This article, Sons of the Night, was written by Arxane Angel. It may be linked to any page without asking for the author's permission.
The Sons of the Night are a Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes of unknownorigin. They specialise in suppressing rebellious Imperial worlds and are notorious for unparalleled acts of cruelty while doing so. These practices have caused a great deal of suspicion from other Imperial entities. However, a thorough Inquisitorial investigation has concluded that they are indeed genuinely loyal to the Imperium despite their questionable methods. Ever since their creation, they have left behind a path of bloodshed and violence.
As a Chapter created during the 23rd "Sentinel" Founding, the Sons of the Night were part of a massive wave of new Space Marine Chapters intended to repair the diminished power and authority of the Adeptus Astartes at the time. While most Chapters of this founding were intended to bring glory and prestige to the Astartes through acts of valour and heroism, the Sons of the Night were intended to do the exact opposite. They were meant to restore the galaxy's fear of the Emperor's Angels of Death. They achieved this by suppressing worlds that attempted to secede from the Imperium in the most brutal and horrifying ways they could manage. Whether it's flaying civilians alive, displaying the mutilated remains of their enemies, or other acts so heinous they even give the Marines Malevolent pause, nothing is beyond the sheer cruelty of the Sons of the Night.
Due to this, there were several uprisings by Imperials against the cruelty and bloodshed of the Sons of the Night on their homeworld of Ezaka. Each one has been terminated and the bodies of their leaders hung outside the dark forests of Ezaka as a warning to all.
Eventually, word of these atrocities reached the Inquisition, who began a thorough investigation into claims that their barbarism was due to corruption by the Ruinous Powers. They have only recently been exonerated from these heresy charges, thanks in part to the eye-witness testimony of the then-unsanctioned-psyker Naerina. Despite being cleared by the Inquisition, the High Lords of Terra are still hesitant to utilize the Chapter. The Sons of the Night are only deployed as a last resort, when a rebellious world is too stubborn to surrender but has infrastructure too valuable to risk with more conventional warfare.
Notable Campaigns []
Massacre of Zoa (Unknown Date M38) - Zoa's planetary governor began withholding his tithes to the Adeptus Terra, believing the world would fall beneath the notice of Imperial retribution. In response, the newly founded Sons of the Night sent a Battle Barge called Eye in the Dark to "negotiate" -- by purging the entire capital hive except for the governor's palace of all life and leaving the crucified remains of civilians throughout the streets. The governor paid his tithes, with interest, shortly thereafter.
Activation of the Nightshade Protocol (008.M39) - When the appearance of a long lost Night Lords and Alpha Legion warband save and enslave the shrine world of Derlos, Chapter Master Makreth orders the Nightshade Protocol. In just one night over Derlos, hundreds of chaos-corrupted civilians and cultists drop dead, their necks marked with blood cuts. The Shrouded, who is the chaos lord of the False Saviours, challenges Makreth to a duel to the death. The outcome is decided with The Shrouded decapitated and the False Saviours once again retreat into the warp to recover from the vengeance of the Sons of the Night. However The Shrouded would return from the dead for as he was reborn a Daemon Prince.
Purging of Kor'von (482.M39) - Formerly a port world of the Imperial Navy, Kor'von was repurposed by the T'au Empire when they conquered the planet to provide ships for the Air Caste. When the Sons of the Night arrived, the T'au believed they had come to reclaim the planet for the Imperium. Instead of targeting the planet's vital infrastructure, however, they almost exclusively attacked the planet's Gue'vesa population, butchering them all in horrific ways before withdrawing. The T'au were initially perplexed by this action until they noticed a significant decrease in the willingness of other human worlds in the area to accept the Greater Good. One month later, the T'au surrendered when elements of the Sons of the Night were seen outside the system.
Liberation of B'yusa (335.M40) - A campaign that would have almost been beneath the Chapter's notice due to its ease, the Sons of the Night arrived on the world of B'yusa to crush its rebellion, only to find most of that work done for them. An Imperial loyalist resistance force led by an unsanctioned psyker named Naerina had already severely weakened the secessionist forces, requiring only a token effort on the part of the Astartes to finish off. In adherence to Imperial law, the Sons of the Night took the witch into custody. Still, they turned her over to the nearest Inquisitor, Lord Inquisitor Remleiz of the Ordo Theoreticus, rather than executing her.
Night over Ophelia (Unknown Date) - An Iron Warriors chaos warband overruns the world of Ophelia. The Sons of the Night are dispatched to 'liberate' the planet. However they are unsuccessful. The Legion of Solus then...
Battle of Kerovene Prime (942.M41) - Kerovene Prime fell into the hands of chaos forces led by Daemon Prince Horvisk. As they were the nearest chapter to the fallen planet, the Sons of the Night were called to eliminate the foe. The chapter deployed drop pods at the capital hive of Kiron. Hive Kiron and its defending chaos forces were utterly devastated by the attacks from the Sons of the Night that Horvisk ended up running away rather than face the wrath of the chapter. However, Horvisk would not get very far as he was found on his daemonship decapitated. Chapter Master Valmar then took the daemon's head as a personal trophy.
Thirteenth Black Crusade (999.M41) -
Reinforcement of Ezaka (999.N41) - Ezaka, too close to the current base of operations of the False Saviours, was attacked by the forces of chaos. Believing them to be the Sons of the Night, the citizens of Ezaka listened to their ways and learnt of the chaos teachings. When the actual Sons of the Night returned, Valmar was horrified that his homeworld was filled with chaos markings and dead civilians. There, they helped a small resistance against the tyranny of the False Saviours and sieged the capital hive of Curzor. Hive Curzor held out, the chaos forces nearly overwhelming them when suddenly the Wings of Judgment chapter deployed drop pods into the chaos hive. With the combined might, the Shrouded and his chaotic allies were forced out of Ezaka, unseen for the years to come. This created a bond between both chapters, remaining strong allies to this day.
Arks of Omen Campaign (000.M42) -
War of Turgos (---.M42) -
Chapter Homeworld []
Ezaka is described by Imperial scholars and scribes as 'A world of darkness where the sun never rises'. Hive cities live in shadow and dark forests cover large parts of the planet. Due to its incredibly slow rotation, lethal creatures and wildlife hunt under the shadows of night making the said forests very dangerous. In the day however, there are nearly no animals there as they have gone into hiding from the deadly sun. It allows the population to enter the forests, which are now relatively safe from attack but deadly from the sun's rays.
Fortress-Monastery[]
The Styx's End is a grim and shadowy place. It is located on an unnamed and isolated dark mountain, where it is impossible for humans to reach unless they are on vehicles. Not many outside the chapter have seen the inside of the fortress-monastery anyway.
Recruitment []
The Sons of the Night recruit exclusively from the population of the world of Ezaka. This planet has an extremely slow rate of rotation, similar to the world of Mordian, plunging one side of the planet in perpetual night and the other in perpetual day. With the light of Ezaka's sun scorching anything that tries to live on the day side, the entire human population is forced to live in Hive Cities on a world of eternal night, where even the wealthy in the Upper Hives never see natural light. From this harsh, dark world, the Sons of the Night choose only the most sadistic and ruthless to join their ranks, generally gangers and criminals, with the occasional serial killer thrown in for good measure.
Gene-Seed []
The Sons of the Night are unusual among their fellow 'Sentinel' Founding Chapters in that their gene-seed is not drawn from one of the more famously stable lines, such as the Ultramarines or Dark Angels. While their gene-seed is functionally stable, every Astartes among their number invariable develops pale skin, black eyes, and white hair, regardless of their pre-recruitment complexion. This mutation has caused most within the Imperium to assume they are descended from the Raven Guard, though all records of their genetic history have been sealed by order of the Inquisition.
Chapter Organisation []
The Sons of the Night are a Codex-divergent Chapter, using some elements of the Codex Astartes while modifying or ignoring others.
While they previously adhered to the strictures of the Codex's proscribed 10-companies of 100 Marines restriction, they simply added three new Companies to accommodate their new Primaris brothers rather than fully integrating them into the rest of the Chapter. Each Company is organised as an independent force with its own Scouts, vehicles, Librarians, and other key elements of Astartes warfare. These Companies are also not numbered but instead given a suitably intimidating name. No particular Company outranks another simply by organisation, authority is instead deliberately fluid and based entirely on the merit and experience of the officers involved in a particular campaign. Even the Chapter Master will defer to one of his Company Captains if that Captain is more suited to command in a given situation.
Scout squads are also not used as training assignments for new recruits. Due to the Chapter's particular use of such forces, they are instead made up of the most creative, cruel, and sadistic members of the Chapter.
The only exceptions to this are the newly created Primaris Companies. A great deal of tension exists between the Chapter's standard and Primaris Marines. The Primaris (with the notable exceptions of the Reivers and Vanguard Primaris Marines) believe the cruelty of their older brothers goes too far, while the original Marines believe the Primaris too merciful. Due to their refusal to commit the heinous atrocities of the rest of their Chapter, their Primaris Marines are instead organised into Companies specialised in dealing with particular types of foes--one for eradicating Chaos corruption, one for subjugating rebellious Forge Worlds and tech-heresy, and one for exterminating Xenos.
A Sons of the Night Assault Marine
Veteran Companies[]
Arbitration Company
Vindication Company
Execution Company
Standard Companies[]
Decimation Company
Obliteration Company
Massacre Company
Impaler Company
Nightmare Company
Urbicide Company
Sadist Company
Primaris Companies[]
Nemesis Company
Omnicide Company
Xenocide Company
Combat Doctrine []
Most deployments for the Sons of the Night simply involve crushing especially stubborn rebellions. As such rebellions are almost always ill-equipped and isolated from intergalactic supply lines, any tactical considerations tend to focus less on actual combat strategy, and more on how to make their enemies the most brutal and horrifying example of what happens to traitors possible. Even when facing a force that actually requires effort to defeat, the Sons of the Night still prefer to demoralise their enemies by any means available.
Scout, Reiver, and Vanguard Primaris forces act less as reconnaissance forces and more as advanced terror troops. Tactics employed by such forces include butchering enemy sentries and displaying their remains, arranging mutilated corpses to spell out messages, and kidnapping non-combatant enemy individuals for the main body of the Chapter to use as human shields. While they will still engage in common infiltrator tactics such as destroying enemy supplies and disrupting communications, they will often apply a particularly horrific twist to such activities as well, such as flooding enemy communication channels with the pre-recorded sounds of past enemies screaming, or befouling food by putting rotted and mutilated body parts in their storage units rather than simply destroying them.
When the main body of their forces deploy, they prefer to do so using methods that allow them to appear suddenly and from unexpected directions, in an effort to show their enemies that nowhere is safe from their wrath. These methods can include Terminator teleportation and Drop Pod assault, but the Sons of the Night particularly favor using Assault Marines. These Assault Marines are equipped with specialised vox emitters that project loud, howling screams that further unsettle their foes.
Due to these tactics, the High Lords of Terra consider the Sons of the Night to be a tool of last resort, only deploying them in situations where simple eradication of the Imperium's enemies isn't enough.
Deathwatch Service []
Most Sons of the Night dread the thought of service within the Deathwatch, though not due to any particular disdain. While they respect the need for the Deathwatch's existence and have few qualms about answering to Inquisitors, they tend to chafe under the scrutiny of Astartes from other Chapters. They believe most outsiders to be too soft, too merciful, and unwilling to go far enough to make the enemies of Man fear the Imperium.
A notable exception to this, however, is the Xenocide Primaris Company. Given their particular specialisation, this specific Company not only looks forward to Deathwatch service but requires it for a Marine to be considered for any command position within the Company. For the Xenocide Company, being sent to the Deathwatch is considered a sign of being groomed for leadership. Tensions often still exist during this service, however. While the Sons of the Night Primaris Marines are significantly less cruel than their brothers within the Chapter, this is still in relative terms, so even their Primaris Marines tend to be the most ruthless members of their Kill-Teams.
Notable Members []
Active[]
Chapter Master Valmar - Chapter Master of the Sons of the Night for the last 600 years. He primarily uses a pair of lightning claws and a jump pack in battle, and keeps the skulls of enemy commanders he has personally slain hanging from chains across his artificer armour.
Junior Rememberancer's Sketch of Chief Librarian Laghi after crossing the Rubicon Primaris
Chief Librarian Laghi - The Chief Librarian is said to be completely emotionless and has a callous disregard for anyone outside the Chapter. Whether this disregard came before or after his experience serving alongside other Chapters in the Deathwatch is unknown. He wields a force halberd in combat but sometimes uses a force sword.
Forge-Lord Gareth - Current Master of the Forge of the Sons of the Night
Chief Apothecary Faralyn - Current Chief Apothecary of the Sons of the Night
Reclusiarch Sankannar - Current Reclusiarch of the Sons of the Night
Captain Chromdyr - Captain of Obliteration Company
Captain Haarlem - Captain of Massacre Company
Captain Zevaen - Captain of Impaler Company
Captain Edgor - Captain of Nightmare Company
Captain Mikhael - Captain of Urbicide Company
Captain Cassial - Captain of Sadist Company
Captain Alexor - Captain of Nemesis Company
Captain Kirer - Captain of Omnicide Company
Captain Nirael - Captain of Xenocide Company
Lieutenant Canren - First lieutenant of Xenocide Company
Chapter Fleet []
The Night Flayer in battle
Night Flayer (Mortis Rex-class Battle-Barge)- Chapter Flagship. Unknown origins but is said to have been built on Gryphonne V. The Night Flayer has seen many kinds of enemies and even flown through a Warp Storm.
Eye in the Dark (Warspite-class Battle-Barge)- The infamous battle barge present at Zoa.
Fury of the Moon (Strike Cruiser)- Flagship of the Arbitration Company, Commanded by Captain Tregedor.
Ave Noxstella(Strike Cruiser)- Flagship of the Vindication Company, Commanded by Captain Argirem.
Silence in the Abyss/Emperor's Headsman(Strike Cruiser)- Flagship of the Execution Company, known by both names for various accidental reasons. Commanded by Captain Durrigo.
Chapter Relics []
Reaper's Gaze - A Relic Power Scythe, It is of uncertain origin but possesses immense power. It is wielded by Faralyn.
Chapter Appearance []
Chapter Colours[]
The Sons of the Night primarily wear power armor that is painted in a dark blue with bone-colored trim, gold iconography, and green eye lenses on their helmets. Veterans and Terminators often have their faceplates stylized into skulls, causing some outside the Chapter to occasionally mistake these veterans for Chaplains. Unlike their Chapter's spiritual brothers, these stylised faceplates aren't decorated in reverence to the Emperor's great sacrifice but are done so to inspire fear and terror in their enemies.
Chapter badge of the Sons of the Night.
Chapter Badge[]
The Sons of the Night badge takes the form of a large stylised skull centered above an upwards-turned white crescent moon on a field of dark blue.
The Sons of the Night are hated by many chapters of the Adeptus Astartes because of their questionable lineage and predilection for committing heinous acts of barbarism and cruelty. However, one notable exception is the Angels of Slaughter who allied themselves with the Sons of the Night during several joint campaigns. This duo is extremely dangerous as one crashes into the enemy while the other terrifies them.
Both chapters can relate to each other in many different ways, like their tactics and habits, as well as their thinking. This creates a strong bond between both chapters. Despite the unusual culture of the Legion of Solus, the Sons of the Night have vowed to aid them whenever in need.
Both the Murdering Sons and the Sons of the Night share an affinity for brutality and an understanding of the dark nature of the Imperium. On several occasions, these two Chapters have campaigned together, as both share the same fanaticism for delivering the Emperor's retribution to those who would turn from the light of the Emperor. Despite their insular natures, both Chapters possess a similar brutal mien and dark reputation for dispensing particularly brutal forms of draconian punishment. When these two Chapters have fought alongside one another, their campaigns are both unsubtle and bloody affairs, brutally swift and unexpected in their violence. Imperial worlds that have fallen into insurrection or foolishly attempt to secede from the Imperium often face the direst of fates when these two Chapters are sent to enact their dark and bloody-handed retribution. Though these two Chapters might not see eye-to-eye on their overall tactical objectives, they do possess a grudging respect for one another, recognising that they are kindred spirits. It is unknown when these two savage Chapters formed their warrior bond, but what is known with any certainty, is that they have fought alongside one another, on rare occasions, when circumstances have proved most dire for the Imperium.
Osseous Reapers
The successor chapter of the Sons of the Night are as cruel and vicious as their primogenitors. The Osseous Reapers have been known to torture enemies in front of their kin to raise morale in a peculiar way. Somehow, it also raises the morale of the Sons of the Night, who generously defend their successor from any heretical accusations. When these two chapters are deployed to the same warzone, the enemy know that an eternal nightmare is coming.
Ever since the Battle of Ezaka, the two chapters have maintained a strong alliance against the Night Lords and their splinter warbands. Regardless of the fact that the Sons of the Night utilise Primaris Space Marines, the Wings of Judgment would often mock the hesitant chapters who chose to accept the primaris, leading up to difficult relationships with other chapters. However the Sons of the Night like the dark and similar nature of the Wings of Judgment and their primogenitors, the Chiroptera Legion.
The Palatine Scimitars think of the Sons of the Night as brutal and cruel. Two of the words hated and loathed by the Palatine Scimitars. Both chapters dislike one another with the Sons of the Night thinking that they Palatine Scimitars are not disciplined enough to complete objectives while the Palatine Scimitars think of the Sons of the Night as sadistic and cruel souls who love the sight of torture. Fortunately both chapters can agree that the False Saviours must be purged from the galaxy once and for all.
The False Saviours are a mysterious and enigmatic Chaos Warband formed from the 88th company of the Night Lords and an unknown Alpha Legion group. Hiding in the shadows, they strike at the enemy and disappear as sudden as they had arrived. This threat has bewildered the Imperium for years, unable to track down the unseen attackers. Only recently have they found that the False Saviours exist. The Sons of the Night seek out the hidden members and kill them without mercy. The roots of this hatred is unknown.
The enigmatic Nightgaunts have wreaked much havoc and discord among the Imperium and blaming it on the Sons of the Night, who are enraged at the accusations. The Arks of Omen have only made the Sons of the Night more and more determined to hunt them down and destroy them from the galaxy once and for all.
The Night Lords are the most feared of all the traitor legions. It is suspected that the Sons of the Night are descended from them, and in order to prove this wrong, the Sons of the Night vow to destroy the Night Lords and their cruel and fearful splinter warbands once and for all.
Notable Quotes []
By the Sons of the Night[]
Feel free to Add your Own
"We are not here to bring hope to humanity. We merely exist to bring fear to the Emperor's enemies."
— Chief Librarian Lahgi
"Your mind will believe comforting lies while also knowing the painful truths that make those lies necessary. And your mind will punish you for believing both. We are not bringers of hope. We are destroyers of the Emperor's foes."
—Captain Tregedor to an imprisoned rebel leader on Ezaka
"The answer is that it does not matter what you think, because your mind will contradict itself a hundred times each day."
—Chapter Master 'Night Reaver'
"He was still alive. Which was the worst thing that could have happened."
—An Imperial Scribe writing about the torture of a chaos cultist by the Sons of the Night
"Pain is a factor of healing, so do not scream or cry. You are only making it worse for yourselves."
—Chief Apothecary Faralyn attempting to calm down an space marine of the Palatine Scimitars that he is 'treating'. Rumor says that the space marine's limbs were replaced entirely by mechanical parts because of the chief apothecary's carelessness.
About the Sons of the Night[]
Feel free to add your own
"You label us ruthless for no apparent reason. Our anger pales in comparison to the raging forest fire that is the Sons of the Night."
—Lord of Shadows Aurelius Vossnian of the Legion of Solus explaining his perspective on the reason for their existence to the demanding Inquisitor.
"And as dawn came. They vanished, leaving hanging bodies dangling in their wake."
The Sons of the Night was once written by a former wiki contributor named Brentticorn. Most of this is still the original text as he is probably off fandom now. I hope you enjoyed the original and new lore I put into this. Special thanks to Algrim Whitefang for allowing me to bring this back! It was once homebrew of the week. You can see the video below.
Gallery []
Sons of the Night Veteran Marine arrayed in formidable Terminator Armour and wielding a deadly relic storm bolter and lightning claws.
Videos []
Homebrew Of The Week - Episode 160 - Sons Of The Night-0
Chapter History 
