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This article, Winged Knights, was written by IllumiNini. Please do not edit or 'acquire' this fiction without the writer's permission. |
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This article, Winged Knights, is currently under active construction. The author, IllumiNini, apologizes for the inconvenience. |
The Winged Knights are a Loyalist, partially-Codex-compliant Space Marine Chapter drawn from the lineage of the vaunted Blood Angels. Though their lineage has been made clear due to genetic testing in later millennia, the exact Chapter from which they can claim to be the successors of is not. It has long been suspected that they are a Successor Chapter of the Angels Sanguine, but the truth of that suspicion has yet to be confirmed due to the nature of their history.
Though it is at least thought that they were a Chapter of unimpeachable honour for approximately two millennia, the stain of heresy has marred their reputation and they have never been able to truly escape the its legacy in spite of their best efforts to erase it or otherwise atone for it.
History[]
Early History and Edict[]
Before 743.M34, very little is known about the Chapter. A few slippery or otherwise very difficult details to scrub away given the Chapter's continued existence live on. Broad details regarding their Founding and a few other miscellaneous details exist, but no other details exist.
The year 743.M34 marked the end of the campaign known as 'The Cleanse' undertaken by the Sermo Invictus Chapter and was a mark of many things for the Winged Knights. The execution of Chapter Master < Redacted > as well as scores of Astartes of the Winged Knights combined with a relatively successful Edict of Obliteration marked the end of an era for the Winged Knights and the expulsion of much of the Chapter's history as the Sermo Invictus Chapter and the Inquisition could scour from Imperial Records.
Under pain of the same fate befalling the remainder of the Chapter and thus casting the Chapter into the obscurity of the forgotten past, the surviving loyalist Astartes were sworn to an oath of secrecy. Never again were they allowed to speak of what had been officially 'forgotten', with many Astartes opting for some level of mind wipe to aid in this. Given that nothing that had been destroyed as a result of the Edict of Obliteration has resurfaced in the millennia since, it can be seen that all the remaining loyalist Astartes of the Chapter honoured that oath.
Penance[]
The first step in the Chapter's penance was - according to many - without precedent. The Chapter was to destroy their own homeworld as an act of contrition. Many suspect that the Edict of Obliteration destroyed records that would otherwise shed light on the why of such a course of action, but so thorough was the edict that no knowledge of the true reasoning behind this act exists.
The Chapter - which was now severely crippled in multiple ways - was sent across the regions of space surrounding the Eye of Terror to prove their loyalty. To mark the beginning of their penance among other meanings, the Chapter changed their colours to black and gold. It is suspected that the black was meant to signify the stain of the heresy while the gold was meant to symbolise the forgiveness of The Emperor as well as the Chapter's redemption, but most disregard this as an over-analytical rumour.
The conflicts they engaged in with the forces of Chaos were not only brutal but required much from the Chapter, especially since their strength was crippled. Their weakened state and the expectations laid upon them almost destroyed the Chapter, but they persisted with an extraordinary level of resilience. This Campaign of Penance went on for several decades before they were recalled and sent to the central region of the Segmentum Obscurus in which they were given tithe rights and given a new mandate.
The Hidden Warriors[]
During their Campaign of Penance, members of the Chapter - particularly those of higher rank - began a habit for which their suspected progenitors are famous: They shielded their faces from those they fight alongside. In the presence of outsiders, they would always wear their helmets when wearing their armour or they would wear masks of brushed steel when they were without.
By the end of the campaign, the entire Chapter as it stood engaged in this practice, and any Astartes of the Chapter would only ever avoid this practice when the authority of the outsider commanded it.
Graug the Monster[]
During the 1st Century of the 35th Millennium, reports of the Monsta Ridaz Klan made their way to the Imperium. While no Astartes would not become involved for some time, it was the Winged Knights who would be called upon to not only put an end to WAAAGH! Graug but also to slay the Warboss Graug himself.
By the time the Chapter had been called into the fray, the WAAAGH! Graug had done notable damage to many sub-sectors of the Imperium. Still gripped by a desire to serve their penitence beyond what was required of them, the Chapter took it upon themselves to liberate as many worlds as was practical during the efforts to stall the WAAAGH! and confront Graug in order to help prove the loyalty of those Astarted of the Chapter who remained.
As many as three hundred Astartes are said to have died in the Chapter's efforts to stall this WAAAGH! and get themselves to Graug - a loss that is said to have taken the Chapter dangerously close to breaking point, but they were not about to withdraw so easily. They had come too far, and both achieved and lost too much to halt their efforts and withdraw.
The Chapter had found and effectively trapped Graug on a Forge World he was attempting to conquer - Gatalicus III. It was a world prized by the Adeptus Mechanicus not only because of its inherent nature and purpose but also because it was a noted producer of Titans. At relatively small yet still great cost in terms of Astartes lives as well as at great cost in terms of their ancillary resources such as spacecraft, aircraft, tanks and other vehicles, and support forces, the Chapter made planetfall with their Sky Lord - Rayas Kourtis - at their head.
While Graug was considered to be very if not exceptionally good when it came to tactics, Rayas tried using his pride as a Warboss against him. Rayas not only had his men hit Graug where it would cost him the most regardless of whether or not the actions would actually succeed, Rayas also used whatever methods he could in order to project audio of him publicly challenging Graug at great volume across the battlefields of the planet.
This tactic worked, and an enraged Graug actively sought out Rayas in order to put him down once and for all. This would prove to be his undoing.
Wielding a master-crafted Storm Bolter and the Chapter Relic known as The Angel's Axe, Rayas engaged in a titanic battle with Graug around the feet of a Warlord Titan. Legends surrounding the battle sometime refer to a smaller type of Titan, but the Chapter's own records state that it was a Warlord Titan - something that the Chapter has vehemently stood by for reasons that remain unknown
Rayas would suffer great injury during this fight, and is said to have lost an eye, suffered damage to his face, and lost his left hand, but he ultimately emerged victorious. While he had wished to do this himself, his fellow Astartes were the ones who planted Graug's head atop the Titan around which they fought as he was helped away, too badly hurt to remain on the battlefield.
The body of the slain Warlord Graug was taken from the site after the fighting had died down in order to be destroyed along with Graug's wargear, and his head was eventually removed from the Titan after the battle had died down and taken to the Chapter's Fortress Monastery in order to be preserved in stasis and displayed as a trophy.
The WAAAGH! itself fell apart soon after, and a reclamation effort began for the Imperium. For the most part, this effort was led by the Winged Knights, though Rayas himself was barely involved until the final weeks of his Chapter's involvement due to his recovery and slow progress in adapting to his new augmetics.
Once the Winged Knights were sure that their involvement was no longer required for Imperial territories to be reclaimed and remain secure, they departed, thus entirely ending their involvement with the Orks involved in this conflict.
A Chapter Reconstituted[]
Because of The Clense, their crusade of penance, and their costly involvement in the war against the WAAAGH! Graug, the Chapter was weak both in terms of the number of Astartes that remained within the Chapter and the resources they had available to them such as fleet elements, vehicles, and so forth. During this period, their tithing rights were altered to reflect where they primarily operated within the Segmentum Obscurus, and - as a reward for their successful efforts against Graug - were granted some concessions to help them reconstitute themselves.
In spite of these concessions, the Chapter spent at least two centuries being rather conservative in their independent military efforts, instead preferring to give their aid to other Chapters and Imperial forces as secondary military elements. They also took this opportunity to reconstitute their relationships with other Imperial organisations, particularly other Chapters, many of whom were aware that they had been subject to cleansing and forced penance.
Brutal Hunters[]
In the efforts during their reconstitution, they were often tasked with aiding Imperial forces within the Segmentum in their efforts to eradicate the presence of Chaos. Given their history, the Chapter - while internally begrudging of continuing to make this their primary goal - was outwardly pleased to receive such assignments and engaged in these tasks with a certain level of forced zealotry.
Many of these tasks once again took the Chapter - in whole or in part - relatively close to the Eye of Terror, and they very quickly grew to resent this since it reminded the whole Chapter - particularly those who had survived from the time of The Cleanse - of their past failings and forced penance.
The Damnation of the Javatiin System[]
During the early 36th Millennium, the Chapter was still engaged in the practices of reconstitution. However, they had regained a significant portion of their manpower and resources, now focusing on their reputation while taking more active and primary roles in various campaigns. They were still, however, leaning towards more Chaos-focused theatres of war, and this led to a shift in the attitudes of many of the Astartes within the Chapter.
The Chapter had made significant efforts against the forces of Chaos for centuries, and they had become relatively exceptional at combatting such dark forces. However, this combined with the Chapter's history - or lack thereof - because of Chaos, its corruption, and the weakness of those it corrupts led to the Chapter reaching a tipping point. The began exhibiting less mercy and more savagery, both of which developed into a complete lack of pity as well as mercy and a descent into savagery when combatting such forces.
While such things became part of the Chapter's core beliefs and practices as they were refined over millennia, this was the genesis point. This is where the true darkness used to fight darkness was born.
One of campaigns that the purification of the Javatiin System. While elements of at least two other Space Marine Chapters were present during this campaign, The Wing Knights - who fielded seven companies during this campaign - formed the primary element of the Astartes contribution to the campaign, and they took charge of the campaign as a whole.
The Javatiin System had declared themselves independent several Terran years before the arrival of the Winged Knights' campaign, but had fought off at least two attempts by the Astra Militarum to bring the system back into the fold and put down those who led the independence efforts. While the system was not the only target of the Winged Knights' campaign, it was folded into it as a result of not only its relatively close proximity to the Chapter's other objectives but also because there was evidence of the forces of Chaos appearing in the fringes of the system.
As the campaign arrived at the Javatiin System, it was clear that the corruption of Chaos was very actively present and the Chapter - already fresh from yet another theatre of war where they had led the charge against the powers of Chaos, had reached a turning point in their nature.
The Chapter - in the name of efficiency and in the name of truly cleansing the system - took a scorched earth approach. While they were later reprimanded to a degree for this approach because of what it ultimately cost the Imperium, the Chapter took no issue with taking extreme methods in their prosecution of their campaign against this system.
Excessive use of orbital bombardments, over-zealous application of siege tactics, and a plethora of other excesses and over-zealousness define every application of force that the Chapter employed during the cleansing of the system. One of the outer planets even became a Dead World as a result of the Chapter's excesses.
The Devastation of Baal[]
Very little is known about the Chapter's involvement during the conflict, but many historians within the Imperium suspect that their involvement was similar to that of many of the other Successor Chapters of the Blood Angels that came to their progenitor's aid. During thee conflict, fully two thirds of the Chapter was destroyed, and while the Chapter did receive reinforcements from among the Torchbearers and the Unnumbered Sons after the arrival of Roboute Guilliman and his crusade, the Chapter is though to have been far from full strength.
Restoration[]
By order of Lord Commander Dante, the Chapter was rewarded for their service with a relatively simple yet exceptionally meaning allowance: The Astartes of the Chapter we allowed to incorporate red into the colour scheme of their armour as a mark of the Lord Commander's personal gratitude. The Chapter has incorporated this reward, with Sergeants being allowed to colour their helmets red, and the Company Captains and Sky Lord being allowed to colour their helmets and breastplates red.
Indomitus Crusade[]
The involvement of the Chapter within the scope of the crusade is largely unknown. Mentions of their involvement in various theatres of war within the Imperium Nihilus are as far as records regarding the Chapter go. Many have speculated as their the exact nature of their activities, but the prevailing theory is that the bulk of if not the entire Chapter spent the length of the crusade aiding the Blood Angels and other Successor Chapters thereof that operated within the Imperium Nihilus.
Imperium Nihilus[]
In the wake of the Indomitus Crusade, the whereabouts of the Chapter as well as their current militaristic endeavours are unknown. Many presume that they are maintaining their pursuit of Chaos Forces to the galactic north of Baal, but none can be sure. It is also speculated that one of the relative few who can confirm the location, heading and current activities of the Chapter is Lord Commander Dante of the Blood Angels.
Notable Campaigns[]
- The Campaign of Penance [ 743.M34 - 789.M34 ] - The Campaign of Penance was a campaign the Chapter prosecuted in the name of redeeming the sins of the Chapter that - for the most part - had been redacted in accordance with an Edict of Obliteration carried out by the Sermo Invictus Chapter and the Inquisition. The Chapter destroyed their homeworld before spending the rest of the campaign focusing on the hunting and destruction of renegades and traitor in the regions of space surrounding the Eye of Terror.
- Graug's WAAAGH! [ 097.M35 - 099.M35 ] - Graug, the then-Warboss of the Monsta Ridaz Clan, called a WAAAGH! which had started as a war against other Ork Clans before it spilled over into a significant conflict with the Imperium in 097.M35. It took two standard years for the Winged Knights and allied forces to put a halt to Graug's WAAAGH!. While the conflicts raged on in many sub-sectors for several years afterwards as several Warbosses attempted to establish themselves as the Warlord of the WAAAGH!, the Orks saw the beginning of defeat when Rayas Kourtis - the Sky Lord of the Winged Knights during the conflict - fought and slayed Graug.
- The Damnation of the Javatiin System [M36] -
- Devastation of Baal [ ~999.M41 ] - The Winged Knights were among the Blood Angels Successor Chapters who participated in the defence of the Blood Angels' homeworld of Baal from the assault by Hive Fleet Leviathan. The Chapter was rewarded with the ability to incorporate the colour red into their armour.
- Indomitus Crusade [ M42 ] - Though their activities during the crusade are poorly recorded at best, it is known that they participated in some capacity or another.
Chapter Home World[]
The Chapter was originally assigned a homeworld millennia ago, but it was destroyed. The only known records of the world were that it existed and that it had "belonged" to the Chapter. Nothing else about the planet is officially known. Some rumours related to the planet such as the odd name of a regiment that may have been raised there during the early part of the 32nd Millennium have made themselves known from time to time, but they are almost always nothing more than whispers of a shadow in the dark.
Fortress-Monastery[]
Their original Fortress-Monastery was located on their homeworld, and was destroyed following the Chapter's forced actions during their Campaign of Penance along with all that remained within it. It has been whispered across the millennia that many Chapter Relics as well as valuable pieces of equipment such as tanks and transports, manufacturing equipment, and much more.
Being a Fleet-Based Chapter since the beginning of their Campaign of Penance, their Fortress-Monastery was rebuilt upon the Battlebarge Indomitus Spear. None outside the Chapter who do not have the authority to override the commands of the Sky Lord of the Chapter have ever been inside this new Fortress-Monastery, but it is said to be littered with prayers for forgiveness, oaths of purity, and promises of destruction to all those who would oppose the Chapter.
Chapter Organisation[]
Like many of the Successor Chapter's of the Blood Angels, the Winged Knights' organisational structure is near-identical to that of the Blood Angels but with mostly trivial differences such as differentiation between the names of a number of particular ranks. Given the fleet-based nature of the Chapter as well as adjustments to their operational disciplines as a result of the Campaign of Penance, the 6th through 9th Companies of the Chapter - while maintaining most of their inherent structure - are employed in a manner more akin to that of the 2nd through 5th Companies as opposed to the manner in which Reserve Companies are typically employed.
Their depleted numbers as a result of the defence of Baal against the onslaught of the Tyranids as well as the insertion of Primaris Astartes into their ranks did little to change the Chapter's structure beyond the relatively superficial.
Officer Ranks[]
- Sky Lord. A rank that is equivalent to that of Chapter Master.
- Winged Champion. A rank equivalent to the Sanguinary Guard of the Blood Angels Chapter.
Specialist Ranks[]
- Chief Soul Seer. A Librarian selected from among the ranks of the Soul Seers to act as their commander within the Chapter's Librarius. The Chief Soul Seer is still second to the Chief Librarian within the Chapter's Librarius.
- Soul Seers. A select few of the Chapter's Librarius are given training and possess the attitudes of a Chaplain, and they serve as a vanguard against heresy, particularly within the Chapter itself. They are guardians against corruption in its worst form.
Order of Battle[]
The Winged Knights use the same organisation scheme as the genesis Chapter of their lineage - the Blood Angels. As such, they are considered a partially Codex Astartes-compliant Chapter.
Chapter Companies[]
The Companies of the Winged Knights bear the following names and titles of their Captains:
- 1st Company - Winged Ancients - Master of the Ancients
- 2nd Company - The Honoured Host - Master of the Honourable
- 3rd Company - The Bulwark Host - Master of the Steadfast
- 4th Company - The Demon Slayer Host - Master of the Eradicators
- 5th Company - The Heretic's Bane Host - Master of the Slayers
- 6th Company - The Formidable Host - Master of the Brave
- 7th Company - The Stalwart Host - Master of the Dutiful
- 8th Company - The Unquenchable Host - Master of the Ever-Thirstful
- 9th Company - The Burning Rain Host - Master of the Destroyers
- 10th Company - The Shadow Stalker Host - Master of the Recruits
Chapter Beliefs[]
While nothing is known about their original sets of beliefs, the Chapter has their own unique identity when it comes to their belief systems. They have a very strong sense of self-sacrifice in and of itself, and also have a very strong sense that redemption is achievable through valuable self-sacrifice. What is meant by 'Valuable Self-Sacrifice' is open to broad interpretation, but it has been noted that this belief most often manifests as the Chapter taking on notably unnecessary risk even when said risk could result in their genuine destruction.
This belief system surrounding self-sacrifice has also instilled in the Astartes of the Chapter a strong sense of humility, but displays of such humility can be selective when it comes to outsiders.
Their beliefs surrounding the corruption of Chaos is such that they have no room for pity or mercy when it comes to those who have been corrupted, even if those who who are corrupted are - at least hypothetically - one of their own. They have been known to descend into absolute savagery when engaged with those who have been corrupted, and most Astartes in the Chapter belief that this savagery is justified and will even tailor their training and conditioning to allow for better performance on the battlefield when engaging in such savagery because of this belief.
Combat Doctrine[]
Deathwatch Service[]
While later millennia has seen their involvement with the Deathwatch increase, Astartes of the Winged Knights were barred from serving in the Deathwatch for centuries. Furthermore, when they were finally allowed to serve once more, they would be exceptionally secretive compared to other members of the Deathwatch out of a heightened sense of concern that their identity would cause issues that in turn would unnecessarily cost lives.
Notable Winged Knights[]
It is rumoured that the Chapter had many Astartes of note within its ranks before their fall from grace, but their time since has seen the be rather reclusive. As a result, few Astartes have gained fame beyond the ranks of the Chapter.
The most notable Astartes the Chapter produced in the several millennia since the Edict of Obliteration was enforced by the Sermo Invictus Chapter was Rayas Kourtis, the first Sky Lord of the Winged Knights after the Edict of Obliteration. Rayas was noted primarily because he led the Chapter for several centuries as well as fighting in against Graug's WAAAGH! during which he met his end.
Chapter Fleet[]
The Chapter's current fleet is largely unknown. This is in no small part because large portions of the Chapter's fleet were destroyed during the Devastation of Baal and the reconstitution of its vessels in the subsequent years is as largely unrecorded as their involvement in the Indomitus Crusade.
- Indomitus Spear (Battle Barge) - The primary vessel of the fleet, it is the largest and longest-serving vessel in the Chapter's fleet.
- Noctus Barbarus (Battle Barge) - Built during the 39th Millennium, the vessel was presented to the Chapter after millennia of service with the Indomitus Spear as their only Battle Barge. It was a mighty gift, and many see it as a gift to represent the efforts they made to redeem themselves.
Chapter Relics[]
The Chapter - while they do not possess the number of relics they once did - still possess a number of potent relics most of which are still in use.
- The Angel's Axe - A chainaxe of incredible power, it is said to be ritually imbued with some measure of psychic power from the Chapter's Chief Librarian when either a new Sky Lord is granted the position or when a new Astartes is granted the rank of Chief Librarian. In the exceptionally rare cases where the Sky Lord is psychically gifted, it is done by them instead. It is said that the potency and effectiveness the weapon as well as elements of its very nature of the will of the imbuer. If the imbuer and the Sky Lord are not one and the same, then the nature of the power imbued in the weapon is dependent on the relationship between the Chief Librarian and the Sky Lord.
- The Ork Slayer - While not immortalised at the time, the Storm Bolter used by Rayas Kourtis in the campaign against the WAAAGH! Graug during the 35th Millennium is said to have been elevated to relic status some time after his death. While there is not anything unique about the weapon in terms of its functionality, it has been inlaid with a great number of adornments predominantly of gold and obsidian.
Chapter Appearance[]
Chapter Colours[]
The Winged Knights primarily wear black coloured power armour with the exception of gold colour on the backpack, both vambraces (forearm armour), both poleyns (knee armour) and both sabatons (foot armour). Both the silver pauldron trim and both wrists are silver in colour. Unlike most other Chapters descended from the Blood Angels, the Winged Knights do not utilise the same unique heraldry and colours commonly used to designate their squads and companies. Instead, the Winged Knights utilise the proscribed markings of the Codex Astartes. A white coloured squad specialty symbol stencilled on the right armorial inset indicates a battle-brother's assigned squad specialty (Fire Support, Close Support, Battleline, Veteran or Command). A small black coloured roman numeral stencilled on the squad specialty symbol indicates squad assignment. A larger white coloured roman numeral stencilled on the right poleyn indicates company assignment.
Chapter Badge[]
The Winged Knights chapter badge takes the from of a gold coloured stylised set of angelic wings, centred upon a field of black.
Relations[]
Allies[]
Beyond the standard allegiances that come with their loyalty to the Imperium of Man, the closest to what one might call allies of the Chapter are the Blood Angels and the Angels Sanguine, both of which they have been known to worth with closely across great swathes of history.
Enemies[]
Armorial of the Sermo Invictus Chapter.
- Sermo Invictus - The Chapter regards the Sermo Invictus Chapter through - at the very least - an antagonistic lense if not as an outright enemy. Though they cannot blame them for their actions especially since it was the Winged Knight's own internal heresy that brought the wrath of the Sermo Invictus Chapter upon them, the actions themselves are still - millennia later - too bitter of a pill to swallow. In spite of the Winged Knights' views of them, they have never come to blows with the Sermo Invictus Chapter since the 'The Cleanse'.
Notable Quotes[]
By the Winged Knights[]
About the Winged Knights[]
Gallery[]
Videos[]
