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This article, Sin Seekers, was written by Aroth Arklaw. Please do not edit or 'acquire' this fiction without the writer's permission. |
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This article, Sin Seekers, is currently under active construction. The author, Aroth Arklaw, apologizes for the inconvenience. |
- "Ours is the duty of pursuit and terror. The enemy will not rest, the enemy will not hide. Always will we maintain our poisonous assault on it like the thousand blades of a chain-sword bleeding them one drop at a time. And every time it lashes out in irritation, it shall find us elsewhere, ready to start the chase anew."
- — Chapter Master Jorastar Zuul on the Oath of Pursuit.
The Sin Seekers are a Codex Astartes-compliant Space Marine Chapter of unknown lineage. It is agreed that they were produced late into the 19th Founding but not much else is known outside certain circles. They are the most devout hunters of Heretic Astartes within the ranks of the Adeptus Astartes, tracking their fallen cousins across the galaxy and ending them justly. Nonetheless, they are among the most disliked Loyalist Space Marines in existence.
Being most active in the void of space, Sin Seekers value information, speed, and detection. Their libraries are full of historical records while their ships have high mobility coupled with excellent sensors and psychically aware personnel. The Chapter's forces prepare extensively in-between pursuits before harassing their quarries with no regards for honor or shame. All this while also refusing to help the Imperial forces they come across if it doesn't help their hunt. This comes at the cost of weak offenses, little results, and a reputation of vain cowardice. They are irksome hunters, self-absorbed scholars, and the greatest nuisance isolated Chaos Marines can ever face.
Chapter History
Creation
Born from an illusive batch of gene-seed acquired by the Inquisition through classified means, the Sin Seekers have been closely tied to the Holy Ordos of the Inquisition ever since their inception into the ranks of the Astartes. During the 36th Millenium, the Inquisition came to verbal blow with the Adeptus Mechanicus concerning the latter's guileful acquisition of the Iron Hands' gene-seed to create the Steel Confessors Chapter in an unclassified Founding. Negotiations ended up with the Inquisition making a compromise with the servants of the Omnissiah. The conditions were for the Steel Confessors to swear fealty to the Emperor, for them to cut ties with their Adeptus Mechanicus makers, and for the Tech-Priests themselves to assist in the production of the Sin Seekers. The later part including a vow of confidentiality concerning the new gene-seed's provenance.
After their creation, the Chapter remained quarantined on Mars for a few decades, isolated from the rest of the Imperium. This slow start allowed them time to train diligently and read about the history of numerous fallen Chapters which had yet to be censored by the Inquisition. Eager to prove themselves, the Sin Seekers departed their host when no significant defect was observed and gratefully boarded the ships the Adeptus Mechanicus had customised for their exclusive use. While not under the authority of the Lord-Inquisitors and the various Conclaves, the Sin Seekers have no qualm sharing their findings with inquisitorial informants in exchange for intelligence regarding new Chaos Space Marine targets or ancient records of interest.
The Oath of Pursuit
When the Chapter turned active, a certain promise was taken by the first Chapter Master. The so-called Oath of Pursuit is a reaffirming of loyalty to the Emperor as the one true God of Mankind. It entails that the Sin Seekers must accept the sacred duty of chasing those who rejected the Emperor's light and turned Traitor, most notably those who joined the ranks of the Ruinous Powers. According to this self-imposed covenant, the destruction and chase of any and all Chaos Space Marine becomes the priority of the Chapter, with all other threats deemed secondary or even negligible. Every successor to the title must since swear upon this Oath of Pursuit during the anointment as new Chapter Master.
The Oath of Pursuit more specifically entails that the Chapter Master must pick one to three specific Chaos targets whose presence in the Sector was confirmed at some point. The target's size can range from a simple Company to a full-sized Renegade Marines Chapter. The Chapter will then devote a portion of its troops to find, pursue, and engage the target until annihilation is confirmed. This pursuit can last months or even decades depending on the size of the target, not to mention the role played by the sheer size of an entire Sector. These Pursuits are not defined by the Sin Seekers as a Crusade per say, they are nonetheless campaigns that takes most of the Chapter's resource to achieve. Despite meager results, they greatly succeed at striking hate and fear into the hearts of their quarries and their Chaos-aligned allies thanks to the great stress produced by the chase.
The only way this Oath can be ignored is when a direct representative of the Emperor, such as a member of the Adeptus Custodes, would rarely offer a differing target. This odd devotion is nonetheless ignored by the powers of Man and excused by the inquisitorial elements overseeing their case, something which angers other Astartes Chapters even further.
Chronology
M36 - 19th Founding on Koltep : Training and recruiting on the Death World while waiting for the construction of Eye-Brother Fortress-Monastery Ship. The Chapter spends most of its first decades time studying the records of war provided by the Inquisition and observe the battles waged by their fellow Space Marine Chapters. Shortly after their departure, the Chapter chose Koltep as their Homeworld of choice. Spends most of the millennia spreading their influence on the planet and battling local Chaos Warbands.
M37 - Establishment of the Pursuit ideology. First decades solidifying battle tactics of harassment and studies from a safe distance. Beginning of the Endless Pursuit Period: The Chapter spreads itself thin trying to catch an illusive Warband, heavy losses and few victories. Gains a reputation of cowards and inefficiency.
M38 - Participates in the Belrath Crusade with good results and few casualties compared to other participants. Creates more tensions with other Space Marines like the Imperius Ravagers. The Chapter remains active in the Segmentum Pacificus. Spreads its Companies to form three major fleets of hunting parties.
M39 - Minotaurs-Sin Seekers Incident.
M41 - Participation in the Battle of Poria V, allegedly exit the Gothic Sector to continue their Pursuits.
999.M41 - Handful of Primaris reinforcements sent to the Chapter. Integration among the Chapter's Firstborns.
M42 - Reluctant participants in the War of False Prophets. After the Cult of Impurity takes root along the Macharius pilgrimage route, many planets of the Segmentum Pacificus end up uniting in a massive civil war. The Sin Seekers become one of six Space Marine Chapters to face the Legions of the Lost and the Damned, before finding themselves forced to cleanse their home-world of Koltep who was influenced by the cult as well.
Notable Campaigns
- The Endless Search Campaign (Unknown Date, M36) - Lasting for about two hundred years and costing the life of half the Chapter's companies, the Endless Campaign is the blackest time of the Sin Seekers' history. It was early in the Chapter's history, and before the Oath of Pursuit had been perfectly cemented in to the Chapter's doctrine. Not much is known of the identity of the prey the Chapter was pursuing, only that they lost men and ships every year in the pursuits.
Confidential records shared with the Inquisition reveals that the Chapter's Second and Third Company displayed a lack of coordination with the other units, helping other Imperial forces and wasting time. The Chapter Master of the time is said to have executed the Company Captains after the events.
The Sin Seekers returned to their primary Pursuit target with a renewed Oath. The later half of the campaign saw fewer losses and parts of the Company found the opportunities to eradicate some lesser Warbands, but Sin Seekers still do not talk about this time period with just anyone.
- The Dark Wolves' Folly (Unknown Date, M38) - At the twilight of the Third Black Crusade of M38, the Sin Seekers chose the infamous Renegade Warband known as Skyrar's Dark Wolves for their Oath of Pursuit. Their quarries exhausted after battling the Space Wolves some time ago, the Sin Seekers leisurely chased the Chaos Marines through space.
Following their trail through the warp and catching them on the ground of a desert planet, one whose climate would dismay the winter-accustomed Traitors. Exploiting the Dark Wolf's inherited Fenrisian trait of not retreating until every option had been exhausted and every bullet shot. The Sin Seekers placed many fake targets upon the planet for the Traitor Wolves to waste their energies upon.
The Sin Seekers succeeded in destroying most of the Warband's vehicles and kill a huge portion of the Crusade's survivors. However, the Traitors eventually found an opening and escaped. This failure led Ordo Malleus' strategists to assume the Dark Wolves would eventually acquire new vehicles, kidnap new recruits, and that the Sin Seekers' actions were all for naught. Ignoring this, the ever-active Space Marines chose a new target for a Pursuit.
- Battle of Poria V (139.M41) - The most well-known battle in which the Chapter was involved in is also their only contribution to the Gothic War. It happened over the Forge-World of Poria V, was in the middle of the 12th Black Crusade when the Chaos Forces attacked the galaxy en masse. A terrible naval battle had started between a Traitor Fleet and a hastily-gathered regiment of the Navis Imperialis. The Forge-World had been forced to levy a great amount of ships to repel the attacks on the Gothic Sector and lacked actual defenses as a result. A small contingent of Chaos ships had managed to slip through the Navy's net and attack the crucial planet.
As the battle intensified, large vessels were detected incoming from the warp. Two cruisers bearing the symbols of the Warband had arrived. These Chaos reinforcement were in bad shape however, and it didn't take long for the Imperium forces to understand why as a Sin-Seeker Cruiser entered the system, immediately opening fire on its injured quarries.
The presence of a large Cruiser from a Space Marine Chapter, despite how odd it was for the Chapter to be so far from its western station, was seen as a great boon by the weak Imperial fleet. Rear Admiral Covenor, who was appointed in urgency, hailed the Sin Seeker ship to coordinate their assaults. To the surprise of the inexperienced officer, the Sin Seeker's fifth Company Captain, at the time occupied by an Astartes named Ahl Menio, explained that the Chapter's target were the two damaged Chaos ships and these ships only. As soon as the two were eliminated the Chapter would leave their allies "in the God-Emperor's Hands". Thus ensued a very stressful negotiation from the Rear Admiral to convince the cruiser to use the battle as a way to make more damage to the forces of Chaos. After the Sin Seeker Captain sent a message via its Astropath, they hailed Covenor again. The arguments were deemed acceptable and the Sin Seekers pledged their service for the time of the battle. The Fifth Company fleet remained until the end of battle, keeping to the edge of the battle and harassing the Chaos vessels as per Chapter Doctrine.
At the end of the day, the fleet held long enough for ships to return from their engagements and reinforce the Forge-World. The Chaos Warband retreated, having lost its reinforcements due to their warp portal opening right on a reception comity of Imperial allegiance. They nevertheless succeeded in weakening the spaceports of the planet and destroying multiple vessels that were undergoing repairs in the shipyards. The Rear Admiral blamed the losses on the Sin Seekers' lack of commitment, at which point Captain Menion exited the system to join its brothers. Unknown to the Imperial Navy, the Chapter had prepared an ambush point according to their intel on the Warband they were facing. As soon as the Chaos forces exited the warp to regroup, they were caught by five other Sin Seekers Company fleets and thoroughly destroyed. The result of this skirmish wasn't immediately shared to Poria V, the Chapter immediately picking a new target for a Pursuit and returning to the galactic west of Holy Terra.
- The Sabbat Worlds Run (755.M41) - Perhaps the single most effective display in the Sin Seekers' history came during the Sabbat World Crusades in the Pacificus Segmentum in which they operate. The Chapter fleets focused their efforts on pursuing isolated Chaos warships that were harassing the hundreds of inhabited worlds of the sector. Despite few direct participation in the all-out battles, a considerable amount of Chaos dropships and destroyers were confirmed destroyed. It is one of the few campaign which resulted in overwhelmingly positive numbers recorded for Sin Seeker's participation in a crusade.
Chapter Homeworld
Despite residing within a fleet most of the time, the Sin Seekers have a home in the Death World of Koltep. The planet has been relatively untouched by the vagaries of war throughout the millennia. Most of its surface is ravaged by thunder and winds carrying razor-sharp shards to cut down any structure improperly prepared. As such, the few settlements that exist are cloistered and self-sufficient. The planet was one of the early discoveries from the Word Bearers during their Loyalist days in Pre-Horus Heresy era. It was once populated by human colonists who did not survive the passage of time among the harsh planet's embrace. New settlers from a different sub-sector have since repopulated a very small fraction of its surface under the backing of the Inquisition. There are few man-made structures on Koltep and the Successor Chapter attempt to leave the planet as untouched as possible by residing in the confines of a walled settlement near the equator. It is also here that they find recruits for the Chapter.
Originally, Koltep was chosen for colonization for its interesting weather conditions, the intensity of the storms and winds being far less dangerous than what is seen nowadays. The settlers attempted to harvest the winds and thunders to produce large amount of energies and turn the colonies into-self-improving marvels via automated processes blessed by Adeptus Mechanicus interested in how machine spirits would thrive in Koltep's conditions. After the Horus Heresy however, warp conditions around the planet tempered it into a full-blown death world making settling far more dangerous for the newest constructs. This does not seem to repel the the Sin-Seekers' interest to this world however. Only some valleys and mountains are exempt from the tougher conditions, which are where the Space Marine place their bureaus.
Fortress-Monastery
Despite occasionally staying on Koltep for recruitment, resupplying, and repairs, there is no actual building serving as Fortress-Monastery on the planet's surface. There are ruins of a potential construct, yet it was repurposed for unknown reasons into a sanctuary for the normal koltepian populations. As such, the Sin Seekers could be considered fleet-based, but one crucial element of their arsenal makes this distinction complicated.
The greatest asset of the Sin Seekers is what counts as their mobile Fortress-Monastery. It is a customized Exorcist-Class Grand Cruiser called the Eye Brother. A great construct is attached to its rear, and has been fairly improved by the Adeptus Mechanicus after the 19th Founding. Its stealth and detection capabilities are above the norm, as are the Astropath serving aboard. As for its propulsion systems, Eye-Brother can keep up with most ships in the Imperium. As such, they can both pursue targets and retreat out of range whenever the situation requires. Great cannons and torpedo-launchers adorn the surface of the Eye-Brother, for its remodeling into a monastery did not remove its firepower in the slightest. The great expertise of the Adeptus Mechanicus is to be thanked, though the reason for their great efforts remain unknown. War holds a great place in the daily duties, with Chambers carved into the ship to serve as arenas, training gyms, and even two firing ranges next to the hangar bays. Even while a full-on battle is underway, the chambers remain active for the recruits and Neophytes who have yet to be assigned to their stations lest the training areas themselves are under threat. Such a baffling omission of military doctrine confuses the Chapter's occasional guest, stunned that this Chapter's vessels do not follow the simple concept of "all hands on deck".
Outside its warring aspects, the Eye-Brother serves the exact same purposes as your average Fortress-Monastery. IN its deepest parts the Chapter conceals its artifacts and war trophies. Since the Space Marines are continuously campaigning, the Ship-Monastery is better kept and buzzing with activities compared to planet-bound counterparts. Still, life in this special fortress-monastery is one of deep-rooted routines of prayers that define the Chapter in its beliefs, more so than in the other ships of the Sin Seekers fleet. Small shrines are built into every entrenchment of the vessel, even in the batteries and docking bays. Chaplains periodically patrol the ship in its entirety, blessing the men at work and reciting passages of the holy words of past Primarchs and glorious battles of old to restore faith and purpose. There seems to be no preferential treatment to any one story, which makes determining the origin of the Chapter even more of a challenge. Rituals of devotion punctuate the engine's roaring and the chant of the faithful fill the recycled air, begging for success in finding their preys and for the strength to destroy them in the name of the God-Emperor. In short, this is fortress-monastery designed to be a place of endless historical ponderings as well as potent torpedo-firing pursuit.
Because of the Sin Seekers slower recruitment rate, which is largely due to the un-static aspect of the fortress, a lot of crew-members are not Space Marines, but Chapter Serfs drawn from whatever hole the Chapter happened to visit, and long-serving Adeptus Mechanicus engineers. In the tight confines of the spaceship, it is easy for their sight to be familiar to every Astartes. This closeness doesn't impede on the Chapter's efficiency, as the soldier of the Imperium have a great focus on their prayers, and often need to man their station for a coming battle. There are few serfs aboard the Eye-Brother compared to a "proper" Fortress-Monastery, they handle simple, menial tasks to ease the Astartes' routine, but the Chapter does not rely or interact with them all that much.
Chapter Organisation
Officer Ranks
Veteran
Sin Seekers Veteran, assigned to the 4th Company ('True Tormentors'), 9th Veteran Squad.
The Veteran Sin Seekers do not present the golden circles binding them over the elbows and knees, something they share with Sin Seekers officers. They have undergone countless battles, but contrary to other Chapters they may not have the scars to prove it. Due to the overwhelmingly low amount of casualties Sin Seekers suffer over their service, the ranks of the Chapter contains many a promoted Veteran who distinguishes himself by the Chapter's peculiar standards. Because of this, they do not always become part of the First Company, instead bolstering the ranks of the other companies, sometimes even becoming the majority of the company they become a part of. It is rumored that, much like the other officers, Veteran Sin Seekers are privy to special revelations about their Chapter and enjoy access to history records unknown to their fresher brethren.
Specialist Ranks
Chief Librarian
The Sin Seekers present not one but three individuals bearing the title of Chief Librarians. They oversee the many psychically-powered Astartes of the Space Marines, be it the Codiciers within the confines of the Librarius or the battle-psykers on the field. There is but one Sin Seekers Librarium, yet it is subdivided into three Aisles which are directed by these Librarian officers. They are responsible for full Companies, and rarely interact with each other outside main campaigns. It is one of the few such aberrations that stands on the fine lines of the Codex Astartes within the Chapter's organization.
Line Ranks
Specialist Formations
Sin Seekers Librarians
In contrast to other less warp-reliant chapters, the Sin Seekers collect a significant portion of Librarian Astartes battle-psykers who specialise in the study of the shifts in the Warp while maintaining combat effectiveness. There is a clear lack of raw warp powers as a result of this focus on detection, but it cooperates well with Sin Seekers battle doctrines. The three Aisles that the triumvirate of Chief Librarians supervise contain almost 30 such Librarians each.
Most of this Chapter's Librarians are actually collected from their homeworld of Koltep. The Death-World, despite a slow production of Astartes as a whole, provides a good amount of sensitive and loyal psyker subjects. Following the Codex Astartes during the tests remains the norm as with other compliant Chapters.
Order of Battle
Chapter Command
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| Armoury | Reclusium | Apothecarion | Librarius | |
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Companies
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| Veteran Company | Battle Companies | ||||||||||
| 1st Company | 2nd Company | 3rd Company | 4th Company | 5th Company | |||||||
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| Reserve Companies | Scout Company | |||||
| 6th Company | 7th Company | 8th Company | 9th Company | 10th Company | ||
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Chapter Beliefs
- "Our faith is deep, personal, it belongs to a plane which the uninitiated seldom enter. Our beliefs go beyond zealous ignorance and blind fanaticism. Through our understanding of the past, acceptance of the present, and hopes of the future we have achieved plenitude in our sacred duties. Do not question our motives again. "
- — Head Chaplain Manoth Havelkron of the Sin Seekers
Sin Seekers have always displayed boundless devotion to the Emperor of Mankind and his oldest allies. The belief in his divinity is anchored deep into every one of their brothers down to their training. This religious fervour does not extend to perfect loyalty towards the Imperial organization however. Eminent groups such as the High Lords of Terra and the higher echelons of the Inquisition do not receive much respect. Not even their fellow Astartes seem to be appreciated by the Sin Seekers, with few exceptions.
The Chaplainship occupy a prestigious place among their Astartes brotherhood. Chaplains often recite revised passages from Lectitio Divinitatus in the midst of pursuit, keeping morale high among the companies. Each words resonnates among the battle-brothers as encouragement and praise for the focused chase on the enemies of their God.
Chapter Gene-Seed
- "I hope that this pathetic behavior truly is a genetic phenomenon, or I'll have to consider that my brother truly is a doddering imbecile.""
- —Captain Joconai Dro of the 9th Company lamenting a history lesson gone sour.
There are no official records of any grave mutational deviancy in the Sin Seekers Gene-Seed, and this despite centuries of service. But despite the quasi-absent signs of physical alterations, there is a behavioral "affect" that may or may not have an origin in the gene-seed's makeup. There are occasions where non-combat-related debates between Sin Seekers can become heated out of nowhere. The talks can be about ancient texts, analysis of historical records, or even a particular holodrama. Whatever the topic, one Sin Seeker occasionally starts to contest or defend an unpopular opinion calmly at first, then vehemently. Such a discourse continues even when presented with factual evidence of the contrary being more likely. While such events never escalate to actual blows being thrown, they are an irritation and a shameful display in the eyes of the Astartes themselves. Individuals actively engaging in this behavior are commonly called "Contrarians" by their fellow Space Marines.
The morale of the "Contrarian" in question may suffer for a time, but they rejoin the fold soon enough and may even have a change of heart about the original argument. While the Magos Biologis studying the Astartes' bioframe does not completely dismiss the possibility of a genetic tendency towards holding unreasonable opinions, it is as of yet unknown whether the illusive gene-seed truly is responsible for this "Contrarian" condition. IN the meantime such incidents are attributed to a psychological weakness in the Astartes themselves, in other words a personality clash or an affect of the ego. Whatever the case these events do not affect battle-effectiveness enough to warrant major concerns and the Sin Seekers gene-seed is considered to remain impressively pure.
Combat Doctrine
Despite their single minded pursuits, the Loyalist Chapter takes its time with battle-preparations. Through their Inquisitorial connections, the Sin Seekers have gathered a lot of details regarding the personalities and tactics used by Traitor Legions in the past. However, because of the many censoring actions of humanity's administration, much of the Imperium's history is either redacted or missing altogether, at least to the citizenry, which means the Chapter has to rely on its bonds with the Inquisition to secure relevant data. Such information can also come from the few remaining Remembrancer transcripts, as well as battle reports from various sectors of the galaxy. Whatever the means employed to get these details, the commanding officers come up with special tactics that use the Traitor enemies' nature against them.
It is also important to note that Sin Seekers remain on the lookout for enemy reinforcements at all times, be it before or after engaging their targets. The commanding officers need to keep a birds-eye view of the battlefields, seeking any sign of deceit. In the same vein, maintaining Vox contact, safeguarding Librarians, and protecting the comms with tech-prayers has great importance for the tactics they have chosen to remain effective.
For most encounters however, the Sin Seekers employ a three-phase approach. When combat does starts, either in space or on the field, it is customary for Sin Seekers to test the water by launching quick hit-and-run strikes with clear exits point in mind. The goal is to ascertain the enemy composition, evaluate the weak points, and attract the enemy's attention towards a desired position. Fighter crafts and recon units are often parts of those first endeavors. Mobility is paramount to this phase.
Sniper fire and barrages define the second part of attack. Defense-focused units must make their way towards the sides while Scout Marines or long-range vehicles keep up the pressure to provide cover. The mission of the assault troops deployed is to cut the enemy's exit paths without trying to engage directly. The sniping entities need to deal heavy enough damage to provoke a chase, forcing the enemies to engage the obstacles placed on their way.
Only when the enemy has been weakened and its position compromised in some way does the third phase begins. The Chapter confidently weaves its way into melee range via the routes it has secured in the previous phases. They can head down the middle and towards the sides where the assault troops from the second phase await them, thereby catching the back of their aggressors. As the enemy begins taking cross-fire, the rest of the Sin Seekers troops can charge gloriously to encircle and slaughter the disoriented foe cleanly.
Deathwatch Service
The Chapter has always maintained amicable ties to the Inquisition and most preponderantly the Ordo Malleus. However, very few are the Sin Seekers Astartes recruited for service in Deathwatch Kill-Teams. This lack of commitment may be excused by the Chapter's lack of experience in fighting xenos, their preys being mostly Imperium in origin. The invitation into the Deathwatch is a high honor, but Sin Seekers are, as a whole, uninterested and would rather keep to their business. But when the needs are great, the Ordo Xeno has often bartered some of their intel in exchange for a volunteers. When that happens however, the Watch Commanders are surprised to find that these Astartes work exceedingly well in a team composed of different Chapters.
Deathwatch-assigned Sin Seekers are very tolerant of the different cultures, making long-lasting bonds as battle-brothers. Their knowledge of history is great and they know a lot about many space sectors which their Chapter visited during their endless pursuits. Being great well of tactical knowledge and wisdom of the past serves the Deathwatch well outside battle, and keeps the group grounded during an investigation. However, when the debate turns to the worship of the Emperor as a deity, one can be troubled by the excessive zeal and loud proclamations the Sin Seeker engages in. When the Deathwatch assignment ends, the recruited Astartes usually returns to his Company without a word or a glance back. This behavior started rumors that Sin Seekers merely act in a friendly manner so that they can return on the chase with their Chapter as soon as possible.
Notable Members
Astartes
- Chapter Master Jorastar Zuul: The third and current Chapter Master of the Sin Seekers appointed to office in the late 40th Millennium. A devout and optimistic Space Marine who never tires of chasing Traitor Marines even to the point of starvation. Much like his predecessors, his belief in the Emperor fuels his pursuits, and excuses his lack of assisting Imperial forces in their own duties. Often arguing that the God-Emperor will provide victory to their allies to allow Sin Seekers business to go unabated.
- Chief Librarian Kothinius Alecto: A quiet and focused battle-psyker with a very long grey ponytail. He leads the defensive lines of the 1st Company and gallantly guarantees the safety of his brothers. His skill in weathering the realm of Chaos lets him remain on the field long enough to be a tasty distraction, something the Chapter uses to its advantage. As the oldest Sin Seekers Chief Librarian, he has experienced many skirmishes with Chaos Sorcerer who failed to subdue him thanks to the Sin Seekers tactics of avoiding direct confrontation. There is yet to be a report of warp-related incident from one of his men. Besides this, he is also known for his abilities to train and produce capable Epistolaries in record times.
- Vaas the Versed: An erudite warrior who now resides within an Ironclad Dreadnought for the Sin Seekers' 9th Company. Sergeant Vaas was known for spending a vast amount of time studying records, even by Sin Seekers standard. He was noted to listen to audiologs even in the middle of weapons training and duels. Vaas was critically wounded facing the World Eaters Traitor Astartes. The Devastator Squad he was in charge of came under heavy counter-artillery fire performed by an unnexpected group of Skull Cannons of Khorne. After ordering the survivors behind him to place decoys and escape, Vaas remained behind to emulate the presence of his squad and entice the enemy closer. His troops were able to ambush the Daemon Engines and come reinforce their leader. Already wounded and with the enemy on top of him, Vaas ordered his squad to lay down a final barrage that destroyed his foes and most of his body. His valor was encased in a Dreadnought. Whenever roused, Vaas fiercely supports his brothers with devastating firepower so that he may return all the sooner, so he may read as much lore as possible before sleep takes him again.
Non-Astartes Personnel
- Astropath Quendalin: Both the navigation hand of the Eye-Brother and its most precious detection device. She is a psychic expert in interpreting the quakes of the warp. While in service to the Chapter, she has revealed the position and nature of countless heretical transmissions which allowed the ambushing and extermination of many enemies of Man. It is rumored that she keeps a perpetual mental tab on high-value targets for the Chapter, possible targets for Pursuits in the future.
Chapter Fleet
While mostly active in the western reaches of the Pacificus Sector, a good portion of the Sin Seeker's battles occur in space over a wide array of territories according to their targets. It is therefore obvious that their fleet be adequately structured. While the formations have shifted over the millennias, they nowadays present three decently-sized cohorts to pursue targets patiently.
First Cohort
The Eye Brother- Flagship of the First Cohort and simile flying-Fortress Monastery.
The Grey Cover- A Retribution-Class cruiser providing support fire.
The Cessabit-
Second Cohort
The True Wisdom (Battle Barge)- Flagship of the Second Cohort.
The Reconnoitor-
Third Cohort
The Emperor's Patience- Flagship of the Third Cohort. Heavily modified hull to absorb more damage and protect its accompanying strike cruisers.
The Sorcerer Slayer (Strike Cruiser)- A well-balanced cruiser that shifts between offense and defense depending on the encounter.
Chapter Relics
Over their many years roaming the stars with no pause, the Sin Seekers have visited many different worlds and slain various bands and Companies of Chaos Marines. Not any other foes such as xenos and mutants however. Their Vaults reflect this lack of variety. Most it contains are the tired weaponry and worn armors of past Sin Seekers Space Marines. They do at least possess a few advanced rifles from the Dark Age of Technology. One of them being of close designs to those used by the Adeptus Custodes during the Siege of Terra. These ancient guns are rarely used for fear of losing them in the many short skirmishes the Sin Seekers engage in. The Chapter itself is very lacking in its own kinds of relics and gifts from other Chapters are nigh non-existent. The few non-Sin Seekers relics they do keep are Pre-Heresy vehicles and armors, which are kept as decoration in the Eye-Brother's Librarium for the same reasons as the rifles.
During their Pursuits of different Traitor Legions, the Chapter has also come across various artifacts from the chaotic hordes which are relayed to inquisitorial agents in exchange for intelligence and supplies, furthering the bounds with the Ordos and keeping the Chapter safe from the corruption these items could bring. The sole "heretical" relic the Chapter kept is a very old and damaged tapestry representing the Fallen Primarch Lorgar. The Sin Seekers acquired it when they interrupted a band of Chaos Marine from destroying a vault filled with ancient art pieces. To keep such heresy would be unthinkable. The artist seems to have failed to paint the Archtraitor properly by giving him a ridiculous cross-eyed expression. Whether the creator was an incompetent Remembrancer, whether they were purposeful in this comical depiction, or whether the damage somehow led to this appearance is unknown. This relic doesn't have a name, but most battle-brothers call it "The Reminder" and mock it openly. It stands in one of the corridors of the Monastery-Cruiser.
Chapter Personality
While most soldiers within a Space Marine Chapter can present individuality and variety in social natures, nearly all Sin Seekers share a similar mindset. They all value debates while speaking with smug cynicism, sometimes coupled by carefully hidden sarcasm. The Sin Seekers often use the received ideas of another chapter in the form of a comparison. Witnessing any display of unneeded emotion, be it from a fellow Sin Seeker or a guest, is welcomed by a comparison to another Space Marine Chapter whose history and stereotypes are common knowledge among the ranks. Ironically the Sin Seekers do not use such comparisons with their own Chapter as basis, showing a lack of self-awareness of their prideful and admonishing nature.
Chapter Appearance
Chapter icon of the Sin Seekers Chapter.
Chapter Colours
The main color is a dark shade of grey that is reminiscent of the Word Bearers pre-heresy colors. The vambraces and greaves are full-painted red. Four yellow rings embrace the average Sin Seekers armor horizontally, one over each knee and elbow. However, Officers and Veterans seem to be exempt from this particular detail. It is, supposedly, a way to mark a sort of limitation being removed.
Chapter Badge
On the Sin Seekers badge is a flaming eye shoved into the mouth of a winged skull, depicting both the watchful aspect of the chapter and their constant mobility. A variant of this symbol have been seen for Deathwatch-assigned Astartes, presenting only a single wing on the skull. Mayhap this change serves to indicate that by becoming part of a Deathwatch they have given up on their liberty to join Pursuits.
Chapter Relations
Allies
Minotaurs Chapter
Armorial of the Minotaurs Chapter.
Other notorious Chapters hunting Heretic Astartes can be said to be long-time allies to the Sin Seekers. The Minotaurs Space Marines are the most notable candidates. Similarly inclined albeit far less picky than the Sin Seekers, Minotaur Marines often engage remote Space Marines Chapters suspected of turning renegade. On many occasion the Sin Seekers's Pursuits led them to share the same target as the Minotaurs and the two Chapters' forces became familiar with each other's methods. However, the commanders of both armies do not share the same values and keep their alliance as the exchanges of courtesies. From the Sin Seekers' prideful perspective, the Minotaurs are a younger more excitable Chapter. The Minotaurs however share the contempt other Chapters feel for the Sin Seekers and their dishonorable maneuvers.
At times, their Minotaurs allies even came to suspect the Sin Seekers of colluding with their targets given the suspicious amount of time the Pursuits can take. It even came to blows in what is known as the Koltep Incident, where both Chapter's cruisers fired on each other until the Sin Seekers innocence could be proven thanks to the intervention of a Cardinal, carrying a sealed Custodian letter and speaking on behalf of the Ecclesiarch of the time. Hearing the representative of a High lord calmed the Minotaur's suspicions, while the Sin Seekers heeded the letter's word immediately by retracting their Oath and assisting their Astartes brothers for once. Nowadays the relationships remain cordial though a chasm has formed between even long-time comrades among both ranks.
Red Hunters Chapter
Armorial of the Red Hunters Chapter.
While the Sin Seekers' bonds to the Inquisition are not based on honor and duty like the Red Hunters, the two Chapters have a lot in common as far as their end-goals go. But there is not much else they share. The Sin Seekers are independent and pick their own target, their value of combat and honor being the antithesis of their brethren's. Nonetheless, the the two Astartes organizations have worked together on more than one occasion, one could go as far as to say the Red HUnters have spent the most time performing their duties by the side of these enthusiasts of history.
Enemies
Armorial of the Alpha Legion.
Throughout their restless course among the stars, the Sin Seekers have earned the enmity of many among the Chaos Legions' ranks, but also from outside groups the Chapter would have never targeted. Their most obvious is the Alpha Legion. This elusive Legion of Traitors wages a war of intelligence against the Sin Seekers, trying to insert false information on targets to trap and eliminate the Loyalists. So far, counter-intelligence has prevented the Chapter from annihilation, though it certainly took loses in man due to the Traitor's machinations.
Notable Quotes
By the Sin Seekers
- "Our methods are vilified and our results scrutinized. We will stay true to our path however, for we have Traitor corpses to pave it with."
- — Llargo Galarius Captain of the Sin Seekers' Fifth Company
- ""The thoughts are clear: our quarry tires Milords. Yes they do feel the Emperor's Breath on their neck, feel it like a burning itch digging into their spines. Their corrupted voices cannot contain the tremors on their lips. Yes they weakly command discipline into their troops and beg the stars for help.""
- —An Astropath serving aboard a Sin Seekers Vanguard Cruiser.
About the Sin Seekers
- "We do not talk about them."
- — Uriel Ventris, Master of the Fleet of the Ultramarines Chapter.
- "They are armed historians, not learned warriors."
- — Unknown Space Marine Battle-Brother.
- "Not enough can be said about their lack of commitment in matters outside their "quests". But while a lack of care may be a sign ineptitude, it is not necessarily a mark of heresy. No other Sons of the Emperor can frustrate the treacherous hordes as they do. Through their actions the Imperium undeniably saves both time and resources. Emperor knows we need both direly..."
- — Inquisitor Khyber Thax of the Ordo Hereticus
- "Lackeys of Corpse-Emperor! Enough of your games! Enough making dents in our ships! Come take a proper bite! Come spill your Blood! Blood for the Blood God!"
- — A World Eater Traitor officer taunting Sin Seekers unsuccessfully.
| Nineteenth Founding Space Marine Chapters | |
|---|---|
| Dark Angels Successors | • |
| White Scars Successors | Voidborne • |
| Space Wolves Successors | N/A |
| Imperial Fists Successors | Charnel Hammers • Knights of Sol • |
| Blood Angels Successors | Ashen Angels (Wardens of Ash) • Auricblood Knights • |
| Iron Hands Successors | • |
| Ultramarines Successors | Knights of the Silver Blade • |
| Salamanders Successors | Ashborne Drakes • |
| Raven Guard Successors | Ashen Crows • Horned Machetes • |
| Unknown Lineage | Sin Seekers • Storm Knights • |
| Renegades | War Lions • |