique to the Lightning Wraiths:
 * Spirit-Walk - The Vizier wraps himself and fellow marines and an aura of psychic energy. This aura renders their bodies intangible to the physical world, making any weapon pass through them as if they were ghosts.
 * Siphon - The Vizier uses a psychic lash to entangle his target. Any creature caught by the lash will have its soul torn from its body.
 * Army of the Dead - The Vizier calls upon the lingering souls of dead warriors around him and puts them under his command. As long as he has strength in his mind and body, the souls of the dead do his bidding and would slay anything that dares oppose them.
 * Wrath of the Storm - The Vizier summons a powerful warp storm over a battlefield, striking down anything caught under its domain.
 * Lightning-Step - The Vizier imbues either his own or an ally's body with warp energy. The warp energies supercharge their nerve clusters, causing the warrior to gain an immense speed boost.

Order of Battle
The Lightning Wraiths' Chapter composition is quite similar to that of the White Scars, with a heavy emphasis in Bike Squads and Land Speeders. However, due to the lack of armoured vehicles and Devastator Squads, the Chapter has a large focus on aerial superiority as their large airforce is their solution for the decrease in firepower. The Chapter also has some Terminator suits in their armories, but they are only used for investigating Space Hulks as the dangers within are too great for regular power armour.

The Lightning Wraiths' Companies are called Pillars of Wisdom as tribute for the 9 Virtues that the 9 Monarchs of the Order of Brehus upheld during the Morozhkan Uprising. Each of the Companies represents a Virtue, and each Viceroy is given a duty that coincides with said Virtue.
 * Perseverance -
 * Diligence -
 * Self-Reliance - The wealthiest of the nine monarchs, Great Shah Khalla Potiphon had provided his allies with equipment that they normally would not be able to gain due to their low funds. His empire encompassed many mineral deposits and ore mines, hence the wealth of his nations. When the Uprising broke out, his oaths of fealty to the Order compelled him to open old armories and depots for his comrades.
 * Hospitality - High Guardian Idina Szalatov's Elite Guard were the ones who directed the Lightning Wraiths to the Crypt of Brehus in order to help them prepare for the upcoming war. Her empire had been tasked with protecting the tomb of their founder and their knowledge of the Crypt's secrets helped pave the foundation of the Chapter's future fortress-monastery.
 * Discipline - Guardian __ was the leader of arguably the most militaristic empire of Morozhko.
 * Fidelity - Keeper __ was the descendant of a long line of Ecclesiarchal Adepts and with his rule, the teachings of the Imperial Cult were deeply ingrained into the hearts and minds of the Order of Brehus.
 * Honour - Warden __ led an army of men and women who have tamed and bonded with Ayur Eagles.
 * Sincerity
 * Valiance - Master __ was a very shrewd and quiet individual. His small army was composed of some of the best hunters that have ever graced Morozhko and they had impressed Vizier __ with feats of stealth that could only be described as ghost-like. The title 'Warden of Shadows' is bestowed upon the Viceroy of this Pillar of Wisdom for his superior stealth and tracking skills among his battle-brothers.

Like many Successors of the Khan, it is difficult to keep any Lightning Wraiths companies perfectly organized. Especially since autonomy is encouraged and practiced by each squad.

Combat Doctrine
"We are the storm that descends from cloudless skies!"

- Lightning Wraiths Proverb

The Lightning Wraiths prefer to either deal with their enemies in one fell swoop as fast as possible or to whittle them down with hit-and-run tactics accompanied with sabotage. As such, they do not have any Devastator Squads or armoured land vehicles in their arsenal. The heavy equipment would not only struggle to keep up with the insane speeds that the Lightning Wraiths conduct their attacks, but would also slow down the speed of an assault. To compensate for this loss of firepower, the Lightning Wraiths have an extensive and large air force at their disposal. Their ships contain enough Stormhawk Interceptors, Stormravens, Storm Eagles, Thunderhawks and Land Speeders to transport the entire Chapter en masse to a planet's surface. Aerial Superiority is a crucial component of any Lightning Wraith strategy because without their air force, they do not have enough firepower to deal with opponents that are too numerous or too sturdy.

Furthermore, they have two scout companies so that the acquisition of intelligence regarding the enemy's forces will be easier and so that more sabotage ops can be executed. The higher number of scouts is necessary as there are times that the enemy has total aerial superiority and an infiltration operation is a fulcrum in which the tide of a battle will turn to the Lightning Wraith's favour. Jägers are an integral part of the Scout Companies and of the Chapter as a whole. It is because decapitation strikes are favoured by the Lightning Wraiths as battles fought through attrition are seen as too costly by the Chapter. Night Operations are also favoured as their mutations provide them with advantages from a tactical and a psychological standpoint.

If an enemy's defenses are too strong for a Lightning Wraith assault, they either cut off the enemy's resources and wait for them to destroy themselves from within or attack from the underground with the usage of a Hades Breaching Drill which are piloted by Chapter Serfs. Either way, the Lightning Wraiths would see the enemy be destroyed from within. Whether from the madness and desperation of the populace or through the wrathful and swift destruction wrought by Astartes. No enemy has the right to survive in the eyes of these Scions of the Khan. Total destruction is their only sentence, both for their crimes of treason and to ensure that their ways of warfare are known to few.

However, when the Lightning Wraiths are forced to be on the defensive, their tactics change. If an objective has to be held, the Lightning Wraiths would construct expansive underground tunnel networks around the mission area. A total far cry from their usual tactics, but a viable strategy that was perfected through combat simulations held underneath the tunnels of the mountains of Morozhko. These tunnels are heavily guarded, filled with traps, and designed to confuse those who dare to use them. Above ground, fortifications are also connected to the tunnels, which is a great boon to those who aid the Lightning Wraiths with the defense as they are able to move from one place to another in comparative safety. Granted, they would need a Lightning Wraith alongside them to act as a guide.

Among Teachers and Students
One belief of the chapter is that their true purpose is to teach and be taught. As teachers, they are the ones who will enlighten the lost and ignorant empires of humanity. It is their duty to introduce a lost empire to the Imperium's vast empire and to enrapture them with historical tales of glory, sacrifice, and duty. The Chapter sometimes acts as a catalyst for technological and scientific growth in a feudal civilization through discreet means such as conveniently placed blueprints or notes regarding physics and chemistry. Feral Worlds are typically left alone, as they act as recruitment worlds for the Lightning Wraiths. However, if a Feral World shows signs of sociological advancement, the concept of law may also be introduced by the Lightning Wraiths. Some of the Deans, warriors who are too wounded to return to service, venture through a planet to teach the illiterate how to read and write. The Blood Raven adage "Knowledge is Power" is adopted by the Chapter, and with this adage, the Lightning Wraiths believe that they are strengthening the Imperium by spreading knowledge to those who are severely deprived of it.

As students, each Lightning Wraith studies history, psychology, diplomacy, various dialects of Low Gothic and many other facets regarding the lives of mortals in order to gain insight on both ally and potential foe. Each Astartes bearing the insignia of the Lightning Wraiths has the virtue of humility molded into his psyche, as knowledge cannot be attained through pride and stubbornness. Knowledge from Xenos mouths and texts are always taken with suspicion, but utilized nonetheless if it means to serve the Imperium. Furthermore, while the chapter only has good relations with the White Scars, information from the mouths of older warriors, regardless of Chapter, is taken out of respect. They may even interact with a planet's populace to learn about popular myths and folktales to understand their culture, both from a tactical standpoint and an academic standpoint. Great Libraries filled with tomes and literary works are defended with fanatical zeal, as the loss of knowledge is anathema to the Lightning Wraiths. In fact, before the Agri-World Laiko was besieged by a Leviathan Splinter Fleet, the total sum of the planet's agricultural records and historical records were stashed in one of the strongholds so that it may be preserved.

Due to this belief of the importance of knowledge, every Lightning Wraith is an accomplished scholar. Prior to any deployment, a strike force will scour Imperial records to gain information on the opponents that they will exterminate and on the land they will fight in. Topographical charts, historical records, battle reports, xeno-biological data, and psychological profiles are some of the many mines of information that a strike force will gather from in order to better prepare themselves. In the case of a defensive campaign, the Lightning Wraiths will endeavor to learn every secret that a planet may hold in so that any potential points of exploitation will be dealt with or utilized as a trap. However, this also results in a slower deployment as the chapter is quite reluctant to deploy troops if there are too many unknowns or if not enough information can be gathered.

Their almost fanatical drive for knowledge is most noticeable in the position of Iakugo. Every Iakugo is both a teacher and student of the martial skill required to wield the twin-blade relic weapon. The artful battle technique is only known to the previous Iakugo and the serfs that he taught. The serfs under his tutelage are aspirants that are gifted in combat, but were unable to receive the gene-seed due to genetic mismatches. These serfs have made a blood oath of secrecy under the watchful eyes of the Oathtaker and breaking it will result in a death sentence via ritualistic execution by his peers.

When a new Iakugo is inducted, it is the duty of these serfs, whom are known as the Bladekeepers, to teach the Astartes. If the Astartes refuses to be taught by the Bladekeepers, he fails the first test of his induction. It was said that humility and patience are paramount virtues of the first Iakugo, as he was the one who began this tradition. Furthermore, the new Iakugo is also expected to teach future generations of Bladekeepers so that the revered martial art will not be lost. Failure of his tests of induction would result in the Preceptor inducting the Iakugo aspirant to the Dark Prophets for his sins of pride.

Purity of Flesh
The Lightning Wraiths despise bionics and the thought of voluntarily replacing body parts with augmentics is anathema to them. It is their belief that when a warrior's limb is severed or an organ is destroyed, a part of the warrior's soul is lost. To replace a severed limb or an organ is to desecrate what remains of the warrior's soul. Only through a proper death will a warrior's soul be truly whole and at peace. Bionic limbs, eyes, and organs are only accepted out of pure necessity in order to serve the Imperium. Dreadnoughts are considered an insult to the warrior who is interred into one as the fallen must be rewarded with eternal peace once they have paid their tithes to the Imperium with their own lives. These ancient machines are seen as tombs of torment that prolong the suffering of the pilot.

If a Space Marine of great skill or experience has suffered wounds that would render them unfit for combat for the rest of their lives, they are given the Emperor's Peace as there is no point to prolong their suffering. However, some would outright refuse it and request that they are to be healed as much as possible. These marines would become Deans, Astartes that act as mentors for Aspirants and Serfs regarding the Chapter's many traditions. They are also the ones who collect aspirants from other planets. These Deans may also go planetside to teach a populace necessary skills in order to boost the planet's efficiency, from literacy to Imperial History.

This also results in a reluctance to use servitors and a very large amount of Chapter Serfs, with estimates stating the presence of 3-4 times more Serfs than most Chapters. It is their belief that any task a servitor can do is achievable through human hands with equal or greater efficiency. A fully functional human mind is more favourable than a lobotomized yet obedient one because creativity and innovative thought processing are core facets in the Chapter's ethos. Furthermore, Chapter Serfs may also serve as 'practice students' for the marines as these Serfs are trained and taught in a plethora of subjects so that they may replace their servitor equivalents. This is also because they are aware of the reputation that Astartes have among mortals, so they use Chapter Serfs as a means to bridge gaps between posthuman warriors and mortals. The only exception to this is the Armorium as certain duties are too dangerous for normal humans and require expendable servitors instead.

Fatalistic Protectors
"It is time for the fallen to rest, they have fought as hard as the Emperor asked them to. Look to the future, to the young ones, and ensure that they too will fight with every ounce of their being as there is no greater reward in death than knowing that the price the foe paid in blood for your life is steep and unforgiving."

- Oathtaker Aiko Sotek after the Aedalur Massacre

The Lightning Wraiths have a dour outlook on humanity's future, seeing as the race will never achieve its former greatness due to the self-serving interests that are hardwired into the minds of many souls. In fact, the Chapter believes that the race is dying and the warriors of the Imperium are the only things that are delaying the incoming extermination of humanity. Most mortals are perceived to have this self-serving mindset, regardless of their importance to the Imperium as a whole. This belief of humanity's inherent selfishness stems from Khugol Khan's early distrust of the Chogorians and the death cults of Morozhko. Anyone who has to work with the Lightning Wraiths will be subjected to the Chapter's apathetic and indifferent temperament. This is sometimes perceived as disrespectful behaviour, which causes quarrels between the two parties.

Their views on the inevitability of death gave way to the abandonment of the ideals of honor and glory, seeing as these values are of no use to the dead. As such, they consider feuds and rivalries between Chapters or Regiments as a waste of time and energy. They also find competitiveness distasteful as it breeds jealousy and strife between warriors whose duty should be their greatest priority. Warriors of the Lightning Wraiths learn during their training that the only way to truly ensure humanity's survival is to cast away personal ideals and possessions. They believe that the best warriors are those who have nothing to lose and nothing to believe in, as the only thing left in their minds is the drive to protect and to slay.

While they see everyone as worthless pawns in the grand scheme of things, they will acknowledge those who have garnered their interest, either through feats of courage, martial skill, or guile. Receiving praise from the Lightning Wraiths is very rare, but is always accompanied with acceptance among the ranks of the Lightning Wraiths. Sometimes, they will even recruit mortals as part of the support staff that aid in the day-to-day rites of the Chapter if they believe that the mortal has earned that honour. Though, if the mortal(s) in question are the ones who request to be a part of the Chapter's support staff, more often than not their request will be granted.

Despite their nihilism, the dead are treated with the utmost respect as was taught to them by the natives of Morozhko, even if the dead are subjected to the Chapter's looting. A small portion of the Chapter will always remain on a planet after a war to aid in the burials of fallen warriors. Rites of the Fallen are taught to each Battle-Brother by the Vicars so that they themselves can give the dead a proper Imperial burial. Additionally, if a planet has unique burial traditions, those who remain will take the extra effort to learn the planet's traditional rites. This also results in the Chapter frequently seconding Astartes as guardians to Imperial shrines that contain the tombs of Imperial Saints.

However, they are surprisingly very protective of children. Time with Morozhkan natives had instilled a form of paternal code within the Lightning Wraiths' ethos. Any child that dared to approach a Lightning Wraith is met with warmth and wisdom. They go to great lengths to save children from any threat that looms over a world. Sometimes, they abduct children on a planet that have the characteristics and qualities that they seek for among Morozhkan aspirants. It has been said that the entire chapter would willingly throw itself into extermination if it meant to save one child from the malign forces that plague the galaxy.

Scars of the Progenitor
One tradition that the Lightning Wraiths proudly share with their forefathers is the White Scars' scarification rites. Although, their scars are given a reddish hue rather than off-white because the Lightning Wraiths believe that

Gene-Seed
As successors of the White Scars, the gene-seed of the Lightning Wraiths was initially found to be stable and free of aberrations, save for the underlying curse that every scion of Jaghatai suffers from. However, a century after the gene-seed was implanted into the first Lightning Wraith Neophyte, mutations began to surface.

The first mutation that was spotted is currently known as the "Wraith's Flesh". A Battle-Brother afflicted with this mutation would suffer an aggressive form of dermal atrophy coupled with significantly brighter arteries that can be seen from a distance. Dissections conducted by Chapter Vicars found that this mutation was caused by defects in the Melanchromic Organ. There is speculation that this mutation is a result of the planet barely receiving any sunlight from the planet's sun due to the nigh constant overcast that plagues Morozhko. This resulted in very low amounts of melanin, in a Morozhkan native's body. Due to this, a marine's skin is exponentially more sensitive to UV radiation than a normal human when in sunlight, which thins or burns the skin at an accelerated rate. This forces the marine to constantly wear his helmet when in sunlight. Further investigation by Vicars revealed that the fully-functional Haemastamen boosted an existing evolutionary trait from the inhabitants of Morozhko. The mortals of the world are accustomed to traversing the abundant mountain peaks without any specialized equipment, thus their blood has higher hemoglobin levels than an average human. As such, the Astartes of the Lightning Wraiths have exceptionally high hemoglobin in their blood, much higher than a regular Astartes', which results in their blood being a very shade of red.

The second mutation appeared after 150 years since the implantation of gene-seed upon the first Generation of Lightning Wraiths. Commonly known as the "Wraith's Sight", those who have been stricken by this mutation gain increased sensitivity to bright light due to a hyperactive Occulobe, to the point that the Astartes afflicted are required to constantly wear their helmets lest they are blinded. The afflicted also gain a form of heat vision when total darkness, where the temperature of objects can be estimated based on how brightly they glow through the eyes of those with the Wraith's Sight. This is also accompanied by the iris and pupil losing their hue, resulting in a milky white eye. Precursors to this mutation are uncontrollable tears of blood leaking from a marine's tear ducts. Like the "Wraith's Flesh", the Wraith's Sight is a boost of an existing evolutionary trait of the Morozhkan natives. The constant overcast of Morozhko coupled with the extensive cave and tunnel systems made the inhabitants of the frozen world have an increased sensitivity towards light.

The combination of these two mutations gives the Astartes an appearance worthy of his namesake. The deathly pallor coupled with the pure white eyes makes the warriors of the Chapter seem that they are undead deliverers of Imperial Retribution. This is capitalized by the 8th and 9th Pillars of Wisdom as the psychological advantage that their appearance provides reduces the morale of any enemy caught in an ambush. The Primaris Reivers that have been recently adopted into the Chapter's ranks also seem to maximize the effectiveness of these mutations to destroy the will of the enemy before shots are even fired. Their unnatural appearance has also given birth to a rumor that the Magisters of the Lightning Wraiths are Necromancers that use the bodies of their fallen as a means to bolster their ranks.

Primarch's Curse: Savagery Within
The genetic curse of Jaghatai's legacy is also felt by the Lightning Wraiths. A savage mindset that is contained through the constant vigilance of both the marine and the members of the Farshan. The curse is necessary as it gives the Lightning Wraiths strength at times where others would have faltered. Those who cannot restrain themselves or drag themselves out of this cloud of wrath and death are interred into the Dark Prophets, specialist squads with death oaths cast upon each member for shaming the chapter through their lack of discipline. The curse usually manifests itself in two stages, but the introduction of the Morozhkan genome has resulted in an unforeseen third stage:


 * Level 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.
 * Level 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.
 * Level 3 (Wrath of Khan) - The Battle-Brother's rage and fury becomes too great to contain and his mind becomes clouded with thoughts on how to unleash it. When given an opportunity, he recklessly throws himself onto the enemy with complete disregard for orders and discipline. If he is unchecked for a prolonged period of time, he will begin to lash out at both friend and foe.

Notable Members

 * Khugol Khan
 * Tarac Re'Nali
 * Uresh Haeed
 * Szulah Nuk'Fallad
 * Kashirin Zukhol

Chapter Fleet
The Lightning Wraiths have a fairly sizable battlefleet, with their ships geared for rapid maneuvers and modified with larger hanger bays. The Chapter's Battle-Barge and Strike Cruisers contain the majority of the Chapter's fleet when deployed and its escort ships have enough space for a Stormraven. Many of the Lightning Wraiths' ships sacrifice shield strength and armoured hulls for more powerful engines and weapons in order to wipe out any enemy before they can even take a single shot.
 * Woe of the Forgotten (Battle-Barge) - This ancient ship has been in the possession of the Lightning Wraiths since its inception and was among the gifts that Chaigut Khan's successor had given Khugol prior to his departure. Over the years, it has been modified to suit the Chapter's combat doctrine, namely larger hangar bays so that more of the Chapter's airforce can be stored within the massive vessel and the speed modifications that are common among the ships belonging to Jaghatai Khan's sons.
 * Kublai's Song (Strike Cruiser) - One of the older ships in the Chapter, Kublai's Song has seen many conflicts that have shaped the Chapter.
 * Gai Gamshig (Strike Cruiser)
 * Silent Storm (Strike Cruiser)
 * Epiphany (Strike Cruiser)
 * Falconeer (Gladius Frigate)

Chapter Armoury
The Chapter has a high number of aerial vehicles, from the humble Land Speeder to the enormous Thunderhawk Gunships.

Nivera Pattern Stormtalon
Within the Lightning Wraiths' armoury, a unique variant of the Stormtalon exists solely in the hands of the Lightning Wraiths. The Nivera Pattern Stormtalon is redesigned from the standard Storm Talon to maximize firepower and protection based on an STC that the Lightning Wraiths found on the Silent Blade. This variant has an elongated frame with the VTOL thrusters moved to the rear, just before the modified tail fins. This modification revolved around the Stormtalon's change of the main armament. Instead of a twin-linked weapon mounted on the nose of the aircraft, the Nivera Pattern Storm Talon has an Avenger Bolt Cannon with its ammunition stored in a custom-built carrier within the fuselage. This carrier has enough rounds for the cannon for a sustained barrage that could last 20 seconds before it runs dry.

With the VTOL thrusters moved to the rear of the gunship, a choice made to balance out the weight of the new Avenger Bolt Cannon and to increase aerodynamics, the wings of the Stormtalon were also modified to increased stability. The wingspan of the Nivera Pattern Storm Talon is larger than a regular Stormtalon's by a factor of 2. At the ends of the wings, vertical stabilizers similar to the ones mounted on Stormraven wings were added in order for the gunship to improve its VTOL capabilities. Furthermore, larger wings meant that more weapons could be mounted onto the gunship. Two hardpoints are found on each wing, one is located near the vertical stabilizers and capable of mounting a Storm Strike missile pod while the other is found near the fuselage and is capable of mounting either a twin-linked lascannon, a Typhoon missile launcher or a Skyhammer missile launcher.

Another change applied to the Nivera Pattern Storm Talon is that more armour plating is welded around the cockpit and key positions on the fuselage. This was to improve the gunship's survivability as the aftermath of the War for Nivera revealed to the Chapter that many Stormtalons fell to the enemy due to lucky hits on the cockpit and the integral components within the fuselage. All of these modifications came at a price, as the Nivera Pattern Stormtalon is slower than its counterpart and could barely keep up with its cousin, the Stormhawk Interceptor. A price the Lightning Wraiths are willing to pay as these crafts provide such an overwhelming amount of fire support that cannot be matched by the standard variant of the Stormtalon and is equal to the heavier gear that the Chapter shuns.

Chapter Relics
Many of the Chapter's Relics were items looted from the Space Hulk "Silent Blade" during the War of Nivera. Those who know of these relics' source outside of the Lightning Wraiths condemned the Chapter for either desecrating the dead with their looting or hoarding and tinkering archeotech.


 * The Crown of the Old Kings - A relic dating to the Chapter's founding, the Crown of the Old Kings is a Mark IV helmet with a wrought-iron crown welded onto it. It has been said that the iron crown was made from the remains of the crowns belonging 9 kings who swore their fealty to the chapter during the colonization of its homeworld. These 9 kings were the only ones who accepted the Imperial Truth with open arms and were the ones who stood alongside their new masters while the world fell to a mass rebellion against the 'demons from the stars'.
 * Khasar - An ancient two-handed Power Axe that was created during the Scouring, this relic was formerly Chaigut Khan's weapon of choice before it was passed over to Khugol Khan. A fine balance between beauty and savagery, Khasar was a symbol of the White Scars' warrior spirit. Gold and black iron decorated the axe head and the shaft with finely engraved script recounting the Primarch's triumphs etched ono the flat of axe head. The axe head itself has a design of a Chogorian horse carefully crafted onto its blade. It is said that the depicted horse was one of Jaghatai's own mounts during his youth on Chogoris. The horse's name was lost along with the Primarch of the White Scars when he disappeared after a Dark Eldar raiding party laid waste on Chogoris. Many Stormseers of the White Scars also claimed that the horse's soul is imbued into the axe, and like the animal that had ruled the plains of Jaghatai's home, it would not let anyone wield it unless they were deemed worthy, despite the fact that the beast was dead for decades by the time the axe was made. It's deceptive beauty hides the brutality that the weapon is capable of bringing when in the hands of a worthy warrior. Even if the power field generator were to fail, the sheer weight of the weapon coupled with the mono-molecular edge of the axe is sufficient enough to cleave through swathes of men or even power armor. Upon the Great Khan's death on Agathon, Khugol used this weapon to butcher and cleave through scores of Khornate Berzerkers in his single-minded search for the Warlord of the Burning Hearts Warband. Every new Preceptor swears his oaths of fealty and service upon this weapon before he cuts his palm against its blades.
 * Desolation of Khan - When a planet's infestation of xenos or heresy has become too deep or too numerous, the Lightning Wraiths are forced to take extraordinary measures to preserve the safety of the Jatonis Sector. One such measure is to unleash an arsenal of weaponry that was considered so vile in the Great Crusades that those who used it had their honor tarnished forever. The Desolation of Khan is not one relic, but rather a set of five. More specifically, a set of Five Rad-Cannons and Jump Packs that belonged to a Legion Destroyer Squad. To unleash the Desolation of Khan is a last resort for the Chapter and only if Exterminatus is impossible to achieve. Veterans who volunteered to wield the deadly weapons would be dropped into a battle zone with auxiliary support. From the moment their boots touched the ground to their extraction or death, they would cleanse the land with radiation to deny the enemy any resource.
 * Iakugo - A Morozhkan word meaning 'bewildering force', it is the weapon wielded by the Chapter Champion who would renounce their old name and replace it with the weapon's in order to become one with the relic as tradition demands it. The weapon is actually two Chogorian Warglaives with their handles cut short enough for a one-handed grip and pommels welded onto the bottoms that can interlock with each other. The relic twin-blade is a devastating weapon in the hands of the Iakugo as he becomes a whirlwind of ceramite and steel.
 * Death Mask of the Khagan - This ancient artefact consists of a relic Mark IV helmet that incorporates an incredibly lifelike mask said have been modelled upon the features of the Khagan himself, created after his mysterious disappearance towards the end of the first century of M31, whilst in pursuit of a Drukari Archon into an Aeldari warp gate. Upon the Lightning Wraiths' inception, it was gifted to Khugol Khan, the first Preceptor of the Lightning Wraiths. This profound gift was graciously accepted by The Preceptor, and worn by him for centuries until he fell in battle. This archaic relic was created by the White Scars' finest artificers, it was forged from auramite, a mysterious material of unknown provenance but extraordinary resilience used to construct the customised battle-plate of the Adeptus Custodes, the bodyguard of the Emperor of Mankind. How this unique crafting material was obtained by the White Scars is unknown. After its construction it was layered in jet-black lacquer, making it's surface highly reflective. The mask radiates the Khagan's ferocity and anger at those who betrayed their oaths to the Emperor, emitting an aura of malice and barely restrained savagery that enemies find unnerving and often paralysed with fear, often breaking and fleeing from its hollow, vehement stare. Currently worn by the Iakugo - the Lightning Wraiths' Chapter Champion - the visage of the Death Mask of the Khagan seems to almost become invested with the ghostly life of the Warhawk's spirit. When its wearer emits a battle cry, the powerful vox emitters built into the helm does so also, often causing the morale of the foe to falter in face of the savage spirit of The Khagan made manifest. This ancient helm contains the pinnacle of augury sensors and prophesier readouts and in battle. It also has the unique ability to shroud it's wearer in a flickering halo of darkness that distorts their outline and confounds even the most sophisticated enemy sensors. When combined with the formidable martial talents of the Iakugo, the wearer seemingly becomes an avatar of The Khagan - a whirling dervish of death and destruction - cutting down his foes with savage glee.

Chapter Colours
A battle brother hailing from the Lightning Wraiths is clad in dark bone-white armour with blood-red pauldron trims and a black backpack. Their right arm is painted in pure white from pauldron to finger in homage to their gene-sire.

Companies are designated with red vein-like lines that are painted onto various body parts. Battle Company markings are painted on sections of the upper body; either on the arms, the cuirass, or the head. Each of the two reserve companies has their markings painted on one leg, from femur to ankle.

As they are successors of the White Scars, they have adopted Squad Specialty and Squad Number markings. The Squad Number is marked on the left poleyn with White Scars symbology and the squad specialty markings are from that of the White Scars Legion. Kapitulants are distinguished by a black ring around the Squad Specialty Markings and Ensigns are distinguished by two black rings.

Veterans of the First Company are set apart from their battle-brothers through a pitch-black helm and a black, tattered, hooded robe. Viceroys, who are chosen among the ranks of Veterans, are distinguished by a blood-red ring around the Squad Specialty Marking.

The two Scout Companies do not have the honor of donning the Chapter badge as it represents the freedom the members of the company will have before they are thrust into a lifetime of servitude as a part of the Chapter's Reserve and Battle Companies. Those who wish to remain in the scout companies even after the implementation of the Black Carapace are given a pitch-black service stud above the right brow. The lack of Chapter Badge on a scout's armour is also because scouts are encouraged to paint their entire armour in camouflage patterns. To distinguish between scout companies, either a red handprint or a black one is painted on their faces and helmets for the 8th and 9th Pillar of Wisdom respectively.

Chapter Badge
The chapter's insignia is that of a five-pronged crown made of black iron over a field of bone-white. It is in the image of the Crown of the Old Kings, the Chapter's oldest and most revered relic. Scout Companies do not have the badge displayed on their armor as it believed that as hunters, they belong to nobody but themselves. Furthermore, because scouts are encouraged to wear camouflage and tasked with infiltration ops, the lack of a chapter badge would stir confusion and paranoia amongst the enemy as they wouldn't know which chapter would be attacking. Dark Prophets also do not have the badge on their armour, but for an entirely different reason. These marines have shamed their chapter, and as such, do not have the honor of calling themselves as Lightning Wraiths. Besides an honorable death, it is only through great deeds of courage and selflessness does a Dark Prophet regain the right to call himself a Lightning Wraith.

White Scars
It is said that every Chapter of Jaghatai's lineage bears the Warhawk's stubborn refusal to be chained down by those who wish to control them and to live freely like the winds that dance across the Chogorian Plains. As such, Successors of the White Scars hold the belief that they are their own masters close to their hearts. The Lightning Wraiths are no exception to this, to a point. To them, their true masters are not the bureaucratic High Lords, but their Progenitors. This leads to a fanatical loyalty to their forefathers, to the point that they would send some of their best aspirants every 100 years to the White Scars as tribute.

Hawk Lords
The Hawk Lords are the only chapter outside of the White Scars has gained the favour and respect of the Lightning Wraiths. Their respect was gained through their superior aeronautical skill and immense experience in waging war through aerial superiority. The Chapter gives these Scions of Guilliman tributes out of gratitude whenever they accept one of the Lightning Wraiths' most gifted pilots for a secondment with the renowned Talon Wing. These tributes usually come in the form of promising aspirants, but there was a time that the Lightning Wraiths had offered a Nivera Pattern Storm Talon to the Hawk Lords.

Alpha Legion
The Alpha Legion is has garnered a form of spiteful respect from the Lightning Wraiths as they have been able to foresee many of the Chapter's tactics whenever the two come into contact with each other.

By the Lightning Wraiths
"We have the blood of Jaghatai Khan flowing through our veins. We are not the stalwart fortresses of Dorn's scions nor are we the wrathful flames of Sanguinius. We are the rivers of His will; flowing around any obstacle that crosses our path. When we are forced to a confrontation, the torrents of our blades and bolters will be as unending and focused as the rapids of a narrow stream."

- Vicar Tulemon Far'zhul

"The enemy thinks that the storms we create are the worst things we could offer. Little do they know that while they weathered the storm, wraiths began to wander the streets."

- Jäger Yesugi Jalla prior to the assassination of a Traitor General and her retinue

"Men and women of the Imperium are expendable, we are no exceptions. Children, on the other hand, are not. We pave their paths so that they may create the foundations for a better way. They are the next generation of warriors, scholars and heroes. If you even think about leaving a child unprotected, I will kill you myself."

- Szulah Nuk'Fallad threatening a Black Templars Sword Brother during his time as a Deathwatch member

"If a warrior has nothing to lose and nothing to believe in, then survival is simply a matter of enduring the impending weight of damnation on one's shoulders"

- Lightning Wraiths proverb

"To fear death is cowardice, but to embrace it is foolishness. Make peace with your mortality, but do not make your death an easy endeavour or a wasteful act. Always strive to remind our enemies that humanity will never die quietly in the darkness."

- Khugol Khan on the inevitability of death

About the Lightning Wraiths:
Feel free to add your own "Have you ever seen or heard of the walking dead? No? Trust me lad, those things are the closest thing we have to the undead serving the Imperium. If I were you, I would pray that I would never see their faces in my lifetime. Emperor knows that I wish that was the case with myself."

- Sergeant Velsta of the 67th Cadian answering a young Guardsman's question regarding a Lightning Wraith Viceroy's apparent rudeness of never taking off his helmet.

"Cousin, your use of rad and chem-weaponry is staining the legacy of Jaghatai Khan. There was a reason why he despised those weapons, they are a danger to the user and everyone around him. The risk of using them greatly outweighs the reward of a pyrrhic victory against these blasphemous xenos."

- A White Scars Astartes confronting a Veteran Harbinger at the aftermath of Laiko

"They're here, I can feel it. They're watching me, watching us! Those frakking zombies! They'll eat your soul, y'know. That's what they did with Ophelia and Karkus. They spared me, spared me so that I can suffer! So I can remember their undead faces! So that I can remember how they tore out my generals' souls from their bodies! We're all dead men now."

- Excerpt from the Planetary Governor's interrogation following the Irquos Uprising

"They strike with the force of nature itself, my brothers could learn much from them. Shame they would see me dead if I showed my face."

- Darius Medies, formerly of the Stormbreakers, about the Lightning Wraiths' combat doctrine