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The Nergüi Ghosts are an undisclosed Successor Chapter created during the recent Ultima Founding from the lineage of the wild and ferocious White Scars. They were created to answer the growing threat to Chogoris by the Red Corsairs which invaded the system during the events of the 13th Black Crusade in 999.M41. This Chapter is comprised entirely of Primaris Space Marines that are recruited solely from orphans born on worlds controlled by the White Scars or their Successors. The Nergüi Ghosts are fierce survivalists that excel in unsupported long term missions behind enemy's lines. Their purpose is to sabotage, hinder and slow down traitor invasive forces by constant pinpricks and disruptive attacks. Their unusual non-hierarchical chapter organisation is based on common beliefs and core principles and allows them to operate with great flexibility and autonomy.
Chapter History
The Nergüi Ghost were founded after the retreat of Huron Blackheart and his Red Corsairs from their attack on Chogoris. Despite the White Scars successful defense of their homeworld and their fortress-monastery Quan Zhou, the threat by the Red Corsairs and countless renegade warbands in the surrounding systems remained imminent. Huron Blackheart still controlled the neighboring Gartuli and Thaxis systems and another attack on Chogoris would be just a matter of time.
Analyzing their homeworld's situation Barutai Khan, Captain of the 2nd Brotherhood, Kor'sarro Khan, the Master of the Hunt, and captain of the 3rd Brotherhood and chapter master Jubal Khan, developed a strategy to prepare for and counter the inevitable second attack. They soon realized that the White Scars with their usual tactics and inherit traits would not suffice to defend their homeworld. They required skills and fighters that were able to fight in different ways, that were for example experts in covert tactics or deep infiltration.
During their analysis, they searched for a potential weakness or bottleneck in their foes supply chains. They concluded that the orbital defense platform Sanctum in the Thaxis system was of crucial strategic importance to the security of the sector, as whoever controlled it would be able to control all in and outbound vessels coming from the forgeworld Thaxis. Taking over the defense platform would therefore cripple the Red Corsairs supply chain. As an open attack on the defense platform would require a great deal of resources, they decided to attempt a high risk high reward infiltration with minimal headcount.
They drew up a special task force of 30 White Scars. They created exact profiles for each individual, the role they had to play and the skills that were likely required. The thirty profiles then were handed to Jodagha Khan, Master of Recruits, to find the most suitable candidates among the 10 companies. After scanning through countless battle reports, and other datasets and personal notes, he identified 30 suitable candidates. Among those were 21 veterans and 9 less experienced Marines. 3 of these were still neophytes close to being inducted into the ranks. All 30 were known for their unique skill sets and behaviors and a strong will to survive.
Being the Master of Recruits Jodagha Khan had a strong interest in optimizing the chapter's recruitment. He studied the personal files of each of the 30 candidates in detail and found that all of them had either become orphans at a very young age or had overcome severe hardships or tragedy. Those life-defining events had caused them to develop unique but very resilient psychological profiles, and forced them to build up strengths that set them apart. Without this reaction to adversity, they would have most likely not survived their youth among the wild warrior tribes of Chogoris. Even now the 21 veteran candidates were often frowned upon by their peers, outsiders or even outcasts. This might also explain the great enthusiasm each of the candidates displayed upon being called up for a secret mission, despite not yet knowing anything about what was asked of them.
Together with Vanguard Infiltrator Sergeant Khasson'gol, Jodagha also surveyed the 12 weeks of tactical coaching, battle simulations and combat training in which they forged a coherent unit with strong bonds out of the thirty thrown together individuals. Despite being a very heterogeneous unit, the shared hardships of their upbringing acted as the common denominator that brought them together. Overcoming even historical feuds that exist between their original tribes. Already during these twelve weeks the taskforce started to develop their own language. Sparring partners from other companies were soon called "erk'lul sen" (pampered) and "bid nergüi, bid chinii ükhel" (we are nameless, we are your death) became their chant. Of the 30 fighters 5 were promoted to sergeant and Gyalalzsan Jad was promoted to lieutenant and named commander of the upcoming operation.
Attack on Sanctum Defense Platform
After the completion of the 12 weeks, they attacked the occupied Sanctum Defense platform. Early reconnaissance found out that the Red Corsairs had not been able to take over the logic engines for automatic control and thus had deployed a crew to operate the platform. A supply vessel captured from the enemies in a prior orbital battle around Thaxis was used as a disguise to bring the boarding party as close to the platform as possible. The vessel possessed the required identification codes, which made the entire mission possible. The supply vessel included 10 escape pods. 6 of these were removed and replaced with boarding torpedos, which were customized to look as similar to the escape pods as possible. Each torpedo was manned with 5 Ghosts.
In order to trick the surveillance team of the platform, the supply vessel was brought into position outside of the defense platform's sensors and set course for the platform at maximum speed. It was followed by the Talskar Pride, the Frigatte of 6th Brotherhood of the White Scars. With the rest of the fleet remaining battle ready just outside the system, in case of a successful attack on the platform or other unforeseen circumstances.. Just within the defense platforms sensors, the Talskar Pride would fire at the supply vessel, causing controlled damage, leaving it unable to maneuver on collision course with the defense platform and heavily damaging all life support systems. Shortly after a fake emergency signal was sent from the supply vessel, to complete the illusion of a fake emergency.
As expected the defense platform allowed the supply vessel to approach just close enough so that the escape pods could reach it before destroying the vessel. Consequently first the four fake escape pods and then the 6 boarding torpedoes were launched. Four boarding torpedoes were targeted to one side of the disc-shaped platform. The other two were targeted to approach the center of the station from above and from below respectively. Once the first escape pod reached the defense platforms short range scanners, the lack of life science aboard uncovered the deception. All 4 escape pods as well as the boarding torpedo that was headed towards the western side of the platform were shot and destroyed before reaching their target. The torpedo that was aimed at the central underside was hit severely but not destroyed and hit the edge of the defense platform close to where the eastern boarding torpedo hit as planned.
The unit of the eastern torpedo was then able to recover three of the Ghosts in the damaged torpedo alive of which two were severely injured, including lieutenant Gyalalzsan Jad. The other two had passed in the missile attack.
Each of the 5 remaining teams then started their individual missions. Team “bottom” was tasked to disable the platform's communication arrays. Team “top” had to secure the controls of the central plasma reactor and command bridge. And teams “west”, “north”, “east” and “south” were tasked to take over the four main weapon towers to each side of the platform. Due to the loss of team “west” and team “bottom” the remaining crews were facing a dilemma. They could either try to secure the last remaining weapons tower or the communication arrays. As second in command, sergeant Sükh Taslagch of team “top” decided to focus on the weapons tower. Facing the fact that not disabling the communications array instantly meant that the Red Corsair fleet had probably already been notified, it was more important to gain full weapon control.
Thus team “north” and team “south” were both instructed to secure the western weapons tower after successfully securing their own targets. In the meantime team “east” was given the secondary task to secure the communication array, and to notify the White Scar’s fleet of the imminent approach of the Red Corsairs.
In the fight for the western weapon turret, 3 Ghosts were killed and another 3 injured as the occupant’s crew had retreated and regrouped there. One Ghost of team “top” was killed while securing the plasma reactor. Team east and the remaining member of team bottom accrued two more casualties during fights around the communication array and while sending out the call for additional support.
In the meantime the soldiers left at each weapon turret launched the majority of the platform's torpedoes towards a list of strategic targets on the occupied Thaxis, which was the main goal of their mission. Soon thereafter the first fast moving vessels of the Red Corsair fleet approached the defense platform. They were shut down by the platform’s defense lasers. To the Ghosts advantage, the Red Corsairs had decided to go for speed instead of an organized attack, underestimating the Ghosts capability of controlling the platform's weapon systems.
Concurrently the White Scars fleet, that had successfully been contacted, approached Sanctum. While the defense platform kept the approaching enemy vessels at bay, a larger Red Corsair fleet consisting of an Executor Class Grand Cruiser and 7 other vessels was estimated to arrive at the battle just shortly after the White Scar’s fleet. At the same time more and more individual ships approached Sanctum. The Ghosts hardly managed to keep them away from the platform. One of the attacking ships managed to destroy the eastern weapons tower with a lucky torpedo, killing the Ghost stationed there.
To avoid losing the orbital defense platform once more, and after successfully crippling a large portion of the targets on Thaxis. The White Scars fleet prepared for towing the station back to Chogoris. To do so several systems needed to be connected by cable to the battle barge Silent Horseman whose navigators would then be able to initiate a warp jump back to Chogoris. The 12 remaining Ghosts aboard the Defense Platform that were not controlling the weapon towers worked on reactivating the platform's gellar field technology that had not been used since the initial deployment 370 years ago, and succeeded in doing so.. Meanwhile the rest of the fleet supported the defense platform in holding back the enemy ships. Fregatte Tulwar was lost during the ensuing battle.
Just minutes before the core fleet of the Red Corsairs arrived, the preparations to warp-tow the defense platform were completed. During the setups two more White Scars ships had been severely damaged. The strike cruiser Beak of the Falcon could thus not initiate the warp jump themselves and got destroyed. The Shumbagch’s gellar fields collapsed during the warp travel where it got lost.
After just 3 days of warp travel the fleet successfully arrived in Chogoris, where the Sanctum station was positioned in orbit.
Founding of the Nergüi Ghosts
Following the successful defense of Chogoris and the infiltration mission on the Sanctum Defense Platform, the surviving members of the task force found themselves bonded by their shared experiences and exceptional skills. Recognizing the potential of this unique unit, Barutai Khan, Kor'sarro Khan, and Jubal Khan, along with other high-ranking White Scars officers, discussed the possibility of transforming them into a new Space Marine Chapter. They believed that the Nergüi Ghosts had proven their worth and had the potential to contribute significantly to the defense of the Imperium.
Impressed by the reports and recommendations from the White Scars officers, the Chapter Masters and high-ranking officials of the Adeptus Terra were intrigued by the idea of a specialized Chapter focused on no-return operations and deep infiltration. The proposal was presented to the High Lords of Terra, who carefully considered the matter. After evaluating the potential benefits and assessing the unique circumstances surrounding the Nergüi Ghosts, they ultimately approved the request for the foundation of the new Chapter.
With the formal approval from the High Lords of Terra, the newly formed Chapter was officially named the Nergüi Ghosts. This name was chosen to honor the heritage of the Ghosts, and their deep commitment despite most likely becoming unsung heroes. It also paid homage to the trials they faced during their upbringing on Chogoris, where they had to overcome numerous challenges to survive.
Recognizing the strategic value of the Sanctum Defense Platform and its successful use during the infiltration mission, the Nergüi Ghosts decided to make it their permanent homebase. The platform was extensively modified and fortified to suit the needs of the Chapter. Structural enhancements and additional segments, advanced defensive systems, and upgraded living quarters were implemented to accommodate the growing number of Nergüi Ghosts. The platform's unique new features and improved defenses provided the Chapter with an ideal fortress, allowing them to launch their operations from a highly secure and strategically positionable base. After the reconstruction was done, the platform was renamed Gegeentnii, ancient tribal phrase for "the Saint" honoring the emperor.
Notable Campaigns
Chapter Home World
Gegeentnii
Captured in a desperate infiltration mission during the Chapter’s founding, the former Sanctum Defense Platform now serves as the mobile fortress-monastery of the Nergüi Ghosts. Suspended in void orbit or relocated through dangerous warp displacement, the Sanctum embodies the Ghosts’ doctrine of mobility, secrecy, and survival. Neither bound to a single world nor beholden to static defense, it is a silent bulwark from which the Chapter launches its shadow campaigns—part bastion, part tomb, and part shrine to those who fight without return.
Structural Modifications
The Sanctum Defense Platform has been extensively fortified and repurposed to serve as the Nergüi Ghosts’ mobile fortress-monastery. Reinforced void plating, expanded hangar bays, and new habitation modules allow the Chapter to operate autonomously across hostile systems.
Living Quarters and Training Facilities
Spartan but efficient, the platform’s living spaces support both recovery and ritual. Training arenas, grav-combat chambers, and zero-atmosphere drills simulate varied combat conditions. Mental fortitude is honed in isolation vaults and endurance rites.
Command and Control Center
At the platform’s heart lies the Command Sanctum—equipped with advanced auspex arrays, encrypted vox-lattices, and strategic augur shrines. It serves as the nexus for mission planning and fleet coordination, overseen by the Circle of Judgement.
Defense Mechanisms and Weapons
The Sanctum bristles with lance batteries, defense turrets, and torpedo arrays. Void shield generators and failsafe purge protocols ensure the platform’s security even under siege. Weapons are manned by Ghost gunners trained for rapid reorientation and sabotage warfare.
Starship Hangars
Massive internal bays and external docking arms allow for the housing and deployment of strike cruisers, frigates, and insertion craft. Ash Wing units and Windbound riders launch from these sanctified vaults in coordinated, silent waves.
Gene-Seed Laboratory
A concealed facility deep within the platform hosts gene-seed cultivation and preservation. Overseen by the Chapter’s Apothecaries, it ensures biological continuity despite their high-risk operations and scattered recruitment pool.
Librarius Chambers
Shielded against psychic interference, these chambers serve as sanctuaries for the Ghosts’ Librarians. Designed for warp meditation, astropathic communion, and training in esoteric arts, they also hold forbidden tomes from fallen foes.
Archives and Reliquaries
The Sanctum holds cryptic data vaults, battle-record slates, and relics of both the White Scars and the Ghosts’ own bloodied path. These items are preserved not as trophies, but as tools of remembrance and instruction.
Sümthankims
Sacred halls for reflection, celebration, and veneration. Here, Ghosts gather for yurol (songs of blessing) and maatgal (songs of praise). These are also places for rites of mourning and communion with the memory of fallen brothers.
Advanced warp drives and gellar field coils—refitted after the platform’s capture—allow for limited warp displacement of the entire station. Though dangerous, this capacity grants the Ghosts strategic mobility unmatched by most Chapters.
The Gegeentnii serves as a formidable fortress and the central hub of the Nergüi Ghosts Chapter's operations. It provides the Chapter with a mobile and secure homeworld from which they launch their missions, conduct research, train new recruits, and maintain their fleet.
Chapter Organisation
The Nergüi Ghosts deviate significantly from the traditional Codex Astartes structure. Born from a desperate infiltration operation and molded by the necessity of survival behind enemy lines, their organization reflects the Chapter’s emphasis on autonomy, resilience, and mission-first pragmatism. Rather than a rigid hierarchy, the Ghosts are structured around adaptable, self-contained teams known as Süüder (shadows), each capable of independent operation for extended durations without support or reinforcements.
Shadows and Operational Cells
Nergüi Ghost Assault Intercessor
The backbone of the Chapter is composed of highly trained and trusted Süüder—flexible units typically consisting of 5 to 10 battle-brothers. Each Shadow is formed based on complementary skill sets, psychological compatibility, and shared operational history rather than rank. These cells are forged through years of survival trials, covert campaigns, and successful infiltration missions.
Within each Shadow, leadership is decentralized. While a senior Ghost—often known simply as the Tergüün duu khooloi (lead voice) —acts as the point of contact and strategic anchor, all members are expected to exercise initiative, make tactical decisions, and assume leadership if the situation demands it. This model ensures that no operation falters due to the loss of a commanding officer.
Multiple Shadows may combine to form temporary Süns Büleg (phantom cohorts) during large-scale operations, but such formations remain fluid, disbanding once objectives are met.
The Shüültiin toirog - Circle of Judgement
At the heart of the Chapter’s strategic direction lies the Shüültiin Toirog (Circle of Judgement), a council of veteran Ghosts who have each survived over a dozen no-return missions and demonstrated unparalleled resilience and insight. The Circle serves not as a ruling body but as the Chapter’s conscience and arbiter.
Housed within the Command Sanctum aboard the repurposed Sanctum Defense Platform, the Circle reviews mission requests, threat assessments, and calls for aid from across the sector. Rather than prioritizing based on honor, political pressure, or strategic gain, the Circle judges each request by a singular principle: necessity in the face of oblivion. A mission is chosen if it aligns with the Ghosts’ unwritten code—protect the Imperium where no one else can.
The Circle's decisions are binding, but its members do not issue commands in the traditional sense. Instead, they invoke Duudlaga (the call), which invites Shadows to volunteer for the chosen mission. The expectation is that every Ghost stands ready to answer without hesitation. This model reinforces the Chapter’s culture of voluntary sacrifice and shared responsibility.
Specialist Roles and Autonomous Functioning
Though traditional specialist ranks such as Apothecaries, Techmarines, and Librarians exist, these roles are also embedded within the Shadows themselves rather than centralized in separate detachments. Every Shadow is designed to be self-sustaining: medicae expertise, engineering knowledge, and psychic capability are distributed across units to avoid dependence on centralized command structures. Furthermore, each Ghost receives cross-disciplinary training during their rites of ascension. As a result, the Chapter breeds warriors who are not only deadly combatants but also self-reliant technicians, survivalists, and tacticians.
The Absence of a Chapter Master
The Nergüi Ghosts do not have a single Chapter Master. Leadership is distributed, and authority is earned rather than inherited or assigned. The most senior or respected member of the Circle of Judgement may be referred to as ekhnii süüder (the first shade), but this is a ceremonial title rather than a formal command. This rejection of a singular leader reflects the Ghosts’ founding philosophy: no one Ghost is greater than the mission.
Integration of Armored and Support Elements
While the Nergüi Ghosts rarely engage in open warfare, they maintain a modest complement of armored assets, war engines, and mobile support units. These tools of destruction are not bound to any fixed company or armory; rather, they are deployed tactically, chosen for mission relevance, terrain suitability, and the psychological impact of their presence.
The Echo Vaults
All armored and mechanized assets are stored and maintained within secured hangars aboard the Sanctum Defense Platform, known as the Echo Vaults. These hangars are shrouded in mystery and rites of silence, and their machinery is considered sacred by the Chapter’s Tech-Brothers. When a mission demands brute force, shock assault, or heavy breaching capability, Shadows may submit a request to the Circle of Judgement. If approved, they are temporarily assigned the needed wargear, accompanied by Echo-Techs—specially trained Ghosts responsible for war engine operation and maintenance.
Dreadnoughts: The Silent Oaths
The Nergüi Ghosts revere their Dreadnoughts as living revenants of their Chapter’s legacy. Encased warriors who survived no-return missions yet could not walk again, these battle-brothers are preserved with deep respect and only awakened for the most desperate missions. Known as the Silent Oaths, they operate solo or in pairs, acting as both war machines and spiritual symbols of endurance. Silent Oaths often work in support of Phantom Cohorts during high-risk siege insertions or exfiltration operations involving entrenched resistance.
Bikes & Speeders: The Windbound
Primaris Chaplain Zuu Vossos
While less reliant on bikes than their White Scars progenitors, the Nergüi Ghosts retain a formation known as the Windbound—skilled riders and pilots trained in infiltration-by-speed. Grav-attack bikes and land speeders are used for deep-flanking raids, fast exfiltration of key targets, or rapid insertion under hostile surveillance. Windbound units are not separate from Shadows; instead, individual Ghosts within a Shadow may be Windbound-trained, and mission loadouts are adjusted accordingly.
Tanks & Heavy Armor: The Buried Claws
Rarely used, Predators, Vindicators, or Repulsor-class tanks are reserved for operations where shock and awe are necessary to destabilize entrenched foes. These war engines are known as Buried Claws, unearthed only in moments where subtlety has failed and the enemy must be shattered. Most tanks are customized for silent operation, void stealthing, or atmospheric insertion via orbital drop. Crews train independently and integrate temporarily with the Shadows requesting their support.
Aircrafts: Ash Wings
The Ash Wings are the Chapter’s aerial strike and insertion specialists, piloting Stormtalons, Stormhawks, and void-adapted transports. Used for covert insertions, extractions, or surgical strikes, they favor stealth and precision over prolonged engagements. Pilots are often wounded veterans or those deeply versed in atmospheric warfare. Their craft are modified for sensor evasion and low-silhouette approaches, earning them their name—ghosts in smoke and flame.
Echo-Techs
Echo-Techs are the Nergüi Ghosts’ field engineers and sacred keepers of the machine. Trained by the Mechanicus but adapted for survival warfare, they maintain wargear in extreme conditions and accompany Shadows on missions involving vehicles or relic systems. Echo-Techs see machines as partners in endurance, not just tools—whispering rites of function rather than prayers of dominion.
Combat Doctrine
Shadows of Endurance
The Nergüi Ghosts are specialists in prolonged, unsupported warfare behind enemy lines. Their doctrine, known as Shadows of Endurance, emphasizes survivability, disruption, and the psychological erosion of their foes. Each operation is approached as a one-way mission—a silent vow to achieve the objective, regardless of the cost. The Ghosts do not conquer—they dismantle, erode, and vanish.
Strategic Insertion and Concealment
The Ghosts rely on stealth-based deployment, often using drop pods, grav-chutes, retrofitted Stormtalons, or teleportation to infiltrate contested space. They establish covert forward bases—often in hostile territory or within enemy structures—hidden by terrain, sensor interference, or sheer obscurity. These bases act as hubs for intelligence gathering, resupply, and fallback should exfiltration prove impossible.
Covert Reconnaissance and Sabotage
Extensive scouting precedes any engagement. Ghost recon units operate undetected for weeks or months, mapping out enemy vulnerabilities, logistical hubs, and command structures. Sabotage is deployed to cripple infrastructure, sow disarray, and mislead enemy forces. Explosives are rarely crude; sabotage is surgical—cogitators rerouted, life support degraded, supplies poisoned.
Guerrilla Warfare and Hit-and-Run Tactics
When they strike, the Nergüi Ghosts do so with ferocious precision. Small units assault vulnerable targets before melting away into darkness. Targets are chosen for maximum disruption—officer cadres, communication nodes, or energy grids. These attacks create confusion and panic, drawing enemy resources away from larger conflicts and undermining morale.
Base Construction and Reinforcement
Within enemy territory, Nergüi Ghosts construct semi-permanent forward bases known as Hushed Havens. These are often hidden in ruins, tunnels, or underground complexes. Each haven is built for stealth and defense, allowing for regeneration, repair, and prolonged campaigning without extraction. Many contain hidden escape tunnels or booby-trapped fallback chambers.
Resourcefulness and Adaptability
Ghosts are trained to fight with what they have—or what they can scavenge. Salvaged enemy equipment is modified for reuse; battlefield repairs are made mid-mission. Each Space Marine is cross-trained in weapon maintenance, field medicine, and basic tech-rites. Surplus is hoarded, not wasted. Abandonment of any usable gear is viewed as a weakness.
Relentless Offensive
Though their methods are covert, the Ghosts never cease their pressure. Once embedded in enemy territory, they become a creeping wound—striking, withdrawing, and striking again. They employ psychological tactics such as vox-lure recordings, phantom signals, or deliberately visible signs of mutilation to spread fear. Their enemies come to dread the silence between alarms.
Autonomy and Initiative
Every Ghost is expected to act independently, to adapt to changing circumstances, and to complete their objectives without further command. Shadows are structured for autonomy—each equipped to function without support or reinforcement. Even cut off from contact, a Shadow continues its mission, embodying the doctrine’s core truth: the only way is forward.
The Shadows of Endurance combat doctrine emphasizes the Nergüi Ghosts' ability to endure and thrive in hostile environments. Their expertise in covert operations, coupled with their relentless attacks and adaptability, makes them a formidable force behind enemy lines. They strike fear into their adversaries, embodying the spirit of survival and displaying unwavering determination to accomplish their mission objectives, no matter the odds.
Chapter Culture & Beliefs
“Survival is our prayer. Silence is our creed. Death walks behind us—let it find nothing left to take.”
— Inscription in the Hall of Echoes, Sanctum Defense Platform
The Cycle of Survival
The Nergüi Ghosts follow a distinct belief system known as The Cycle of Survival—a philosophy forged in loss, hardship, and relentless adversity. To the Ghosts, survival is not mere endurance, but an act of devotion; to live, to adapt, to overcome—this is how they honor the Emperor. Death is accepted, but not pursued. Victory is defined not by glory, but by the quiet, brutal persistence to fight one more day.
Their beliefs bind the Chapter not through dogma or doctrine, but through shared experience and unspoken understanding. They do not pray for miracles—they prepare for hardship.
Adaptation and Resilience
The Ghosts believe survival is the highest form of worship. The galaxy is cruel and uncaring; only those who adapt endure. Change is not betrayal—it is a sacred necessity. Flexibility, innovation, and personal transformation are viewed as virtues, while rigidity is seen as a precursor to failure. Tradition is respected, but never allowed to ossify into weakness.
Unyielding Tenacity
Tenacity is sacred. Every Ghost is trained to keep fighting until functionally dead. Failure is not dishonor—abandonment is. They do not retreat in disgrace, but withdraw to strike again. The phrase "Bid Nergüi, Bid Chinii Ükhel" (We are nameless, we are your death) is more than a war cry—it is an affirmation of purpose in the face of annihilation.
Self-Reliance and Initiative
Every Ghost is his own commander. While unity is respected, self-reliance is non-negotiable. Each warrior is trained to survive, decide, and execute missions without external support or oversight. Hesitation and dependence are considered weaknesses to be purged during training. Among the Ghosts, silence is not absence—it is discipline.
Unity and Trust
Despite their individualism, the Ghosts understand that true strength lies in voluntary brotherhood. Bonds are not imposed—they are forged through shared trials. Trust is earned, never assumed. A Shadow must be able to rely on its members completely, knowing each has faced the same pain and chosen to stand anyway. Betrayal is unthinkable; disloyalty is a fate worse than death.
Shadows of the Void
The Ghosts embrace their role as unseen warriors of the Imperium. Operating in silence, leaving no banners, no glory, and often no survivors, they believe in victory through absence. Shadows, misdirection, and psychological warfare are not cowardice—they are tools of holy war. They strike not for renown, but because no one else will.
Duty to the Imperium
The Nergüi Ghosts hold an unshakable, unspoken loyalty to the Imperium of Man. They serve not its politics, but its survival. Their actions may seem irregular—even dishonorable—to more traditional Chapters, but every mission, every sacrifice, is made to hold the darkness at bay. They ask for no reward, no recognition. Survival itself is their offering to the Emperor.
Chapter Recruitment
Forged in adversity, the Nergüi Ghosts value resilience, adaptability, and psychological fortitude above all else. Their recruitment process reflects this ethos, developed from the unique circumstances of their founding mission and refined into a rite that selects warriors capable of surviving the most harrowing conditions. Physical strength alone is not enough—candidates must prove the will to endure, improvise, and persist where others would fall.
The Orphan Selection
The Ghosts place particular emphasis on orphans, believing that those who survive loss from a young age are marked by self-reliance and inner fire. These individuals are seen as already tested by fate. While not a strict requirement, over 87% of recruits originate from orphaned or similarly displaced backgrounds. This focus evolved from the discovery that the original infiltration team all shared such origins.
Observance and Evaluation
Potential candidates are observed for long periods by covert recruitment officers. Reports, service records, and psychological profiles are scrutinized in detail. Interviews, challenges, and environmental stress trials are conducted to assess emotional resilience, leadership potential, and the capacity to think beyond doctrine. Adaptability in the face of overwhelming odds is considered a sacred trait.
Survival Trials
Those identified as worthy must then undergo a brutal gauntlet of survival trials, simulating the conditions Ghosts are expected to face: isolation, resource scarcity, and enemy pursuit. Trials vary based on planetary conditions but always test endurance, ingenuity, and the will to persist without support. Death during these trials is not uncommon, and is viewed as a form of natural selection.
Mentoring and Training
Successful candidates are paired with senior Ghosts who act as mentors—veterans who themselves overcame hardship and emerged transformed. Training emphasizes not just combat efficiency but survival tactics, sabotage, stealth operations, and cultural cohesion. Each recruit is shaped into a multi-disciplinary operator, capable of functioning independently or within a Shadow cell.
Integration and Cohesion
Camaraderie is essential to Ghost operations. Recruits are placed into provisional Shadows early in their training and undergo shared trials designed to forge unity. Bonding through hardship is viewed as essential preparation for the psychological toll of deep operations. Historical tribal rivalries or differences are dissolved through a common creed: Bid Nergüi, Bid Chinii Ükhel — We are nameless, we are your death.
Initiation and Induction
When training concludes, recruits undergo a solemn initiation ceremony, where they formally renounce their birth names and accept their anonymity as Ghosts. The ritual is both symbolic and practical—each warrior becomes a weapon of the Chapter, detached from past identities and bound only by purpose. The induction ends with the offering of a Shadow brand, burned into their armor, never spoken aloud.
Chapter Gene-Seed
The Nergüi Ghosts inherit the White Scars gene-seed, unmodified in its essential zygotes and free from corruption. Over time, however, the Chapter’s unique conditioning and the harsh environments of their campaigns have shaped their stock. These influences have encouraged latent traits within the White Scars’ lineage, resulting in warriors with heightened endurance, sharper senses, and metabolisms capable of enduring scarcity for extended periods. The gene-seed remains stable and viable, though not without certain quirks born of these adaptations.
Gene-Stock depositories
The Chapter’s progenoid glands function as expected. Unlike other chapters, each member of te Ghosts is trained to remove progenoid glands. They are taught to maintain strict protocols to ensure harvested zygotes remain pure, as the Ghosts’ high casualty rates in difficult campaigns put constant pressure on their gene-seed reserves. For each mission, the Ghost carry specialized self-sustaining gland depositories, which are filled with the glands of their casualties and are then hidden and buried whenever strategically possible. The depositories have a limited durability of only 3 to 5 years, depending on the environmental conditions. Yet due to the nature of their missions, retrieving the stashed glands is not always possible within that timeframe. On top of that depositories are equipped with a self destruction mechanism, to prevent theft or manipulation through unauthorized parties. This is an essential layer of security, but increases the loss-rate of gene-seed further.
Thus their unique conditioned gene-stock is depleting over time and has to be carefully distributed among new prospects. The remainder is often replenished with unmodified White Scar gene-seed. Despite this, the lineage is overall considered reliable and valued by Imperial authorities.
Deficiencies & Weaknesses
- Slow Progenoid Maturation Risk: The metabolic adjustments that grant the Ghosts their endurance occasionally delay the development of progenoid glands, leading to slower replenishment of gene-seed stocks.
- Cold Sensitivity: The Chapter thrives in in unnatural or heavily corrupted environments, such as warp-tainted battlefields or toxin-saturated, heated atmospheres, but their physiology proves less resilient in cold conditions, a weakness yet to be discoverd by their foes. In cold conditions, the Ghosts suffer from a lowered action speed and response time. In situations, where miliseconds make a huge difference, this weakness can be a crucial limitating factor.
- Heightened Perception: The Ghosts’ sharpened senses, ideal for ambush and reconnaissance, can become a liability amidst strong psychic phenomena. Many brothers experience discomfort or disorientation during warp storms, and the Chapter’s Librarians are notably restrained in their use of psychic powers.
Deathwatch Service
Notable Members
Chapter Fleet
Chapter Relics
Chapter Appearance
Chapter Colours
Chapter Badge
Relations
Allies
Enemies
Notable Quotes
By the Nergüi Ghosts
About the Nergüi Ghosts
Gallery
