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This article, Imperial Angels, is currently under active construction. The author, Cyren1, apologizes for the inconvenience. |
- "Your lot are worthy no longer, and your crimes are clear. Know this; You will not live past the dawn, but the honourable among you will be carried in our voices like any hero of the Imperium."
- —Master of Stories Severain Losf, in a parley with Atavists 4th Company Captain Exar un-Dal, ca. 012.M41.
The Imperial Angels are a non-Codex compliant Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes created during the 22nd Founding as successors of the Raven Guard. As a conservative return to traditional chapter development following the maligned 21st 'Cursed' Founding, the Angels were sent to replace two chapters who had fallen to mutation and Chaos in the years following the 21st Founding and were not established as 'Destroyed' until after the Reign of Blood that so quickly followed it.
As a chapter meant to buffer against threats that come from the wild space to the galactic north of the Eye of Terror, the Imperial Angels specialize in small-unit operations, covering a large area of space with fire teams that rarely number greater than five, pre-empting hostile incursions and bases before they become a problem for the systems they are charged with protecting. They operate far from usual logistics, and use the independent nature of an Astartes to its fullest.
Another quirk of the Imperial Angels is their tendency to second their marines, not just to other chapters of the same lineage, but to those of other lineages as well. This practice allows battle-brothers who partake in it to continue engaging the enemies of Mankind, even as heretical or xenos activity in their sector of space may wax and wane. It also allows them to collect stories of heroes and martyrs of other chapters, to be stored in the repositories of their fortress monastery, a shrine of memorial to those Astartes who have gone above and beyond their calling.
Chapter History
The duties of the Imperial Angels were many upon reaching their new base in the Orvin System. Even before the initial setup of their fortress-monastery was completed, the Imperial Angels were already on the hunt. Scout elements supported by Land Speeder squads went looking for any trace, loyal or otherwise, of the Brazen Bulls and Fell Hands - the two warden chapters who had been originally assigned to this region. Though located directly north of the Eye of Terror, the Orvin Sector was oddly quiet, clear of xenos or piratical elements. Even remote outposts on the edges of stable, known space hadn't seen raiders come from the Eye, or anywhere else, in quite some time.
With this nascent chapter came a Chaplain from the Raven Guard, Jayur Van, known as "Mockingbird" for his uncanny ability to mimic the voices of others. He and the High Command were in agreement. The fate of the two chapters previous to them was of the utmost importance. And every day they spent organizing the chapter and the Fortress-Monastery was a day their trail grew colder.
As the Imperial Angels were deployed during the tail end of the Age of Apostasy, their first combat actions were against planet-borne cults, destroying heretical and chaotic forces that PDF forces failed to suppress and Guard elements could not be mobilized against, mainly due to the relatively unstable warp routes around the Orvin Sector. Difficult to navigate for fleets of mass conveyors and escort ships, but suitable for a nimble Battle-Barge, and its well-trained navigator cadre.
The unstable warp routes made it difficult, however, for these cults to expand outside of their systems of origin. Rare was it to see a traitor vessel more capable than a system monitor or warp-capable destroyer. The now-First Speaker Van remained suspicious of the lack of any hostile fleet elements wherever the chapter explored.
A Sign, Consigned (020.M37)
Two years after landing on Orvin, the first sighting of a large enemy vessel was spotted. A gutted cruiser bearing the eight-pointed star of Chaos across its bow, drifting through deep space. Deep gouges in the port side decks where armour and metal plating melted, sublimated, and flowed like water showed signs of point blank lance fire, suggesting the vessel was ambushed. The name-plate was barely legible after the effects of the Warp and a glancing hit from a torpedo. The Invictus Vita. A squad of Terminator elites was sent inside to investigate the darkened halls. The first clue was worrying. Precise entry incisions pointed at vital decks. A squared-off profile suggesting a Caestus Assault Ram had been used to deposit troops. Space Marines.
Inside The Vita, more evidence laid. Though whatever horrors and mutants had made the ship their home had long fled, their markings remained. Symbols and shrines to The Ruinous Powers floated around the dead ship, unmoored without the artificial gravity to ground them. The grooves and scratches where demons tread. The sears of lasfire and autoguns on the walls, from the desperate defenders of the Vita. Down the halls from these blasts were craters and floating fragments of bone and blackened flesh. Bolt shell impacts.
A full investigation found the warp drives detonated from the inside, though the plasma drives had been gutted by naval gunfire or had gone cold after the ship was abandoned. Cross-referencing with possible boarding plans outlined in the Codex Astartes showed that with little deviation, a textbook plan of attack had been followed. Analysis of the bolt shells and impacts showed that whoever fired were using bolt rounds that were recently produced.
The most promising evidence of all was a single body clad in power armour, propped up in the bridge with both progenoid glands removed, wearing the burgundy livery of the Brazen Bulls.
On the Hunt
With the discovery of a fallen Brazen Bull, and one that couldn't have died more than a few weeks ago, Jayur Van ordered an immediate intensification of their search. The four reserve companies were put to task on exploring deep space and the edge of the Eye of Terror for any sign of the Bulls. Escorts containing no more than five to ten battle-brothers were sent off with a hail for the Brazen Bulls' Battle Barge, the Concord of Steel. These missions soon expanded into other sectors that ringed the Eye, and their pilgrimages became longer. Sometimes these scouts came back with casualties from emergency actions to help worlds in need. Over time the need for flexibility in these ad-hoc kill teams meant the reserve companies began to mix squads with each other when on the Hunt, creating something closer to a mixed veteran squad than a traditional Codex-compliant formation. So far from the traditional chapter command structure, it fell on the shoulders of Sergeants and fireteams to make tactical decisions, and to remember those that make the ultimate sacrifice for Emperor and Imperium. The necessity to bring these stories back to the Chapter itself, combined with Jayur Van's history as a chaplain, created the tradition of remembering fallen heroes in speech and blood, to ensure the preservation of their story within the safety of the Great Hold of Orvin.
Discovery (025.M37)
The Concord of Steel was once again spotted to the galactic east of the Orvin Sector, responding to the continued hails of the Angels with a distress call. When the Concord docked with the Void Breach the reason was clear.
The Brazen Bulls had suffered catastrophic losses in the millenium between establishment and the arrival of the Angels. After an uptick in raider activity soon turned into a tidal wave of Heretic Astartes and Blood Pact ships spilling out of the Eye of Terror into the Orvin Sector. The two chapters, outnumbered three to one by Astartes alone, managed to hold back the tide by the skin of their teeth.
With a brutalized Guard contingent and PDF forces shattered, there was no way the two chapters could deal with the cracks in the sector's defenses that had sprung up in the aftermath of the Orvin Campaign. Requests for reinforcements of any kind were either rejected, or diverted away at the last minute. The Fell Hands decided the best option was to go after the enemy, turn into piratical raiders themselves to reduce the number of ships that could come out and raid the Orvin sector. The Brazen Bulls followed, and they raided worlds closer and closer to the Eye of Terror, cutting a swathe through Chaotic and Xenos ships alike, unaccustomed to being on the receiving end of raids and having little to no defense against it. A naval crusade in miniature.
Though it seemed to be working, the Fell Hands spent more and more time raiding almost in the Eye itself, and less outside back in the sectors they were responsible for. As the Fell Hands left a flank open and let Drukhari raiders through, the Brazen Bulls called off their strategy, focusing on defense rather than offense. Chapter Master Vaydiym of the Fell Hands took this as a vote of no confidence, and decided to gather his chapter to raid a Daemon-infested forge world. The sudden retreat of Chaotic ships from the edge of the Orvin system heralded the Fell Hands' return to realspace. They declared the main stronghold for Chaotic naval forces in the region neutralized, and that their fiefdom now extended to the worlds within the sector. The Brazen Bulls protested, but they were fired upon. For the last seven years they have been fighting a desperate raiding campaign, preventing the Fell Slaughter (as they were now called) from reactivating the forge world, and keeping them occupied and not raiding the sector.
When they arrived at Orvin Primus to refit the Concord of Steel to be battle ready, the Brazen Bulls had been reduced to under 400 Marines, many of whom were scouts recently. Additionally, with prolonged exposure to direct Warp energy in their raids, their gene-seed had been sterilized. They would be the last of their number, and these sons of Ferrus Manus would go willingly to their blaze of glory.
The Duel on Almos III (026.M37)
The Daemon-Forge of Almos III became a battleground as the Imperial forces battled for the six rings of steel above the planet. The Fell Slaughter, defending their new fortress, had been bolstered with mercenary marines from warbands that they had beaten into submission. Their defenses were thrown back by the suicidal charge of the Brazen Bulls, who rammed the Concord of Steel right into the main control center for the defense grid. The Battle Barge was wrecked, but the gunfire from the spaceports slackened, and the Loyalists pressed their advantage. Imperial Angels drop pods deposited Raptor squads in strategic locations and Jayur Van's honour guard directly on top of Lord Vaydiym's Terminators, trying to push through the clog of Brazen Bulls defending the command bridge. The First Speaker challenged the renegade lord to single combat, and he accepted, the battle seeming to pause as the two fought. Jayur Van's prayers and lighter power armour allowed him to dodge and deflect most of the traitor's hammer strikes, but a lucky strike crushed his chestplate. With a cry Jayur instead fell forward, leaning into the thunder hammer's power field with a litany on his lips, shoving his crozius into Vaydiym's terminator mantle, crushing his skull from behind and wrenching his whole head off his neck, sending it tumbling down the proud terminator plate of the Fell Hands. Jayur Van fell dead as the remaining Fell Slaughter fled or surrendered, his torso pulped by prolonged contact with a power field.
Post Almos, the Brazen Bulls numbered only a dozen, leaving only the Chapter Master and a few scattered marines. The Bulls were granted the honour of remembrance, as Imperial Angels marines carried the souls and last deeds of hundreds of cousin marines to their final resting place in the Great Hold of Orvin. With some kind of legacy secured, the Brazen Bulls were disbanded in practice, with most joining the Deathwatch or other other sons of Manus.
Remembrancer Chapter
Having developed a reputation for long, independent missions and the remembrance of other chapters, the Imperial Angels expanded their duties beyond the neighbouring sectors. The Imperial Navy took over anti-raider and piracy activity in the Orvin Sector, freeing up the Angels to pursue other lost and renegade chapters that now live on the fringes of lone space. The Raptor program was expanded to cover most of the Chapter, leaving the 1st, 3rd, and 10th Companies to garrison the Orvin sector and respond to calls for Astartes aid in force. The chapter also increasingly seconded marines to other chapters. The purposes of such vary wildly. Sometimes it is to document a major battle a cousin chapter is involved in. Sometimes it is to bolster waning numbers temporarily. Often an Imperial Angel is called to perform the last rites for a fallen hero, and preserve their memory and deeds within The Great Hold. More secretive chapters tend to reject this service, though some suspect Angels to have been embedded in their ranks without their knowledge.
The Ordo Astartes have often called upon the Imperial Angels for assistance, asking for leads on rogue chapters or evidence for or against a chapter suspected of deviation or heresy. The Angels have proven reliable sources for the Ordo, and more often than not have saved a chapter from censure due to biased eyes peering into Chapter practices that may seem unbecoming of Astartes.
The Long Night (001.M42)
The Cicatrix Maledictum caused many problems for the Angels when it formed. The fringes of the Eye of Terror pushed into the Orvin Sector, swallowing entire systems in its wake. The borders ended right on the edge of the Orvin System itself, and chaotic forces swarmed the sector in force. For the first time in millennia the Angels were reunited at Chapter strength, calling on other forces that could reach them without the Astronomican to mount a defense of Orvin. The success of this campaign was masterminded by First Speaker Alissan Kohn.
System Monitors were turned into rocks against which the enemy Armada must break upon, loaded with guns and torpedoes and eventually a self-destruct option, dozens of these slow-moving gunships tore into the mass conveyors and larger capital ships of the Armada, eventually causing the detonation of one battlecruiser and turning mass conveyors into floating, spinning wrecks. But with enough time the small ships were overwhelmed. Even so, their distraction allowed Orvin Primus and Secundus' orbital weapons to engage, tearing into the fleet and protecting the massively outnumbered fleets Kohn had organized. Using a series of hit and run tactics to draw away unruly escort ships and overconfident, blood-crazed capital ship captains, Imperial naval forces picked away at the Chaos fleet, causing it to splinter for a moment then focus on assaulting Orvin Primus. Kohn allowed the Chaotic forces to have a head start, keeping his ships in defensive fire range of Secundus' orbital batteries. Fighting this force while still cohesive would be impossible. The sacrifice play would be to let the Chaotic forces siege Orvin Primus and then swoop in.
The fleet charged their way through the orbital defences, any ships shot down in orbit simply crashing onto the surface of the Hive world, On the small chance the payload inside survived, the chaotic troops inside spilled forth to assault anything in sight and wreak havoc. Battleships rained lance strikes on Hive cities before dropping Astartes drop pods at an extremely low altitude directly inside the hives. The Blood Pact formed orderly drop zones and prepared to fight a conventional war for the planet, but with the impatience of their Astartes allies and the damage that had been done in the void war, they had no assistance when Kohn's armada descended planetside as a cohesive force, defeating the various warbands in detail as they looted and burned the hive cities. The Blood Pact were quickly beset upon by orbital bombardment before long. The battleships that had been assigned to protect them joining in on the slaughter above the hives or were overextending without escorts. Perfect prey for torpedo runs from smaller ships, especially while in the gravity well of the planet. It took three months of battles and the destruction of seven of the ten hives on the planet before the taint of Chaos was considered scoured from Orvin Primus, but Kohn had preserved most of his forces for the seemingly inevitable second wave of warpspawn. A second wave that never materialized.
After defeating the forces of the Brotherhood Oath, the Deafeners, and splinter divisions of the Blood Pact, a naval force from the Indomitus Crusade arrived in Orvin, brining Greyshields to replenish the depleted ranks of the Angels, and the Primaris method.
The Greyshields of Guilliman were not initially welcomed, though the wealth of knowledge in the Great Hold allowed them to integrate quickly with the culture of the Angels. A grand ceremony where Greyshields consumed the blood 'stones' of ancient Astartes and the High Command assuaged most worries that they would not fit into the Chapter.
Though initially met with worry, the armaments and armour of the Primaris marines were soon welcomed by the Raptor cadres, who very quickly adopted the flexibility of Mk 10 plate and their armaments. Inceptors, Heavy Intercessors, Eliminators, and Infiltrators found heavy use in the Raptor squads. Even in codex-compliant battleline formations the Angels mix marines. For example, many units will embed a Hellblaster into an Intercessor squad or an Eradicator into an Agressor squad.
Alissan Kohn was the first to cross the Rubicon Primaris, paving the way for much of the chapter to do so. The loss of many firstborn battle-brothers in this procedure was unavoidable, but their last rites were at least performed in The Great Hold, in ideal conditions.
The Charieu Conclave
In the disorder that followed the Long Night, accurate record-keeping was made all but impossible on a large scale. When the Greyshields were created, organized, and distributed, even the returned Primarch himself worked with outdated information. Entire swathes of chapters had been lost in the dark times after the Fall of Cadia, and many more had gone renegade or traitorous. Even though the Primarch seemed clairvoyant on whether or not the records he was given were correct, the Ordo Astartes still assumed there were gaps between the Lord Commander's notes and the reality on the ground. After the first phase of the Indomitus Crusade was complete and the Greyshields were distributed to among the chapters, several Inquisitors decided to hold a conclave with several suspect chapters to determine if they had developed some kind of taint in the interim. The Blessed Scions, Atavists, Silver Bolts, and Greyshields of the Halcyon Chapter and Glade Guardians were called to the paradise world of Charieu at full chapter strength to be judged. For protection, Inqusitor Eloise Farnsbern enlisted a large contingent of Imperial Angels, Skitarii forces, and Inquisitorial regiments to act as security forces. Inquisitor Farnsbern also called upon two companies from both the Nemesis Chapter and the Rainbow Warriors, two chapters with storied, loyal records of performance to supplement the Angels.
| Name | Atavists | Silver bolts | Halcyon Chapter | Glade Guardians | Blessed Scions | Nemesis Chapter | Rainbow Warriors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loyalty | Renegade | Renegade | Renegade | Renegade | Loyalist* | Loyalist | Loyalist |
| Chapter Pauldron | |||||||
| Description | (A red handprint on a deep blue field, gold trim) | (A black thunderbolt centered on a silver field, with bronze trim) | (A pair of gold crossed falchions on a field of red centered behind an orange heart. Blue trim) | (A buckler with a white shooting star on a field of navy blue. Trim is the same colour as the field.) | (A white sun symbol with a golden ring, centered on a black field and gold trim) | (A white skull centered on a green field. Red trim.) | (A white winged thunderbolt on a blue field, and a lighter blue trim) |
*Blessed Scions Greyshields joined the Renegades.
Charieu War (012.M42)
The environment of the Conclave was tense. Eight chapters called to one place for several weeks, unable to continue with the Indomitus campaigns, unable to aid the Imperium at this darkest hour. The tension was broken when The Silver Bolts reported that mortars had been fired on their compounds, The Bolts, who were on trial for their unorthodox beliefs in both the Emperor's divinity as well as the divinity of the Astartes, managed to rally the Greyshields and the Atavists, who were on trial for a mutation within their Ossmodula and Biscopea implants, to their side, declaring the Conclave an excuse to exterminate loyal marines. As Charieu was a Shrine World, the Ministorum had ordered that damage to the environment and the planet was to be kept at a minimum. As such, the rogue Marines and a renegade Guard regiment managed to slip away into the forests and highlands of Charieu.
A year long war followed, as the Imperial forces had to rely on surface-based equipment to flush out the renegades. The war saw large-scale deployment of aircraft to offset the overwhelming superiority the renegades had in Marines. Precision bombing runs became commonplace among fighter-bomber crews of both Astartes and human stripe. This air superiority eventually forced the Silver Bolts and Greyshields into open field combat, where they were eventually crushed, though not without significant casualties to the Rainbow Warriors and Nemesis Chapter.
The Atavists held out to the south, relying on their armoured elements and the relative lack of loyalist Astartes in their region to decimate regiments of stormtroopers. Master of Stories Severain Losf saw an opportunity to decapitate the Atavists without the grinding casualties in machine and Astartes to the north. The Angels deployed Raptor squads by Stormraven, seeding an area with marines while the Scions' gunships and interceptors harrassed the First Company elite of the Atavists. When the Terminator Elite of Gene-Marshal Uxan un-Vercance made an attempt to advance to a better position, they were ambushed by hidden Raptor anti-tank teams, their Land Raider Solace of Sanguinius disabled in the middle of the forest. The rest of the Atavists 1st company rushed to the aid of their Chapter Master, and the trap was sprung. Each vehicle that joined the fray was quickly disabled, but allowed to circle the wagons around the stricken Land Raider.
For hours, Raptor teams, reinforced by Blessed Scions Devastators and Hellblasters pinned down most of First Company, while battleline troops were flown in to prepare to meet the three closest Atavists companies in open combat.
At first light, 300 Atavists had lined up in battle formation, challenging fewer than 200 loyalist marines. With overwhelming force in armoured vehicles the Atavists refused to surrender to return their 1st company without further incident. As the Master of Stories, deployed with a bodyguard of Ratpors, watched the Atavists return to their Repulsors and speeders to launch a full frontal offensive, he ordered the drop pods to be deployed. Almost 1200 marines rained down upon the Atavists, supported by speeders released from Thunderhawk gunships during low strafing runs. By the end of the battle fully half of the Atavist force had been killed or wounded, with just over 100 casualties between both Loyalist chapters.
The resulting Trial of Condemnation would find the Silver Bolts at fault, that they were the ones to launch the mortar attack on themselves. The investigation into their beliefs had certainly not been going in their favour, and they used the attack as an excuse to get a better deal. With further investigation it was determined that the Silver Bolts' belief in their own and the Emperor's divinity was heretical, and the chapter was worthy of being declared Excommunicate Traitoris. The command staff of the Bolts would be executed, and only select rank and file that showed honour or deep repentance would be allowed to become a Blackshield. The Atavists and Greyshields would be barred from recruitment for 100 years, and would have to join the speartip of the Indomitus Crusade, under the direct command of the Crusade fleet they'd be assigned to.
The Imperial Angels would honour all Atavist and Greyshield forces that participated in the war. The Atavists had proven that they were loyal sons of Sanguinius, effective as any Astartes even with their strange deficiencies. The Lerneaen Hall would have dozens of new entries.
Notable Campaigns
The Hunt for the Brazen Bulls & Fell Hands - 020-026.M37. First major action of the Chapter. Resulted in the loss of First Speaker Jayur Van and the destruction of the Brazen Bulls. The Fell Hands (now Fell Slaughter) retreat to the Eye of Terror. Several sightings of a similar shade of armour among various warbands are reported over the next 4 millennia, especially during the Black Crusades.
Vixien Conflict - 444.M38. Five Raptor Companies come together to aid in the Vixien Conflict against a greenskin Waaagh! developing in the Vixien Sector. First Speaker Salacian's Book of the Coil is first deployed here, improving the effectiveness of Raptor squads used during the conflict.
Defense of Orvin - 002.M42. For the first time in almost 5000 years, the entire Imperial Angels chapter is called to one place. Several Deathwatch marines even end their watch to defend their home against the impossible tide of Chaos forces and traitors pouring out of the resurgent Eye of Terror. The three Vanguard systems of Vaxi, Horclace, and Solomen are lost to the Warp instantly, most of their forces eventually becoming a tide of cultists that washes on the shores of the Orvin System, now on the very edge of navigable space. Against two massive Heretic Astartes warbands and millions of Blood Pact troops stand the Imperial Angels, fewer than ten under-strength regiments of PDF, augmented by Guard detachments that made it out of the Vanguard systems, and a trickle of lost troops from battlezones as far as Macragge, knocked off course by the unstable warp tides during Long Night. A scattered collection of Space Marines from dozens of chapters eventually arrives days before the Chaos Armada is expected to arrive. With enough extra bodies to create three understrength scratch companies, First Speaker Alissan Kohn decides to mount a defence. Victory comes at the cost of most of the population on Orvin Primus.
The Charieu War - 012-013.M42. During a conclave to determine the loyalty and purity of several chapter with suspect traits or histories, several chapters go renegade, starting a year-long guerilla war that ends with over 1300 Astartes dead or wounded, tens of thousands of Inquisitorial stormtrooper and Skitarii dead, and a paradise Shrine World marre from perfection by warfare. The Imperial Angels prove their worth in dealing with renegade chapters once again.
Chapter Homeworld
Fortress-Monastery
The Great Hold of Orvin Secundus is a sprawling vertical complex, built inside a mountain that was once a mine for certain minerals used in the manufacture of ceramite, long tapped out.
The fortress is built around a central navigational shaft and several auxiliary shafts, The main shaft has access to every level from the observation and communications posts at the summit to the deepest armouries, kilometers under the surface. Winding staircases and smaller elevator shafts connect any number of floors ranging from two to a few dozen at a time, with the staircases spiralling depending on need to best favour a defender following the defensive plan. Each level has dozens of chamber that radiate from the central shaft like tree branches. Over a thousand stretch between the summit and the base of the Aspirant's Road that snakes around the bottom of the mountain up past where the air becomes too thin for even the acclimatized humans of Orvin Secundus to breathe.
Orvin Secundus
The mining planet of Orvin Secundus is a harsh world, suited for Astartes recruitment and housing. The air on Secundus is thin, unlike its lush, temperate neighbour of Orvin Primus. Additionally, most of the planet is covered in spires and jagged formations of rocks, the liquid water on the planet locked away in underground rivers and gorges kilometers deep. The tectonic movements and nature of the minerals on Orvin Secundus created this patchwork of spiky mountains that grew like crystals on the surface of the planet. This naturally drove the human population to live mostly at high altitudes, carrying out a subsistence living in a world where winds, cold, and asphyxiation are the most common forms of death. A ritual way to commit suicide or to see visions of the God-Emperor is for a willing aspirant to walk up past the "death zone" for Orvinian humans with no supplemental air.
The mineral makeup of many spire mountains on Orvin Secundus were ripe for mining by Imperial contractors, so a network of industrial bridges and bases were built. The living bases where the air is comfortable enough to breathe are kilometers below Orvinian settlements, and allowed miners to create sealed mineshafts and ventilation systems inside the ore veins and towers themselves, preventing the worst of the thin Orvinian air from killing their workforce faster than they can be replaced. The natural Orvinian living altitude is considered a "death zone" for unacclimatized humans and many abhumans.
This harsh lifestyle, mostly untainted by Imperial industrialization, makes Orvinian stock a prime candidate for Space Marine recruitment, as the aspirants are commonly used to one of the extreme cold and atmosphere conditions an Astartes must brave. It is said that Orvinian lungs grow less than other chapters when implanted with Imperial Angels gene-seed, and their blood is already a shade closer to the bright sanguine of Astartes vitae than normal human red. The oral tradition of legends and sagas of the people of Orvin Secundus only add to the particular quirks of the chapter, as oration and the retelling of heroic stories are as vital in their culture before Astartes selection as it will be after.
The Ascent of Angels
The Aspirants' Road is barely a dirt path that winds up the Great Hold, deeply pockmarked and sometimes simply a gorge with a rock wall with pockmarked toeholds. Potential Aspirants are tasked with ascending the road without supplemental air, deep into the death zone where an Apothecary awaits survivors by an airlock. Aspirants are given sufficient warm clothing, a bivouac, two days of survival supplies, and a woven bag containing a wild white wolf pup. If the Aspirant can ascend the mountain with a living wolf pup that has not run away, then the Aspirant can begin training to become an Astartes. What is not said is that there is a 12 hour grace window, after which the trials begin. Birds of prey are released from the eyries up above, rockslides become much more common, Astartes in Stormhawks or Rhino Ordnance variants may strafe and bombard the pathway at random. The frozen, blue bodies of failed Aspirants are often kept where they are, a grim reminder of those who did not have the fortitude, accidentally slept when they were slowly asphyxiating, or simply gave up and curled up to die.
Many ascend the Aspirant's Road, very few return.
Chapter Organisation
Officer Ranks
- First Speaker - Chapter Master equivalent.
- Captain - Per the Codex Astartes.
- Huntmaster - Master of the Fleet of the equivalent, this rank is utilised in reference to the tendency for the Imperial Angels to seek out targets in hiding or fleeing.
- Lieutenant - Per the Codex Astartes
- Lieutenant Raptor - Lieutenant in command of specialist Raptor Battleline squads. Quartermaster to the company. Common in 6th-9th companies, where Raptors are concentrated.
Specialist Ranks
- Master of Legends - Master of Sanctity equivalent.
- Master of Stories - Reclusiarch equivalent.
- Chaplain
- High Liaison - Chief Librarian equivalent.
- Liaison - Librarian equivalent.
- Chief Apothecary
- Apothecary
- Master of the Forge - Senior Techmarine.
- Techmarine
- Chapter/Company Ancient - Standard Bearer.
- Returned Bannerman - 10th Company Ancient, displays the exploits and rewards of battle-brothers who earned them while in service to other chapters. Master of the Lernaean Hall, where battle honours while seconded are displayed and recorded.
Line Ranks
- Sergeant Raptor Primus - Leader of a veteran Raptor cadre. Often forms bodyguard squads with Lieutenants Raptor, even during Raptor operations. In some circumstances a squad may be able to enlist the use of Terminator or Artificer armour, and in rarer cases may even have access to the Chapter's dreadnoughts.
- Sergeant Raptor - Leader of a Raptor cadre of marines, outfitted to operate independently with at most an escort destroyer as support. Cadres number usually between 5 and 10, but can rise to almost 50 in times of great concentration, though often command will be delegated to the Lieutenant Raptor at this size.
- Battle-Brother
- Neophyte
- Aspirant
Specialist Units & Formations
- Raptors - Specialist formations where marines are mixed and matched from Battleline, Assault, and Heavy Support companies to operate as a small unit far away from the rest of the chapter. All chapter functions tend to nucleate around the Raptor squad, meaning everything from logistics to mobility and different weapon roles are tailored around the small number of marines in the squad/demi-company. An example being Raptor Squad Kyberg during the Charieu War: 1 Heavy Intercessor, 1 Attack bike, 1 Inceptor, 2 Assault marines, 2 Hellblasters.
Order of Battle
Headquarters
Companies
| Veteran Company | Mixed Company | Garrison Company | Raptor Companies | |
| 1st Company Warsingers |
2nd Company The First Claw |
3rd Company Throne Guardians |
4th Company Trailblazers |
5th Company The Blood Seekers |
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| Raptor Companies | Independent Companies | Initiation Company | ||
| 6th Company Silent Death |
7th Company The Unforgiving |
8th Company Eradicators |
9th Company Butcher's Cloak |
10th Company The Unbent |
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Combat Doctrine
As a chapter about knowledge acquisition, it is rare for the any portion of the chapter to be in one place at one time, and even rarer for all of the battle-brothers to be Imperial Angels marines at the time. When the chapter is fighting at company strength or greater, a great focus is made on delivering squads to the battle-zone. The Angels make heavy use of transports and drop pods to insert squads into the fighting, where the tactical flexibility of an eclectic squad loadout plays best. Each Raptor squad acts like a larger combined arms unit in miniature, with regular battleline squads making up a solid, reliable backbone to support the Raptor cadres. Comms officers and vox units are distributed liberally to keep accurate information flowing at every command level, so every battle-brother can simulate and deliver orders with confidence.
Chapter Beliefs
The Imperial Angels are not followers of the Imperial Cult, as they come to understand the Emperor as the greatest of all men and the moniker of 'God' given to Him by mortals is a catch-all to easily describe the awe-inspiring feats of the Emperor to simpler minds. He is powerful, and the chapter recognizes that the thought of Him provides spiritual and mental strength to those in need. That is what is needed of him, in whatever forms that may be.
The chapter recognizes that "by the Emperor's side" is more of a euphemism than a statement of fact, and as such the ritual cannibalism of fallen brothers and the performance of their final report to The Great Hold is of utmost value. Committing an honourable brother to memory is of utmost importance, and they believe that their memory and the pict-logs of the oratory invocation of another battle-brother will be final resting place of all fallen Space Marines. Hence their penchant for embedding themselves in other chapters.
It is rumoured that sometimes this is done unwillingly, especially among those who see the Angels as a nosy chapter with too many connections to the inquisition. Witnessing a battle of a cousin chapter and being able to commit it to memory is the best way to ensure an afterlife for those that inevitably die in combat, and their minds and personalities will live on.
When the last ancients who had partaken Jayur Van's flesh and performed his final duel against Lord Vaydiym passed, every attempt was made to somehow salvage the personality of the late First Speaker from their flesh. It was to no avail, and with great mourning the greatest hero of their time had passed into the pict-feed memories of the man, and those that channeled him.
Chapter Gene-Seed
The Imperial Angels are mostly of normal Raven Guard stock, having a deficient Betcher's Gland, Mucranoid, and naturally pale skin and black hair and eyes. The Imperial Angels have developed an overactive Omophagea, one that was much more integrated with an Astartes brain than normal. Along with the usual gaining of memories by the eater, the ingestion of (especially Astartes) flesh and blood allowed a battle-brother to, in a sense, become the person whose flesh they ate. They are able to replicate mannerisms, speech, and personal tics and quirks to an uncanny degree. Under armour and given surgery it would be difficult to tell a marine from an Imperial Angel who consumed his flesh.
When recounting the epic deeds of a fallen brother, many Angels may preserve a bit of flesh or blood from the fallen hero to be consumed before pict-capture. The performance and recording often seems like a last message from the lost brother, revived for but a little while in the body and mind of his squad-mate, present to give one final report before passing on to be at the Emperor's side.
Some battle-brothers even develop the ability to retain a personality within them, drawing on the superior eidetic memory and a sizeable consumption to a subject's flesh to shift into them for an extended period of time. This is often done with extreme care and under the strict supervision of both the Librarius and the Chaplaincy to ensure the mental health and stability of the battle-brother. More than once has an Imperial Angel gone mad from holding too many personalities for too long. Often the Emperor's Mercy is the only answer, even if the marine is physically intact and capable.
The Imperial Angels do not appear to rely on Terra for their gene-seed shipments to produce new marines like in their primogenitor chapter.
Deathwatch Service
The tithe of Imperial Angels members is met at the amount requested. The propensity for Imperial Angels marines to second themselves is tempered by the factor of many of those same marines being too distant to quickly contact about taking the Black of the Deathwatch.
There is one Dreadnought, Brother Olphan, who has decided to remain in service indefinitely.
Notable Members
- Jayur Van: First Chapter Master, masterminded the Hunt for the Brazen Bulls and Fell Hands. Died of injuries sustained in single combat against Fell Slaughter Lord Vaydiym, after claiming the traitor's head.
- Alissan Kohn: Current First Speaker. Led the chapter through the introduction of the Primaris marines, the Charieu Conclave, and brought victory in the Charieu War that followed.
Chapter Fleet
- Treacher's Terror and Second Cull (Battle Barges) - 2 main Battle Barges.
- Void Breach (Battle Barge) - Battle Cruiser downscaled to a Battle Barge.
- Bane, Dour Duty, Tempest Run, Pursuer (Strike Cruisers)
- 20 Escort Destroyers - Utilised for ferry duty or battleline duties.
Chapter Relics
- The Changeling Blade: A glass-like sword with a bulb full of what looks like quicksilver within spine of the blade. Upon activation and interfacing with the marine's mind through his armour, the liquid can "break" free from the clear shell, forming into whatever weapon the user is most comfortable with, or simply to change shape mid-strike to throw off an opponent. Taken as a trophy from the last Fell Slaughter Lieutenant who stood his ground.
- Book of the Coil: A tactical guide written by the second First Speaker of the Angels, Salacian. Meant to be uploaded into the armour of a marine, it is a thesis on the application and algorithms on using the Codex Astartes, improving the efficiency of a marine using Guilliman's tome to direct a battle plan. Often used by Librarians and Chaplains participating in Raptor Hunts to "fill in" the role of a Captain and cover the weakness if need be.
- Extirpator Bolt Rounds: Inspired by the Vengeance and Kraken rounds developed to counteract armoured targets, the Extirpator bolt rounds combine the ablative armour-piercing tip of the Kraken round with a simplified payload of a more acidic variant of Promethium. The tip is designed to peel away without issue when confronted with force fields or other protective measures, and deposits a payload meant to either prevent a marine from healing or to lock a flammable, corrosive material inside their body if they do.
Chapter Appearance
Chapter Colours
The Imperial Angels primarily wear metallic teal coloured battle-plate with portions of their armour being gold in colour, including; both shoulder pauldron trims, poleyns (knee guards) and the Aquila or Imperialis worn on the plastron (chest guard).
The Chapter badge is prominently displayed upon their left shoulder pauldron inset, while a battle-brother's assigned squad specialty (Close Support, Fire Support, Battleline, Veteran or Command) is displayed on the opposite inset. This takes the form of a large stenciled white coloured squad specialist symbol in accordance to proscribed Codex markings and designations.
The battle-brother's assigned squad number is displayed as a large white coloured Romanii numeral centered upon a small livery shield affixed to their right shoulder pauldron. While company assignment is displayed as a large white coloured Romanii symbol stenciled upon their left poleyn.
Chapter Badge
The Imperial Angels Chapter badge is a stylised white coloured Grecian letter 'Omega', centered upon a field of metallic teal.
Relations
Allies
Enemies
Notable Quotes
By the Imperial Angels
About the Imperial Angels
| 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 | • |
| 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 | Imperial Angels • |
| Unknown Lineage | • |
| Renegades | Sky Reavers • |
Gallery
Videos
Homebrew Of The Week - Episode 256 - Imperial Angels