Grey Orphans

The gray orphans are a chapter founded in 945.M36 during the 21st foundation also known as the "cursed foundation". Explicitly created to protect the Segmentum Tempestus from the continuous raids of the chaos cultists. They are a chapter of space marine that differs completely from the precepts of the codex astartes.

The Fall 945.M36-071.M37
The origins of the chapter are shrouded in mystery, the chapter begins to appear in the imperial records only from 071.M37 when their flagship the Vox Imperatoris crashed on the desert planet Tarchon. What emerged were the remains of what was once the chapter of the Gray Orphans: the 1st and 2nd company completely exterminated and the others suffered serious losses while the 10th company was declared missing. Unable to leave the planet, the survivors decided to settle on the planet and rebuild the chapter. They established contacts with the primitive tribes of the planet, the natives, welcomed the emperor's champions as gods and converted to the creed of the Imperium. After purifying the planet from the plague of mutants, they created their fortress-monastery around the wreck of the Vox Imperatoris and began recruiting new Space Marines.

The Return of the Lost 153.M37
Several years after the crash of the Vox Imperatoris another Imperium ship crossed the Tarchon sky landing near the chapter monastery fortress, it was the 10th company, missing since the days of the Fall. The space marines that emerged presented horrible mutations: bony outgrowths came out of the armor and horribly disfigured what were once the champions of humanity. The initial distrust of mutated space marines was overcome when the captain of the 3rd Company welcomed them into the Battle-Barge as long-lost brothers. Inside the fortress the survivors of the 10th Company told of the horrific events they suffered when their ship remained at the mercy of the warp.

The Conflictus Sempiterno 340.M37-999.M41
Having succeeded in re-establishing contact with the imperium and having received new ships, the gray orphans could begin the mission for which they were created: the elimination of the heretics in the sector. During a battle against a band of cultists, chaos space marine were spotted with the effigies of the first and second company of gray orphans. Once it was established that they were in fact survivors devoted to the chaos of the lost companies, the anger took hold of the loyalist space marines that pursued the treacherous brothers regardless of the losses. The traitors fled to the warp leaving the gray orphans prey to their anger. Since then, the 10th company began research to look for renegades, considered to be responsible for their mutations.

Mens Alveo 999.M41
Simultaneously with the struggle against the forces of chaos, in the segmentum tempestus, another threat was revealed: the extra-galactic predators known as tyranids. A tentacle of the Hydra bioflotta threatened the Tarchon system, to address the new threat, all available companies and the newly formed Tarchonian imperial guard were deployed. The defenses were deployed on Tarchon and its moons to counteract the alien monstrosities, the planetary defense forces resisted the first waves, but the overwhelming number of the tyranids forced the gray orphans and imperial soldiers to retreat. On Tarchon Primus the 2nd and the 12th company saw the number of their own troops reduced in an alarming way. On Tarchon Secundus the 5th company and several companies of the Tarchoniana guard are completely exterminated leaving the Tyranid forces to consume Tarchon's moon. Only the timely intervention of the new primaris space marine managed to save the destiny of the chapter and the entire system.

Chapter Recruitment
Each of the 12 tribes sends its champions once a year to fight for the honor of becoming a Space Marine. The fighting lasts until one of the two contenders suffers a wound, the winners of the duel are taken inside the Vox Imperatoris where the new organs are implanted. Once the transformation is completed, the neophytes are placed in the scout companies where, to finish their training, they must forge their own sword and give it a name.

Chapter Homeworld
The native world of the Gray Orphans is Tarchon, a medium-sized desert planet around which two moons orbit. The populations of the planet were originally united in 14 tribes, two of which were destroyed by the mutants long before the Fall.

Citadel of the Tribes
Around the place of the crash of the Vox Imperatoris the leaders of the 12 tribes gathered, marching under the banner of the gray orphans, marched against the mutants and exterminated them. After the victory the celebrations lasted for several days and it was decided to build a fortified citadel around the precipitated ship, it had to represent the rock against which the assaults of the enemies of the Imperium would have run aground.

Chapter Organisation
The Grey Orphans do not strictly follow the Codex Astartes, and instead, have their own structure and ranks.

Concilium Bellicus

 * Primus Pilus (Chapter Master)
 * Princeps (Captain)
 * Hastatus (Lieutenant)
 * Tribunus (Sergeant)

Concilium Custodes

 * Primus Custodes (Chief Librarian)

Concilium artificis

 * Demiurgus (Master of the Forge)
 * Faber Ferrarius (Techmarines)

Concilium Magister

 * Magister Maximus (Master of Sanctity)
 * Magister Prior (Chaplain)

Other Ranks

 * Imperatoris Immaginifer (Standard Bearer)

Gene-Seed Deficiencies

 * Oolitic Secretions-The organ malfunction is responsible for the gray color of the skin

Chapter Combat Doctrine
The Grey Orphans are oriented towards hand-to-hand combat. In battle, land raiders are deployed in the front line with devastator teams and tactical teams on board, while assault teams operate hit and run attacks on the sides of the enemy deployment.

Chapter Fleet

 * Vox Imperatoris (Battle Barge) [Crashed]
 * Gladius Veritatis (Battle Barge)
 * Vigilante Perpetua (Battle Barge)
 * Venator Infernum(Strike Cruiser)
 * Exitium Sphaeram(Strike Cruiser)