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"Stay not the blade! Halt not the advance! Against the sons of Indeius, the heretic cannot stand!"
—Brother-Sergeant Gaius Volonti, Star Angels 5th Company
The Star Angels, also known as the Angelus Asterus in High Gothic, are a Loyalist chapter of Space Marines that are suspected to have been created in the 23rd 'Sentinel' Founding, of an unknown lineage. Their fortress-monastery 'The Hallowed Star' is located on the arid desert Feral World of Indeius.
Proud though secretive; They are unusual in that a Chaplain may rise to the rank of Chapter Master (referred to as High Chaplains), notably Morterus, who led the chapter in their ill-fated crusade across the Caligari Sector.
The earliest known records of the existence of the Star Angels chronicle their arrival in the early part of the 38th Millennia, where they appeared in multiple conflicts in the Caligari Sector of the Segmentum Tempestus, battling xenos and heretic alike in a long, and costly crusade that nearly brought the chapter to ruin.
Star Angels value - above all renown or glory - piety, which they demonstrate with their ferocity in combat, striking hard and never taking a backwards step - regardless of how high the enemies of the Imperium number. This ideology has led to both the greatest acts of heroism, and also the swiftest declines in the chapter's turbulent history.
Members of the chapter have also been observed to display heightened speed and agility, even for Astartes, demonstrating this in devastatingly effective hit and run assaults against the enemies of the Imperium, and making them well suited to 'shock and awe' type manoeuvrers. It is currently unknown if this is an inherited trait from their progenitor, or a mutation in the gene-seed.
Due to their mistrust of certain facets of the Administratum, the Star Angels have earned - in their efforts to limit the knowledge of their history and organisation to non-Astartes - a reputation of being secretive recluses, and as such almost all official records of their origins are at best, speculative; with very little information validated by the chapter themselves.
Rebuilding the Chapter
Presumed lost after two millennia of silence, the Star Angels emerged from their crusade, but in spite of their total isolation - navigating the regions destructive warp storms - they remained steadfastly devoted to their cause, and to the service of the golden throne.
What is known, is that the chapter returned a greatly depleted force; numbering less than two full companies, and commanded by Karstro Viann - formerly the first captain of the chapter's 1st Company - now Chapter Master of the Star Angels.
Notable Events
The earliest exploits of the Star Angels are not well known by imperial scholars, and are largely overshadowed by the crusade that is known as the 'Penance of Secrecy' by members of the chapter.
However, following their return - led to numerous victories by Chapter Master Karstro Viann during the indomitus crusade - the chapter has risen to some renown, most notably following their valiant defence of the hive world Valcurus from a greenskin tide.
Penance of Secrecy (Early M38 to 127.M40) - The crusade launched by High Chaplain Morterus, Chapter
Departmento Cartographicae star map of the Caligari Sector in the Segmentum Tempestus.
Master of the Star Angels. The 'Penance' led the chapter's disappearance for nearly two millennia as they navigated the numerous warp storms to return to imperial space.
The crusade saw initial gains in systems controlled by chaos forces in the Caligari Sector, before eventually being numerically overwhelmed by an unknown Slaaneshi Warband in the Kartas System. Initially reluctant to tactically withdraw due to the regions fierce warp storms making the endeavour a near impossibility, the chapter took heavy losses, bearing fewer than two full companies on their return into imperial space, with two millenia having passed since their disappearance.
It is widely believed that this incident - as well as the loss of High Chaplain Morterus - changed the foundation of the chapter's identity. Despite being well adapted for fast, hard impact strikes against the enemy forces, the Star Angels that survived the 'Penance' held in importance the value of holding out against insurmountable odds, and refusing to take a backwards step. Veterans of the crusade would later be formed into the chapter's 1st company, specialising in capture and hold operations.
The Indomitus Crusade - After a lengthy rebuilding process on Indeius restoring themselves to full strength, the Star
Chapter Master Karstro Viann, leading the Star Angels during the Indomitus Crusade.
Angels participated in many campaigns during the Indomitus Crusade.
The Second Siege of Calamis - Following their part in the Indomitus Crusade, and newly bolstered with a 10th company of Primaris Space Marines, Karstro Viann led his chapter back to Calamis to reclaim the shrine world from the forces of chaos, or to destroy it if necessary. The chapter's first and second companies were mostly comprised of veterans from the Penance, and were eager to fulfil their promise to return Calamis to imperial hands, and put right their greatest failure.
Chapter Home World
"Look out upon the sands of Indeius. The endless, ancient, golden sea upon which neither time nor thought can long sail. They endure. We are as the sands."
—Karstro Juhn Viann, Chapter Master of the Star Angels
The Feral World of Indeius is a vast and unforgiving desert planet located in the Segmentum Tempestus. With arid rocky outcrops on either pole that are barely able to sustain the minimal life found there, the ageless, featureless desert surface has become a symbol of endurance to the chapter; which is, to them analogous to their undying fealty to the Imperium of Man. The planet unusually held the position of the Star Angels sole recruitment world when the chapter was replenishing its forces following 'The Penance' crusade.
Departmento Cartographicae pict-file of "The Golden Sea" Indeius, the arid desert Chapter Homeworld of the Star Angels.
Other than the native human population, Indeius harbours diverse and deadly fauna - largely concentrated in its more habitable poles - most notably the 'Indeian Crag Wyrm', a colossal worm-like creature which bores through sand and rock to sink and devour its prey.
Clans of Indeius
The Iron Age native clansmen are found to be incredibly cunning and resourceful - well adapted to the unforgiving nature of life on Indeius - but locked in constant clan wars for the limited resources and land available.
Through millennia of perpetual conflict, the peoples of Indeius have become elite choices for Astartes recruitment, and were instrumental in the rebuilding of the chapter following its near annihilation.
Strongest of the southern clans, the highly superstitious warrior clan of 'Varsaii' began to revere the Astartes as protector like figures in their mythology, leading to their eventual extinction when their warrior caste was effectively absorbed by the chapter during rebuilding, pledging their entire clan as willing servants of the God-Emperor of Mankind.
Indeian Physiology
A Star Angels Astartes, displaying the physical characteristics of Indeius-born humans.
Typically, the Humans found on Indeius are tan to olive skinned, with bright, golden eyes. The genetic quirk in their natural eye colour is the result of a rare form of primitive eugenics, as the ancient forebears of Indeian clans held the belief that the hue of ones eye was indicative of their fate, as blue represented the acquisition of power, green represented good fortune, brown represented martial potential, and gold, reflecting the sands of Indeius themselves represented a lasting legacy.
As the natural resources on the planet's poles dwindeled, the Indeian clans - determined to ensure their clans would endure their hardships - engaged in millennia of selective breeding, creating a dominant gene for golden eyes that insured practically every child of Indeius would bear this trait. Children born with any other eye colour now considered 'Fateless', experiencing treatment ranging from superstitial scorn to sacrificial slaughter.
Fortress-Monastery
Chapter Organisation
Officer Ranks
Chapter Master
Captain
Perseverant - Equivalent to lieutenant (Restricted to the 10th company)
Sergeant - (Resilientor, Restricted to the 1st company)
Specialist Ranks
High Chaplain - Equivalent to Chapter Master, if a Chaplain is selected. This has happened only once, at the event of the founding of the chapter.
Chaplain Tenacior - Equivalent to Captain, if a Chaplain is selected.
Apothecary
Chaplain
Line Ranks
Specialist Units & Formations
Order of Battle
Headquarters
Companies
Combat Doctrine
Chapter Culture & Beliefs
Chapter Recruitment
The relationship between Marines and the native clansmen was initially one of indifference, with the strongest and most capable members of each clan being given up for the selection process with an almost resigned understanding that they could not resist these strange metal titans if they chose to. This relationship changed when the Star Angels took a more directly diplomatic approach to dealing with the clans, offering vital supplies to those able to offer the most capable of their warriors.
Chapter Gene-Seed
Deathwatch Service
Notable Members
High Chaplain Morterus
The 'First Son of Indeius' himself, High Chaplain Morterus exemplified the finest traits present in Astartes; A warrior of awe-inspiring capability, with an unbreakable faith in the Emperor.
Morterus led the Star Angels on their crusade against the Forces of Chaos in the ancient and largely forgotten Caligari Sector. Plagued by Warp Storms and hiding many worlds tainted by Chaos, the High Chaplain set to illuminate this dark sector with the fires of retribution, and bring to heel these lost worlds turned to heretical despotism.
The High Chaplain's Demise
After many hard fought victories during the long and costly 'Penance', Morterus met his end on the lost shrine world of Calamis, lured in after mapping the location as the site of a lost imperial relic; the chapter was outnumbered and overrun by an unknown Chaos Warband displaying the sigil of Slaanesh, and hordes of foul warp-spawned daemons that numbered unimaginably high and crept from every crevice of the surface of the despoiled planet.
Prepared to fight to the last battle-brother, the Star Angels took heavy losses, never wavering as Morterus's calls to endure echoed about the raging battlefield. Felling each daemon and heretic that crossed his path, Morterus raged through the terrible horde to Intercept a Greater Daemon of Slaanesh tearing its way through the Star Angels lines.
Despite greatly wounding this loathsome avatar of Slaanesh in single combat, the Daemon parried a killing blow, impaling Morterus with its Witstealer Sword with a gleeful shriek, before succumbing to a hail of bolter fire from the ranks of the 1st company.
Mournfully realising the day was lost, first captain Karstro Viann orchestrated a masterful tactical withdrawal from Calamis, as many battle-brothers - both inspired and vengeful in witnessing their High Chaplain's sacrifice - fought valiantly, buying time for what remained of the Star Angels forces to withdraw, retrieving the body of their fallen Chapter Master amidst the chaos of the battlefield.
Service Does Not End in Death
Morterus, the 'First Son of Indeius'.
Across numerous engagements in the Indomitus crusade, the honoured 1st Company of the Star Angels have been sighted with a distinctive Venerable Dreadnought amongst its ranks, its armour pitch black as it rallied the battleline of the veteran company with echoing cries and visceral fervour.
The machine sarcophagus is rumoured to sustain the fatally wounded Morterus in its housing, continuing his great crusade against the forces of chaos in death as he did in life.
While the Star Angels no longer speak of their fallen High Chaplain in the present tense, their aloofness - characteristic of their chapter - leaves room for doubt about his true fate either way.
Karstro Viann
First Captain Karstro Viann of the Star Angels during the 'Penance of Secrecy' crusade.
Karstro Juhn Viann, Chapter Master of the Star Angels is one of the most honoured sons of Indeius, second only to Morterus.
Tactically gifted; as first captain, Viann would orchestrate the pattern of attack used in some of the Star Angels most notable victories in their history, where Morterus inspired the chapter to great heroics with his emboldening words and astonishing deeds.
During the darkest hour of the chapter's history, in which High Chaplain Morterus was slain by a Keeper of Secrets on the forgotten Shrine World of Calamis, Viann led a miraculous withdrawal from the planets surface - ensuring the sons of Indeius would indeed endure once more.
Faithful that they would be protected from the horrors of the Warp, Karstro ordered the fleet to sail into the Warp Storms that had bottlenecked them in the Kartas system, where they would eventually navigate back to imperial space to rebuild, and one day return.
Matias Corrus
Matias Corrus, also heralded as the 'Hero of Calamis', 'Bane of the Warp-Spawned' and 'Corrus the Iron' is captain of the 4th Company of the Star Angels and one of the chapter's most fearsome combatants.
Clad in a set of Artificer Armour, Corrus is an imposing figure on the battlefield, cleaving through enemies of the imperium with his Power Sword alongside his personal cadre of Terminators.
A veteran of the 'Penance' crusade, the then Brother-Sergeant Corrus displayed an iron will in the face of insurmountable odds during the evacuation of Calamis. The sole survivor of his tactical squad, Corrus cut through wave after wave of daemon and heretic alike with an unflinching brutality, and unending bolter fire.
His act of heroism was vital in buying time for the Star Angels to tactically withdraw from the lost Shrine World's surface, now overrun by the Forces of Chaos.
Following the Star Angel's return into imperial space, Corrus was awarded with captaincy of the 4th company - from which he came - by the newly appointed Chapter Master Karstro Viann.
Chapter Fleet
Chapter Relics
Star-Forged Blade - The Star-Forged Blade is a Master Crafted power sword, currently wielded by the Star
Captain Matias Corrus, Commander of the 4th company clad in the Mantle of Penance.
Angels Chapter Master, Karstro Viann.
Angel's Gaze - The Angel's Gaze is a Master Crafted Combi-Plasma, currently wielded by the Star Angels Chapter Master, Karstro Viann.
Avatar Permanence - The Avatar Permanence is a set of Artificer Armour worn by the Star Angels Chapter Master, Karstro Viann.
Mantle of Penance - The Mantle of Penance is a set of Artificer Armour worn by Captain Matias Corrus, Commander of the 4th company.
Hammer of the Eclipse - The Hammer of the Eclipse is a Master Crafted Thunder Hammer, currently wielded by First Captain Sante Gregorus, Commander of the 1st company.
Talons of Indeius - The Talons of Indeius are a pair of Lightning Claws, currently wielded by Captain Silvestro Renatus, Commander of the 2nd company.
Fate's Hand - Fate's Hand is a Master Crafted Power Fist, formerly wielded by High Chaplain Morterus. It is believed to be interred within the Hallowed Star.
Chapter Appearance
Chapter Colours
A Star Angels Astartes Veteran Resilientor of the 1st Company - 'The Penitent'
The Star Angels power armour is primarily composed of a reflective, metallic dark red colour. This is contrasted by a matt white on the pauldrons, backpack and helmet, with a metallic dark red trim on the shoulder pads, and bronze accents on the power armour, and on the aquila.
Individual Star Angels Astartes are afforded the right to bare 'star-crests' on their power armour for distinguished service in campaigns, though a star-crested helmet is used to denote officers.
Veteran Star Angels are commonly seen with bronze trim on their shoulder pads, most notably the 1st Company, who all bare this distinction.
Librarians of the Star Angels have their left shoulder plates painted in metallic dark red, with white trim. Apothecaries Have their left shoulder plates painted in white, with metallic dark red trim, with a metallic dark red variant of the Chapter Badge.
Chapter Badge
The Star Angels chapter badge is a large, bronze winged-skull with a star crested face on a field of white. Aesthetically, the design appears very similar to a modified Imperialis symbol, though the significance of this is not known.
Chapter History 
