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This article, Greyhorns, was written by Maelvvine. Please do not edit or 'acquire' this fiction without the writer's permission. |
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This article, Greyhorns, is currently under active construction. The author, Maelvvine, apologizes for the inconvenience. |
- "Our home is a frozen wasteland. Nothing grows on it. Nothing endures on it. We will sail through the stars of the Imperium."
- — Greyhorns song
The Greyhorns ('Cornibus Griseo' in High Gothic) are a successor Chapter of the Rampagers and through them of the proud and savage White Scars from the 22nd Founding. After the total freezing of Klondika II, their homeworld, the Chapter became fleet-based and adopted a nomadic approach, roaming between Segmentum Tempestus and Segmentum Ultima.
Renowned for their 'humanity', the Chapter lost a great many of its Astartes after this characteristic of theirs was exploited by enemy forces. Reduced to less than half their total power, the Greyhorns continue their roaming journey in the void, slowly rebuilding and learning new ways of warfare to better fulfill their duty and conserve their numbers.
Chapter History
Founding
The Greyhorns were founded during the 22nd Founding around M37 to maintain a foothold and protect the Klondika System and its proximities, for Orks and pirates repeatedly raided that space zone throughout its history to conquer and enslave.
The presence of an Adeptus Astartes Chapter not only managed to rapidly respond and fight back the invasions but also acted as a deterrent to the raiders, making their raids more sporadic. The Greyhorns demonstrated their interest in the security of their domains and actively participated in the local military training of Astra Militarum and PDFs, offering advice and affordable counter measures to use to improve the defensive capabilities of the mortal forces. This interest and attention to mortals led the Greyhorns to be compared many times with the Salamanders.
Garsnagga Plan
The Ork tribe Nekblasta was a name well known for the Chapter, the Klondika System defense forces, and their neighbors as many times during M37 the xenos attempted to attack and conquer the Chapter's dominions. However, only under Warboss Garsnagga would the greenskins grow in numbers large enough to become a serious problem, forcing the Greyhorns to deploy most of its Chapter's forces to repel the Orks once and for all.
Garsnagga's ascension to power and to the rank of warboss remains unknown, but the Warboss' above average acumen and complex strategies during the conflict are well-documented. These skills are probably the reason why it managed to obtain almost universal consent and support among the minor tribes of Orks who flocked to it, joined its forces, and further allowed it to develop and pursue its plans for conquest. Taking advantage of their far larger numbers, the Ork force attacked multiple locations, well aware that the Astartes couldn't be in all places at the same time with enough power. In fact, the Greyhorns' line of defense was long and thin, to cover the vast majority of the battlefields. For the Chapter, this proved to be pointless in the long run as the small pockets of Astartes struggled against the vast numbers of aliens. Meanwhile, the support of the mortal forces proved to be of minor impact, since it seemed the suggestions and teachings of the Astartes were never learned nor studied, but more likely promptly ignored.
To obtain the upper hand, the Greyhorns were forced to regroup in larger forces before attacking the enemies one at the time, systematically terminating them before moving to the next location. This strategy worked as the larger numbers of orks were balanced by the Astartes' skills, and the Ork losses also drained the xenos' morale, which started dwindling. In the end, the Chapter managed to reach and isolate the warboss which, once slain, caused a general withdraw, its forces scattered and on the run.
Even if victorious, the Chapter wasn't able to defend all the worlds, and some were lost, completely ravaged and ruined beyond recovery. Even if the campaign is remembered as a partial failure, the Ork raids have become rarer... but the door was opened to far worse enemies.
Black Wake
With the Orks out of the way, the attentions of others eyed the Klondika System. In the first centuries of M38, pirate fleets of Drukhari showed and raided the far edge of the system successfully stealing resources and chaining their inhabitants into slavery. The Chapter’s answer was slow as the raids were sudden and unexpected, and the Astartes needed more time to find an effective counter-offensive. After failing the earliest engagements with a toll paid in Astartes lives, the Greyhorns managed to find a way to deal with the raiders. Each engagement allowed the Astartes to learn more about the xenos while the Drukhari’s overconfidence grew. In the latest encounters, however, the Greyhorns not only managed to completely nullify the invasion, but the Chapter also chased the xenos back to their Webway portal and forced them to withdraw from the system.
However what looked like a final great victory, unknown to them, will prove to be their doom as the time moved forward. The Drukhari in their arrogance and spite arrived at the conclusion that if they could not use their newfound hunting ground, then no one else should. After an interval of five centuries, a large retaliation force of xenos blitzed into the Klondika System, ignoring the defenders and aiming directly for their sun. The Chapter’s immediate conclusion was that the enemy planned to manipulate the sun and destroy the entire system. Immediately, without sparing even a single Astartes, the Greyhorns launched a counter-offensive against the Drukhari’s largest ship, which seemed to bear the mightiest weapons.
However, the Drukhari fleet deftly distracted and occupied the Chapter, making it impossible to stop the xenos until they fired a strange weapon into the sun’s surface. But to the surprise of all the defenders, from the lowest guardsman to the Chapter Master himself, nothing happened. The Drukhari slowly disengaged, before disappearing in the same direction they had arrived.
Permafrost
The results of the Drukhari attack against the sun will appear in less than a month standard later as on the surface of Klondika appeared dark spots, in all the system the days become colder and shorter and unexpected snow started dropping, the seasonal order completely wrong. Two months later the sun silently died becoming a barren cold rock and the entire system slipped in what looked like an eternal winter.
With the vast majority of the planet already cold and icy, the population started to suffer, looking for countermeasures like expanding the underground cities but with no result. With the shame in their hearts, the planetary governors started asking about evacuation and further support but the answer of the larger Imperium was slow to arrive, with the doubt that maybe could never arrive at all. Only the direct intervention of the Chapter itself, using their influence of Adeptus Astartes managed to obtain for the Klondika System people an evacuation plan, to which the Chapter took part actively, before the worlds will transform completely, as the temperature never stabilized and continued to grow colder.
At the first years of M39, the Klondika system was completely abandoned of mortals, the cities left to froze, no life endured, not even animals. The only trace of the Imperium left was the Fortress-Monastery of the Greyhorns, who still stood and protected the icy system. However there was very little to defend and in date 50.M39 the Chapter left the system, becoming officially fleet-based.
Mark of Shame
When the Slaaneshi cult of the 'Twisted Decay' took control of the world of Darcariun Zeta together with their corrupted Astartes masters never thought about that their fake distress call would have attired an entire Chapter, as when the plea for help was transmitted to the Greyhorns they didn't think twice to rush on the location in full force to assist the world population. The cultists however took full advantage from this and once contact with the Chapter was made, convinced them that they had been already helped by another Chapter and the Greyhorns should preside to the final debriefings.
With the Greyhorns guard lowered and already on the way to planet fall to join their supposedly fellow loyalists, the cultist and the traitors showed their true colours, unveiling their ambush and opening fire. The Chapter reacted as quickly as possible reaching for the planet to shut down the surface weaponry and engaging the vessels that appeared from their hiding spots, but the opening salvo was fatal, the Battle Barge Ice Tempest destroyed in mere seconds, the explosion killing many of her occupants and involving lesser vessels, the following chain reaction destroyed and damaged many components of the fleet. Even if with great damages, the proud and now angered Greyhorns fought back enduring long enough to be reached by unexpected reinforcements, who received the same distress call and just for a matter of time could have been in their place, these forces were from the Astra Militarum from a neighboring solar system and a Strike Cruiser of the Iron Juggernauts. The arrival of the fresh forces allowed the Imperials to grasp the victory, eliminating the cult and the traitors while the renegade Astartes managed to escape, remaining unrecognized.
During the debriefing and the evaluation of the possibility to exterminate the planet, as probably its state of corruption was beyond salvation, the Greyhorns officers reported about the events and the communications before the sudden attack and how badly their fleet was damaged by the trap. For reasons still now inexplicable the commanding officer of the Astra Militarum decided to openly disrespect the Chapter calling 'naive' the Greyhorns to immediately believe to such a communication, while this remarks could have been true were considered a great stain in the honour of the Greyhorns to the point that both Chapters representatives demanded formal apologies which were swiftly delivered as nobody on the other mortal officer wanted to find themselves and their regiments involved in Mortals-Astartes relations incident, something aggravated by the presence of the Iron Juggernauts and their renowned easy-to-lose temper and Astartes-centric vision.
All the engagement however, not only damaged the Greyhorns in both fleet, assets and Astartes numbers but for the very first time the Chapter doubted if their mortal-centric vision was right as their actions since their inception were not only once appreciated but now even mocked.
The Chase
While on their way to rally on Cadia together with the other Imperial forces, the Greyhorns intercepted a large Drukhari force moving in the same direction, oddly enough of the same faction who clashed with them in M38. With the loss of the Klondika System still a sore wound, the Chapter rapidly engaged the xenos! The Drukhari, however, seemed indifferent to the Greyhorns, withdrawing numerous times and trying to simply disengage.
However, every attempt to outrun the Greyhorns and enter the Webway failed: the Astartes left no room for the Drukhari to escape, harrying the xenos relentlessly! The Drukhari eventually engaged the Chapter in psychological warfare, openly mocking the Greyhorns' failure to defend the Klondika System, but when their own attempts to provoke the Astartes into making mistakes failed, the Drukhari insinuated that they possessed information about the Greyhorns' missing Primarch, Jaghatai Khan, to discourage the Chapter's devastating assaults. While the Drukhari planned to enrage and infuriate the Chapter into strategic mistakes that allowed them to launch an effective counterattack or give them the space to execute proper escape maneuvers, the plan seemed to have the opposite result: the Greyhorns pursued the xenos across Segmentum Ultima, all the way to the rim of the Ghoul Stars and the Eastern Fringe. Only the opening of the Cicatrix Maledictum itself allowed the Drukhari to disengage as Warp storms suddenly roared to life around both fleets! Taking advantage of the chaos, the xenos fled into the Webway, leaving the Greyhorns stranded in the outer rim of Imperium Nihilus.
Primaris Reinforcements
After the resurrection of Primarch Roboute Guilliman and the revelation of the Primaris Astartes, the Greyhorns were considered missing in action as no further communication were established after the fall of Cadia and their current fate unknown. The Torchbearer fleet however tried to reach the last known position of the Chapter only to find nothing and their Primaris reinforcements were reabsorbed amongst the Unnumbered Sons.
Notable Campaign
- Liberation of Klondika (early M37) - The Klondika System was in the route of many invasion forces and slave raids, mainly Orks and pirates, will took few centuries for the Greyhorns after their settling to become a considerable deterrent to further attacks;
- Siege of Quornok (750.M37) - Quornok System found itself to be the chosen objective of the clan Nekblasta, however in the defensive campaign that followed the Greyhorns proved themselves, attacking the enemy lines from behind and forcing them to a quick withdraw;
- Garsnagga Plan (990.M37) - Warboss Garsnagga will be remembered for being the more cunning of the clan Nekblasta, managing to become a serious threat and gifting the Chapter with a minor failure, as the greenskins managed to completely ravage beyond recovery few worlds. In the end however the Warboss will be isolated and slayed and its forces finally scattered;
- First Black Wake (250.M38) - The Black Wake conflict was a series of defensive actions against Drukhari raiders, with the xenos at the beginning having the advantage and successfully completing some slave raids before being, in the latest encounters, intercepted by the Greyhorns forces and slowly repelled with also, the major victory of the Chapter in the destruction of what was considered their flagship;
- Second Black Wake (800.M38) - The second Black Wake, also remembered as 'the day of the Permafrost' was a vindictive action performed by a larger force of Drukhari against the Klondika System, with the major objective of shutting down the sun. With their success in fact, Klondika System drowned in a never ending winter, forcing the inhabitants to be evacuated and repositioned elsewhere;
- Void Battle of Malamute Cluster (666.M39) - +++DATA RECOVERING ■▢▢▢▢▢▢▢▢▢ 10%+++
- Mark of Shame (461.M40) - The Ambush on Darcariun Zeta was one the more disgraced conflict for the Chapter, lured by traitors and renegades the Chapter forces were heavily reduced, managing to survive thanks to reinforcements from local Astra Militarum and the Iron Juggernauts. However the worst wound to the Chapter was on their proud and purpose, bringing them later into the decision to change their mind of some matters;
- Void Battle of Khalus Nebula (934.M41) - +++IDENTIFICATION REQUIRED+++
- The Chase (999.M41) - On their way to rally on Cadia together with the other Imperial forces, the Greyhorns intercepted and pursued a force of Drukhari, driving them away from the 13th Black Crusade conflict zone and forcing them to be locked in Imperium Nihilus after the opening of the Cicatrix Maledictum;
Chapter Homeworld
Klondika System, located in the far west of Segmentum Tempestus, hosts a large number of mine facilities and manifactorums due to its natural abundance of minerals and metals deposits. Being so rich in both manpower and supplies, it is often the target of pirates’ raids for loot and slaves.
Although all of the worlds of the system share the icy cold environment, Klondika II has a large numbers of oceans. For its reduced landmass and the need to keep providing inhabitants for the Chapter to being recruited, it was spared from the mining operations. The feral population of Klondika II used to live in villages built of ice and snow bricks, hunting and fishing for their subsistence.
Sturdy and fearless because of the icy storms, the Klondikans used to hunt large xenos creature similar to the whales of ancient Terra. After the death of the system's main star and the subsequent permafrost age, the surviving feral Klondikans were rescued and enlisted to the service of the Chapter, the one young enough took the trials for becoming Astartes while the adults were taken as Chapter Serfs.
Fortress-Monastery
Called the 'Sky Piercing Spear', the Fortress-Monastery of the Greyhorns was a large and shiny pointed building who used to amaze the local inhabitants, who started to believe that was the spear of a god, ready to be picked for future hunts. It remains unknown if, after the Chapter left the system, the now empty Fortress still stands or succumbed to the endless winter enveloping the system.
After shifting to fleet-based Chapter, the Flagship Ice Breaker become the new Fortress-Monastery. One of the rare, and for a time, limited produced Ymir-class Battle Barge arrayed with the formidable Hoarfrost Nova Lance.
Chapter Organisation
Officer Ranks
- Void Khan - Equivalent to Chapter Master;
- Captain - The Captain is the senor officer for each company;
- Lieutenant - The Lieutenant serves as demi-company leader and also as advisors for their Captains;
Specialist Ranks
- Chaplain - Spiritual and discipline officer, who keeps in check the purity of the Chapter;
- Reclusiarch - Keeper of the relics of the Reclusiam and of the traditions and heritage from Klondika II;
- Voice of the Storm - The leader of the Reclusiam and 'spiritual' leader of the Chapter;
- Techmarine - The role of a Techmarine is to keep and maintain Chapter weaponry and motor pool;
- Master of the Forge - Most senior of the Techmarines;
- Apothecary - Specialist trained about the Astartes physiology. An Apothecary not only serves as a field medic but is also charged to recover the precious gene-seed from the fallen;
- Chief Apothecary - Most senior of the Apothecaries;
- Stormseer - Like many Chapters from the White Scars lineage, the Librarians of the Greyhorns are called Stormseers. Those psyker have a strong attunement with natural elements, specifically with wind and ice;
- Chief Stormseer - Most senior and powerful of the Stormseers;
- Chapter Champion - The finest duelist of the Chapter and sworn bodyguard of the Void Khan;
- Company Champion - The most skilled in a Company, charged to protect his Captain;
- Chapter Herald - A warrior who bears the honour and the duty to hold the Chapter banner;
- Company Herald - A warrior who bears the honour and the duty to hold the Company banner;
Line Ranks
- Veteran Sergeant - The rank applies both to leaders of Command Squads and 1st Company squads;
- Veteran Battle-Brother - The bulk of the 1st Company, insigned with Terminator Honours;
- Sergeant - The head of a squad, they are responsible to carrying out orders from their superiors;
- Battle-Brother - The bulk of each Company, a Battle-Brother is expected to fulfill various roles.
Order of Battle
Headquarters
Companies
Combat Doctrine
After millennia of experience in countering raiding parties and pirate attack, made the Greyhorns to become master of quick reaction, shock assault and swift counter-attacks, building their combat doctrine around quick deployments and fierce assaults to neutralize their opponents. However due to their low numbers and poor motorpool, the Greyhorns had to specialize their tactics making use of what they have available.
- Swift counter-attack - Thanks to Bikes and Land Speeders as support vehicles, the Greyhorns are allowed to quick respond to new enemy threats. Their mobility allows them to counter-attack their opponents even before they manage to ensemble and at the same time to change attack angle anytime their opponents manage to build a defensive strategy;
- Shock assault - A quick and hard attack is fundamental for the Chapter to avoid unnecessary losses, as the Chapter already suffers of low numbers. For this reason their attacks are strategized in the way to be sudden, quick and hard as possible via deployment through Drop Pods and Thunderhawks and with the air support from smaller gunships;
- Close combat specialist - Due to their major lack of limited numbers of Terminator Armours, the Greyhorns were forced to adopt the old tactics and usage of the Astartes Boarding Shield not only for their boarding actions and corridors fights but also for Zone Mortalis deployments and deep strikes. For this reason their 1st Company is fully specialized in those tactics;
Chapter Culture & Beliefs
The Whaler trinkets
The hunt for the whale-like xenos of Klondika II was important for the tribal inhabitants of the world, as the massive marine beasts gifted them not only with meat and fat but also with skin and bone that could be used in crafting and various other uses. Those creatures were important also for the Greyhorns’ own Chapter culture: hunting these whales was both a ritual of passage for an Astartes Aspirant and a way to display status inside the Chapter. Many battle-brothers enjoyed decorating their armours and weapons with the whale skins and carved bone trinkets.
Despite being now a void-faring Chapter, this habit still endures for the Greyhorns with the hunting of Void Whales.
The little we have must endure
After losing their home system as well as a large number of their assets when Ice Tempest was destroyed, the Chapter had to rely on the little resources that were still available. Thus, their equipment showcases an high number of field repairs, such a bonding studs and the like, since their Techmarines lack great craftsmenship or artisanal skills, resulting in far more crude appearances.
Iced Heart
The Greyhorns used to be a 'caring and gentle' Chapter, as far as those attributes can apply to warriors of the Adeptus Astartes. Therefore, they were often compared to the Salamanders. However, the traumatizing events the Greyhorns endured and their close bond with their older kinsmen — the Iron Juggernauts— gradually made the Chapter more of cold and relentless, detached from the signature compassion that once distinguished them.
Chapter Recruitment
Pre Fleet-Based
During their time in Klondika System, the Chapter used to recruit from the feral inhabitants of Klondika II and occasionally received young criminals from the other worlds of the System who may have been good enough for recruitment. The aspirants had to survive to various trials before being inducted within the Chapter.
Death's Dreams
Once deemed physical capable for becoming an Astartes, the mind of the aspirant will be put to a trial. After being scanned by the Stormseer once more, the aspirant will be put in a coma-like status where he will experience the 'Death's Dreams'. On this dream, the Aspirant will be stormed with terrific visions of doom, being hunted by horrible monsters behind his comprehension and anything his mind didn't tolerate, forcing him to overcome everything the dream puts against him. Only after defeating the visions, the aspirant will be able to wake up overcoming the challenge.
Cold Ordeal
Klondika has always been a cold and icy world, even after the Permafrost cataclysm, to being a Greyhorn an aspirant has to show how much he is capable to endure the coldness of the snowy desert of their homeworld. The aspirant will be sent in the wilderness for two weeks, with minimum clothes and the substance for a few days forcing him to survive on his own until picked up once the ordeal was done.
Hunt the Titan
Equipped with a knife, an axe, a bunch of barbed harpoons and a small boat, the aspirant is sent in the icy seas of Klondika II to hunt the xenos whales that inhabits it. Although returning with a piece of their meat and skin counts the trial as completed, the one who actually manage to kill one of this being, allowing to bring back to the Fortress-Monastery one of this creature it is much more respected and kept in higher consideration.
Post Fleet-Based
After the cataclysm and the start of their nomadic journey, the Greyhorns used to recruit from the world they visited taking offering from Prison and Hive worlds, where young criminals and orphans were available in abundance. However after the events of Darcariun Zeta and the consequent harshening of their habits, the Chapter started to take captives from the worlds where they fought and kidnapping people from the Feral worlds they encountered.
Without a homeworld to use as base for their trials, some of the habits of the Chapter changed accordingly to their situation. The basic training and the 'Death's Dream' survived as both can be performed within the vessels while the 'Cold Ordeal' was performed only if a Ice World was available in the nearby zone of interest, if not, it will be replaced with a ritual duel against a grown Astartes.
The 'Hunt the Titan' was completely reshaped to better fit their journey through the void, now the aspirant has to heat the raw meat of a Void Whale, as the Astartes of the Chapter regular hunt and consume this creatures.
Deathwatch Service
The service within the Deathwatch of the Greyhorns is marked as regular at least while they still were occupying their homeworld, as they were sometimes requested for their experience in their fights against both Orks and Drukhari. After the Chapter become Fleet-Based issues occurred to keep contact with them, but every time they got reached the Greyhorns always provided the manpower asked.
Chapter Gene-Seed
The Greyhorns are descendants from the Rampagers Chapter and through them of the White Scars and the Primarch Jaghatai Khan. Although suffering of being victim of the brutality and savagery who lays within the heart of many of the sons of the Khan if not kept in check through self discipline no other major flaws have being noticed.
It is however known about their above the average Librarium and the larger numbers of psychically gifted Astartes.
Notable Members
- Void Khan Aglooka Tzin-han, Chapter founder;
- Void Khan Ukiuk Kallik, last known leader of the Chapter;
Chapter Fleet
Highly unusual for a space faring Chapter, the fleet of the Greyhorns is ramshackle and in low numbers as a great number of their own vessel was lost during the Black Wakes and the hardest blow to their fleet was dealt during Darcariun Zeta, for this reason many of the still in service vessels are patched or are battle trophies captured from pirate hands.
- Battle Barges:
- Ice Breaker (Ymir-class Battle Barge);
- Ice Breaker is the Flagship of the Greyhorns and also serves as Fortress-Monastery after the Chapter was forced to abandon their homeworld, Klondika II. Ice Breaker was given to the Greyhorns, alongside her twin Ice Tempest, during their founding. Both vessel are classified as Ymir-class Battle Barge a rare and, for a time, limited produced variant armed with the iconic Hoarfrost Nova Lance and currently is considered the oldest of her specimen in service;
- Strike Cruisers:
- Cold Spear (Strike Cruiser);
- Spirit of Karnari (Remora Class Light Cruiser);
- Storm of Abhorrence (Remora Class Light Cruiser);
- Escorts:
- Nutka (Gladius-class Frigate);
- Knut (Gladius-class Frigate);
- Mikasa (Gladius-class Frigate);
- Kasatska's Fang (Nova-class Frigate);
- Tuunbaq (Cobra-class Destroyer);
- Aglooka's Legacy (Cobra-class Destroyer);
- Pinga (Cobra-class Destroyer);
- Sedna (Cobra-class Destroyer);
- Nanook (Venom-class Destroyer);
- Akna (Heavy Destroyer);
- Retired and destroyed vessels:
- Ice Tempest (Ymir-class Battle Barge, destroyed);
- Ice Tempest was destroyed during the ambush at Darcariun Zeta, the attack was so violent and sudden that the crew didn't had the time to react. There are unconfirmed rumors from some members within the Astra Militarum regiment who arrived later alongside the Iron Juggernauts that some of the prow and the Hoarfrost Nova Lance were recovered. Although the party who performed this recover action remains unidentified, it is unclear whether their identity is simply unknown or the witnesses were coerced under threats to omit it;
- Akhlut (Strike Cruiser, destroyed);
- Strike Cruiser Akhlut after delivering her Astartes cargo against the Drukhari fleet that attacked Klondika System during the Second Black Wake tried, without result, to intercept and tank the lethal beam shot against the sun, sacrificing herself and her crew;
- Sky's daughters Strike Squadron (destroyed);
- The smaller vessels Anguta, Ataksak, Negafook and Torngarsuk were lost, involved in the explosion of Ice Tempest during the ambush at Darcariun Zeta;
Chapter Relics
- Indomitus Panoply of War - Although already considered rare and ancient, the last surviving suits of Indomitus pattern Terminator Armours available to the Chapter ascended to the status of relics, trusted only to be used by the Void Khan himself and some from his retinue;
- Mahaha - The Dreadnought suit known only as Mahaha is an ancient relic of the Chapter that has been in their Armoury since their inception and an unknown pattern of Castraferrum Dreadnought. The name of the first who was entombed within is has been forgotten once the Dreadnought was awoken in time of need, the Astartes personality was completely replaced with cold and brutal desire for destruction, for this reason the Astartes name was erased from the chassis considering him like he never survived the entombment. Set aside for a while, the Chapter finally decided to keep Mahaha in service for the direst of the situations and the Astartes that replaced the original pilot offered themselves voluntarily to keep the 'beast' running for times of necessity;
'Mahaha'
Chapter Appearance
Chapter Colours
The primary colour of the Greyhorns is dark grey with the helmet, the poleyns and the shoulder guards in evergreen fog while the trims are silver. There are colour variations in the helmet to distinguish ranks:
- Veteran, the standard evergreen fog of the helmet is enriched with a dappled pattern;
- Lieutenant, evergreen fog with a dark grey stripe in the middle;
- Captain, white with a dappled pattern;
Instead of the Codex Astartes compliant red helmets, the sergeants wears a skull on their foreheads as role designation. The Chapters' specialists (Chaplains, Stormseers, Apothecaries and Techmarines) instead of wearing the full livery of their office, they keep the Chapters' colours with only the right shoulder and arm in their office colours.
Chapter Badge
The badge of the Greyhorns is a dark grey narwhal, a sea mammal from the yore of ancient Terra who used to live in the cold regions. The narwhals was famous for the long fang protruding from their mouth that was easily mistaken for a horn.
Relations
Allies
| Name | Iconography | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| White Scars |   |
Although their initial isolationism, mostly for the remoteness of Klondika System and now with their nomadic patrol between Segmentum Pacificus and Segmentum Ultima, the Greyhorns managed to keep decent relationship with both their parent Chapter and their ancestors. Mostly thanks to their victories against the xenos raiders against whom they were original tasked to fight against; |
| Rampagers |   | |
| Iron Juggernauts |   |
Since their close encounter during the incident happened to Darcariun Zeta, the Iron Juggernauts took close interest in the Greyhorns and their misadventures. The two Chapter kept regular contacts since then until the Greyhorns disappeared before the events of the Siege of Cadia. The help of the Iron Juggernauts proved fundamental to allow the Greyhorns to return a feared and respected Chapter to the eyes of the mortals; |
| Keelhaulers |   |
Even if was highly improbable for two fleet based Chapter to make contact often in the vastness of the void, both Greyhorns and Keelhaulers have managed to build a relatively important bond between them. The sudden tragedy that stroke the Keelhaulers Chapter was a hard reality to accept for the Greyhorns, contributing in their harshening; |
Enemies
| Name | Iconography | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Drukhari |   |
Since the death of Klondika and the fall of the entire system in a eternal winter, the Greyhorns hate for the Drukhari only grew stronger and stronger, bringing them to every length possible to obtain vengeance; |
| Orks |   |
Although one of their principal enemies during their custody of Klondika System, the hate the Greenskins xenos remains measured but the memory of the cunning of the warboss Garsnagga will always remember the Greyhorns that this creatures aren't mindless beast; |
| Traitor Legions |   |
As all of the Adeptus Astartes Chapters, the disdain for the Traitor Legions and their successors is built in them. For this reason they will be always ready to bring retribution and punishment to those who forsake the Imperium. |
Notable Quotes
By the Chapter:
- "Our home is a frozen wasteland, nothing grows on it, and nothing endure on it. We will sail through the stars of the Imperium."
- — Greyhorns song
About the Chapter:
| Twenty Second Founding Space Marine Chapters | |
|---|---|
| Dark Angels Successors | Crystal Lions • |
| White Scars Successors | Greyhorns • |
| Space Wolves Successors | • |
| Imperial Fists Successors | Dawn Stalkers • |
| Blood Angels Successors | The Faithward • Imperial Fiends • |
| Iron Hands Successors | Wooden Vityaz • Toxic Claws • |
| Ultramarines Successors | Blades of Redemption • Golden Manticores • Gulf Hawks • Sapphire Hawks • |
| Salamanders Successors | Ashen Lords • |
| Raven Guard Successors | Ashen Wraiths • Imperial Angels • |
| Unknown Lineage | • |
| Renegades | Sky Reavers • |
Trivia
- The Greyhorns defeated the Golden Mastodons on a 'who first' contest;
- The Chapter was meant to be Unknown gene-seed before choosing the White Scars heritage;
- Someone joked a lot about renaming them 'Sea Unicorns';
- The name Greyhorns was suggested by Draos but for another Chapter;
- Big thanks to GobbyTodger for the corrections to the article;
Gallery
Aircrafts
