Chalice Heralds

"To honour the Angel! First to the Chalice!"

- Chalice Herald battle cry

The Chalice Heralds are a Loyalist Successor Chapter of the proud and valiant Blood Angels created during Unknown Founding. Most of their history has been lost and their own records are either incomplete or destroyed. Because of this they guard their history and only tell those they trust, their origins. Despite their laudable history and numerous battle honours, there yet remains a shadow of the Blood Angels' genetic flaw that lingers ever about the Chalice Heralds. With a history of heroism and valour as laudable as some more venerable Chapters, it is easy to see why they are heralded far and wide across the Imperium as exemplars of the Great Angels' lineage. They have vanquished foes far and wide from Orks to Chaos Space Marines, and always upheld the honour of their Chapter, and founding Legion.

Chapter History
Much of the Chalice Heralds origins are obfuscated by the midst of time and the long march of millennia. Much has been lost during their long and glorious history, and no one alive, is able to exactly pinpoint exactly when they were created. However, extant records indicate that for most of the Heralds' history, they were at full strength but at the start of the 40th Millennia they began to take extreme amounts of casualties. Whole companies were being whipped out one after another. The reason being the current chapter master, Amadeus the Leviathan, was becoming more and more aggressive and reckless. He would send his companies into the most ferocious battles he could find, and when asked why he simply said, "The emperor wills it." Soon the chapter was on the brink of extinction and Amadeus was showing signs of The Red Thirst. When the Head Apothecary and High Chaplin tried to confront him, he killed them and drank their still warm blood. He then began reviled his true plan. All the deaths on his hands were to be offered up to the dark gods of chaos and he would rise to demon-hood, but before he could finish his dark ritual and plunge the chapter into madness the first captain, Uther the Dragon,confronted him and slayed him in mortal combat. Yet before Amadeus died, he destroyed the chapter's archives and with it, the chapter's history. As he did so and before Uther plunged his chain fist into Amadeus' chest he screamed, "If I fall so shall the Angel's Heralds!"

After the death of Amadeus, Uther the Dragon took his place as chapter master and had to begin building up what was left of the chapter. Uther covered up Amadeus's true intentions and had it written that he was taken by the Black Rage and died an honorable death so that non would question the loyalties of the chapter. But in this dark time, a light of hope appeared in the form of a vision Chief Librarian Merlios had. He saw an Astartes in the heraldry of the Chalice Heralds reaching for a golden chalice while standing on a pile of red and black corpses. After this vision Merlios had to be entombed in a dreadnought, but before he lost consciousness he told Uther that the chalice was a gift from the Great Angel and that if they found it all of his sons would be cured. At this, Uther dedicated his chapter to finding this Chalice, by any means necessary, and so He began to change how the chapter operation.

He made all companies battle companies, and had each company responsible for its own recruiting. Moving on, he made it so companies will no longer be numbered and instead have their own title and heraldry showing their company upon their right shoulder pad. He then decreed that the chapter will look for anything that will lead them closer to the Chalice and, because of their diminished state, they may scavenge for equipment and keep this fact hidden from all. And finally Uther made is so that all Chaplains will make sure the newly made Questing Companies will uphold The Great Quest For the Chalice.

Now the chapter searches the Imperium for any clues to the whereabouts of The Chalice they so long for.

Chapter Homeworld
"It is good to return to our home. It has been too long since I have gazed upon the Beacon and gathered with my brothers."

- Gareth the Watcher upon returning to The Heralds Keep for The Gathering.

Camoris
Camoris is a large moon that orbits the gas giant Angel's Beacon. It is considered to be a treble world for its inhabitants are barley past what would be considered the stone age of old Terra. It is a barren world were little grows and water is in short supply. The tribes war with one another over the few resources and have to compete with the indigenous fauna. The greatest of these is the Golden Drake, a large, winged lizard creature that is the apex predator of the world.

Fortress-Monastery
The chapter's Fortress-Monastery is known as The Heralds Keep. It is a fortress built in the center of a great crater and the fortress itself looks like a castle from the middle age of Terra. It is there that the whole chapter meets every two hundred years to share what they have leaned and to gather information on the whereabouts of The Chalice in what is called The Gathering. The Great Hall is where the bodies of all former captains are laid to rest and their personal banners stand vigil over them. The Council Table is were all the senor members of the chapter gather to discuses. It is a round stone table that has its center carved into the shape of the chapter badge. Below the fortress monastery is a network of catacombs that connect to various points trough the monastery. It is there that the dead of the chapter are laid to rest.

Questor Companies
The chapter is split in to ten companies, in this they follow the Codex, but they diverge in the fact that each company is a battle line company and is responsible of its own recruiting. These companies are called Questor Companies. Companies are titled instead of numbered and have their captain's personal heraldry upon their right shoulder. When a captain dies his company is given to his successor or if he has none given to an officer Uther the Dragon deems worthy. The new captain can than either chose to keep the company title and heraldry or change it in favor of his own. All former heraldry is displayed in the Grand Hall over the sarcophagi of all the fallen captains and the current heraldry is hung above the Council Table in the Great Hall with the chapter's banner.

Reclusiam
The Reclusiam is separate from the Questor Companies and chaplins move from company to company insuring that The Great Quest is being upheld. The High Chaplin Mordred is in control of all chaplins and has the responsibility of gathering, listing, and safe guarding the chapter's most valued relics. Only him and Uther are allowed entry in to the deepest parts of the Reclusiam.

The Knights Recluse
The Knights Recluse are members of the chapter who work as messengers, foot soldiers, and body guards for the chaplins. They are the eyes and ears of the Reclusiam and it is considered a bad omen in the chapter when the Knights Recluse are around. No one except Mordred and Uther know their identities, and how and why members are chosen to join their ranks.

Librarius
Because of the actions of Amadeus, the Librarius of the Chalice Heralds is in a weakened state. Like the Reclusiam, they are separate from the Questor Companies and send their librarians to those companies that request support. The Chief Librarian is Merlios, who is now in a dreadnought. The only reason he is no longer Chief Librarian is because he was the one who had the vision that sent the Chalice Heralds on their Great Quest.

Chapter Command
Uther the Dragon is the head of the chapter and has the final say in all things. He has no company of his own instead he travels with a company of his choosing than he will move to another one when he sees it is appropriate. He of course has an honor guard made up of the most elite members of the chapter all clad in cataphractii terminator armor like him self. They serve a duel purpose, to protect and advice their chapter master, and kill him if he falls to either of the twine curses.

Chapter Beliefs
The Chalice Heralds believe that they are on a Great Quest sent by Sanguinius to find The Chalice and cure the sons of the Great Angel. To these end they will do almost anything to reach this goal. There have even been rumors that they will go to old Horus Heresy battle fields and dig up corpses and vehicles. But, these rumors have never been confirmed and anyone who spreads these rumors always seems to disappear.

The Chalice Heralds venerate Sanguinius and try to honor him in all they do and uphold the Great Quest he has sent them. The chapter despises the twin curses of their father's line and see it as The Great Angel punishing his sons for failing him, the Great Quest is his was of redeeming his sons in his eyes.

Combat Doctrine
''"Upon first glance they appear noble in all things. But once you see them in combat you realize what rage is burning beneath their skin." - An unknown Imperial Guardsmen on The Chalice Heralds in combat.''

The Chalice Heralds are experts in urban and close quarters combat. Though tactics will change from captain to captain, the general principal of Chalice Heralds combat doctrine is lighting assaults backed up by heavy fire power. Tactical squads are used in drop pods to take out key targets. Assault squads and vanguard veterans strike with lighting fast speeds at weak points. Land Speeders and bike squads punch holes in the enemy line. And devastators and tanks smash what is left of the enemy force.

Deathwatch Service
The Chalice Heralds see service in the Deathwatch as a great honor and opportunity to gather information that would normally be withheld from them. For this reason it is not unlikely for a Chalice Herald to stay with the Deathwatch for a long period of time trying ti gather as much information before returning to his chapter. While they are serving within the Deathwatch they strive to bring honor to their chapter and make reliable squad mates for this reason.

Chapter Master Uther the Dragon

 * Know for his iron will and great rage in battle. He is the guiding hand of the Great Quest and its iron fist.

Wolfgang the Lance

 * Sometimes know as The First Among Equals for his favor in the eyes of Uther, is the most senior of the captains and has one of the longest honor rolls in the chapter. He is Captain of Questor Company Gallant.

Gadwin the Champion

 * The youngest captain in the Chalice Heralds' history and the only member of the two Questor Companies to be sent to Baal to return. He is captain of Questor Company Retribution

Chief Librarian Merlios

 * The Chief Librarian of the chapter he is the one who had the vision of The Chalice and is now encased in a dreadnought because of it.

High Chaplin Mordred

 * High Chaplin of the chapter and lord of the Knights Recluse, his makes sure that all in the chapter are upholding the Great Quest and that all relics are kept safe.

Galehaut the Venerable

 * Galehaut one of the oldest members of the chapter. He has be entombed in a venerable contemptor dreadnought. He is a member of Questor Company Gallant and is one of Wolfgang's most trusted advisers.

Chapter Fleet
The fleet of the Chalice Heralds is large for a non fleet based chapter for they need multiple vessels to search the Imperium for clues on The Great Quest. Companies have multiple ships that will spread out to search a lager area and than will converge when one has found something of interest. For if one Chalice Herald arrives there are surely more on the way.

Chapter Relics

 * The Maw: A relic chain fist used by Uther The Dragon. it is said that it's teeth are sharper than any other and it can chew though the thickest of armor.
 * Swift Retribution: A jump pack warn by Gadwin the Champion that is know for its great speed and viscous machine spirit.
 * The Heralds Message: The scroll on which Chief Librarian Merlios wrote down his vision of The Chalice.
 * The Dragon's Lair: An ancient and venerable battle barge that is Uther the Dragon's personal flag ship.

Wargear and Equipment
The Chalice Heralds are known to make use of large than normal amounts of older patterns of armor and equipment in their armory, so much so that it is more common to see members wearing Mark IV 'Maximus' pattern power armor over the current Mark VII and VIII patterns. They also make use of many older marks of weapons including Phobos, Tigrus and Umbra pattern bolters.

Chapter Colours
The Chalice Heralds primarily wear light green coloured battle armour, with the exception of the shoulder pauldron insets, which are bone colour. The Imperialis or Aquila on the plaston (chest guard) is also bone in colour. Unlike their progenitors, the Blood Angels, the Chalice Heralds are notable adherents to the Codex Astartes. They do not use the same iconography and unique heraldry common amongst many Chapters of the Blood. The colour of the shoulder pauldron trim indicates squad specialty - Green (Tactical), Black (Devastator), Red (Assault) silver (Veteran), and bronze (command). A black coloured company symbol on the right shoulder pauldron inset indicates the company of an individual battle-brother. Squad assignment, is designated by the black colour roman numeral on the left poleyn (knee guard).

Officers and tactical sergeants are designated by a large red coloured vertical stripe painted on their helmet and the top of the their backpacks are also painted red. Officers are also known to make use of bone coloured tabards, to designated their senior status and stand out amongst their fellow warriors.

Chapter Badge
The Chalice Heralds' Chapter badge takes the form of a large stylised ebon coloured, winge-chalice, tipped as if pouring out its contents, centered upon a field of bone.

Relations
The chapter will fight alongside almost anyone who serves the Imperium and have served with many different forces. However those members of The Angel's sons that relish the red thirst and black rage will find the Chalice Heralds less than cooperative. On many ocasions the Chalice Heralds have butted heads with other members of the blood that views do not line up. Though there are no reports of blood shed there are chapters that the Chalice Heralds are less than willing to operate with.

By:
''"You shall be an example on how with great dedication and will every member of our chapter can gain favor from the Great Angle. Or, if you should fail me, you shall be a lesson in hubris and how pried can damn even the best of us." - Uther The Dragon to Gadwin The Champion before his rise to captain.''

''"You are a traitor and a heretic! You have caused the fall of a once mighty imperial world, so you too shall suffer its fate!" - ''Gadwin the Champion just before he threw Governor Jordonic out the window of the governor's hive spire.

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