Skull Reapers

The Skull Reapers are an Astartes Chapter of Suspected Iron Hands descent created during an unknown Founding, but are suspected to be a Chapter of the mysterious 21st Founding, the so-called 'Cursed Founding', as they are extremely similar in appearance to the mysterious Sons of Antaeus Chapter. The Astartes of the Skull Reapers Chapter are unusually large and robust physical specimens, even among their kind, and they are capable of surviving wounds and physical injuries that would kill even other Space Marines. The Chapter's detractors point out that the Skull Reapers appear every bit as resilient as the Death Guard Traitor Legion and some have even opinioned that they are somehow connected to them, but this is an impossibility as the Skull Reapers were created thousands of years after the Horus Heresy and have, on many occasions, willingly submitted themselves to the mandatory purity tests of their gene-seed which has seemingly confirmed their status as an Iron Hands Successor Chapter.

History
Believed to be created sometime during the 36th Millennium (although there is significant evidence pointing to the 2nd Founding) the Skull Reapers have become a byword for strength and resilience beyond what an Astartes is thought capable of, specializing in combat in the most brutal and unforgiving environments the Skull Reapers will fight until the last man and do not care about casualties only that an objective is completed.

Noctis Aeterna
During this dark period the hopes of trillions was reignited with the return of one of the Emperors loyal son's - Roboute Guilliman, Primarch of the Ultramarines - and he brought with him the fruits of 10,000 years of research - the Primaris Space Marines. Hearing of this momentous event the Flesh Rippers, Corvus Legion and the Skull Reapers returned from the void where they had fought the enemy's of Mankind for many years and swore to serve the son of the Emperor in perpetuity and soon Primaris Astartes were serving with distinction but unlike many other Chapters that received full grown and battle hardened Primaris the Skull Reapers instead received the technology and knowledge to create their own Primaris Space Marines.

The wargear to arm these formidable warriors was also received including 500 suits of Mk X Power Armour in their various Patterns, Hundreds of Cawl and Belisarius Pattern Weapons, 4 Redemptor Dreadnoughts Chassis, 2 Overlord Gunships and 2 Repulser Grav Tanks, all of which have been assigned to the newly formed 7th Battle Clan. Thanks to this great fortune the Skull Reapers prosecute their wars with even greater vigour. The numbers of Primaris Astartes currently serving are unknown but during the battles of the Indominatus Campaign they were able to field an entire company. These new Astartes have proven to be just as capable of surviving wounds and physical injuries that would kill even other Space Marines.

Notable Campaigns

 * The Devastation of Killian (560.M36-555.M36) - A campaign to recapture the world of Killian from the foul Death Guard Traitor Legion who had turned the world into a toxic wasteland that soon descended into a brutal war of attrition between 2 legendarily resilient foes. The Skull Reapers were victorious only at great cost.
 * The Centurion War (931-954.M41) - This was a brutal campaign launched by the several Adeptus Astartes Chapters to eradicate secessionist forces located in the Centurion Sector of the Segmentum Ultima. The secessionist forces included (sadly) two Renegade Astartes Chapters. The war would later be determined to have been the work of Chaos. The Skull Reapers and the other Space Marine Chapters eventually pushed the Forces of Chaos to Iterium VI, and broke them in a cataclysmic final battle. One of the Astartes Chapters would be nearly destroyed while the other would fall to Chaos and become known as the Bringers of Change.
 * The Teutoberg War (100.M42) - In the aftermath of the Great Rift many worlds fell to infighting and anarchy as insurrections and outright rebellion swept across the Galaxy, the system of Teutoberg fell to rebellion in 099.M42 and the call was sent, the Adepta Sororitas Order of the Emperor Resplendent responded in kind along with four Chapters of Astartes and 14 Regiments of the Astra Militarum. The Order sent seven whole companies of Battle-Sisters to assist the beleaguered system. In one notable incident during the brutal campaign, the Order found themselves fighting alongside the the Astra Militarum on Teutoburg VI as well as the notorious Charnel Brethren and Flesh Rippers Space Marine Chapters, who had appeared and joined the war. Also serving were the Corvus Legion and Skull Reapers Chapters. The Lord Reaper Uric Draf denied Canoness Anastasia any tactical counsel whatsoever and even refused to meet with her. Talks between the two Imperial forces was conducted by the Captain of the 6th Company of the Charnel Brethren, Blood Captain Gideon. Many Sisters doubted whether Uric Draf was even present, but several reports indicated a giant Space Marine leading the Astartes forces. After nearly 2 century's leading her Sisters to war, occasionally alongside Space Marine Chapters, this treatment came as no surprise. But the Order's main grievance was with the way the 2 of the Chapter's conducted themselves during the ensuing battle. The Battle-Sisters struck the massive Traitor army as it changed positions from shelling the main Defences of Gaius City, to occupying the settlement. Battered by three days' bombardment, the loyalist population of Gaius City had dug underground and, under the careful ministrations of the Order's Sisters Superior and the Sergeants of the Astra Militarum, were determined to form an ad hoc militia to defend their homes, alongside them stood the Adeptus Sororitas and 8 full regiments of the Astra Militarum. The Flesh Rippers and Charnel Brethren launched their attack on the Traitor column when it was approximately one Imperial mile from Gaius City and, hitting the Traitors in the rear and flanks, they drove the disorganised enemy into the Battle-Sisters' and Guardsmens' waiting guns. Caught between Battle-Sisters and Space Marines, thousands were slaughtered, with the survivors mounting their vehicles to escape with all haste. The Sisters first noticed something was very wrong when the Traitors began pouring towards the Imperial line. Cannoness Anastasia saw in the faces of the soldiers, absolute terror, and they displayed no fear of the massed guns of the Imperial Forces, only a desire get away from the Flesh Rippers and Charnel Brethren, who apparently driven mad by some kind of battle-frenzy, crashed into the Traitors rear ranks, just as the first soldiers reached the loyalist Astra Militarum's lines. The crazed Space Marines fell upon the Traitors in an orgy of bloodletting. Many Astartes had removed their helmets, and eschewing the use of pistols and other ranged weapons, set about the soldiers with chainsword, chain-axe, combat knife and even their own teeth. Cannoness Anastasia witnessed in mute horror, Astartes ripping out the throats of men with their bared teeth. The raw fury and love of carnage she saw in their faces, as they literally tore the enemy apart, made her shudder in fear. The traitor forces were annihilated within minutes of the Space Marines' brutal attack, but the small number of the enemy were simply not enough for the Flesh Rippers and Charnel Brethren, who by now seemed to have been driven into a fever pitch of absolute bloodlust. With no more traitors for them to butcher, they scrambled over the breastworks of the Astra Militarum and Militia and smashed into their line. Properly driven into a true battle frenzy now, the Flesh Rippers and Charnel Brethren performed acts of the most debauched nature, in the name of violence.Every guardsmen they found, fell beneath their blades. Even though they were allies, none were spared by the Marines crazed attack, Men, women and youths, all fell beneath their blades. The old, the infirm, none were spared the Marines crazed attack. The Canoness later reported that she had personally witnessed cannibalistic acts committed by the frenzied Marines. She ordered a hasty withdrawal of her Sisters from the Flesh Rippers and Charnel Brethren with all haste, before they reached their positions. The Canoness later reported the incident to the Inquisition. Her report stated that both the Flesh Rippers and Charnel Brethren were unstable beyond redemption and that they were not fit for duty anywhere within their mighty Imperium. The Canononess firmly believed that it was evident that the Flesh Rippers and Charnel Brethren had devolved far beyond any point reached by a loyalist Chapter and requested their immediate destruction. The Corvus Legion and Skull Reapers were spared a request for their destruction. The current whereabouts and operational activities of the Flesh Rippers remain unknown but reports from the fringes of Imperial Space have begun filtering back of excessive casualties in tactic-less displays of horde warfare and their are even reports that the Flesh Rippers' Imperial allies have sometimes become subject to the Flesh Rippers' fury even as as world after world falls to their savage berserker fury. The Corvus Legion and Skull Reapers were spared a request for their destruction. The last known sighting of these four Space Marine Chapters was made by an Explorator augury-beacon, which marked them tacking course through the Warp towards the Segmentum Obscurus.
 * Shadow War on Teutoberg (100.M42) -  The event that became known in Imperial records as the Shadow War was fought in 100.M42 during the Teutoberg Campaign. The wreckage the Massive Hive Corinium was was located in the dust wastes of the forlorn world of Teutoberg VI. Within the Hive was a nightmarish scene of carnage and destruction rarely witnessed before by men. A bloody battle had been fought between four Chapter-sized forces of Space Marines from the Corvus Legion, Skull Reapers, Charnel Brethren and Flesh Rippers against the Heretic Astartes of the Night Lords 38th Company, Alpha Legion and the World Eaters. These seven forces, infamous for their savagery and unyielding stances towards their foes, had fought each other to a bloody standstill. The base around them was ripped apart and many of the bodies of both sides showed signs of having fought on despite suffering horrendous wounds, severed limbs and massive trauma that should have felled even an Astartes, and several were found locked in deathly, gore-splattered embraces, striking at their foes with their last ebbing strength. The Loyalist soon departed taking their dead with them while the Traitors were left to rot. a testament to the hatred that existed between them.
 * The Betrayal at the Bloody Crag (112.M42) - The Fortress World of Ursax had fallen to the forces of Chaos of the Cult of the Bloody Hand during the terrible times known as the Noctis Aeterna, severing a line of fortified worlds that acted as bulwark against the rising tide that threatened to engulf the Imperium Nihilus, the Skull Reapers were determined to retake it and make an example to all in the process. Fielding their entire Chapter save those garrisoning Iceni along with Regiments of the Astra Militarum. Landing in full force the Imperial forces drove the enemy back meter by meter to the formation designated as Ridge-140 now known as the Bloody Crag when a betrayal of the basest kind took place, the Skull Reapers allies turned on them and willingly joined with the Heretics and  launched a brutal counterattack, caught between these 2 forces and outnumbered by almost 50 to 1 the Astartes of the Skull Reapers showed all the resilience they have become legendary for and launched assault after brutal assault, the Reaper Lord and his brothers reaping an horrific tally of dead the Skull Reapers emerged victorious and purged all life from the corrupted world, once the smoke had cleared just 19 Skull Reapers lay dead as for the heretic forces they had been utterly wiped from the face of existence and the names of these traitors expunged from history so completely that future generations will never know they even existed.

Chapter Organisation
The Skull Reapers follow the doctrine of their supposed parent Chapter the Iron Hands in that they do not have the Codex Astartes-proscribed ten companies, but rather, are divided into the 1st Clan and seven Battle Clans of almost equal size and capability, only the 8th Great Clan is organised differently, being smaller and operating more as a conventional Astartes company rather than toxic and death world specialist's. While the 1st Clan is the Veteran Company, each of the seven Battle Clans recruit its own aspirants from their Homeworld. The 1st Clan resides in the Chapters Fortress-Monastery high in the mountains of their toxic homeworld, while the Battle Clans travel the world's surface in massive Land Crawlers, like their believed progenitors. Conflict amongst the various Battle Clans is not unheard of, but each of the Battle Clans are careful not to anger the powerful 1st Clan or to blood their Astartes too badly, but sometimes deaths are unavoidable. Among the Battle Clans the 2nd and 7th are consided the preemminent clans and are often the first to deploy in battle. Indiviual Companys are assigned their own vessels with the 1st Great Clan garrising the Chapter Flagship the Iro Father  the remaining Battle Clans garrison their own Strike Cruiser with void craft and drop pods spread throughout the Fleet

Order of Battle ca.112.M42
Disposition of the Skull Reapers at the time of the Betrayal at the Bloody Crag ca.112.M42

Chapter Command Severon 'The Reaper' Reaper Lord Chapter Master of the Skull Reapers 5 Honour Guard Ancient Caduceus Banner Bearer of the Skull Reapers Brother Furnous Master of the Forge High Chaplain Anatolus Chief Apothecary Xerill Chapter Serfs & Servitors

Fleet Command Brother Oros Telemar Master of the Fleet 1 Relic Battleship (Reaper's Scythe) 1 Battle Barge (Indomitable Will)​​​​​​ Unknown Fleet Composition

1st Great Clan 'Company of Iron' Veteran Company Reaper Captain Thamatica Brother Lumak Banner Bearer Brother Chaplain Skorrvall Apothecary Vorr 74 Veterens (Including Terminators) 3 Venerable Dreadnoughts 4 Land Raiders 7 Rhinos

2nd Battle Clan 'Company of the Wrathful' Battle Company Reaper Captain Anatolus Brother Xerill Banner Bearer 2 Techmarines 27 Tech-Servitors Brother Chaplain Koloth Apothecary Erud 1 Command Squad 8 Battleline Squads 1 Close Support Squad 6 Fire Support Squads 2 Scout Squads 14 Unassigned Neophytes/Aspirants 2 Dreadnoughts 16 Transports 3 Land Speeders 8 Bikes 3 Battle Tanks 4 Gunships & 2 Stormhawks Company Serfs & Servitors

3rd Battle Clan 'Company of the Feared' Battle Company Reaper Captain Arven Stronos Brother Rumann Banner Bearer 1 Techmarine 14 Tech-Servitors Brother Chaplain Kalaeb Apothecary Vahn 1 Command Squad 9 Battleline Squads 2 Close Support Squads 1 Centurion Squad 4 Fire Support Squads 2 Scout Squads 17 Unassigned Neophytes/Aspirants 2 Dreadnoughts 16 Transports 2 Land Speeders 6 Bikes 3 Battle Tanks 2 Gunships & 2 Stormhawks Company Serfs & Servitors

4th Battle Clan 'Company of the Steadfast' Battle Company Reaper Captain Vermanus Brother Khalon Banner Bearer 4 Techmarines 19 Tech-Servitors Brother Chaplain Decius Apothecary Solun 1 Command Squad 5 Battleline Squads 4 Close Support Squads 1 Centurion Squad 6 Fire Support Squads 5 Scout Squads 31 Unassigned Neophytes/Aspirants 1 Dreadnought 15 Transports 2 Land Speeders 4 Bikes 2 Battle Tanks 2 Gunships & 2 Stormhawks Company Serfs & Servitors

5th Battle Clan 'Company of Steel' Battle Company Reaper Captain Ignatius Brother Calen Banner Bearer 3 Techmarines 25 Tech-Servitors Brother Chaplain Durak Apothecary Ullis 1 Command Squad 5 Battleline Squads 2 Close Support Squads 2 Centurion Squads 9 Fire Support Squads 1 Scout Squad 21 Unassigned Neophytes/Aspirants 3 Dreadnoughts 16 Transports 4 Land Speeders 6 Bikes 5 Battle Tanks 3 Gunships & 2 Stormhawks Company Serfs & Servitors

6th Battle Clan 'Company of the Unrelenting' Battle Company Reaper Captain Loreson Brother Balhaan Banner Bearer 2 Techmarines 11 Tech-Servitors Brother Chaplain Temeter Apothecary Rask 1 Command Squad 9 Battleline Squads 2 Close Support Squads 5 Fire Support Squads 4 Scout Squads 17 Unassigned Neophytes/Aspirants 2 Dreadnoughts 17 Transports 2 Land Speeders 4 Bikes 7 Battle Tanks 2 Gunships & 2 Stormhawks Company Serfs & Servitors

7th Battle Clan 'The Company of Death' Battle Company Reaper Captain Primaris Mortag Lhorgath 'The Grave Warden' Brother Primaris Ulrach Banner Bearer Brother Chaplain Primaris Kalaeb Molor Apothecary Primaris Koloth 2 Techmarines 17 Tech-Servitors 2 Lieutenants (Decius & Meric) 3 Command Squads 2 Veteren Squads (Including Terminators) 4 Battleline Squads 2 Close Support Squads 2 Centurion Squads 2 Reiver Squads 2 Intercessor Squads 1 Inceptor Squad 1 Aggressor Squad 1 Hellblaster Squad 4 Scout Squads 27 Unassigned Primaris Neophytes/Aspirants 4 Redemptor Dreadnoughts 14 Transports 2 Land Raiders 3 Land Speeders 7 Bikes 7 Battle Tanks 2 Repulsers & 1 Astraeus 2 Gunships & 2 Stormhawks 2 Overlords Company Serfs & Servitors

8th Battle Clan 'Company of the Resolute' Battle Company Reaper Captain Karel Brother Soter Banner Bearer 3 Techmarines 21 Tech-Servitors Brother Chaplain Voyen Apothecary Crysos 1 Command Squad 7 Battleline Squads 2 Close Support Squads 1 Centurion Squad 5 Fire Support Squads 3 Scout Squads 11 Unassigned Neophytes/Aspirants 1 Dreadnought 15 Transports 3 Land Speeders 4 Bikes 7 Battle Tanks 2 Gunships & 2 Stormhawks Company Serfs & Servitors

Battle Doctrine
The Skull Reapers are specialists in fighting in toxic environments, their Armour is modified with additional breathing apparatus and when combined with their seemingly natural resilience to toxins it makes them the perfect choice for attacks on Death Worlds and other Toxic Worlds.

Physical Appearance and Gene-Seed
The Skull Reapers are believed to hail from the Iron Hands and have on many occasions allowed their gene-seed to be examined, this is because they have often been compared, by their detractors, to the Traitor Death Guard in both appearance and combat doctrine. This has led them to be suspected of a connection to the Traitors and forced them to allow the Inquisition to investigate them lest they are brought to trial on charges of Heresy, despite their passing of the test they are often still looked upon with suspicion. Many Inquisitors have noted that all tests have been performed on the 8th Clan only and it is claimed that this a deliberate attempt to mislead any investigations and Inquisitors have also noted that the 8th Clan's Astartes and seemingly less robust and resilient than their brothers from the other Clans and it is likely these matters will soon come to a head, one way or another. They are also known to carry Power Scythes into battle, an uncommon weapon seen on the fields of battle in the modern 42nd Millennium. This, combined with their Chapter's style of battle, have only fuelled the Inquisition's suspicions. Unlike other Iron Hands successors the Skull Reapers do not gladly replace their bodies with augmetics and are seen to only accept them begrudgingly, with the noted exception of the 8th Clan who accepts augments almost willingly.

Notable Skull Reapers

 * Reaper Lord Mtrox - Chapter Master at the time of the Centurion War.
 * Reaper Lord Severon 'The Reaper'- The grim and bitter Chapter Master of the Skull Reapers obtaining his position in 100.M42 just before the Teutoberg Campaign, he is a massive Astartes even amongst his notoriously robust battle-brothers. He wears an ornate suit of Artificer Armour and carries a massive Power Scythe.
 * Reaper Captain Mortag Lhorgath - Reaper Captain of the brutal and merciless 7th Battle Clan Mortag is the very epitome of a Skull Reaper Astartes, he is a bitter, morbid warrior, prone to introspection, a hulking Primaris Astartes he was born on a world where happiness and laughter are a rare thing indeed and he has proven to be warrior of counsumate skill and determination blessed with a tactician's mind he has become one of his grim Lord's most able subordinate's.

Chapter Fleet
The Skull Reapers Fleet is believed to be relativley large with the Chapter counting 2 Battle-Barges as well as an unknown number of Strike Cruisers and Rapid Strike Vessels, each Great Clan has its own Strike Cruiser and Escorts with the notable exception of the 7th Great Clan witch has been granted use of the Battle Barge Indomitable Will.

Chapter Relics
Scyth of Vengeance - A monstrous two-handed battle scythe with a massive blade span, wielded with inhuman skill by the Reaper Lord himself it has proven to be the Death of innumerable foes.

Chapter Colours
The Skull Reapers wear Power Armour in an overall Dark Gunmetal Grey. Compay markings are placed on the left knee and squad markings on the right pauldron

Chapter Badge
The Skull Reapers chapter badge is a stylised black coloured skull, sitting in the center of a white coloured Iron Halo, a pair of crossed scythes centered behind the central symbol.

Notable Quotes
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By the Skull Reapers
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