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The Umbral Sentinels are a semi-Codex-compliant loyalist Space Marine Chapter from an unknown gene-lineage. They are Ultima Founding, formed as part of the Indomitus Crusade with its primary purpose being the protection of the Eastern Fringe in Imperium Nihilus. Though they have developed a secondary role as a chamber militant of an Ordo Machinum conclave due to their unique features, which has resulted in their missions often involving purging hereteks, reuniting knight worlds or scavenging for relics and gene-seed from battlefields. They are a chapter that religiously follows the teachings of the Cult Mechanicus and have a special attunement to machine spirits due to their main gene-flaw. They particularly strive for the purity of the machine and any person or group that strays away from that is heavily looked down upon or outright enemies of the chapter. They also abhor any waste of man or machine that is not used to further the Emperor of Mankind's and also the Omnissiah's wishes.
Chapter History[]
The chapter was formed as part of the Indomitus Crusade where the Cereplexa System had previously been protected by various nearby chapters but found itself more isolated following the opening of the Great Rift. Therefore, due to its strategic importance to the rest of the Eastern Fringe, it was deemed that a chapter of Space Marines was needed to help safeguard the system from the threats brought on by the galaxy-wide event.
The system was chosen for two main reasons. One being its strategic significance - being one of the few systems in this part of the galaxy that was not completely destroyed as part of the Thramas Crusade. Volcanis, though small, was a major forge world in terms of refining the minerals from across the mining colonies of the Eastern Fringe and supporting closely the Triplex System & also the Navis Imperialis Segmentum Fortress of Kar Duniash . It was also the closest system to Verstun which was a major warp route to the Realm of Ultramar. Secondly, Archmagos Dominus Belisarius Cawl particularly advocated for these Greyshields due to their affinity for machines. It is thought that their gene flaw is a direct result of Belisarius Cawl's work on enhancing the black carapace. Though due to this direct tampering, their root gene-father is unknown.
The system was chosen as the machine affinity of the Greyshields that would become the Umbral Sentinels was wanted to be best used in a system that could best harbour this unique trait as well as having a populace to recruit from that shared a similar natural affinity. Another big importance was the Plexus, created from the wreckage of the Umbral Glade, a large Ark Mechanicus. The large orbital ring was a great relic that needed to be protected at high priority. These combined features would be why initially the original marines of the chapter were stationed on the Plexus and where their name "Umbral Sentinels" was founded from.
Umbral Glade & The Umbral Veil
The Umbral Glade was an Ark Mechanicus unlike any other, a ship based around being a black ship - a technological marvel with its sole purpose being the study of psykers, psychic phenomena and the research of technology that either interfaces with psykers or the warp itself. It was manned by Tech-Priests that answered only to the Emperor and was run by a coalition between the Divisio Telepathica, Divisio Psykana and also the Ordo Sinister, said to having a few Psi-Titans onboard. It is unclear what exactly they were researching, though it is known they were interested in the gilded masks of the Navigator house Phall, which would become House Scarxis, which allowed them to interface with Titans. These relics are now worn by librarians of the Umbral Sentinels, enhancing their machine affinity.
Due to the secretive nature of the vessel and direct allegiance to the Emperor himself at the outbreak of the Horus Heresy, the vessel remained unwaveringly loyal to the Emperor, though it did not in any way support the war effort. Instead, it was focussed on its own missions and goals. It was refuelling at Verstun, which had a warp gateway to Ultramar, though it got caught up in the fighting between the Night Lords and Ultramarines there. In the firefight it was badly damaged and tried to escape to a nearby system, which was Cereplexa.
Now damaged, the ship ripped through its warp jump, so when it arrived into the Cereplexa system it released a large but brief warp anomaly. Its debris scattered across the system. This event forever changed the system. It is also unknown what was the exact cause - be it the destruction of a vessel so grand, the research done inside, or the destruction and death of the Psi-Titans and powerful psykers onboard.
The aftermath plunged the system into darkness until M37. It was hidden away as if it had vanished. This event would be known as the Umbral Veil.
Conclave of the Shattered Veil:
In the history of the system of Cereplexa, due to the historical and technological significance of both the wider system and the wreckage of the Umbral Glade, the entire sector is now ruled by an Inquisitorial Conclave. Though featuring members of all 3 major Ordos, the overarching Ordo connecting each member is that of the Ordo Machinum. Due to the system being very far from Terra & Mars, they are tasked with overseeing the more frontier forge worlds & other Mechanicus-aligned assets to remain within the confines of the Treaty of Mars.
Due to their shared beliefs, goals & location, the Umbral Sentinels would become the Chamber Militant of the Conclave. Though not directly controlled, the chapter would partake in almost all requests the conclave might make. This relation is cemented in the use of Inquisitorial iconography, only second to the use of Cult Mechanicus iconography across their weapons and armour. The battle brothers see the Inquisition as a direct authority from the Omnissiah and holy protectors of its rule.
The one downside is that the chapter can sometimes be seen with suspicion due to their mixed Mechanicus & Inquisition links, which has put them into conflict with some Imperial organisations, particularly ones that are strongly linked to the Adeptus Ministorum or ones that abhor any bionics. Though these conflicts are often short-lived due to Inquisitorial intervention.
Notable Campaigns[]
- First Scourge of Scarxis (011.M42) - The chapter met their arch-nemesis in 011.M42 where the chapter flagship the Purity's Blade and 2 strike cruisers, the Iron Spirit and the Caltice, were on their way to what had been reports of traitorous Dark Mechanicum besieging various knight worlds over a sector, corrupting the holy machines and scavenging their resources. Along with the ships was the entire 2nd Company at the time aboard the Purity's Blade, 45 marines aboard the Iron Spirit hailing from the 7th Company consisting mainly of vanguard forces, and 55 marines - 20 as two squads of the 3rd Argent Phalanx and the rest from the 9th. Chapter Master Markus the 1st Puritor was amongst them to lead his forces against the arch-enemy. Also accompanying was a knight lance consisting of 6 Questoris and 20 Armigers. When the fleet arrived to the sector [Redacted], what they witnessed was far worse than what they expected. Dozens of planets had already been ransacked and a very formidable fleet was already prepared for the chapter's arrival. Once through the warp, the tunnel they had arrived from became clouded and immediately the Iron Spirit was boarded by space marines wearing a dull grey armour, their insignia a central golden eye flanked by a black and white eye. Eerily silent and efficient like automatons, they heavily attacked the ship. A whole section of the Purity's Blade was outright destroyed along with the entire 2nd Company and the Chapter Master. The Caltice managed to jump through a narrow opening in the warp; however, they were intruded upon by humanoids wearing all black with simply a golden eye crown as their defining feature - these could only be called assassins. They made short work of the command deck of the ship, leaving it drifting in the warp, and kidnapped the navigator. The Caltice is forever lost in the warp, though rumour has it that the captain aboard, Malphasus, is still alive but forever on the run, keeping the secret of the Scarxis safe until the right time to reveal it. This was the first encounter of the whole Imperium with the Scarxis Empire, though their existence is oblivious to anyone else, with it being merely a rumour when navigators go missing or when certain individuals that mention the name have gone missing.
- The Freebooter Crusades & the Gob(Unknown Date.M42) - The Umbral Sentinels see the Ork pirates as defilers of all machines and often will engage in fights with various pirate clans that try to steal and salvage Imperial technology. But few Ork foe is more of a menace than the Clan of the Gob, also known as the Teeth Fairies, named due to their teleportation tactics and thirst for teeth. This clan was completely composed of freebooters who had joined with an unusual clan of void-coloured Orks that are said to have travelled into the black hole at the centre of the galaxy and received blessings from Gork & Mork, allowing each member to be able to phase through the warp. Though few members of this clan can master it, and most end up in unexpected locations. Though the most notable aspect of this clan's operations is their giant ship-fortress known as the Gob. A giant space hulk that had been scraped down and reshaped into a long, menacing metal worm, its mouth always open with the fires of furnaces and screams of chainsaws. It is too large for any propulsion, so instead it relies solely on teleportation. Though again it can be unpredictable, when it does successfully jump it targets space vessels and with large traktor kannon and servo-arms pulls in and devours spaceships to feed its ever-growing hunger for new spoils and treasures. The Chapter has engaged with this foe on multiple occasions, though the Gob always teleports away before it can be made inoperable.
Chapter Homeworld[]
The chapter hails from the Cereplexa System, which is part of the Aegis sector in the Eastern Fringe - a hive world with the forge world Volcanis being its moon, and the orbital ring around Volcanis known as the Plexus being the hub of the system. Another notable planet is Cereplexa VII, a large agri-knight world.
The planet is dominated by vast hives housing billions of people alongside ashen wastelands. Its people are known to be extremely resourceful and hardy following the Umbral Veil, a period of time between the Horus Heresy and M37 in which the system was caught in a warp bubble, meaning they had to fend for themselves.
The planet was a verdant world of lush forests and animals until approximately 30,000 years ago, when a catastrophic and simultaneous volcanic eruption (the planet was highly volcanic) wiped all life from the planet. During the Dark Age of Technology, the planet would have been home to various research stations studying the minerals but also the life that once lived there. The researchers also made use of machine swarms to help them form their habitats and research equipment. It was also at this time that the planet's grand wealth of minerals was uncovered and hive cities would start to be formed to mine and refine these minerals.
Now the planet is no longer volcanic. Instead, it is an ashen wasteland filled with vast caverns which used to house lava, with even vaster caverns made from the grand mining operations being carried out, leaving what was originally organically desolate to become inorganically desolate too. The grand caverns mean most of the planet's population live below the surface, with some tunnels reaching between hive cities.
There are two main populations on the planet:
Hive Dweller:
The vast majority of the population - they live and breathe inside the plasteel confines of the grand hive cities and are the rolling cog of the system. They produce both materials and manpower to fuel the many mining worlds across the Eastern Fringe. The people, as with almost everyone in the Cereplexa system, worship the Omnissiah.
Messor Tribes:
Out in the wastes live nomadic tech tribes that live in vast crawlers made from decommissioned chassis of capitol imperialis vehicles that the planet was making up until the Umbral Veil. These people were once hive dwellers but have had an awakening - a calling out into the wastes to serve the Omnissiah's will salvaging tech from across the ash plains. They also serve as the main defence against the Ferrum Simulacra. They are recognised as an Astra Militarum regiment, but due to their low numbers they are often not used as part of Cereplexa's tithe. Specialised in defeating monsters, vehicles and other metallic constructs or large beasts as well as scouting missions. Each company would be based around a capitol imperialis vehicle as their command hub and send out various scouting squads akin to rough rider or death rider squads to help identify objectives or foes.
These are also the population from which the chapter primarily recruits due to their religious attitude and affinity for machines, with their scavenging nature also translating into the chapter's beliefs.
Ferrum Simulacra:
The Umbral Veil and the subsequent damage to the planet and the wreckage of the Umbral Glade unearthed machine-swarms from long-hidden vaults under the heavy ash surface of the planet. It is unclear how or why, but these swarms started to replicate themselves as the old animals that used to roam the world when it was a paradise, though they also took on the animal instincts to hunt and find more material to replicate. These monsters started to terrorise smaller cities. Once they started, they were very difficult to stop - only a very targeted energy field or electrical shock could disrupt the machines and switch them off. For those without access to that technology, making use of mining equipment such as thermal torches to melt the metallic creatures or grav-drills to atomise them worked too. The Ferrum have been pushed back to a continent-sized area on the planet that is void of all life. Occasionally, a large horde of creatures will rise to try and break through the heavy defences.
The Plexus
Shaped like a cog that can be seen from the ground on Cereplexa IV, this gigantic orbital ring turned hive city is made from the grand wreckage of the Umbral Glade. A hub and gateway for most of the Eastern Fringe, it is a beacon of trade, commerce and defence. Its shipyards refit & stock the nearby Navis Imperialis Segmentum Fortress of Kar Duniash.
Its grand spires stretch out from the old wreckage of the Ark Mechanicus, which acts as the backbone of the ring. Flanked by giant cannons that share the skyline as they survey the void for any approaching threats. The heart of the ring is the Artery, a hollow but crowded inner tube where manufactoriums and hab-blocks stretch from all sides towards the central rail network that connects every inch of the city. Being enclosed, it is ever-polluted, but the pollution is collected and turned into raw materials which are further processed. The bottom decks are inaccessible or outright not permitted for anyone to enter without adequate clearances. These corridors are the old Umbral Glade, their creaking carcass rumoured to house monsters of old experiments and even more monsters of technology and relics that have yet to be found and studied. This part of the ship is only open to specialist members of the Ordo Telepathica or the Adeptus Mechanicus.
Notable features are the Pyramidum, a grand black pyramid that acts as the training facility for the Cereplexian Justicars (the system's main Astra Militarum regiment) and also as the system's precinct-fortress. Its thick black sides echo the chants of devotion and law that run around the clock within its walls. The other notable feature is the Spire of Reclamation. Once the estate of the tyrannical ruler of the system during the last years of the Umbral Veil, it was set ablaze as part of the mission to overthrow him and take the system back into Imperial control. Its penthouse was pumped full of promethium that is constantly refuelled and kept alight - an eternal reminder of the past and also of the rebirth of the system back into Imperial hands.
Fortress-Monastery[]
The fortress-monastery is a section of the grand Plexus. Instead of being away from the civilians, the monastery is woven into the fabric of the city and its various defences. However, its central base of operations is located above the grand dockyard of the ring, allowing for rapid deployment to new threats. The chapter's vaults and cogitator shrine lie deep into the old wreckage of the old Ark Mechanicus, which usually is only permitted access by members of the Mechanicus.
Chapter Organisation[]
Officer Ranks[]
- Puritor - The rank bestowed upon the Chapter Master due to them bearing the Cloak of Purity, a long cloak made entirely of purity seals.
- Captain - Each Captain would have an outlined role as in the Codex Astartes and no other deviation from their titles/ranks. Due to their authority and veteran status, each captain bears heavy use of bionics and ancient armaments with long Martian red robes.
- Lieutenant- No changes, though like the captains will be wearing more iconography than their more regular battle brothers.
Specialist Ranks[]
The Umbral Sentinels have quite a deviation from the standard specialist ranks of a Space Marine Chapter:
- Psyberneticist: A joint role position of Chaplain and Techmarine. As one of the holiest things a marine of the chapter can do for their faith is take a pilgrimage to Mars and train with their Tech-Priests. These marines act as the spiritual connection between man and machine. Despite being a dual role, the chapter has equally as many of these as other chapters' Chaplains and Tech-Priests combined. Often wearing heavily ornate armour with various mechadendrites and servo-arms, with a swarm of servo-skulls following closely behind chanting scripture to appease nearby machine spirits or carrying long scrolls. Their armour is also usually adorned with long red robes that both signify their Techmarine status but also their spiritual significance to the chapter.
- Secentencers: Due to the Chaplains of the chapter having their unique joint role as Tech-Marines, Judicars - the trainees of the chaplaincy - also have a unique role. These battle brothers are those that show particular attunement to machines, usually as part of the centurion squads the chapter makes good use of, and those battle brothers that participate heavily in the maintenance and worship of the machines and the Omnissiah. These marines would be allowed to slowly learn to maintain more and more machines and also will start piloting unique walkers called Iron-Scions. These walkers are a mixture between an Armiger and an Invictor Tactical Warsuit. Once they have proved themselves to be able to tame strong machine spirits, they would be given the offer to go and complete their spiritual and technological training on Mars.
- Apothecaries: Though their name is maintained, the chapter has a very large amount of apothecaries. This is because the chapter firstly sees gene-seed as a sacred aspect of purity and that for it to be taken or corrupted outside the Imperium is not allowed. Therefore, the chapter, other than scavenging tech and armaments, will salvage any gene-seed they encounter to return it to their parent chapter or simply back to Mars for assessment and storage. The second thing they are responsible for is that due to the chapter being quite heavily augmented, they help administer these bionics. The third thing apothecaries are responsible for is the collection of fallen battle brothers' skulls to be placed into the grand cogitator bank to pass along their tactical expertise into the chapter's databases. At minimum, the skull can be used to turn them into a servo-skull so that they may finally join the Omnissiah as a machine. Apothecaries will look like the rest of the chapter though will have a white right pauldron to highlight their speciality and other related iconography.
- Librarians: Again a standard name. Librarians are the only speciality that is only from the recruits of Cereplexa due to the unique warp-touched populace secondary to the destruction of the Umbral Glade. Responsible for the chapter's grand library and the Cogitator Bank which acts as the chapter's main shrine, each skull of a fallen battle brother, each contributing their knowledge to the data stores. The librarians will commune with these cogitators to better tactically advise the captains of each company. Each librarian wears a special device called a gilded mask, a special psychic hood which also allows for further deep connections to machines through their psychic attunement. These masks were one of the very few relics found as part of the Umbral Glade's destruction and are used by the librarians. This allows for exceptional reflexes and martial prowess, making them an unusual outlier in the chapter. Often equipped with force glaives, these will also mostly be chapter colours with their main indication of their speciality being their brass mask they wear.
- Chapter Champion: Due to the only true close combat capabilities in the chapter coming from the 3rd Company the Argent Phalanx, the chapter champion would only be picked from the hundred current battle brothers. To decide upon who it would be, as part of the Day of Spirits celebrations, each battle brother would compete in a tournament where each marine will fight one another in a duel until the victor is found. This tournament mimics the knight tournament the chapter uses on each knight world to decide upon its recruits, except without the knights.
- Company Champion; The chapter does not have company champions, though each company's most senior librarian will often fulfil this role due to their combat prowess bestowed by the gilded mask relics.
- Chapter Ancient: The chapter ancient is the bearer of the chapter's current most tormented machine spirits and is the leading member of the Vowplate. He is seen as much as a religious figure amongst the chapter as a battle brother due to his control over his weapons and armour.
- Company Ancient: Similar to the chapter ancient, each company ancient would be a member of the Vowplate, the most strong-willed of the chapter bearing machine spirits and armaments that have seen untold amounts of combat - highly ornate armour to appease the doomed machine spirits.
Line Ranks[]
- Veteran Sergeant
- Veteran Marine Sergeant
- Battle-Brother
- Scout Marine
- Neophyte
- Aspirant
Specialist Units & Formations[]
- Vowplate: Veterans of the 1st Company, these battle brothers have a sacred oath to don and use the oldest and most tormented relics the chapter possesses. The manifestation of the machine echoes from the countless previous occupants is almost overwhelming; therefore, it takes only the most strong-willed marines that have perfected the control of the machine spirits. They will not remove these once donned. Though they take this oath that they will finally put the spirits to rest, ensuring that the armaments will undertake a mission that will ensure the complete destruction of itself whilst fulfilling the mission. The marines that have undertaken this oath will mark their armour with white paint in the iconography of skulls or bones, often painting the helmet like a skull or having the iconography put over their squad markings on their right shoulder pad. The armour plates and weaponry are also likely to have been heavily engraved and scrimshawed with a large amount of purity seals, all trying to appease and settle the machine spirits. These marines, though, do not just take up any mission that has high risk, as the benefit of sacrificing both themselves and the armaments must be equal to the sacrifice. Therefore, some can spend years meditating until the time is right. Not all veterans will undertake this, as very few relics become distraught enough that they are deemed to be almost beyond purity, and the one thing the chapter cannot accept is for a machine to be corrupted. Therefore, the numbers are very small - 20-40 at a time - and may either take form of an individual Vowplate spearheading a squad of other battle brothers or Vowplate undertaking a mission, often alone.
- Apothecarian Dreadnoughts: Though the chapter overall supports large amounts of apothecaries, the chapter also possesses 2-3 Apothecary Dreadnoughts per company. These large walkers are sent down into battlefields to ensure that despite the state of combat, no Space Marine is wasted. Outfitted with equipment to stabilise marines, servo-arms to patch and augment marines on the battlefield, and possessing armoured storage to carry gene-seed & the skulls of fallen battle brothers, they are highly valued aspects of the chapter's roster and allow for the chapter's mission to be carried out even under heavy firepower.
Order of Battle[]
Headquarters[]
Companies[]
- 1st Company - 1st Company containing the veterans of the chapter. They often equip the oldest relics as they have trained and have the willpower to tame the machine spirits within. Though this company will rarely see deployed combat, and if they do it's in very few numbers, likely just a squad or two. Most of the marines are responsible for the protection of the Cereplexa system and helping with some administrative tasks, particularly within the Plexus. These are also some of the most religiously devout members of the chapter, often spending their time not in combat meditating, worshipping or taking part in rituals. It is also commonplace for many of the veterans in the 1st company to have served in the Deathwatch.
- 2nd Company - 2nd Company. This is a fairly standard company, though features heavy amounts of Gravis and Centurion armour. In all major conflicts, this company is likely to take centre stage in leading the assault.
- 3rd Company and the Argent Phalanx - Unlike the rest of the companies that try and avoid melee combat, the 3rd Company is made completely of recruits from various knight worlds that have usually pledged allegiance to the Mechanicus. These marines are heavily honour-bound and come from a heavily melee-focussed heritage. Therefore, despite the gene-flaws bestowed upon them, they practise and train to overcome their weakness. This allows them all to be formidable close-quarter specialists. Due to the rest of the Umbral Sentinels not having really any melee focus, this company is often found alongside most companies in small numbers just in case a threat arises that needs to be dealt with. This company is the chapter's only official form of close support of the chapter, and they have no reserves, though this company itself has its own branch of neophytes it trains to become part of the Argent Phalanx. These neophytes are called squires, which seems a demotion due to the aspirants being drawn from knight households, though they know they have to earn the new reforged title of knight.
- 4th & 5th Company - Acting as battle companies as outlined by the Codex Astartes.
- 8th Company - Reserve company for the battle companies.
- 9th Company - Reserve fire support company.
- 6th, 7th & 10th Companies - A deviation from the codex. All three of these companies are composed of vanguard & Phobos forces due to the nature of the chapter relying on large amounts of data gathering, infiltration and sabotage. The 10th also houses the neophytes of the chapter who would spend most of their time on Cereplexa IV defending their homeworld against the Ferrum Simulacra.
Combat Doctrine[]
As like most other Space Marines, the Umbral Sentinels are an adaptable spearhead force for the Imperium's military requirements. Though the chapter does have doctrines they excel at:
Armoured Infantry/Drop Assaults/Overwhelming Firepower[]
The main combat doctrine of the chapter is that of being close-range heavily armoured infantry, often in Gravis, Centurion or Terminator armour being dropped by drop pod, dropship or teleported into the battlefield. They would be placed into the most strategic position or directly onto an objective where they would release an overwhelming amount of firepower to quickly remove a threat, minimising engagement time and casualties. The chapter makes heavy use of energy/heat weaponry to achieve this, be it melta, plasma or flamer.
Infiltration and Sabotage[]
The second main form of doctrine is that of heavy use of vanguard forces to infiltrate key objectives, sometimes achieving them without any bullet being fired or sabotaging an enemy's position so that their threat and risk is far less. Due to the chapter's hesitation to waste any resources, it is rare for any battlefield to not have had some form of this doctrine in place, even if it is just information gathering and scouting. Because of the heavy use of Phobos units used in this, it is not just the 10th company but also 6th and 7th companies that house all vanguard forces.
Mechanised/Armoured Assault[]
The third and final main doctrine of the chapter is the use of mechanised warfare, making wide use of Repulsors, Impulsors and Land Raiders to deliver hard-hitting infantry. Only used in cases where the chapter cannot infiltrate or be dropped directly onto an enemy. In this, also often in these cases, the chapter's large amount of Dreadnoughts would be used to close in on an enemy's position. It is common for a knight house to assist with this as well.
It is noted, though, particularly when more powerful or archaic armaments are to be used, the chapter can be notoriously slow to mobilise and carry out an operation due to the grand and lengthy process of carrying out the appropriate rituals and worship to ensure the machines are appeased. This makes any quickly developing campaigns hard to respond to with haste and long drawn-out conflicts hard to maintain due to the time needed to carry out religious rites of repair on any damaged systems. This can lead to obsessive data gathering and weighing of risk and reward taking paramount importance.
Another thing the Umbral Sentinels are notorious for trying to avoid is being put into a position where they are cornered by a close combat foe. Due to their weakness in melee combat, this is a last resort at all times, and a threat will be adequately assessed ahead of time if more members from the 3rd Company are needed to reduce this threat.
Chapter Culture & Beliefs[]
The Umbral Sentinels have a very deep set of beliefs and cultural aspects that stem from their gene-seed, their genetic flaws, the religious nature of the Cereplexa system and the general beliefs and culture of the people in the system that have developed with time.
Cult Mechanicus[]
The chapter are devout followers of the Machine Cult & its teachings. They strongly believe that the Emperor saved humanity by binding with the machine interface of the Golden Throne and therefore see any opportunity to bond and commune with machine spirits as a holy duty. The chapter therefore view servitors as equals to standard humans and dislike when someone will disrespect any machine or not conduct the proper rituals to maintain its optimum function. This by extension means that the chapter not only revere those placed into Dreadnoughts but will outright encourage their use. This has allowed the chapter to have a large amount of Dreadnoughts, though often the machine echoes are so strong that the battle brother's use in combat is often short-lived unless the marine is a veteran that has truly mastered their gene flaw.
Waste and Scavenging[]
Due to the Umbral Veil that cut off the Cereplexa System for approximately 5,000 years, its people developed into a highly resourceful society where every ounce of metal and flesh was exploited and recycled. This culture has followed into the chapter. However, this particularly has become a rigorously enforced trait of the chapter.
Umbral Sentinels will often go on missions to previous Imperial battlefields to scavenge and recycle technology that otherwise would be lost. This has allowed the Chapter to possess a large amount of ancient equipment and are quite well equipped for being an Ultima Founding chapter.
Death and Spirits[]
As followers of the Machine Cult, the chapter has a belief system centred around the spirits around every machine and very much see each one as a unique entity and an almost equal to any man. However, they also see man itself as a creation of the Omnissiah, particularly Adeptus Astartes who are seen as specially engineered by the Omnissiah himself. This makes them actually feel that once someone is dead, their spirit communes with the machine god like the Emperor does on his throne. This fact has resulted in the chapter seeing a spiritual significance of death and will always worship their fallen brothers. This starts early in a battle brother's initiation where they are pitted against another aspirant. As the chapter dictates, the fallen aspirant should become a testament of the sacrifice but also the rebirth that is brought on by death and will carry the skull with them from then on out. This also extends to the great cogitator bank at the heart of the fortress monastery where any battle brother that dies and their skull is salvageable will be harvested and put into the cogitator bank. Their combined experiences are harnessed by the Librarians of the chapter to better guide tactical decisions. The shrine also acts as a central hub of worship to the Omnissiah, as the chapter sees each skull is directly communing with the Omnissiah even in death. The chapter also every solar year will have a grand ceremony in which all battle brothers that are not in active war zones must return. The chapter then has a massive joint session of prayer and ritual to bless all those that they have lost - man and machine - but also those who are still here. It is also in this ceremony that any changes of rank are announced and Martian robes adorned.
Day of Spirits
Once a Terran year, the chapter practises a day of ritual in which those available will gather in the hall of the cogitator shrine and commence rituals to appease the grand machine spirits of the chapter, or those away from the fortress monastery will worship at their smaller shrines aboard their vessels. In these ceremonies is often when new ranks are given, aspirants formally sworn in and given their brother name, Dreadnoughts refitted and any new equipment supplied, as the chapter believes that any important events must be witnessed by the Omnissiah on their most holy day. It is also a grand day where battle brothers are remembered & grand tournaments conducted amongst the 3rd company.
Chapter Recruitment[]
The chapter recruits mainly from the roaming tech clans of Cereplexa known as Messors due to the large capitol Imperialis ships they have refitted to be tech harvesters. These people were once dwellers in the mighty hive cities, but at any age they would awaken with a new duty to leave the city and go out into the wasteland to hunt for lost technology in the wasteland. This also includes being the first line of defence of the hives against creatures known as the Ferrum Simulacra. The chapter also recruits from across the Eastern Fringe when a young individual is seen as worthy of the opportunity to join the ranks of the chapter; however, these individuals are often seen as different to the rest of the chapter, being not from Cereplexa. To prove the individual's worth, they must take part in a handful of trials:
- First, the aspirant is sent to a large but derelict quarry on Cereplexa. Its rocks are a mineral known as volcanium - an extremely sharp but brittle mineral when not put into an alloy. At this quarry, they are told to go and make a knife with their bare hands to prove their craftsmanship, patience and also their calm, as the rock quite easily cracks. They can take as long as they like to get the perfect blade, but they are not given any food or drink. Once the blade has been submitted, still without any food or drink, two aspirants are pitted against each other to the death. The only rule is the final blow must be done with their knife, which is still brittle, so they must know when is best to strike or use their environment to their advantage first rather than relying on brute strength. Throughout the entire process, once your knife has been submitted and it breaks, it is seen as a broken will and the aspirant is failed, though they would be returned to their clan rather than their lives be wasted.
- Secondly, the aspirant would be asked to go hunt a Ferrum Simulacra on the planet in a group of 5-10. Although they had been fed at this point, they again are only equipped with the clothes they had been wearing and their knife. They are, however, allowed to scavenge and equip anything they find in the wasteland. Once they survive and bring back proof of their feat, they will be invited aboard the Plexus into the chapter monastery for a grand feast.
- Finally, aboard the fortress monastery in the grand forges, the aspirant must forge a blade using the metal from the slain Ferrum Simulacra and the mineral of volcanium from the knife they crafted to create an alloy that is far stronger than their combined parts. This can be seen as the easiest trial, but it requires the ability to withstand the heat of the forges and understand how the materials and fire combine to forge something stronger and worthy of humanity.
3rd Company recruitment
To cement their allegiance to the various knight worlds and in effect allow the chapter to have a small close combat force, the chapter regularly recruits from knight worlds encountered across Segmentum Ultima. These aspirants will be from the knight houses and will be chosen via a tournament where each aspirant must prove their abilities to tame the machine spirits of an Armiger and fight in a competition with the victor becoming an aspirant. They do not conduct any of the other trials.
Chapter Gene-Seed[]
The chapter gene-seed comes from an unknown source with the mutations of the chapter unlike any other, though it is thought that it either originates from the Iron Hands due to their affinity for machines or the Imperial Fists due to their religious demeanour, though the exact origin will only be known to those on Terra and Mars.
Genetic Flaws[]
The main genetic flaw the chapter has is that of their Black Carapace. This flaw manifests as a highly attuned connection to the marine's nervous system, making their connection to their armour and other machine spirits particularly potent. Though this has the downside that the machine spirits they commune with are equally present alongside their user's thoughts, and the spirits would be imprinted with memories from previous users and occupants, which is usually from a fallen marine. This is known as machine echoes, and they can either be beneficial in helping with strategic insight or acting as a sixth sense, or hinder with being distracting voices or hallucinations. With repeated occupants, these echoes grow stronger, and the marines must meditate and battle with their armaments; otherwise, they might outright take over.
This gene flaw also makes the marine actually overall slower and sometimes distracted with the various more intense sensory inputs or voices they have, making them more vulnerable to melee combat or being overwhelmed by many foes at once. This means the marines will often not engage in close-quarters combat, which heavily shaped the chapter's combat doctrine. This also gradually with time can dilute the marine's own personality, making them more and more reserved as they become part of the machine. Some even take on the personalities and names of previous occupants. This makes a lot of older marines hard to communicate with outside of simple battle commands.
As the machine spirits become more vibrant with their memories the more they are used, this puts a lot of strain on its user's mind, and often a marine must spend a lot of time meditating or praying to the Omnissiah or completing various rites and rituals to appease the machine spirits. This can also mean affixing large amounts of purity seals, scrimshawing their armour with sacred text or stories from previous occupants or other forms of religious heraldry.
The benefits of this flaw is the stronger affinity for working with machine spirits, allowing for more accurate & reactive firing patterns with the added benefit of the tactical knowledge stored from previous occupants aiding the battle brother in combat. The increased nervous feedback also means that any battle damage felt is increased, making more veteran marines have extremely higher pain thresholds even amongst Space Marines.
Deathwatch Service[]
The chapter, being intrinsically linked to the Inquisition, sees Deathwatch service as another way they can help appease the Omnissiah. They will often be heavy weapons specialists within kill teams or take part in missions that involve technology or relics. However, they can clash with other marines from other chapters due to their highly divergent beliefs, though their efficiency in battle usually overshadows this.
Notable Members[]
- Chapter Master Maximus the Puritor - The second Chapter Master the chapter has had since its creation, taking on the title of Puritor. Maximus was captain of the 5th company at the time of Scourging of Scarxis. A highly tactical mind and formidable warrior, he was nominated as the successor of Chapter Master Markus Tarval following his loss at the 1st Scourging of Scarxis.
- Malphaues the Hidden - Formerly the captain of the 2nd Company that got wiped out in the First Scourge of Scarxis, which would also be the chapter's greatest loss of life. It is unclear how he survived and is actually completely unknown to the chapter of his continued existence. He is forever being hunted by the Eyes of Scarxis as they leave no trace. He is destined to reveal the secret of the Empire's existence to the right person at the right time, allowing for a grand unstoppable crusade to destroy the Scarxis Empire, for he knows that the Scarxis' agents will go to great lengths to stop their secret getting out.
- Captain Kaleus the Sage - Captain of the 3rd company due to his knight household links. He is actually a veteran marine from a long-lost company in the Horus Heresy and was put into a Leviathan Siege Dreadnought. There are no records, nor does he remember where he is from, other than he crashed down upon Cereplexa VII, the knight world in the system, just before the Umbral Veil. His machine spirit is heavily tormented and now speaks only in stories and myths. He became a trusted part of the courts of the knight world, being practically immortal in peacetime. He was instrumental in seeing many houses rise and fall. When the Umbral Sentinels were formed, the knight world offered him back to the Space Marines to allow for more tales and myths to be made, as the knight world had heard most of them. Kaleus has a servitor attached to him called Orin, who was a woman that found Kaleus when he crashed onto the planet and initially took him into her small town and repaired him. She would record all he said but was tragically slain. Now a servitor is forever partnered with him to record all his sayings and deeds as his head interpreter. She holds a grand book that is stored on his chassis. He also has speakers which project his chants and stories
- Captain Gorellian - Now Captain of the 4th company
Short story, the tale of Orin, Kaleus's equal:
The sky was calm. Orin, a woman of a humble farming village upon Cereplexa VII, looked up at the stars. Suddenly, a star shone brighter than all others. Shooting fast across the sky, it made the atmosphere glow like a deep sunset. It was heading for her, the village. Orin quickly tried to get everyone evacuated away downwind of the falling star. They looked on from the edge of the forest as the ball of fire crashed into a field close to the village. Orin was the most curious out of everyone and was first to find out what had occurred. In the wreckage was a man of not flesh but steel, glowing red hot. It just lay there in the field for three whole days until it was cool. Once cool, Orin got the village together to pull up the behemoth. Orin was the village's closest thing to a Tech-Priest and, not knowing what she had found, set to work doing the minor repairs. With an infusion of the Motive Force, Kaleus came alive. The grand steel man suddenly spoke: "The Serpent coils, forever feeding on forgotten battles. Its scales whisper of victories past, its eyes reflect the fires yet to burn." Orin was shocked that it was not an automaton but a man encased in iron. Over the next few weeks, Orin recorded everything Kaleus said. Orin discovered his name as he spoke: "Kaleus. A whisper, now. The iron forgets not, but the man... the man is but a ghost, bound to the songs of ages and the weeping of steel." Kaleus for the most part had forgotten everything, forgotten he was once a weapon of war and now simply was seen as a human. The people of the village for the most part worshipped the Cult Mechanicus, for the Omnissiah granted them the knights that protect them. Kaleus was seen as a gift from the Omnissiah. There were also many villagers who were terrified, worried he would be an oppressor like the local knight household. However, as Kaleus was simply curious and wanted to share his sagas, many people would gather in the evenings after tending the fields to hear of these grand epics he was all too eager to share; but often sat just beside him was Orin, who understood what he was saying was actually his way of expressing himself - not just a tale but had a deeper meaning.
However, his existence was only kept secret for a short period of time. The local knight household came to collect their monthly tithe from the settlement. Though rumours and the shooting star were hard to ignore, so the existence of the man of steel was no secret, though the village did try and hide him. Initially not knowing of the exact nature of this new visitor to the planet, just two Armigers were sent to investigate as the threat was seen as low. As the two large walkers walked through the quiet village, they picked up on the subtle heat signature of Kaleus's reactor. But as they approached Orin's workshop where Kaleus resided, the young woman stepped out to block their entrance. Kaleus was still in a lethargic state and could only watch from the far end of the workshop.
"Stop, this is merely a man, not a weapon. He is simply lost," Orin explained, arms stretched out in an act of defiance despite her knowing that her humble human form could not stop the two metallic overseers.
"Orin of no house, no name, no deeds, why dare you stop us? He landed on our land; therefore, he is our house's property as much as the horizon and sky," the lead Armiger beckoned from its loud vox speakers.
"No! He is more than property. He has a history that surpasses everything. He is a gift from the Omnissiah himself, and he chose us, not you, for his gift!" she replied, now starting to shake in her outstretched pose under the intimidation.
The lead Armiger simply scoffed, rotated to the other Armiger: "Very well, Orin, you will forever be a woman with no tale." The lead Armiger stretched out his claw and swatted Orin away, throwing her across the workshop.
Suddenly, at the sight of Orin's body, an awakening initiated in Kaleus. He stormed forward at speeds that even made the Armigers surprised and grabbed the lead Armiger's leg with his siege claw, pulling it to the side, collapsing the walker, which he then proceeded to crush the cockpit with a rage-filled kick of his iron feet. The other Armiger immediately fired upon Kaleus, but his thick armour easily withstood the simple stubber that the Armiger was equipped with, as it was armed to deal with peasantry, not a war machine. Kaleus charged it. This time, as it was more prepared, it clashed with the Dreadnought, trying to block Kaleus's attacks, but he also proceeded to rip the arm off the Armiger and ram the claw into the cockpit.
He looked over at Orin, unconscious. He went over to console her, but suddenly the solemn moment was interrupted by the deafening war horn of a Questoris knight which had been keeping back away from the village but sprang into action when the life signals of the Armigers were snuffed out. "People of Village Sector 492, you have committed treason. Your village now is forfeit unless you give up what we seek." It then let out a burst from its thermal lance, setting a few buildings into melted balls of fire. Kaleus, not wanting to cause any more grief, faced the much larger knight.
"The tyrant comes to take his prize, yet he has lost what he prizes most," the Dreadnought taunted.
"Ah, you!" the knight said in surprise of the Dreadnought showing up without much more destruction. "Do you offer yourself as my prisoner? Will you pledge your servitude to us?" it said rhetorically, knowing quite well it had little choice.
"I shall, though my tales can only be told by this oracle. If I can't take her as my servitor, I am no use to you," the Dreadnought said as the knight let out a melta blast from a gun on its carapace that took out Kaleus's left leg. "Very well," the knight says.
From then on, Orin was made part of Kaleus's carapace, forever chronicling his tales and being his translator. Kaleus fought for the knight house for 4,500 years. He saw hundreds of noble houses come and go, but he was forever there, chronicling and acting as a beacon of history and law, keeping each house in line. Until the day the Umbral Sentinels were founded.
Chapter Fleet[]
The Umbral Sentinels Chapter fleet consists of the following vessels:
- 2 Battle Barges (was 3)
- 8 Strike Cruisers (was 10)
The chapter lost 1 battle barge and 2 strike cruisers along with elements of 2 full companies of marines during the Scourge of Scarxis. Due to being isolated in Imperium Nihilus, they have not managed to replenish their ships as of yet.
It is commonplace for the chapter to have Mechanicus and knight house ships accompanying them along with other support vessels.
Chapter Relics[]
- Gilded Masks: A set of relics from the Umbral Glade itself - a golden mask that interfaces with its user's armour or a machine, acting like a psychic hood but also allowing for the machine spirits & user to see the world both in the materium & immaterium. This allows for sensing of raw emotion, allowing for faster reactions to close combat & seeing hidden nearby enemies. Though the chapter only possesses enough to outfit their librarians, and the advantage does not work on foes without a soul, such as the Necrons.
- Roar of the Dead Worlds: A harrowing bolter rifle recovered from a long-past battlefield. It possesses electromagnetic heating coils that superheat & propel the bolter rounds to the limits of the bolter casing's integrity. This allows for the rounds to punch straight through armoured foes. Currently equipped by the captain of the 5th company. Volcanis Shard: A sword crafted on Volcanis which the Arch-Priestess gifted to Chapter Master Markus Tarval on arriving into the sector. Its blade sharp enough to cut through volcanic rock but as light and agile as a shard of glass - it is perfect craftsmanship. It's this blade that gave the idea for the 1st trial of aspirants.
- Umbra Bolt: A bolt taken from the sole remaining Titan of the Umbral Glade, the machine spirits of the fallen Titans embodied into it. The most sacred artefact of the Chapter and one that grants its wearer a void shield-like cloak; however, the Mechanicus is unsure how this manifests without an energy source.
- Terminator Armour: The chapter does possess between 25-40 suits of Terminator armour, though often with highly unstable machine spirits, making them a rare occurrence for them to be used and only adorned by the most veteran members of the 1st company after hours of worship and ritual. These relics are seen as some of the most holy in the chapter's collection due to the piece of the Emperor's armour within the Crux Terminatus.
- Dreadnaughts The chapter does possess a fairly sizeable amount of Dreadnaughts, though they are amongst other relics of the chapter hard to justify their use, and if they are used, it is following very grand preparations and rites to appease these often ancient machines. Being placed into a Dreadnaught is seen as one of the holiest fates for any battle brother.
Chapter Appearance[]
The chapter's overall appearance is that of tech knights. They often are heavily armoured with various technological additions, be it servo-arms, more scanners or simply more armour plates. The overall appearance is, however, heavily taken up by the various methods of worship and religious practices each marine uses to help appease the machine spirits. This is usually either by the liberal use of purity seals, engraving or scrimshawing their armour and weapons with text and imagery associated with the Cult Mechanicus or tales of battle, or other trinkets such as bones of fallen battle brothers. This gives the marines a very contradicting appearance - that of an industrial warrior yet a highly spiritual and superstitious follower of their beliefs.
Part of the marines' appearance would also involve the two initiation relics that each marine receives. The first being the knife they forge - now a brutally sharp combat blade that they carry around at all times, even out of armour. The second being the skull of the aspirant they fought, often becoming a servo-skull for those who have been promoted to lieutenants or above.
Chapter Colours[]
The chapter's armour is mostly gunmetal with a black patina caused by the religious use of oils and chemicals in the rituals to appease the machine spirits. With silver left pauldron of the chapter and brass trims. The chapter also heavily makes use of Martian red accents and robes to signify their following of the Cult Mechanicus.
3rd Company the Argent Phalanx[]
The one exception of this is that of the 3rd company that entirely recruits from the knight worlds the chapter encounters. These marines would be a stark contrast to the more subtle palette of the rest of the chapter, instead opting for large amounts of heraldry of various colours from their knight worlds, making each marine in the company unique. Their armour is also usually more knightly and often polished silver.
Chapter Badge[]
The chapter badge is simply the symbol of the Ordo Machinum, a stylised Inquisitorial symbol with a cog in the middle, with the addition of the wings of the Aquila flanked either side. Worn on the left pauldron which resembles a Deathwatch pauldron but instead with lettering associated with purity or the Cult Mechanicus. The Umbral Sentinels will also heavily make use of symbols of the Cult Mechanicus across their armaments.
Relations[]
Allies[]
- Adeptus Mechanicus - The main ally is the Adeptus mechanicus, though other organisations that look in and see the chapter as a puppet of the shadowy machine cult. However it is actually the case being part of the ordo Mechanicum that the chapter is the opposite and only shares a similar religious doctrine instead being a watchful eye over the mechanicus.
- Inquisition/Conclave of the Shattered Veil - The Ordo Mechanicum Conclave that the chapter are linked to
- Imperial knight Worlds - The chapter has a very strong history with knight worlds across the galaxy using this allegiance to pledge their mutual assistance and also using these worlds to recruit into the 3rd Company.
Enemies[]
Notable Quotes[]
By the Umbral Sentinels:[]
About the Umbral Sentinels:[]