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This article, Lycanthropes, was written by Glorious Mongoose. Please do not edit or 'acquire' this fiction without the writer's permission. |
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This article, Lycanthropes, is currently under active construction. The author, Glorious Mongoose, apologizes for the inconvenience. |
- "The Hunt has judged the unworthy and the Moonborn have carried out the sentence. We are punishment, we are death."
- — Common warning left by the Lycanthropes.
The Lycanthropes are a savage and mysterious Space Marine Chapter created during the 21st 'Cursed' Founding from unknown lineage. This chapter of Adeptus Astartes teeters on the edge of the Ordo Astartes' tolerance. Brutal and mindlessly violent on the battlefield, they have garnered a grim reputation of carnage and bloody retribution. With no planet to call their own the Lycanthropes are an insular chapter, their offerings of the enemy's blood made both to their unknown Primarch (many theorising it to be Leman Russ) and the God-Emperor.
Chapter History
Born during the ill-fated 21st 'Cursed' Founding, the Lycanthropes were doomed to a dark and treacherous existence from the start. The first record of the Lycanthropes came shortly after the Age of Apostasy. Many worlds that were known to still be clinging to the mad commands of Goge Vandire were found brutally annihilated, populations butchered, worlds turned into blood-drenched charnel houses and the mauled rotting corpses of the planetary governors, cardinals and other officials who aided the mad high-lord were strung up and left to rot, often with a simple monolith of metal placed in the centre of this carnage each one bearing the message 'The Hunt has judged the unworthy and the Moonborn have carried out the sentence. We are punishment, we are death.'
Much like the Carcharodons Astra the solitary and fleet-bound nature of the Lycanthropes makes them difficult to track, often appearing quite at random in Imperial history.
Chapter Homeworld
Due to their nature as a fleet-based chapter the Lycanthropes have no homeworld to call their own. Instead they recruit from the most harsh and vicious environments that they find in their travels with feral and prison worlds being the most frequently used.
Chapter Recruitment
When the Lycanthropes select a world as their current recruiting ground they contact the rulers of the planet, requesting that they be allowed to recruit there, once the permission is given several squads of marines are deployed to the planet's most savage areas under cover of night. With the deployment of the Astartes a single order is issued 'Prey on the strong.' As soon as the order is given the world becomes a terrifying hunting ground, the night itself permanently ingrained in the psyche of the planet, for when the Lycanthropes arrive the world descends into terrified anarchy for the sparsely equipped marines that were sent to the world simply slaughter the warriors until one shows sufficient bravery and strength whereupon he is knocked unconscious and taken (according to the horrified survivors) by the shadowed iron wolf-men.
Notable Campaigns
- The Coming of the Cyclops (Unknown Date) -In the depths of the warp Magnus the Red, fell Primarch of the Thousand Sons, heard tell of the Lycanthropes and their relation to Leman Russ; incensed beyond belief that his hated rival had descendants bearing his gene-seed (no matter how mutated) was unconscionable to the Crimson King so, gathering up a massive host of rubric marines and sorcerers assaulted the Lycanthropes fleet, in a savage battle that nearly annihilated the Chapter, the Lord of Sortiarius rampaged through the Jürgensburg slaughtering any descendant of Russ who crossed his path. In desperation the chapter master at the time unleashed the Wulfen and Úlfhednar on the daemon Primarch. Finally Magnus found himself unable to continue his rampage, the ravenous tide of howling mutants stopped him. Before he could unleash his full psychic might on these mad beasts the Úlfhednar were finally revealed amongst the tide. This discovery sent the Crimson King roaring with maniacal laughter, in an instant he and his forces had vanished, leaving only the few surviving Lycanthropes standing, baffled as to what madness had taken the servants of Tzeentch. Many savants believe that Magnus spared the chapter as an insult to their Fenrisian rivals, a constant reminder of the Space Wolves failure to create stable successors.
Chapter Organisation
- "Let the hunt begin! None shall survive!"
- — Huntmaster Simeon
The Lycanthropes are, a non-Codex chapter (much like their supposed progenitor) rather than companies their forces are organised into six 'hunts'. The meaning of this cult-like manner of arrangement is impenetrable to outsiders, much like many of the Lycanthrope's idiosyncrasies. To those who study the Chapter and subscribe to the theory that they are degenerate successors of the Space Wolves they believe that the six hunts are organised by how they bend the Curse of the Wulfen to their purposes. The Hunts of the Lycanthropes are as follows:
Neuri - The mutation into a Wulfen is neither smooth nor completely stable, those Lycanthropes of the Neuri Hunt have managed to find a way of temporarily harnessing the Curse of the Wulfen to morph their arms into brutal bestial claws far beyond even those of their fully degenerated kin, being more akin to lupine lightning claws that the limbs of actual Wulfen.
Bajan - The Bajan Hunt are the least mutated of the Lycanthrope Hunts; due to merely using the Curse of the Wulfen to enhance their muscles and speed production. They are a fast and brutal foe.
Vlkolak - The smallest of the Hunts, these Astartes are all psykers and manipulate the Curse of the Wulfen to somehow add to their own abilities (thought not all members of the Vurdalak can use their genetic-curse in such a way)
Sirius - The Sirius Hunt are one of the less obviously deranged and bloodthirsty hunts; much like the Vlka Fenryka the Lycanthropes have senses enhanced beyond the norm for the Adeptus Astartes however, those of the Sirius Hunt (also known within the Chapter as 'Those who stalk the void') are said to harness the Curse of the Wulfen to heighten their senses beyond even those keen perceptions of the Space Wolves, leading to the warriors of this hunt being vicious ambush experts and allowing their minds to be immune to subversion by psykers.
Gévaudan - Members of this cult are gifted with the ability to make use of the Wulfen curse's ravenous hunger to devour their foes and heal themselves at an enhanced rate, often considered the most obviously barbarous Lycanthropes to outsiders.
Kurtadam - This hunt, though often seen as the mightiest and most brutal of the Lycanthrope hunts also is known for its tremendous danger, those who belong to this particular cult are said to be in the greatest danger of degenerating into lupine mutants. Those of the Kurtadam Hunt, with the aid of their Vurdalak (rune priest equivalents) completely transform their bodies into the Wulfen form, their minds being preserved by their psyker brethren. Whilst dangerous, the sheer slaughter that a Wulfen not driven by animal instincts can unleash is truly staggering.
Line Ranks
- Wolf Brothers - The equivalent of a Codex Astartes Tactical Marines. To those who believe the sinister rumours of the Lycanthrope's ancestry they are more akin to the Grey Hunters of their supposed progenitors and are so named as a tribute to the lost Second Founding Chapter that they apparently share a Primarch with. Given the Lycanthropes rather vicious and animalistic manner however, such beliefs are often considered idiotic and, (given the rumour of Leman Russ aiding in the escape of the Wolf Brothers) the Moonborn's lack of sentimentality and brotherhood with whoever they are in fact descended from is seen as evidence of their being successors of another Primarch.
Officer Ranks
- Lycaon - Chapter Master equivalent.
- Ossory - Captain equivalent
Specialist Ranks
- Kveldulf-The Lycanthrope’s culture teaches that the Curse of the Wulfen is nothing but a source of strength that can be used by those of steely will, however as they age and their gene-seed’s inherent flaws begin to take hold many Astartes band together to ensure that they have a glorious end rather than continuing to live as wolf-like mutants, these suicidal Marines are known as Kveldulf. Affected by Dionysian thoughts and visions of the future in store for them the Kveldulf are a horrifying and destructive force, washing through all who stand before them with a suicidal fury, each desperate to meet their end before degenerating into feral monsters.
- The Úlfhednar- Though only rumoured and fearfully whispered in the halls of the Ordo Astartes the Úlfhednar are a truly terrifying foe; Wulfen the size of Primaris Space Marines, each one a predatory monster bent on hunting their foes like prey and savagely mauling them to death. These feral monsters are regarded with reverence but also slight pity for each and every one of their number is a former chapter master. In the long history of the Lycanthropes not a single chapter master has died, all have so far degenerated into the massive beasts known as the Úlfhednar, Fenrisúlfr Vseslav; current Chapter Master whilst showing them the respect of their former station sees these particular Wulfen in an unpleasant, somewhat fearful light seeing them as a grim future to avoid.
- Vargar - Hounour Guard equivalent. A company of six warriors the Vargar are, despite the sheer competition in the dark depths of the Moonborn the Vargar are perhaps some of the Lycanthrope's most horrifying warriors. Fenrisúlfr's younger brothers; Sköll and Hati are amongst the most famous and vicious members. The Vargar are more a whirlwind of blood and carnage than cadre of veteran Astartes and to those who fight both against and alongside them; a truly terrifying sight.
Chapter Librarians
- Vurdalak - The Vurdalak are the equivalent of the Fenrisian Rune Priests. Those who come from the Vlkolak Hunt make use of their secret Natalis discipline.
Natalis Powers
- Frenzy of the Wulver- The Vurdalak summons the phantasmal, clawed limbs of a lupine monster that strike alongside the psyker's weaponry, making their strikes even more brutal and savage.
- Lunar Madness- The foes of the Lycanthropes are given a glimpse into the minds of the Moonborn, the sheer bestial insanity that permeates the feral Astartes' consciousness infects their victims and drives them to a similar animal mania.
- Chill of the Night -The icy cold of night pervades the battlefield and mist winds through the terrain, giving the warzone the aspect of the ancient night-bound hunting grounds of lupine beasts from Old Terra, preying on their foes primal fears the Lycanthrope Vurdalak twists the cold darkness to slow and confuse their foes.
- Marked -The Vurdalak affects the victim with a warp-scent that all Lycanthropes can sense, their lust for the unfortunate's death sharpening their will to kill the target.
- Spectral Huntsmen - Lupine phantoms are temporarily summoned, the ghostly beast then attack those who Vurdalak command.
Order of Battle
Headquarters
Companies
Combat Doctrine
Fighting the Lycanthropes is said to be a truly horrifying experience. The Moonborn are a bloodthirsty Chapter that teeters on (and if some are to be believed have gleefully leapt off) the edge of sanity. Fighting the Lycanthropes is more akin to battling a horde of rabid animals. Though organised into different Hunts the vast majority of Lycanthropes strike forces are made-up of members of different Hunts, each feral Space Marine bringing their skill in the usage of their genetic curse to the battle. According to rumours the Moonborn also make use of the enormous reserves of Wulfen that they are said to have (assuming they are indeed descended from the Vlka Fenryka).
Chapter Gene-Seed
The Lycanthrope's gene-seed is a perfect example of the Twenty First Founding; flawed and rife with deficiencies both mental and physical. The many acolytes of Imperial history who subscribe to the theory that the Lycanthropes were created in an attempt to bring the Curse of the Wulfen under control are supported by the apparent effects of time on the chapter. As a Lycanthrope ages he becomes more and more bestial, his features gradually mutate, his movement becomes more a loping predatory gait and his mind becomes more savage and animalistic until as those of the inquisition and other chapters believe; he fully degenerates into a Wulfen. How rapidly these changes take to fully manifest appear to depend on the Astarte’s force of will, the current Chapter Master, Fenrisúlfr Vseslav, has managed the longest tenure in his position without appearing to fall to the feral madness of his chapter.
Chapter Beliefs
Where the Space Wolves see the Curse of the Wulfen as a dark, more unpleasant aspect of their nature as sons of Leman Russ, something to be brought to heel and controlled the Lycanthropes glory in it. In a manner disturbingly similar to the Thousand Sons of old the Lycanthropes see the unfortunate effects of the Canis Helix as a great power and, though dangerous should be used whenever possible, organizing into cults or 'Hunts' as the chapter calls them, each skilled in a different manipulation of the dark curse. Despite their pride in the Curse the Lycanthropes are well aware of the Imperium's attitudes towards mutants and Astartes of the 21st Founding; whenever the chapter comes to the aid of another Imperial force there appears to be an alarming tendency for their allies to either suffer horrendous casualties or, rather more disturbingly be rather brutally mind-scrubbed of anything other than the fact the Lycanthropes saved them. Rather interestingly the chapter appear to believe their purpose is something akin to both their (rumoured) progenitor the Space Wolves and the Night Lords of old. They see their deployment as a punishment, when the Lycanthropes make war they do so with a merciless and unrelenting murderous ferocity that has led many to call for both their censure and outright liquidation of the chapter.
Deathwatch Service
While the Lycanthropes do send over their required number of brothers off for service in the Ordo Xenos, it appears that the two institutions have a rather sinister deal. Lycanthropes have a shorter than average service in the Deathwatch, with many being returned to the chapter under mysterious circumstances. Those who believe that the Lycanthropes are descendants of the Space Wolves believe that many have been returned as Wulfen. Those brothers seconded to the Deathwatch are taciturn and withdrawn, only interacting with others when they must, though their brotherhood is severely lacking their destructive potential is truly awe-inspiring.
Notable Chapter Space Marines
- Fenrisúlfr Vseslav - Current Lycaon (Chapter Master) of the Lycanthropes. As with so many rulers of space marine chapters he is, on the surface, very much a reflection of his own kingdom; savage and merciless, brimming with a feral mindlessness and bestial madness, only able to be called human by the loosest standards. Under that horrifying surface however, there is something far keener and darker than a simple beast. Fenrisúlfr is the rare variety of Lycanthrope: one who has managed, no matter how tenuously to wrangle and subdue their animal nature. Blessed with a cold intellect far beyond what would be expected for his kind the current Lycaon is a man of terrible viciousness tempered with sharp knowledge of when and how to use it. Many are the stories of astartes, more than half-mad with primitive fury being led by a leader who seemed as more a cunning warlord, masquerading as one of the feral abominations. Thus, as a giant of an astartes wielding a great rune-carved axe and razor-toothed frost blade, bearing the brutish Feral Aegis and guarded by his two massive siblings: Sköll and Hati, Fenrisúlfr is truly a horrifying sight, a nightmarish alpha wolf amongst the monsters of the Lycanthropes.
- Sköll Vseslav - The newest member of the Vargar (the honour guard of the Lycanthropes) and younger brother of chapter master Fenrisúlfr and fellow Vargar member Hati. A ravenous butcher and viciously unconcerned with collateral damage, even when compared to the already dubious sanity of his battle-brothers Sköll is driven beyond reason, willing to decimate any within reach to slaughter his prey yet also paradoxically flighty, often rapidly boring if his victim takes too long to perish.
- Hati Vseslav - Where his brother Sköll is like a vicious fire; ravenous and all-consuming, yet also rapidly petering out, Hati is afflicted with a different kind of madness, obsessive and tireless beyond any measure of sanity Hati Vseslav is tireless, endlessly stalking his prey until it dies an exhausted, painful death at the Vargar's champion.
- Verdun Bloodied-Tooth - A member of the Vargar, Verdun has been rumoured to engage in cannibalism when the Lycanthropes have been called to put down rebellions of worlds.
- The Ansbach - The most sinister and mysterious member of the Vargar, little is known about this shadowy warrior.
- Olaus Garnier - A member of the Vargar.
- Verstegan the Scourged - The former leader of the Vargar; Verstegan gained his name during the siege known as the Coming of the Cyclops. During Magnus the Red's assault of the Lycanthropes Verstegan was blasted by the traitor Primarch's vile sorcery which tore the flesh from his body, leaving him a scarred mess and pain-riddled mass. Unable to recover from these horrific wounds he was installed into the Chapter's only Contemptor Dreadnought.
Chapter Relics
- Feral Aegis - Worn by the current Chapter Master this armour truly lives up to its name; a savage and animalistic looking totems including a wolf pelt cape and the skull of a great wolf (rumours abound that this skull was claimed in an honour-duel against a Jarl of the Space Wolves when the founder of the chapter brutally butchered the defeated Commander's fenrisian wolf companions as an insult to the marine's honour. Bound in these dark trophies the Feral Aegis appears to give its wearer a wild and brutish strength even when compared to the increase in prowess granted by standard power armour.
- Sirius' Cry - As with all the relics of the Lycanthropes the bolter known as Sirius' Cry is a sinister and brutish weapon. Named after the Sirius Hunt (akin to the covens of the loyalist Thousand Sons) For reasons unknown, perhaps due to the rather unusual pattern of bolt shells that the weapon fires each kill made with Sirius' Cry seems to heighten the senses of the Lycanthropes, especially those of the Sirius Hunt, whose proficiency in harnessing the Curse of the Wulfen lies in their ability to heighten their more bestial senses, allowing them to function more akin to an animal pack, functioning on pheromones and the like, often leaving their minds just low enough to be immune to the intrusive eyes of psykers.
- Witch-Hunt and Idavere - These twin frost blades are perhaps the most crucial evidence for to those that believe, that the Lycanthropes are indeed successors of the Space Wolves. Wielded by their current Lycaon (Chapter Master) Fenrisúlfr Vseslav.
Chapter Fleet
The Lycanthropes have a very extensive fleet despite the small size of the chapter including their truly massive battle barges. Due to their lack of a homeworld the chapter's fleet is geared towards self-sufficiency; even when compared to other chapters the Lycanthropes are able to undergo extensive independent operations (possibly due to the large amount of Wulfen mutants the chapter supposedly has, as sneeringly noted by the Marines Malevolent):
- Jürgensburg (Battle Barge) - The Lycanthrope's flagship, the Jürgensburg is a dark and terrible predator, lurking in the darkness of the void. To the Thousand Sons who followed Magnus the Red when he assaulted the Moonborn during his attempt to annihilate the aberrant Chapter the Jürgensburg is their darkest memories and nightmares of the Burning of Prospero brought to life, filled with innumerable hordes of rampaging melds of man and wolf and bestial Astartes, the massive Battle-Barge is filled with bizarre and esoteric totems and symbols the brutish culture of the Lycanthropes has created as well as the 'Cairns of the Fallen Lycaons' the resting place of the mythical Úlfhednar. Truly, the Jürgensburg is den of feral monsters.
- Wild Huntsman (Strike Cruiser)
- Volsunga (Battle Barge)
- Bitter Mercy (Destroyer)
- Moon Claw (Destroyer)
Chapter Appearance
Chapter Colours
The Lycanthropes have a single primary color with details in two different colours; ice blue covering the torso, arms, legs, helm and backpack, the helmets also have a stripe blood red down the middle of their helmets and the pauldrons are blood red with a black trim. Like their suspected progenitors the Lycanthropes cover themselves in tribal markings and runes, each one believed to allow them to tap into their wulfen powers without any dangers.
Chapter Badge
The Lycanthropes Chapter icon is a black and white coloured, stylised rendition of a moon with three claw marks torn into it.
Chapter Relations
To say that the Lycanthropes have a strained relationship with the Imperium would be to severely understate the absolute hatred that is held for the Chapter. For reasons unknown the Vlka Fenryka have an ancient, long-standing feud with the Moonborn, seen by many as evidence of the Lycanthrope's genetic history, as such hatred is reserved for those most bitter of kin. Though the Chapter has no allies they are tolerated and allowed to serve in their way by the Imperium, though with keen eyes looking for any manner of failure with which to brand the Lycanthropes and destroy the Chapter entirely.
Allies
| Impalers |  |
The Impalers' kinship with the Lycanthropes is one of shared savagery and mutual recognition of the beast within. Both Chapters emerged from the ill-fated 21st Founding and both embody the darker, more primal aspects of the Astartes curse. Where the Impalers have crafted an identity rooted in blood rituals, predation, and gothic terror, the Lycanthropes embody feral destruction—howling, blood-slicked killers who prowl battlefields like wolves loosed among sheep. The Impalers recognize in them a reflection of their own monstrous natures, untempered by ritual or restraint, and though they regard the Lycanthropes as dangerously undisciplined, they nonetheless revere their raw savagery as an echo of Sanguinius' wrath made flesh. When allied, the Lycanthropes and Impalers form a war host of unparalleled brutality. The Lycanthropes surge ahead as the vanguard, tearing into enemy lines with unrestrained fury, their feral packs rending bodies and leaving nothing but torn earth and shattered corpses in their wake. Behind them, the Impalers enact their grim symphony of impalement, sacrifice, and bloody pageantry, ensuring that the battlefield becomes a shrine to terror. This duality - animalistic frenzy followed by ritualised horror - creates a wave of psychological devastation that few foes can withstand. Civilian populations who survive such campaigns tell tales of black-winged angels descending amidst the howls of lupine killers, a vision so horrific it drives some to madness. Yet their alliance remains precarious, for the Lycanthropes' unpredictability clashes with the Impalers' rigid, ritualized hierarchy. To the Impalers, war is not merely slaughter but a carefully orchestrated act of terror, a ritual sacrifice to the memory of Sanguinius. The Lycanthropes, by contrast, see war as the unleashing of primal fury, a proving ground of the predator's right to dominate. Still, despite this tension, the two Chapters recognize in one another a shared curse that sets them apart from their kin. When the Emperor's foes must be broken utterly - mind, body, and soul - the Imperium unleashes them in concert, and in their wake, no light remains, only blood and ash. |
Enemies
| Thousand Sons |   |
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| The Unforgiven |   |
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| Space Wolves |  |
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| Marines Malevolent |  |
Notable Quotes
By the Lycanthropes
- "Unleash the Úlfhéðnar! Let these loathsome wretches know true terror!"
- — Fenrisúlfr Vseslav during the Concordian Massacre
- "Your father lies dead vermin, your 'star-gods' shriek and flail with the wolf holding their throat, your uprising has ended just as your revolting lives shall end."
- —Anonymous Wolf Brother
About the Lycanthropes
- "Why? Why do they thrive? Why do you punish me like this Father? I lose everything yet they beget spawn to infest the stars. I lose everything and they survive."
- —Magnus the Red upon his discovery of the Lycanthropes
- "We are punishment, we are death, we are bloody retribution and our enemies shall weep when the Moonborn hunt."
- — Tierkrieger (Wolf Priest equivalent) Damarchus Turnskin
- "We are of the Twenty First, a broken founding of broken Astartes, the Black Dragons; aberrant beasts that glory in their own mutation, the Sun Serpents; undoubtedly the wretched spawn of traitors, and the Lamenters; cursed with their own inadequacy and ill-fortune. Praise the Emperor that we have escaped these monster's failings."
- — Vurdalak (Rune Priest equivalent) Remus Niceros
Gallery
