Death Heads
We shall never die!
Origins
S anctioned and forged during the Ninth Founding from the gene stock of Roboute Gulliman, the Death Heads were created for the purpose of adding their strength to the unstable Segmentum Ultima. Based on the border between Segmentum Ultima and Segmentum Solar, the Chapter's Astartes have participated in countless conflicts against all manner of foes and bear countless more trophies from their travels and victories.
The first Chapter Master of the Death Heads was the Silver Skull Agris Derii. A venerable Astartes and masterful tactician, he knew the fear the Emperor's Angels of Death invoked in the enemies of the Imperium and championed psychological warfare. Terror campaigns required fine planning, and none were as patient nor as meticulous as Agris Derii. His mind was a machine and his work was a brilliant art.
To manifest the terror his Chapter would inspire, Derii ordered his brothers to print a human skull on the face plate of their helms. In the beginning, the Chapter wore this fearsome symbol as their heraldry, taking up the Kraken as the Chapter took on greater portions of its homeworld's culture. The Death Heads drew their name from this mark upon their founding, and only full Battle-Brothers are permitted to wear it.
The Taint The Fall of Captain Strabo Thussaud was a terrible loss for the Death Heads, and is a black mark on the Chapter's legacy. En route to Klysium after completion of the Gehenna Campaign, Thussaud’s Strike Cruiser, Hermione voyaged into the Immaterium, and it was consumed. Damaged from years of war, Hermione gave way to the fierce tempest. Torn asunder from stem to stern, Thussaud’s Second was annihilated and in time remnants of his vessel were devoured in the genesis of a space hulk.
Since Thussaud's disappearance, the Chapter had dedicated a number of small forces to watch for Thussaud’s Second and reclaim its relics, Thussaud's Captain helm chief among them. For months, the hulk had phased between warp and real space, until it was finally claimed by green-skins. On the hulk, their numbers grew. As they expanded throughout the ruin, the Warboss stumbled upon Hermione's bridge, Thussuad's inglorious grave. The Warboss and his kin robbed the corpses of their treasures, and the Warboss plucked Thussaud's helm from his limp head, crowning himself with the fearsome relic.
Homeworld
K lysium lies on the border between Segmentum Solar and Segmentum Ultima. First annexed during the Great Crusade, it has never faltered in its loyalty. Unwavering and strong, Derii saw great promise in the Klysian people as future Astartes and claimed the world as the Chapter's own. They were strong and hardy, their society built up from ruins, their faith unwavering. A water world, the people are accustom to fending for themselves, even with the warrior houses that defended their cities.
In millennia past, Klysium was a mountainous world with great cities worked into the very mountains, canyons and plateaus that blanketed the world's surface. During the Horus Heresy, Klysium served as a bulwark against Horus and his invading forces, and as a host to one of the greatest battles not involving the Legiones Astartes. War lasted for months, both on the surface and in orbit around the world. In a final, desperate attempt to deny the world to the Warmaster, the Klysian loyalists targeted the world's ice caps, destroying them through orbital bombardments. Monumental tides from the broken poles washed over the world, submerging all but the highest cities, and drowning the hated traitors.
Since the flooding, Klysium's aquatic fauna has flourished, and the populace, restricted to island chains, has become dependent on the now vast oceans. Many legends have grown around the sea and the horrors beneath its depths. Whether a creation of the daemonic powers, or simple evolutionary adaptations, monsters have conquered the oceans, none more fearsome than the Kraken. The beast would be taken as the Chapter's own heraldry upon hearing Klysian tales of the beast, and none could be more pleased to bring the world's terror to the enemies of the Emperor than Agris Derii.
The people of Klysium honor the Astartes as the Emperor's chosen. They are not a terrible sight for the Klysian people, though they invoke the senses of awe that the superhuman have upon mortal men. They are seen as the world's guardians, and the defenders of humanity. No Death Head maintains contact with their families, for the Chapter is their brotherhood. Though, many sons of the warrior houses will return to the halls of their birth and pay respect the home they would have had, had fate not been so kind.
The Chapter's Fortress Monastery, The Solitary Abbey, is based on a submerged plateau in the world's vast ocean, penetrating deep into the ground and reaching beyond the clouds. Beneath the surface, the Death Heads constructed an enormous system of catacombs. Within this network, every recovered brother is placed to rest. The sarcophagi of the Chapter's Dreadnoughts lay beside their fallen comrades until the venerable brothers are called back into service. The Solitary Abbey is divided between common grounds and sections dedicated to each of the Chapter's companies, housing the companies' trophies and banners. The height of the island's holy constructs allows The Solitary Abbey to be identified hundreds of miles away.
Chapter Organization
U nlike a majority of Gulliman's kin, the Death Heads deviate from the Codex in organizing their forces. Mirroring the Klysian Warrior Houses, each company operates as an independent force, organized as a standard codex Battle Company with its own neophytes and attached veterans. The Death Heads First Company is organized according to the Codex Astartes, a collection of venerable warriors drawn from every company. Skilled in all forms of warfare, the Death Heads split their veteran company between sternguard, vangaurd and infiltrator veterans all proficient in wearing Tactical Dreadnought Armor. The First rarely operates alone, instead distributing its forces throughout the other companies.
The Tainting No less than two years following the beginning of the hunt, two squads from the Death Heads' First Company found the hulk. After identifying sections of Hermione in its metal hide, the hulk was designated Hermione's Ossuary, an honor to the lost cruiser. The venerable Astartes began their work. Clad in Terminator Armor, the Death Heads fought through the green-skin horde onto the decrepit bridge of Hermione. Upon seeing the warp weathered bodies of their fallen brothers, they began the grim task of searching for their Chapter's treasures. The helm was not amongst the.
Set on finding the relic, they tore through the Ossuary, carrying their battle brothers bodies on their backs and leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. Sergeant Balthamo was first to spot the Ork Warboss, vile with the Chapter's most sacred treasure atop its unholy head. The Astartes descended upon the Orks, but their efforts were in vein, for with every xeno they slew, the Warboss fled farther and farther away, and gave time for more of the xeno’s ilk to enter the fray. Realizing their defeat, the Astartes retreated to their boarding craft.
The Death Heads mark their upper echelons with one of sixteen golden Kraken Helms. The helms once marked the Heads of Warrior Houses, and so when they were given to the Astartes to mark the brotherhood between the world and the Astartes, the Death Heads took them with pride. Since then, they have been modified by the Chapter's Techmarines to meet the Astartes' demands. Within the Chapter, there is no greater honor than earning the right to don one of the helms. Should its wearer fall, the Chapter will go to extreme lengths to retrieve the relic, throwing all caution to the wind for the sake of honoring the Chapter's oaths to Klysium.
Lord Minuo is the title of the Chapter's Master of Recruits. A veteran selected by a council of Chaplains and Librarians, the Minuo is bound to Klysium, only returning to war after a century of service. The veteran will retain the title long after he has left the position and relinquished the powers that accompanied it. Venerable brothers both honor and detest the position, recognizing that the future of the chapter is in their hands, but also that they must face a life of isolation from the glorious battle the Astartes were created for. It is the duty of the Minuo to train recruits until they are fit to join the Battle Companies. Contrary to the Codex Astartes, the Death Heads have modified the method of advancement. Initiates begin fighting in the Assault Squads before progressing onto the Devastator and then Tactical Squads. The Death Heads are foremost warriors, and no Klysian warrior is proven until they have killed with their hands.
Librarians command great respect amongst the Death Heads. Librarians are responsible for telling the tales of fallen heroes to their brother Astartes and recording new legacies for future generations. No information is more sacred to the Chapter than its own history, and so the Librarians bear the burden of the Chapter's pride. While the Librarians' color of office has led them to be deemed unlucky by a number Death Heads due to the Klysian superstitions, many more respect the Librarians for their fortitude. Few Librarians fear this claim, seeing it as their duty to draw misfortune away from their brothers, vulnerable to the touch of the Warp.
Combat Doctrine
F or the Death Heads, there is no greater weapon than the fear they invoke in the hearts and minds of all the Emperor's foes. From the Astartes that storm the enemy's walls to their hidden brothers, all are tools to be used to attack and destroy the enemy, in both body and mind. They are coordinated with masterful precision, and a single purpose. Following in the footsteps of Agris Derii, the Chapter's Captains continue meticulously planning their invasions, for when inspiring terror, one must be relentless.
Before dedicating larger forces to worlds, smaller squads of neophytes and veterans will lead forward campaigns, devastating the enemy's leadership and morale through a series of assassinations and sabotage operations. Since these forward units only number several Astartes, captains will often prepare multiple worlds before conducting a series of invasions. Following the saboteurs, the Death Heads launch their assault. The first strike rarely contains a single Astartes warrior, instead ravaging the enemy with Deathstorm Drop Pods. Immediately following the metallic beasts, the Chapter's newly inducted assault marines and veterans tear into the enemy, paving the road for armored vehicles and their brother Astartes.
The Death Heads will forgo forward offensives and immediately begin their assaults in dire situations, or begin shorter operations while a campaign is in progress. Their preferred methods of warfare have not hindered the Chapter's abilities, matching the ferocity of the Emperor's most zealous servants. Death Heads make extensive use of camouflage, and battle brothers rarely go into combat without the support of stealth squads. No Death Head, no matter how proud of their colors, can deny the power an invisible ally controls over the battlefield.
The Chapter's Astartes are often headstrong, stubborn and volatile, courageous in the face of any foe. These traits have allowed the Death Heads to prevail against impossible odds. Relentless in assault and unyielding in defense, for the Astartes to retreat is to show weakness and dishonor the Chapter. In battle, the Death Heads fight in accordance with the Codex Astartes, their adherence matching their gene fathers, the Ultramarines. Drilled from childhood, the Death Heads fight with finesse and precision. The Astartes were bred for battle, none will rest until their task is complete or their duty ends in their death.
The Tainted Disheartened and broken, Sergeants Balthamo and Pantilimon presented their findings to the Chapter Master and Captains on Klysium. Champion of the First Company, Narrik, was outraged by his brothers' failure. Narrik accused the fallen Thussaud of failing to protect the most valuable of the Chapter's relics. He longed to reclaim the helm from the Ork Warboss. The Chapter's Captains observed Thussaud's burial, and began the formation of another company to replace the Second. They debated who would lead this force, proposing dozens of veterans of the First Company, the Chapter's finest.
None were as driven, nor as dogmatic and eager to please, as Narrik, Champion of the First. Narrik was tasked with hunting down the Ork Warboss, slaying him and reclaiming stolen relics. Placed in command of the Second Company, he quickly denounced the name, taking up the title of the Eleventh to escape the shame Thussaud brought upon the Chapter. In place of the Captain title bestowed to the leaders of Companies, Narrik was named Commander, promised only the full honors of his position when his task was done. Infuriated by this slight on his honor, Narrik swore to reclaim the helm, and set off in search of Hermione's Ossuary.
Chapter Cult
A n assortment of traditions have been absorbed by the Death Heads, predominantly from their parent Chapter, the Silver Skulls, and their home world, Klysium. The Death Heads honor the marks and traditions of Klysian warriors in their own ranks, going so far as to follow their superstitions. Colors play a great role in Klysian lore. Blue is believed to be unlucky and, to the Death Heads, a beacon in the warp. Red is believed to be lucky, and marines will often paint red war markings, jags and spirals, on their armor. The Chapter's green is the color of hope, to remind all of humanity that they are defended by the finest warriors, the Emperor's chosen.
Death Heads have a habit of collecting various trinkets from fallen enemies. This tradition was adopted from the Klysian Warrior Houses to show all manner of foes killed by the warrior. In addition, many battle brothers take trophies as gifts for the Emperor. In following the Klysian warriors' traditions, weapons, charms, bones, teeth and all manner of things are taken from defeated enemies. When marines first return to their vessel, more interesting and valuable treasures are given to the Chaplains who then take them to the Apothecaries, Librarians and Techmarines. In turn, they take the most useful artifacts to study. Those treasures found useless and free from taint are returned to the battle brothers.
The Chapter's Honor Duels are ritualistic competitions of strength and ability. Observed by Chaplains, these fights are for more valuable treasures taken from the spoils of victory. Two of the Chapter's Astartes fight, clad in their robes, until blood is drawn. Any Astartes may challenge another, regardless of rank or experience, providing both parties are interested in claiming the prize at hand. It is not uncommon for venerable marines to amass enormous hordes in their lifetimes. Many chapters have called the Death Heads' treasures worthless, some going so far as to accuse them of being heretical. However, these accusations have never endangered the Chapter's relationship with the Imperium, nor have they prevented this ancient custom from continuing.
Death Heads are always eager to tell their sagas to their younger brothers. Neophytes are often entertained and mesmerized by their more venerable brothers' tales, encompassing travels and victories on countless worlds. Many of the Chapter's veterans link their more renowned or important victories with treasures they've taken from their campaigns, often using these trinkets in their retelling of the story. Librarians tell the chronicles of the Chapter's fallen heroes during sermons to inspire the Astartes to even greater feats. All of these tales are recorded within the Chapter's Librarium on their home world, most written by the Astartes themselves.
The Death Heads honor the Emperor above all else, not as a god, but as the greatest man to ever live. To deny him is worthy of death, and to turn from his light is unforgivable. The Death Heads possess a terrible hatred for the traitors of the Imperium. Klysium still bears the scars from the Horus Heresy, and the Chapter is quick to accuse all traitors for this slight on their honor. Their hatred has resulted in multiple Companies rushing to fight against traitorous uprisings, regardless of their cause for rebellion. The Chapter's malevolence is reflected on the battlefield, the Death Heads are never more vicious than in the face of traitorous Astartes, often charging forward to face them in combat.
Gene-seed
L ike a full two thirds of existing Chapters, the Death Heads are descend from Roboute Gulliman and his Ultramarines. The Chapter is proud of its heritage, and its purity. Death Heads have retained, and possess full use, of all of their implants. Apothecaries work tirelessly to ensure the Chapter's gene-seed is never corrupted, removing genes from the stock at the slightest hint of mutation. This compulsion has left the Death Heads far from full strength on a number of occasions. The Death Heads ensure that their gene-seed tithe to Mars is always paid on time, for the Death Heads the tithe is a bond between the Chapter and the greater Imperium. Klysian recruits who fail the strenuous trials of body and mind after beginning the implantation process become serfs, so they may continue to serve the Emperor and the Chapter.
Battle-cry
K lysian warriors have marched to war under the banners and songs of ancient people long before they were annexed into the Imperium, and continue the tradition through their warrior houses and the Astartes that call their world home. Every Astartes, every man, woman and child knows the songs of old. Before entering battle, each Death Head takes an oath to never lose sight of their duty, to watch human kind conquer the galaxy, and stand by their side to guide them through the darkness. In combat the oath is a challenge to the enemies of man. To let the enemy know that what they face is relentless, to let them know that their purpose is unyielding, to let them know they face the Emperor's will made manifest and their doom, Death Heads proclaim, “We shall never die!”
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