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This article, Sermo Invictus, was written by IllumiNini. Please do not edit or 'acquire' this fiction without the writer's permission. |
- "Suffer my wrath as I bring my hammer down upon you, and suffer more during your final moments in the knowledge that none will remember you!"
- —Chapter Master ++Redacted++ of the Sermo Invictus Chapter to ++Redacted++ of ++Redacted++
The Sermo Invictus Chapter is a Loyalist, non-Codex compliant Space Marine Chapter drawn from unknown lineage and created during an unknown Founding, though their Founding is confirmed to be no later than the 3rd Founding due to their appearance in the War of the Beast in 544.M32.
Many believe the Chapter is a fervent offshoot of the already zealous Black Templars, their Chapter structure, beliefs, behaviours, and actions all lending their support to this belief. Others believe there is a darker past to this Chapter's origins, possibly making them one of the few if not only surviving loyalist of the hated Word Bearers Traitor Legion.
History[]
Rumoured Origins[]
During the galaxy-wide civil war known as the Horus Heresy that shook the Imperium to its core, there were many Primarchs and many Astartes that fell on either side of the line. Loyalties were split, and this held true even within the Legions themselves. From within the Loyalist Legions were born traitors who sided with the Warmaster Horus, and from within the Traitor Legions were born loyalists who sided with the Emperor of Mankind. There were no clean lines that were drawn when it came to loyalty.
While the mark of one's heraldry was a reliable indicator, many Astartes proved that it was not infallible. Many suspect that the forebears of the Sermo Invictus Chapter were among such Astartes, but there are no records to prove it. No eyewitness accounts, no Imperial Records... no records of any kind exist that could prove any such suspicions beyond a reasonable doubt. Even the Chapter's own records do not go back past their appearance and involvement in the War of the Beast.
First Records[]
No reliable records exist of the Chapter before 544.M32 when they began their participation in the War of the Beast, but what does exist suggests a very early origin that may have been linked to the divides in loyalty during the Horus Heresy and hence give basis to the suspicions that swirl around the Chapter with regards to their origins.
The first reliable records of the Chapter exist as part of the records pertaining to the War of the Beast and are dated - at their earliest - to 544.M32 and describe their combat involvement in the war. Records after the war indicate they were involved in the scouring of Orks from many worlds on a warpath they took across the Segmentum Solar and Segmentum Obscurus.
The Zealous Hunt[]
In one of the longest campaigns ever undertaken by the Chapter, they were - in 212.M34 - tasked with hunting traitorous Astates within the vicinity of the Eye of Terror, though their area of operation was much wider than the wording of their mandate suggested. They had been mandated to prioritise those who had gone above and beyond what is typically expected from turncoats and traitors, and who posed a relatively significant and immediate threat to the Imperium.
'And thou - the Sermo Invictus Chapter - shall go forth and execute this order in the name of the God-Emperor of Mankind. Seek out and destroy all those who have turned against the God-Emperor of Mankind and remind them of the cost of broken loyalty and of war with his Imperium.'
Though this opening remark summarises the charge and expectations of the Chapter in their prosecution of this campaign, their orders were much more specific. The Chapter was given a list of all Chapters who had - in whole or in part - turned their back on the Emperor. This list was no simple list of names, but - in truth - incredibly detailed, and listed each group to be hunted in an order the Sermo Invictus Chapter was expected to follow. This list was updated continuously across the crusade, whether it be because a group was successfully destroyed, new targets were added, or the threat levels to the Imperium from each group changed.
The Chapter was also given authority to circumstantially follow and destroy their own targets as long as they fell within the parameters of the crusade, though this rarely happened and engagements that followed as a result of this were often short.
For those that had fallen in their entirety, the punishment was complete annihilation. For those who had only fallen in part, the traitors were to be destroyed and those that at least claimed to remain loyal were to be investigated and dealt with accordingly. Some were sent on penitent crusades, others were destroyed after being found as equally guilty of heresy as their slain brothers, and the fates of yet more remain unknown or deliberately obscured.
Where possible and deemed appropriate, the Chapter - in conjunction with the Inquisition - was authorised to enforce an Edict of Obliteration on any Chapter found to be traitorous and subsequently destroyed in its entirety. This is known to have happened at least twice across the span of the campaign, and the fact that none know anything of those Chapters save for the fact that their destruction and the fact that they were deliberately removed from all Imperial Records is a testament to the effectiveness with which the edict was carried out.
For more than five centuries, the Sermo Invictus Chapter were judges and executioners of their own brothers, and they did it with zeal and unquestioning loyalty and obedience. Their manner of prosecuting such a campaign for such an extended period of time earned them notoriety among their brother Astartes, but it also lent them a reputation that caused them to be feared. They were the right hand of the Emperor of Mankind, and they would both prosecute His will and defeat his enemies whoever they were.
In 743.M34, they executed the Chapter Master of the Winged Knights - a previously honourable Chapter formed from the lineage of the Blood Angels of which seven Companies had fallen to the Ruinous Powers. The Chapter Master had been found wanting with regards to his loyalty, and many of those who remained joined him in this fate. With the execution of the Chapter Master and the final Edict of Obliteration performed to as full of an extent as the continued existence of the Winged Knights Chapter would allow, the Sermo Invictus Chapter was called upon to withdraw from their current mandate before regrouping in order to recover and take up a new mandate, thus ending the campaign they had embarked upon for many centuries.
The Birth of the Crusaders[]
Though their numbers had been steadily waning across the centuries over which The Zealous Hunt had been prosecuted, they were now at a stage where prosecuting the campaign any further would come at too great of a cost, which is to say that the Chapter would be unlikely to recover from an additional major conflict should they pursue the crusade any further. It was at the end of The Zealous Hunt that the Chapter reformed the surviving three hundred Astartes - for that was the grand total who had survived the crusade - formed the first Crusader Fleet - the Fleet of the Honoured.
Though The Zealous Hunt had ended and their Chapter was diminished in many ways, their mandate was - on some level or another - the same as it had been for centuries: To hunt and destroy the traitor. Many functional differences now challenged their ability to prosecute this mandate such as significantly decreased aid from the Inquisition, but they had no intention of shying away from their mandate.
Across the centuries that followed the end of The Zealous Hunt, the Fleet of the Honoured was the only Crusader Fleet of the Chapter, and aspirants were drawn from all over the eastern regions of the Segmentum Obscururs and northern regions of the Segmentum Solar to become Astartes of the Sermo Invictus Chapter. The Chapter was engaged in a number of smaller campaigns with a focus on becoming involved in the hunting of traitors and daemons alike. Many of these conflicts were chosen because they fit this purpose while others - but a relative minority - were mandated by circumstance or higher authority. Where they could the Chapter chose to engage in conflicts that allowed them to serve as a supporting force for their brother Chapters where such unified strength would be significantly beneficial.
It was during these years that the Chapter had the secondary aim of strengthening their relationship with the Black Templars - their suspected progenitors - and a number of other Imperial Fists successors that held overlapping operational mandates.
In spite of their continued involvement in various theatres of war, their numbers continued to swell until the Chapter had all but reached what the Codex Astartes considers to be a full-strength Chapter. They were almost a thousand Astartes strong, and they were ready to engage their mandate on their own terms once again.
The Separation of the Chapter[]
Having replenished their ranks to what was then considered full strength, the Chapter was committed to finally and truly pursuing their mandate on their own terms, and began finalising their involvement in all their then-active theatres of war before consolidating their forces on the south-eastern reaches of the Segmentum Obscurus. It was from this rally point that the Chapter would see the genesis point of how the Chapter currently organises its ranks and prosecutes its mandate.
Plans to pursue traitors with the full might of the Chapter were put into motion, but not as they had before. The Chapter was to split in two identical halves, the first retaining leadership over the Chapter as well as the title of Fleet of the Honoured. The second - which became known as the Fleet of the Pure - mirrored the Fleet of the Honoured in every way from its Command Structure down to its Company Structure. Various elements of the Chapter such as its fleet, armaments, and even the Chapter's vault of relics were divided evenly between the Crusader Fleets.
Forever after, the two fleets would function all but independently of each other. While the two Crusader Fleets belong to the same military body that is the Sermo Invictus Chapter, the full might of both Crusader Fleets would almost never be brought together again with the Age of Apostasy and the Indomitus Crusade being two of the primary exceptions.
The Zealous Years[]
In the millennia following the first separation of the Chapter, the Chapter zealously persecuted their mandate to hunt down traitors. Because of the nature of this mandate as well as their sufficiently frequent encounters with psychically-sensitive Xenos breeds, they became more accustomed and equipped with regard to experience and training to deal with daemons. It became so much the case that they folded it into their mandate and began actively pursuing daemons.
The Burning of Caladisus[]
One of the most barbaric of the campaigns embarked upon by the Chapter was the Burning of Caladisus during the late 36th Millennium. When the Fleet of the Pure translated into the system the name of which has been lost, they were met with immediate hostility by the human populations of the three worlds within the system. The planets had established independence from the Imperium during a period of Warp storms that had prevented travel to and from the system for centuries.
The outer two planets were brought into the fold of the Imperium within months, with a certain amount of resistance being put forward before their eventual submission. But the innermost world designated as Caladisus by its inhabitants - which served as the system's capital planet - proved a much more difficult world to bring to heel. The entire population proved to be devout worshipers of false idols, the beliefs leading them astray and their corruption allowing their otherwise mediocre military a significant capacity for strength in combat that allowed them to mount an unexpected fierce and somewhat successful resistance.
For nearly eight months, the war on the planet raged with a ferocity the Chapter had seldom encountered. When victory was within their grasp, the Chapter seized the opportunity to not only take victory but also to bring down a vicious hammer blow upon the world to show them the punishment for not only turning against and refusing to re-join the Imperium but also for shedding the blood of the Imperium's finest and allowing themselves to be corrupted in the name of false idols. The cleansing of the planet was - for all intents and purposes - complete. The Chapter was responsible for completely slaughtering the population, and what remained was obliterated from orbit.
Imperial records show the world became a Dead World devoid of all life and - along with the surrounding region of space within the system - was designated as an exclusion zone. Elements of the Fleet of the Pure - which included a full Battle Company taken from the fleet - remained in high anchor above the planet for what is now a redacted period of time. Official records will forever show that they remained to enforce the boundaries of the exclusion zone while the two remaining planets were re-established and their military strength brought up to a strength that would allow them to perform this duty themselves, but many still suspect that the fleet elements had an additional purpose that they pursued while there.
The Second Separation[]
The exact time of it and the reasoning behind it were either not known or intentionally forgotten, but the separation that the Chapter had performed once before became non-unique sometime during the early 37th Millennium when they separated again. Elements of the two existing Crusader Fleets were taken and a new Crusader Fleet was formed from these elements. Not even the name of this new Crusader Fleet is known, and neither is detail such as the reason for its inception, its function, and so on are known. Many suspect that this particular Crusader Fleet operates exclusively with the Inquisition, giving genuine reason for almost no details to be known about it.
As an element thereof, the Chapter keeps a close eye on this Crusader Fleet as - even though it is all but independent much like the two Crusader Fleets before it - it is still an element of the Chapter. All records of this Crusader Fleet are kept in vaults deep within the bowls of The Dark Tower, but none who lack the proper authority to countermand the order of secrecy the Chapter has placed over these records has seen them, and none who have seen them have ever let the mysteries of the records slip from their lips to those who had no business hearing them. Because of this nature, the record possesses, they are known colloquially as 'The Blackened Records'.
Archenemy of the Word[]
During the 38th Millennium, the Chapter experienced a number of encounters with the Word Bearers Traitor Legion and a number of Warbands that were offshoots thereof. During these encounters, the Chapter was taunted with knowledge and secrets which could only be granted by the Word Bearers themselves, and - while none fell to Chaos as a result - many elements of the Chapter were led on goose chases and lured into many unfavourable theatres of war that cost them dearly because of these deceptions and taunts.
During this period of the Chapter's history, there were a few slivers of information and fragments of secrets that the Chapter managed to glean from their enemy, but many in the Chapter agreed that the cost they paid for this knowledge was not worth what they received. Known only to the Chapter itself and the Inquisition is that much of the information the Chapter did glean reduces the gaps between what is suspected about their origins and the truth of it.
Into the Eye[]
Following their period of many encounters with the Word Bearers, the Fleet of the Pure made a century-long venture into the Eye of Terror. None know the true length of time that they spent within the Eye due to the effects of the Warp on time but suffice to say that they had spent a considerable amount of time within warped space.
None save the Chapter, the Inquisition, and the High Lords of Terra ever learned of the specifics of their activities within the Eye with some speculating that not even Lord Commander Roboute Guilliman is aware of their activities and what they learned within the eye.
13th Black Crusade[]
Given the Chapter's experience with dealing with the forces of Chaos and the power that the Ruinous Power can bring to bear, the Fleet of the Honoured in all its might which was reinforced by elements from the Fleet of the Pure was sent to aid in the defensive efforts associated with the war. While the Chapter suffered notable losses during the conflict, they withdrew their forces well before the fall of Cadia. Some within the Imperium desperately attempt to assign some blame for the results of Cadia's fall on the withdrawal of the Chapter from this theatre of war, but not only can such attributions be difficult at best to stand up to scrutiny, but they also seem to be exceptionally insignificant, especially as the centuries pass.
The Indomitus Crusade[]
There are only two overarching branches of records that pertain to the Sermo Invictus Chapter with regards to the Indomitus Crusade - their orders to and efforts in establishing a Hub-Fortress on the Fortress World of Ohkilesarus IV, and the arrival of the Torchbearers to the world.
Establishing Ohkilesarus IV[]
A world under siege, Ohkilesarus IV was well suited to the task of holding the Forces of Chaos and all manner of horrors at bay. Because of its galactic position and the importance of its function both in and of itself as well as relative to its galactic position, it was deemed not only as a world that must not be allowed to fall but also as a world that would serve well as a Hub-Fortress for the Indomitus Crusade.
There were a number of factors that played into why the Chapter was chosen for this task including its position being known and its then-current strength being adequate, and their renown with regards to and specialisation in the hunting of traitor Astartes and daemons, both of which were assaulting the Fortress World in great number. Orders were sent to the Chapter and through their command structure to every Crusader Fleet thereof.
For the first time in millennia, every single one of the Chapter's Crusade Fleets came together and unified the Chapter as a single fighting force. It is unclear whether this happened before they arrived at Ohkilesarus IV or if it happened as they consolidated around the planet upon arrival. Reports of as many as four Battle Barges being seen either above the planet or within the system, and at least three different Crusader Fleets were identified by those present. This gave those present a very real true sense of the size and strength of the Chapter.
One of the primary forces assailing the world was a host of Nurgle daemons headed by a Great Unclean One whose true name is not known except by the Grey Knights. The other was a host of Traitor Astartes of a number of Warbands of Nurgle, most of which were unidentified or unrecorded. One Warband that was identified was a relatively small force known as the Bilious Defilers which is a force known to employ the Curse of Unbelief to great effect during the invasion of the system.
Great swathes of the planet were lost to the might of this unified host of daemons and traitors, and much of the mortal population fell before or to the effects of the Curse of Unbelief, but the enemies of the Imperium were eventually driven back by the might of the planet's defenders and the force of the Sermo Invictus Chapter in what has been described as a pyrrhic Imperial victory. As for the daemon, official reports suggest that it was banished back to the Warp, but some reports that are generally regarded as more akin to rumour than accurate report suggest that the daemon was trapped within an ancient artefact and entombed beneath the surface of the world. The later reports are generally disregarded by all but the most superstitious.
The Torchbearers[]
The arrival of the Torchbearers was as typical as it was for many other Chapters, but with one notable exception: The absence of any Greyshields. The reasons behind this are an exceptionally well-kept secret, and once again fuelled rumours surrounding the Chapter's origins and even called into question their allegiance. However, without any further fuel to add to the fire, these rumours once again died down as they had any number of times before.
Era Indomitus[]
The Era Indomitus is - like it is for the rest of the Imperium of Mankind - the most tumultuous period in the Chapter's history, and many of its elements are among the most well-guarded secrets.
Traversing the Gauntlet[]
The only thing that is known about the actions of the Chapter's third Crusader Fleet is that it traversed the Nachmund Gauntlet in order to pursue elements of Chaos that were - directly or indirectly - tied to the Word Bearers Traitor Legion. Once the Crusader Fleet had traversed the gauntlet and engaged with Chaos forces in the vicinity of the opposite end, no recorded sightings of the fleet are noted. Many suspect this is by one design or another.
The Fleet of the Pure or elements thereof have been known to have made trips to and even through the gauntlet, but the true purpose of these visits is often unclear or obscured by campaigns against various antagonising forces. Those who are aware of the third Crusader Fleet and their traversal through the gauntlet suspect it is to establish communications and transfer intelligence, supplies, and personnel.
Notable Campaigns[]
- War of the Beast (544.M32 - 546.M32) - The first noted appearance of the Chapter within Imperial Records is during the War of the Beast. The exact nature of their involvement in the conflict remains unclear even millennia later, but the records indicate that Astartes matching the description of those belonging to the Sermo Invictus Chapter were seen in various theatres of conflict, and the Chapter's name was mentioned elsewhere with regards to the conflict. The Chapter was also mentioned in regards to the scouring of Orks from lost worlds or worlds that were still holding fast against the Greenskins as the Chapter carved a warpath across two Segmentums.
- The Cleanse (212.M34 - 743.M34) - Known more colloquially to many within the Imperium as The Zealous Hunt, The Cleanse was a campaign undertaken solely by the Sermo Invictus Chapter. This crusade was centred around the investigation and eradication of renegades, and traitors, specifically Space Marine Chapters that turned. Though these efforts were centred around the regions of space within the vicinity of the Eye of Terror, the Chapter was taken by their duties as far out from the Eye of Terror as the Halo Zone in pursuit of their targets. The Sermo Invictus Chapter earned a reputation for being extreme in their zealotry, and abhorrent in their violence. Merciless in the prosecution of their charge, the Invictus pursued their prey relentlessly. They also enacted the Edict of Obliteration on at least two occasions by order of and with the help of the Inquisition.
- The Burning of Caladisus (Unknown Date M36) - The most zealous destruction of non-Astartes traitors the Chapter ever enforced that is reflected in known records, the Burning of Caladisus stands as a testament to the Chapter's devotion to stamping out the presence of Chaos and treason, but it also exists as a stain upon their reputation.
- 13th Black Crusade (999.M41) - The Chapter is known to have been extensively involved in the defence of Cadia and the aftermath of the Imperial defeat that occurred there, but the specifics are not known beyond the fact that Grand Crusader Nathaniel Ghahlunder and the Black Shield Veterans - among other contingents from the Fleet of the Honoured - were involved.
- The Indomitus Crusade (Unknown Date M42) - Though it is speculated that the Chapter was involved in subsequent military operations and campaigns, the Chapter was predominantly if not entirely focused on establishing and maintaining a Hub-Fortress on the Fortress World of Ohkilesarus IV. Due to the intensity of the fighting, the nature of their enemies, and the toll it all took on the Chapter, it is widely believed that this world and the regaining of strength through the utilisation of the technologies the Torchbearers brought with them took up all of the Chapter's time during the Crusade.
Chapter Organisation[]
To the wider Imperium, the Chapter's structure is - as a whole - unknown, but does display a structure that is at least reminiscent of a Codex-Compliant or Codex-Divergent Chapter. In truth, however, their structure is much more akin to the Crusader Fleets of the Black Templars.
While there are several fleets - known as Crusader Fleets - that come under the banner of the Chapter, the chief among them is known as the Fleet of the Honoured. The Command Structure of each fleet is similar to that of a Codex-Compliant Chapter where the Master of a Crusader Fleet wields a significant level of authority. The Grand Crusader - effectively equivalent to the Chapter Master of other Chapters - serves as the Master of the Fleet of the Honoured in addition to being the master of the Chapter, while the Masters of the other Crusader Fleets are chosen from the veterans who fight as part of said fleet.
The Chapter's Master of the Forge, Master of Sanctity, Chief Librarian, Chief Apothecary, Master of the Fleet, and Warden at the Gates are respectively responsible for the Armoury, Reclusium, Librarius, Apothecarion, Fleet Command and Logisticum of the Chapter as well as that of the Fleet of the Honoured. The Master of each Crusader Fleet is responsible for choosing their own commanders to serve as lords of the Armoury, Reclusium, Librarius, Apothecarion, Fleet Command and Logisticum for their own Fleets from their own ranks.
With rare exceptions such as the darkest days of the Age of Apostasy and the Indomitus Crusade, the Crusader Fleets of the Chapter are not ever together. The pseudo-exception to this is that - across the millennia - elements of one Crusader Fleet have been known to be transferred between or sent to temporarily aid another, but an equilibrium and degree of separation are always maintained to the best of the Chapter Master's abilities.
Chapter Command Structure[]
While each Crusader Fleet of the Chapter has a command structure similar to that of a Codex-Compliant Chapter, the Chapter itself has a slightly different structure. While it maintains similarities to that of a Codex-Compliant Chapter, the command structure of the Chapter has an addition - a conclave that is populated by the Masters of each Crusader Fleet.
While the Chapter Master retains ultimate authority over the Chapter, the Astartes of this conclave - known as the Conclave of the Word - will often conference with each other via various means of communication but almost always meet in person aboard The Dark Tower to govern the Chapter. As a result, the Crusader Fleets of the Chapter are never as far from each other as one might expect from a fleet-based Chapter with relatively independent sub-fleets.
Officer Ranks[]
- Grand Crusader - An alternate title given to the Chapter Master because of their position as Master of the Fleet of the Honoured.
- Obsidian Shieldmaster - A psychically-gifted Astartes who serves as the Company Captain of the Black Shield Veterans.
Specialist Ranks[]
- Black Shield Veterans - A veteran specifically trained to hunt and combat the worst that the Ruinous Powers can throw against the Chapter, making them the perfect answer to powerful daemons, high-ranking and/or powerful traitors, and so forth. While it has never been an official requirement, many of these Veterans tend to be psychically-gifted.
Specialist Formations[]
- The Black Shields - Belonging to the Fleet of the Honoured, this Company of Veteran Astartes specialises in the hunting of and combating the worst of the forces of the Ruinous Powers that the Chapter faces including daemons.
Specialist Crusader Fleet Ranks[]
- Lord of the Host - Also called the Master of the Fleet, this title is given to the Astartes who command an entire Crusader Fleet and who sit on the Conclave of the Word. This rank also typically incorporates the name of the Crusader Fleet into the title. For example, the Chapter Master - who holds this rank for the Fleet of the Honoured - is often referred to as the Lord of the Honoured Host.
- Crusader Champion - A Chapter Champion and Lord of the Honour Guard attached to the Command Structure of a Crusader Fleet.
Command Structure Ranks[]
For each of the Detachments within the Command Structure of a Crusader Fleet, the Astartes bears a rank that is similar to that of the Astartes who lords over that arm of the Chapter, but their title will incorporate the name of the Crusader Fleet.
Take, for example, Exclar Torm: He is the Master of the Forge for the Chapter, but because he lords over the corresponding Detachment within the Command Structure of the Fleet of the Honoured, he also bears the title of Master of Honoured Forge.
Order of Battle: Fleet of the Honoured[]
| The Honoured Fleet Command Structure | |||||||||||
Master of the Sermo Invictus Chapter Lord of the Honoured Host
Lord of the Honour Guard | |||||||||||
| Detachments of the Fleet Command Structure | |||||||||||
| Armoury | Reclusium | Librarius | |||||||||
Master of the Forge Master of the Honoured Forge
|
Master of Sanctity Mastery of Honoured Sanctity
|
Chief Librarian Chief Honoured Librarian
| |||||||||
| Apothecarion | Fleet Command | Logisticum | |||||||||
Chief Apothecary Chief Honoured Apothecary
|
Master of the Fleet Master of the Honoured Fleet
|
Warden at the Gates Warden at the Honoured Gates
| |||||||||
| The Host of the Honoured Fleet | |||||||||||
| Black Shield Veterans | |||||||||||
| 1st Company | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
| Veteran Company | Battle Companies | ||||||||||
| 2nd Company | 3rd Company | 4th Company | |||||||||
|
|
| |||||||||
Order of Battle: Fleet of the Pure[]
| The Pure Fleet Command Structure | ||
Lord of the Pure Host
Lord of the Pure Guard | ||
| Detachments of the Fleet Command Structure | ||
| Armoury | Reclusium | Librarius |
Master of the Pure Forge
|
Mastery of Pure Sanctity
|
Chief Pure Librarian
|
| Apothecarion | Fleet Command | Logisticum |
Chief Pure Apothecary
|
Master of the Pure Fleet
|
Warden at the Pure Gates
|
| The Host of the Pure Fleet | ||
| Veteran Company | ||
| 1st Company | ||
Excletor Ynte
| ||
| Battle Companies | ||
| 2nd Company | 3rd Company | 4th Company |
|
|
|
|
Order of Battle: The Third Crusader Fleet[]
While its Order of Battle is not known, one additional Crusader Fleet of the Chapter is known to exist. Many suspect that it employs a similar structure two the other two Crusader Fleets of the Chapter, but this is unconfirmed. Nothing else is known or even suspected about this Crusader Fleet's Order of Battle since almost nothing is known about the Crusader Fleet itself - not even its name.
Chapter Beliefs[]
Abhor the Betrayer[]
It is a core belief of the Chapter that the betrayer is among the foulest beings of the galaxy and must be purged with extreme prejudice. Broken oaths, turning on one's allies... any betrayal is seen as an act deserving of damnation, and it is a rare day indeed when the Chapter would spare the betrayer from any fate other than extreme torture and/or death.
The extremes to which they would go to punish betrayers have been a cause for reprimands across the millennia, but it has not shaken the foundations of their beliefs on the matter in the slightest.
Seek and Guard Knowledge[]
Given their own mysterious origins, the Chapter has become obsessed with the idea of attaining knowledge. They are particularly intrigued by information and artefacts which dates back to the Great Crusade Era, the Horus Heresy, and the Great Scouring.
Especially because of the nature of some of the little information and few artefacts that the Chapter uncovers from this era, they tend to keep this from all others - even the Inquisition. They also keep a number of particularly sensitive records that could damn the Chapter either by the nature of its content or by virtue of the Chapter possessing it.
Religious Tendency[]
The Chapter's zealotry comes in many forms, and religious zealotry is among them. While it is not a trait they openly display to others and especially not to the Inquisition, many within the Chapter are strong believers in the Lectitio Divinitatus. Those who know of their religious zealotry often speculate that one of the reasons that the Chapter is so effective when it comes to hunting down and slaying daemons and Chaos-influenced traitors is their beliefs with regard to such things.
Chapter Gene-Seed[]
The Chapter's gene-seed is quite stable and has shown very little sign of mutation across the millennia. Some suspect that the traits the gene-seed currently brings out in those implanted with it are mutations that have occurred at some point in the Chapter's history while others speculate that it was simply inherent in the gene-stock when the Chapter was created.
Secrets and Progenitor[]
One of the greatest mysteries of the Chapter is the identity of their progenitors and thus the line that can be drawn between Chapter and Primarch. It has been strongly suggested that the Chapter is a 3rd Founding Successor of the Black Templars, the most notable similarity between the two being the zealotry they both display. The Astartes of the Sermo Invictus Chapter are also lacking the Betcher's Gland and the Sus-an Membrane, which gives further credence to this suggestion. Genetic testing, however, has - if anything - found no discernable link between the two Chapters, with many placing the blame squarely on sufficient genetic differences developed by the two Chapters since the (suspected) inception of Sermo Invictus Chapter.
Psychic Development[]
The gene-seed is considered to be the source of the Chapter's disproportionately high rate of psykers. Though the numbers nor the potency of the Chapter's psykers are as high as that of other Chapters that have been noted for this such as the Blood Ravens, the number and potency of the psykers within the Sermo Invictus Chapter are still notably high.
Resilient Biology[]
While far from exceptional or at any level that warrants concern, the Chapter has been noted as having an above-average resistance to the powers of the Warp and the contaminating effects of Chaos. While far from wondrously resilient, their above-average resilience has not only served them well across the millennia but also drawn the attention of the Adeptus Mechanicus. Because of the Chapter's links with the Inquisition, such a trait has increased their usefulness as a tool of the Inquisition rather than drawing their suspicions like many might have expected it would.
Zealotry[]
Once implanted with the Chapter's gene-seed, Astartes of the Chapter display a tendency to exhibit zealous behaviour, especially when it pertains to the defence of the Emperor and his divinity. As an Astartes gets older, they show an ever-so-gradual increase in such behaviours whether it be in the intensity of the zealotry or a broadening of its scope.
Combat Doctrine[]
While the Chapter does take much from the Codex Astartes with regards to their combat doctrine, Astartes of the Chapter are exceptionally fond of engaging in close combat and employing flame-based weaponry, especially when combating the Forces of Chaos such as traitor Astartes and daemons. The Chapter is also fond of using heavy weaponry and truly stamping out their enemy as opposed to simply defeating them.
The Astartes of the Chapter take great satisfaction in their combat doctrine and often attribute a certain amount of symbology to it. One example of this symbology is the cleansing of sin when destroying the daemon or killing the traitor with a flame-based weapon.
Land Raider Ignis[]
The Land Raider Ignis is variant on the Land Raider Redeemer developed by the Chapter and approved by the Adeptus Mechanicus during and for use in The Cleanse. It adds to the base pattern's armaments rather than changing them. It forgoes the ability to transport personnel in order to accommodate an additional reactor that is used primarily to power the two additional Twin-Linked Lascannons that are mounted on side sponsons in place of its side assault hatches. The way the sponsons bearing the Twin-Linked Lascannons and the Flamestorm Cannons have been designed is such that the former sits higher than the latter, thus allowing both to have greater arcs of fire than they otherwise would.
The Chapter makes extensive use of this Land Raider Pattern, typically fielding six of these mighty war machines. Some of these Land Raiders have also been crafted with anti-daemonic seals, sigils, and runes built into the vehicle's hull in much the same way the Land Raiders employed by the Grey Knights are, but all that has been constructed in this manner for the Chapter had been destroyed millennia ago. The knowledge of how to incorporate such seals, sigils and runes has been forbidden to the Chapter for at least as long as the Land Raiders bearing them have been absent from the Chapter's armoury, but only speculation surrounds the why.
Land Raider Ares[]
The Chapter is also known to field three Land Raider Ares that are found exclusively within the Armoury of the Fleet of the Honoured, and employed only when the conflict truly demands their use.
Relationship with the Inquisition[]
The Chapter has a relatively unique relationship with the Inquisition that seems to be beyond explanation to many. What would normally be the cause of suspicion and punishment in any other Chapter seem to fall by the wayside when it comes to them. The Chapter also seems to work frequently with Inquisition in ways that are - at the very least - unusual in their frequency.
The Grey Connection[]
Given the Chapter's affinity for seeking out and destroying daemons as well as the Chapter's propensity to generate higher-than-normal psykers as a result of their gene-seed, it is no surprise that they sparked some level of curiosity from the Grey Knights. Because of the aforementioned as well as the Chapter's strong relationship with the Inquisition, the Chapter is one of the few that know of the Grey Knights' existence.
Deathwatch Service[]
Because of the nature of the Chapters activities and how much they overlap with that of the Ordo Malleus and the Ordo Hereticus, the Inquisition has allowed the Chapter to minimise the number of Astartes they send to serve in the Deathwatch. Those that do serve in the Deathwatch tend not to be in service to it for as long as is typical. In spite of this, the Chapter has a long and honourable history with the Deathwatch.
Notable Members[]
- The Unknown One - While the name of this particular Astartes has been scrubbed from the records, his legacy ensured that he would live on in one way or another. All that is known about him is that he was the Chapter Master during much of 'The Cleanse'. While the irony of the remembrance of him is not lost on the Chapter, he developed a cult following of sorts within the Chapter before being formally recognised as The Unknown One as not only a mark of honour but as a reminder to all others within the Chapter that loyalty to The Emperor and the prosecution of His Will, as well as one's duties, are paramount to one's service to the Imperium.
- Nathaniel Ghahlunder - Current Chapter Master of the Sermo Invictus Chapter, he is best known for leading the Chapter through the years of the 42nd Millennium and was commended for his efforts alongside all of the Crusader Fleets of the Chapter for establishing Ohkilesarus IV as a Hub-Fortress during the Indomitus Crusade.
Chapter Fleet[]
Known Vessels[]
- The Dark Tower (Battle Barge) - The command vessel of the Fleet of the Honoured, it also serves as the Chapter's Fortress Monastery. In some periods of the Chapter's history, it has served as a command vessel for a unified Chapter Fleet.
- Unquenchable Fury (Battle Barge) - One of the primary vessels of the Fleet of the Honoured.
- Zealous Crusader (Battle Barge) - This vessel is a command vessel of the Fleet of the Pure.
- The Cleansing Spear (Battle Barge) - Believed to be the command vessel of the third Crusader Fleet.
- Vengeful Hammer (Strike Cruiser) - A vessel belonging to the Fleet of the Honoured.
- The Redemptor (Strike Cruiser) - A vessel belonging to the Fleet of the Honoured.
- The Bladed Library (Strike Cruiser) - A vessel belonging to the Fleet of the Pure alongside the Zealous Crusader, the two vessels are never seen apart from each other and is assumed (correctly or otherwise) to have a purpose to match its name.
- Fist of the Word (Strike Cruiser) - A vessel from an unidentified Crusader Fleet.
- Golden Striker (Strike Cruiser) - A vessel from an unidentified Crusader Fleet.
Unknown Vessels[]
The Chapter has a vast array of space-faring vessels of various types that populate its Crusader Fleets, and many of them are unidentified because of the nature of the Chapter's operations across the galaxy. Crusades and operations prosecuted in secrecy or otherwise erased from all knowledge leave little room for the Chapter's Fleet to be identified in its entirety.
Fortress-Monastery[]
The Dark Tower is an exceptional Battle Barge among the others that the Chapter possesses in that is exuberantly decorated - something that goes against the grain of what is typical for the Chapter. It is also the single most heavily guarded vessel in any of the Chapter's Crusader Fleets due to its function as the Chapter's Fortress-Monastery.
Beyond this out-of-character decoration seen outside and within, accounts of its design and function suggest it is exceptionally similar to the Fortress-Monasteries of other Fleet-Based Chapters.
Chapter Relics[]
- Foehammer - This master-crafted Nemesis Daemon Hammer was granted to the Chapter Master of the day during the cleansing of the Winged Knights Chapter. As a weapon of great power as well as of great importance to the Chapter, it has only ever been wielded by the Chief Librarian or the Chapter Master in the case they are a psyker.
- The Blunt Array - This set of master-crafted Power Flails specifically crafted for the Chapter sometime during the 37th Millennium. They are true weapons of melee destruction that were crafted for the Company Captains and the Chapter Master of the time. Each of these Power Flails has since been passed down to each commander who succeeded its previous wielder.
- The Black Blade - This master-crafted Nemesis Force Sword is wielded by the Obsidian Shieldmaster of the Black Shield Veterans and it dates back to the 33rd Millennium. Its origins are mysterious, but this mystery is truly among the most innocent associated with the Chapter.
- Flame in the Dark - This master-crafted Heavy Flamer has been in service to the Chapter since the 1st Century of the 33rd Millennium. Among the Astartes of the Fleet of the Honoured, it is synonymous with the purging of heretics, betrayers and daemons.
- Hammer of the Vengeful - Contrary to its name, this relic is not any type of hammer but an ancient pattern Power Fist that is suspected to have originated either in the Dark Age of Technology or the Great Crusade Era. It is possessed of lengthy, ornate claws, and the pair - in its entirety - is decorated with extravagant gold filigree. Chapter tradition dictates that only a select few Astartes from the Fleet of the Honoured can don this ancient relic, but those who belong on this list are not known beyond the Chapter Master.
Chapter Appearance[]
Chapter Colours[]
The Chapter employs Red and Black as their primary and secondary colours and uses Gun-Metal Grey predominantly as a trim. The primary exception to this is the Black Shield Veterans, who use only Black as their only primary colour, do not have any secondary colours and use small amounts of Red as a trim colour. There have been periods throughout the Chapter's history where the Black Shield Veterans and them alone have used different colours for their trim.
Chapter Badge[]
The Chapter's badge is a stylised flame-coloured black centred on a field of red. Previous iterations of the badge also included a burning book, but such iconography has not represented the Chapter in millennia.
Relations[]
Allies[]
- Inquisition - While their relationship has seen light and dark days across the millennia, the Inquisition is almost certainly the Chapter's most trusted ally. The two organisations have worked hand-in-hand countless times and prosecuted the will of the Emperor to the fullest extent they are capable of, and they are a true force to be reckoned with.
- Imperial Fists and the Last Wall Chapters - As a Chapter that is suspected of being drawn from the lineage of Rogal Dorn, the Chapter has worked to establish and strengthen their relationship with the Imperial Fists and their Successor Chapters. As a result, they have a strong relationship with the Imperial Fists as well as the Black Templars and a smattering of other Chapters of that lineage alongside whom they have fought regularly. It is even said that the Chapter knows of the Last Wall Protocol and is expected to answer the call should it ever go out.
Strained[]
- Winged Knights - The Sermo Invictus Chapter regards the Winged Knights with perhaps an unfair amount of suspicion. Though their suspicion has faded over the millennia, their watchful and often judgemental eyes have not been taken off the Chapter.
Enemies[]
- Word Bearers - The Sermo Invictus Chapter has had many encounters with the traitors of the Word Bearers, and these traitors have displayed a pattern of antagonising and laying temptations at the feet of the Chapter. Such interactions have only served to reinforce the Chapter's zealotry when it comes to dealing with these traitors.
Notable Quotes[]
By the Sermo Invictus[]
About the Sermo Invictus[]
- "They are zealous savages, but the Emperor would be proud of the hammer they bring down upon His enemies. Disdain and admiration in equal measure is the point here."
- —Inquisitor Korrin of the Ordo Malleus
Gallery[]
