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- "I don't know if they're brave or just crazy."
- — An Imperial Guardsman when asked about the Emperor's Sentinels
The Emperor's Sentinels are a 23rd 'Sentinel' Founding loyalist Space Marine Chapter of Ultramarines decent originally assigned to defend the Janus Sub-Sector from Ork attacks due to the sector's history of xenos raids. Since their founding the chapter has gone on to win many victories in the Emperor's name and have become particularly adept at combating xenos forces.
Chapter History
The Sentinel Founding
The chapter was created during the 23rd "Sentinel" Founding, which actually served as the inspiration for the Chapter's name. The purpose of the chapter was to defend Sub-Sector Janus and its precious twin forge worlds, Amos and Argos, from Ork attacks. This purpose was due to the fact that the Janus Sub-Sector was part of the larger Dormos Sector, which had been infested with greenskins since the time of the Great Crusade. Imperial forces were simply spread too thin in that area to keep back the constant Ork attacks, and thus a permanent force had to be stationed there.
Unfortunately, the Emperor's Sentinels were too eager in their duties and plunged headlong into the fray, attacking the massed Orks on their own territory and losing almost half of the newly-formed chapter in the process. Forced to go on the defensive, the Sentinel's began to develop a unique strategy in which they would hold the line until the enemy began to waver and then deep strike hard and fast where the Orks were weakest, before disappearing behind their battleline. With these "defend and strike" tactics the Emperor's Sentinels not only held off the Ork's advance but brought the battle to the greenskins, eventually forcing them to retreat from Sub-Sector Janus, for the time being.
The Extermination Crusade
Also referred to by the Sentinels as the 'Green Crusade', the Extermination Crusade was a massive effort by the Emperor's Sentinels to cleanse the Dormos Sector of Orks once and for all. The entire chapter was called together under command of Lyctus Meleager, Chapter Master of the Emperor's Sentinels, who led them directly into the fray, dead-set on freeing the sector of xenos filth. The battles were long and hard, but the sheer tenacity of the Sentinels always managed to pull them through, making a foothold in the Podos Sub-Sector from which they could launch more attacks into the Greenskin's territory.
At the time, the entirety of the Dormos Sector was dominated by three distinct faction of Orks. The largest of these was the Ork horde known as the Tuska Kingdom, led by the warlord Umtak Blakscar, the self-styled "Ork King". The Tuska Kingdom dominated nearly half the sector, making them by far the largest threat. Then there were the Skumbagz, a large band of Ork Pirates that roamed the sector, raiding and looting planets held by their own species as well as the Janus Sub-Sector. Finally there was a small faction of Orks known as the Red Rippaz Klan, who had taken a small part of the sector as their own. The Sentinels, knowing full well that they could not single-handedly take on all three Ork factions, instead endeavored to turn the Orks on one another, as to make their job easier.
Attacking the planet Bladug, a swamp-covered, polluted world held by the Tuska Kingdom, the Sentinels devastated the Orks with an orbital bombardment, before making planetfall to wipe out the stragglers. Making the attack appear to by the work of the Red Rippaz, the Tuska Kingdom was goaded into waging full-scale war with the Ork Klan, distracting them from the Sentinels themselves. The chapter then set to work obliterating the Skumbagz, cornering their fleet with their own and blasting them into oblivion. During the ensuing void battle, Chapter Master Meleager personally boarded the Skumbagz flagship, killing their leader, the infamous Kaptain Skullmasha, in single combat and destroying the threat of the Ork pirates once and for all.
Notable Campaigns
- The Icarus Close Support (243.M41) - Icarus was a strange world of shattered landscapes and mysterious floating "earthbergs", some the size of continents. But despite it's peculiar landscape, the planet was rich in rare minerals used in the making of weapons and armor, and so the Adeptus Mechanicus transformed Icarus into a mining world. Then one day, miners stumbled upon an ancient vault buried deep within the planet's core. Thinking that it might contain xenos technology the vault was cracked open by the manufactorem workers, and a tide of evil was released. Bloodthirsty xenos, later named "Spikers" by the those who survived the first Close Support, poured from the vault in their thousands. The xenos stood as tall as Space Marines, with bone-pale skin and arms ending in massive chitinous spikes. They overran every manufactorem on the planet as more and more emerged from the vault, but not before the planet's distress signal was received by the Emperor's Sentinels, who dispatched the 2nd Company to purge the planet of the alien threat. However, doing so was easier said than done, but despite sustaining heavy losses the 2nd pushed through the xenos tide to the source of the infestation, the vault. Within the vault the Sentinels discovered that the Spikers had once been a advanced alien race known as the Draecon. The Draecon thought they could harness the raw power of the warp, and paid a terrible price for their hubris. Their planet was torn apart and they themselves where transformed into savage mutants. Even worse, the Astartes discovered that Icarus was in the terminal stages of it's destruction and would soon implode upon itself. Upon realizing the planet was doomed the Sentinels retreated, fighting their way through hordes of Spikers and making it off-planet just in time to witness Icarus tear itself to pieces.
- The Extermination Crusade (301.M41) - A century-long war effort by the Emperor's Sentinels to rid the Dormos Sector of the Ork infestation that had plagued it for years. Staging their attacks from within the newly-freed Podos Sub-Sector, the Sentinels were able to turn the various Greenskin factions against one another, thus securing victory with fewer casualties. The remainder of the century was spent killing off those few Ork Klans that remained, which proved a much harder task than freeing the Dormos Sector in the first place.
- The Red Rippaz Return (569.M41) - Still vengeful over their defeat at the hands of the Emperor's Sentinels, the Red Rippaz Ork Klan massed into an enormous WAAAGH! under the leadership of Warboss Bludshredda. Attacking the Janus Sub-Sector once again, the Orks caught the Sentinels off-guard as only the 3rd and 6th companies where currently stationed in the sub-sector along with Chapter Master Lyctus Meleager and his personal Honour Guard. But the greatest blow came when Meleager died on the field of battle at the hands of Boss Bludshredda. All would have been lost if not for the young captain of the Emperor's Sentinels 3rd Company, Helos Dorium, who stepped up to challenge the Warboss. Bludshredda proved to be a fearsome opponent but Helos prevailed by decapitating the Ork with his power sword. Bluddshedda's death threw the ork forces into diseray. From there the 3rd company took the battle to the Orks, not stopping until every last one was killed. Later, Captain Dorium would be promoted to Chapter Master for his act of bravery that turned the tide of the war.
- The Grief War (731.M41) - What started out as a Chaos cult uprising on the planet of Tyrador, quickly turned into a massive daemonic incursion as more and rebellious psykers became conduits for warp-spawn to enter the Materium. During this drawn out campaign the Emperor's Sentinel's 5th Company fought side-by-side with forces from both their progenitors, the mighty Ultramarines.
Chapter Homeworld
Departmento Cartographicae pict-file of Janus Prime, Chapter homeworld of the Emperor's Sentinels.
Janus Prime is a hive world of continent sized-cities and lush forests, most of which are inhabited by massive creatures similar to the dinosaurs of Ancient Terra, known as Goliaths by the inhabitants of Janus. These massive beasts often times will attack the cities of Janus, causing massive harm and damage. In order to prevent this from happening, Janus Prime's government retains an elite unit of hunters and trackers known as the Harriers. It is the Harriers duty to bring down the Goliaths through a combination of skill and teamwork, preventing them from attacking the cities. The sheer bravery and courage of the Harriers is what drew the attention of the Emperor's Sentinels in the first place, and eventually the Sentinels began to recruit from the Harriers, selecting the most promising of their adolencent trainees to become Chapter Initiates.
Chapter Recruitment
The trials to become an Emperor's Sentinel are intense, and many trainees do not the survive the experience. Initiates must face tests of strength, endurance, will, and bravery, each one applied to teach the Initiate about the core beliefs of the Sentinels. For example, an Initiate might be sent into the forests of Janus Prime to single handedly kill a Goliath. The Initiates who attack the beast head on always die, but those who plan carefully and suceed in trapping and killing the creature, learn the value of not just bravery, but how planning and strategy can deafeat the most powerful of foes.
Fortress-Monastery
Chapter Organisation
Officer Ranks
Specialist Ranks
Line Ranks
Specialist Formations
Order of Battle
Headquarters
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| Armourium | Librarius | Reclusium | Apothecarion | Fleet Command |
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Companies
| Veteran Companies | Battle Companies | |||
| 1st Company "Angels of Vigilance" |
2nd Company "Prophets" |
3rd Company "Justicars" |
4th Company "Avengers" |
5th Company "Crucifiers" |
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| Reserve Companies | Scout Company | |||
| 6th Company "Xenos Bane" |
7th Company "Shield Bearers" |
8th Company "Watchmen" |
9th Company "Void Guards" |
10th Company "Harriers" |
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| Primaris Company | |||||
| 11th Company "Avenging Sons" | |||||
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- 1st Company "Angels of Vigil" - Captain Acamas - Specialize in Deep Striking.
- 2nd Company "Prophets" - Captain Sestos - Have an unusually high number of librarians.
- 3rd Company "Justicars" - Captain Xanthus - The 3rd company has a large amount of Battleline squads, and therefore prefer to fight the enemy at a distance.
- 4th Company "Avengers" - Captain Lycaon - Specialize in fast attack, having large amounts of Close Support squads and bikers as a result.
- 5th Company "Crucifiers" - Captain Abydos - Named "Crucifiers" after Captain Abydos impaled a Dark Eldar Archon on a Aquilla column.
- 6th Company "Xenos Bane" - Captain Chromis - Specialize in Anti- Xenos warfare, especially against Orks.
- 7th Company "Shield Bearers" - Captain Pandarus - Have been known to go out of their way to defend allies.
- 8th Company "Watchmen" - Captain Axios - Ever since the Red Rippaz attacked Sub Sector Janus twice, part of the 8th Company is permanently stationed there as a precaution.
- 9th Company "Void Guards" - Captain Capernicus - As Master of the Fleet, Captain Capernicus is often called upon to command the fleet to blockade planets during large- scale sieges.
- 10th Company "Harriers" - Captain Telamon - The scout company has unique role due to the fact that that scout often serve as saboteurs, cripplling the enemy's vehicles and fortifications before the real battle begins.
Chapter Culture & Beliefs
Like their progenitors, the Emperor's Sentinels are a Codex-compliant Chapter, but some of their beliefs differ. The Sentinels believe the in order to achieve anything worthy in life, one must be willing to face impossible odds against any foe. This mantra is drilled into every initiate's head, and is followed by every member of the chapter. This makes them tenacious even for Space Marines, and some might say even suicidal. This belief has also earned them a very high casualty rate, due to the fact that the Emperor's Sentinels refuse to retreat from battle even when vastly over- matched or outnumbered, adding to the belief that they are stubborn to the point of insanity. The Sentinels also abhor the xenos because they have been attacked many times by one alien race after another. The Sentinels have even refused to work with or receive any kind of support from aliens such as the Eldar or Tau during battle even when it might be Battlelinely advisable to do so.
When it comes to the the religious aspects of the Emperor's Sentinels are not zealots, but religious to a certain degree. They revere the both the Emperor and their Primarch Guilliman, but do not see the Emperor or their Primarch as divine. Rather the Sentinels believe the Emperor and His Imperium to be the ultimate expression of defiance against all odds. Even though the Emperor's body is dead his mind and soul continue to guide the Imperium even from beyond the grave. Likewise the Imperium is Close Supported from without on all sides and even from within, but stubbornly refuses to fall. The Sentinels use these examples to bolster their own faith, truly believing that sheer bravery can win any battle. This however puts the Sentinels at odds with astartes chapters who's beliefs contradict their own, and thus the Emperor's Sentinels look down on them, believing them to be cowardly and undeserving.
Chapter Gene-Seed
The Emperor's Sentinels are more than willing to fight to the last, holding their ground with a siege-like mentality which will see them triumph or die in the attempt. This expression of duty can become exaggerated in members of the Chapter after long periods in combat, especially against numerous and unrelenting foes like the Ork hordes of a WAAAGH! In these instances the Battle-Brother sees only death; the death of their comrades, the death of the world, and the death of their foes.
They consider that the only righteous path lies in the expenditure of their lives for these purposes and will face them with a stoic heart and a single-mindedness that can only lead to the complete annihilation of everything and everyone he faces, often eventually including himself and those that fight beside him. When the Chapter's genetic curse manifests itself in an affected Battle-Brother, it comes on in three stages:
Primarch's Curse: Against All Odds
- Stage 1 - No Retreat: As the odds mount so does the Battle-Brother's stubborn refusal to retreat, seeing only the glory and honour in defeating such overwhelming foes if even the barest glimmer of victory remains. Even if the doctrine and teaching of the Codex Astartes dictate retreat or flexible defence, the Battle-Brother will be loath to disengage until there is absolutely no choice, though often this can come too late.
- Stage 2 - Suffer not Defeat: Defeat is a bitter pill to swallow for the Battle-Brother and he would rather die fighting than accept that he has failed. This can lead to reckless behaviour as he throws himself into the fray or takes on excessive odds to win when prudence and Battleline reason would dictate he withdraw.
- Stage 3 - Against All Odds: The Battle-Brother has come to accept that perhaps only the cost of his own life will be enough to secure victory and is gladly willing to give it up. This can have dire consequences should the circumstances present him with a chance to martyr himself for the Emperor and bring ruin to the enemies of the Imperium. Should a Battle-Brother suffer mortal wounds, he gains a fatalistic desire to sell his life for the cause and will choose to expend his own life for a chance at victory or the safety of his brothers. This means he will fight on regardless of his wounds and continue to attack or place himself in the path of attacks even though the next blow could mean his end. He will also gladly accept suicidal or near-suicidal tasks (such as disarming unstable warheads, leading a forlorn hope or holding a breach to buy time for his companions) without complaint.
Combat Doctrine
As mentioned before, the Emperor's Sentinels use a defensive battle strategy, only striking where the enemy is weakest and then withdrawing back to a defensive position. However, they often employ variations of this tactic such as a "bait and switch" strategy where an enemy force is lured into a bottleneck, like a canyon for example, while less than half of the Sentinel's forces is stationed in plain view at one end, presenting themselves as a soft target. When the enemy takes the bait and is lured into the bottleneck the rest of the Sentinel's forces deep strike into the enemy's flank. Both forces attack the the enemy on either side, and kill every last one. Alternate strategies like this are usually used only when the required criteria is met (in this case some form of bottleneck or choke point), otherwise the Emperor's Sentinels fall back on their standard tactic.
Although these tactics are not exactly "codex approved", the Emperor's Sentinels do follow the Codex Astartes to a certain point, preferring to only adapt their time- honored strategies if absolutely necessary. This is just one more example of the Sentinel's stubborn nature.
Deathwatch Service
Do to the the Emperor's Sentinels history of combating xenos forces, many have been selected for Deathwatch service. One of the more notable Sentinels to be chosen was Veteran Sergeant Calos, who is possibly one of the most experienced members of the chapter besides Captain Sestos.
Notable Emperor's Sentinels
- Chapter Master Lyctus Meleager (Deceased) - The third chapter master of the Emperor's Sentinels, Meleager was a legend among the Sentinels, and it was said that before he died during the Second Battle for Janus, he killed a thousand orks. His name is still invoked by the Sentinels even now.
- Chapter Master Helos Dorium - The current chapter master of the Emperor's Sentinels, Helos is very young, only recently becoming Captain of the 3rd Company before he became the Chapter Master. But, what he lacks in experience he makes up for in Battleline brilliance. He wields the Blade of Vigil, a sacred power sword originally wielded by Chapter Master Meleager.
- Captain Drakon Castarios - Current commander of the Emperor's Sentinels veteran 1st Company and Master of the Keep.
- Captain Caon Sestos - The Captain of the Emperor's Sentinels 2nd Company and the current Master of the Watch, Sestos is one of the oldest and most experienced members of the chapter. But his cool headed demeanor is replaced with rage when he encounters xenos of any kind. Ever since Caon served on the Deathwatch, he has hated xenos of all kinds with a passion unrivaled by even the most zealous of the Emperor's Sentinel, but what happened he cannot say. He carries with him a massive master-crafted Thunder Hammer, Judgement.
- Captain Lyrus Ariad - Current commander of the Emperor's Sentinels 3rd Company and Master of the Arsenal.
- Captain Curio Augusterus - Current commander of the Emperor's Sentinels 4th Company and Master of the Fleet.
- Captain Phratelus Corderius - Current commander of the Emperor's Sentinels 5th Company and Master of the Marches.
- Captain Cyrus Vorinus - Current commander of the Emperor's Sentinels 6th Company and Master of the Rites.
- Captain Praeteon Arandar - Current commander of the Emperor's Sentinels 7th Company and Chief Victualler.
- Captain Sergius Thon - Current commander of the Emperor's Sentinels 8th Company and Lord Executioner.
- Captain Actus Ventanus - Current commander of the Emperor's Sentinels 9th Company and Master of Relics.
- Captain Veraius Thurius - Current commander of the Emperor's Sentinels 10th Company and Master of Recruits.
- Primaris Captain Mallius Cassos - Current commander of the Emperor's Sentinels 11th Company.
- Brother Marcellaeus Aethiad - Senior Techmarine and current Master of the Forge, he is the master of the Chapter's armourium and maintaining all it's relics, wargear, equipment and vehicles.
- Chief Librarian Hektelus Tibean - Senior Librarian and Master of the Librarius.
- Reclusiarch Tiberius Chronus - Senior Chaplain and current Master of Sanctity.
- Brother Valentan Cassos - Chief Apothecary and Master of the Apothecarion.
- Veteran Sergeant Calos Tytherion - A veteran sergeant from the 1st Company, Talos has served on the Deathwatch on two seperate 3 year periods. He was while he was part of the Deathwatch that earned the nickname "Bruiser" partly because his weapon of choice was an Astartes- Pattern Grenade Launcher. He still wears a pendant in the shape of a Inquisitorial "I" as a reminder of those years.
Chapter Fleet
The Emperor's Sentinels are know to have the following ships in their chapter fleet:
- Lightbearer (Battle-Barge)
- Vigilance (Battle-Barge)
- Defender (Strike Cruiser)
- Bringer of Deliverance (Strike Cruiser)
- Emperor's Arsenal (Strike Cruiser)
- First Blood (Strike Cruiser)
Chapter Relics
Chapter Appearance
Chapter Colours
The Emperor's Sentinels primarily wear purple coloured power armour with secondary white appearing on their armorial insets and poleyns (knee guards). Their shoulder pauldron trims as well as the Aquila or Imperialis icon worn on their plastrons (chest guards) are gold in colour. The Chapter icon is prominently displayed upon the left armorial inset, while a large purple squad specialty symbol is displayed on the opposite inset. This symbols designates an individual battle-brother's assigned battlefield role (Fire Support, Close Support, Battllein, Veteran or Command). A small white coloured Roman numeral is stenciled upon the squad specialty symbol, indicating squad assignment. While a much larger purple coloured Roman numeral is stenciled upon the right poleyn, indicating a battle-brother's assigned company. Sergeants are Captain are identified by their white helmets, while the latter is further distinguished by a vertical purple stripe painted on the forehead. Lieutenants also wear a white helmet, but have an open-faced vertical stripe outlined in purple painted upon their helmet's forehead.
Chapter Badge
The Emperor's Sentinels Chapter badge takes the form of a stylised purple armoured gauntlet holding a sword aloft, centered upon a golden sun icon, and surrounded by a large purple coloured laurel. This central symbol is centered upon a field of pure white.
Chapter Relations
Allies
| Ultramarines |  |
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| Crimson Fists |   |
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| Adeptus Mechanicus |  |
Enemies
| Carmine Reavers | ||
| Orks |  |
Notable Quotes
By:
- "Some call us foolhardy, but I think that all courage is suicidal in a way. After all it's not bravery unless you know the risks and face them, no matter how many risks there are."
- —Captain Sestos discussing the Emperor's Sentinels' philosophy
- "No truly great victories were won by playing it safe."
- —Chapter Master Dorium
- "My life doesn't matter, all that matters is that if I am to die this day, I'm taking you heretics with me!"
- —Unknown Emperor's Sentinel during the Grief War
About:
- "Far from ideal Space Marines, however, one cannot discount the quality of allies that will hold the foe back and buy us more time to devise more...complete tactics."
- — Unknown Lords Exemplar Battleline Marine.
- "I don't know if they're brave or just crazy. Probably both, as those are both adjectives frequently attached to every space marine ever. It comes with being a genetically engineered, cybernetic killing machine encased in some of the finest personal armor in the galaxy, equipped with sublimely lethal ordinance. You'd be hard-pressed to be a mild-mannered coward under those conditions."
- "They may be foolhardy, but I cannot deny they are tough and resourceful bastards."
- — First Captain Sevataron of the Star Reapers
Gallery
