Manticores

"We have all sworn to hunt down every Fallen until our sins are atoned. To keep our shame hidden from all, both foes and allies alike. What they did - to willingly condemned themselves as traitors in the eyes of the Imperium - to hide our dark secret..they are truly loyal to the Lion, and to our sacred duty. For that, no matter where or when, we shall give them our aid, as fellow sons of the Lion!"

- Dark Angels Supreme Grand Master Azazel upon hearing the fate of the Manticores

The Manticores are a Renegade Chapter, originally part of the 'Cursed' 21st Founding and successors of the Dark Angels, thus making them a part of the Unforgiven. Despite being titled as traitors, that is far from the truth. Near the ending of the 40th Millennium, the Chapter was in pursuit of the infamous Fallen Angel, Cypher, that lead to the Manticores coming into conflict with the Inquisition. Rather than revealing the dark secret of the Fallen, the Manticores took the blame and were thus declared traitors. Now they roam the galaxy, chased by their former comrades, with only their fellow Unforgiven knowing the truth. The Manticores continue to protect the Imperium, while at the same time hunting down the Fallen, in hopes of one day redeeming themselves in the eyes of the God-Emperor.

Campaigns

 * Hunt for Cypher (999.M40): The Chapter's Deathwing Company had received a report of the infamous Fallen Angel Cypher being spotted on the Frozen World of Jalor. Acting immediately, the Veteran company made there way towards Jalor to bring the Fallen to judgment. The search took over a week as the Manticores' Deathwings hunted Cypher relentlessly. Details on the last day of that week are sketchy, but the pursuit eventually resulted in a confrontation between the Deathwings and an Inquisitor of the Ordo Hereticus and Ordo Xenos, along with a contingency of Imperial Storm Troopers and a Deathwach Squad. Instead or revealing the reason for being on Jalor, the company instead fled the planet, with the Inquisition hot on their heels, which lead them to the Manticores being declared Heretics. But through a twist of fate, one of the Deathwatch Marines was a Dark Angel. Said Marine figured out the reason for the Manticores being on Jalor and sent word to Supreme Grand Master Azazel. Moved by the their successor chapter's loyalty to the Lion, Azazel declared that all Unforgiven Chapters would give aid to the Manticores wherever they were.
 * Siege of Varak Fortress (578.M41): While on routine patrol, the Manticores' intercepted a call for aid from the Hive World, Halis. The planet is currently locked in a civil war, with one side being Imperial Forces, and the other being a collection of local Chaos Cultists enforced by Chaos Space Marines. Originally planning to dispatch other companies, the Chief Librarian detects that the leaders of the Chaos Forces are members of the Fallen, commanding from the fortress, Varak. Thus the Chapter's Deathwing and Ravenwing companies are sent, as well as the elite unit, Hunters Six. Upon arriving on the planet, the Manticores are greeted by the Lion Guard of their fellow Unforgiven Chapter, the Black Knights. The two Dark Angel Successor Chapters work together to put down the Chaos uprising, and later besiege the Varak Fortress, to route out the Fallen within. It is thanks to the Hunters Six that the fortress falls, as they sabotage its outer defences before capturing the three Fallen Angels. The Manticores give custody of the Fallen to the Black Knights, so that they may be judged, though the Black Knights give credit of the capture to the Manticores in return.

Chapter Organization
Even as a renegade chapter, the Manticores still maintain the organized structure of their chapter. Like the Dark Angels and their fellow Unforgiven, they do not follow the dictates of the Codex Astartes, instead maintaining their own unique order of battle which is intended primarily to aid their continued hunt for all of the remaining Fallen Angels, and to maximize their secrecy in doing so. That includes the changes to the 1st and 2nd Company, which are specialized as the Deathwing and Ravenwing, while the remaining companies keep to the Codex. However, after being declared traitors, the Manticores made changes to their companies, as well as increasing the number of new recruits to their chapter, now possessing fifteen companies in total.

Command Ranks

 * Grand Master: The title that is equivalent to Chapter Master. The Grand Master has the duty to lead the chapter and heads over the meetings of the Chapter's Inner Circle, the Manticores' replacement of the standard Chapter Council. Only the Grand Master is aware of all of the Chapter's dark secrets, and despite that, even he does not know everything.


 * Inner Council:


 * Masters:


 * Master of Lore:


 * Master of Steel:


 * Master of the Fleet:


 * Grand Apothecary:


 * High Chaplain:


 * Master of the Hunt: Also known as Hunts Master, the Master of the Hunt is the officer who leads the elite unit, the Hunters Six in finding and bringing the Fallen for judgment. The selection for the Master of the Hunt, is done through the current Hunts Master selecting a successor from one of the 6 Chosen Companies, with said successor also serving in the unit too. Also, each Hunts Master is traditionally given one of the Chapter's Relic, the master crafted Power Sword Fallen' Bane. Finally, the Master of the Hunt is also a member of the Chapter's Inner Circle.

Specialist Ranks

 * Eternal Guard: The unit known as the Eternal Guard is the equivalent of the Chapter's Honor Guard. Space Marines whose devotion and loyalty to the Chapter is undeniable, these brothers are selected to not only protect the Grand Master, but the secrets of the chapter itself. With their helms and faces covered by blue hoods, the Eternal Guard wields master-crafted Power Swords, forged personally by the Chief Techmarine, as well as Storm Shields and Combi-Bolter Plasma Gun. Since the Chapter's status as Renegade, the Captain of the Eternal Guard is also made Master of the Fleet, commanding the chapter's ships whose authority can only be overruled by the Grand Master himself.
 * Hunters Six: The Hunters Six is a title given to an elite strike force, tasked with carrying out critical and dangerous missions, as well as hunting for the Fallen. Formed from the Chapter's Chosen Companies, the force is comprised of several different squads: Tactical, Scouts, Devastator, Assault, Terminator and Bike Squad, with each squad led by a sergeant. The strike force is led by the Hunts Master, a member of the chapter's inner circle. The Hunters Six take orders directly from the Grand Master, and are also given their own vessel, the Strike Cruiser Punisher. In some cases, the Hunters Six will also be accompanied by a Chaplain, Librarian, Techmarine, Apothecary and/or a Dreadnought, the latter most likely having been previously part of the Strike Force.

The Chosen
Since gaining their renegade status, the Manticores have altered the organization of their companies. Now sporting a total of fifteen companies to compensate the increase of their forces, the 1st through 6th Company are called The Chosen. Essentially, they are the equivalent of a Chapter's Battle Company, except for the 6th Company. Each company specializes in different types of combat, with the 1st and 2nd still retaining the titles, the Deathwing and Ravenwing, like their fellow Unforgiven Chapters and Progenitor Chapter. For the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th they are called the Bloodwing, Skywing, Ironwing, and Nullwing respectively, while also retaining the Chapter's colors, with the addition of wearing the roman numeral 1 on their right knee pad. A squad from each of these companies are chosen to become a part of the elite unit, the Hunters Six.


 * Deathwing: Like their predecessor, the Manticores' 1st Company of veteran marines is referred to within the Chapter as the Deathwing. They are comprised solely of Manticores veterans who only take to the field of battle in Bone White coloured Terminator Armour, with purple and green markings on them. The Deathwings are tasked with the mission of continuing the Hunt for the Fallen, which takes precedence over all other missions for the Chapter, even though they may be called upon to fight a wide range of foes, as well as the company in charge of cleansing Space Hulks. The bulk of the 1st Company is composed of Terminator Squads, indefatigable warriors who blast apart their enemies with Storm Bolters whilst advancing into melee assault range wielding Storm Shields, Mace of Absolution, and Flail of the Unforgiven, the latter which is wielded by the elite Deathwing Knights. Deathwing Terminators are armed with a mix of weaponry, for both long-ranged and close combat oriented roles. They are normally backed up by Venerable Dreadnoughts, Land Raiders and Predator Tanks.


 * Ravenwing: The Manticores' also retain the Ravenwings, which is their 2nd Company is called the. The members of the Ravenwings are chosen not only for their skills at fast assaults with the use of bikes and Land Speeders, but also for their resilience to the heretical rantings of members of the Fallen Angels. All but the highest members of the Chapter's Inner Circle are oblivious to the true purpose of the Ravenwings, which is to hunt down and capture every last member of the Fallen. The Ravenwings Company is mostly composed of Bike Squads and squadrons of assault Land Speeders. These vehicles are then divided into two groups; one serves as an attack squadron and the other as a fire support squadron. Along with them are the aircrafts Dark Talons, Darkshroud, and Nephilim Jetfighter  Like with the Dark Angel's Ravenwings, the Manticores' Ravenwings' armor is painted black.


 * Bloodwing: The Chapter's 3rd Company, known as the Bloodwing, are Tactical Marines who have mastered the arts of both the Ironwings and Skywings, thus making them the most versatile company of the entire Manticores Chapter. Their name represents the blood of the enemies of man they have spilled, for both the Emperor and the Lion, and their strong loyalty to the chapter. Many members of this company are more likely to become a part of the Ravenwings or Deathwings. The company's marines are supported by an equal amount of both aerial and ground vehicles, including a squad or two of the powered exoskeleton, the Centurions.


 * Skywing: Forming the Chapter's 4th Company, the Skywing is comprised fully of Assault Marines and is considered the Chapter's Air Force. These marines are elites in the art of aerial assaults and show zero hesitation when slamming down against enemy forces and engaging them in close combat. The company also consists with several squadrons of Land Speeders, Thunderhawks, Storm Talons, Stormhawk Interceptor, Storm Eagles, and Stormravens. These aircrafts are to help provide aerial support, such as taking down larger enemies in the sky, weakening enemy ground forces, and transporting the company's forces right into the battle safely.


 * Ironwing: The masters of heavy weaponry and artillery, the marines of the Manticores' 5th Company, also known as the Ironwing, these Devastator Marines are quite skilled when delivering heavy fire of the Lion's wrath upon the foes of man. Supporting the Ironwings in their battles are Dreadnoughts, Thunderhawks, Predator Tanks, Thunderfire Cannons, Land Speeders, Hunter Tanks, Whirlwind Artillery Tanks, Rhino Transport Tanks, Storm Talons, and sometimes Land Raiders. The company also has numerous Servitors to assist with defending the marines as well as providing ammunition too.


 * Nullwing: Veteran Scouts, the 6th Company, the Nullwings, is comprised of the Chapter's Scout Marines who have served with the chapter for several decades. Having seen many battles, these veteran scouts know just how important their roles in future battles is for the chapter, and thus they willingly choose to forsake the chance to wear full power amour, in exchange for their continuing duty of recon, infiltration and long-range sniping. To the Chapter, the Nullwings are seen as a shining example of dedication and loyalty that all Space Marines should have. As the company is only that of Scouts, they serve as a support force for the other Chosen Companies, and come with Scout Bikes, and Thunderhawks for deployment.

Chapter Recruitment
Originally, the Manticores were a fleet-based chapter, and thus had no homeworld. In order to refill their ranks, they would recruit from neighboring worlds, such as Death Worlds, Feral Worlds, and Feudal Worlds, in order to find fierce and honor-bound recruits. Sometimes they would take in recruits from the worlds they saved during a campaign, like the gangs from a Hive World.

Even after their status as renegades, the Manticore are still able to recruit, using the great distance between certain worlds and Terra to their advantage. However, they are more careful of where they recruit, being sure not to do it on worlds with a strong Imperial presence, less the Inquisition learns of their location and chase after them. Thus, they continue to draw recruits from the three mentioned types of worlds. They also sometimes recruit from Knight Worlds too, due to the inhabitants' strong courage and honor.

The Relentless Fury
The Manticores' Fortress-Monastery is the Ramilies-class Starfort, The Relentless Fury. It houses the majority of the chapter's marines, and is where the Grand Master commands from. The starfort is also where the chapter's relics, armory, and the majority of their fleet are kept when not in battle. While capable of Warp Travel, the technology is not entirely reliable, and must be checked daily by the chapter's Techmarines.

Notable Manticores

 * Grand Master Alexander Yelar:


 * High Chaplain Raguiel:


 * Master Camael:


 * Master Ozlon:


 * Hunts Master Seth:

Chapter Relics

 * Fallen's Bane:

Chapter Colors
The Manticores primarily wear purple coloured power armour. The Aquila or Imperialis on the chest guard is green in colour, as well as the shoulder pauldron trim. A green coloured squad specialty symbol (Tactical, Devastator, Assault and Veteran) is indicated on the right shoulder pauldron. A green coloured gothic numeral stenciled on the left poleyn (knee guard) indicates squad number. The Manticores utilise their own unique heraldry for their battle companies similar to their Progenitors, which is located on their right poleyn, with the exception of the 1st and 2nd Companies, which maintain their own unique heraldry.

Veteran Manticores are commonly found wearing dark purple coloured hooded cloaks and tabards; this symbolized their shame over the Fallen Angels. Cloaks and hoods are worn by the Veteran Manticores and the Chapter's Inner Circle because they have learned enough about the Dark Angels' history, and thus their shame, prior to obtaining their rank within the Chapter.

Chapter Badge
The Manticores Chapter badge is a stylized, white manticore - a mythical creature that possesses a body of a lion with a horned head and bat-like wings. The tail is that of a scorpion. It is said that the manticore devours its prey whole and leaves no clothes, bones, or possessions of the prey behind, an adequate analogy for the resolute Manticores, who leave nothing behind in their wake, during their relentless hunt for the Fallen.

Notable Quotes
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By the Manticores
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